Chapter 35

It was a new day, and the duo felt fresh and ready to proceed with their next move. They found a reasonably priced motel in College Station, home to Texas A&M University. The location was also a good mid-way point for returning to the Institute. Brandt and Dan had both agreed that returning to Jean so late in the previous evening after what they had just been through wasn’t the greatest decision. Brandt was fueled by rage and bad judgment, while Dan’s old bones lacked the strength to keep up. There was also the realization that Beckett would likely be there. Neither wanted to be in the awkwardness of his company.

Dan followed closely behind Brandt for once, not only to be an extra set of eyes in case that familiar white truck made an appearance but also to ensure that Brandt wasn’t going to make any sudden detours. Getting back to the Institute was the plan. They needed to talk to Jean again and discuss a possible endgame, so they weren’t running around in circles forever.

Brandt slowly opened the server room door, as per Dan’s suggestion. It was likely that Smith was on at least his third cup of coffee by now, and neither of them needed to see him jump from his chair, despite how hilarious it would’ve been.

Smith looked over to see Brandt enter the room, followed by Dan, and cracked a smile. “It’s great to see you two, both in working order, I might add. How was your adventure?”

“Eventful,” Brandt said without enthusiasm.

“If I could make just one suggestion. The next time you decide to run off and be a one-man death squad, you should probably take your phone with you.”

“Noted.”

Smith pulled out a phone from the desk drawer and handed it to Brandt. “At least someone had turned it in to the staff at the restaurant. I managed to pick it up for you.”

“I appreciate it. I’m slowly learning from my mistakes, I promise.”

“I sure hope so. Do you realize how difficult it was for me to go into that place? The smell of frying beef was nauseating.”

“You mean fragrant and delicious.”

“No, I really don’t. Besides, it’s Jean that you should really be thanking. She’s the one that pointed out that you had a false message from her on your phone and that you left it behind.”

“I’ve been made aware. Thank you, Jean!” Brandt called out.

“Uh, she might not be very responsive at the moment. She’s been busy cracking a few passwords.”

“Passwords? For what?”

“That was going to be my next mention to you. She believes that she has found a way to finally put an end to Avery. The message to your phone had already revealed the location; now she just needs to work out a few notable security concerns to increase the likelihood of success.”

“I have completed the necessary steps to ensure our success,” Jean said, gaining the attention and open ear of Brandt, Smith, and Dan.

“Great. What are we doing?” Brandt asked.

“It’s great to know that you are okay, Mr. Brandt. I hope my intrusion into your phone was not too much of an issue for you.”

“It’s great to hear your voice again. No, it saved my life.” Brandt had thought back to the Snowden days when this invasion of privacy would’ve been met with terror and disgust. Now, he just accepted it after seeing what benefits it could provide.

“Excellent. Now initiate protocol seventy-six.”

Brandt and Dan looked at each other awkwardly, shrugged their shoulders and looked to Smith for answers.

“Oh. I forgot. We have created a code word to turn off our phones. You never know who may be listening.”

“But what seventy-six?” Brandt asked.

“It was just the first number to pop into my head, and it sounds cool, right?”

“Sure.”

It reminded Brandt about some of the many secure and classified areas he had to work in before his current situation. The three all turned off their phones in anticipation of the big reveal that Jean was ready to disclose.

“Good, I sense that they are now inactive. Before I begin, I’d like to thank you all for being here and giving me a second chance to help end this nightmarish atrocity that started with the execution of my dear friend Andrew Simmons.”

Brandt started to get town meeting vibes. “Thank you, Jean.”

Everyone provided a small round of applause while shifting their eyes, wondering if this was the right thing to do in the moment.

“As you may know, I have located Avery by meticulously tracing the origin of Brandt’s message that was sent to his phone yesterday. He is currently located at a Pharmaceutical data center in Austin, only a few miles away. In order to truly defeat him, we need implement a multi-stage process. First, I will need to cut all lines of communication in and out of that facility by destroying connected servers and routers. I will begin once you arrive at the location. Remember that you will have no contact with me from then on.”

Dan nearly choked. “Excuse me? You want to destroy the communications used by an entire city? That’s not something that I will be able to explain to my boss.”

“Unfortunately, it is the only way. It is also the least destructive part of the plan.”

“Great. But why do this at all?” Dan was really starting to feel the stress.

“It is a preventative measure so that Avery does not transfer himself to another location while we implement step two of the plan.”

“It should be a very expensive show for the server administrators,” Smith quipped.

“Next, you will need to upload me via USB drive into their system directly.”

Now it was Brandt’s turn to be shocked. “Directly? Can’t you do this remotely?”

“I cannot. Avery sensed the intrusion and used his full capabilities to prevent me while also attempting an escape. It would be how you say, fighting fire with fire.”

“Then what happens once you are placed into the system?”

“I will be acting as both a virus and anti-virus. Corrupting Avery’s systems and also eliminating what I can. I’m afraid this is where the more destructive part comes into play for Dan. All systems will likely be overloaded and thoroughly destroyed as Avery and I fight for control.”

“Alright. Is there a step three?” Brandt asked.

“Step three would be your encounter with Jeffrey Sorren, who I believe you know by now to be Nyx. A former special forces operative for the United States Army and disavowed recruit for the Central Intelligence Agency.”

“I knew some of that. But how do we find him again?”

“He will find you. Sorren had been following you since you left his former residence in Alto, Texas. Courtesy of Dan, a small GPS tracker was placed on his vehicle during your last encounter.”

Brandt looked over at Dan, who shrugged in return. “You neglected to mention this?”

“Look. We were both tired, had nearly gotten our asses killed, and I didn’t want you to run off again without getting Jean’s advice first.”

Brandt shook his head. “So why don’t we just go after him first since you know where he is?”

“Because that will cause alarm for Avery. If we confront them simultaneously, then neither of them will have the opportunity to run,” Jean replied.

Brandt understood the logic, but it didn’t mean that he approved of the order of target priority. “It’s fine; we’ll do it your way.”

“Great. Now let’s get started. Smith, you know what to do.”

Smith nodded in acknowledgement and removed the small USB thumb drive from the desk drawer, bringing it over to one of the noisy systems in the server rack. He plugged it into an available port. “It’s in.”

“Transferring data now,” Jean replied.

“How long is this supposed to take?” Brandt asked.

“Should only be a few minutes. Perhaps you and Dan should get ready, whatever that entails,” Smith said.

Dan had already exited the room, likely to check on the condition of his newly acquired rifle. Brandt was almost out of the doorway when Jean summoned him one more time.

“Can I have a private word with you, Mr. Brandt?”

Brandt paused, then turned around. “Of course. But how?”

Smith pointed to the desk where a pair of headphones rested.

Brandt put the headphones on, and his eyes looked like they were ready to pop out of his skull from the fury he was feeling.

“Patience, Mr. Brandt. Do what’s important first.”

Brandt controlled himself quite well as he removed the headset and gently laid them back onto the desk. He turned back around and walked out of the room.