Twenty-Nine Cozy Bears

25

Once begun, there were few decisions to make. He preformed most of his unpacking by rote. There was also a lack of space in the small office he acquired, objects came out of the box, and found space as possible. Electric cords kept many of the objects together, restricting their placement. He chose the next object, and found a space for it. Then he hooked it up. And his conversation with NATili was constant.

The planning and building reached a crescendo with no parts. The build up of purpose charged the hill under a barrage of piston beats. Thick, over-sized boots thrusting through mud, through people, through water. But then, a puff of chill and the rush ended — sans climax. Homeostasis. Balance. Instead of celebration it felt more like the ocean sighing into the sand and shore.

Sara watched from the doorway. After a few minutes she left and came back with a cup of coffee to sip on. "Would you like to go out to eat at the street kitchens again?"

He paused his hands. His equipment was ready to launch, and the urge to begin working with the ideas he had festering in the corners of his mind, was simply too strong to ignore at this point. "I would, yes, but I can't tonight. I want to be fully setup and ready by morning. Alek and I will then begin drafting ideas."

"Can I ask how you start that part? The drafting of ideas?" she asked.

His head tilted as if something to his left ate something he was watching. A sudden jolt of cognitive dissonance rang sharp in his ear. It was not a feeling he treasured. Leaning back in his chair he said, "You are why I am here."

Sara looked around, unsure about the scrutiny she basked in. "What?" she managed in a soft voice.

He altered his own to no sound so challenging. " You are my mission. You are why I am here. Yet you sound hesitant about asking questions."

"Because I am," she offered, and took a half step forward.

"You are? Hesitant?" he mulled that over, then shrugged, "I suppose that might be appropriate. I don't understand your country yet."

She waited for several moments and then said, "And? How do you begin?"

"No sense reinventing the wheel," he offered. "We begin with the ATT&CK."

"MITRE's?" she asked.

"Good as any. Remember we are doing government work now. No extra credit for unique design or creative solution. We're looking for all of the nuance of a smash and grab. Get in, get out, next victim."

"So, the latest and greatest doesn't snark your attention?" she asked.

"Not unless it is Playstation."

"Huh, I got such the build up for you guys. Best of the best and all that."

"Being the best or even the most efficient doesn't take software, it takes experience and skill. I still run Kali OS on the laptops. It is a solid distro. "

After studying him for a minute Sara tapped her nose with her finger, "But that's not what has your attention right now."

After a nod of his head in agreement, he said, "Not so much, no."

"May I ask, what has your attention?"

The man scratched his cheek, his nails rasping across his whiskers. "Pull up a chair, I'll show you."