WARNING: NEIL'S INTO TYPOS...
Entry #8 Last time I mentioned Daniel’s alert and his unconcern. I kept an eye out, and for a couple days the pings continued. By the flow I could tell it was one person. Doesn’t matter how and I don’t really want to explain. I didn’t know who it was. Not yet. And I worked every trick I had. Then it all stopped. That gave me goosebumps. Not the good kind. So I waited. Nothing for a day, two, three, then a week. Then the strangest thing happened. I’m not sure whether to take it to Cal or not. We got a ping from The White House of all places. Someone put in a request for the known whereabouts of Daniel Briggs. I know what you’re thinking, that’s not the first time this particular search has happened. Despite out relationship with the president, it hasn’t alway been all Rose Garden perky. Yeah, we’ve been on the run before. But this, just after the trail that went cold. It can’t be a coincidence. Now the real question is whether I dig straight into the depths of The White House or take the nice boy route, starting with Cal and then running up to the president. Decisions. Maybe it’s nothing. Coincidence? I don’t know. What I do know is that my gut’s turning. Do you hear it? Turn your Spidey senses on, Dear Diary, - Neil WARNING: NEIL TYPES TOO FAST TO CATCH TYPOS....
Entry #7 In my last entry I had to leave to deal with an alert. I’ve got all kinds. Surface level stuff like increased web activity, DNS attacks, phishing schemes, that sort of things. Alerts run the gamut. It’s only the most important ones that I drop every thing for. This was one of those. Someone’s digging into Daniel’s past. It happens from time to time. Usually it’s Cal or Jonas. I once found out about one of Gaucho’s long lost girlfriends who’d had a baby with another man (yeah, I found that out by digging into her barely protected work laptop). Anyways, whether it’s because Daniel’s more ghost than the rest of us or he just doesn’t have enemies like Cal, this is a first. The trail started in St. Louis. Military records. Not so uncommon. Happens more than you’d think. Especially for heroes like Daniel. But military records were only the beginning. I won’t go into the proprietary mix of tech I used to track this stuff (read: illegal) but suffice to say it works. It works well. Cell phone calls. Texts. Emails. Someone’s snooping on Daniel. I didn’t like it. So I took what I had to Daniel. To say he was unconcerned would be an understatement. His succinct response was, “It’s a free country, Neil.” Not what I was expecting. Screw it. If he’s not concerned I’ll keep an eye out. Maybe it’s nothing. Maybe it is. We’ll see. Stay tuned, Dear Diary, - Neil WARNING: NEIL LIKES TYPOS...
Entry #6 Okay. So last time I mentioned Anna and Daniel, hopefully sitting in a tree. . . He came home last night and after we got his usual right-to-the-point debrief, I waited until he’d had a chance to unpack and settle in. Here’s what happened as best as I can remember: His bedroom door was open. It always is. I knocked anyway. “Come in,” Daniel said from his cross-legged perch on the bed. “Hey.” I’m pretty sure I sounded like a shivering simpleton. Then he just stared at me. Not in a creepy way. Daniel Briggs is FAR from creepy. No, his stare is more expectant and ever-patient. “I was wondering,” I somehow got out of my mouth. “Anna came by.” “Thats what you said.” And I had. I’d given him a detailed rundown of her visit not an hour earlier, all in hopes that I would’ve have to have this awkward conversation. Screw it, I thought. Out with it. “I was wondering why—well, why you too aren’t together,” I said. Daniel nodded, thoughtfully, I think. “That’s a good question.” Then the stare again, like I’d asked my one permitted question and now it was time for the next. Buck up, Neil. “Yeah, well, I just thought that, you know, she’s pretty great. Smart. Pretty.” Holy blubbering coward! “Are you going to tell me why you’re NOT together?” Daniel shrugged. “It’s not our time yet. That’s the best way I can explain it.” I was not to be deterred! “But you like her, right?” “Of course.” “And you know that it usually takes someone to make the first move?” This felt like a middle school replay. “I do.” I must’ve looked completely flustered because Daniel smiled and said, “It’s not time, Neil.” Then he cocked his head just so. “But I’ll let you know when it is, okay?” I’m not sure what I said in response, just got out of there as fast as I could feeling the total spying creepo. But it was a good thing I left when I did. My control center was waiting and lo and behold there a blinking message. It’s something about Daniel. I’ve gotta go and take care of this. Not sure if I can write about it later. We’ll see. These alerts are never good. . . Back to work, Neil WARNING: NEIL LIKESES THE TYPOS....
Entry #5 Some nights I wander the streets. Doesn’t matter what city I’m in. I haven’t figured out why I do it. Maybe I’m looking for trouble. Maybe I’m just stewing. Maybe I’m just. . . I don’t know +++++ Anna Varushkin visited today. She was in town for a few hours and said she wanted to see the gang. I could tell what she really wanted: Daniel. He’s gone as he is most times. The disappointment in Anna’s eyes only lasted a second. She’s good at putting on a brave face. She’s got to after what she’s been up against. If I were Daniel I would’ve. . . well, she’s an amazing lady. Beautiful. Smart. Fearless. To me they seem like a perfect match. I wish I had the guts to ask him why he doesn’t make it more permanent. But he’s Daniel. Even Cal gives him room. Maybe one of us should pry. Isn’t that what good friends do? I think so. So I’ll try to be a good friend. I’ll ask him when he gets back. Now that I think about it, I don’t know him as well as the others. But damn if he shouldn’t grab on to Anna and never let go. Hopefully I’ll have some answers next time, Dear Diary. Fingers and toes crossed. Yours until the subsequent scribble, Neil WARNING: NEIL DOES TYPOS....
Entry #4 Random Fashion note: I like to dress up. But I’m sliding into a more comfortable phase of my life. Gaucho recommenced a t-shirt company called Fresh Clean Tees. Love them. Ordered a sample and then enough to wear one a day (I'm not a fan of doing laundry). Thanks, Gaucho. You are my only hope. . . +++++ I was watching half watching YouTube this morning and I saw a video about a guy who’s company does elaborate drone displays. I’ve seen them before during football halftime shows and maybe a concert. You know, a swarm of drones makes pictures in the air, they flash colors and act as one. I don’t know why but this morning that gave me goosebumps. Not the good kind. We’ve already been hearing stories about FBI raids going haywire ([[] https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2018/05/criminal-gang-used-drone-swarm-obstruct-fbi-raid/147956/ ]) because the crooks they’re trying to nab have drones at their disposal. The bad guys use drones like we would, to keep an eye out for the authorities and thwart their efforts whenever possible. And that’s just a couple at a time. Now, imagine a swarm of the winged beasts. <shivers> I think we’re way behind on defending against this sort of thing. Cal once told me that one of his greatest fears for a Marine infantry squad/platoon is drones. How do Marines defend against them? Again, something to think on. Maybe I’ll do some tinkering tonight. Your always-thinking buddy, Neil Warning: Neil does typos...
Entry #3 China Thoughts I know I promised more observations, but this one won’t leave me. If I won’t leave me Doc Higgins says it should go in the journal. China. A conundrum to many. But not to me. The rise of the sleeping dragon first came to my attention when I was an undergrad at the University of Virginia. It was the one and only class I took outside of the Engineering School. We went back say a hundred years. I don’t remember all the details. I don’t have a photographic memory, no matter what others think. What I DO remember still haunts me. The Chinese, especially the who’s who, don’t think like we do in the West. We’re thinking a year, maybe two down the road. What will interest rates do? Who’s gonna win the next election? That kind of thing. Our best leaders look decades ahead. But they’re outliers. Re-election and all that. Not China. They’re thinking one hundred, two hundred years down the road. They’re willing to make HUGE sacrifices today to get the ENORMOUS payoff later. How do we compete? Something for me to think on. Maybe Daniel has some insight. Typos may be present... because it's Neil....
Entry #2 It turns out that the blinking curser on my computer screen is cursed. A cursed curser. It taunts me. “Write faster, Neil,” it whispers. “Write anything, Neil,” it scratches. Jeez. I really must be nuts. Pissed at a curser. . . ++ Okay, took a break and I’m feeling better. Went for a walk and ended up at the chow hall. Like Doc Higgins suggested, I’m observing. Trying quiet my mind and observing. So, I observed. This would probably be really stupid to anyone but me, but I’m calling this a study of human nature. A deep dive into the human psyche. I watched Top (that’s MSgt Willie Trent, Dear Diary) eat lunch. Yeah. Thrilling, right? Well, Dear Diary, it was. I sipped Mt. Dew Zero as I watched. Here’s a list of everything my giant gladiator friend consumed all while regaling some new employees with his unending stories: - 5 eggs, overeasy - three scoops of sweet potato/corned beef hash (this alone would fill a normal human’s plate) - two bananas - one glass of milk - one glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice - two banana nut muffins with butter - one ribeye, done medium rare - one cup of coffee, black - one cup of green tea, extra matcha - one small bowl of oatmeal, with raisins and granola sprinkled on top - one apple There you go, my observation for the day. Not bad. Interesting, at least to me. Who to watch next? Your observational scribe, Neil Entry #1
I can’t believe I’m doing this. I used to make fun of diary scribes. Now I’m one of them. Great. Just great. <scratching head as I try to figure out how to do this> Okay, I’ll start at the beginning. My foot. Ponder took it. I’m never getting it back. Wah, wah, wah. Such a baby. I’ve met people who have it a lot worse than me. Brave men and women who’ve lost every limb and still figure out how to keep going. I have ZERO right to complain. So why am I here? Why and I writing this? Short answer: Doc Higgins thought it might be useful. Long answer: Something squirrelly this way runs. Work is fine. Better than fine if you analyze the bottom line. While SSI isn’t exactly public anymore, we’ve got more than enough contacts and contracts to keep us busy and running for decades to come. But I think the good doctor is right. Something’s up in my head. An unease. A fidgetiness. (Is that even a word?) Sorry. I can’t promise that my entries will be typo free. I build stuff. I don’t write books. Back to the long answer. Doc Higgins thought it might be useful to recap my days and/or start my days with whatever’s running through my noggin. So that’s what I’m going to do. I don’t know what’s gonna come out on the page, but I promised that I’d give it a go. So I will. And if anyone ever finds this journal (I’ve hidden it in the deepest depths of SSI’s network so it won’t) I hope they don’t judge me too harshly. Because I’m just a computer guy trying to get by. And if I don’t lie, or poke myself in the eye, who knows what might come by. See. I can barely rhyme. There goes my budding hip-hop career. Until next time, Dear Diary. Your loving newbie scribe, Neil I am so happy to see happy readers leaving reviews for The Man From Belarus. The book was a long time coming (sorry), but it was so worth it. I had such a blast writing the novel that I plowed right into writing the follow up, Matters of State, right after finishing.
If you've left a review, THANKS! If you're in the middle of reading it and love it, please consider leaving a review. Even the short one help. Here's the link if you need it: https://getbook.at/TheManFromBelarus - cgc |
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