The chief

Russel waited for a junk email. He took in the view from the large bay windows. He did this from time to time to calm himself. They overlooked the garden, his wife spent so much time on. She always looked so happy when she would pull out a vegetable she had grown. She would rave about how they tasted far better then ones from a store. Russel was a meat and potatoes fan. Yet he would eat her home grown masterpieces with a smile. Even though he hated them just as much as the store bought ones. He knew how much effort and care she put into them.

Russel remembered the day, he set his eyes on his Hope for the first time. She was glowing and he a loss of words. His two best friends noticed and started to egged him on. He was the last in the group to find a girl. Mike has Ashlee and Jon had Lisa. He was the fifth wheal and held it well. Hope stood across the room in her pink sweater. She looked like a ray of sunshine. Even though he could go marching into gun fire, he couldn't bring himself to introduce himself. His legs felt week and it wasn't the alcohol. She was an Angel and he wasn't. Even being in her world would be a honor that most devils don't receive. He held more regrets in the name of honor to be called an angel. That was the second he called retreat the realization that he was not worthy. Before he could make it to the table a small piece of fait proved him wrong. A small and feisty woman grabbed him by the arm and introduced himself as her friends. This was Rusty first memory of Ann. That was the day Rusty decided to be whatever Hope wanted because she was truly his hope.

Russel checked his junk email again. It was a answer to the second half of the equation. How to proceed from here would determine so much on Anns reply. He owed his whole world to this woman. So he would risk his because she would do it for him. In reality she already had. Little did he know his plan had already been compromised. Russel needed six hours to fake a death. At least to do well enough that the authorities wouldn't be the wiser. In desperate times he could use one of his outside men, that was always risky. It was better to keep it in house.

Cameron was busy altering photos and security camera films. Jane's alibi had to be rock solid. Her actress double was almost flawless but she did have two minor differences that all the makeup and fake features couldn't change. Her nose was a tiny bit bigger and her eyes where a little bit further apart. They where not hard fixes to make and sun glasses corrected most of the images. Over three quarters of the videos needed no alterations. He was grateful that most people don't carry cameras. He was even more grateful that traditional camera where a thing of the past. Still even then all the photos linked to the internet where flagged and altered. Those crazy out of date disposable camera still where developed by a machine, that took tiny images of the film. When those came through the film was destroyed.

Cameron liked to live in the shadows. The shadow kept him out of the view of the world. He got a large amount of pleasure from doing this kind of work. He was beating the same system that hid him away from the world. His chair and electrics was all the company he needed. He had a counter top full of friends that all understand his code.

All except for Cameron's ferret he didn't live on his countertop or understand his code. He was his little bit of crazy. he would bounce around him in a playful manner. Jumping and playing with one of Cameron's dirty socks. The smile never seamed to die when they where together. From the corner of his eye he caught the slinky getting into a bag of chips. The little critter started to stock the cheesy substance into the toe of the sock. Wigging backwards out of the sock to claim another crunchy snack. The best part was, it wasn't his chips. Serves him right for leaving the bag out. Even his little friend was a little shady and he liked it. This world was his jungle gym of data and Cameron was definitely at recess. His work load would go way into the night. Cameron wouldn't change a thing. Even if he had to share his space with a slob. This was collage and he was grateful for the experience.

Russel got the ping he was waiting for. It didn't surprise him yet he still held a knot in chest. It was going to have to be a quick one. He was just finishing up with the first mess. He quickly made a phone call to Andrew he knew what to do. Having people you can trust is the benefit of being the chief. The hard part was being in two places at once. Thankfully he had Cameron for that.