Daemon

them. ‘I need all nonemergency personnel evacuated from CyberStorm’s office space. Nathan, I want an outer perimeter established at all stairwell and elevator entrances. We set up command and control in this area just outside the vestibule. I want interviews from everyone evacuated.’
    The network director turned to Sebeck. ‘We have five floors in this building. Is it really necessary to evacuate them all?’
    ‘Two of your coworkers are dead today from unrelated “accidents.” I find that an implausible coincidence.’
    The network director’s face contorted. ‘Two?’
    ‘That’s correct. I’ll let your illustrious leader fill you in.’
    The CyberStorm folks turned to the company president. Kevault was gnawing on his fingernails in irritation or concentration – it was hard to tell which. He finally spoke without looking at anybody. ‘Lamont, switch over to the mirror site. Then evacuate the office.’
    Sebeck leveled a gaze. ‘You’ll evacuate the building now. If you have any illusions about who’s in charge here, I can give you a time-out in the county lockup.’
    Kevault was about to speak but thought better of it. He just marched off down the hall. His people followed.
    Sebeck nodded to Mantz, who pursued Kevault like a Rottweiler going after a toddler.
    Sebeck grabbed the network services director, who was also leaving. ‘Not you. You’re staying here.’
    Sebeck had seen his share of fatal accidents in fourteen years with the department, and he knew that workplace fatalities drew paperwork like blowflies to a corpse. OSHA inspectors, insurance investigators, reporters, lawyers, and building management – all were waiting in the wings. But for now, Sebeck posted deputies to keep nongovernmental and nonessential personnel out of his crime scene.
    The main power was off, and they established radio communications to monitor a lockout on the DWP power vault.
    After running a few tests with a voltmeter, the engineer and power company foreman determined that the door frames were not electrified. They instructed the data center employees to open the second exit and let the police and firemen in. They then evacuated the techs. The crime scene was now free of civilians.
    Sebeck was surprised at how warm and stuffy the roomhad become. The AC hadn’t been off all that long. He glanced around at the dozens of rack-mounted computers clicking away. That was a lot of BTUs. That’s probably why they had an entry vestibule – to keep the cold air in. He turned to the engineer. ‘What are these machines for, anyway?’
    ‘People playing games with each other over the Internet. My grandson plays.’
    Sebeck had heard of this sort of thing. He had no idea it involved so much hardware. It looked expensive.
    They moved to the inner security door. The victim lay just beyond the glass, and they got their first good look at him. As a patrolman, Sebeck had seen the carnage of a hundred car wrecks, but the network director lost it and excused himself. As Sebeck suspected, the engineer wasn’t much affected.
    ‘That poor son of a bitch.’
    A Vietnam vet
, Sebeck thought.
    It was hard to reconcile the human resources photo with the remains that lay before them. The victim’s face was distorted in agony – or at least the involuntary muscle spasms of electrocution. His eyeballs hung out over the cheeks. His hair had mostly burned off his head. His whole face was blistered, but Sebeck already knew who it was: a lead programmer named Chopra Singh – the name on the spoofed Potrero Canyon work order.
    There was no longer any doubt that these were murders. He just had to find the evidence.
    Sebeck had the power company foreman test the door with a voltmeter again just to be sure and then moved aside for nearby firemen, who pushed into the vestibule. The stench of burnt flesh and hair hit them, sending groans and gasps through the team. ‘Carey, get some video.’
    The photographer moved in, and bright light filled the space. Afterward, the paramedics confirmed the obvious – the victim was deceased. The vestibule was too small for both the body and the investigators, so they scanned the scene from the narrowdoorway. Unlike most murder scenes, Sebeck thought, the victim’s body wouldn’t contain much evidence, so he didn’t start there. Instead, he had it covered with a plastic tarp and brought back the power company foreman. ‘I need to find out what electrified this door, and I need to find out