XE Security:
The first week back after the holidays was a mad house. Katelyn was helping the HR resource officer catch up with several new employees who were hired. She was processing their paperwork, when all of a sudden, she lost internet connection.

She looks over towards Brenda “Did you just lose internet connection?”

“Yeah. We better let Eric know.”

“Okay.” Picks the office phone up and dials Eric's extension.

Eric’s Office:
Eric was in the middle of an online game when his game locked up. He notices that he has lost his internet connection. Just as he was about to check the connection coming into the place. His office phone starts ringing.

“Hello?”

“Eric, this is Joann. Have we lost internet connection?”

“I’m checking on that right now.” Eric brings up some software to check the router and line.

“Okay.” Joann/Katelyn wonders if Barbara’s friend was hacking into the system.

A white van with Halo Telecommunication on the side of it pulls into the parking lot. A middle-aged man with salt pepper hair and a mustache gets out of the van and walks towards the entrance of XE Security. He walks inside the building and stops in front of Joann and Brenda.

“I’m here to see an Eric Goodman.” Jerry looks at the two young women at the receptionist's desk.

“Can I ask who you are?” Brenda looks at the old man standing in front of her.

“I’m Jerry Earnheart from Halo Telecommunications. We received a phone call for internet connection problems.” Jerry had intercepted the phone call from Eric.

He had already set up everything ahead of time, so when he interrupted the internet connection to XE Security. They would be forced to call for a repairman.

“One moment.” Brenda picks her office phone up to dial Eric’s extension.

Eric heads towards the front to escort the cable back to the server room where the modem for the internet backbone is located. Eric knew he had to watch the repair person. He watches as Jerry goes about troubleshooting the problem.

Jerry knew Eric was watching him, but he had a few tricks up his sleeve. He makes the current modem short out and changes it out with a custom one he designed. It looked just like the one the company was currently using. It allowed him to tap the fiber optic system without setting off any alarms, any time he wanted to access it.

Once everything is restored, Jerry looks at Eric “Go ahead and check everything.”

Eric ran his test and couldn’t believe the speed he was getting. He looks towards Jerry “I don’t know what you did, but you did an incredible job. Our speed has increased drastically.”

“Newer technology.” Jerry knew he used specialized hardware when he built the modem.

He found out what type of backbone XE Security had and what equipment they were using. He built an exact replicate of their modem, except
using higher quality parts. He knew they would get increased speed when he tested it. It also allowed him to intercept any information leaving their system and allow him into their system without setting off any of their security systems.

“Well, it looks like my job is done. If you have any problems, feel free to contact me personally.” Jerry hands Eric one of his fake business cards.

“Thanks, I will.” Eric accepts the card.

“See you later, ladies.” Jerry waves to the women as he walks out the front door.

“That was nice of him.” Joann watches as the repair guy leaves the office.

Brenda shrugs her shoulders as she goes back to work. She didn’t care. She had work to do and hoped that Joann would keep up.

Later during lunch, Katelyn gets a text from Barbara informing her that a hacker she knew has taken the case. After reading that text, Katelyn wondered if the tech that came to the office today was the hacker. She drives through Burger King and orders a double whopper with onion rings. The project she had for her college class was done and ready to turn in.

The artwork assignment she was assigned to do was done as well. Between her college courses and her work schedule. She barely had time for herself or to go out with her roommates. She needed the time off from everything to just be a girl.

She liked going to the bars and dancing with Clair and her girlfriend. Also, spending time with Barbara at some of the social events she went to. She liked going to some of the gay events that Freddie and the guy he was currently seeing go to.

Katelyn tried to be careful so that no one at XE Security knew what she was up to. She wanted to know more about the two assholes that assaulted her that day at the Capital. Also, the councilman they were working for. She knows he is up to no good, from the track record she uncovered about him.

One night while on the way home from buying art supplies. A car comes out of nowhere and does a brake check on her. Just as she presses down on her brakes to keep from slamming into the back of the car. A pickup truck with a grille guard mounted on the front of it rams her in the rear.

As she releases the brake, she is slammed again and this time she hits the car in front of her. She hits her head on the steering wheel after the airbag deploys. Whoever was behind her, had their high beams on and was blinding her.

She is forced to pull over. As she is trying to gather herself, her driver-side window glass is smashed inward. A leather fist comes out of nowhere and hits her in her jaw. She tries to grab her pepper spray from her purse but is hit again. This time whoever was punching her, got her nose and blood was pouring out of it.

“Stop your investigation, BITCH!”

As Katelyn is hit again. She is knocked unconscious as her head hits her steering wheel. She is found later by a highway patrol officer going her way.

Katelyn wakes up later in the emergency room. Her face was hurting her and the side of her face hurt. She looks at the police officer standing near her.

“Where am I?” Katelyn tries looking around.

“Easy ma’am. You’re in the emergency room at Chapel Hill Medical. You were involved in a car accident.” Nurse Amy looks at Katelyn.

“Do you remember what happened, ma’am?” Officer Cooper looks at Katelyn.

“No.” Katelyn couldn’t remember what happened to her.

Officer Cooper looks at the young woman. He felt sorry for her because she was going to be feeling everything later. He makes sure he has everything about her in his notebook.

He tries to help her recover what happened to her. After a while, he leaves after doing all he can.