Pentesters

Hayes’ satchel made an odd noise. The battered case looked incongruous enough against the authentic Persian rug – hand-woven, he could tell – outclassed by eons beyond the salary he hoped to make.

It might have gone unnoticed, if it hadn’t happened again. This time, a lengthy croak.

“Excuse me?” The woman behind the desk broke off her previous question with a sternness Hayes suspected she displayed most during hostile client negotiations. “I daresay your briefcase…ribbited.”

“I apologize, ma’am,” Hayes interjected with a tap to the top of the brown leather. “I silenced my phone for the interview, of course, but expect my daughter got into something that chirps. She’s a regular Houdini, hacking into things.”

“Like her father,” Celia commented. She settled back into the executive leather chair and steepled long brown fingers together. “A miniature coder. How wonderful. You’ll have to bring her to the company picnic next week. I bet she’d be an absolute terror.”

He covered his surprise and bobbed his head, nodding. “Well, of course. I’d be delighted. I’ve got the job, then?”

She extended a red-tipped hand toward him and gave him a fierce smile reminiscent of a shark that’s spotted a wounded tuna. “You do. Get with Kelly up front for the paperwork.”

“I’m so pleased.” Hayes kept babbling as he backed out of her office and into the sterile yet luxurious entryway.

Kelly turned and gave him a conspiratorial wink. “Paperwork’s already hit your inbox, as long as the address you provided is still good.”

He nodded, the adrenaline pumping still. One hurdle down. “Thanks so much. The whole process has been very organized.”

“Of course. Now, when you take the elevator, head for the basement. Security might as well get you your badge ASAP. Boss lady wants you to start tomorrow.”

It wasn’t until he was alone in the elevator – as posh as the rest of the building, but as art deco in function and speed as in style – that he held the case to his chest and dared a whisper. “You’ll have to keep it down, if you want to come with me. You promised to be quiet.”

A peeved, thin voice answered him sharply. “It’s instinct, curse you. I can’t help it. Besides, she was about to ask you a question you couldn’t answer.”

“Uh-huh. Your instincts kicked in right in the dragon lady’s plush lair?” Hayes laughed. “She likes power symbols. We can use that.”

A frog leg extended nimbly from a crack and made an unmistakable gesture with long toes. “Let me out when we get to security, noodle brain.”

“Yeah, I love you too, partner. Speaking of unanswerable questions, where am I supposed to find a daughter within a week?”

The elevator doors creaked open.

***

This week, nother Mike challenged me with: There were frogs in his briefcase.

My prompt went to AC Young: The dreams of a hero frozen into stone.

Go check it (and more) out over at MOTE!