What the juveniles and wannabes that hung out there didn’t know was that Maxamillion Video also served as an illegal base for hacking government computers. Joe became aware of the felonious habit after meeting Dave Pitzer, the fifty-year-old owner, at a benefit dinner for veterans. The two struck up a conversation and eventually discovered a mutual distrust of certain U.S. agencies. As subsequent months passed and their friendship strengthened, Dave let Joe in on the high-tech breaking and entering. Joe disapproved, but remained silent. Who knew if the quasi operative’s expertise might come in handy someday?

   He studied the busy parking lot to make sure nobody was watching, then crossed the street and knocked on the paint-chipped rear door. The back hall provided the only means of entering "the computer room." He hesitated, knocked twice more, then repeated the same pattern until finally a crotchety voice blurted over a speaker, "You the pizza delivery man?"

   Joe thought the code talk was corny. Although likable, Dave was a slouchy-dressing, Dan Akroyd-type, ill-tempered eccentric, two parts grouch and one part petulant showman who insisted on having things done his way.