“Algonized Zipgig,” she said aloud, recognizing the signature gold case. She owned one herself, but hers stored 256 gigabytes, not 2 terabytes. Hefty storage capacity. “Wonder what’s on this baby?” Curiosity ate at her. Government property, probably encrypted.
She studied the device. A tiny decal in the lower right-hand corner caught her eye. She pulled a small magnifying glass from her first aid kit and held it to the minuscule letters fanned across the bottom of the seal. “SFI/AIL. SFI/AIL,” she said as though repetition would bring recognition. It didn’t.
Strange finding a UBS drive in such a remote location, especially one in such good condition and this current. Hadn’t been a month since Algonized Industries had launched their new line of terabyte flash drives.
Darcy shifted positions. Sunlight hit the device. A white thread shimmered in the bright rays. With tweezers, she snagged the fiber stuck to the case and placed it in an empty pillbox. Maybe nothing, but experience had taught her not to discount anything.
Somewhere behind her, Bullet rustled in the brush. She turned to see him half-buried in sage, straining to reach something beyond the range of his lead.
“What now?” She shoved her hand into the bush and pulled out a wool hat. Bullet went wild with excitement. “Wow, another find of the century. A dirty cap.” She was about to toss it to him as a reward but noticed stains on the inside rim. She touched a gloved finger to the darkest splotch, surprised when a red streak rubbed off. Bullet bucked her arm.
“Sorry, boy, but the hat’s mine.” Darcy appeased him with his favorite treat, a carrot, while she grabbed a Ziploc bag from the wad in her backpack. The first chance she had, she’d transfer the cap to a paper sack.
On a hunch, she hiked up and down the arroyo, scouring the basin and the slopes for anything suspicious. Perhaps to take her mind off her personal problems, she wanted to believe something sinister had happened in the ravine. Work could be a wonderful diversion from reality, but at whose expense?
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