Prologue

         Herbert Tippesh grimaced as he listened to his brother on the phone.  He was having some serious second thoughts about sneaking into the office he had worked in for five years and committing theft.  It was the first job he could honestly say he loved, and now he was going to be putting it in jeopardy, all because he had to help his brother dig himself out of the very deep hole he was currently in.   He honestly wondered where one was supposed to draw the line between doing the right and smart thing, versus looking out for your family.  His mother’s words echoed through his head, reminding him that family should always come first. It was the only thing forcing him to choose his brother over common sense; which is why he was now sitting here in his brother’s hotel room, making plans to steal a copy of the targeting software for the Army’s new ballistic missile that his company had just finished creating.  It was due to be sent to the Army on Monday, and they were going to go into the empty offices today, and steal a copy right out from under their noses, before the military got their copy.

         “Yes, Mr. Birol,” Oswald nodded as he spoke into the phone, “my brother has assured me that we will have no problem getting in and out of the building undetected. Once we have the software in hand, we’ll meet your man at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at three o’clock today.” He caught his brother’s gaze and rolled his eyes.  If he didn’t need the money so badly, he wouldn’t even be having this conversation with the crazy man on the other end of the line. As he listened to his employer telling him, once again that if he failed to do this, not only would he be sorry but so would his brother and his mother.  He suppressed a laugh, who did this guy think he was, making threats like he was some bad ass gangster from the movies.  “Yes, I understand.” He nodded once more towards the phone and then hung up.

         “Tell me again why we’re doing this?” Herbie asked his brother. “You do realize that if we’re caught, we’re going to end up in jail for life, and mother’s going to die of heart failure when she finds out that her only two sons committed treason.”

         Oswald flopped back onto his bed. “Will you relax, Herbie, nothing’s going to go wrong.  We’ll be in and out so quickly and quietly that no one’s going to know that a copy of the software was made, and even if they do, by the time they realize it, we’ll have our money in hand and be half way to Alaska, taking Mom on that cruise she’s always wanted to go on.”

         Herbie sighed.  He had a very bad feeling about this. Unlike his brother, he didn’t see a cruise in their immediate future. All he could see were orange jumpsuits and bars, lots and lots of bars.