The CleanSweep Conspiracy Read Online Free PDF Page A

eyes, scanning the structure of each iris in high resolution, noticing the subtle differences between the two. It was much more accurate than a simple retinal scan. All details of each iris were required to match the records of their intricate elements stored in the database before the door would open to the top - secret floor. Charles knew all this, because he had personally designed the technology.
    Charles strode across the small vestibule to a door, held his palm up to a glass panel that would grant him entry — his final security measure — and waited for a gentle chirp to signal that access had been granted. Once through, he started down a wide corridor.
    A young woman waving a paper blocked his path. She tried to avoid looking hesitant, a trait she knew her boss detested.
    “He’s been spotted, sir.”
    Claussen bellowed in a cold voice, “Boots on the ground!”
    There was no need to state who “he” was. Claussen glanced at the paper handed to him, then made a face as if he had been offended by a foul odor.
    “I want the bastard in handcuffs before my coffee gets cold,” he said. Then he stomped into his private office while his workers in the open office behind him scurried into a state of red alert. He closed the door and began preparations.
    Everyone knew he was talking about Matt Tremain.

CHAPTER 4
    Tanner
    “W hen did I first learn about CleanSweep?” Matt repeated, echoing his friend’s muted question. He was having a beer with Bryan, a buddy he’d known since high school. “It started with a story Tanner told me,” he began. He signaled for a fresh drink. The bartender placed a mug on the counter. Matt picked it up and took a long swallow, his face set in a frown. “You have to promise me you won’t tell a soul.”
    Bryan nodded and drew his hand past his lips in a zipping gesture.
    “It was Woodson who told me about the meat of it. I learned his last name, Woodson, just before his ‘unfortunate accident.’”
    Matt thought about the TV report and the description of the crash as he talked. “You know that news anchor — Susan Payne — the one everyone seems to like? She mentioned something about mechanical problems, brakes not working. Then they showed a clip of what was left of his car after its tumble down to the bottom of a rather steep embankment.” He paused before continuing. “One man, an eyewitness, said it looked like he had been accelerating when the car went over the side. Does that sound like a problem with brakes to you?”
    Matt scrolled through his memory, then turned back to his companion after glancing around. “Before I met Tanner Woodson, I’d heard about some hush - hush program being backed by the feds. Some new, highly classified method designed to troll e - mails, instant messages, and voice conversations. I had heard rumors of the story before I met Tanner, but they were like mere whispers, voices talking just out of hearing range.”
    “When did you start to consider it more than a rumor?” Bryan leaned forward.
    Matt shivered as a feeling much like paranoia began clawing at him. “Terrorism became our new preoccupation, Bryan. People like Charles Claussen like to fan the flames of everyone’s fears to justify probing into our private lives, to give our privacy the equivalent of a body - cavity search. We’ve all become obsessed with security. Just look at the jump in the number of people buying guns.”
    After a pause, Matt continued. “Claussen thinks CleanSweep has a program powerful enough to troll through everyone’s electronic life. Tanner showed me the protocol. He said it was like a data scrub.” He gave an involuntary shudder. “A scrub is when a program goes through data to search for particular types of information — in this case personal information. Tanner told me CleanSweep could go beyond that, would electronically troll our streets to identify people he considers to be so - called errors. Claussen wants to do a scrub on people .