‘Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new team member!’ Luke was the first to respond. ‘Nice one, Eth,’ he said. ‘Glad to have someone on board who actually takes things seriously.’ He looked at Johnny, and they both smiled. ‘Cheers,’ said Ethan; then he winked. ‘But I’m only in it for the girls.’ Luke and Johnny laughed. ‘You made the right decision all the same,’ said Natalya. ‘I am pleased you have joined us.’ For the first time Ethan saw a genuine smile on her face. It suited her, he thought. ‘Don’t think Jake could call you a rookie now,’ said Kat. ‘Pity we can’t tell him – it’d be worth it just to see the look on his face.’ ‘You’re over him, then?’ said Ethan. ‘Was never on or even under him,’ she joked. ‘Enough of the emotional stuff,’ said Johnny. ‘Let’s get down to business. Luke?’ Ethan listened up. So did everyone else. ‘The situation is this,’ Luke began: ‘an encrypted hard disk has been stolen. It contains sensitive information that, were the encryption to be broken, could prove damaging to certain parties.’ ‘If it’s encrypted, what’s the problem?’ asked Ethan, hoping he didn’t sound like a total knob.
