Ray sauntered into his apartment, pausing just inside the door. He closed his eyes, hoping to blot out the insanity everywhere. Home provided some relief, but the craziness remained in the forefront. Instinctively, he knew the world wasn’t going to get better. He took a deep breath, opened his eyes, and returned to reality.

He set his computer bag on the chair next to the dining room table/workspace. He tried to decide whether he wanted white or red wine but decided that no wine was the best option. He was going to need whatever semblance of wits he could muster tonight.

He eased into the recliner and began his mental exercise: clearing unwanted data, organizing files, and strategically storing new information. Tonight, rather than sorting mental file folders, he would tackle entire binders. Isolating data had always been his strength, but now he struggled to focus. Helping at the church earlier tonight seems to be the culprit. Paying attention to the Pastor’s lessons as he repaired the damaged wiring is proving to be the distractor.

Lost in thought, the standard twenty-minute mind-sequencing session expanded to forty minutes. Now, Ray was focused. His thoughts were prioritized. He was also exhausted. He set the phone alarm for 20 minutes for a power nap. When Kelly Clarkson started singing ‘Stronger,’ Ray thought something was wrong. He had just set the alarm. He must have made a mistake and loaded 2 minutes instead of 20. When he saw the clock, he realized Kelly had started singing at the designated time.

The clock had just struck eleven. Enrique would arrive soon. Ray reminded himself: Elias! Start using his new name from now on. Ray still has not wrapped his head around the circumstances that led Enrique to assume his brother’s identity. Regardless of the name, it was still the same person coming, and Ray needed to be prepared. He filled his water bottle at the reverse osmosis dispenser, settled comfortably into his chair, powered up his computer, and focused on his top priority.

The rhythmic, alternating double-fisted knuckle tap signaled a cheerful visitor. When Ray opened the door, Elias smiled and paused for effect. Ray smiled back and stepped aside, inviting the grand entry with the anticipation of good news.

“Would you like me to tell you about my passport, or would you rather see my Bank debit card first?” Elias didn’t give Ray a chance to answer. He was like a child at Christmas helping Grandma open her present. He pulled the card from his pocket and placed it on the table. Before Ray could react, he added, “My ‘replacement’ passport should arrive in two weeks, give or take.”

“You have been one busy guy. Congratulations.” Ray’s smile was short-lived. “As much as I would like to celebrate with you, we will need to delay the champagne toast. I have already reserved a bottle of my finest for this occasion.”

Elias acknowledged the needed delay. “I know. Focus, focus, focus.” That’s what they did. Testing, refining, and running what-if scenarios filled another hour. The disruptive code was almost ready.

Ray reviewed the plan one more time. “When Bryan Thorton steals the AI technology, he’ll look like a hero to CPS Metrix Technology, our main competitor. But his brief fame should bring hours of frustration for programmers as they spend precious hours to fix the embedded bugs. After my meeting with Ariel, I will have the bogus AI update. I can finalize the troublesome code and strategically bury it. I need to prepare an external hard drive for Bryan to steal. Now, I need to make sure our trap believable.”

Finally, Ray had to give up. “Sorry, I need to get some sleep. We are ninety-nine percent ready. You should take a break from this. Work on your resume. I feel confident, well ninety percent confident, that I can get you an interview. The cover letter should include whatever you can pull from Elias’s social media. No one will be able to verify anything beyond that. Plus, as we discussed for interview credibility, your technical background. Remember that Elias’s transition from marketing to tech will be questioned. Be ready for that.”