Fallen Angel

by John Ling

  What made the GCSB really formidable, though, was that it was also part of Echelon – an intelligence network made up of New Zealand, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. That expanded its scope far beyond the Pacific region, giving it an augmented purview that was almost limitless.

  That made a lot of people unhappy, least of all the liberals, which was why legislation had been ushered in to limit the GCSB’s influence.

  Kendra spoke, ‘Walsh doesn’t have the authority to spy on citizens without executive approval. That’s jurisdictional overreach, and it’s illegal.’

  Jim shrugged and rubbed his beard. ‘Right you are. It is illegal. The GCSB’s mandate is very clear – it can only surveil foreign nationals like Onyx. Citizens like the Hosseinis are meant to be off-limits.’

  ‘So why is Walker overstepping?’ Kendra asked.

  Adam cocked his eyebrow. ‘Do you remember Stuxnet? Remember how angry the Iranians were? How they vowed revenge?’

  Kendra frowned.

  In 2010, Stuxnet was a computer worm that penetrated several Iranian nuclear facilities. It targeted the centrifuges that were used to enrich uranium. As a result, they went haywire, spinning out of control, ripping themselves apart. By some estimates, about twenty percent of the centrifuges were destroyed.

  This event was made all the more impressive by the fact that the computers at the facilities were actually air-gapped. That meant that they were operating in insulated networks that weren’t connected to the internet. Nonetheless, Stuxnet managed to slip through and infect them anyway, with devastating results.

  Officially, no country ever took responsibility for the cyberattack. Speculation was rife in the media, but the West maintained plausible deniability.

  However, Kendra knew better.

  It was Echelon programmers who had coded the malware, while Israeli agents inside Iran had delivered the actual payload. It was all done in an attempt to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

  In retrospect, though, it didn’t stop Iran’s efforts at all. It set them back a couple of years, yeah, but it sure as hell didn’t weaken their resolve. The Iranians simply hardened their defences and increased their efforts at counter-intelligence.

  ‘So let me get this straight,’ Kendra said. ‘Onyx is looking for a way to strike back. He wants to do to us what we did to them.’

  ‘Bazinga,’ Adam said. ‘He wants a Stuxnet-style event, except he’s targeting our Echelon infrastructure specifically.’

  ‘Disrupting our eyes and ears?’

  ‘Absolutely. He’s going for the crown jewel – Xkeyscore.’

  Kendra swallowed, starting to see the endgame now.

  XKeyscore was a subdivision within the Echelon system. It was a full-take database that the American NSA ran in cooperation with the GCSB. It allowed agents from both nations to share signals intelligence. It worked pretty much like a search engine, except one that was used for clandestine purposes.

  ‘But we’ve got the best countermeasures in the world,’ Kendra said. ‘Coding and distributing malware to cripple XKeyscore is not going to be the easiest thing to achieve.’

  ‘Which is why Onyx zeroed in on Ryan,’ Adam said. ‘Because his company produces the antivirus software that the GCSB is currently using on its servers at Waihopai and Tangimoana. Who better than him to know what our vulnerabilities are?’

  Kendra nodded warily.

  Ryan had always been brilliant at computers, and from what she had read in the news, his software had real-time heuristics that were among the best in the industry. It wasn’t surprising to hear that his company was responsible for providing cyber security at the GCSB.

  If Onyx had compromised Ryan, then all he would have to do was compel Ryan to upload the malware by means of a routine antivirus update. It would bypass all the usual safeguards and act like a Trojan horse, crippling Xkeyscore from the inside out, disrupting covert operations in the Pacific and beyond.

  A nightmare.

  Adam wagged his finger. ‘Ryan’s software is designed to repel black-hat penetrations from the outside. But if the source code itself is tainted with a backdoor entry, then you can see how VAJA would be able to take advantage of that.’

  ‘Again, that is why Onyx needs Ryan,’ Jim said. ‘He has both technical skill and administrative privileges.’

  ‘Exactly.’

  Kendra wrinkled her nose. ‘Wait. Hold up. I’m sorry, but am I the only one who sees the lapse in logic here? Okay, sure, it’s well-known that the Hosseinis are secular Muslims. They hate the ayatollahs and the Islamic Republic. So, to get close to them, Onyx poses as someone from a similar background and secures their friendship. I can buy that. But getting Ryan and his company to create a cyberweapon? That’s one hell of a red flag. There’s no way he would willingly do it.’

  Jim shrugged. ‘That may be true, but here’s something you don’t know. Leila and Saeed have been investing heavily in the alternative-energy sector, trying to jump on to the bandwagon. But it appears they’ve miscalculated. These past few months, their portfolio’s gone from bad to worse, and they’re desperate to turn that around. Because if they don’t, they’re facing total financial ruin within a year.’

  Adam snapped his fingers. ‘The shit’s been weighing on Ryan’s mind. Clouding his judgement. So, yeah, he doesn’t think too hard about accepting Onyx’s offer, because the money on the table is too good to pass up. It’s cash the family desperately needs.’

  Kendra fidgeted, smoothing her hands along her lap. She sighed and shook her head, still reluctant to believe it. ‘But this is a cyberweapon we’re talking about. Something so obviously malicious and deadly. Ryan wouldn’t agree to that. Not in good conscience.’

  ‘Listen, Ryan wasn’t required to construct the malware in its entirety. Nope. He only had to build the programmable-logic controller – the artificial-intelligence rootkit. That looked innocent enough because PLCs are used in everything from elevators to assembly lines. So, yes, Ryan could have easily overlooked its true purpose, especially considering the circumstances.’

  ‘So... what? Onyx has different teams in different countries assembling different components?’

  ‘Exactly. And when the time is right, they’ll put the entire package together and weaponise it. Prep it for delivery via Ryan’s antivirus software.’

  Kendra scoffed. ‘That’s overly ambitious. A ridiculous jigsaw.’

  ‘Which is where the GCSB steps in,’ Jim said. ‘Walsh puts the Hosseinis between a rock and a hard place. He tells them the truth about Onyx and coerces them to do their patriotic duty – stop a terrorist plot.’

  ‘How?’

  ‘By getting Ryan to go off-spec. Create a PLC that looks legit but in reality isn’t. The goal is to sabotage the malware from the moment of conception. Make sure it’s dead on arrival.’

  ‘So Walsh turns Ryan into an asset, a mole. But he doesn’t have the training for that. He doesn’t have the mentality.’ Kendra raked her hand through her hair, frustrated. ‘Why didn’t Walsh just go through Section One? Why take such a big gamble?’

  ‘Because after what happened in Kuala Lumpur, Section One is barely functional, and Deirdre Raines is still dealing with bureaucratic fallout. Our work in counterterrorism? Direct action? It’s all under the microscope now. Deirdre couldn’t help even if she wanted to.’

  Kendra clenched and unclenched her jaw. Her cheeks felt flushed. ‘Those operators who were following Ryan in the city centre – let me take a wild swing. They were contractors, weren’t they? Hired on short notice?’

  ‘The GCSB’s role has always been advisory; to gather and curate intelligence. So, no, they don’t have any direct-action capability. That’s why Walsh chose to outsource. He got mercenaries to babysit Ryan.’

  ‘Fucking genius. What was in the briefcase Ryan was carrying?’

  ‘The source code and the blueprints for the PLC. He was supposed to pass it to Onyx.’

  Kendra thoug
ht about the operator that she had been forced to kill in the parking garage. It was a case of crossed signals and mistaken identity. But that didn’t make her feel any better about the situation.

  Kendra winced. ‘Yeah, it all worked out so well, didn’t it?’

  Adam spread his hands. ‘Look, there are two possibilities here. One – Ryan’s defected to VAJA. Or two – he’s being blackmailed somehow. Either way, he set up those mercs to die.’

  Kendra thought about Leila and Saeed. ‘It’s number two. It has to be. Somehow, Onyx found out he was being played, and he snatches Ryan’s parents. And he’s using that to strong-arm Ryan.’

  ‘You think?’

  ‘I’m positive. Because if what you’re saying is accurate, then Onyx will want Ryan to repair all the holes in the rootkit. Make it fully functional.’

  ‘That’s a reasonable enough assumption,’ Jim said. ‘But here’s another complication – Walsh has just placed a kill order on Ryan.’

  ‘He did what?’

  ‘Traffic cams showed Ryan fleeing from the scene of the blast. And along with what the police have now found at the mansion, Walsh has gone into full-blown panic. He believes Ryan is the problem, and he now wants to cover his own ass by eliminating him. Because, remember, this whole thing was an unsanctioned op to begin with.’

  Adam thumbed his nose. ‘Walsh is a moron, and this is exactly what Onyx wants. The GCSB is running around, chasing its own shadow.’

  Kendra leaned back against her seat. She exhaled shakily and rubbed her temples. She felt as if her world has just tilted sideways, and everything was unravelling now.

  Yeah, a part of her was relieved that Ryan was not a terrorist. It vindicated her faith in him and justified all the tender memories. But another part of her was afraid for him and his family. She wondered if they would even survive this clusterfuck.

  Kendra wet her lips, her voice faltering. ‘We have to rescind that kill order and get the Hosseinis back. They didn’t deserve this. Any of this.’

  ‘Agreed.’ Jim nodded. ‘It’s time we untangled this messy knot.’

  ‘But how? Where do we even begin?’

  Adam winked and broke into a grin. ‘O ye of little faith. For the record, Jim and I haven’t just been sitting around, twiddling our thumbs. We’ve been doing our homework and following a trail of our own. And, yes, we have a way to find and fix Onyx.’

  Kendra straightened, daring herself to hope. ‘Tell me.’

  32

  Piha was only forty minutes away from the city, but the change in the scenery was drastic.

  They had left behind the urban sprawl, and they were on the rugged west coast now. The roads here were narrow and twisting, and the landscape was marked by thick rainforest, jagged hills and beaches that featured black volcanic sand.

  This was wild and rugged country, and the rural population out here was sparse.

  Adam turned off into a side road. Gravel crunched under the SUV’s tyres as he manoeuvred through the foliage. Shafts of sunshine filtered through the trees.

  Eventually they emerged into a clearing. Just ahead was a wooden cabin that had been built in a quiet alcove, surrounded by palms and ferns. A waterfall cascaded close by, emptying into a lagoon, the water glistening.

  It was an idyllic hideaway.

  Kendra saw that three Mercedes sedans were parked in front of the cabin. Their plates were diplomatic. Iranian. Meanwhile, eight men with dark jackets and reflective sunglasses were standing around the property. A close-protection team.

  Instinctively, Kendra fidgeted and sucked in a breath.

  Jim turned in his seat and gave her a reassuring look. ‘It’s safe, little girl. Trust me.’

  ‘Yeah, I’m trusting you, old man.’

  Adam parked the SUV and killed the engine.

  They got down, and they were met by one of the bodyguards.

  He gestured, his voice flat but polite. ‘The ambassador is waiting for you inside.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Jim said.

  They entered the cabin through the front door, and sure enough, Ambassador Ali Hatami was in the lounge, seated on the sofa. He wore a tailored suit, and he had an Iranian flag pin on his lapel. As was the Persian custom, he wore no tie.

  He looked like a Middle Eastern version of Colin Firth, floppy-haired and square-faced, almost too prim and proper for a spartan cabin like this.

  He rose and met Jim in an embrace.

  They kissed each other’s cheeks.

  ‘Salaam alaikum,’ Jim said.

  ‘Alaikum salaam,’ Hatami said.

  ‘You look prosperous, my friend. You have put on weight.’

  ‘Ah, just a little. Just a little. The lush Kiwi cuisine is to be blamed.’

  ‘Too many buffets?’

  ‘I’m afraid so. I will have to ease up on them.’

  ‘And how is your wife and children? They are healthy and well?’

  ‘Yes, indeed. My youngest has just started secondary school. She is delighted by the experience. Already she is talking about what she plans to wear to the prom.’

  ‘Mm, they grow up so fast, don’t they?’

  ‘Truly.’ Hatami sighed. ‘We must enjoy our children while we’re still able to.’

  ‘I couldn’t agree with you more.’ Jim nodded. ‘Now, you already know Adam Larsen. But may I introduce Kendra Shaw? She is the agent I told you about.’

  ‘Agha-yeh Hatami.’ Kendra stepped forward, shaking the ambassador’s hand. ‘Az molaghat-e shomâ khosh vaghtam.’

  ‘Khanoom-yeh Shaw.’ Hatami smiled. ‘I’m pleased to meet you as well. You speak very good Farsi.’

  Kendra demurred, as was the custom. ‘That is very kind of you to say. However, I still have a lot to learn. My written Farsi is not as good as I would like it to be.’

  ‘Ah, the willingness to learn is the most important thing. Knowledge follows naturally. This is what I tell my children.’ Hatami chuckled. ‘Now, would you like some tea?’

  Jim nodded. ‘Of course. We would love some chai. Thank you.’

  This was taarof. Persian hospitality. The host always offered tea, and the guests never refused.

  Hatami spread his hands and gestured. ‘Please sit. Allow me to serve you.’

  He moved to the kitchen, then returned with an ornate teapot. As they sat on the sofa, he began pouring steaming chai into the cups that were already waiting on the coffee table. The rosy smell was fragrant.

  Kendra exchanged a glance with Adam, and she saw him pucker his lips and shrug. He was obviously bored by the preamble.

  She understood how he felt.

  Iranian culture was all about protocol. You had to be gracious. Maintain a dignified appearance. Read in between the lines.

  That was hard for Kendra.

  Like Adam, she was a scalphunter. Fieldwork was her specialty. Diplomatic sweet-talk? Well, not so much.

  More than anything, she wanted to cut through all this bullshit and just get straight to the heart of the matter. However, she kept her simmering emotions in check and willed herself to be patient. She knew that it would be worth it.

  After all, Ali Hatami was a rarity in the cutthroat world of geopolitics – a mild-mannered man who had a reputation for being moderate and honourable.

  Despite the fraught relationship between Iran and the West, he had managed to negotiate some key breakthroughs. New Zealand food exports were allowed into Iran, while young Iranians could come and study at New Zealand universities.

  This set Hatami apart from the ultraconservatives who ran the Islamic Republic. He genuinely wanted bilateral progress. And since Jim had vouched for him, Kendra was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

  Once Hatami had served them all with tea, he poured a cup for himself and took a seat in the armchair opposite the sofa. Head bowed, he inhaled the fragrance from the tea and took a sip. ‘Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. I am in your debt.’

  ‘There is no debt,’ Jim said, taking a sip of his
tea as well. ‘This is what friends do.’

  ‘Please understand, I consider myself a patriot. I love my country. I want what’s best for it. This is why I strive to be a good diplomat – I believe peace can be achieved through dialogue and mutual understanding. However, there are days when I feel that this is a hopeless task, because zahir and batin are in conflict...’

  Kendra understood what he meant.

  Zahir was the public face that Iranians were expected to show the rest of the world, while batin was the private sentiment that was closely guarded and seldom expressed.

  Hatami continued, ‘Today is one of those days, and I will admit that my faith in my countrymen has been shaken. Please accept my most sincere sorrow for the tragedy in the Auckland city centre. I am deeply ashamed and shocked at what Onyx has done.’

  ‘You had no idea that he was planning this?’ Jim asked.

  ‘Ah, I had my suspicions. When Onyx first entered this country under the name Behrouz Farhadi, something about him seemed off. So I performed my own investigation. I learned that his real name was Karim Movahed, and he had a classified military record. Not even my station chief was privy to this fact.’

  ‘He was Quds Force,’ Adam said.

  ‘Yes, this is the case. You have to understand, there are many factions within my country. Some are more extreme than others. And Onyx has certainly been drawn into that camp. He became this way when his younger brother in the Revolutionary Guards was killed while protecting a scientist...’

  Kendra nodded.

  In recent years, several key individuals connected to the nuclear programme had been singled out for assassination. These hits were carried out by Israel’s Mossad in an attempt to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. However, just like the Stuxnet cyberattack, these attempts were only partially successful.

  Hatami continued, ‘I could see that Onyx was running a rogue operation. He no longer cares about national interest. He only thirsts for vengeance. This is why I contacted Trevor Walsh at the GCSB and warned him. I thought that would be enough.’