Cyber Countdown

by Terence Flynn

  So far so good, he thought. Director Brockner was very tall with auburn hair and green eyes and was probably in her mid-forties. She guided him to a couch and sat down across from him in a matching armchair. The furniture was very attractive, clearly not standard GSA issue.

  “It’s so nice to finally meet you, Mr. Jordan. The president speaks very highly of you, and your history as a decorated naval officer and brilliant entrepreneur speaks for itself.”

  “Thank you, Director, and please, call me James.”

  “Okay, James. I guess you’re wondering why I asked you to meet me here today.”

  “Yes, I’m puzzled as to why Philip’s murder would have national security implications. I thought it was just a burglary that went wrong.”

  “Fair enough, so let me explain. Philip Wu was found dead by the Maryland State Police in his house with a single knife wound to the chest that pierced his heart and killed him instantly. The house appeared to have been ransacked, as if someone was looking for something. There was a very high-tech safe in the floor of the master bedroom that was hidden under the flooring and a rug. The safe was closed but unlocked, and contained a large amount of cash.”

  “What kind of safe was it, Director?”

  “I’ll get to that, James. The Maryland State Police found Mr. Wu’s red Jaguar in the parking lot of a local marina with the driver’s throat cut. He was male and of Chinese extraction, like Mr. Wu. There were items in the car that clearly came from Mr. Wu’s home. They were identified by his wife last night. The police were going to rule it a burglary, with the burglar being killed by someone he knew or by local thugs. I was asked by the president to have the FBI assist with the investigation as a courtesy to Mr. Wu’s family and friends, including you, which is the reason for this meeting.”

  “Why would the FBI have any jurisdiction, Director? It seems like a burglary and a homicide that would fall under local jurisdiction.”

  “Mr. Wu was working with NSA and Cyber Command on some highly classified projects. The fact that his safe was opened gives the FBI jurisdiction based on national security. What do you know about what your partner was working on at VSI?”

  “Philip and I never discussed business after I left the company to become Federal Chief Information Officer. We both felt it was best, in order to avoid any potential conflict of interest.”

  Director Brockner stared at him for at least ten seconds like a predator sizing up its prey. James knew she was trying a tactic he’d seen lawyers and law enforcement use to unsettle a witness or defendant. He was amused, and a smile formed on his face and then on hers as well. She realized he wasn’t easily intimidated and softened her approach.

  “Okay, James, I’m not trying to determine if you violated any legal obligations. I need to determine the actual motive for your partner’s murder.”

  “Do you think it wasn’t just a burglary?”

  “Let’s just say, I have some suspicions based on the facts.”

  “How so, Director?”

  Director Brockner stood up to her full height, which James guessed was equal to his at six-foot-two. She began speaking as if she were making a final argument to a jury.

  “The safe in Mr. Wu’s house wasn’t large. Its high-tech design indicated it was the type of safe used for securing valuables or secrets. Mr. Wu’s wife, who had access to the safe, said her husband used it to store corporate documents and emergency funds, which she thought was about fifty thousand dollars. When the safe was examined after the murder, it contained fifty thousand dollars in cash and some papers. The police believe that the deceased burglar didn’t know about the safe because it was hidden by a carpet.”

  “So what’d he take?” James asked.

  “The police found some Chinese antiquities in the trunk of the Jaguar that were similar to those found at the Wu residence. Mrs. Wu identified them as coming from their house.”

  “I doubt they’re very valuable, Director. Philip liked to collect Chinese art, but he didn’t want to spend a lot of money. They’re probably just very good reproductions.”

  “Yes, we know that, James. However, the police think the burglar didn’t know that. The man found in Mr. Wu’s car was a Chinese national who was in this country illegally. He was a suspect in a number of small-time burglaries and violent assaults in New York. The burglaries all involved relatively inexpensive electronics.”

  “Were any electronics missing from Philip’s house?” James asked.

  “No, Mrs. Wu said everything was there. The only things taken were the antiquities. This whole thing doesn’t make sense,” the director said while shaking her head.

  “What do you mean, Director?”

  “The burglar’s murder while sitting in Mr. Wu’s car is suspicious, to say the least. The parking lot is concealed, and there’s nothing there that would attract anyone at that time of night. Why was he even there?”

  “Maybe he was waiting for someone,” James answered.

  “That’s what the police think, James. They believe he had a meeting with a fence to sell what he’d stolen and that there was an argument that resulted in the burglar’s death.”

  “You don’t?” James asked with a puzzled look.

  “The burglar was from New York; I doubt he’d know any fences in southern Maryland. Also, that area is not exactly a hotbed for fencing such goods, and fences aren’t usually this violent.”

  “Maybe the burglar just pulled into the marina to rest or relieve himself and someone tried to steal the car. It’s an expensive car, Director.”

  “Yes, James, that’s another theory that the police suggested. I don’t buy it. He was armed with a handgun and should’ve been able to see anyone approach the car, since he had a clear view for at least a hundred yards in every direction.”

  “Maybe he was tired and was asleep in the car when he was attacked, Director.”

  “Very good, James. That was also suggested by the police. It’s certainly possible, since the seat was reclined. But if that was true, why were the car keys found in some bushes ten yards from the car? They weren’t well hidden and would have been easy to find. The police found them within ten minutes of arriving at the scene. Someone who wanted the car bad enough to kill the driver could’ve easily found the keys after they were thrown, and driven away.”

  “What do you think happened, Director?”

  “I think he was waiting for an accomplice who was at the scene of Mr. Wu’s murder. My gut tells me that the accomplice killed him and probably picked the marina for their rendezvous because it has a history of violence by gangs that used the marina for drug smuggling. The brutal decapitation of the burglar is a method used by some local gangs.”

  “Did the police find any evidence that someone else was at the house?” James asked.

  “No, everyone’s fingerprints from the house were accounted for, including the dead burglar’s. His were the only suspicious fingerprints found, along with his DNA on the cigars from the house that were found in the car. The interesting thing is that his prints were only found on the first level of the house. He never went upstairs, which seems odd.”

  “Why is that, Director? Do you have a theory?”

  “I believe the crime scenes at the house and the marina were staged by an accomplice,” the director explained.

  “Is there any tangible proof, Director?”

  “Not so far, but there are some things that can’t be explained. There’s camera video of someone other than Mr. Wu driving his Jaguar past the guard post and out of the protected community where Mr. Wu’s house is located. The police believe it was the deceased burglar, since a hidden camera located in a tree to the right of the guard post caught his image as he turned away from the cameras he was aware of on the left. The police believe it to be proof that he was the only burglar.”

  “That does seem fairly conclusive, Director.”

  “Maybe, but why is there no camera footage or record of a driver entering the gated community on the eveni
ng of Mr. Wu’s murder that matched the known burglar’s description? So how’d he get in? The only possibility is to bypass the guard post by taking an off-road vehicle or hiking over some very difficult terrain to get to a location that allowed access to the Wu residence. The suspected murderer was found wearing expensive loafers and dress slacks and shirt with no evidence of wear, so he didn’t hike in. I believe there was another vehicle used by at least two burglars to get into the community. It had to be an SUV if it avoided the guard post.”

  James thought for a few seconds about what he just heard.

  “If the deceased burglar was alone and was recorded on video driving Philip’s Jaguar past the guard post on his way out, what happened to the SUV?” James asked.

  “Exactly. There had to be at least two people at the crime scene. One of them would need to drive the SUV out the same way it came in, since all community resident vehicles were accounted for by the guard force records and cameras. The FBI is searching to find any evidence of SUV tracks near the Wu residence. The recent warm weather should leave the ground soft enough to leave such tracks, if the rain hasn’t washed them away.”

  “Something you said bothers me, Director. You stated that Philip was working on classified projects for the federal government, but that’s not something our company ever did, at least not while I was there. Neither VSI nor Philip ever worked with the federal government. As far as I know, VSI only sells its products to commercial entities. What was Philip working on with the government?”

  “According to Theresa Killian, Philip was developing a type of advanced worm or Advanced Persistent Threat, as she called it. I assume you know her, since she worked for you at VSI. She was very reluctant to discuss it, but did so after getting permission from the NSA and Cyber Command at Fort Meade—after I brought the president into it. If you want to know more, I suggest you contact NSA directly. They expressed the most concern over Mr. Wu’s violent death. In fact, it was their high level of concern that first triggered my suspicions over the nature of Mr. Wu’s murder. I’ve one last question, Mr. Jordan. What do you know about high-tech safes?”

  “Philip and I designed the electronics for the high-tech vault at VSI. What do you want to know?”

  “The safe at Mr. Wu’s summer house was installed about eighteen months ago. His wife said he used it to secure VSI intellectual property. It also had some legal papers related to the company, and cash for emergencies. She had a combination that was separate from his. I found that very strange. Why would Mr. Wu’s wife have a combination to their safe that was separate from his, even though they both had access to the safe? She said that her husband insisted on it. Do you have any idea why he’d do that?”

  “None that I can think of, Director. Was there anything of value in the safe besides the money?”

  “No, nothing. The fact that it contained all that money and wasn’t locked was also strange. The police believe that Philip forgot to lock it. There’s something else about the safe that seems unusual. In order to lock it, you have to close it and then enter a second combination within a short period of time or the safe remains unlocked. Do you have any idea why a safe would have such a feature?”

  “Yes, I do. That feature would be used for what we call in the cybersecurity business ‘intrusion detection.’ If the safe isn’t locked after it’s closed, it could mean that the person who closed it didn’t have the knowledge required or the capability to lock it. It’s either an indication of an unauthorized intrusion or a forgetful owner who forgot to lock his safe. I know that Philip wouldn’t fall within the second category, since he was the most meticulous person I’ve ever known. He would never have failed to lock his safe unless he was distracted or disabled. Your theory about the murderer being something other than just a common burglar might be true. If the safe was unlocked, they were obviously looking for and possibly found something more important to them than the money.”

  Director Brockner smiled. “That’s exactly the type of information I was looking for, James. It indicates to me that he was targeted for a different reason than money and that national security is an issue that’s still on the table. I believe that someone had that safe opened to find something that was of much more value than the amount of money in your partner’s safe. If we can find the vehicle tracks, we might be able to determine the type of vehicle from the tires and its footprint. That could be very useful in identifying the driver. It’s a long shot, but it’s all we have right now. Oh, one last thing, I’ve assigned a special agent to this case from our Cyber Division. He’s very bright, and a former US Navy SEAL. His name is Rick Tanner, and he’ll probably be contacting you after he gets up to speed on the case. Please keep him in the loop if you come up with anything that could be relevant.”

  “I will, Director.”

  “Thanks. Good day, James.”

  As James drove back to his office, his head was spinning. Why would Philip suddenly go to the dark side, as they used to call it? Throughout their careers they both had reveled in the fact that they were developing cyber defenses to stop cyber threats. It was part of their core beliefs. They were white hats, not black hats, as the cyber community referred to defenders as compared to the offenders. What caused Philip and the company to develop malware? Not just malware, but APTs, the most insidious of all cyber threats? Also, why would he be working with the federal government when their corporate by-laws specifically barred such work by VSI? Violating that requirement could trigger significant penalties.

  James wondered if he really knew his partner and best friend as well as he thought.

  3

  Kim Kwon-Mu was happier than he could ever remember. He was a North Korean who’d been accepted as a student at one of the best technical universities in the world in a city that was one of the most modern in China. He was also one of an increasing number of foreign exchange students from North Korea selected to attend Chinese technical schools. Kim was selected by Harbin Institute of Technology to study Information Warfare Technology and was looking forward to learning and applying the advanced cyber warfare skills taught by HIT.

  As Kim was walking toward the arrival area of Harbin Taiping Airport to meet the person who would be his contact in Harbin, he observed a tall and very attractive middle-aged Korean woman approach him.

  “Hi, Kim, I’m Lee Park, and I’ll be your advisor while you’re a student in Harbin. I have a car, so let’s get your luggage and I’ll take you to your new apartment.”

  “I don’t have much luggage, Ms. Park. Everything I have is in this duffel bag I’m carrying.”

  “Please call me Lee. Follow me to the car. It’s parked in the visitor area.”

  When Kim saw the car, he was amazed. It was beautiful and much more modern than the vehicles he saw in North Korea.

  “Is this your car, Lee?”

  “Yes, it’s a Buick. Do you like it?”

  “It’s gorgeous. I’ve never seen anything like it in my country,” Kim said, as he got into the front passenger seat.

  “I’m glad you like it. I don’t know much about you, Kim. Could you fill me in on your background?”

  “What exactly do you want to know?”

  “I’m curious why you’re the only North Korean student in China who has been selected for special treatment by your government.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “All the other North Korean students in China are assigned to dormitories monitored by North Korean intelligence. Yet you have been assigned to me, a Chinese citizen who escaped North Korea over a decade ago.”

  “Who contacted you about this assignment?”

  “An admiral’s adjutant from the North Korean Western Fleet.”

  Kim smiled. “It must’ve been due to my uncle. He’s the fleet admiral of the North Korean Western Fleet. The admiral has watched over my mother, sister, and me since his brother, who was my father, was killed in an accident at a Nampo shipyard when I was twelve.”

  “That explains it. So shou
ld I believe the resume I received about your accomplishments from the admiral’s adjutant, or was it all fabricated based on your uncle’s influence?”

  “Show me the resume and I’ll let you know.”

  “I have it my pocket. I was reading it while waiting for your flight. Here it is.”

  Kim scanned the resume and smiled.

  “The resume is accurate. I did graduate secondary school when I was sixteen at the top of my class and was accepted to the Marine Patrol Academy.”

  “I’m not familiar with that school.”

  “It’s the top school for naval officer training in North Korea. My uncle attended the school, as did the current senior naval staff. I graduated first in the class with no assistance from my uncle.”

  “Are you certain of that?” Lee asked in a challenging tone.

  Kim could tell that Lee was trying to test him and also inject her authority. He had seen his superiors attempt that tactic throughout his career, and he was prepared.

  “I am absolutely certain. My uncle may have watched over my well-being, but he’s known for not suffering idiots or fools, even if they’re family.”

  “Yes, I’ve heard that he’s much different than the senior North Korean leadership in that respect.”

  Kim thought it was strange that Lee knew about his uncle, given the way the admiral always avoided publicity. He had warned Kim that notoriety in North Korea was often fatal, since the Supreme Leader was the only one who was allowed that honor.

  “My uncle is different. He values competence and real achievement based on measurable results. I can assure you that I earned my record of promotion during my two years in the submarine service as an electronics communications officer, followed by two years as a North Korean SEAL. The admiral never interfered, other than attempting to talk me out of being a SEAL due to the high mortality rate.”

  “I see you graduated at the top of your class during SEAL training, but there’s not much in the resume about your short two-year career as a SEAL. Why’s that?”