Cyber Countdown

by Terence Flynn

“You look tired, baby. What do you want for dinner?”

  “After eating hot dishes, bratwurst, and deep-fried cheese curds for the past few days, anything would be fine.”

  “Okay, I’ll order Chinese.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll probably just go to bed after dinner. I hope you don’t mind.”

  James smiled. “That’s fine. I have an early meeting with Rick tomorrow.”

  James arrived at Rick’s house the next morning and was impressed by the size of the house and its view of the golf course. He rang the doorbell and Rick appeared, followed by a very large Great Dane. Rick had his left arm in a sling and bandages on his left hand and the left side of his head.

  “Come on in,” Rick said. “I’ll only be a minute.”

  James walked into the kitchen and was greeted by an extremely attractive blonde dressed in a sheer pink baby-doll nightgown.

  “Hi, I’m Allison.”

  James was stunned and just stared at Allison for several seconds before saying, “Uh, hi, Allison. Is this your house or Rick’s?”

  “It’s Rick’s house. I’m just staying here to take care of him after his accident yesterday.”

  “Yeah, I noticed that. Did he say what happened?”

  “All he said was that he was run off the road by a pickup truck and hit a tree.”

  “Was the driver drunk?”

  “I don’t know. Rick said he took off.”

  “When did it happen?”

  “It must’ve been around five, since he was driving home. I’m an intern at the local hospital in La Plata where he was taken, and his contact for all medical emergencies.”

  Rick came into the kitchen with his briefcase and told James he was ready to go.

  “Are you sure you’re up to this, Rick? I can go without you and fill you in later.”

  “I’m fine, James. Let’s go.”

  After driving for a few minutes in silence, James finally said, “Are you going to tell me about the accident?”

  “It wasn’t an accident. But I don’t want Allison to know. A pickup truck came up next to my car right after I got off our call last night. The passenger shot at me with a shotgun.”

  “Was that the crazy driver you mentioned during our call?”

  “Yup. I put three shots into the passenger side, and I’m sure I hit someone. The pickup then hit my car and spun me into the woods. The next thing I know, I was being dragged out of my Mustang by the EMTs.”

  “What do the police think?”

  “After looking at the pictures I took and the gunshot damage to my car, they’re calling it assault with a deadly weapon. If they find the assailants, it could be elevated to attempted murder.”

  “So they got away?”

  “Yeah, the FBI checked the license plate from the picture I provided. The pickup was reported stolen in New Jersey more than a month ago. They’re also checking with the local hospitals for any reports of a gunshot wound. Unfortunately, I never got a good look at the driver or the passenger who shot at me. I think the shooter had long hair and bad marksmanship.”

  James laughed. “Thank God for that. How badly was your car damaged?”

  “It’s totaled. Too bad—I really liked that car. I’ll probably buy another with the insurance money.”

  “Do you think it was related to the interrogation?”

  “Maybe. I told the agent who took the report about Kinsley’s interrogation.”

  “I have one more question, Rick. Who’s the blonde?”

  Rick laughed. “She’s a friend I met a few years ago when I had shoulder surgery at Johns Hopkins. She was a medical student then. We’ve dated off and on, but I guess now it’s very on. She purposely selected the hospital in La Plata to finish her internship so we could be closer.”

  “That house overlooking the golf course is really nice. When did you buy it?”

  “I didn’t. I inherited it from my dad, after he passed away a year ago. It’s kind of big for my needs, but it’s the house I grew up in, and I like playing golf. And before you ask, Allison isn’t living with me yet, although I’ve asked several times. She likes having her own place, but she ends up spending more time at mine.”

  “Too bad.”

  “That may change after she finishes her internship. We’re talking about it.”

  James got to the Wu summer house a little before ten and saw Ann’s Escalade in the driveway. Jim met them at the door and escorted them into the kitchen, where Ann was brewing coffee. She handed James a cup the way she knew he liked it and then asked Rick if he wanted a cup.

  “Yes, please, black with no sugar.”

  James made the introductions and could see that Ann and Jim were staring at Rick’s bandages.

  “Rick was in a car accident yesterday,” James explained. “Can you take us on a tour of the house, Ann?”

  “Sure, what do you want to see first?”

  “We’d like to see where Philip worked.”

  “He either worked right here at the kitchen table or in the sitting room off the master bedroom.”

  “Did he have a computer at the house?”

  “Just the laptop that he used while he was here. He also had a removable drive that allowed him to transport files to and from the office.”

  “Is the laptop still here?”

  “No, it went missing after the break-in, along with the removable drive. Philip usually put them in his briefcase, which is also missing.”

  “Maybe the accomplice took it,” Rick whispered to James, who nodded.

  “Can we see the sitting room, Ann?”

  “Sure, follow me.”

  James and Rick inspected the sitting room connected to the master bedroom.

  “Are there any hidden safes in here, Ann?”

  “No, there’s only the rolltop desk, which is locked.”

  “Do you have the key?”

  “I’m sorry, James, I didn’t bring it. It only contains receipts and warranties for household items purchased for this house. I didn’t think it was important.”

  “That’s okay, just bring it next time. It’s my understanding that the safe in the master bedroom was found unlocked. Does anyone other than you and Jim know about the safe?”

  “I doubt it. I also told the police that nothing appeared to be missing, including the fifty thousand dollars we stored for emergencies.”

  “Yes, I know. You also told them that Philip never stored VSI technical information in the safe. Are you certain about that?”

  “That’s what my husband told me. Do you know something I don’t, James?”

  “No, I’m just trying to be thorough. Philip would never lie about that and certainly not to you, Ann. Do you know who installed the safe?”

  “It was designed by Philip and built by the same company in Ohio that built the VSI security vault. Some of their people installed it. I have the receipts at the other house, if you need them.”

  “We might. Do you know why your combination was different than the one Philip used?”

  “No, I don’t. I asked Philip, but he never really gave me a good answer. I do know that he absolutely required separate combinations in the design. Do you know why, Jim?”

  “I haven’t a clue, Mom. But it was like dad to have a plan that no one thought of. I’m sure you know that, James.”

  “I do, Jim. Can you show me the floor safe and the procedure used to open it?”

  Jim removed the carpet and the piece of flooring that covered the safe. Ann entered her combination and the verbal passcode from the bedroom phone. The light turned green, indicating that the safe was locked.

  “How was it locked without having Philip’s combination?”

  “He kept our combinations in the safe deposit box at our bank,” Ann said. “We did that in case something happened to either or the both of us. Jim was the only other person who knew about the safe deposit box.”

  “I’ll need Philip’s combination next time I’m here.”

  “Sure, Jame
s. I’ll get it tomorrow.”

  Ann demonstrated how the safe was unlocked and then relocked, and James watched as the light on the safe went from green to red and then green again.

  “I bet the phone has a Bluetooth wireless system to transmit the combination and passcode from the phone to the safe,” James said. “Check the phone, Rick.”

  “Yeah, it looks like it has a Bluetooth antenna, James.”

  James opened the safe and saw that it was completely empty.

  “Do you still plan to use it, Ann?”

  “I can’t stand to even see the damn thing. Every time I look at it I get depressed. I’d have it removed if it wasn’t embedded in concrete and supported by the house’s main beam.”

  “We know this is difficult, and I don’t want to cause either you or Jim any more pain than you’re already dealing with.”

  “I know that, James. You’re the best friend Philip and our family ever had.”

  Ann started to cry, so James changed the subject.

  “Jim, do you know if the FBI has done any physical analyses of the safe?”

  “I know they had someone examine it, but I don’t know what they found.”

  “That’s okay, we’ll get the FBI report. Right, Rick?”

  “Sure. No problem.”

  “Was there a duress code for the safe, Ann?”

  “No, Philip didn’t want one, James. He said there was nothing that important in the safe to risk anyone getting hurt.”

  “Do you have any documentation on the safe?”

  “We couldn’t find any, James. Do you want me to get that information from the company?”

  “I can do that if we need it. Just email me the contact information.”

  James reached into the safe and ran his hand around the inside to see if he could find any wires or electronic components. He found none.

  “I think the light on the safe door is controlled by a circuit board either within the door or outside the safe wall. It’s probably powered from the house’s electrical line that runs along the main beam. Hopefully there’s a diagram in the documentation. If not, we’ll need to get it from the company that installed the safe.”

  “Some of that information may be in the rolltop desk, James. You can open it with the key when you come back,” Ann said.

  “I’d like to discuss the situation with George. I’d also like Jim to sit in on the discussion, Ann.”

  “I do, too, James. Jim’s my legal advisor as well as my son.”

  “Can you tell me why George said he wanted your proxy?”

  “He said he only needed the proxy for the board meeting to select a temporary CEO and that it wouldn’t be permanent. When I told him I wouldn’t do that, he threatened to have the board buy Philip’s shares in a forced sale. He said he could do that since Philip had violated his NDA by disclosing VSI proprietary information. I’m certain my husband would never have done that.”

  “So am I, Ann. I’m going to disclose some information to you from an FBI interrogation that Rick and I participated in last week that may be pertinent. You both need to keep this confidential.”

  “Sure, James. My mother and I both agree,” Jim said.

  “Good. The interrogation was conducted by Rick, and the subject’s answers were analyzed using a polygraph. FBI personnel reviewed the results and determined that the government had obtained uncoerced information on proprietary VSI technology. Such information could only have been provided by Philip or me, and I’ve never talked to the government about VSI technology, Jim.”

  “That doesn’t mean my father provided it, James. There must be other sources.”

  “I can’t believe it was your father, Jim. But, it would have to be another source I’m not aware of.”

  “I read the NDA after Mom found it. It says the evidence must meet the requirements under Maryland law for criminal cases, which is a very tough requirement. Do you think George can do that?”

  “No, I don’t. The lie detector test is the only indication that VSI proprietary information was disclosed, and that wouldn’t be admissible in a court of law. George’s evidence would have to be airtight. I can’t imagine that he has such information, but if he does, it might provide the reason your dad was murdered and who the murderer was. I suggest we call his bluff.”

  “I know my mother wants to take George on, but I’m not so certain. If George succeeds in court and she’s forced to sell her shares, she’d be outside of the company looking in. She would no longer have any income other than what she got on the sale of her shares. Based on the corporate rules, she’d be an outsider and not a stockholder. That means you couldn’t buy her shares and then sell them back to her without George having the right to buy her shares at a higher price. I’m pretty certain George is wealthier than you are and could outbid you. She could end up with no dividends and no increased equity based on the rising value of the company. I have advised her against it.”

  “I understand, and it’s a great legal analysis that I hadn’t considered. I can see you haven’t wasted your time in law school.”

  “No, I haven’t. There’s also another consideration. Although I can’t believe my father would’ve violated the NDA, George is rich enough to fabricate convincing evidence. From what I’ve heard, he isn’t the most honest person.”

  “There may be another solution, Jim. George is only doing this so he can select the temporary CEO. It would be someone other than him, someone who’s technically capable of running the company. He obviously believes that he can scare your mother into giving him her proxy. If I decide to take back the CEO position, which is my right, there’s no longer a need for a vote. George couldn’t demonstrate that I violated my NDA. He also knows the president and I are close, so I don’t believe he’d attempt to bully me.”

  “That would mean you’d have to resign as Federal Chief Information Officer, which you promised the president you wouldn’t do.”

  “I know that, Ann. But given the situation, I believe the president will understand. I’ll inform the president and George tomorrow. I’d like to hear what George has to say.”

  “So would I. I hope the old bastard chokes,” Ann said.

  On the drive back to La Plata, James asked Rick what he thought about his return to the CEO position.

  “I don’t think it’ll make that much difference with respect to the investigation. I’m going to keep working the case, and I’m pretty sure the director will still want you in the loop. The question is whether you’ll have the time to help.”

  “I’ll make the time, Rick. I believe there’s something going on in VSI that directly relates to Philip’s murder, and it might involve George. I need to get to the bottom of it. Unfortunately, I’ll need to find a place to live that’s closer to VSI. JoAnn isn’t going to like that.”

  “You know you can stay at my house,” said Rick. “I have plenty of room.”

  “You sure that won’t cramp your relationship with Allison?”

  “Not a problem. It’s a big house, and she’s not a screamer.”

  “Too much information, Rick, but I might take you up on that.”

  “When do you think you might be moving in?”

  “I’m not sure. I need to talk with Barbara, the president, and most importantly, my fiancée, Senator Young.”

  “Well, at least you have your priorities straight.”

  14

  Dimitri was happy to have some time to relax after the hectic pace of the past several weeks. He monitored his favorite news sources every day after returning from DC to see if there was anything about the investigation into Senator Thompson’s death. This morning he saw reports from multiple news sources that the DC government had requested that Walter Reed verify Senator Thompson’s autopsy results.

  His experience working for US Intelligence agencies taught Dimitri how federal politics worked, and he knew that this request was based on politics, not forensics. The White House needed to find the Chinese agent innocent in order to
avoid a major incident. That meant they needed to have Walter Reed show that the majority leader died of natural causes. Dimitri believed he was off the hook.

  Later that morning, Dimitri got a text from Frank Green asking him to call.

  “Hey, Frank, have you had any luck?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Do you know when?”

  “Yes, but I have to go, Stalin. I’m getting prepared for a business trip. I hear there’s a winter storm coming your way. Maybe you should plan a trip down south to avoid the cold.”

  “Yeah, I think I’ll do that.”

  Dimitri knew that Frank had just sent him a covert message saying that he’d have the information soon since he was getting ready to deploy on a mission and would have access to the databases. The message also said he’d only provide it to him in Quantico.

  Later that day Dimitri visited the electronics shop to get a new phone. He replaced his phones several times a year as a security precaution to prevent his number from being traced or the phone being cloned.

  “How are you today, Yuri? It looks like business is growing.”

  “Yeah, it’s doing well. What can I do for you Dimitri?”

  “I’m here to buy another cell phone.”

  “Another burner phone? You know it would be cheaper if you just bought a phone with a plan that’s flexible. It would also provide more capability.”

  “I know, but I’m rough on phones. A phone plan would be a waste of money. I only need it for calls, texts, and occasional photos.”

  Yuri had heard about Dimitri’s past, so he accepted the explanation even though he was skeptical of the rationale.

  “Have you heard about the new documentary that’s going to be filmed in Brighton Beach, Dimitri?”

  “No, what kind of documentary?”

  “It’s going to be about recent immigrants in the Brighton Beach community who suffered tragedy while living in Russia.”

  “When does it start?”

  “In a few days. The Chinese film crew is looking for locations and people to interview.”

  “What kind of people?”

  “People like you, Dimitri. You could be a star.”

  “I’m not star material, Yuri.”

  “Yeah, neither am I, but local businesses will really do well. There’ll be lots of tourists in the area during filming. More police, too.”