“I haven’t heard many of them say that they were going to return and take their chances.”
“I wonder what Shen and Lian are going to do, Kim?”
“I talked to Shen, and he said he thought they’d try California or New York. He met a senior from Shanghai Jiaotong University named Hakim who is going to a university in New York. It was arranged by an oil company in Saudi Arabia that George Solomon does business with. Hakim tried to convince Shen to join him and also go to New York.”
“Where do you want to go?”
“I’ll go wherever you go, Cai.”
“I guess we’re going to America then.”
When they got back to their suite, there was a message from Rick asking Kim to come by his room to meet with him and James. As Kim entered Rick’s room, he saw maps and two laptops on the dining room table.
“The president has approved the plan, Kim. The SEAL team is already preparing.”
“That’s great, Rick. How will my family and I rendezvous with the SEALs?”
“The navy’s going to use a Virginia class submarine that’s currently based in Japan. It’ll carry a mini-sub with a five-man SEAL team.”
“Have they selected the rendezvous site?”
“We can’t use Nampo. As you know, the water is too shallow in the Yellow Sea, and especially in the Bay of Korea, for a submarine to operate. The east side of the Korean peninsula is a much better choice. Will it be difficult to get your family to the east side?”
“It shouldn’t be a problem. There are many naval bases on the east side that the admiral could justify as sites for us to visit. One of the bases is in Wonsan, which is also a popular tourist destination for foreigners and locals. The admiral could justify going there as an opportunity to both visit the base and have a little vacation with my mother, sister, and me. There are also boats we could rent to rendezvous with the SEALs.”
“Are you planning on taking your uncle with you?” James asked.
“I’m not certain he’d go, but I think it’s a great idea. Do you think it’s possible, Rick?”
“The mini-sub has the room if we use only two SEALs as operators and the other two to retrieve Kim and his family. I’m more worried about the weight, since that determines how much oxygen is needed. How much do you think the combined weight of all four of you’d be in pounds?”
“I weigh about 190 pounds. I’d guess that my mother and sister probably weigh a total of 200 pounds or less. My uncle has lost a lot of weight, and based on his height, I’d say he probably weighs between 140 and 150 pounds. That would make the total about 540 pounds.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. The vehicle can carry eight passengers with a total weight much higher than that. I’ll pass this information to Don and Terry to see if it’s possible. The admiral would be a high-priority asset, so I’m certain they’d find a way if you can get him to go. The question is, can he handle the trip?”
“When I saw him a month ago in Nampo, he was moving fine.”
“Okay. I’ll notify Washington about the possibility of an additional passenger for the Yellow Submarine ride.”
Kim was confused, “Why is the submarine yellow?”
James and Rick laughed. “The submarine isn’t yellow. It was just a joke based on an old song from a famous British rock band.”
“I have some technical questions,” James said. “It sounds like the design of the new command and control system used on the Korean submarine-launched missiles isn’t totally self-contained like the previous system. My guess is that the data-link system would require a network interface with an external source to get information for targeting. Am I correct, Kim?”
“Yes. The submarine’s computer would need to send the target coordinates to the missile based on the selected target.”
“So if we were able to inject a worm into the sub’s computers, could it overload the computers through rapid replication?”
“Sure, the worms would reproduce so fast that they would use all the computer’s resources and crash it.”
“That could disable the targeting system through a massive denialof-service attack, couldn’t it?”
“Yes, James, but there are two problems with that plan. The first is getting the worm into the system, and the second is the trigger for the replication.”
“I’m assuming there are no USB ports on the sub’s computers.”
“Yes, that’s correct.” Kim was starting to see where James was going with this. “However, there are shore-based systems that interface with the Kilo’s onboard computers via a network to provide communications, navigation, and mission-planning information before each mission. That includes the exact time, which is necessary to determine latitude and longitude and to set the communication encryption codes. The information is provided by the servers at fleet headquarters, and those do have USB ports. If we can get a worm into the servers that provide the mission-planning information, it will likely be transmitted to the submarines. But what do we use to trigger the worms to replicate and take down the computers?”
“That’s easy, Kim. Latitude will be the trigger. To get to the exercise area, the North Korean subs will need to travel south to the Senkaku Islands. The trigger will be a point of latitude we know they’ll need to cross. It’ll need to be close enough to the Senkaku Islands to prevent them from returning to North Korea to fix the problem. Once their subs reach that latitude, the worms will be triggered by the navigation coordinates processed by the onboard computers and crash them. You’ll need to write the code to make that happen, Kim.”
“In order to do that, I’d need to see the software on the onboard navigation system. It’s in fleet headquarters in Nampo. I’d need a day or so to review it, modify the code for the trigger and targeting system, and then load it into the servers. I’ll also need a worm with very sophisticated targeting capabilities, James.”
“I can provide the worm, Kim. I also know some people at VSI who can provide you with the resources and information to integrate the trigger with the worm and program its targeting system. Do you think you can do that?”
“I’m sure I can. When can you get the worm and the information to me?”
“I’ll have it and any required support software to you before you return to Harbin. When’s your flight back?”
“I plan to fly back the evening the symposium ends. I’ve reserved a flight at about eight that gets me to Harbin at seven the next day. I plan to notify my uncle immediately after I return, and hopefully he can arrange a flight the next morning into Nampo.”
“That’s a lot of flying, Kim. How long do you think it’ll take to get the information for the trigger and the target?”
“It should take less than a day. The difficult part will be getting into the server room at headquarters and loading the worm into the servers without being detected. Hopefully the admiral can help me with that. I’ll keep you updated through my satellite phone.”
“You’ll have the satellite phone by tomorrow, as well as a few other items Rick scrounged from the FBI.”
Before he left, Kim handed Rick a package.
“These are the hard drives with the data we downloaded from the US attack and the malware that attacked the Chinese web pages. I labeled them so you’ll know what is on each drive. I’m guessing the malware had a time-based self-destruct capability.”
“You’re correct about the self-destruct feature, Kim. We’ll set the time to before the attack on the Chinese websites to ensure the malware isn’t erased. I’ll personally take them back, so the FBI can maintain the chain of custody that will allow them to be used as evidence.”
After Kim left, James called Tom at VSI, while Rick checked his email.
“I was just getting ready to call you, boss. I haven’t heard back from Theresa, but Chris called me a half hour ago. I verified that he’s with his development team at the customer site. He called to tell me that he was taking leave due to a family emergency involving his father. Chris sa
id he might be gone for a week or so, but could be reached by phone or email.”
“Thanks for the information, Tom. We need to find Theresa. I’ve never known her to be so inaccessible, even when she’s on vacation. I also need you to do something else for me.”
“Sure, what is it?”
“I’m sending you instructions by email on modifications that I need implemented on that Backfire worm you’ve been playing with. It’s urgent—I need it completed by four this afternoon your time. I also need you to send any support software necessary for modifications to the worm.”
“It shouldn’t be a problem, I know that worm pretty well now. But this type of information is very sensitive, boss. We don’t usually allow it outside the company.”
“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. Just get it ready and I’ll make sure it’s in good hands. Call me when you’re done.”
James called Barbara to arrange the delivery.
“Hi, Barbara. I have a very special package that I need picked up at VSI from Tom Allen and delivered with the highest security to my hotel in Munich by tomorrow afternoon. It’ll be in an envelope.”
“Why so urgent?”
“It’s for Kim.”
“Okay, I’ll have it delivered to the naval base at Patuxent River and sent by military jet.”
James got on his laptop and sent Tom the information on the required changes to the worm. He then checked his email.
“When did you come up with the idea to take down the North Korean attack using malware?” Rick asked.
“I considered it the day we first met with Kim. Due to my past naval experience, I’m familiar with the command and control systems, communications systems, and navigation systems used on submarines.”
“Yes, but these are Kilo subs modified by North Korea. How’d you get that information?”
“I asked the president to get it from DIA. Their mission is to gather technical information on foreign military systems like the Kilo. DIA provided it to Don, who provided it to me this morning. I reviewed it, and I just sent some instructions to Tom for modifying the Backfire worm.”
“So as I understand it, you’re substituting date and time data used to trigger the Backfire worm used to attack China with navigation data.”
“Yes. It makes no difference to the worm what the data is. Instead of monitoring time, this worm will monitor navigation position and will trigger when the target data is processed within the navigation server.”
“And that target data is the navigation coordinates for the Senkaku Islands?”
“Yes.”
“Clever, very clever, James.”
“Hey, Rick, have you heard from Allison? Because I haven’t heard anything from JoAnn via email or phone.”
“No, but the FBI is monitoring them. We’d know if something was wrong. If you’re worried, you should call her.”
“I’m calling her now. I’ll put the phone on speaker. Hi, baby. I haven’t heard from you. Is everything okay?”
“I’m fine, James. I was just busy in my new job.”
“How are you and Allison doing? Any more threatening phone calls?”
“No more phone calls, and everything is fine between Annie Oakley and me. She’s something else. Did you know she owns a fully automatic AR-15? They’re illegal.”
James laughed. “You’re on speaker, and Rick is listening.”
There was a pause for a second. “Rick, I hope you never upset your girlfriend. It might be the last thing you ever do.”
“We need to go, baby. I’ll call you later.”
“I’m going back to my suite and wait for Tom’s call, Rick.”
“Okay, see you at breakfast.”
At about ten thirty, Tom called to say that everything was completed and ready to go. James thanked him and called Barbara so she could get it to Munich the next day. He thought it was ironic that the worm technology that had been misused to create the current tension between China and the United States might now be used to address it.
25
Rick wasn’t happy about having to go to dinner with Dimitri, but James was busy, and he hated eating alone. He was surprised that he was actually enjoying his dinner partner’s company.
“You seem so relaxed ever since we got to Munich. Why is that, Dimitri?”
“I like being back in Europe. I was born in Europe, and I feel more comfortable here.”
“What’s wrong with America?”
“Nothing. I like it also. It’s a great country, but it’s also a young country that doesn’t seem to have an established culture of its own.”
“That’s because we’re a nation of immigrants with a mixture of ethnicities and cultures.”
“Yes, and it’s reflected in your lifestyle. Your architecture is a mixture, and so is your food. European cities, like Munich, have a style all their own. The restaurants serve real food.”
“So you don’t like our food?”
“No, I’ve actually developed a taste for American fast food. It tastes good, and it’s fast. Look around, Rick. The restaurant we’re in operates at a slower pace than those in America. America has no traditions that encourage the relaxed enjoyment of the simple pleasures. It’s rush, rush, rush all the time. It’s probably why you have a much higher rate of coronary disease and mental health issues.”
“You might be right. I do enjoy it here, but I miss my country when I’m gone too long.”
“So do I. Damn, my alarm is buzzing. George must be on the move.”
“I’ll get the check. Pick me up out front.”
Dimitri and Rick followed George’s limousine to the airport, where he picked up an extremely attractive redhead.
“That’s Astrid, George’s fiancée,” Rick said.
“They’re not going back to the hotel, Rick. They’re heading in the opposite direction. I think they might be heading to the Rathaus.”
“What’s the rat house?”
“It’s the Munich town hall. It’s where the city politicians work.”
“Well, it’s aptly named.”
“They’re parking. Let’s follow them.”
The Rathaus was huge and crowded with tourists, so Dimitri and Rick had little likelihood of being noticed while following their target. George and his fiancée entered the Ratskeller restaurant. Rick and Dimitri watched as George and Astrid were joined by a very tall, thin, young man with curly blond hair. Dimitri moved closer and took a picture of three of them while they waited for their table. There was an empty table near where George’s party was being seated, so Rick bribed the waiter to seat them there.
“I can’t hear what they’re saying, Rick, but it doesn’t look cordial.”
“Yeah, it looks like George and the young guy are really getting into it.”
Rick and Dimitri watched as the young man suddenly stood and said, “Drop dead, George,” and then began to walk away. Astrid also stood and said, “Chris, please come back,” as she started to go after him. George grabbed her arm and said something that made her sit back down.
“Let’s follow the young guy, Dimitri.”
The young man drove away in a Porsche as Dimitri followed him out of the city.
“My GPS says we’re approaching Lake Starnberg, Rick.”
“Yeah, I see that. He just took the road that goes around the lake toward those houses. It looks like he’s entering the driveway leading to that three-story Bavarian-style house.”
“I’ll take some pictures and then we’ll go back, Rick. My tracker shows George returning to his hotel.”
“Okay, drop me off at my hotel, and we’ll call it a night.”
Back in his hotel room, Dimitri checked his email and saw one from the FBI with several attached photographs. He downloaded the attachments, which were obviously older photos of a beautiful, tall redhead. One of them showed her standing next to a man identified in the email as George Solomon.
Dimitri was struck by the photos. The tall young man at the Ratskeller
looked very similar to the thirty-year-old picture of George. The nose was different, as was the chin, but the mouth, eyes, facial structure, height, and build looked almost identical. Dimitri knew that George had undergone plastic surgery after his defection from Russia, which could explain the chin and nose. There was no doubt in Dimitri’s mind that Chris was George Solomon and Christina Hoffman’s son.
Dimitri downloaded the pictures he’d taken earlier at the Ratskeller and Lake Starnberg, then emailed them to the FBI director and assistant director with descriptions. When he finished, he noticed an email from a familiar source. It requested a meeting at his earliest convenience in Manhattan to discuss an assignment. He replied, saying he was on vacation in Europe and would like to arrange the meeting for several days from then. The reply was immediate, and it stated that Dimitri’s response was acceptable.
James went to bed after arranging the delivery of Kim’s package and slept until Rick called him the next morning.
“Hi, sleeping beauty. I’m having breakfast downstairs in the Mandarin Bar. Why don’t you join me?”
“Okay. Anything happen while I was asleep?”
“Not really, but we have a meeting in my suite at one to talk with Terry and Don about Kim.”
“I’ll be right down, save some for me.”
James met Rick just in time to watch him finish a breakfast of white sausages and a large pretzel with beer.
“It’s a little early for beer, isn’t it? I believe there’s a navy rule that the sun has to be over the yardarm, Rick?”
“Yeah, but I’m in the FBI now, and we can drink anytime. You should order this. It’s listed under traditional Bavarian breakfasts.”
“I think I’ll pass. Coffee and strudel look fine to me.”
“How’s your plan coming?”
“Tom finished his work, and Barbara sent the finished package. I just got an email from her saying it was delivered to Don this morning. He’ll bring it when we meet with him and Terry at one.”
“Eat fast. That’s less than an hour from now.”
Don and Terry arrived at Rick’s suite. Don gave James a jump drive with the modified Backfire worm, while Terry gave Rick two boxes, each containing a small encrypted satellite phone.
Cyber Countdown Page 34