Cipher

by Robert Stohn

  “I’m always serious when it comes to business,” Boris said.

  “I can see that now. Well, I must raise a glass to you for pulling off the seemingly unimaginable. This list will buy me the power and influence that I need amongst my Arab neighbors. We will no longer have to hide in the shadows while the oppressors overreach and track our every step we take. We can now do the tracking and evading,” said the Sheik.

  “Wonderful. I hope that the list will bring you everything that you may hope that it will,” Boris said.

  “Yes, it most certainly will.”

  “Shall we get to it then?” Boris asked.

  The Sheik looked around, as if he was awaiting some military coup to occur as teams swarmed in from everywhere as the transaction went down. But, there was nothing but the sound of the lapping waves at the base of the ship and the seagulls’ cries in the air.

  “Yes, please,” said the Sheik.

  Boris disappeared for a brief moment, then reappeared with his laptop. The Sheik ordered a man in his entourage to prepare with his own laptop for the verification process. Both men opened their laptops, which whirred to life, and space was made on the very crowded table for the two very sophisticated pieces of machinery.

  “Okay, here we are. All set,” said Ali, the Sheik’s head of security, as he prepared to vet the names on the list.

  “I hope that you’re prepared with a secure and very encrypted connection,” said Boris.

  “Of course,” said Ali. “Shall we begin?”

  “Yes. Let’s get started,” Boris replied. “The first name on the list, Mark Steven Abrahams, CIA, black-ops. Location: Riyadh.”

  “Confirming: Mark Steven Abrahams. Hold on please,” Ali said, as his fingers glided across the keyboard in a swift motion. The beads of sweat could be seen collecting on the side of his head and along the slender black frames of his opticals. The partially balding man looked as anxious as one person could be, but he was attempting to keep his cool. You could see the utter fear and anxiety written all over his face as he glanced around, his fingers continuing to quickly glide over the keyboard. He pushed up his glasses as they slid down his nose. “Still confirming...” he said again as he continued the process. “Okay, confirmed.”

  “Excellent,” said the Sheik. “Next name?”

  Boris looked through the list, picked more names at random, and read them off. As each name was read, a moment of silence was heard before the name was confirmed. They continued through the list of names until two-dozen had been confirmed.

  “So of the 3,486 names on the list, two dozen at pure random have been confirmed,” said the Sheik.

  “Excellent,” Boris replied. “Now. Shall we discuss the transfer of the funds?”

  “Of course. We are prepared to send the wire,” Ali said, and the Sheik nodded his head in accordance with that statement.

  “I must say,” said the Sheik, “I’m still in a state of shock that you were able to pull this off. I’m not sure if you understand what this means.”

  “I do,” said Boris nonchalantly.

  “Well, if you understand, you are certainly very humble about it,” replied the Sheik.

  “We understand the sensitivity of this just as much as you do,” said Dmitry as he scarfed down a piece of cheese with a cracker.

  “I’m glad that you are all very modest about it. I want to thank you again for all of this,” said the Sheik.

  “No, it’s us who should thank you,” Boris said, and they all smiled at one another and nodded in agreement. And, Boris smiled even further as he began to read off the numbered accounts that he wanted the funds transferred to in exchange for the list.

  “So can we verify the amount being transferred?” Dmitry asked with a smile on his face.

  “I see that someone is excited about this transaction,” said the Sheik as he looked at the eager-eyed Dmitry.

  “Yes, I cannot hide it,” Dmitry said.

  “That’s okay. I still recall one of my first really big deals in business. I would equate it to something like that.”

  “Well, it’s not to say that we have not done any very big deals similar to this,” said Dmitry.

  “I understand. That’s not what I meant,” said the Sheik.

  “Of course. We understand what you meant. This is in fact a big deal for us,” Boris said. “Please, pay no attention to my brother. He can let his ego get in the way at times.” He looked over at his brother with scathing eyes. He glared at him for only a brief moment, but long enough to let him know that he needed to watch his tongue.

  “So, Sheik, if I can ask you what you’ll do with the names once our deal here is complete?” asked Dmitry. It was another stupid question, which only further irritated Boris.

  “Please… Please… you don’t have to answer that question,” Boris said.

  “No, no. That’s quite alright. Your brother is curious. That’s okay. This list is ten times more valuable to me than it is to you.”

  “Why is that?” Dmitry asked.

  “Well, on the black market, I can sell each name for $10 million US dollars,” said the Sheik. “Although it would take a tremendous amount of time for me to do that, it’s not my intention.”

  “Oh?” asked Dmitry.

  “My intention is… well… shall we say, much more sinister than that.”

  “How so?” asked Dmitry.

  “Well, my family was brutally murdered at the hands of agents like this – agents that hid in the shadows in an attempt to conceal their true identities. These agents had no regard for my family or for me. That was many years ago but I haven’t forgotten any of it. I vowed to have my revenge one day, and this is part of the plan. I’ve amassed a fortune greater than most others on this earth, and one of my intentions is to enact my revenge. You will undoubtedly not hear about a single thing that happens to any of these agents in the news. Why is that? Because they are all but ghosts. Their respective governments will cease to admit that they exist, let alone work for them.”

  Dmitry sat back after he had heard the Sheik speak, and gulped down hard. He hadn’t realized the type of person that they had been dealing with. He was ruthless, cold, and calculated. He had seemed so mild mannered, when in fact, he was exactly the opposite. And, as the Sheik was speaking, Ali’s fingers continued gliding along his laptop’s keyboard and so did Boris’s. It was like watching two masters at work as they keyed in data and watched the output returned.

  “Are we almost ready?” asked Boris.

  “Yes. Almost,” replied Ali.

  “I do have one request to ask of you.” The Sheik broke the silence of rapidly clicking keys.

  “Sure, name it,” Dmitry said, as his brother was still busy transferring data from the list into one composite file.

  “The cipher drive,” said the Sheik.

  Boris’s fingers stopped moving for a moment as he looked at the Sheik to witness his expression of amusement. “What about the cipher drive?” Boris asked.

  “I would like to see it.”

  “Who told you about the cipher drive?” asked Dmitry.

  “Come now. You think after all of this that I don’t have the resources to find out how you’ve gotten your hands on this information?” The Sheik smiled at the group as he said the words.

  “Well, that’s not part of our deal,” Boris replied, his fingers suspended in mid-air.

  “Please. Wouldn’t you entertain an old friend? I want to see what the source of all of this beautiful information is. I want to see the device that helped track down this data. I’ve only seen it in my dreams,” said the Sheik.

  Boris smiled. “You want to see the cipher drive?”

  “Yes.”

  “Here it is,” Boris said. He pulled out the black USB cipher drive from his pocket and held it up in the sunlight between his thumb and index finger. “A thing of beauty isn’t it?” he asked.

  The Sheik sat there staring at the cipher drive in absolute amazement. It wasn’t that the d
rive looked beautiful, as the non-descript black sliver was nothing to marvel at aside from what it contained within. “Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful,” said the Sheik.

  Boris slipped the cipher drive back into his pocket and continued punching away at the keys as he wrapped up the compilation of the list. “I’m almost done,” he said.

  “Us too,” Ali said.

  After they had both completed their whirlwind of typing, they spun the computers towards each other and reviewed one another’s work. They carefully studied the screens of each other’s laptops to ensure that everything was in order. When they were all satisfied, the Sheik spoke up. “There we have it. Shall we initiate the transfer?” he asked.

  “Yes, let’s get this wrapped up,” Dmitry replied.

  “Da,” said Boris, as he flashed one of his very rare expressions: a smile.

  Chapter 24

  Agent Jenkins and Steiner tailed Viktor’s car, making sure that they stayed far enough behind not to be spotted. They watched as it wound through the streets of Istanbul, crossing over the Bosporus Bridge and onto the other side. Jenkins was at the wheel and watched the vehicle carefully for any sudden movements.

  “What do you think they’re saying right now?” Steiner asked.

  “Who knows?” said Jenkins. “The six of them are crammed in there like a can of sardines.”

  “Yeah, it’s pretty funny looking from here.”

  “I know,” Jenkins said, as she did her best to crack a smile and not take the situation so seriously.

  “What are we going to do if that list gets out?” Steiner asked.

  “I don’t know. We’re all going to be in a world of hurt though if it does. NSA Director Edwards already briefed the President on the potential that it may happen,” Jenkins replied.

  “This is going to be really bad if it does. It’s going to be our jobs on the line.”

  “Our jobs? Think about all those unsuspecting agents around the world who’s lives are going to be on the line. This is more than just about jobs, Geoff, it’s about lives. There are people’s lives at stake, and their families’ lives.” Jenkins frowned at Steiner as she spoke.

  “I know… It’s our lives at stake too… I didn’t mean to sound brash or inconsiderate… that’s not what I meant… I mean… what I’m try to say is… sorry.”

  “Oh, it’s okay. I know what you meant. But, it’s not always about you. It’s about other people too. Don’t sound so selfish,” she said, jabbing him in the stomach. She tried to make light of the situation. The more time they spent together, the more they were sounding like a married couple.

  “Okay, thanks,” he said, smiling back at her. He kept a careful eye on the car they were tailing the entire time. The reputed Russian hit man had been on the US’s radar for some time now, but there wasn’t much they could do to arrest him there. They had to let things play out.

  “I’m going to give Director Edwards a status update,” Steiner said, realizing that they were getting closer to the dock.

  “Okay, call him,” Jenkins said.

  Steiner picked up the phone, jabbed at the screen a few times quickly with his fingers, and placed the phone to his ear. Jenkins could hear Director Edwards even though the phone wasn’t on speakerphone.

  “Sir?” asked Steiner.

  “Yes, I’m here. What’s the update?” Director Edwards asked.

  “We’re enroute to the yacht,” Steiner said.

  “Okay. Let me know when you arrive there.”

  “Will do, sir. Oh, and what about the Turkish authorities? We’ll need some coordination with them in order to carry out the arrests.”

  “I have direct approval from the President on this and we have the full cooperation of the Turkish authorities. They’re at your disposal when you need them,” Director Edwards said.

  “Thank you, sir,” Steiner said and he hung up the phone.

  “Okay, so we’re set for the docks then?” Jenkins asked.

  “Yes, all set. I’m sending a message now to the tactical team on sight there. They have eyes on the yacht. SWAT is going to take their positions and will be standing by. Snipers will be on the roofs in the surrounding buildings by the dock. Hopefully those two remember to insert and turn on their hidden ear pieces when they get to the docks. This is going to be a very delicate mission. Too many variables can go wrong here,” Steiner said.

  “I know. Tell me about it,” she replied.

  *****

  Jonathan and Jennifer were still stuck in the back of Viktor’s sedan with the two Italian goons. Viktor was taking them to the yacht and it was either going to lead to their demise or their victory – they both knew that. They knew that things could go horribly wrong and their plan could go south.

  “Are we there yet?” asked Vinnie, chuckling to himself.

  “Wise guy, huh?” asked Tony, then he laughed to himself as well. Jennifer looked at Jonathan and they both rolled their eyes. They were close to the docks, and they both knew that. They knew that the teams would be prepared when they arrived, but they didn’t know how things were going to go down. They were going to have to improvise.

  When the car came to a halt at the parking lot, the group got out and started the walk to the yacht. Viktor, who was walking next to Don Cicerone, grabbed his hand as the phone went to his ear.

  “Hey,” the Don said.

  “I’m just calling the boss. I’m calling Boris,” Viktor said.

  “Keep it on speakerphone,” Vinnie said as he jabbed his gun into Viktor’s back. “And no Russian!”

  Viktor swallowed hard as he felt the gun in the small of his back. The group could hear the phone ringing as they made their way towards the dock. “Okay,” he said.

  Dmitry answered the phone. “Da?”

  “I’m here,” Viktor said.

  “Okay, come on board,” Dmitry replied. “Do you have the girl?”

  “Yes.”

  Tony jabbed his gun into Viktor’s back also to ensure that he didn’t get any wise ideas about telling them who else was with them. As they neared the yacht, Jonathan noticed the black EC155 helicopter on the helipad. He turned to Jennifer and whispered. “The deal is going down right now,” he said in a low tone as they walked slightly behind the group.

  “How do you know?”

  “The chopper. That one belongs to the Sheik. Jenkins and Steiner told us about that one. They said it would be here if it wasn’t too late,” Jonathan said, trying to keep his voice down as much as possible.

  “What are we going to do?” Jennifer asked, also whispering.

  “Put in your earpiece and play it by ear, but stay close to me,” he said.

  “Okay,” she replied. She reached over and gave his hand a quick squeeze. He could see the nervousness on her face. She had been through such a tremendous ordeal, and it was unnerving for him to watch her continue to endure the stress of the entire situation. He wanted it to be over. He wanted the whole thing just to be over.

  “It’s going to be okay. I promise. I won’t let anything happen to you,” Jonathan whispered, as they walked across a gravel parking lot that led to the docks. They made their way up the platform and through the security gate that Viktor opened with a key fob.

  Don Cicerone looked back to ensure that the entire group was still with him. He saw Jonathan and Jennifer trailing close behind and motioned with his head for them to quicken their pace. Jonathan looked up at the deckhands that awaited the group and could hear them calling something out. The group continued ascending the platform onto the yacht until they were all on board.

  Once on board, one of the deckhands led them to the upper deck of the vessel where the group was still seated for the exchange of the list. When Boris saw them, he pushed his chair back, stood up, and started screaming something in Russian. Viktor looked down at the ground as the Sheik’s two personal bodyguards also quickly stood up from the table and brandished their own weapons. Dmitry pulled a gun as well and everyone stood there frozen soli
d with guns in the air. Jonathan glanced nervously at the two laptops on the table and hoped they weren’t too late.

  “Wait, please. Please, just wait,” Jonathan said. He looked anxiously at Jennifer. What had they done? He stepped forward in front of the group to try to calm everyone’s frayed nerves before they started firing. He purposefully stepped in front of Jennifer so that she would be out of harm’s way. “Look, no one has to get hurt here. Please, just hear me out,” he said.

  “Shut up, kid,” said Don Cicerone, moving him aside, back next to Jennifer. “This isn’t the time or the place for you to be a tough guy. Let me handle this,” he added.

  “Okay, but we’re outnumbered,” Jonathan said. But they weren’t outnumbered, and Jonathan knew that. He was just playing coy; he needed to distract them while they could break off from the group before everyone started shooting each other.

  A quarter mile away, at the far side of the dock, atop a building, two snipers setup their 308 caliber rifles at the bridge of a roof in clear shot of the upper deck to the yacht. They were adorned in all black garbs, and were in radio communications with Agent Jenkins and Steiner who were organizing the grand takedown.

  “Let me know when you guys have locked in on the targets,” said Jenkins over the radio.

  “Target in sight,” said the first sniper.

  “Target in plain sight,” said the second sniper.

  They were aiming at the Sheik’s bodyguards who still stood brandishing their weapons in front of the Sheik, who was now just cowering behind them. Beneath all of his wealth and his self-professed dangerous ways, he was just a scared man who had to hide behind the guise of others.

  During the concoction of their plan, Jonathan and Jennifer were given small ear implants, which allowed them to stay in two-way communication with the agents, in order to let them know what was going on from their end. Jonathan and Jennifer both overheard all the chatter and could hear that the snipers had taken aim at the Sheik’s bodyguards. They breathed a little bit easier knowing that help was far off, but they still had to grapple with ensuring that things went smoothly. The pair looked at one another as the snipers spoke. They could hear them, and they knew that the shots were about to be fired. They then turned their attention to the Don, who was barking orders and aiming his gun at Boris.