by Terry Toler
The button design fixed that problem. Once the bomber pushed the button, he had to continue to hold it down or he would be blown up. He would eventually anyway. It was only a matter of time as to when.
Pok could hardly wait.
Today had been a good day. Tomorrow would be even better.
***
London
The terrorist walked out of the square, and I followed a few paces behind. He was headed back in the direction he’d come. Before entering the square, I’d done a quick surveillance of the surrounding streets. I’d memorized each block and could picture them in my mind. I also knew where the security cameras were and was careful to keep my head turned so they wouldn’t capture my face.
Two blocks ahead on the right was an alley. The alley had no cameras. That’s where I would make my move.
The man’s hands were no longer in his pocket. He’d obviously been told to stand down. I had my right hand in my right pocket, fingering a knife. I pictured in my mind how I’d attack him. I’d come up from behind with catlike speed. My left forearm would wrap around his neck. He’d instinctively move his left arm up to his neck. My right hand would grab his right wrist and twist his arm behind him.
I was bigger and stronger and could easily drag him into the alley. Once there, I’d take out the knife and plunge it under his right arm, into his heart. Just like his fellow low life did to the woman on the subway.
I could taste the vengeance. For all the victims. The woman in the subway. Her son who no longer had a mother. Gigi. Tad.
Jamie.
While killing the man couldn’t undo all the hurt these attacks had caused, they would at least clear them out of my mind. I’d gained some self-awareness. The next attack helped to get rid of the emotional fallout from the last one. I’d get tremendous satisfaction once the man ahead of me was dead.
We were coming up on the alley.
I quickened my pace. My heartbeat matched my steps.
I heard screeching of tires.
A flash of movement on the street. Coming from behind me.
A vehicle came to a halt right in front of us.
The man stopped walking. I slipped into the doorway of a store and ducked my head to hide my face.
The men were shouting. At the terrorist.
“On your knees!” they ordered.
Five men had submachine guns pointed at him.
The man fell to his knees. Two heavily armed men surrounded him and threw him to the ground.
I turned and walked away, careful to keep my face off the cameras. Not daring to look back.
At the next road, I took a left, then another right, then got into a cab.
“Take me to the Palace Hotel,” I said.
Then I took a deep breath and let it out. My heart pounded so hard in my chest I could feel it in my ears.
The reality of my situation came into focus.
Two people were watching me on the security cameras.
Weaver and someone else.
17
The Palace Hotel
It felt like a cement truck had run a stop sign and broadsided me in a compact car. I’d been in difficult situations before. This one seemed impossible.
So, I called Brad.
“I’m the target.” My voice cracked as I said it.
“How do you know?”
“There have been four terrorist attacks since I’ve been in London. They all happened right around me. What are the odds?”
“If you’re the target, how come you haven’t been hit.”
Rather than answer, I wanted to get some things off my chest.
“I’m on my honeymoon! My wife’s in the stupid hospital! A woman is dead. A friend of mine is permanently disfigured. I can’t leave my hotel room, man. I’m not on a mission. What am I supposed to do?”
“Just calm down and tell me what’s going on.”
“Someone’s tracking my every move on the London security cameras. As soon as I go anywhere, a terrorist shows up. What do I do when Jamie gets out of the hospital? We can’t go anywhere or do anything. If I leave the hotel, I’m putting someone’s life in danger.”
I was in my hotel room pacing around like a tiger in a zoo.
“Take a deep breath, Alex. Let’s talk about this. What happened?”
“I went to Trafalgar. The only thing that made sense to me was that I was being followed by the security cameras. So, I showed my face. Within twenty minutes a terrorist showed up. With acid. Looking for me.”
Even though I was getting it off my chest, I didn’t feel better. The frustration was mounting. Inside, I felt like how a howler monkey must feel when he’s swinging around the cage acting like an idiot. I just wanted to scream at the top of my lungs like I’d seen them do.
“Did anyone get hurt?”
“No! Thank God. But someone could’ve. MI5 showed up and arrested the terrorist. I was following him and was about to take him out. They got to him before I could. That means they’re following me too. They were obviously tracking me and saw the man on the cameras. That’s how they knew he was there. Because they’re tailing me.”
“MI6 called today asking questions about you.”
“They think I’m involved somehow. This guy Weaver, with MI5, keeps questioning me. Why wouldn’t he? If I were him, I’d do the same thing. Every time there’s a terrorist attack, I’m there. It looks suspicious.”
“They wanted to know if you’re one of us.”
“What did you tell them?”
“That we don’t know who you are.”
“That’s just great! You could’ve backed my story. I told them I’m on my honeymoon. That I’m not on a mission with the CIA. I don’t know why these attacks are happening, but they’re not my fault.”
“We told them the truth. You aren’t part of the CIA anymore. I told you that if you ran into trouble, we would say we didn’t know you.”
“This was not trouble of my own making. I didn’t ask for this.”
“Is Pok behind it?”
“Who else would it be? No one else has the ability to hack into London security cameras. He’s obviously playing some kind of sick game. What’s strange is that he could take me out anytime he wants. Those cameras are everywhere. I can’t walk anywhere without Pok knowing it. That makes me a sitting duck. And Jamie’s a target just because she’s with me. I’m not so sure she wasn’t the target of the acid attack at the Tower of London. The terrorist might’ve gone after the wrong person.”
“Assuming it’s Pok, what’s his endgame?”
“How would I know? He’s probably just messing with me.”
“I don’t think he’d go to all this trouble for a couple of small attacks just to mess with your mind.”
“Well, I don’t know, and I’m not hanging around to find out. As soon as Jamie’s released from the hospital, I’m getting out of here. We’re coming home.”
“What about your honeymoon?”
“There hasn’t been a honeymoon! We haven’t even had sex yet.”
“Too much information.”
“Can you imagine that? We’ve been married for three days and haven’t even had a chance to do it. Every time we start to do something, a terrorist shows up. I thought for a week, we’d just be a normal couple. We’re starting our new life together. Instead, I’m in the middle of a huge mess. This was supposed to be the best week of our lives. Instead, Jamie’s lying in a hospital bed, and I’m chasing a terrorist with acid in his coat. Gigi’s fighting for her life. Her career’s over. It’s not fair, man.”
I could barely fight back the tears of anger.
“They say the girl’s going to make it. You know. The model. Gigi. She’s in for a long recovery, though. At least she’s going to live.”
“That’s good. I hadn’t heard that.”
That settled my emotions. Temporarily.
“That’s another thing,” I said more calmly. “I’d like to go by the hospital and see her and her husband. I c
an’t. A terrorist might show up. Who knows what might happen? I can’t keep putting innocent people in harm’s way. I’ve got to get out of here.”
“You can’t come home. I need you to stay in London.”
“What are you talking about? Did you not hear me? People are dying because I’m here.”
“Let me finish. We’ve been picking up chatter. Something about a dirty bomb at the royal wedding. MI6 knows about it too. That’s probably why the British authorities are looking at you so hard. They’re scrambling and under a lot of pressure to find the bomb. It seems like the small attacks are just a precursor for a bigger one. You’re their only lead.”
“I’m not a lead. I don’t know what’s going on.”
“Yes, you do. You’re the closest person to the problem. You know Pok inside and out. How he thinks? What he might be planning. I need you to work the problem.”
“I don’t work for you anymore, remember,” I said roughly. “I’m not with the CIA.”
My words dripped with sarcasm. Brad ignored them and continued in his businesslike, monotone voice.
“I was scrambling to put a team together. You were the logical choice, but you’re on your honeymoon. But… since you’re already there. You and Jamie are right in the thick of it. You need to find out what Pok’s planning and stop it.”
“How do you suggest I do that?”
“I have confidence in you that you’ll figure it out. Remember though, you’re off the books. I’m not authorizing you to run a mission in London. This has nothing to do with the CIA. But I’m telling you, in no uncertain terms, find Pok and find him now! Whatever it takes.”
These were obviously the new rules of engagement. I was running a mission for the CIA, but I wasn’t. He was authorizing me to do whatever it took but would disavow any knowledge of it. In other words, my neck was the one sticking out a mile. With a wink, he was telling me to hack into the cameras myself. That’s really what he was saying. Something he could never tell me to do if I was officially with the CIA.
That’s when it began to make perfect sense to me. AJAX. My role with the CIA. I knew what to do. Hack into the security system and trace it backward until I found Pok and his location. Even if I were still with the CIA, that’s what I would have done. It didn’t matter if I was with the CIA or not. Brad knew I’d do that very thing with or without his permission.
What he was doing was giving me his blessing. An order even. In no uncertain terms. But not directly, where it could blow back on him. If it ever came up, he’d deny we even had this conversation. That’s why I wasn’t officially with the CIA anymore.
Brad had actually done me a favor. He had taken off my restraints. In my new-found freedom were risks. But I would’ve taken those risks anyway. I always did whatever I had to do to save lives and complete a mission. This way I could do them with his blessing, so to speak.
This might be my honeymoon, but I was now on a mission. The only way to find out what Pok was up to, was to find Pok.
“What happens when I find him?” I asked. “Actually, I already know where he is. He’s in Iran. Which would explain the coordination with the Iranian terrorists in London.”
“Get me a specific location.”
“Then what?”
“Let’s just say, there’s a cruise missile with his name on it. Two warships and a nuclear submarine are going through the Strait of Hormuz as we speak.”
“That could start a war.”
“We don’t care. If he’s about to set off a dirty bomb in London, and Iran’s helping him, then all bets are off. That’s an act of war. They started it. You have to bring me proof Pok’s behind it and that Iran is helping him. You also have to find the bomb before it goes off at the wedding.”
“That’s a big lift.”
“You’re a big guy. With big shoulders. Plus, Jamie’s with you. You probably couldn’t do it on your own. But with her there… She’ll figure it out if you can’t. Is she up for it?”
He was joking, but not really.
“You know Jamie. She’d crawl out of bed and around London on her hands and knees if she had too. Plus, Gigi was her friend. It’s personal now. She’ll be fine.”
“Get back to me and let me know what’s happening. The wedding is in three days.”
“I already know what’s happening. Pok hacked into the London cameras. He’s coordinating with the Iranians to launch attacks near me. The attacks are getting bigger and more brazen every day. Leading up to the big attack Sunday at the wedding.”
“That makes sense to me. Now go prove it.”
“The only thing I don’t know is why he’s conducting the attacks around me.”
“For MI5 and MI6’s benefit. He wants to implicate you in some way.”
“What do I do about it?”
“Save the Queen, and you’ll be a hero in Britain.”
“I’ll try.”
“One other thing,” Brad said.
“What’s that?”
“Don’t get arrested. I can’t help you.”
“Easier said than done,” I said, letting out a deep sigh.
The cameras were everywhere. Weaver could arrest me anytime he wanted.
18
Royal London Hospital
I made the decision to go dark. Meaning undercover, operationally. The only time Pok and Weaver would see my face on a security camera was when I wanted them to. A week of our training at The Farm, the CIA training facility for new recruits, was spent on counter surveillance. Curly drilled in us how to stay off the radar and avoid detection. Skills I was putting to good use now.
The only flaw to my plan was Jamie. Both Pok and Weaver knew that eventually I’d end up at the hospital. That didn’t mean they got to watch me get there. Both were probably surprised when I showed up at the entrance and smiled at the front entrance camera for their benefit. If Weaver didn’t already know I was an operative of some kind, he knew now. A normal person wouldn’t know the techniques I was now deploying.
It didn’t matter. From this point on, I was in control. They’d know what I wanted them to know when I wanted them to know it. While my avoidance techniques were defensive, by morning, I planned on going on the offensive. I’d take the battle to Pok. A plan was already formulating in my mind. First, I had to prove he was behind the hack into the security cameras. Jamie’s hospital room would be a perfect place to do that.
The lady at the nurse’s station said she was still asleep. She did wake up for a couple minutes and wanted a drink, took another pain pill, and then went back to sleep. Perfect. As much as I wanted to be with her, I needed at least eight hours of uninterrupted time to hack into London’s security camera systems.
Turns out I didn’t need that much time.
Finding out how Pok did it wasn’t that difficult. Pok and I were probably the only two people alive who could actually do it, and I knew exactly where to look. Security camera systems were the most vulnerable of all electronic equipment. For whatever reason, equipment providers lagged behind other industries in providing security from hacking. Which was ironic considering the entire purpose of cameras and systems was to provide security to the end user.
The entire industry received a wake-up call a few years back when a company called Triple Safe Security was proven not so safe. The company provided home security systems to millions of customers around the world. They were vulnerable, and the company didn’t even know it. Their camera systems were being commandeered by malicious actors through a backdoor password reset flaw. Brazen hackers even posted on the internet, the step-by-step process on how to exploit the system. With the information, even low-level amateurs could hack into the home security camera systems of unsuspecting customers. Once commandeered, they were even able to talk to the homeowners through the system.
A famous video released on the net showed a woman at home alone. A man started talking to her through the system, making lewd comments and threats. She’d purchased the system a few weeks before
to keep track of her dog while she was away. The security camera system was supposedly state-of-the-art. Or at least, she thought so based on how much she paid for it.
It had night vision capabilities, HD video, and two-way talk feature. Turns out those were the same features the hacker accessed with chilling consequences. The pervert had been watching her for days and even recorded her, releasing the video on the internet much to her horror. The night vision capabilities allowed him to even watch her at night.
Needless to say, the incident drew worldwide attention, and the company was embarrassed. Its stock price fell by more than fifty percent. and they quickly reached an out-of-court, seven-figure settlement with the woman. A class action suit followed, and eventually the company filed for bankruptcy.
The good thing was that the incident increased overall awareness of the problem. While strides had been made, exploitable remote vulnerabilities still exist. Remote, meaning from a third-party location. Other companies filled the void, and while their systems were better, they weren’t foolproof either. Nothing really was with thousands of hackers working day and night trying to find a vulnerability. Every system had a way in if you just knew where to look.
I did.
The London security camera system had many more safeguards than a home security system for obvious reasons. However, tens of thousands of private security cameras were accessed into their system. Each with a different username and login password. These were often nothing more than the default passwords set by the factory. In other instances, users used predictable passwords such as 12345, or ABCDE, or the current year. Such things as birthdays and anniversaries were commonplace. Pets names. Things that were easy to predict. Software was available that could try literally thousands of passwords every few seconds until it came upon the right one.