He waited for the car to leave the grounds and turn right toward town, then informed his colleagues, who were waiting in their own vehicle for news. He gave them the car’s make, color, plate number and direction of travel, then broke cover and ran through the garden to the back door. He had it open in seconds. He took off his boots and walked through the kitchen and into the living room. There was no sign of a computer, so Durston checked the other rooms on the ground floor.
One door led to a small office. Durston saw a laptop and a bunch of file folders, and when he opened one and checked the contents he saw that they related to Minotaur Solutions Ltd. This was definitely Gray’s room. He went to power up the laptop but saw that it was already on, though locked. He clicked on the screen, and when it prompted him for his credentials, he opened his phone and checked a list of backdoor passwords that he’d lifted from the dark web. He tried the one that matched the make and model of Gray’s machine, and it accepted it. Durston took a USB stick from his pocket and inserted it into the slot, then navigated the directory and opened the relevant folder. He clicked on the .exe file and waited until the software was installed on the laptop. Once it was, he removed the stick and locked the computer again.
The best part was that, while connected to Wi-Fi, the laptop would act as a transmitter to every other device in the immediate area. If Gray had another phone in the house, the moment he turned it on, the malware would be downloaded over the wireless network. Once it identified the type of device, it would install the keylogger and anything else that was compatible. In the case of a cell phone, it would record and transmit the data and metadata for all calls and texts.
Durston wiped down everything he’d touched, then went upstairs and checked the other rooms for electronics. Finding none, he retraced his steps to the back door and put his boots back on, then called his colleagues.
“All set. He’s all yours.”
“Roger that. We’re going in.”
Durston closed the back door, then set off for the rendezvous point.
As Gray stepped up to the ATM machine, he looked around out of habit. He’d known a couple of people who had been the victim of distraction thefts, so he always made sure there was no one near him when he used the machines.
That was when he saw the Renault pull up on the other side of the street. The buzz cut and leather jacket of the driver grabbed his attention, setting him immediately on edge.
“Daddy! You’re hurting me!”
Gray looked down at Melissa and let go of her hand. He hadn’t realized he’d been squeezing it so hard. He knelt in front of her and kissed her tiny fingers. “I’m so sorry, darling,” he said, with one eye on the Renault.
Two men had climbed out of the back seat, and they were heading his way. He recognized the look they shared and pegged them as military, either former or current. Whichever it was, they reeked of trouble.
Gray took Melissa by her other hand and led her away from the ATM. He needed to get her somewhere safe, and the only place he could think of was the café. If something bad were about to happen, he didn’t want Melissa witnessing it, and the owner was a friend who could handle himself. Like Gray, Marco had spent time in the armed forces. Unlike Gray, Marco was built like a tank.
Gray led Melissa to Marco’s place, and when he glanced back he could see that the two heavies were still following him and had closed to within twenty yards. He opened the door and saw his friend behind the counter, preparing a sandwich.
“Ciao, Tom. Come va?”
“Marco, I need help.”
The big man’s forehead furrowed. “Problem?”
“Maybe. Can you keep an eye on Melissa for a few minutes?” When Gray saw the confusion on Marco’s face, he resorted to what many people do in foreign countries. “You watch Melissa? Five minutes? I go?”
“Si, si, non c’è problema.” Marco smiled.
Gray tried returning the expression but suspected that it came out as a weird grimace. He turned and left the café just as the two strangers mounted the curb. There was no emotion on their faces, and Gray wondered if they were simply heading inside for something to eat, but that thought was quickly dispelled.
“Courtesy of the ESO,” the first one said, and launched at Gray, aiming a boot at his chest. Gray easily parried it and countered with a punch to the man’s jaw that connected with a satisfying crunch. He followed up with a left, but it glanced off his opponent’s forehead. The other man joined in, catching Gray on the side of the face with a fist that felt like a hammer, and Gray’s legs barely kept him upright. He’d never been hit so hard in his life, and wasn’t about to let it happen again. He shook his head to clear it, then spun and delivered a roundhouse kick that almost tore the second thug’s head off. The man went down, and Gray turned to face the other just in time to block a fist traveling at speed toward his face. He struck out with his open palm and caught the man in the sternum. The crack of bones echoed the pain on the man’s face.
“Sonofabitch!” he grunted, but kept coming. A vicious uppercut sent Gray staggering backward, and he fell over the café’s wooden advertising board and ended up in a heap on the ground. He tried getting to his feet, but kicks started flying in. One caught him in the temple, and he collapsed once more, curling into a ball to prevent damage to his major organs.
The assault stopped abruptly, and Gray heard shouting and the sound of a distant siren. He opened an eye and saw Marco chasing after one of the thugs with what looked like a meat cleaver. The two attackers were sprinting to the car they’d arrived in, and they managed to get inside the moving vehicle before Marco could take a swipe at them.
Gray sat up, trying to make sense of it all. A single word jumped into his head.
Melissa!
He staggered to his feet and stumbled into the café, and relief flooded over him when he saw his daughter behind the counter tucking into a chocolate slice.
“Stai bene?” Marco asked as he returned to the shop.
Gray flexed and checked for broken bones, but the only damage seemed to be a nasty headache. “I’m okay,” he replied.
“I call Polizia,” Marco said, which explained the noise bearing down on them. He handed Gray a wet cloth to place on his swelling temple and offered him a seat at a table. “I bring tea.”
A minute later, two police officers entered the café and spoke to Marco. The exchange went on for a few moments, then Marco pointed to Gray and the officers sat down opposite him.
“Signor Gray, can you tell me what happened?”
Gray was grateful that at least one of them spoke English. He explained that he’d seen the car arrive and the two men get out and assumed they were up to no good.
The cop asked how he knew.
“Their build, the way they carried themselves. They seemed focused on me for some reason.”
“Do you have any idea who they were?”
Gray shook his aching head and immediately regretted it. “Never seen them before.”
He did, however, know who they were working for, but if the tales he’d heard from Sonny Baines and Len Smart were true, then the last thing he wanted to do was tell the police about his suspicions.
He’d met Sonny and Len in London shortly after their release from the American prison. They’d turned up at Gray’s hotel unannounced, armed with Cheshire cat grins and bottles of cold beer. The tales they’d told that evening chilled Gray to the bone, not least how easy it was to track his movements. Their parting words had been to trust no one, not even the police.
Especially not the police.
The policeman asked Gray for his account of the confrontation, which though it took a while to describe, had in fact been over in less than a minute. He gave the cops vague descriptions of the attackers and their car, and the officers promised to get in touch if they had any leads. The one who spoke English handed Gray a card as they left.
Marco brought Melissa over to Gray’s table and put a bowl of ice cream in front of her.
“What happened, Daddy?”
“Nothing, sweetheart. I tripped over the sign, that’s all.”
“Silly Daddy,” she giggled, and tucked into her dessert.
“Yeah, silly Daddy indeed. Sit here for a minute, darling. I just have to have a chat with Marco.”
Gray walked to the door and gestured for the owner to follow him outside.
“Have you seen those men before?” Gray asked.
Marco shrugged. “No. Not from here.”
Gray had suspected as much. The one who’d spoken had sounded American.
“Okay, thanks. What do I owe you for the food?”
“Niente, my friend. On house.”
Gray thanked the big man and followed him back inside, where Melissa was just finishing up her ice cream.
“Time to go shopping, sweetheart.”
On the way out, Gray dropped a twenty in the tip jar and gave Marco a wink. “Ciao.”
Shopping was the last thing on his mind, but he had to act normally for his daughter’s sake. They pushed a cart around the supermarket for half an hour, then carried the bags down the road to the doctor’s surgery. Mina and Ken were already sitting in the car.
“What happened to you?” Mina asked.
“Daddy tripped on a sign,” Melissa said.
Gray got a stare of disbelief from Mina. He gave her an “I’ll tell you later” look in reply.
All the way home, Gray toyed with his phone, but Len had been adamant that he should never try to contact them using that number. Instead, they had set up a shared email account in which he could create a draft of an email that they could access. The plan was for them to check it every day. That way, no messages were actually sent. They’d used the same thing years earlier, when Gray had taken the criminals hostage, and it had worked like a charm.
He missed his best friends, but understood their need to disappear. After all they’d been through, they would be marked men for life. And simply being in contact with them could spell trouble for Gray.
Is that what this is all about? Had the ESO come after him as a way of punishing Len and Sonny? If so, would it end here, or would they be back at some point to finish the job?
The car doors opened before Gray even realized they were home. He helped Melissa out of the car, then took her into the living room and let her choose a DVD to watch.
“Can you keep an eye on her for a while?” he asked Mina. “I have to do something in my office.”
“Sure, just as long as you tell me what’s going on.”
Gray hesitated, then realized he would have to let her know eventually. He led her into his office and closed the door behind them.
“Remember what happened to Sonny and Len last year?” he asked.
“Of course. Those poor boys didn’t deserve to go to jail.”
“Well, they’re no longer in prison. The US president let them out a few days after sentencing and gave them new identities. He’s investigating that organization called the ESO that they helped to expose.”
“They’re free?” Mina asked.
“Yes. They have been for a couple of months now. I met them the last time I went to London. I don’t know where they are, but I have a way of contacting them. The thing is, today someone attacked me, and said it was courtesy of the ESO. I think they tried to hurt me to get back at Len and Sonny.”
“Oh, Tom! That’s terrible! Why would they do that?”
“To be honest, I really don’t know. That’s why I have to let Len and Sonny know what happened and see what the Driscoll woman thinks. She knows more about the ESO than anyone.”
“But I thought the president shut them down and arrested them all.”
“No, he got one of the top guys, but it looks like the rest are still active and out for revenge.”
Mina looked worried, and Gray felt the same way. If they’d come for him, who was next? Mina and Ken? Melissa?
“Let me contact Len and see if he knows anything.”
Mina reluctantly left the room and Gray sat in front of the laptop. He entered his password, then opened a browser window and clicked the bookmark for the email account. When it asked for his password, Gray started to enter it, then paused.
How easy was it to track a person’s online activity these days? Gray had known the British security services had that capability when he’d prepared his siege back in 2011, and the draft email idea had worked to circumvent their abilities. But that was seven years ago, and technology had come a long way. Would the ESO know the draft email trick? Sure they would. He’d told Andrew Harvey of MI5 all about it, and the intelligence services of the world had had years to come up with countermeasures, one of which would be to monitor his computer.
Gray left the laptop as it was and walked into the kitchen, where Mina was preparing lunch.
“I have to nip out,” he said. “Can you keep an eye on Melissa?”
He hated to leave them unprotected, but he had to get in touch with his friends to find out what was going on. Taking his family into town with him wasn’t a good idea. The goons might still be around, and he didn’t want them in harm’s way. At least at home they could lock the doors and windows.
“Of course. Are you going to be long?”
“No, I just need to run an errand. While I’m gone, keep the place locked up, and call me if anyone turns up. I need to borrow the car.”
Mina told him where to find the keys and Gray slipped out without disturbing his daughter.
He drove into town, one eye on his rearview mirror in case the goons showed up again. He parked outside an electronics store and went in, emerging minutes later with a new, unregistered cell phone. Back in the car, he drove back to within half a mile of the house. He couldn’t see any signs of danger and Mina hadn’t called, so he powered up the burner phone and went online, logging into the dead-drop email account. After what had happened, he didn’t want to wait a day for a reply, so he composed a short message.
Call me at the following number. Urgent. ESO after me.
He added the burner phone’s number, then saved the message as a draft. All he could do now was wait. He didn’t know when Len or Sonny would see the message, only that they checked the account daily. It could be in the next ten minutes, or ten hours from now.
It was only a quarter of an hour later when the new cell phone rang.
“Whose phone are you using?” Len Smart asked.
“Mine. I just bought it.”
“Did you register it in the shop?”
“No,” Gray replied, “it’s clean.”
“Good. Just had to check. Where are you?”
“Half a mile from the house.”
“Turn off your Wi-Fi,” Len said. “Just use the phone’s data.”
“I’m using the data.”
“Good. Tell me what happened,” Len said.
Gray told him all about the encounter, including the thugs’ reference to the ESO. “A friend helped me fight them off and the police arrived, so they ran. Do you think they’ll be back?”
“I don’t know. I’m going to check with Eva and I’ll get right back to you. Stay where you are.”
The phone went dead, and Gray wondered how far this was going to go. He would probably have to take Melissa and leave Italy. Whether the Hatchers would be willing to sell up and move was another thing. They’d planned to live the rest of their lives here. It was unlikely that they would just up sticks and move, based on a possible threat and no more.
Gray wasn’t taking any chances, though. When he got home he would start looking for somewhere else to live. If Ken and Mina wanted to move, too, that was fine, but they were old enough to make their own decisions.
The phone rang again and Gray picked it up.
“Have you got a pen and paper?” Len asked.
“Give me a second.” Gray rifled through the glove box. “Shoot.”
Len reeled off a string of digits and letters. “That’s the web address of a messaging app. When you
get to the page, you have thirty seconds to enter the password.”
Gray wrote down the sixteen-digit code.
“Once you’re in, the app will automatically download. Use that from now on, and only on this phone. And remember, never turn on the Wi-Fi.”
Then Len was gone once more, and Gray opened the browser on the phone and entered the seemingly random address. When the page loaded, the only items on it were a password box with a button underneath. Gray carefully entered the code he’d been given, then clicked Done. His phone informed him that installation was in progress, then a small check mark showed that it had completed. He closed down the browser and saw the Shield icon on the screen. When he pressed it, the app opened. It looked like any other messaging program he’d used in the past, only this one asked him for his initials. Gray entered TG, then typed his first message.
What now? And is this secure?
The reply took a minute to come through.
Yes, it’s secure. Eva believes they targeted you so that you would try to make contact with us. You did right not to contact me directly, but they’ll probably try again. You and Melissa are not safe. They killed Farooq’s friend to get him to lead them to us.
The final sentence was like a stake to the heart. The thought of them hurting his daughter stirred the beast inside him.
Where should we go?
He sent the message, then realized it wasn’t the right question to ask. The big concern was how to get out of Europe without the ESO tracking his movements. He could easily drive to another country within the EU, but then renting accommodation would be tough, as would getting money out of the bank. Every transaction would leave an electronic trail for them to follow. He would need a new identity if he was going to stay out of the ESO’s reach in the long term.
Once he overcame that hurdle, then he would have to decide where to live. Perhaps the Canary Islands. His Spanish was much better than his Italian, and there was a large expat community he could disappear into. There would surely be a local school that taught in English and Spanish for Melissa, and the year-round sunshine would be an added bonus.
Seek and Destroy Page 5