The virtual trail the se.., p.11
The Virtual Trail (The Sean Kruger Series Book 7), page 11
“I know. What do the Russians do better than most countries?”
Nodding slowly, Kruger said, “Long-term planning.”
“Exactly. I’m not saying it actually happened this way, but what if the Soviets left behind numerous young believers within Estonia, and those young believers are now in control of key government and corporate positions?”
“You would have a de facto Russian influence in the country.”
JR nodded.
Kruger turned to Alexia. “Can you prove Odin Analytica did any of the three hacks?”
She said, “The community college one we can. The signatures of the White House email hack and the other two viruses are the same, which gives me reason to believe Odin is involved.”
“Wouldn’t that lead a good investigator to believe Odin Analytica is a so-called entity of interest in the death of Danny Barton and Loretta Floyd?”
“Yes, it would, JR.” Kruger paused. “Now how do we prove it?”
Gupta smiled. “We pinpoint the location of Danny’s computer.”
Alexia and JR turned their attention to the professor. They said in unison, “How?”
“Since we believe Odin may be involved in the MIT attack, we can assume that is how they learned of Danny’s research.”
Kruger held up his index finger. “If we assume they had access to the MIT computer, we also have to assume they would have access to Danny’s research. Why kill him?”
With a shake of his head, Gupta said, “They wouldn’t necessarily have access to it. If he kept it off the server, they would only know what his research was about. Danny would have kept his actual files separate from the university.”
Kruger did not answer right away. Finally, he said, “But they would know who he was. It would be simple to locate him from there to get his student records and figure out where he lived.”
The professor nodded. “I agree, Sean. If they are responsible, all we have to do now is gain access to Odin’s ISP provider. Once we have it, we can look for the stolen computer’s network card address.”
JR stared at Gupta for several seconds, then stood and exited the conference room. He immediately sat in his cubicle and started typing on his computer’s keyboard.
Chapter 19
Washington, DC
Joseph knocked on the doorframe of the president’s private office. When Griffin looked up, Joseph said, “Got a minute?”
“For you, yes.”
As was his habit, he sat in the wing back chair immediately across from the president’s desk. “Todd Perkins is making noise about Sean. He’s leaked the information to a particular senator on the Judiciary Committee.”
“Let me guess, Krista Brock?”
“One and the same.”
“Is she going to cause us trouble?”
“As you know, she is one of your more vocal critics.”
“Yes, I’m aware of that.” Griffin frowned and tapped his finger on the desk. “Joseph, my instinct tells me we need to make this a permanent position for Sean and JR. Not this temporary status we fabricated. Can we place Kruger and JR inside the Secret Service?”
“You can JR, but the Secret Service abides by the same rule as the FBI: an agent must retire at fifty-seven.”
“What about Stumpf? When’s he due back?”
“He’s had a minor setback. According to his wife, his doctor is being overcautious.”
“What kind of setback?”
“She wouldn’t say.”
“I hope he’s okay.”
Joseph nodded. “Me, too.”
“In the meantime, what do we do about Perkins? Can I replace him?”
“You can, but the optics would be bad.”
“Optics are the least of my concern, I’m concerned about the welfare of this country, the deaths of the campaign workers, and a possible computer breach at the White House. You obviously have a solution, Joseph, or you wouldn’t have brought this to me.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Tell me.”
“The last communication from Sean indicated they’d found links between the White House email hack, the death of the campaign workers, and a foreign entity.”
Griffin remained quiet as he listened.
“The foreign country in question is Estonia. Under the executive order you signed, neither Sean or JR would have the authority to go overseas in their current position. However—”
Catching on to where Joseph was headed, he blurted out, “Defense Intelligence Agency.”
“Exactly. Even though it is a part of the Defense Department, it operates independently from the DOD. Also, you as the president, can make an exception for agents until they are sixty.”
“Why didn’t we think of this before now?”
“Too much going on. I apologize, sir.”
Griffin smiled. “Apology accepted.” He stared out the window behind Joseph. “Would this solve the problem I mentioned earlier about allowing Sean to continue to help us out on other projects?”
“Yes, sir. There is an added bonus.”
“And that is?”
“Your ability to reorganize a department without congressional authority. Once Kruger is sixty, you can appoint him as a director of a new department within the DIA. That keeps him around even after he reaches mandatory retirement. If he wants to.”
The president remained quiet as he thought through Joseph’s proposal. “Will this resolve our problem with Perkins and Senator Brock?”
Joseph shrugged. “I doubt it. But it will short-circuit Perkins’ ability to do anything to stop Kruger’s inquiry.”
“Ask DIA Director Santos to join us today.”
“Already did. He’ll be here around noon.”
“Good. He can be our guest for lunch.”
With a smile, Joseph nodded.
***
Director of DIA Bert Santos shook Joseph’s hand. “I take it this is a friendly meeting since we’re in your office.”
“When have we ever had an unfriendly meeting, Bert?”
“Well, there’s always a first time.”
“It’s friendly. Very friendly.”
“Good. What’s on your mind?”
“You’ve heard of a retired FBI agent named Sean Kruger, haven’t you?”
“Who hasn’t. He’s one of the agents who saved the president and his wife from an assassin in San Francisco before Griffin became a senator.”
“One and the same. He’s doing a favor for the president right now.”
“Good for him.”
“Bert, it involves the death of two campaign workers in Cambridge.”
Santos tilted his head. “Thought they both died in accidents.”
Joseph shook his head. “That was the story given to the news media. Their deaths were not accidents.”
“Okay, you have my attention.”
“Danny Burton worked as a researcher for the campaign. He was also a promising grad student at MIT in the computer science department. His specialty was data analysis and number theory.”
“I’m not going to like what’s next, am I?”
“Probably not. Danny’s computer was stolen the night he died. In fact, we believe he was killed specifically to steal his computer. Sean Kruger is looking into his murder.”
Santos remained silent.
“Sean and his team have determined the computer was stolen to gain access to MIT’s VPN.”
“Is that a danger to the US government?”
“Not directly. But—”
“There’s always a however, isn’t there?”
“In this case yes. One of Sean’s team is a cybersecurity expert. He believes whoever stole the computer is using it to get the Barton kid’s research.”
“Spit it out, Joseph.”
“His algorithms.”
“What kind of algorithms?”
“The kind that can predict an election with a 96 percent accuracy rate.”
“In the wrong hands, that could be exceedingly dangerous.”
“Sean and his team think there’s a foreign country involved.”
“Joseph, you’ve been dancing around the reason I’m here since I arrived. What is it?”
“The president would like to make Sean and his team DIA agents.”
Santos chuckled. “Is that all?”
“He also wants them to be independent.”
“Hmmm. If I say no?”
“You know the president. He does not like to micromanage. You were chosen for your current position because you don’t need adult supervision.”
With a smile, Santos took the comment as it was meant. Supportive. “Why not put him back under the FBI?”
“Personnel issue.”
“Ahh—Perkins?”
“Correct.”
“What about Secret Service?”
“We need the broader scope of DIA for this to work.”
“Have any of his team been in the military?”
Joseph nodded. “One’s an ex-Navy SEAL, and the other was in the original cyberwarfare command.”
“What about Kruger?”
“No. He has a PhD in psychology and over twenty-five years with the FBI.”
Santos laughed, “Good enough, 50 percent of the individuals working for DIA don’t have military experience. Will they need assistance?”
“We haven’t thought it through that far. We just need his team sanctioned by a government agency with international reach.”
“Why?”
“They’ve followed the computer to the town of Tallinn, Estonia.”
With raised eyebrows, Santos said, “They can find the exact physical location of one specific computer even if it is being hidden?”
Joseph nodded.
“Will they share that information when this is over?”
“I’ll make sure they do.”
“Tell them, welcome to the DIA.”
“Good. Do you have time for lunch with the president?”
***
“Joseph, I really don’t have time to fly to Washington, DC right now. We’re making progress and—”
Joseph cut him off. “We need you, JR, and Jimmie in DC tonight, Sean.”
Holding the cell phone tight against his ear, Kruger closed his eyes and blew out a breath. “Why?”
“As of noon today, the three of you became special agents with the DIA.”
“We’re what?”
“Defense Intelligence Agency. Being agents for the DIA gives all of you the authority to travel overseas if necessary. It also gets you out from under the FBI’s shadow.”
“What did Perkins do?”
“Complained to a Senator.”
“Figures.”
“One other benefit.”
“What’s that.”
“Under an exception signed by the president, you can remain an agent until you are sixty. You might want to actually retire then. Who knows?”
“Okay. I like that. How are we getting there?”
“DIA Gulfstream. It will pick everyone up at two.”
Glancing at his watch, Kruger said, “That doesn’t give us much time to pack a bag.”
“Figure it out.”
“I’ll tell JR.”
***
JR sat across from his friend with Jimmie Gibbs directly behind him in the passenger compartment of the small Gulfstream as it slipped through the sky toward Joint Base Andrews. Turning toward Kruger, JR said, “Too bad we don’t get frequent-flyer miles on these things.”
Smiling, Kruger nodded and then turned serious. “Do you have any idea where the three individuals we know about are located?”
“Unfortunately, no. But Alexia thinks she has a lead on Art Padilla.”
“Where?”
“She checked the references given when he applied for the campaign assistant director’s job. He provided an address in Plymouth as his permanent residence. It was vetted and, at the time, he did live there. However, that’s not the case now. She found a change of address listing within the USPS computer.”
Kruger smiled. “You’re kidding? Where?”
“New York City.”
“Huh.” He turned to stare out the window next to his seat. Clouds passed beneath the aircraft in slow motion as the jet flew east. “Do you know where in the city?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you bring a duffel?”
With a nod, JR said, “I know better than to come to one of these meetings without a change of clothes.”
With a chuckle, Kruger turned to look back at Gibbs. “You up for a detour to New York City after our meeting in DC?”
“Always. What or who’s there?”
“Your wife may have found one of our suspects.”
“Remind me never to hide from her.”
Kruger smiled and retrieved his cell phone from his sport coat pocket to make a call.
Chapter 20
Cambridge, MA
Ginger Bell answered the phone on her desk as she noted the time on its LED screen. “Detective Bell. How may I help you?”
“You the cop looking into Danny Barton’s death?”
Sitting straighter, she grabbed a pen and found a scratch pad to write on. “Yes, who’s calling?”
“He was murdered, you know. All those talking heads on TV don’t know shit. He was killed.”
“Yes, sir. May I ask who’s calling, please?”
“Not important. I have a video of the bitch who stole his satchel. She didn’t care about Danny. All she cared about was stealing what was in that bag.”
“Sir, what do you mean you have a video?”
“My security camera caught the whole thing. She was the one who pointed to Danny as the truck pulled away from the curb and ran him over. Later, I saw her pick up the bag and walk away as Danny lay there dying.”
“Does your video show Danny being struck?”
“No, just the bitch. It does have a good shot of the truck’s license plate.”
Bell started to get excited but remembered she did not have the man’s name. “Sir, is there a way you could get me a copy of this video so we can take a look at it?”
“I can’t get involved.”
“Why not?”
The caller did not answer.
“Did you know Danny, sir?”
“Yeah.”
“Can you tell me how you know him?”
“I could, but I don’t want to. You’d be able to identify me, and I can’t let that happen.”
“Sir, the courts won’t let us use undocumented evidence. Now, tell me your name and when we can get a copy of the video.”
“I’ve posted it to YouTube. Here’s the link.” He told her and then repeated it. “Go get it, I’ll wait. Once you have it, I’ll delete it.”
“Please, stay on the line, sir.”
“You’ve got five minutes. Any longer than that, and I hang up.”
Bell typed in the address the man gave her, but she reversed two numbers, which caused the link to fail. After checking her work against what the man told her, she repeated it and found the video clip. The clip lasted thirty seconds and showed a clear picture of the woman’s face as she stood by the cab of the truck. Bell could easily read the front license plate. She took the call off hold and said, “Are you still there, sir?”
“Yeah. Did you get it?”
“This is a very helpful video. But for it to be used in a court of law, I will need your name and address.”
“Sorry. Use it the best you can.” The call ended, and Bell stared at the now silent handset.
She pressed the end call button on the phone and dialed zero. An operator came on the line. “Can I help you, detective?”
“Can you tell me the phone number of the call you just patched through?”
“Yes.” She read it off.
“Thanks, Sheryl.”
Bell turned to her desk computer and accessed a reverse directory program the department maintained for just such situations. After entering the number, the results came back within seconds as Ginger Bell.
She quickly searched her purse for her phone and found it in a side pocket. Curious as to how someone could fake a number, she dialed the number for the cybercrime division.
“Mannford.”
“Bobby, this is Ginger.”
“Hey, Ginger, what’s up?”
“Is it possible to fake a cell phone call?”
“Sure, through spoofing.”
“Say again?”
“It’s called spoofing. It’s usually done with a computer and VoIP calling software.”
“English, Bobby.”
He chuckled. “VoIP is Voice over Internet Protocol and is a phone call using the Internet. The ability to spoof a number is easy with numerous open-code software programs. Scam artists use it all the time. In fact, I have a whole stack of complaints on my desk concerning those types of calls.”
“Is there a way to trace the call?”
“Way above my paygrade, Ginger.”
“Okay, thanks, Bobby.” She ended the call and retrieved a thick business card holder from her right-hand top desk drawer. She opened it and found the card she needed. Once the number was dialed, she waited.
***
Kruger glanced at the caller ID and quickly answered the call. “Kruger.”
“Agent, this is Detective Ginger Bell.”
“Yes, Detective, what can I do for you?”
“I just had a strange phone call about the death of Danny Barton.”
Raising his eyebrows, he said, “What do you mean by strange?”
“The caller wouldn’t identify himself, but he did supply us with a security camera shot of the woman and the truck.” She summarized her call with the man. “When I checked the caller’s number, it turned out to be my cell phone number. How is that possible? Do you know anyone who would understand how the guy made the phone call?”
“I do. In fact, both he and I are in DC preparing to leave for New York City. Do you mind if we divert to your location first?”
“Not at all. Let me know when you are arriving, and I’ll pick you up.”
“I’ll call you back with the details.”
