Dark reckoning, p.24
Dark Reckoning, page 24
Several minutes later, Mei looked up. “Okay, I think I found something interesting.”
Drenna closed the blinds and went over to the table. “Let’s see what you got.”
“I think Lucca was right about them only being able to download a couple of things from the drive.” Mei turned to her. “If you will remember, we downloaded all the files from Dragan’s computer. Based on the time stamps, I was able to discover that he’s only worked on one folder in the last twenty-four hours. That folder just happened to be labeled Drive Results.”
Drenna nodded. “In other words, that should contain everything he got off the encrypted drive you smuggled out of China.”
“Correct.” Mei pointed at the screen. “These three files were the only thing in that folder.”
Drenna leaned closer. One of the files appeared to be a PowerPoint slide, while the other two were PDF files. All were labeled with Chinese script.
Mei clicked on the PowerPoint file first. At the top were two lines of Chinese script that appeared to be some label. Below the lines was a headshot photograph of a Caucasian male. It seemed to be the kind of image that would be used on a passport or driver’s license. As for the man himself, Drenna guessed he was in his fifties. He had wavy salt-and-pepper hair and a pale face that suggested he spent a lot of time indoors. He also wore eyeglasses with thick black frames.
“What am I looking at?” Drenna asked.
“I think you would call it a profile or a dossier. You recognize him, don’t you?”
Drenna shook her head. “He doesn’t look even remotely familiar. Does he to you?”
“Yes. He’s an American man named Owen Sutton. He’s one of the world’s foremost authorities on artificial intelligence. His specialty is military applications.”
“So he’s like an American version of you?”
Mei nodded. “I guess you could say that. He owns a private company.” She leaned closer to the screen. “The name is Sutton Intelligence Consultants.”
“I’ve never heard of that either.”
“I happen to know he’s also been working with DARPA and the US military.”
“So why are the Chinese profiling him?”
“That’s where the bad news comes in.” Mei pointed at a short line at the top of the document. “This is a label for the document we’re viewing.”
Drenna studied the line carefully. Several Chinese characters were followed by the number seventeen. “Do you know what it means?”
“I’m not one hundred percent sure, but…”
“What is it, Mei?” Drenna asked.
“It’s the label that Chinese intelligence uses for their assets around the world.”
Drenna’s heart beat faster. “So this man is working for the Chinese government?”
Mei nodded. “I believe so.”
“How do you know that?” Drenna asked. “That’s not your line of work.”
“Do you remember me telling you about the man I stole this information from?” When Drenna nodded, Mei continued. “He works in defense intelligence, and he would often show me things.”
“I believe you said he had a romantic interest in you.”
“That’s right,” Mei said. “Once in a while, he would show me the files of spies we have in place around the world. If I’m remembering correctly, each of those files was named in the same way this one is.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“Obviously, I can’t be totally sure. But I think there is a high probability that Owen Sutton is a CCP asset.”
Drenna exhaled then asked, “What’s on the other two files?”
“That’s where it gets really interesting.” After clicking out of the dossier, Mei opened the PDF files and arranged them side by side on the screen. “They’re itineraries.”
“Itinerary? Like a trip?”
“Yes. It’s got information such as travel dates, airlines, false names being used, and so on.”
“Is it travel to one place?”
Mei nodded. “It looks like two Chinese officials are traveling to Sint Maarten. I think I’ve heard of it before.”
Drenna nodded. “It’s the Dutch side of a Caribbean island. The other side is Saint Martin, an overseas collectivity of France.”
“You know what? I know why that rings a bell. I believe my uncle Ho and his wife stopped there while on a cruise.” Mei frowned. “But what does this all mean?”
“I’m not sure. But I know who I can call to find out.”
Chapter 40
Drenna came out of the bathroom, phone in hand. She didn’t try to hide her frustration.
Mei looked up from her phone. “That was quick.”
Drenna sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed her face. “I couldn’t get through to my contact.”
“Who did you call?”
“I tried to reach my old boss, Nathan Sprague. I tried the two numbers I had for him, and both of them went straight to voicemail. Since I couldn’t get through to him directly, I called his administrative assistant. Unfortunately, she was new on the job and didn’t know who I was.” Drenna slipped her phone into her pocket. “I might as well have been talking to a wall.”
“So she wouldn’t even run your name by him?”
“He wasn’t in the office. She claimed he’s locked up in a SCIF for the next three hours. When I told her this involved an issue of national security, she said that even the president wouldn’t be able to get through if he wanted to. She told me to contact the FBI.”
“Why is your friend locked up on a boat?”
Drenna smiled. “No, it’s not that kind of skiff, although it sounds the same. SCIF is an acronym for ‘sensitive compartmented information facility.’ It’s a secure room where sensitive or classified information can be shared without the possibility of compromise.”
“I think I know what you’re referring to. We have the same thing in China, only we call it something else.” After a brief pause, Mei said, “I guess she was right about him not being available, then.”
“If she’s telling the truth. She’s a gatekeeper, so it’s possible that’s just a standard answer she gives to people when Nathan is extremely busy. We’ll have to hope she passes my message along.”
“So we’re going to sit and wait?”
“I need some time to think this through.”
While in the bathroom, Drenna had tried to come up with another way to get the help they needed. Calling the FBI was out of the question. Some random special agent manning the phones wouldn’t believe she was a former CIA asset without some hard confirmation. And since Drenna had previously worked in an off-the-books program, that would be virtually impossible to provide.
As she racked her brain, the image of a man surfaced in her thoughts. She felt a rush of excitement. Why hadn’t she thought of him before? The excitement of the last several days had apparently fried her brain.
Drenna looked at Mei. “There is someone else I can call.”
“I hope this is someone you can actually reach,” Mei said.
“Unless he’s in the field working a covert operation, I should be able to get through to him.”
“I hope so because something tells me it may be tomorrow before the other guy calls you back.”
Drenna stood and started toward the door. “I need to stretch my legs, so I think I’ll run downstairs to make the call. Want me to pick you up another coffee when I come back up?”
“Why not? It looks like we’re going to be up all night. By the way, who are you calling?”
“If I told you, I’d have to kill you.” Drenna gave her a little smile before opening the door. “I’ll be back in fifteen.”
“Black with sugar but no cream,” Mei called out.
Drenna took the elevator down to the ground floor. After pouring herself another complimentary coffee, she went out through the revolving door at the front of the hotel. The wind had picked up substantially since they had last been outside. Two taxi drivers stood on the curb, smoking cigarettes as they talked in hush tones. Just to be safe, Drenna walked off in the opposite direction, taking a seat on a bench about twenty yards away.
She pulled out her phone, opened the contacts, then scrolled down to the name Jack Slavin. She had two numbers for him. As best she could remember, he recommended trying him on the first number whenever possible. The second number was a satellite phone issued by the CIA.
Jack was a covert operative who worked in the same black ops program Drenna had been in before. Not long ago, the two of them had joined forces to uncover a cabal of bad people, some of whom worked at the highest levels of the US government. Once the operation was over, Jack had asked Drenna out, and it was clear he wanted more than friendship. Even though she had refused, the two parted on good terms. Even now, Drenna felt no hesitation in reaching out to him. Jack Slavin was the opposite of petty. He would help her if he could.
She tapped on the number then brought the phone to her ear. Someone picked up after the first ring, but they didn’t speak. Drenna waited. Maybe it was a bad connection. She could hear wind blowing across the other phone’s speaker, an indication the person was outside. She could also hear what sounded like the distant squawk of a seagull.
Drenna grew tired of waiting. “Hello?”
Jack’s voice came through the line. “Drenna? Sorry, I didn’t recognize the number.”
“I got rid of my old number. I should’ve texted you first.”
“Not a problem. It’s good to hear your voice.”
“It’s good to hear yours as well. I thought I heard a seagull in the background. Where are you?”
“Hang on a sec.”
A moment later, a text pinged on Drenna’s phone. She opened the message, which contained an image that Jack had taken from the second-floor balcony of a beach house. His muscular legs were propped up on a railing, and his hand clutched a thick cigar. The house overlooked a private canal lined with palm trees. In the distance, the last sliver of sun sat on the horizon.
After staring at the photo for a few seconds, Drenna put the phone back to her ear. “Very nice, especially the sunset. Did you retire to some little island in the Pacific?”
“I wish. We’re down here in Key Largo. I finally got some time off.”
Drenna wondered who the we referred to. Did Jack have a new girlfriend? If so, how had he met her? Most black ops operators didn’t have enough free time to develop relationships. It was one of several reasons she had refused to go out with Jack.
She decided to probe for more information. “Key Largo? Wow, you treat your dates well.”
“A date?” He laughed. “Not hardly. I’m here with my brother and two of his old college friends. Lots of testosterone around here.”
To Drenna’s surprise, she felt a small prick of relief that Jack wasn’t with another woman. Where did that feeling come from? Even though she respected him greatly, she didn’t remember ever having any romantic feelings for him. Or maybe she had just suppressed them.
An elderly couple came toward Drenna, pulling luggage behind them. The two were arguing in a language she didn’t recognize.
“So where are all your pals?” she asked once the couple passed by.
“They’re down at the local pub for happy hour.”
“And you aren’t with them?”
“And miss this sunset? Not a chance.” He took a few puffs on his cigar, which could be heard through the phone. “I think this is the first time in a year or two that I’ve even noticed something like that. I’m sure you know what I mean.”
Drenna nodded, even though he couldn’t see her. “Yes, I absolutely do.”
“Anyway, what’s up? I doubt you called me to get an update on my vacation.”
“I’m actually in the middle of something big, and I need your help.”
“Something big? That seems to happen to you a lot.”
“You don’t know the half of it.” Drenna paused as a man walked by. “Let me explain what’s going on. I’ll try to be as quick as I can, but it may take a while.”
“Take your time. Obviously, I don’t have much on my plate right now.”
Over the next ten minutes, Drenna went over all that had happened, from her first contact with the Asian couple in Manchester to the recovery of information on the drive. In the interest of being brief, she included only details pertinent to the issue at hand. She decided not to mention Lucca’s betrayal. If Jack somehow knew him, then he would probably have a host of questions. She didn’t have time to go off on a rabbit trail.
“So you’re telling me there could be a mole in DARPA?” Jack asked when she finished.
“Let me be clear. I’m not one hundred percent sure about anything yet,” Drenna replied. “That’s why I’m calling you. But yes, I do think it’s possible the Chinese have someone on the inside.”
“What’s the man’s name?”
“Owen Sutton. Have you heard of him?”
After a brief pause, Jack said, “I do recognize that name. He was mentioned in a recent briefing we got from the DOD. I believe they said he’s working on a secret initiative known as the Huachuca Project.”
Drenna frowned. “Huachuca? Why does that sound familiar?”
“You’re probably thinking of Fort Huachuca, the US Army base.”
“Yes, that’s it.”
“That’s actually where this Huachuca Project is being conducted. The base specializes in military intelligence.”
“I assume this project involves AI?”
“Yes. More specifically, the use of AI in drone warfare.”
“Which is the same field Mei worked in,” Drenna said. “What else do you know about the project?”
“Not a lot,” he replied. “I do remember that Sutton was working on drone swarm movements as well as something called locked targeting. Once a drone locks onto a target, it uses AI to keep that lock in place.”
“I’ll run that by Mei later. Maybe she’s familiar with it.”
“I wish I could give you more, but this was a very short piece of a longer presentation.”
“No, I understand. At this point, I’m not sure the precise nature of his work matters.” Drenna paused as another thought entered her mind. “Let me switch gears for a moment. As I told you before, we found two travel itineraries on the drive. The flights were to Sint Maarten, the Dutch island. Do you think we’re conducting any research down there?”
“I don’t remember that being mentioned in my briefing. To be honest, I seriously doubt they would conduct sensitive research on a small island that’s mostly a tourist destination.”
“It just seems odd that the itineraries were found in the same folder as the profile of Owen Sutton. There seems to be a connection of some kind.”
“Hang on a minute,” Jack said. “I need to check something on my laptop.”
Drenna could hear chair legs being pushed across the deck’s surface. Seconds later, she heard a door open then shut again. Jack had gone inside.
A minute later, Jack said, “We have a secure calendar with important dates of conventions and meetings overseas. If this is something Sutton is doing on the side, then obviously nothing will show up.”
“Still, it’s worth a shot.”
“What are the travel dates?”
“I believe the two assets were flying to Sint Maarten two days from now.”
Jack pecked on the keyboard. “Wow.”
Drenna frowned. “What is it?”
“You’re going to love this.” He paused. “A number of high-ranking DOD officials, including several scientists from DARPA, are meeting with their NATO counterparts at a resort in Sint Maarten this week. And guess what the topic of discussion is?”
“AI technology?”
“Bingo. The event is titled Drone Swarm Technology on the Battlefields of the Future.”
“What about Owen Sutton?”
“He’s not mentioned, but I’d be willing to bet the farm he’ll be there. I have a friend who works at DARPA. I’ll try to ask him a few questions without raising any alarms.”
Drenna frowned. “If Sutton and the Chinese assets are all going to be there, that could mean he’s going to pass along information from our allies.”
“That’s one possibility.”
“I need to get down there,” Drenna said. “But I’m concerned about getting through the airports. The Chinese are probably watching every hub in Europe right now.”
“You said you were in Cyprus?”
“Yes.”
Jack typed again. “We have an agency charter in Athens. It looks like I can put you and Mei on it tomorrow.”
Drenna liked what she was hearing, but she didn’t think it would be as easy as he made it sound. “You do remember that I don’t work for the government anymore, right?”
“You don’t, but I do. We have a new policy in place that may have come into existence after you left. As a senior operative, I can authorize the transport of informants to meetings related to urgent matters of national security. If you were entering the US, it might be more difficult. But a meeting in the Caribbean? As long as the two of you have passports, I can get it done. But you can’t bring any weapons.”
“That’s not a problem,” Drenna said. “But wouldn’t we actually have to be meeting with you?”
“You will be meeting with me. If commercial flights are available out of Miami, I can be on the ground in Sint Maarten by tomorrow afternoon.”
“Jack, you’re on vacation.”
“Come on. Get real. This place is beautiful, but I’m bored out of my mind. I’ll start packing as soon as we get off the phone.”
Chapter 41
Sint Maarten
The following day, Drenna and Mei took a short commercial flight from Cyprus to Athens. After disembarking at Athens International, they were approached by a female CIA agent dressed in civilian garb. She told them her name was Brooke, which Drenna assumed was an alias.
Jack had previously told Drenna that an agent would accompany them all the way to Sint Maarten. Drenna didn’t mind. Having an armed chaperone was standard protocol when transporting individuals who didn’t work for the US government. Jack had assured Drenna that the crew didn’t know anything about her history with the agency. She hoped that was true.
