The politicians, p.7
The Politicians, page 7
part #3 of The Beckett Cypher Series
She added, “And if anyone is wondering, the friend of the friend who looked at it before I did, has no idea I was even interested in the property. Her aunt ended up in a condo in Sarasota, Florida. No connections back to any of us. So, unless I’ve missed something, I think this property would work out perfectly!”
Walter leaned over to whisper to Pete.
Kate asked, “Char, would you really want our team to be in the property you found for your retirement and restart?”
Char smiled at Kate. She explained, “My future has always been up in the air, from one case to the next. It looks like this may be a long investigation and probably my last assignment. I have plenty of time to pursue other places, or I can land there when this is finished, not complete the sale and move on, or finish the purchase and settle down there…” Char trailed off as she glanced at Heath and Angie, and then finished the sentence with, “…depending on future developments.” Char smiled at Kate.
Kate smiled back and nodded, and then glanced nervously at Shane.
Shane met Kate's eyes and whispered, “Freaky!” He barely moved his lips, as he did his best to disguise the comment. Char smiled at Shane from across the table.
Helena whispered to Joshua, who quickly asked, “Where is this property located?”
“East of Asheville,” Char replied.
“Can you be more specific?” Joshua queried.
“Southeast nearly to Spartanburg, South Carolina. I can send everyone here the coordinates, address, and an interactive aerial map of the property. Why do you ask?” Char answered, appearing uneasy.
“Internet concerns,” Joshua answered. “We need high-speed Internet. Helena may have the answer if we are clear to use our AI modified Beckett Cypher. Helena?”
Helena sat stoically, her luxurious blond hair pulled back, and thick-framed black glasses perched studiously on her adorable button nose. The geeky glasses highlighted her full, luscious pink lips, as they also accentuated her sculpted, high cheekbones and delicate jawline. All eyes in the room fell on the blond beauty, compounding the uncertainties she felt with public speaking.
Helena exuded a sweet, shy, reserved demeanor. But her rapidly beating heart, quick shallow breathing, and flushed complexion called attention to the fact that she yearned to be kissed by the man talking from the other side of the speakerphone…her secret lover, Bryan Holland.
Everyone in the room had noticed her excitement each time Bryan spoke, when Helena glanced at the speaker in the center of the table, fidgeted with her hands, and occasionally touched the necklace that dangled at her ample chest. The locket was a gift from Bryan, presented in their suite over champagne at their last rendezvous. A picture of them holding each other romantically was securely attached and hidden on the inside of one half of the locket. Bryan had the other side engraved. It read, “To my one true love, Helena, from your Bryan,”
Helena’s shyness accentuated her natural beauty, just as her intellect gave her the courage to speak boldly and bluntly, even when she was nervous. Bryan Holland knew his lover well and recognized the awkward silence, even from three thousand miles away.
He asked, “What are you thinking, Helena? Is it about Bradenton Meadows?”
Helena replied softly, blushing crimson as soon as Bryan mentioned her name. “Yes. Yes, it is about the project there.”
Seizing the opportunity to help Helena gain confidence, Kate asked, “What is the project, Helena? Are you free to speak to us about it now?”
Helena smiled and folded her hands together, garnering strength from the conversation. “The project,” she began, “is a government-funded, high-speed Internet spy system that is manned by three groups occupying different floors. One group is comprised entirely of social media company contractors working for the government. They use all social media systems to spy on foreign nations and American citizens suspected of having ties to foreign entities identified as Enemies of the State. But their primary task is to monitor all U.S. based social media their algorithm identifies as significant.”
“The other group is made up of government employee technicians. They monitor foreigners within America illegally, or legally on Visas, suspected of having ties to Enemies of the State. They track subjects using social media, email, phone call or text messaging data sent from other government locations. They create files on American citizens suspected of aiding or abetting Enemies of the State. They also monitor all American citizens who reside or travel outside of the country.”
“Both groups forward all suspicious activity to investigators on a separate floor, the third group, who evaluate the information, assign a threat level and re-assign the files to appropriate intelligence agencies. I can only tell you that much because a social media staffer who once worked there blew the whistle on the project to a blogger, who blogged about it repeatedly. Bradenton Meadows is now known to the small segment of the general public who read the blog or reposted the material on other sites. The blogger is in custody, and his blog has been taken down. Investigators scrubbed most of the re-posts from public view, and continue to check for leaks. The details of the project itself are highly classified.”
“And that helps us how?” Shane asked.
Helena smiled widely as she explained. “The project servers are very sophisticated and formidable, but entirely vulnerable to the AI modified Beckett Cypher.”
She looked from Joshua to Hunter to Tracy, and each person nodded and encouraged her to continue.
“You see, I worked on the project and understood the system’s vulnerability. Much of the spying that takes place there would be illegal, absent the presence of a search warrant, so the government legally cannot be involved. The illegal work is farmed out to the social media contract employees occupying the site, while government employees conduct the rest of their work from a different floor. Investigators occupy the private top floor in the structure. The servers that store all significant data for the all groups occupy the entire seventh floor. That set of servers has a backdoor entry I wrote, and only I can activate…at the direction of my boss, of course, Special Agent in Charge Bryan Holland. I can enter the server system from off-site, but it’s also vulnerable to our cypher. If I enter, my entry may leave a trail, but the AI augmented cypher system will leave no trace of its presence!”
Helena smiled at Hunter, Joshua, and Tracy, and then at Bryan Holland, through the speaker. All eyes then moved to the speakerphone.
Bryan explained, “For classified reasons, I can’t elaborate, but the back door authorization came from well above me, I assure you all.”
Shane asked again, “So how, specifically, does all this help us?”
Joshua said, “You’ve asked us to keep the geek jargon simple for the non-techies in our meetings. So let’s recap events.”
“Some fifteen years ago, DEA Supervisor Kent Murray ran a task force that compiled a massive drug case involving drug cartels working with politicians. At the same time, California Attorney General Scott Mayfield created a task force that amassed corruption cases on some of the same politicians. That investigation, dubbed The Case, was given to your father, Patrick Beckett, to review for prosecution. Patrick worked with the task force for about a year, and eventually, he and Kent Murray shared information and discovered The Committee was directing both drug distribution and corruption through the same politicians. They protected their respective case files on a series of heavily encrypted flash drives using an advanced military cypher.”
“The Committee discovered the investigation and severely injured Kent Murray in an attempt to murder him. Then, Shane, they murdered your mother, your father and some of Mayfield’s task force. The Committee also murdered Attorney General Mayfield and stopped the investigation. But Patrick Beckett and Kent Murray had already hidden copies of their encrypted flash drives for their young sons to later discover.”
“Motivated by his father’s injuries, Kent’s son, Hunter, became one of the most gifted cypher experts in the world and did groundbreaking work advancing the Beckett Cypher far beyond anything available today. Helena became an expert programmer and code writer and worked on the high-speed Internet system the government uses in North Carolina. Jesse and Tracy became computer experts for the U.S. military, specializing in military-grade cyber security. And my mentor is one of the world’s Artificial Intelligence geniuses. Together, he and I created a groundbreaking AI spy system.”
“So, when we all came together in your team, we combined Hunter’s Beckett Cypher with my sophisticated and stable Artificial Intelligence Spy System, adding Helena’s knowledge of the experimental secret government spy programs and Tracy’s experience in military-grade cybersecurity.”
Joshua grinned, saying, “The result is a stable military grade Artificial Intelligence Spy System capable of penetrating any known cybersecurity barrier, decrypting all the encrypted data inside the host, evaluating and collating data, and then sending any useful data out of the system. A few advanced techies might try to describe the system as an MDAI 3-dimensional military grade smart cypher with internal skeleton keys. But I’m here to tell you that this system is so much more. That simplified description would be totally inaccurate!”
Joshua and his team all grinned with child-like excitement.
Most of the table returned blank stares that expressed a total lack of technical understanding.
Joshua said, “Sorry. Okay, so most importantly, the AISS can access all data in infiltrated systems. It can live inside these systems indefinitely, and send intelligence reports back to us, all undetected. In short, we can use the Bradenton Meadows system to launch our missions and store our data, leaving no trace back to us here! Neither the social media spy team nor the government spy technicians will ever discover our system is even present…let alone living in, and conducting business from, their highly secure site!”
“What happens when we want to retrieve some of the data? How do we get it out?” Pete asked.
“Great question, with an easy answer that’s also very exciting!”
Hunter said, with a wider grin, “We merely piggyback out on email strings or a series of social media messages. We cyber-hitchhike, completely undetected. The AI component of the new spy system works by breaking the data up into nonsensical bits, attaching it to a dummy carrier, programming it with a secret rendezvous location, and instructing the pieces to track with their other components as they travel to the home destination. The AI breaks the data segments off its carrier en route and reforms the body of the data when it reaches home base.”
Helena smiled and nodded vigorously, to a sea of still uncomprehending faces.
Joshua added, “The data will literally appear before our eyes just like our computer was writing a document or painting a picture, once the information arrives safely home.”
Kate said, “And how many times can we send the AISS out to work for us? Maybe more specifically, can it work on more than one target at a time?”
Tracy said, “The real beauty of the AISS is it isn’t one soldier fighting one battle. It’s an unlimited army fighting in as many battles as we send it to, one at a time or all at once.”
“Why is the location in North Carolina important? Couldn’t we do this from anywhere in the country that had decent speed?” Shane asked.
Helena jumped in uncharacteristically, saying, “Yes and no. We want to use the social media and government site for more than just ultra high-speed. They have a building, roughly the size of a football field, crammed with massive servers, collecting data from all over the world, 24/7/365. While we do want their crazy high-speed, we also want access to the data they’ve already mined. We want to sift through and analyze everything, and then send back only what we need. And, we want to hide out there while our AI-enhanced Beckett Cypher works its magic.”
“Our system will be the proverbial needle-in-the-haystack, logging and scrutinizing every piece of hay while it remains invisible! And it will only collect the intel that is important to us!!” Pleased with herself, Helena sat back, erect, perky and confident in her chair.
Helena grinned at the speakerphone, knowing that 3,000 miles away, Bryan was smiling and proud of her. More importantly, he was proudly in love with her.
Kate nodded at Helena when their eyes met. She asked, “What’s the risk of discovery?”
Helena looked at Joshua, as they both grinned. They answered simultaneously, “Nothing!”
Pete confirmed, “Totally undetectable?”
Joshua answered, “Yes. In layman’s terms, the AISS is fast and fragmented, evolving and adapting to any potential discovery. It reconfigures itself to avoid detection and captures and neutralizes detection software probes. At present, we are confident AISS is invisible, undetectable, and unstoppable.”
There was silence in the room and on the speakerphone.
Finally, Walter asked, “If no one has an objection, I think we should go ahead with the proposal and move the cypher team to the property. Objections?”
Silence fell onto the group as individual thoughts raced to consider the consequences of this advanced technology.
Walter finally asked, “Char, what do you need from us, besides a helicopter pilot to check out the chopper, and money to cover the lease?”
Char answered, “The money is appreciated, especially if I buy the property. I guess the rent will be my retainer!”
She flashed Pete a coy smile, and said, “I am proficient in the helicopter, but we should have at least two more pilots, due to my security role.”
Tracy said, “Jesse is a licensed instructor and very experienced in a multitude of helicopters. He would likely remain with the cypher team, so that leaves us wanting only one more pilot.”
Tom nodded in agreement.
After a moment of silence, Angie offered, “I think that should be me. Now that I’m part of this group, I need to earn my keep with more than filing and building display charts, around this family!”
Silence overcame the room again as every eye rested on Angie. She smiled back at all the inquiring faces. Walter looked overjoyed.
Bryan eventually asked, “You are licensed to fly helicopters then, Angie?”
“Yes, I am. I took my first flight lesson when I was eleven. My birthday present. Dad taught me to fly an old Cessna 152 he owned. He was a nut for flying, hiking, mountain climbing, and competition archery. Dad and I were very close, so those became all my hobbies when I was young.”
“I have my private pilot license with multi-engine, helicopter, and glider add-ons. But Dad couldn’t get enough of helicopters, so I’ve flown nine different makes and models with him. I logged about 700 hours in choppers, and my license is current. Like Dad, I enjoy helicopters more than fixed wing. Choppers may not be as fast as the King Air, but they’re a great deal more useful in demanding terrains.”
Heath and Shane both slightly frowned as their minds raced, considering the possibilities. Both looked stunned as their eyes met. Heath and Shane gazed at each other until Shane raised his hands in submission.
Angie studied their expressions, as she looked from one to the other. She added, “No one ever asked if I had any talents other than veterinarian work, except Kate!”
Kate chuckled. “If you gentlemen can recall, I told you both you’d be surprised at Angie’s talents, the first day I met her. And neither of you bothered to inquire as to what those talents were. So, I suggest you look around the room at the women seated here one more time, and realize, we’re all a great deal more than just pretty faces!”
Kate, Char, Juanita, Tracy, Helena, and Angie all laughed at the men’s expense, while Shane and Heath looked uncomfortably embarrassed.
Char said, “Well then, I propose that Jesse and Angie accompany me to the property as soon as possible so we can meet the owner and check out everything first, and then move on to the chopper. If all is satisfactory, I’ll take the owner to town to sign the lease option, while the remainder of the team comes in behind us to look the place over and finalize your approval. You can phone me to confirm before I sign.”
Heath stared at Angie, realizing she was enjoying his discomfort as he considered her being alone with Char.
Shane did his best ventriloquist whisper, uttering “Holy shit!” to Kate.
Kate nudged Shane under the table again, just as Walter said, “Then, let’s do it, people! We’ll pack up and leave tomorrow. Pete, Tom, Tracy, Hunter, Helena, Char, Shane and I can remain for a brief meeting to work out a proposed site for the remainder of the team, while the rest of you work out a transportation proposal. Bryan, do you have anything else?”
Bryan was silent for a moment, and then replied, “I think it best that you all keep in contact with me through one person for now, without me knowing any details of your locations until we’re positive there are no more leaks from my house. Just let me know how I can help. I made no notes about the proposed site Char discussed. So, I’ll say goodbye for now. God bless, and take care!”
Walter ended the call as Helena smiled at the phone and touched her locket again.
Half the team at the table stood up to leave, just as Char said, “I have one more thing.” Everyone sat back down, eager to hear more.
“Knowing there was a leak in the government that led to the attack on our people, I didn’t think it wise to give enough detail to Bryan that he or someone in his office could do some digging and identify the exact property I proposed. I trust him implicitly, just not the leaky walls that surround him!”
“So, to be transparent to this team, my only team now, the actual estate is about 40 miles north-west of where I described the location. Its 1,390 acres, not 65 acres. The owner’s wife didn’t die of a heart attack. Her husband died in a car crash a year ago. The property is nine bedrooms and seven baths and was never seized by the government or owned by the cartel. It is all new construction. The builder was not from Asheville. He was from Atlanta.”
“The runway is a half-mile long, not one third. The security system is twice as expansive and more sophisticated than I indicated. There is already high-speed internet installed there, albeit not as high speed as Helena described. The chopper is real, but it's a Bell 430 twin turbo, ten-seater, completely up-to-date. I assume you both can fly that one?” Jesse and Angie nodded.
