“Just answer my questions, you…” He sighed and forced his blood pressure to lower. “Please, just tell me. If somebody had gotten copies of encrypted files…what would it take?”
The voice on the phone blew its breath out hard and paused, thinking. “The only REAL way I can think of, and by far the easiest, would be to get them to somebody who worked for us. Either blackmail them or pay them to decrypt the files for you. But even then, they’d have to print them. Just because the computer opens the files, doesn’t mean they stay that way. You can’t just open them and then take your hard drive to another computer and read them.”
“So, they stay encrypted?”
“Duh. Otherwise, what’s the point.”
“And the computers are all air gapped, right?”
“Again, duh. Otherwise, you’re defeating the purpose.”
Chesterfield breathed a sigh of relief. “Excellent.” He leaned back in his chair and felt the weight of the world fall from his shoulders. “I think I’m good to go then.”
“Hey man, if you need any more technical advice, just—”
Darren hung up the phone and pinched his eyes shut. He glanced at the clock and wondered why he hadn’t received some word back on Bridger and his cohorts. “Would they go to ground?”
He suddenly bolted forward and brought his computer to life. “Safe houses in the area?” He began collecting all of the known safe houses from every agency. He couldn’t know if Bridger and his crew had government contacts, but if they were stupid enough to use one and try to ride out the storm…he’d find them.
Karachi, Pakistan
MAMOON HELD HIS phone high in the air. “They are spotted!”
Balil stomped on his cigarette and pushed past Sameer. “Where are they?”
“My people spotted them going to different properties that we know are owned by Muhammed.” He shook his head. “It appears as though his own people are searching for him.”
Sameer groaned. “They are simply after the reward.”
“Argh!” Balil clenched his fists and shook them at the sky. “I want to find him first.” He spun and glared at the two other men. “For Tariq.”
“I know.” Mamoon tried to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder but Balil pulled away. “I will not be treated as a child.” He stepped back and squared his shoulders. “He has been your friend for many years, Mamoon. Tell us where he would go.”
Mamoon held his hands up, trying to placate his employee and friend. “I do not know, Balil. I swear to you. Otherwise I would tell—”
“It’s them!” a voice screamed.
Mamoon, Balil and Sameer all turned at the same time to see what the excitement was about. “They are the ones! See? They still have the paint on their hands!”
A crowd began to form and Mamoon stepped between the crowd and his friends. “What is going on here?”
“You are Mamoon-ur-Rasheed, yes?”
Mamoon nodded, taking a half step back. “I am.”
“It is on the television. You created the flags for the demonstration! Your flags killed people!” The man in front of the crowd urged them on. “Get them!”
Sameer pulled the pistol from his pocket and stepped beside Mamoon, firing into the air. “Stop this!” He fired again then leveled the weapon on the crowd. “Now!”
“He is responsible! He killed my brother!” Another man yelled, pushing his through the crowd. “He shall pay!”
Sameer leveled the pistol on the man and stepped forward. “He did no such thing.” He pulled the hammer back and glared at the crowd, daring the men to advance. “He got the order from Muhammed al-Abadi. He ordered the flags.” Sameer shook his head slowly. “Whatever happened to them after we created them…we cannot say. But I can tell you that Mamoon would not do such a thing.”
Balil pushed past Sameer and pointed his finger at the men. “Muhammed al-Abadi is responsible. He killed Tariq…” His voice cracked as the sobs formed in his throat. “He was just a child.”
“We saw it on the television. People near your flags were dying in the streets before the smoke from the chemical plant got there.” Spittle flew from the man’s mouth as he screamed. “They say that the only thing in common to the people who fell in the streets were your flags! As each burned, people died!”
Mamoon held his hands in the air and yelled to the crowd. “Calm yourselves! We did not do this thing you say!” He stepped forward and gently pushed Sameer’s arm down, pointing the gun to the ground. “We can show you. There are no chemicals in our business other than paint. All you have to do is see it yourself.”
The lead man turned to the crowd and shook his fist in the air. “They cannot shoot us all! Get them!”
Sameer brought the pistol up and fired the first round into the leader of the pack as Mamoon and Balil turned and fled for the car.
22
Near Langley, VA
LISA PULLED THE rolling door to the side and Roger drove the car slowly into the old garage. “I can’t believe you had us drive all over the country just to come back here.”
“I had to be certain we weren’t tailed.” She walked past him and pulled a tarp off of a pile of metal parts.
“What is that?” Roger stepped forward and couldn’t even make out the shapes from the clumps of grass hanging off of the assorted pieces.
“Metal ramps. With ghillie suit scraps covering most of it.”
Roger stared at her as though she had lost her everloving mind. “What…why?”
She raised a brow at him. “Want to ask ‘when’ and ‘where’ just to cover all of your bases?”
“Just…what the hell?”
Lisa sighed and planted her hands on her hips. “I don’t know all of the details, and to be honest, I don’t want to. All I know is we are supposed to sneak these onto the edge of the property. The other side of the fence.”
Roger held his hands up and took a step back. “Break onto the grounds…at Langley?”
She nodded and
