Kellerman glided across the stage wearing a white oxford shirt with the sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms and no tie. His black denim jeans were also a departure from the more formal attire of the previous speakers. He wore a confident smile as he soaked in the welcoming applause.
What struck Hawk the most about Kellerman was how hypnotic he was once he started speaking. While he spoke in vague generalities, Hawk felt overwhelmingly positive about the future and excited about how new innovations were going to improve everyone’s lives. Kellerman clicked a small device, sliding from one picture to the next that demonstrated how small inventions built upon themselves until a seminal moment occurred in history, transforming life as we know it.
Hawk realized that for the first fifteen minutes, none of the information in the talk was earth-shattering. If anything, it would’ve proved rather boring had it not been for Kellerman’s engaging storytelling ability that captivated everyone in the hall. But the final five minutes, he finally got to the meat of what he wanted to say, the real reason why everyone gathered at his feet.
“There was a time when people were scared to walk down a street in New York City without fear of getting their pocket picked,” Kellerman said. “Then the fashion industry saw the need to add extra pockets to the inside of coats and jackets. Now, it didn’t make you completely free from thieves in the city, but it did make stealing exponentially more difficult, reducing the number of targets. Generally speaking, only the fools who place their wallets in their back pockets are in danger of getting their wallets stolen these days.”
The heads in the auditorium bobbed knowingly. Then Kellerman broke out his big reveal.
“In the twenty-first century, we don’t worry about our wallets getting stolen,” Kellerman said. “What do we worry about? Our credit card numbers being utilized by thieves. Our identities being employed by grifters who know that law enforcement won’t even attempt to go after them for such small amounts. And while we’d like to think it’s important enough to our society that these people are stopped and punished, we mitigate it by living with higher prices. Businesses, banks, and credit card companies pass the cost on to you in one way or another. And heaven forbid your identity gets stolen. You’ll suddenly be the one spending countless hours on the phone with a low-level worker from a credit bureau who doesn’t care that someone spent five hundred bucks using your credit card number. They’ll simply demand that you prove you didn’t buy it, which is a difficult feat.”
Hawk could sense where Kellerman was headed, and everyone in the auditorium began to smile in anticipation of his announcement.
“That’s why my company will be launching a new product called FortressNet next week,” Kellerman said with a smile. He turned around to admire the slide with a picture of the snazzy logo and a woman smiling and a look on her face as if she knew something you didn’t know.
Kellerman went on to explain that FortressNet was an innovative way to secure all your information necessary for purchasing products online and with a credit card. Thieves would no longer be able to use your credit card number, even if they had everything. FortressNet was designed to work interchangeably with personal computers, business credit card machines, and any other way that payments were received. For home use, you simply plugged FortressNet into a port on your computer and then entered a code sent to your phone. If the chip was connected to the computer, the sale would be secure.
However, Kellerman went on to explain that FortressNet also inhibited hackers’ ability to get into your home computers.
“No more virus programs,” Kellerman said. “FortressNet would be searching for them in real time, snuffing them out before they ever took root in your computer. It’s the next-gen level of personal computer safety.”
Kellerman concluded by explaining how fifty percent of the company’s profits would go to a foundation he started in Africa designed to bring fresh water and blanket free internet to several developing nations on the continent, which also drew more cheers from the audience. Then he showed a one-minute video that would undoubtedly be shared all over social media the moment the talk ended, if not before. The audience rose to its feet, roaring with applause in approval of the new idea. Kellerman smiled and raised his hands in the air in a gesture of appreciation before exiting the stage, with everyone still clapping and shouting.
Hawk didn’t waste any time in hustling to the speaker’s green room to get another moment with Kellerman. At first, Hawk was met with some resistance by the event security, but Casey caught Hawk’s eye and vouched for him with the guard.
“Thanks,” Hawk said. “I was beginning to wonder if I needed to call Marty myself.”
She smiled. “He’s fond of you, so I’m sure he would’ve been happy to do it himself. Anyway, he’s over there in the corner. We have to leave in ten minutes for another event, so please try to keep your business brief.”
“Of course,” Hawk said. “Thank you, again.”
“My pleasure,” Casey said before nodding toward Kellerman.
Hawk hustled across the room to Kellerman and offered his hand. Kellerman smiled and shook it.
“You made it,” Kellerman said. “I didn’t think I’d see you here.”
“It was a much shorter trip this time,” Hawk said.
“So, what’d you think? I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about that earlier, but I was bound by an NDA to keep a lid on this until today.”
“FortressNet sounds like a great idea, and one we really need today. Now I know why the president wanted me to speak with you.”
Kellerman handed Hawk a card. “Again, I’m sorry I was so misleading before, maybe we can talk more about it later, and I can give you my thoughts on how this might benefit national security.”
“That’d be great,” Hawk said.
“There’s a code on the back of that card I gave you in case you want to sign up. This will give you FortressNet free for a year so you can see if you like it.”
Hawk tapped the card against his hand and studied it for a second. “How can I possibly resist? I mean, security is kind of what I do all day.”
“Outstanding,” Kellerman said as he glanced at his watch. “Okay, I need to run, but it was great seeing you.”
“Marty, I did have a quick question for you,” Hawk said.
“Okay, but make it quick.”
Hawk nodded. “So, we’ve heard that there may be a wide-scale cyberattack on the U.S., and I was wondering if you’d heard anything like that lately.”
“Well, in my business, we hear about attacks all the time. It’s an ongoing battle to turn back hackers every day.”
“But you haven’t heard anything out of the ordinary lately?”
Kellerman pursed his lips and stared off into the distance for a second. “Not that I recall. As I said, I hear about so many threats that it’s hard to tell, though I doubt any of those would rise to the level of concern with national security.”
“These reports we’re getting are a little disconcerting, but if you happen to hear something, please let us know,” Hawk said. “Casey knows how to reach me if anything comes to mind.”
“I’ll do that,” Kellerman said as he grinned. “And thanks again for coming. The enemy is always striking. The question is whether or not you’re going to be able to stop him each time.”
Hawk nodded and waved as Kellerman hustled over to Casey before darting out of the room. While Hawk didn’t get anything actionable out of Kellerman, there was a sense from Hawk that the tech mogul wasn’t saying everything he knew. The last little warning was evidence of that.
Hawk had a burning question that demanded an answer: Who’s going to strike next?
CHAPTER 28
Washington, D.C.
J.D. BLUNT ENTERED the empty conference room at the Firestorm headquarters and took his seat at the head of the table. He turned on the television and leaned back in his chair, hoping to hear news that President Young had vetoed the Defense Oversight Bill. Inst
ead, he saw an interview with Natalie Richards, who the reporter described as brave for going against the old establishment in her party and working in a bipartisan way.
Richards explained her position articulately, though Blunt couldn’t be sure how sincere it was. He was certain that the only reason she was awarded the spot on the committee was because she agreed to release the bill. And once she did, it was rushed through both houses and sent to Young’s desk to sign.
The anchor on the news desk rambled on about the significance of the bill, which would stop government waste on partisan investigations, allowing Congress to handle the job it was tasked with when it came to accountability. Blunt shouted a few choice words at the screen, contradicting everything the man said. And that’s because Blunt recognized how that bill opened the door for more corruption. The branches needed to be able to check one another more, not less. While Blunt certainly wasn’t in favor of expanding the power of the executive office, he didn’t want it to be more limited. Based on everything that had just happened with the Fullgood Initiative, Blunt found such a move unconscionable, if not an open invitation for the president to be usurped.
However, there was one other provision tucked away in the bill that stated the president couldn’t invoke the Emergency Powers Act without consent from two-thirds of the senate. Blunt found that crippling in case of an attack on the country—and it made him angry.
“Are you okay?” Shields asked as she entered the room.
He grunted and shook his head.
“I know you felt like that bill was going to cut the president off at the knees.”
“It’s not guaranteed that will happen, but it certainly creates more opportunities for that to happen.”
The anchor then shared the news that the president had just signed the bill. Blunt slammed his hand down on the table and cursed.
“Once the horse gets out of the barn in this city, it never goes back in,” Blunt said.
“I can’t believe Young agreed to sign it,” Shields said. “Why would he do that?”
“There was so much bipartisan support for that bill, a veto would be little more than a political gesture. Congress would’ve been able to override him. Don’t forget that Young wasn’t elected, so he’s doing everything to win favor from the American people. He’s acting like he thinks that if this is what Congress wants, then it must be what the people want. And I can tell you nothing is further from the truth. Young knows better, but he’s already thinking about getting elected and staying in power rather than leading.”
“That’s a problem, isn’t it?” Shields asked.
“A big one, but right now, we can’t worry about how he will or won’t wield his power to protect the American people. All we can do is focus on our jobs of keeping this country safe.”
“And what about Dixon? Are you going to be able to help her?”
“I hope so,” Blunt said as he glanced at his watch. “I’ve got a meeting with her in an hour. I’m hoping we can salvage her career in Congress. We need her here in Washington fighting for our security. This team does a damn good job of that, but I’m afraid it’ll turn into a case of whack-a-mole, bringing unprecedented chaos to the country. If we don’t have stability, what do we have?”
Shields shrugged. “A third-world country?”
Blunt nodded. “We’ll be on a fast track there if some of these idiots on the hill get their way.”
“Well, why don’t you do your best to ensure the republic has the right kind of people fighting for it?”
“That’s the goal,” Blunt said before jamming an unlit cigar into his mouth.
Shields handed him a report on the interview Black conducted with Kozlov while they were at Ramstein before returning to the U.S.
“Anything of interest in here?” he asked.
“Based on everything I read, it seems as if the CIA pegged the wrong guy for the breach,” she said. “I’ve been combing through all the files we downloaded from DarkNite’s computer. And as far as I can tell, the hacker responsible for everything is now dead. Kozlov was just a broker like he claimed.”
“What does he want?”
“Asylum in the U.S.,” Shields said. “And I don’t see any reason why we should deny him based on what just went down. Black and Kozlov both escaped the custody of an FSB agent, even if it was over the border. And there’s almost no chance that agent is going to tell his superiors that Kozlov was an innocent bystander in all of this.”
“And what if this Kozlov guy returns to his old ways?”
“At least he’ll be here so we can keep an eye on him.”
Blunt grunted. “I’ll want a much further evaluation before I sign off on this.”
“Of course, sir. I’ll set that up when they arrive.”
“When are they due back?”
“Tomorrow, sir. Agent Black intends to bring Kozlov in and place him in a safe house until we can figure out how you want to handle this.”
“Thank you, Shields. Great work as always.”
She flashed him a quick smile before exiting the room.
Blunt picked up the report and started reading it. He didn’t get too far into it before his mind started to drift. With so many issues demanding his attention, he could hardly concentrate. After sifting through a few more pages, he carried the document back to his office and headed over to see Adrianna Dixon.
* * *
BLUNT STRODE INTO Adrianna’s house and smiled at his host. The bags under Dixon’s eyes along with the puffiness around them indicated that her situation had been more difficult on her than she let on. She offered a thin smile, but the hurt behind her eyes was as obvious to Blunt as the nose on her face.
Blunt gave her a hug. “It’s going to be all right, Adrianna.”
She drew back and shook her head. “I appreciate your desire to instill confidence and optimism in me, but I know better. This is an unmitigated disaster. And there isn’t really a way out of this.”
“Fortunately, I disagree.”
She gestured for him to walk down the hall. “Everyone’s in the solarium.”
Blunt headed toward the sunroom just off the kitchen. There she found her lawyer, Robert Norton, along with Phillip and a couple of congressional aides. They were all huddled over a document placed in the middle of the coffee table.
“What do you think, Robert?” Dixon asked as she settled into her chair. “Do we have any options?”
Norton sighed. “At this point, I feel like your hand has been forced. You either take the deal or risk the outcome of a trial.”
“You know I didn’t do this, right?” she said, her eyes pleading for Norton to come up with a new idea.
“I believe you, Adrianna,” Norton said. “But I’m not sure a jury will see it that way. If you take the deal the government is offering you, all you have to do is pay a fine and spend sixty days in jail, though I doubt they’ll keep you in there that long.”
“This seems like extortion,” Phillip said. “My wife didn’t do anything.”
“I know,” Norton said. “But it’s going to be difficult to prove that it was fraud. Whoever did this is really good. Now they have documents to back up their claim. Whether or not she initiated selling off that stock is going to be inconsequential to the jury. They’re going to see the dollar signs on the statements and not care if she was guilty or not.”
“That’s not fair,” she said.
“I know,” Norton said. “But that’s just how it works. You can’t expect to get sympathy from a jury when they see how much money you have.”
“I think you should fight this,” Blunt said.
Norton shook his head. “No. Absolutely not. This deal expires in twenty-four hours. This case can’t be won in either court or the court of public opinion. If convicted—and there’s no reason I don’t think she will be—she will face up to five years in prison. And do you think a judge is going to go easy on her? Dream on.”
“We have the most important thing on our
side,” Blunt said. “And that’s the truth. Someone framed her and we’re going to prove it.”
“Time is not our side,” Norton said. “And that’s the truth.”
Blunt set his jaw as he stared at Norton. “Look, do your damn job and buy us another week. This deal isn’t acceptable. It’s not just a month or two in prison versus five years in prison. It’s also her integrity and her dignity at stake too. And you better do all you can to protect those before suggesting she take a deal to appease these congressional terrorists.”
Norton narrowed his eyes as he looked at Blunt. “I’ll ask for three more days, but if you can’t prove anything by then, you’re likely never going to be able to do anything to help the congresswoman’s case.”
“Fine,” Blunt said. “We’ll take it—and then we’ll win this case.”
CHAPTER 29
Washington, D.C.
THE NEXT MORNING, the entire Firestorm team gathered at the headquarters to create a plan moving forward. Black entered the room and placed a stack of nesting dolls in front of Shields. Her face lit up as she studied them.
“How did you have time to get these?” she asked. “Because from what I was able to see, you spent most of your time either pursuing a hacker or getting dragged across the continent by an FSB agent.”
“I have to admit they’re not completely authentic, but I did buy them at the airport in Tbilisi,” Black said. “That makes them Russian nesting dolls if you concede that the country of Georgia was once part of the Soviet Union. They’re kind of the same thing, right?”
She inspected the dolls closely before nodding. “I’ll allow it.”
Black eased into his seat, while Blunt gnawed on his cigar.
“Where’s mine?” Blunt asked.
“Your what? Your gift?” Black asked
“Absolutely. You know how much I like vodka.”
“I’ll order you a bottle.”
“That’s not the same thing, but I’ll allow it,” Blunt said with a wry grin.
Power Play (Titus Black Thriller series Book 7) Page 14
