Audio Assault

by Jeff Adams

  “John’s with me, and not someone who’s logged in from anywhere.”

  She sighed. Some people were uncomfortable not following processes, but sometimes you had to go outside the box.

  On one of the screens, Melissa had the admin console displayed. Over a thousand logins were active—staff inside and outside this building. This console didn’t show what systems people were logged in to by default, but based on my earlier review, I knew we could easily find out.

  “What’s the update?” John asked when he arrived, and I laid out the plan. We needed to be on alert so that when we figured out where the person who had control of the system was, they could be captured.

  “How much time do you need to be ready?” John asked.

  “I’ve already made it so people can’t log in,” Melissa said. “Once we log people out, they can’t get back in. We can proceed when you’re ready.”

  “We shouldn’t delay,” John said. “Here’s a spare phone. We can use it to stay in touch. I’ll stand by in Oliver’s office so we can take action when you’re ready. Your parents will be here within five for additional backup.”

  Where had he gotten a spare phone? Great that he had it, though. It wasn’t secure, but it was better than nothing.

  “That’ll work,” I said.

  In a couple of minutes John buzzed, indicating he was back in position. Melissa had written the commands for the login system, so it would log people out unless they were in the distribution system. Everyone on the network had their own IP address assigned and that would be traceable to the computer they used, whether it was in the building or a remote connection.

  In no time the login list had a single name besides the login Melissa used. Lawrence Bowman was a senior accountant logged in from his desk on the twelfth floor.

  “We’ve got something.” I pointed at the screen for Melissa to see. I called John and gave him the details.

  “We’re on it. I’m going with Glenwood security. We’ll intercept, and as soon as we’re locked down, I’ll let you know.”

  “Understood. Standing by.”

  It was a tense few moments before the call came back. While we waited, Melissa managed a number of calls and emails about why no one could get on the network. She called it “emergency maintenance” and said her team was working on restoration. I appreciated her on-the-fly answer, which assured few questions.

  The phone rang finally, and it was John. “We’ve apprehended Mr. Bowman. You can shut the computer down.”

  “On it. Stand by.”

  We had the commands ready for the logout, but they didn’t work. Despite repeated tries, we couldn’t force the session to terminate.

  “I can’t get him off the network,” Melissa said.

  “I’m coming to you,” I told John as I headed out of the office. “We can’t break the connection remotely.” I hung up and grabbed my pack.

  “I’m coming with you.” Melissa stood and I didn’t try to discourage her.

  We moved quickly through the halls, and I stopped at the stairs. We were on the sixteenth floor, and with only four floors to go down, that route seemed faster than waiting for the elevator. Melissa had no complaints.

  On twelve we found people standing near the office that must be Lawrence’s. We navigated our way through the crowd.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” a man, no doubt Lawrence, said loudly. “All I’m doing is running the daily financial analysis reports. Of course, I’m logged in.”

  I walked in and sat down at his computer. John and two security guys covered him while Oliver stood by.

  “What’s he doing? Who is that? Mr. Glenwood, is he authorized to be in our financials?”

  Bowman, for his part, seemed genuinely confused. I didn’t wait for answers. I started the traces to find out why I couldn’t break the network connection.

  “He’s more than authorized” was Oliver’s only response.

  It only took a moment for me to see that this terminal was hijacked. Hopefully the person in control didn’t have eyes on this office because if we lost this lead it’d be a huge setback. Given the skill I’d seen, they had to be aware that something tried to boot them off the network.

  “John, can you clear the room and give me your phone?” I turned toward John.

  He simply nodded and traded me his unlocked TOS phone for the one he’d given me earlier. Oliver and his security men quietly followed but Lawrence continued to demand information.

  Once John closed the door, I called Lorenzo.

  “Doctor Possible, Winger here on Shotgun’s phone.”

  “What’ve you got, Winger?”

  I gave him the rundown. “Can you grant Shotgun’s phone access to my cloud? I need some of my tools.”

  “Can do,” Lorenzo said. “Stand by.”

  The time ticked by at an excruciating pace as the minutes stretched out. I waited and watched the monitor, hoping the intruder would stay put long enough for me to get access to what I needed.

  “I’ve done one better, though, Shotgun may not be too happy. I’ve reconfigured his phone so it’s yours now. When your new phone arrives, I’ll switch it so it’s his.”

  “You’re awesome, Doc.” I pulled a USB cable from my pack and plugged into the computer. “I’ve connected the phone so you can look at this too.”

  The code on the terminal was small and impressive. It bypassed all of Glenwood’s security, allowing it to stay online. There was even a routine that kept the machine from fully powering down, so it stayed active and created a constant back door.

  “While I figure out where this connection leads, can you pull an image of the drive so we can analyze this code more fully?” I asked Lorenzo.

  “On it.”

  In a few minutes, I was able to lock on to the data packets that the malware sent and received. Heavily compressed data went in and out every few seconds. It would scarcely be detected as an increase in traffic. I quickly added what Ghostlight developed to the outgoing data, so we’d have the trace.

  A knock at the door interrupted my analysis.

  I didn’t want just anyone coming in, so I went over and opened it a crack. Since it was John, I let him enter.

  “We’ve been asked to go to Oliver’s office. Apparently, all hell is breaking loose.”

  Dread washed over me. What was it now?

  “We need someone stationed outside this door,” I said. “Doc, plant a watch program on this computer so you can monitor. I’ve got to disconnect the phone.”

  His response was nearly instantaneous. “Done.”

  “How far out is the courier with my electronics?”

  “Let me check.” Lorenzo’s keyboard clacking sounded. “Looks like ten minutes, maybe less, depending on traffic. I’ll request the courier only put them in your hands or Shotgun’s.”

  “Good. Lobby security should know where we are. As soon as I’m back with this computer, I’ll call.”

  “Understood.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  CHAOS REIGNED upstairs. Oliver’s office was large, but it didn’t feel that way as more than thirty people were packed into rows of chairs that had been laid out. At some point the couches and chairs and small conference table had been taken away to allow for this gathering.

  There was a podium in front of Oliver’s desk. I didn’t see Oliver, though. Christian was up front, to the left of the podium. He looked sternly at the crowd as if daring anyone to do something that wasn’t appropriate.

  John had briefed me on the way up that Oliver was about to make a statement to the press. Mom and Dad, using their federal agency credentials, would make additional comments. John and I were to be bystanders at the back of the room with other Glenwood execs.

  Oliver followed by Mom and Dad came into the room and went to the podium. Marcella and Sofia followed, but instead of going to the podium, they stood with me and John. The Glenwoods had never looked so stern, even in the face of the kidnappings. I imagined
none of them liked what Oliver was about to say.

  “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for gathering at such short notice.” Christian moved to stand behind the desk as Oliver spoke. “As you know, for the past few days the distribution systems of Glenwood Music have been offline. I can share with you today that they will remain so for the foreseeable future because we’ve been the victim of a cyberattack that has infected our song files with code dangerous for our customers. Despite our best efforts, music that’s been previously purchased is vulnerable as well. As such, we encourage anyone with Glenwood Music songs on their devices to refrain from playing them and to delete them as soon as possible.”

  Oliver’s pained expression upset me. He worked his entire life to build the company and this could be a fatal blow. And not just for him and his business but for the artists who recorded with him.

  “We take these acts against the company very seriously and are cooperating with federal agencies to swiftly end this threat and restore safe music files to our customers. I’d like to turn this briefing over to Victor and Katherine Reese. Victor is with the Department of Homeland Security and Katherine with the FBI. They’ll give brief remarks. We will not take questions as we do not want to compromise the investigation.”

  It was surreal seeing Mom and Dad in non-TOS roles. Occasionally they’d use these credentials to integrate with local officials more easily. To see them briefing the press was highly unusual but also kinda cool.

  “Thank you, Oliver. I’m Victor Reese, a senior director for the Department of Homeland Security. We’re investigating, along with the FBI and other agencies, the infiltration of Glenwood Music and its assets that have been compromised. As Oliver alluded to, the digital songs that have been distributed by the company pose a potential threat to consumers. We are doing everything we can to locate the parties responsible for the intrusion. As mentioned it is recommended that anyone who has songs from Glenwood Music delete them without further play. We’ve also asked radio and streaming services to suspend playing songs from online sources and delete any that are in the libraries. I’ll now turn this over to my colleague from the FBI.” Dad stepped aside for Mom.

  “I am Special Agent Katherine Reese with the FBI Cyber Crime Division. We are actively looking for any details related to this breach of Glenwood Music and its systems. We are offering a reward of up to ten million dollars, which Mr. Glenwood is matching, for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of anyone who is involved in this serious crime, which includes a manslaughter charge as a result of the listening-party incident in Atlanta.”

  My phone buzzed, and the screen had a message from Lorenzo that we had a location. I nudged John and showed him the screen. He nodded, and I gestured at the door.

  Back on the twelfth floor, people were back at their desks. Many watched the press conference and spoke in hushed tones. Lawrence Bowman was being kept in a nearby cubicle with two Glenwood security men blocking the door to his office. Melissa, meanwhile, worked at a cubicle just outside the office.

  “I hope you’ve found something.” She sounded stern. “I can’t imagine the impact that press conference will have.”

  “I’m about to get some updates,” I went to the office, and the two guards stepped aside.

  “I’m afraid you’ll need to stay out here.” John blocked Melissa as she tried to follow.

  “I’ve been with Theo for a couple of days now. What’s changed?”

  “He’s been assigned directly to Homeland Security so any information he obtains has to go through the proper channels. I’m sure you understand.”

  She gave John an icy look but nodded. “I’ll have to speak to Mr. Glenwood about this.”

  “Do what you need to do.” John’s tone shut down any further discussion. I had no idea the rules had changed, but John could easily have information I didn’t.

  Inside the office I immediately connected to Lorenzo, who patched me into a conference call. John stood at the door.

  “Winger has joined the call,” Lorenzo said. “As I was saying, within the last fifteen minutes, our traces have converged at a residential home just outside Philadelphia. Agents are in route while we attempt to extract as much information as we can from the servers there. We’ll proceed cautiously so we don’t trip any security features. As the press conference started, the audio signal that induces violence reactivated. We’re trying to block that with a method Split Screen designed. Winger and Amp, I’d like you to work with them and see if you can add anything there.”

  “This is Ghostlight. We know the servers in Philly have heavy security measures, so it may take some time to extract all the data. We have high confidence. However, this is the final repository of the stolen data as there is no detectable outbound data from this location.”

  “Thank you, Ghostlight,” Lorenzo said. “The work to retrieve the data, along with blocking the audio signal, are the top priorities. Ghostlight will coordinate with agents in Philadelphia to make sure they don’t move anything before we’ve secured the data. Winger and Split Screen will coordinate on the audio side. Any questions?”

  The line was silent for a few moments before Lorenzo continued. “Good. I’ll work closely with Ghostlight, but I’m available if needed. Doctor Possible out.”

  The call terminated.

  There was a sharp knock on the door, and John answered. He accepted a box. The electronics had arrived!

  “Is there a plan?” he asked as he handed the box over.

  I turned to the desk and looked for something to open the box with. I wanted to get the new laptop online to make this go faster.

  I briefed John while I tore into the box.

  He nodded and checked his phone. “Your parents need to see me, so I’ll head back up. Where do you want to work from?”

  I considered the options and the best choice was to stay next to this computer since control of the distribution system originated from it.

  “I’ll stay here.”

  I handed John the phone that had been in the box.

  “Thanks.” He powered on the device. “As soon as it’s online, I’ll be on comms.”

  I nodded as I turned on the new laptop.

  “I’ll get on comms too. I’ll be on channel but also working with others to get this stopped.”

  “Sounds good. Stay safe.” John held out his fist and we bumped with the explosion follow-up. I didn’t know a fist bump could be somber, but we’d just managed one.

  He left, and I got to work. As soon as I had the comm device in my ear, I got on with Split Screen.

  She’d done impressive work. She’d tried to make it seem as though the signal was getting out, but instead blocked it at the source. She described it like a deception from spy movies where a mirror made a laser bounce back to its source so an alarm wouldn’t be tripped.

  As we talked about the issues she had with the execution, I reviewed the code. The reputation she’d gained in her short time with TOS was spot-on. She was great under pressure too.

  “What if I write—” There was a crash outside the door. “Stand by. Something’s happening here.”

  More sounds of struggle came from outside. I jumped from the chair to lock the door even though that would only buy me a few seconds.

  “Winger, what is it?” Split Screen asked, urgency in her voice.

  “Shotgun, are you on channel?”

  Nothing. He must still be waiting for his phone to configure.

  The position of the furniture would provide some cover, though hiding wasn’t really possible. The desk faced away from the window and toward the door. I’d be able to crouch at the side of the desk that was most in the corner.

  “I believe my security’s been breached. Notify Shotgun, Defender, or Snowbird and get them on channel.”

  “On it,” Split Screen responded.

  The doorknob rattled, just like in a horror movie.

  A moment later the door began to splinter.

  I ma
de myself as small as I could next to the desk. Someone had a gun with a silencer. The slight sound a gun makes as it popped bullets drifted into the office as shrapnel came through the door. The chair, desk, and window spiderwebbed with cracks as they were hit.

  “I’m about to be overrun.” I spoke quietly, my voice even. Perhaps this was getting to be too much of a commonplace situation for me to be outright scared.

  “Defender here. We’re on the way. Hang tight.”

  Right on time, as usual.

  With a couple of loud thunks against the door, it gave way. I remained hidden. Obviously, I couldn’t get out of the room, but not revealing myself would buy time for Dad to arrive.

  “I know you’re in here, Theo.”

  Melissa?

  Wow.

  She had an excellently crafted cover. As head of security, we’d vetted her early on. Nothing suspicious surfaced in her review—just someone who worked hard to get where she was.

  I stood, hands raised, not wanting to provoke her. “What’re you doing?”

  “I can’t let you cause any more issues than you already have.” She aimed her gun at my chest. “We hoped there was enough distraction with the kidnappings and Eddie but apparently not. So much the better. I’ll be a hero for bringing you in. Then you’ll have no choice but to work with us. I was surprised you weren’t taken last night.”

  Last night? Did she get to Eddie while he was here yesterday to force him to do what he did? Or was Eddie a willing accomplice? Did I even have a cover anymore?

  So many questions.

  “You can’t really think they’re gonna let me walk out of here with you. Homeland Security and FBI are in the building.”

  “Please. Your parents aren’t going to risk your life.”

  She was wrong about being expendable. I had been in the past, and I had no doubt the mission trumped my safety.

  “Hang tight,” Mom said, “we heard that. We’re on the floor.”

  “My husband told me you were good,” Melissa said. “I’ve seen that firsthand now. It’s time for you to join us, especially if you want your parents and friends to survive.”