The Dark Web: The stunning new thriller from the author of The Angolan Clan (African Diamonds Book 3)

by Christopher Lowery

  Now, Ed was totally confused. The South African had transformed himself from a monosyllabic Schwarzenegger Terminator character into a Gregory Peck Mockingbird righter of wrongs. He was about to seek more background when his mobile rang. It was a US number he didn’t recognise. He showed the caller number to Coetzee. ‘Is it OK to answer?’ he asked, not knowing the protocol for waiting and observing.

  ‘Go ahead, it could be relevant.’

  ‘Ed Muire, who’s this please?’ A moment later, he sat up straight, a look of respect and concentration on his face. ‘Yes General, it’s an honour to speak to you sir.’

  ‘Hi Ed. I’ve been trying to get hold of Leo for a day or two, but I hear he’s been unavoidably detained and Tom Connor suggested I call you. Is that OK with you?’

  ‘If there’s anything I can do or tell you that might help, just fire away.’

  ‘Speaker,’ whispered Coetzee. Ed hesitated, then remembering Jenny’s instructions, he pressed the speaker button as Chillicott’s voice rang out again.

  ‘I’m interested in the Chinese guy, Shen Fu Liáng, who’s working with you at XPC. What do you know about him?’

  ‘Virtually nothing, I’ve only been here for a month. But I don’t trust the guy, and I can tell you Leo feels the same.’

  ‘In what way don’t you trust him?’

  ‘First off, I think he’s a waste of space. He knows virtually nothing about what we’re doing, and I don’t understand why he’s here at all.’

  ‘What exactly are you doing? Can you give me an idiot’s thirty-second rundown?’

  ‘Have you heard about ACRE, our new encryption–transmission technology?’

  ‘Leo told me something about it in California. He said it would be a once-in-a-lifetime breakthrough.’

  ‘He wasn’t exaggerating, it’s incredible. We’ll be uploading it with some other new software to the billions of Lee-Win processors around the world.’

  Ed quickly described the software upgrade programmes. ‘We’ve got three weeks to get it all finished, and I just hope we can do it without Leo. He’s the brains behind the final version of both parts, so if we run into any last-minute problems, we’ll be in deep shit, sorry sir.’

  ‘So, Leo being in prison could jeopardise the launch?’

  ‘Maybe not, now. He’s already cracked the most difficult pieces. That’s what I don’t understand. If someone wanted to sabotage the launch, they should have clobbered Leo a week sooner and we’d be in trouble.’

  ‘And you’ll be using remote hubs around the world? Still sounds scary to me, but I’m no techy. Good luck with it. Anything else about Liáng?’

  Ed described the coincidences surrounding Shen, Elodie and Angela, and was starting on his suspicions of his involvement in his friend’s arrest when Chillicott interrupted him.

  ‘Just wait on, Ed. This woman, Elodie, tell me about her.’

  ‘Elodie Delacroix. She’s about thirty, Belgian, a real looker. She came here with Shen as his partner when he arrived from Shanghai. But she’s a bit too friendly with Angela, if you get my meaning. They act more like an item together than Shen and her. That whole relationship looks dodgy to me.’

  Coetzee was listening quietly, storing up the information in his mind. He drew a question mark in the air and mouthed, ‘Why Shen?’

  Ed caught on. ‘What’s your interest in Shen, General?’ he asked.

  ‘Sorry, Ed, it’s a national security issue, no comment. And I think we’re through here. You’ve been a big help and I want to advise you strongly to keep quiet and don’t let anyone, especially Liáng, know about this call.’

  ‘Thank you sir, I’ll take your advice. He’s not going to learn anything from me. Goodbye, General.’

  The phone went dead. ‘Bloody hell,’ he exclaimed. ‘I suppose you’re used to this kind of cloak and dagger stuff, but I’m not. This sounds like a very big deal, scary stuff.’

  ‘Quiet, Ed. Look, is that Angela?’ He indicated a woman emerging from the building.

  ‘That’s her. She’s got a black eye, sure enough, but I bet it wasn’t Leo who did it.’ The Brazilian woman waited for a minute until a taxi drove up. She climbed in and the car drove off towards Jumeirah Beach.

  ‘Right. See where she goes and text me.’ He shoved a card into his hand. ‘Send it to this phone and come back when I ask you. It could be late, but stay up until I call.’

  He climbed out of the car with his holdall and walked across to the entrance, as the BMW screeched away to follow the taxi. Ed was quite enjoying this spice-up of his day, he’d have a lot to tell Lynne when he saw her later. If I see her later, he realised. I may be up very late tonight.

  Bur Dubai Police Station, United Arab Emirates

  Somehow, Leo had managed to get through the day with no further trouble. They had just eaten the slop that passed for supper and he was chatting with Oskar while doing some muscle stretching against the door of the cell.

  ‘What are you doing in Dubai in the first place? I don’t buy that “student travel stop off” bullshit. You must have a reason for being here,’ the Pole said.

  ‘I’m with, well, I was with, a microprocessor company.’

  ‘You’re a computer scientist?’

  ‘You know something about computers?’

  ‘Not a lot. I know how to fake, or let’s say, improve documents. I had a bit of trouble in that department a while ago. It’s too much of a temptation, all that photoshopping technology.’

  ‘I’ve been hearing a lot about that lately, how dangerous our whole computer and Internet business is. I’m starting to believe it.’

  ‘Something go wrong at work?’

  ‘You could say that. It’s complicated, but basically I think it’s because I discovered something that was about to go wrong.’

  ‘So you got bunged in here to get you out of the way?’

  He’s quick on the uptake. Leo nodded, ‘That’s about the size of it.’

  ‘How did they do it? They set you up?’

  ‘I’m pretty sure that’s what happened, and it worked. Now I’ve got no access to the facility and it’s only three weeks until it goes bang, whatever it is.’

  ‘You don’t actually know what’s going to happen?’

  ‘I was close to finding out, but not close enough.’

  ‘Sounds like you were too close. You must have had a big job, how many people?’

  ‘About forty, but only a couple of key guys.’

  ‘They can’t all be crooked. Must be someone you could get as your eyes in there.’

  The guards called ‘Lights out’, and they sat on Oskar’s bunk in the darkness, Leo thinking of what he’d just said. He concentrated on Sharif’s log sheet, seeing it there in front of him, reading the three extra lines of code bombarding cell number S470. He remembered the sector, but he couldn’t bring the remaining ID numbers up in the right sequence. And he knew that if his suspicions were right, neither Sharif’s log sheets nor his own would be available to anyone now, except maybe Shen.

  Wait! he remembered. I didn’t print a log after running my tests because I tried to call Sharif and then forgot to do it. And I don’t need a log sheet, the cell number and codes are in my laptop. If Ed can get my computer, it can be retrieved.

  Leo slapped the Polish man on the shoulder. ‘Thanks, Oskar. You might have just done something good in your life.’

  He laughed. ‘There’s a first time for everything.’

  London, England

  ‘You suspect that Tsunami is this woman in Dubai, Elodie Delacroix?’ Hugh Middleton was mildly astonished. He and Ilona Tymoshenko were listening to General Chillicott. It was Saturday afternoon and they had come into the office to try to catch up on outstanding matters, but the general had managed to find them and interrupt their planning session. Judging from his excited tone, it seemed he’d been converted from scepticism of their theory to total conviction after his talk with Ed Muire.

  ‘It sounds too good to be true, but
if we’re right that Shen Fu Liáng and Tsunami are working together, it makes absolute sense. And it’s the only reasonable explanation for what’s been going on at XPC.’

  ‘Unfortunately, even if your intuition is correct, it still doesn’t help us find out who is behind all these shenanigans. We must ascertain the true ownership of Lee-Win if we’re to get anywhere at all. The whole reason for Leo Stewart’s imprisonment might become clear and we can take decisive action. But only when we have a clear picture to interpret.’

  ‘I’d bet folding money this new product launch is the key to this business. Ed told me there’s millions of companies around the world going to be affected by a remote Internet upgrade that Leo designed.’

  Middleton snapped his fingers. ‘Just a moment, Billy. Your reference to folding money has reinvigorated this failing brain of mine. We must find out which establishment Madame Lee-Win banks with in Macau or wherever. Remember the old maxim, “Follow the money”? If we discover where it went, it may reveal from whence it came.’

  ‘More lateral thinking, Hugh? Can you get your people to do some research, General?’

  ‘I wish. Even Homeland Security can’t investigate people’s bank accounts without due cause and a judge’s OK. So long as I’ve got nothing to hang my hat on, I have to sit tight and wait for something to happen.’

  ‘I understand. Then I’ll see if I can learn something from my sources.’

  ‘Thanks guys, I gotta go. Let me know as soon as you’ve got something. I have a feeling we don’t have too much time to waste.’

  He rang off, and Ilona said, ‘You still haven’t told him of our suspicions about the deaths of Shen Fu Liáng’s family, and that he probably inherited two fortunes.’

  ‘That’s exactly why, my dear. For the moment, all we have are suspicions, and Chillicott can’t act without definite proof. However, I have a feeling that this treasure chase may throw up more than we expect. I do hope you can find something definitive, I’m becoming quite concerned about the potential collateral damage in this affair.’

  Ilona made no comment, but she knew he was talking about Leo Stewart.

  THIRTY-TWO

  Jumeirah Beach, Dubai

  Saturday, 10 July 2017

  Angela paid the taxi driver and rang the intercom button in the lobby of Shen’s apartment building. A few moments later Elodie opened the door, pulled her inside and embraced her, kissing her lips and face all over. ‘Chérie, look at the state of you. Mon Dieu, no wonder they believed your story. I’ll put some Arnica on it, come and sit on the couch. Shen, pour a martini for Angela, the poor darling looks like she needs it.’

  She went to the bathroom and came back with a jar of cream, smoothed some on. ‘Here, this’ll clear it up. It looks like you did it with a hammer.’ Angela’s nose and cheek were red and inflamed and her eye had turned a violent combination of black, violet and yellow.

  ‘I slammed the bathroom door into my face. It was agony, but like you say, it worked.’ Shen poured her a martini and she took a swallow. ‘Thanks, that’s good.’

  He said, ‘A couple of these will get you back in shape.’ Then, without much feeling, added, ‘Well done, Angela, you did a great job. Leo’s safely away for a while where he can’t do any more harm.’

  ‘I was terrified they wouldn’t believe my story. You don’t know what those policemen are like, they’re brutes. Until the doctor confirmed what I said, they treated me like I was guilty and not Leo.’ She took another sip, looking concerned. ‘But he’s not guilty, is he? Are you sure he’s going to get out OK? I feel sorry for him, locked away like that.’

  Elodie put her arm around Angela’s shoulder and kissed her bruised cheek softly. ‘Don’t worry about him, we’ll take care of everything. When Shen’s sure the project’s finished and ready, we’ll get him freed. And by that time you’ll be safely back in Sao Paolo. Just relax and everything will be fine.’

  ‘I still don’t understand what he did that was so bad, and why you couldn’t just fire him or stop him coming into work. It must be awful in that horrible place, he doesn’t deserve it.’

  ‘I explained it to you when I came round on Thursday afternoon.’ Elodie put on her sincerest voice. ‘After Shen found out he was sabotaging the project, he tried to get rid of him, but Leo threatened to go to the press and cause XPC a huge amount of trouble with the other employees and the authorities.’

  ‘That’s right.’ Shen took over the explanation. ‘We’re in a vital stage of production; he would have destroyed everything we’ve worked for and we just couldn’t take the risk. This way, he can’t damage the business, and when he gets released at the end of the month, it’ll be too late for him to do anything.’

  ‘Have another drink, darling.’ Elodie filled her glass and clinked her own against it. ‘Here’s to you getting home to your father. I know it’s been difficult for you, but now you can afford to do it in style.’

  ‘Thanks to you and Shen, you’ve been such good friends.’ She took another drink. ‘Oh, I forgot to tell you, I’ve already found someone to take over the flat. They want it right away, so I agreed to move out by the end of this week. I just need to book my ticket and I can leave any time. So I need the money quickly, please. When can I have it?’

  Shen looked at Elodie and she took the girl’s hand. ‘What we suggest, Angela, is that we book your ticket now, for the end of the month, and we give you the cash when you leave. That way, we’ll be sure nothing goes wrong with the plan in the next few weeks.’

  She put her glass down. ‘What are you talking about? No, that’s not what you promised. I can get rid of the flat now and leave straight away. My father needs me beside him and he needs the hospital treatment, so I’m not wasting any more time here. And my rent’s only paid until the end of the month. If I don’t have someone to move in, I’m still liable and I can’t afford it. I need the whole 20,000 to look after my dad when I get home.’

  Elodie took her hand. ‘Alright, chérie, don’t worry. We’ll go to the bank and sort it out tomorrow.’

  ‘You promise? I only agreed to do this because it’s my lucky chance to get home, and I have to take it now. And Shen, why did you say Leo might be in prison for a few weeks? You told me it would just be a couple of days, otherwise I’d never have done that to him.’

  ‘It was just a figure of speech. The project is almost completed, we need just a few days more then we can work on getting him released.’

  She looked mollified, and Elodie said, ‘Let’s have a drink to seal the agreement.’ Shen filled her glass again and all three clinked glasses. ‘Now,’ she said, ‘just lie back and relax and I’ll take away all your pain.’

  Angela lay back on the couch and Elodie gently massaged her shoulders and neck, leaning down to kiss her frequently. Soft kisses that became deeper and longer until she gradually pushed her tongue between her lips. Angela responded, opening her mouth and pulling the woman’s head to her. Elodie slowly unfastened the buttons on her shirt to reveal her coffee-coloured body, glistening in the lamplight. She lay alongside her, kissing and fondling her breasts.

  Chérie, I’ll miss you when you go,’ she whispered. ‘I love your body so much, I wish you could stay longer.’ Then feeling the girl stiffen slightly, she said, ‘But I understand, you must get home as quickly as possible. So this might be our last moment together.’

  When she relaxed again, Elodie took one of her nipples in her mouth, rolling her tongue around it, then the other, in turn. Her hand moved down to the zip of Angela’s jeans and slid it open. She pushed her hand inside her panties and explored gently with her fingers. Angela moaned with desire and arched her back as the stroking became more insistent.

  ‘Oh, Elodie, querido, I’ll miss you as well.’ She sat up and pushed the woman down on the soft wool rug, both removing their clothing piece by piece until they were naked.

  Shen sat watching in his chair, his martini in his hand. After a while he put down his drink and unzipped his fly. He
didn’t go to join the two women.

  London, England

  ‘Well, that was ridiculously easy.’ Ilona Tymoshenko printed off the item from her computer screen and went in to see Dr Middleton. ‘The Lee-Win Tower Hotel and Casino has accounts with Macau InterTrade Bank, but the Lee-Win family has a long-standing banking relationship in Hong Kong. Even though Macau’s a part of mainland China now, they’re hedging their bets by keeping the money outside their main banking system, smart family.’

  ‘Indeed, a wise option. And which establishment is custodian of their wealth?’

  ‘BIP Hong Kong. It’s a subsidiary of Banque Internationale de Paris, you must know them, they’re all over the world.’

  ‘That was rather quick research, even for you. How did you find it?’

  ‘Actually, I asked one of my ex-boyfriends. He’s a prolific gambler from Ukraine and he has accounts with several casinos around the world. It so happens he has one with Lee-Win, and that’s where he pays his very substantial gambling debts. The account is in the name of Lee-Win Group Ltd, so I suppose they skim off their profit in Hong Kong before sending what’s left to Macau.’

  ‘We’re obviously in the wrong business, Ilona dear. Now, how do we find out if that’s where the proceeds of sale of the technology business went, and who sent it?’

  ‘I’ll get onto that on Monday, Hugh. Now can we please finish our planning discussion? You remember, that’s why I sacrificed my Saturday’s shopping.’

  Jumeirah Beach, Dubai

  ‘Will we see you tomorrow, chérie? What about going to Club 27?’ It was ten-fifteen and Angela was dressed and ready to leave.

  ‘There’s an Emirates flight tomorrow night, so if I get my money early enough I might be able to get a seat.’

  Elodie said, a little too quickly, ‘I don’t think it can be done quite so fast, darling. We’ll go tomorrow, as we promised, but we have to make some arrangements to withdraw so much money. It won’t be a five-minute transaction.’