Retribution - A Special Agent Dylan Kane Thriller Book #7

by J. Robert Kennedy

  There was nobody manning the store.

  “Holy shit!” Leroux turned toward Randy Child’s workstation. “Sorry, boss, but, I mean, holy crap!”

  “What?”

  “Look at this.” He pointed at the displays in the front of the room, a map of the world appearing as Child tapped at his keyboard. It zoomed in on the Ukraine, various numbers and charts appearing.

  “What am I looking at?”

  “The Internet was just shut off in the Ukraine.”

  Leroux’s eyebrows shot up as the room became silent. “What?”

  “Not completely, but about ninety percent of their traffic just died.”

  Leroux rose, stepping toward the display. “What happened? The Russians?”

  “I don’t know, but it’s like someone just threw a switch and killed the bulk of their bandwidth.”

  Leroux tapped his chin for a moment then turned to Tong. “Have you been able to figure out where most of the attacks against Temple Technologies are coming from?”

  She nodded, pointing at a new chart on the screen. “Ukraine is number one, Belarus number two.”

  “Belarus just went down.”

  Leroux glanced at Child. “How the hell are they doing it?”

  “No idea. Do you think it’s Temple?”

  “That would be pretty ballsy if it was them. It could put some people in jail.”

  “The dude just called for people to murder hackers. I don’t think he cares about going to prison.”

  Leroux sighed then snapped his fingers. “Wait a minute. What’s Temple known for?”

  “Widower. Daredevil.”

  Leroux shook his head. “No, the company, not the man. They’re a tech company.”

  “Yes.”

  “Routers, communications, satellites…”

  Child whistled. “Holy shit. Do you think they spiked their own hardware?”

  Leroux shrugged. “I would if I were him. Hell, I would if I were them. Your company is being attacked using your own equipment. Shut it down.”

  Tong cleared her throat. “But wouldn’t that mean they had built a backdoor into their equipment? Would that be legal?”

  “Depends on where it was manufactured and where it was sold. Remember, they subcontract out a lot of the work. If the subcontractor technically did it, and performed the installation, then Temple might just be able to come out of this looking clean. And don’t forget, our own government might have had his company insert the backdoor on these foreign sales.”

  Child whistled. “I’m checking all my hardware when I get home.”

  Leroux chuckled. “Me too.” He returned to his station. “Which raises an interesting question, though.”

  Tong looked at him. “What?”

  “If they’re able to shut down their hardware remotely, can they monitor what’s going through it? If they can, then they might actually know exactly where these attacks are coming from.”

  Child spun in his chair, staring at the ceiling. “Whoever they are, they better hope somebody doesn’t start publishing their home addresses.”

  32

  Temple Technologies Corporate Head Office

  Mountain View, California

  Temple looked up as Davis entered the room, waving her tablet computer, a smile on her face. “It’s working.”

  He stared at her. “What’s working?”

  “Your idea to retaliate. Our external team we set up—untraceable back to us, of course—just essentially shut down the Ukraine and Belarus.”

  Temple smiled. His company’s servers received millions of hits a day if not billions, and a large proportion of them were cyberattacks, fishing expeditions by automated tools designed to test for vulnerabilities. He knew from their own internal reporting where the bulk of these attacks came from, where the disproportionate number of these attacks came from—countries like the Ukraine and Belarus.

  Countries, curiously, with heavy ties to Russia.

  These countries, among others, had become the hub of illegal cyber activity. Not necessarily because the hackers were located there, but because their governments looked the other way rather than prosecute, so traffic was directed through them, especially the Russian portion of the Ukraine.

  But not today. Not anymore.

  The countries would suffer, and he’d probably never get another contract there, yet he couldn’t care less. He couldn’t care less if he ever received another contract from one of the too many countries turning a blind eye to digital crimes.

  “How long will they be down?”

  “Days at least, unless we intervene.”

  “Let them drown. Maybe then the governments will take action and clean up their own backyards.”

  “Doubt it.”

  Temple grunted. “You’re probably right.” He eyed her. “You’ve got more, don’t you?”

  She grinned. “Yup.”

  “What?”

  “Our guys have been using the backdoors to access the ISP records. We’ve pulled hundreds of physical addresses from their databases.”

  A smile climbed half of Temple’s face. “So we know who’s behind the attacks on us?”

  “We know where the attacks are coming from. They might be victims as well through viruses or malware, but it should be simple enough to find the true source. It’s just going to take some time.”

  “Good. Keep Simmons informed, but I get the impression there’s too much work for one team.” He paused, tapping his chin. “Dox them.”

  Davis’ eyes widened. “Sir?”

  “Publish the list. Anonymously. Indicate that it’s a suspected list of hackers’ home addresses.”

  “Sir, it could be a bloodbath!”

  “That’s the idea.”

  Davis paled slightly. “Sir, there could be innocent people caught up in this. We don’t know who’s actually the hacker and who’s just being used by them.”

  He stared at her for a moment. “We don’t have time to wait to figure out who’s who. I want that list published.”

  “No.”

  He glared at her. “Excuse me?”

  “Sir, I can’t let you do this. You won’t be able to live with yourself. What if some kid, some little girl like your Angela, is playing on her computer and it’s been infected by something she knows nothing about. What if some vigilante storms into her house and starts shooting, because he thinks he’s going to get some reward from a billionaire on the other side of the world?”

  He sighed, glancing at the photo of his daughter. “You’re right. But we can’t sit on this. What do you suggest?”

  “Let me put everybody we can on this. We’ll say it’s a cybersecurity operation to determine who’s behind the attacks on our servers. We’ll provide the info to the FBI as we go, but that list will be leaked as well. We’ll say we were hacked and didn’t know it.”

  He smiled slightly as he stared at her. “I’m glad you’re on my side.”

  33

  Bureau 121

  North Korean Cyberwarfare Agency

  Classified Location

  Colonel Park glanced up at the knock on his door. “Enter.”

  His aide stepped inside, Captain Tann’s expression grim as he closed the door behind him. It was a rough time for all of them. The situation with Temple was getting out of control, and though it had nothing to do with him or Bureau 121, things were getting uncomfortably close to assets they had employed in the past.

  “What now?” he asked, tossing his glasses on the desk and massaging the bridge of his nose.

  Tann sat in one of the chairs in front of the desk and sighed. “Our team failed.”

  “What?”

  “They were wiped out when they attempted to retrieve Agent K.”

  Park’s jaw dropped as he sank back in his chair. “All of them? Dead?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “The ambassador’s son?”

  “Dead.”

  Park paled. “Does the ambassador know yet?”


  Tann’s eyes darted toward the door. “Umm, I was leaving that for you.”

  “You’re fired.”

  Tann shrugged. “At least I’ll still be alive.”

  Park sighed. “I wouldn’t count on it. I never should have agreed to let him go on the mission.”

  “You know how he is. And with his connections, any type of contradiction means a labor camp or death for us and our families.”

  Park tensed, the very thought of either possibility horrifying. North Korea was his home. He loved it and their Dear Leader, but it wasn’t what the people thought. He had been shocked when he first left North Korea on deployment for Bureau 121 ten years ago. Bureau 121 was the cyberwarfare arm of the Korean People’s Army, thousands of highly trained specialists whose sole aim was to conduct digital warfare against the enemies of their country.

  He was one of hundreds deployed around the world, disguised as diplomatic staff, or for those under deeper covers, as South Korean business people, tourists, or immigrants. One of the greatest advantages they had over America was the fact their enemy welcomed immigrants into their country. White Americans roaming around Pyongyang would be noticed immediately, but North Koreans in Washington?

  Nobody would blink an eye in a multicultural society.

  He had never been to America, though hoped to go one day. Russia had been an eye opener, even more so than Beijing, his first encounter with a foreign country. China was incredible. There were so many people, living in harmony, with the modern and ancient fused together. It had been stunning to see how much more advanced they were than his home was, where the government told them day in and day out that they were the most advanced country in the world, that their enemies beyond the gates were starving and weak, desperate to take what North Korea had accomplished through hard work and sacrifice.

  It was all a lie.

  Though he would never admit that.

  At least once a week he was interrogated by his own government, his loyalties tested. His standard answer when challenged about how what he saw contradicted what he had been taught, was that it was an imperialistic trick meant to deceive, and that he wasn’t allowed to see the truth, that those outside of this small microcosm of Western life were actually miserable.

  Moscow was a lie.

  Beijing was a lie.

  Home was the only truth.

  He had even believed it for a while.

  But it was bullshit.

  Yet knowing that didn’t diminish his loyalty to his country or his Dear Leader. He loved his country and its people, and the leader chosen for them by divine right. Whatever problems his country had, were clearly caused by the corrupt West, and he could understand why the people back home had to be lied to.

  If they knew the truth, if they knew they were suffering and their enemies weren’t, there could be chaos.

  And their enemies would be upon them.

  He couldn’t allow that to happen, even if it meant death for him and his loved ones. For the leadership never tolerated failure, and never accepted blame.

  But now the son of the ambassador to the United Nations was dead, his father well connected, a second or third cousin to the Dear Leader. And someone would be made to pay.

  And as the Americans might say, shit always runs downhill.

  He looked at his aide, sitting across from him, concern on the man’s face. He might plausibly pin it on him, but he still risked being held accountable for his underling’s screw-up.

  No, there would be no sacrificial lamb for this one.

  “Is there any way we could pin it on the Russians?”

  Tann’s eyes shot wide. “Umm, I’m not sure. None that I can think of, anyway.” Tann leaned forward, lowering his voice. “Do you really think it needs to come to that?”

  Park stared out the window for a moment, the flag of his great nation slightly visible. Pride and fear surged through him. Agent K was his man, and he was responsible for his actions. Someone had stolen the same data Agent K had, and had used it to perpetrate a massive ransomware attack around the world. If Agent K revealed his involvement to the Americans, then North Korea would be blamed for the attack, and that was unacceptable.

  He had to die.

  He turned back to Tann. “Terminate Agent K. Do whatever it takes.”

  34

  Albany, New York

  Janine Graf sat in the passenger seat of the SUV carrying her former partner, two others completing the mini-convoy. It had taken almost two hours to straighten out the mess, the locals not too trusting, despite her credentials. It wasn’t until the NSA team had arrived in full tactical gear that she was actually believed.

  And then the real hassle had begun.

  She wasn’t supposed to have been there, and she wasn’t supposed to have engaged, but as she had explained, it was the Homeland agent who had taken out seven of the hostiles, Penn the eighth. She had no clue who they were, and though she was pretty sure Penn didn’t know them personally, she was confident he knew who sent them.

  Because she didn’t believe a word coming out of his mouth. He continued to proclaim his innocence, to claim the memory stick had been blank, and that Hummel must have transferred the data before he even reached the house.

  That was a possibility.

  But then who had just tried to kill him?

  If Hummel was the bad guy here, then shouldn’t these assassins be after him?

  No, the only thing that made sense was that her former partner was the guilty party here, though convincing her superiors might be a challenge, since Penn’s theory that Hummel had transferred the data before even getting to his house was plausible.

  The problem was she knew Hummel.

  In all the ways that mattered.

  He had loved her, had told her everything, had shared his most intimate secrets with her, and she believed him.

  He did it for love, not for profit, which meant he would never have done what Penn claimed.

  And none of Penn’s claims explained the team sent to either collect him or kill him.

  She frowned.

  And who the hell was this Kane guy? He had taken off as the police arrived, but not before making sure she was safe. He definitely wasn’t Homeland, otherwise he would have stuck around. Who was he? Who did he work for?

  He was good. She had never before seen anyone operate so smoothly, so confidently. Penn had saved them, but she had little doubt Kane was about to.

  Eight to one odds didn’t seem so far-fetched with someone like that.

  She turned in her seat and stared at Penn. “Why did you do it?”

  He shook his head, his eyes wide. “I didn’t do anything wrong! Why won’t you believe me?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe the house you’re now living in, the Jag in the driveway.”

  “Hey, don’t look at me. That’s my wife’s car. Her business is doing really well now. When we moved, we upgraded. Since when has that been a crime?”

  “Then why did your wife take off with your kid just a few minutes before that hit squad arrived?”

  Penn paused.

  Got you.

  “It was all planned.”

  “Bullshit.” Graf wagged a finger at him. “You forget, I know you too well. And I know her. Nothing was ever last minute with her, it was always planned precisely. I watched what happened. That was a panicked exit, completely unplanned. She was running from something, and you know what it is.”

  Penn said nothing, instead staring out the window.

  “Don, please, come clean with me so I can help you. Who’s trying to kill you?”

  Penn’s head spun toward her. “Are you kidding me? Did you see that press conference that lunatic gave earlier? My name is out there, and a billionaire is calling for my death! Every damned nut-job in the country is going to be trying to kill me.” He jutted his chin at her. “And you too! Our lives are over!”

  Her phone vibrated and she glanced at the display, an unknown caller indicated. Somebody had been
calling her for the better part of an hour, but she had been busy fielding calls from too many known numbers to bother with the unknown.

  Though something in her gut demanded she take the call this time. “Hello?”

  “For Christ’s sake, it’s about time! Special Agent Graf, this is Special Agent Kane. You need to learn to answer your damned phone.”

  Graf’s defenses went up. “Yeah, well, I don’t take calls from unknown numbers, and I definitely don’t take them from imposters. If I give Homeland Security a call, will they have even heard of you?”

  “Who I am is irrelevant. There’s something you need to know.”

  Her eyes narrowed at his change in tone. “What?”

  “One of the hit squad was the son of the North Korean ambassador.”

  Graf’s stomach flipped. “What!”

  “This has nothing to do with Temple, and everything to do with who your partner sold the ToolKit to.”

  Graf spun in her seat, staring at Penn, her former partner finally showing some discomfort. “You’re working for the North Koreans?”

  The radio attached to the dash squawked, cutting off any retort from Penn.

  “Sierra Three here. We’ve picked up a tail.”

  Graf spun in her seat to look out the rear window as she grabbed the radio off the dash. “This is Special Agent Graf. I’ve just been informed that the North Koreans are involved. We need backup, now!”

  Kane shoved the accelerator to the floor as he dialed Leroux. His call with Graf had been cut off in a burst of static he recognized—a cellphone jammer had been deployed. They were highly illegal, but criminals and governments used them to prevent cellphone signals from being sent or received for various reasons. Troop convoys used them to prevent remote detonation of IEDs, and people like him used them to prevent calls for help from being transmitted.

  And that was exactly what he feared was happening here.

  He had heard someone say a tail had been spotted, and it had to be a backup team, already in position in case the primary failed. Whoever it was had balls. To attack an NSA convoy in New York was insanity, though the North Koreans were never known for levelheadedness. He had little doubt in his mind now that they were behind this—there was no way the North Korean ambassador’s son would be working for someone else. He was clearly on a mission for his government, trying to earn his bones so he could move up in the bureaucracy.