Esther had some insurance. Over the last six years, countless millions of dollars had passed through bank accounts which, as Tsunami, she controlled. By regularly siphoning off small amounts, easily hidden from the GRU accountants, she had accumulated over $300,000 in the Credit Bank of Guadeloupe in her maiden name of Esther Bonnard. It was nothing like the amount she’d been promised from the A2 attack, but she could survive for a while. She booked a BA flight to London for Wednesday morning. Piotr had promised her she’d be paid on Monday and she prayed it would be so, but she wasn’t staying around in Moscow any longer. Whatever happened, it was definitely going to become the wrong place to be.
Delmas, Mpumalanga, South Africa
‘I just got a text from Leo.’ Abby was relaxing with her mother by the pool. She was feeling exhausted. She’d done everything she could think of to help his meeting with the Chinese, and now they had to trust him to get the job done.
‘What does he have to say?’
‘He thanked me, and said nice things about the hub-handover file and the time difference I pointed out. The Chinese have agreed to see his network demo and he’s just received the names of the oligarchs from Ilona.’
‘That sounds very positive. What do you think?’
‘Sounds like he’s doing what he always does, winning.’
Karen thought her daughter sounded a little jealous, but she said nothing. It’s good for her to have some competition, for a change, she told herself.
FIFTY-SEVEN
Moscow, Russian Federation
Sunday, 18 July 2017
Shen Fu Liáng was at the headquarters of the Main Directorate of the Russian General Chief of Staff, GRU, the foreign military intelligence agency. The 70,000-square-metre complex on Grizodubovoy Street had been built in 2006 at a cost of 9.5 billion roubles to house the ever-increasing number of security personnel working on a wide variety of ‘special assignments’. GRU, together with the FSB, the Federal Security Service, previously the KGB, and the SVR, Foreign Intelligence Service, the principal Russian security agencies, are engaged in every aspect of defensive and offensive non-military warfare. These include human intelligence and counter-intelligence through military attaches and foreign agents, signals and imagery intelligence and surveillance from close to two hundred SIGINT spy satellites, internal and border security and counter-terrorism, as well as employing about 350,000 specialists engaged in a myriad of cross-border activities.
The Chinaman was in the largest of the dozens of network centres in the vast underground labyrinth of GRU’s Internet-equipped laboratories. This was where the principal hub was housed, the hub that was used, together with their ‘Media Centre’ in St Petersburg, to disseminate cyber-attacks, fake news, spying software and a vast array of other cyber tools used by the State to monitor, spy on, infiltrate and destabilise governments, essential services and businesses around the world. This was the hub that Shen would use to deploy, via Shanghai, the shutdown trigger to the A2 cells in the billions of Lee-Win processors newly upgraded with Mark VII and ACRE software, the deployment he was demonstrating to General Piotr Gavrikov for the last time before it went live that night.
He finished the demonstration, the trigger command from the first hub still maintaining the network in shutdown mode via the second, and asked, ‘Are you happy with my solution?’
The general smiled grimly. ‘I’ll tell you tomorrow, after our targets bend the knee.’
It was during his stint in the US, in 2011, that Shen had learned about A2, the ‘Analog Back Door Attack’, and realised it was the ultimate cyber-weapon. Since then he had dedicated his life and his fortune to implement the technology to launch a gigantic cyber-attack that would damage China, the country that had spurned and deported him like a slave, and benefit Russia, the country that had adopted him and given him a home and a loving family. Almost by accident, he found out that Lee-Win Micro-Technology, an independent Chinese microprocessor manufacturer, had conceived ACRE, an innovative encryption-transmission technology which could be the ‘Back Door’ to launch his A2 attack into millions of networks around the world.
Thanks to the fortuitous meeting with Elodie, who, as Tsunami, had privileged access to Colonel-General Piotr Gavrikov, his project was approved and funded. He assumed that Elodie and Gavrikov were lovers, but he didn’t care. The general believed in his project and provided the support needed to prepare it. Besides, Shen wasn’t particularly interested in women, he wasn’t interested in anything but his revenge. In Dublin, armed with Tsunami’s offshore expertise, the oligarchs’ money and avarice, and the Russian ruler’s obsession to rebuild the USSR, the whole brilliant strategy was put in place. Within six months, his Chinese family had disappeared, Lee-Win was acquired, and nothing could stand in the way of the A2 attack.
Shen flew to London Heathrow on 15 November 2012 as Gyeong Park, then on to Shanghai as Shen Fu Liáng to take up his position as representative of the anonymous new owners on the governing board of Lee-Win Micro-Technology. He quickly imposed his authority and persuaded the other members to create XPC, a new subsidiary, far away from Shanghai, where he could put together the pieces of his plan without it being discovered until it was too late. The Dubai project was approved in March 2013, and by October 2014 it was fully functional and staffed by some of the cleverest brains in the industry. The ACRE encryption-transmission technology conceived by Chongkun Lee-Win was still a work-in-progress, and Shen convinced the board to transfer the development to XPC, with himself as the technical link between the two centres. Tom Connor gave a layer of normality and respectability to the new enterprise, and thanks to the brilliant minds of Scotty Fitzgerald and Sharif Kayani, carefully identified and hired by Shen, ACRE became a reality. The key to realising the five-year plan to rebuild the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
There had been some casualties along the way. Chongkun had refused to sell his company and a fortuitous accident was required, his own treacherous Chinese family had to be removed to provide the balance of the funds he needed, Scotty Fitzgerald had been too inquisitive, and Leo Stewart had almost ruined everything at the last moment. But he had survived all those threats and emerged victorious. At XPC, he had used Sharif’s expertise to test the trigger command itself. It wasn’t risky, because that was only half the solution. The upgrade had to be deployed via Lee-Win’s Shanghai hub, but the obvious danger was that they would immediately stop the trigger function and the shutdown would be cancelled. A small amount of money was all it took to subvert Hoi Wei, a senior manager in the Shanghai organisation, to do his bidding and no one, not even Elodie, knew his identity. With his accomplice and some help from cyber experts at GRU, he had perfected the hub transfer software that would permit him to maintain the constant triggering until the targeted networks submitted to Russia’s demands. And, most importantly, the attack would appear to come from China.
Now, at last, the night of the final act had arrived. Five years after conceiving his audacious plan for retribution, Shen Fu Liáng was about to lay the past to rest and start a new life. A new life without that bisexual nymphomaniac, Elodie Delacroix, Tsunami, or whoever she really was. Without the arrogant, amoral so-called oligarchs, and without GRU and Gavrikov or any of the people involved in his scheme. A new life with just his Russian family. Tonight, he would finally find closure.
Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
‘This code is not what we have deployed, so I don’t see why it is relevant to anything. We can all write code that shuts down networks, but we don’t upload it to our customers.’
The speaker was Han Wang Tāng, who had listened to Leo’s explanations and demonstrations step-by-step, ending with the triggering of the rogue cell, Sector 470, Cell number 887,999. As always, the network had been shut down by the trigger commands. The Chinese had asked for a second demonstration, but Tāng’s reaction was still one of disbelief. It was now almost ten o’clock and he had so far refrained from making any positive comment.
‘But that means someone has interfered with the production line here in Shanghai.’
‘Dead right it does,’ Leo said, relieved to hear this partial acknowledgement at last. ‘Do you know a guy called Hoi Wei?’
‘I know him. He’s been with us for about ten years, a loyal and competent man, but not destined for greatness, if I may say. Why do you ask, how do you know his name?’
Leo produced the printout of the email, ‘Expected Sunday, 12pm’. ‘We found this in the XPC server. It was encrypted, but my friends in South Africa opened it up. It was sent by Shen to [email protected].’
‘What is your interpretation of the message?’
‘We figure the A2 trigger code will be sent here from Moscow tonight and this man, Hoi Wei, will deploy it with the Lee-Win signature. The message doesn’t say whether it’s Moscow or Shanghai time, so we don’t know how much time we’ve got to prevent it.’
‘I see. That is a very serious accusation.’ Han turned and spoke to his chairman. Bohai Cheong’s eyes flashed and he made a voluble response, gesticulating with his hands.
Han said nothing, and Leo looked at Junjie, who translated. ‘Mr Cheong cannot believe that anyone would defile the name and reputation of Lee-Win in this way. He says there must be a mistake.’ The other directors nodded their heads in deference to the chairman.
‘I understand Mr Cheong’s doubts, it’s hard to believe, but I’ll prove to you there’s no mistake.’ Leo searched his laptop. ‘Take a look at this folder. It’s from the original memory stick given to Sharif Kayani in Dubai last March, by Shen Fu Liáng.’ He turned the screen towards them and opened the A2 file to show the code he’d used for his demonstration, then showed the ‘Properties, Details’ page. ‘See who the author is? Hoi Wei, the same person Shen sent that email to.’ Neither of them looked convinced and he sat back in his chair, wondering what more he could say to get his message through.
Patrice, who hadn’t yet spoken, came to his assistance. ‘Gentlemen, Leo flew from Johannesburg and I came from Malaga to Hong Kong at a moment’s notice, then Junjie joined us to fly immediately here to Shanghai. Do you think we would have taken such urgent action if we weren’t convinced of this imminent global cyber-attack? Why do you think Scotty Fitzgerald was murdered and Leo was imprisoned, if not to cover up a major conspiracy? Do you remember that Shen’s Chinese family was wiped out in the plane crash just before Chongkun was killed and Mme Lee-Win sold the company? We are convinced he arranged the crash, so he could inherit the fortune necessary for his share of the purchase. I’m sure you don’t know this, Mr Cheong, but Shen Fu Liáng is one of the owners of your company.’ At this, the Chinese directors looked stunned.
He continued, ‘Why is General Chillicott, at US Homeland Security, investigating Shen and his partner, Elodie Delacroix, who we believe is a Russian agent called Tsunami, if he’s not convinced of all this? These two people planned this whole conspiracy five years ago, and they are about to execute it in a few hours’ time. Please, gentlemen, you must believe us and act immediately, or the world will be facing a catastrophe.’
Everyone sat in silence for a few moments, then Cheong turned to Junjie and asked, in perfect English, ‘Do you know for certain who was behind the acquisition of our company from your esteemed mother?’
‘I didn’t know until a few hours ago. Leo, show Mr Cheong and Han the message from General Chillicott.’
Leo opened up Ilona’s email with the list containing the names, photos and descriptions of Shen and his partners, and turned the laptop back to face the four directors. Next to the computer, he placed the printouts of Mme Lee-Win’s BPI bank statements and Ilya Pavlychko’s report, showing the payments received from the six charitable trusts, via the Moscow Trade & Kreditbank.
It took the Chinese men a few minutes to take in the evidence before them, and to register the position and wealth of the men concerned. Dumbfounded, they looked from the screen to the documents, to each other, then all started speaking at once until Cheong signalled for silence.
When his voice could be heard, Leo said, ‘You must have seen the reports about Russian troops and fleet movements around the ex-Soviet satellite countries? That’s what this whole five-year plan has been about. Shutting down communications across those countries until they agree to Russia’s terms. Then these oligarchs can pick up the prime pieces when the USSR is reconstituted. Mr Cheong, do you want your country and your company to be held responsible for the next Cold War, or even World War?’
The chairman looked around at his colleagues, then he said sadly to Junjie, ‘Did they arrange the car accident that left your mother a widow and her sons fatherless?’
‘We believe it was Shen Fu Liáng and the woman. Then he took advantage of his position to build XPC in Dubai, far away from your control. We are sure you were deceived, just like my family, Shen’s family, Scotty and Leo and probably many others. I hope you now believe what Leo has told you?’
Cheong stood up and bowed to his visitors. ‘Thank you for coming all this way to deliver your message, gentlemen. On behalf of us all at Lee-Win, I apologise to Mr Stewart for doubting his word and to you, Junjie, I offer my sincerest regrets at what happened to your father and mother. We have been deceived for long enough, it’s time to take action. What is your suggestion?’
FIFTY-EIGHT
Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Sunday, 18 July 2017
‘And you suspect the malignant cell has been added to all our processors for several years?’ Leo and the others were back in the conference room on the twentieth floor.
‘Probably since you added the connectivity module. That was four years ago, right?’
‘Yes. I designed it myself and it was introduced in early 2013,’ Han Wang Tāng replied. ‘We saw how the IoT was bringing fixed and mobile devices together, and wanted to instruct every processor to move into a mesh network environment when ACRE was perfected.’
‘It was a smart move. IoT’s the future. I was involved in it for a while, before XPC.’
‘Did you write the interface to accomplish that remote upgrade process?’
‘It was a team effort. We got it working just before they threw me into prison.’
Han appreciated the modest response. ‘I would like you to know, Leo, that we’ve had many, many compliments from customers with all kinds of systems which automatically switched over to the ACRE mesh network without any problems at all. It was excellent work.’
‘Thanks.’ Leo’s mind returned to the problem in hand. ‘Anyway, I suppose it would have been easy for someone to add the rogue cell at the same time. Then it became part of the standard template and nobody noticed it. What does that man Hoi Wei do here? What’s his function?’
Han replied, ‘I hired him straight from university, ten years ago, he’s only thirty-two. He did a two-year apprenticeship as a systems engineer. He’s not a programmer, he works mainly on customer-facing tasks like information broadcast, updates, systems upgrades.’
‘He has full access to the main hub?’ Leo was trying to reconcile the A2 hub handover code with Tāng’s description of Hoi. Abby said it’s pretty clever code. If he didn’t write it, who did, Shen? he wondered. And who added the A2 cell to the template?
‘The hub room can only be accessed with a coded pass card, which is changed every day for security purposes. That hub is Lee-Win’s connection to the world and it’s an ultra-secure environment. Hoi is one of the few employees with authorisation to receive a pass card.’
‘How do your global deployments work? I’ve never done one before.’ Leo asked.
‘Obviously we don’t know where all our processors end up, but we are linked to 200 local hubs around the world, covering about eighty-five per cent of In
ternet-served countries. All the places we know there are some Lee-Win equipped devices. That way, we expect to hit over ninety-five per cent of them.’
‘OK, I get it. You programme the main hub to make one deployment to the local hubs in the regions you want to hit, and then they retransmit the data to their specific area. And that’s what Hoi does?’
‘That’s one of his tasks, and he has always fulfilled it very competently.’
Leo thought Han sounded too defensive, but he just said, ‘If he’s going to deploy the A2 code, he must be getting ready. Is he here now?’
‘He shouldn’t be working today. It’s a Sunday and we have no deployments foreseen.’
‘Where’s the hub room?’
‘It’s on the sixtieth floor, that’s right at the top of the building, near to the main aerials and transmitting and receiving equipment.’
‘So, if he’s up there, it’s fairly certain he’s the traitor.’ Leo took a deep breath. Shit! This isn’t a potential threat any more, it’s here and now and I’m in the middle of it.
‘I’ll find out.’ Han spoke on the internal telephone for a few moments. ‘Sadly, it seems your assessment of the situation is correct. Hoi Wei came into the building an hour ago and asked for clearance to do some test work in the hub room. He is there alone at the moment.’
‘So that’s settled. What are we going to do about it?’
Patrice said, ‘It’s almost ten-thirty. The Moscow transmission is arriving at midnight, or later, and he can’t do anything until then. If he’s in there, we should neutralise him immediately, so we have time to prepare for whatever happens next.’
Junjie nodded his assent. ‘I agree we should use our time efficiently, Patrice, but we are not masters in this house. Mr Cheong, Han, you are the directors of the company and we must respect your wishes. What is your decision?’
The Dark Web_The stunning new thriller from the author of The Angolan Clan Page 40
