Silent Warpath (Sean Quinlan Book 1)

by Dominic Conlon

  ‘So?’ asked Lomax impatiently.

  ‘So they leave a back-door - a way into the system that only they know about - but the back-door bypasses all the normal security checks, so they can get in and out straight away.’

  ‘But surely the company wouldn’t permit that - it wouldn’t make sense!’

  ‘The company wouldn’t know about it. I’ve known lots of computer engineers - they all have a story about someone who has left a back door. Normally engineers set it up because getting the normal clearances takes time and often the clearances they are given are not enough, so more time is wasted going back through the channels to increase their access. But once they are logged on the first time, it’s easier for them to configure their own access and use that for the duration of the job. They don't tell the company because the good ones remove the access when they finish the job. Some forget and some bad ones leave the access there deliberately. In any case, none of them would tell.’

  ‘Supposing the company find it – they would haul the engineer over the coals.’

  ‘The company could look for a back door for years and never find one – they’re too difficult to detect.’

  ‘So what makes you think you can find one in the time you’ll have?’

  DD looked at Lomax and for the first time in ages, a smile crept around his still puffy lips. ‘That’s what you pay me for, isn’t it!’

  Lomax thought it through. ‘OK, but how do you propose to get from a telephone system to their computer system - it just doesn’t seem possible?’

  ‘Like I said - the telephone system uses the same cables to transfer calls as the computer network. All I need is to be able to ‘lift’ the traffic on any telephone wire and I’ve got all the computer traffic as well. I can then feed that information into an analyser program I have on my laptop and look at the individual packets of information that are passing over the network. It still won’t be easy, because login and password information is always encrypted over a network - but at least I’ll be onto the right network and with the software tools I have it shouldn’t take me too long to figure it out.’

  ‘You’ve done this type of thing before then?’ asked Lomax.

  ‘Kind of’ DD replied evasively.

  ‘In the States?’ pressed Lomax.

  ‘Um, no. Serbia and Montenegro.'

  'Yes?'

  And India.’

  'India?'

  ‘Mm - I can't go into details, but the principle is the same - even in the States.’

  Lomax looked at DD. Despite his black eyes, broken teeth and puffed up face, he had all the youth and enthusiasm of a schoolboy who has just been asked to raid the sweet shop by the headmaster. As least, thought Lomax, he would be with him to make sure he was not bothered by any more heavies.

  ‘When do we go?’ asked DD brightly.

  Chapter 20

  Before Lomax got into the car he memorised the street scale map around the Advanced Marine Agency buildings. There were three altogether, all within a distance of half a mile. The largest was a tall high rise office block situated on the main commercial street. Lomax drove past the main building entrance noting the reception area immediately inside the lobby. There was an underground car park at the back. The other two buildings did not seem to have reception areas and there were no other obvious entrances. Lomax carefully noted the location of security cameras at the corners of the buildings and parked the car in a multi-storey car park.

  He came back to a nearby cafe opposite where he took a long latte to the window. While idly looking through a local paper he observed the comings and goings of the few people entering and leaving the building. After five minutes his cell phone rang. It was DD.

  ‘I’ve managed to track down the firm that looks after the buildings for Advanced Marine.’

  Lomax grunted. ‘Anything else?’

  ‘I hacked their computer systems and managed to trace all the pass codes and security procedures they have in place.’

  As DD began to reel off the list Lomax began to reappraise DD’s true value. DD had even managed to download a copy of the utility firm’s letterhead stationery and could print off an exact duplicate letter of authorisation. He had taken it one step further and logged a call on their systems as if emanating from Advanced Marine about an intermittent problem on one of their telephone handsets. DD created and assigned a non-existent engineer to the call so that although it would look genuine to the Advanced Marine Agency, no-one in real life would be prompted to attend.

  After twenty minutes Lomax left the cafe and walked several blocks, noting the type and positioning of security cameras both sides of the street. Lomax decided the best method of entering the building would be through the front door – but that called for a little subtlety.

  The receptionist studied the man in blue overalls and looked at his pass. She picked up the phone and spoke quietly, then told Lomax to wait. Two minutes later a smartly dressed man in a white shirt and puzzled expression came out to meet him.

  ‘I didn’t know we had a faulty point?’ he said.

  ‘Would you like to check back?’ enquired Lomax, holding out his work sheet.

  ‘Oh, no - that’s OK’. The man flicked his hand. ‘Where would you like to start?’

  ‘I need to start at the switchboard, run some diagnostics there, then I’ll have to check a few handsets in the building’ replied Lomax.

  ‘OK I’ll take you to the switchboard first - follow me.’

  Lomax carried some genuine testing equipment in his bag. Some three years previously he had taken a course in telephone system repairs and was feeling quietly confident. The course covered the basics, plus some theory, and Lomax was grateful that telephone technology hadn’t changed as rapidly as computers.

  His escort showed him the main console. He waited quietly while Lomax unpacked his gear and began to check over the system. While pretending to make progress Lomax chose a few extension numbers at random and one in particular on the ground floor near the back entrance. He asked the escort to show him where they all were and spent five minutes at each one, leaving the one at the back entrance to last.

  When the man brought him into the empty office to look at the final suspect handset, he asked to be excused, promising to return in five minutes. Lomax smiled. This was an opportunity not to be missed. He took out the top section of his tool box and fished around for a small rectangle of thin flexible plastic. Moving over to the window he tested the handle. It was locked as expected. He took out a thin pick and inserted it in the lock. It turned easily after a few tries. Gradually he opened the window, checking for electrical contacts. There were none. He opened the window fully and examined where the catch locked into the frame. Carefully he inserted a small plastic block into the casement recess and began to close the window.

  ‘Hey! What are you doing?’ The man had returned.

  McIver took the phones off his head wearily and rubbed his ears where they were hurting.

  For the best part of 24 hours the combined Anti Submarine Warfare group followed the standard search pattern established by long experience. The initial track was east at right angles to the anticipated path of the target. At the end of the leg the group turned south for half a mile before turning west and running the next search leg. They turned south for half a mile and repeated the procedure all over again. McIver wasn’t sure just how many box squares they had been round, but he was starting to feel dizzy with the effort.

  Armstrong thrust a cup of steaming coffee in front of him. ‘It’s harder than you think’ he said.

  McIver sighed. ‘If we carry on like this we’ll soon end up in the major shipping lanes.’

  ‘Well what do you suggest?’ asked Armstrong.

  ‘We could move further north – try and box him in off the coast of Nova Scotia.’

  ‘It can be busy there too – lots of fishing off the seaboard and they can screw up our sonar systems’ observed Armstrong.

  ‘I know Chris but I ca
n’t think of any other strategy – for all I know that bloody sub could be lying low waiting for us to clear out before it continues on its way. If we do this right we might just surprise him by lying in wait further north.’

  Armstrong thought about it for a few moments. ‘OK Jack it’s as good a plan as any other.’

  Captain Armstrong called out orders to retrieve the helicopters and prepare the group to sail north at top speed.

  ‘I’ll map out a killing zone. I just hope to God he comes into it!’

  Lomax turned slowly.

  ‘Just wanted a breather - its stifling hot in here.’

  ‘All the windows are locked - no one is allowed to open them’ the escort said testily.

  ‘Sorry - I didn’t know’ apologised Lomax. The man moved over to the window and reached up to test the handle. He waggled it a couple of times to confirm it was locked.

  Meanwhile Lomax was undoing the leads to his meter and beginning to pack away the tools. ‘Well, I’m finished here’ he said. I traced the problem to some faulty wiring in this extension’. Lomax pointed to where the cable for the telephone point came out of the wall. The cabling there looked obviously new and there was a cable extension point neatly tucked in behind the voice socket.

  The man muttered a curt ‘good’ and escorted Lomax to the reception area. He took Lomax’s card, signed his worksheet and promptly walked back into the office without saying a word.

  ‘Thank you’ said Lomax to the man’s back.

  ‘Oh, don’t worry about him’ said the receptionist. He’s always like that to tradesmen. But you should see him suck up to his boss - ugh, he makes my skin crawl!’

  Lomax smiled and bid the receptionist goodbye.

  As he left he pondered the situation. The cable extension was more than just a way of joining two wires together. If anyone thought to look beneath the plastic cover they would see a tiny printed circuit board. Its job was to sample any voice or data traffic that travelled over the wire.

  Lomax reflected it was just possible that the circuit board could be discovered. Americans were particularly sensitive about illegal surveillance ever since 9/11. It was possible they would be charged under terrorism laws if they were found.

  According to Lomax’s sources there was a strong possibility the authorities already knew there was an active mission from London. When Lomax arrived at the safe house he checked his computer screen to read the latest email from London.

  Dear Larry,

  Hope you are well. I’ve been away for a few days for a much needed break in Paris. Meanwhile HQ have been weighing up the pros and cons of opening a new store in the States. You’ll be glad to know that Peter and the guys still have great faith in your commercial acumen and are counting on you to provide our first income stream in this brand new market.

  Peter wants you to know that there will be no expense spared in this venture. He has an experienced team that are just finishing off in Italy and he wants to know if you need their assistance.

  Take care, whatever you decide.

  Regards,

  Paul

  Lomax considered the message. The reference to HQ meant that decisions had been taken at the highest level - but what decision? The following sentence was a little ambiguous and had to be interpreted carefully. On the face of it London were getting the jitters over the mission and wanted to put more men onto it. Yet they seemed to want to listen to Lomax’s suggestions before making a final decision.

  Lomax mulled over the situation. Pursuing the investigation might finally convince the Americans about the British interest. The cautious approach would be to pull out now. But Lomax knew it would be difficult to call off Sean. He knew from the files just how tenacious that bugger could be.

  As the car breasted the rise Sean could see the first direct light of the sun amongst the trees. For the last half hour the road twisted through a large plantation of fir. He spotted the odd log cabin perched on the hillside and the map indicated the town of Lakesville nearby.

  Lakesville turned out to be a combination of shops and houses serving a permanent collection of loggers and a more transient group of vacationers. The town was laid out around the main road but several side streets showed the town had more to offer than just shops and bars. Even though he felt exhausted Sean detected a true local spirit of community. A big logging truck halted in the main street to let an elderly man cross the road. Friends waved to each other across the street and a couple of women were engaged in animated conversation.

  Sean parked the car right outside a hardware store. He was surprised at the old fashioned layout. Rubber boots, galvanised watering cans, garden implements, wooden posts and fencing wire hung from the ceiling, and a plastic vase of flowers sat on the wooden counter.

  Sean dodged between the hanging objects. Eventually a short red-faced man arrived behind the counter.

  ‘Morning.’

  ‘Hi - I’m up here on a last minute vacation and forgot to bring a few things’ replied Sean. “I need some water bottles, a sleeping bag, a map of the area, ground sheet, a trowel and a light nylon net, some binoculars and a rucksack. Can you help?’

  ‘Desperate to leave the rat race?’ the man laughed quietly. ‘Well, I can understand that.’

  He went off to collect the items shaking his head and chuckling to himself.

  Next Sean went into a mini-supermarket and bought bottles of water, boiled sweets, candy bars, biscuits and toilet paper. No time to worry about the diet he thought.

  He slung the shopping in the trunk and filled up on diesel on the way out of town, buying a spare can and filling that too. He had deliberately not asked anyone for directions because he knew that in such a small community word would soon get round.

  Finding the cabin proved to be easier than he imagined. The grid reference from the GPS indicated it was five miles outside of the town. He came to a signpost leading up a muddy track to a ridge. Sean’s car slipped and skidded around the corners and for a time Sean thought he would need to get out and walk the rest of the way. About three quarters of the way up the hillside he pulled into a passing place, locked the car, and began to explore.

  By now the sun had risen well into the sky and the air felt warm and smelt of resin from the pines and the soft scent of fir needles. For the first time in his mission the familiarity of the trees, the springiness of the ground underfoot and the smell in the air gave Sean a feeling of being at home. It was seductive but also dangerous. This was no time to let down his guard.

  Quietly Sean walked along the path which lead in the general direction of the cabin. According to his map he was about half a mile away from the ridge. Sean knew the cabin was close to the ridge but the contour lines indicated it was set in a hollow. The map also showed a few tracks that meandered over the ridge and down to the next village some six miles away. Sean guessed that these might originally have been deer tracks as they all converged on water at some point.

  Shortly Sean glimpsed the cabin amongst the trees. Between the tree line and the cabin there was a cleared area of two hundred yards. This ground was covered in heather and gorse and the odd clump of trees and bushes sprouted in between. In the afternoon sun the colours and scent became almost heady and Sean yearned to be home once again amongst the hills and glens of Scotland. The cabin sheltered behind a gentle rise which soon started a slow descent down the other side of the hill. The whole effect was breathtaking.

  Keeping behind the tree line he never left sight of the cabin. Eventually he found a spot from where he could observe without being seen. There was some open space behind - he did not want to be surprised from the rear. Sean settled into a hollow in the ground. Through his binoculars he saw Natasha’s outline pass in front of the cabin’s small front facing window.

  For a few moments Sean allowed a feeling of relief to wash over him. The thought occurred that the feeling was more personal than professional.

  Reassured, Sean set to with the trowel and within half an hour he ha
d dug enough earth from the hollow to make a comfortable and shallow grave in the loamy soil. He placed bracken and leaves in the hole for insulation then went in search of more bracken which he weaved into the nylon net making a camouflage blanket. Lastly he picked up an armful of small branches and twigs which he carefully distributed behind the lie-up point and up to the tree line. Anyone approaching from the rear would be bound to make a noise.

  Pleased with his work he walked back to a natural hollow which lay a good 100 metres back in the forest and underneath some trees. The area was covered with light forest vegetation and dried bracken. Without disturbing the natural cover too much Sean scooped out a hollow in the earth and made a bed out of dead bracken. This would house his cache of stores and provide a second lay-up point out of sight of the cabin.

  He went back to the car and lugged up the rest of his purchases, storing them in the hollow. By this time the sun had passed its peak and after one last glimpse of the cabin Sean sat and eat some bread and cheese, washing it down with a bottle of water.

  When he finished he went back to the car again. He needed to get the car off the road, camouflaged from sight of passing cars and wondering hikers. Eventually he discovered an overgrown track further down the hillside near the approach road. With some difficulty he backed the car onto the track with brambles scratching the sides. He stopped after ten metres as the vegetation became too thick to drive back any further. At the main track Sean rearranged the greenery to cover the passage of the car. He then took a whole half hour to make a full circuit, examining the hiding place for any breaks in cover. Satisfied at last he made his way back to the lay-up point nearest the cabin.

  During the late afternoon Sean listened idly to the bird life and watched as some rabbits emerged cautiously from their warrens. He knew why Natasha had come to this beautiful place. But no matter how much she might want to escape Sean was sure trouble would seek her out.