Cipher (17 page)

The black EC155 helicopter held low
to the ground as its thunderous propellers resonated over the sea on its
distant approach with Boris Medviek’s white superyacht, which glistened in the
high summer sun. The chopper had been fitted with the latest stealth technology,
making it completely transparent to radar. Coupled with the low flying
altitude, it went entirely unnoticed by all Air Traffic Control Systems. Sheik
Abdullah leaned in as the EC155 approached over windless skies to get a better look
at the yacht as it sat anchored at the port of Istanbul. He picked up his phone
and dialed Medviek.

“We’re on final approach,” said the Sheik as Medviek
answered the line. The chopper circled around twice to ensure that the area was
clear of any authorities. The sensitivity of the material being transferred
would have national governments on high alert across the entire globe. The
Sheik knew the importance of the transaction, and he knew he could never be too
careful. He knew all too well that things could go very wrong.

“I can see that you’ve circled a couple of times. Nervous
are we?” Boris asked.

“One can never be too cautious,” replied the Sheik.

“That’s very true.”

“And the list?”

“Right here,” said Boris.

“Perfect. I will speak to you momentarily,” said the Sheik.
And with that, he clicked off his phone, and held onto the window railing as
the chopper began its final decent onto the massive vessel’s helicopter landing
pad. Boris walked towards the landing pad with several of the yacht’s
deckhands, along with Dmitry. As the chopper wound down its engines, the
propeller came to a stop and Sheik Abdullah disembarked onto the yacht along
with his security personnel. The ex-military hired guns were neatly clad in
black suits and dark sunglasses. Boris walked up to shake the Sheik’s hand as
the propellers came to a stop.

“Very good to see you,” Boris said.

“It’s very good to be here,” said the Sheik. “I have waited
patiently for this day for quite some time now,” he added.

“Yes, I know.”

They walked towards the upper deck seating area and took
their spots at the table, which had been pre-arranged for the Sheik’s arrival.
Plates of cheeses, fine wines, and an assortment of other food and drink
adorned the luxuriously appointed outdoor dining area.

“Please sit,” Boris said, motioning the Sheik to the table.
Boris sat opposite him, and the others took their seats at the table. Dmitry
sat between the Sheik and Boris.

“Thank you. Once again, you’ve proved to be a very gracious
host,” said the Sheik.

“It’s all my pleasure. I am thrilled to have you back here,”
Boris said.

“What, no women this time?” asked the Sheik, smiling.

“Of course. But I thought we would handle our business
first, then get to the pleasure part.”

“That sounds like a good plan.”

“So, tell me, did you face much difficulty obtaining that
list?” asked the Sheik.

“You know how heavily guarded that list is,” Dmitry said.

“Yes, of course,” replied the Sheik.

“Then you can only imagine the lengths that we’ve gone to in
order to secure those names,” Boris said as a glass of sparking water was
poured for him.

“Can I offer you any white wine your highness?” asked a
deckhand as he made his way around to the Sheik.

“Normally I wouldn’t drink an ounce of alcohol. But this
calls for a bit of a celebration and I’m willing to bend the rules just a
little bit. Red wine please. I’m not a fan of white wine,” said the Sheik,
smiling from ear-to-ear.

“Right away,” said the deckhand.

“You do realize that we’ll have to verify the list at
random,” said the Sheik as he took a sip of his red wine. “Excellent wine,” he
added.

“I’m glad you approve,” Boris said.

“Of course you may verify any of the names on the list,”
Dmitry said.

“We will have to choose two dozen at random for
verification,” said the Sheik.

“No problem,” Boris said. “I would tell you that you could
verify the entire list, but it wouldn’t be prudent of me to allow you to do
that before the transaction is completed.”

“Of course. I understand. Two-dozen names will be suitable.
How many names have we on the list.”

“All of them,” Boris said.

“All of them?” the Sheik asked.

“Yes.
All of them.”

The Sheik coughed as he swallowed down the wine, as if he
actually couldn’t believe what was being said. “I didn’t think you were serious
about that before,” he added.

“I’m always serious when it comes to business,” Boris said.

“I can see that now. Well, I must raise a glass to you for
pulling off the seemingly unimaginable. This list will buy me the power and
influence that I need amongst my Arab neighbors. We will no longer have to hide
in the shadows while the oppressors overreach and track our every step we take.
We can now do the tracking and evading,” said the Sheik.

“Wonderful. I hope that the list will bring you everything
that you may hope that it will,” Boris said.

“Yes, it most certainly will.”

“Shall we get to it then?” Boris asked.

The Sheik looked around, as if he was awaiting some military
coup to occur as teams swarmed in from everywhere as the transaction went down.
But, there was nothing but the sound of the lapping waves at the base of the
ship and the seagulls’ cries in the air.

“Yes, please,” said the Sheik.

Boris disappeared for a brief moment,
then
reappeared with his laptop. The Sheik ordered a man in his entourage to prepare
with his own laptop for the verification process. Both men opened their
laptops, which whirred to life, and space was made on the very crowded table
for the two very sophisticated pieces of machinery.

“Okay, here we are. All set,” said Ali, the Sheik’s head of
security, as he prepared to vet the names on the list.

“I hope that you’re prepared with a secure and very encrypted
connection,” said Boris.

“Of course,” said Ali. “Shall we begin?”

“Yes. Let’s get started,” Boris replied. “The first name on
the list, Mark Steven Abrahams, CIA, black-ops. Location: Riyadh.”

“Confirming: Mark Steven Abrahams. Hold on please,” Ali said,
as his fingers glided across the keyboard in a swift motion. The beads of sweat
could be seen collecting on the side of his head and along the slender black
frames of his opticals. The partially balding man looked as anxious as one
person could be, but he was attempting to keep his cool. You could see the
utter fear and anxiety written all over his face as he glanced around, his
fingers continuing to quickly glide over the keyboard. He pushed up his glasses
as they slid down his nose. “Still confirming...” he said again as he continued
the process.
“
Okay, confirmed.”

“Excellent,” said the Sheik. “Next name?”

Boris looked through the list, picked more names at random,
and read them off. As each name was read, a moment of silence was heard before the
name was confirmed. They continued through the list of names until two-dozen
had been confirmed.

“So of the 3,486 names on the list, two dozen at pure random
have been confirmed,” said the Sheik.

“Excellent,” Boris replied. “Now. Shall we discuss the
transfer of the funds?”

“Of course. We are prepared to send the wire,” Ali said, and
the Sheik nodded his head in accordance with that statement.

“I must say,” said the Sheik, “I’m still in a state of shock
that you were able to pull this off. I’m not sure if you understand what this
means.”

“I do,” said Boris nonchalantly.

“Well, if you understand, you are certainly very humble
about it,” replied the Sheik.

“We understand the sensitivity of this just as much as you
do,” said Dmitry as he scarfed down a piece of cheese with a cracker.

“I’m glad that you are all very modest about it. I want to
thank you again for all of this,” said the Sheik.

“No, it’s us who should thank you,” Boris said, and they all
smiled at one another and nodded in agreement. And, Boris smiled even further
as he began to read off the numbered accounts that he wanted the funds
transferred to in exchange for the list.

“So can we verify the amount being transferred?” Dmitry
asked with a smile on his face.

“I see that someone is excited about this transaction,” said
the Sheik as he looked at the eager-eyed Dmitry.

“Yes, I cannot hide it,” Dmitry said.

“That’s okay. I still recall one of my first
really big
deals in business. I would equate it to something
like that.”

“Well, it’s not to say that we have not done any very big deals
similar to this,” said Dmitry.

“I understand. That’s not what I meant,” said the Sheik.

“Of course. We understand what you meant. This is in fact a
big deal for us,” Boris said. “Please, pay no attention to my brother. He can
let his ego get in the way at times.” He looked over at his brother with
scathing eyes. He glared at him for only a brief moment, but long enough to let
him know that he needed to watch his tongue.

“So, Sheik, if I can ask you what you’ll do with the names
once our deal here is complete?” asked Dmitry. It was another stupid question,
which only further irritated Boris.

“Please… Please… you don’t have to answer that question,”
Boris said.

“No, no. That’s quite
alright
. Your
brother is curious. That’s okay. This list is ten times more valuable to me
than it is to you.”

“Why is that?” Dmitry asked.

“Well, on the black market, I can sell each name for $10
million US dollars,” said the Sheik. “Although it would take a tremendous
amount of time for me to do that, it’s not my intention.”

“Oh?” asked Dmitry.

“My intention is… well… shall we say, much more sinister
than that.”

“How so?” asked
Dmitry.

“Well, my family was brutally murdered at the hands of
agents like this – agents that hid in the shadows in an attempt to
conceal their true identities. These agents had no regard for my family or for
me. That was many years ago but I haven’t forgotten any of it. I vowed to have
my revenge one day, and this is part of the plan. I’ve amassed a fortune
greater than most others on this earth, and one of my intentions is to enact my
revenge. You will undoubtedly not hear about a single thing that happens to any
of these agents in the news. Why is that? Because they are all but ghosts.
Their respective governments will cease to admit that they exist, let alone
work for them.”

Dmitry sat back after he had heard the Sheik speak, and
gulped down hard. He hadn’t realized the type of person that they had been
dealing with. He was ruthless, cold, and calculated. He had seemed so mild
mannered, when in fact, he was exactly the opposite. And, as the Sheik was
speaking, Ali’s fingers continued gliding along his laptop’s keyboard and so
did Boris’s. It was like watching two masters at work as they keyed in data and
watched the output returned.

“Are we almost ready?” asked Boris.

“Yes. Almost,” replied Ali.
 

“I do have one request to ask of you.” The Sheik broke the
silence of rapidly clicking keys.

“Sure, name it,” Dmitry said, as his brother was still busy
transferring data from the list into one composite file.

“The cipher drive,” said the Sheik.

Boris’s fingers stopped moving for a moment as he looked at
the Sheik to witness his expression of amusement. “What about the cipher drive?”
Boris asked.

“I would like to see it.”

“Who told you about the cipher drive?” asked Dmitry.

“Come now. You think after all of this that I don’t have the
resources to find out how you’ve gotten your hands on this information?” The
Sheik smiled at the group as he said the words.

“Well, that’s not part of our deal,” Boris replied, his
fingers suspended in mid-air.

“Please. Wouldn’t you entertain an old friend? I want to see
what the source of all of this beautiful information is. I want to see the
device that helped track down this data. I’ve only seen it in my dreams,” said
the Sheik.

Boris smiled. “You want to see the cipher drive?”

“Yes.”

“Here it is,” Boris said. He pulled out the black USB cipher
drive from his pocket and held it up in the sunlight between his thumb and
index finger. “A thing of beauty isn’t it?” he asked.

The Sheik sat there staring at the cipher drive in absolute
amazement. It wasn’t that the drive looked beautiful, as the non-descript black
sliver was nothing to marvel at aside from what it contained within.
“Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful,” said the Sheik.

Boris slipped the cipher drive back into his pocket and
continued punching away at the keys as he wrapped up the compilation of the
list. “I’m almost done,” he said.

“Us too,” Ali said.

After they had both completed their whirlwind of typing,
they spun the computers towards each other and reviewed one another’s work.
They carefully studied the screens of each other’s laptops to ensure that
everything was in order. When they were all satisfied, the Sheik spoke up.
“There we have it. Shall we initiate the transfer?” he asked.

“Yes, let’s get this wrapped up,” Dmitry replied.

“Da,” said Boris, as he flashed one of his very rare
expressions: a smile.

Agent Jenkins and Steiner tailed
Viktor’s car, making sure that they stayed far enough behind not to be spotted.
They watched as it wound through the streets of Istanbul, crossing over the
Bosporus Bridge and onto the other side. Jenkins was at the wheel and watched
the vehicle carefully for any sudden movements.

“What do you think they’re saying right now?” Steiner asked.

“Who knows?” said Jenkins. “The six of them are crammed in
there like a can of sardines.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty funny looking from here.”

“I know,” Jenkins said, as she did her best to crack a smile
and not take the situation so seriously.

“What are we going to do if that list gets out?” Steiner
asked.

“I don’t know. We’re all going to be in a world of hurt
though if it does. NSA Director Edwards already briefed the President on the
potential that it may happen,” Jenkins replied.

“This is going to be really bad if it does. It’s going to be
our jobs on the line.”

“Our jobs? Think about all those unsuspecting agents around
the world
who’s
lives are going to be on the line.
This is more than just about jobs, Geoff,
it’s
about
lives. There are people’s lives at stake, and their families’ lives.” Jenkins
frowned at Steiner as she spoke.

“I know… It’s our lives at stake too… I didn’t mean to sound
brash or inconsiderate… that’s not what I meant… I mean… what I’m try to say
is… sorry.”

“Oh, it’s okay. I know what you meant. But, it’s not always
about you. It’s about other people too. Don’t sound so selfish,” she said,
jabbing him in the stomach. She tried to make light of the situation. The more
time they spent together, the more they were sounding like a married couple.

“Okay, thanks,” he said, smiling back at her. He kept a
careful eye on the car they were tailing the entire time. The reputed Russian
hit man had been on the US’s radar for some time now, but there wasn’t much
they could do to arrest him there. They had to let things play out.

“I’m going to give Director Edwards a status update,” Steiner
said, realizing that they were getting closer to the dock.

“Okay, call him,” Jenkins said.

Steiner picked up the phone, jabbed at the screen a few
times quickly with his fingers, and placed the phone to his ear. Jenkins could
hear Director Edwards even though the phone wasn’t on speakerphone.

“Sir?” asked Steiner.

“Yes, I’m here. What’s the update?” Director Edwards asked.

“We’re enroute to the yacht,” Steiner said.

“Okay. Let me know when you arrive there.”

“Will do, sir.
Oh, and what about
the Turkish authorities? We’ll need some coordination with them in order to carry
out the arrests.”

“I have direct approval from the President on this and we
have the full cooperation of the Turkish authorities. They’re at your disposal
when you need them,” Director Edwards said.

“Thank you, sir,” Steiner said and he hung up the phone.

“Okay, so we’re set for the docks then?” Jenkins asked.

“Yes, all set. I’m sending a message now to the tactical
team on sight there. They have eyes on the yacht. SWAT is going to take their
positions and will be standing by. Snipers will be on the roofs in the
surrounding buildings by the dock. Hopefully those two remember to insert and
turn on their hidden
ear pieces
when they get to the
docks. This is going to be a very delicate mission. Too many variables can go
wrong here,” Steiner said.

“I know. Tell me about it,” she replied.

*****

Jonathan and Jennifer were still stuck in the back of
Viktor’s sedan with the two Italian goons. Viktor was taking them to the yacht
and it was either going to lead to their demise or their victory – they
both knew that. They knew that things could go horribly wrong and their plan
could go south.

“Are we there yet?” asked Vinnie, chuckling to himself.

“Wise guy, huh?” asked Tony, then he laughed to himself as
well. Jennifer looked at Jonathan and they both rolled their eyes. They were
close to the docks, and they both knew that. They knew that the teams would be
prepared when they arrived, but they didn’t know how things were going to go
down. They were going to have to improvise.

When the car came to a halt at the parking lot, the group
got out and started the walk to the yacht. Viktor, who was walking next to Don
Cicerone, grabbed his hand as the phone went to his ear.

“Hey,” the Don said.

“I’m just calling the boss. I’m calling Boris,” Viktor said.

“Keep it on speakerphone,” Vinnie said as he jabbed his gun
into Viktor’s back. “And no Russian!”

Viktor swallowed hard as he felt the gun in the small of his
back. The group could hear the phone ringing as they made their way towards the
dock. “Okay,” he said.

Dmitry answered the phone. “Da?”

“I’m here,” Viktor said.

“Okay, come on board,” Dmitry replied. “Do you have the
girl?”

“Yes.”

Tony jabbed his gun into Viktor’s back also to ensure that
he didn’t get any wise ideas about telling them who else was with them. As they
neared the yacht, Jonathan noticed the black EC155 helicopter on the helipad.
He turned to Jennifer and whispered. “The deal is going down right now,” he
said in a low tone as they walked slightly behind the group.

“How do you know?”

“The chopper. That one belongs to the Sheik. Jenkins and
Steiner told us about that one. They said it would be here if it wasn’t too
late,” Jonathan said, trying to keep his voice down as much as possible.

“What are we going to do?” Jennifer asked, also whispering.

“Put in your earpiece and play it by ear, but stay close to
me,” he said.

“Okay,” she replied. She reached over and gave his hand a
quick squeeze. He could see the nervousness on her face. She had been through
such a tremendous ordeal, and it was unnerving for him to watch her continue to
endure the stress of the entire situation. He wanted it to be over. He wanted
the whole thing just to be over.

“It’s going to be okay. I promise. I won’t let anything
happen to you,” Jonathan whispered, as they walked across a gravel parking lot
that led to the docks. They made their way up the platform and through the
security gate that Viktor opened with a key fob.

Don Cicerone looked back to ensure that the entire group was
still with him. He saw Jonathan and Jennifer trailing close behind and motioned
with his head for them to quicken their pace. Jonathan looked up at the
deckhands that awaited the group and could hear them calling something out. The
group continued ascending the platform onto the yacht until they were all on
board.

Once on board, one of the deckhands led them to the upper
deck of the vessel where the group was still seated for the exchange of the
list. When Boris saw them, he pushed his chair back, stood up, and started
screaming something in Russian. Viktor looked down at the ground as the Sheik’s
two personal bodyguards also quickly stood up from the table and brandished
their own weapons. Dmitry pulled a gun as well and everyone stood there frozen
solid with guns in the air. Jonathan glanced nervously at the two laptops on
the table and hoped they weren’t too late.

“Wait, please. Please, just wait,”
Jonathan
said. He looked anxiously at Jennifer. What had they done? He stepped forward
in front of the group to try to calm everyone’s frayed nerves before they
started firing. He purposefully stepped in front of Jennifer so that she would
be out of harm’s way. “Look, no one has to get hurt here. Please, just hear me
out,” he said.

“Shut up, kid,” said Don Cicerone, moving him aside, back
next to Jennifer. “This isn’t the time or the place for you to be a tough guy.
Let me handle this,” he added.

“Okay, but we’re outnumbered,” Jonathan said. But they
weren’t outnumbered, and Jonathan knew that. He was just playing coy; he needed
to distract them while they could break off from the group before everyone
started shooting each other.

A quarter mile away, at the far side of the dock, atop a building,
two snipers setup their 308 caliber rifles at the bridge of a roof in clear
shot of the upper deck to the yacht. They were adorned in all black garbs, and
were in radio communications with Agent Jenkins and Steiner who were organizing
the grand takedown.

“Let me know when you guys have locked in on the targets,”
said Jenkins over the radio.

“Target in sight,” said the first sniper.

“Target in plain sight,” said the second sniper.

They were aiming at the Sheik’s bodyguards who still stood
brandishing their weapons in front of the Sheik, who was now just cowering
behind them. Beneath all of his wealth and his self-professed dangerous ways,
he was just a scared man who had to hide behind the guise of others.

During the concoction of their plan, Jonathan and Jennifer
were given small ear implants, which allowed them to stay in two-way
communication with the agents, in order to let them know what was going on from
their end. Jonathan and Jennifer both overheard all the chatter and could hear
that the snipers had taken aim at the Sheik’s bodyguards. They breathed a
little bit easier knowing that help was far off, but they still had to grapple
with ensuring that things went smoothly. The pair looked at one another as the
snipers spoke. They could hear them, and they knew that the shots were about to
be fired. They then turned their attention to the Don, who was barking orders
and aiming his gun at Boris.

“I think you know why I’m here, Medviek,” said Don Cicerone.
Vinnie and Tony were also pointing their guns at Medviek, who had his own
gunmen trained on the group. “I want the cipher drive, and I want it now. It
belongs to me,” he barked, while holding the gun steady at Medviek’s head and
grabbing Viktor by the neck.

“Boss, I’m sorry. I’m…” Viktor was pleading with Medviek to
forgive him, but there was no way out. He brought trouble to the boat and he
brought it in a big way. But, what Boris didn’t realize was that sniper rifles
were trained on the upper deck, just waiting for the word to take the shot.
Both Jennifer and Jonathan knew the word they would say in order to initiate
the order. It was part of the plan they had concocted with the Agents.

“Everyone please, just hold on a second. Let’s just all put
the guns down,” Jonathan said. “Let’s talk this out. Let’s figure this out.
Nobody has to get hurt,”
Jonathan
said. He was just
trying to distract everyone. He was trying to make cooler heads prevail but
nobody was biting. He knew that was a lie, because someone was most certainly
going to get hurt. He looked in Jennifer’s eyes and she knew what he was
thinking, but with all the guns trained on one another, it was too risky.

“Nobody has to get hurt?” Boris asked. He started laughing
uncontrollably. “Nobody has to get hurt? Who the hell do you think you are?”

“Honestly, nobody. I’m just doing my job. That’s all.”

“Your job?” Boris walked closer to him, his gun trained on
Jonathan’s head, while the three Italians kept their guns pointed at Medviek.
He didn’t seem to flinch at the fact that everyone was pointing guns at
everyone else. He still felt like he was invincible. He felt like nothing could
hurt him.

“Yes, just my job,” Jonathan said silently.

“And what is your job silly little man?” Boris gave out a
sinister laugh as he waved his gun around. Everyone followed the gun with
their
eyes, as if at any moment everyone was going to start
shooting.

Jonathan observed the tattoo alongside Boris’s neck. It was
of an old symbol for Soviet Russia. He could see it in all its detail as Medviek
walked closer to him. Jonathan was almost staring down the barrel of the
Russian’s gun. He started stepping away as Boris stepped closer, guns still
following one another.

“Hold it right there,” Don Cicerone said. “Listen to me you
piece of Russian trash. This has nothing to do with him. The problem you have
is with me, and if I don’t get my cipher drive back right now, everyone on this
boat is going to eat it, including you.”

He stopped dead in his tracks, and turned to look at the
Don. “Oh yeah?” Boris asked. Now he walked towards Don Cicerone, who was still holding
Viktor tightly by the neck, creating a barrier in front of him. It didn’t stop
Boris from keeping his gun trained directly at Viktor who was standing in the
way.

“I should just shoot you right now,” Don Cicerone said.

“Go ahead, make my day, as you all say in your Hollywood
movies,” Boris said, mocking the group. “You’re on my boat. You don’t tell me
what to do. I tell you what to do. You think you can just come on here and
muscle me
around?
You have another thing coming if you
think that,” he barked.

After Boris was finished barking at the Don, four of
Medviek’s goons had appeared who now had the group surrounded. Jonathan had put
his gun in his waist, but as he eyed Jennifer who could almost read his mind,
he decided against reaching for it. He listened to the chatter in his earpiece.

Agent Jenkins: “What’s the status?”

Sniper 1: “Suspects have the group surrounded. The Sheik is heading
towards the helicopter.

Sniper 2: “I have the shot. Permission to fire?”

Agent Jenkins: “No. It’s too risky. We haven’t gotten the
signal yet. They haven’t said the code word.”

NSA Director Edwards: “Snipers, you stand down until we give
the orders.”

Sniper 1: “But, sir?”

NSA Director Edwards: “I said stand down.”

Jonathan and Jennifer listened in closely. They knew it was
going to be too difficult for them to get the shots off without them getting
hurt. They were at odds with what to do. But, then Jonathan got an idea. He
looked over at Jennifer as if to tell her to play along. Jonathan stepped back
from the group and so did Jennifer.