Cyber Attack

By Joseph Muratore

The book involves several dirty bombs being shipped to various points in the United States by overseas terrorists. It is up to a United States little known Secret Anti-Subversive Agency (SASA),who must enlist the aid of college nerd trivia and Internet specialists to track the terrorist mastermind and identify the internet chatter to and break their codes in an attempt to Identify and destroy the bombs to prevent the terrorist from destroying key U.S cities, installations and interests.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Apr 15, 2013
• ISBN: 9781626755024

Book preview

9781626755024

CHAPTER ONE…THE MEETING

What the….wha?

Carl was abruptly woken from a sound sleep. He heard pounding and noises on his apartment door. He leaped from bed, still a little dazed and confused. He went to the door, but caution dictated.

Don’t open it. It could be anything, anyone, when he heard himself saying loudly,

Who’s there, who is it?

A female voice called back,

Let me in please, help me, they’re trying to kill me.

Whoa, Carl thought. ‘Who’s out there? It could be a trick by someone attempting to break in.’

He glanced at the clock on the wall. 3:00 AM.

Who is it? he demanded again.

More banging and screeching followed. Her voice was definitely in distress.

Please let me in. Help me, PLEASE!

One second. Carl shouted back.

Carl quickly crossed the living room floor to retrieve his pistol. It was laying on the end table along side of his couch, and next to where his jacket, shirt, and pants lay. He had come home just a couple of hours previously after drinking with some friends at the neighborhood pub, Hoochers Bar, before stripping off his clothes and dropping onto his bed.

Arming his Walther PKK pistol he opened the door and quickly stepped behind it. She ran in the door. Thankfully, Carl thought, she was alone. He slammed the door and made sure it was dead bolted.

Who the fuck are you? he said.

She just slumped to the floor, and he stared at her. Her hair was wet and hanging on her shoulders. That’s right, it is raining out, Carl thought, hearing the rain for the first time. She had on only a very wet white blouse, a dark skirt, no shoes, and he noticed one earring was missing where a trickle of blood appeared.

Carl repeated, Who are you?

He was thinking that ‘she actually could be quite attractive under that wet mess.’ Unbelievable, he thought, ‘you’ve got a mess of a situation here and the only brain functioning is the one between your legs.’

She finally spoke up,

Sheila, she said. I’m Sheila. Thanks for letting me in. I’m really in trouble.

For the first time she noticed the pistol in his hand and she trembled even more.

Why the gun? You don’t need it, I’m in trouble; not crazy.

Sheepishly, Carl looked at the pistol in his hand and felt a little foolish. Still he put the pistol into the waistband of his shorts. Oh beautiful he thought, I’m in my shorts, standing in my socks with no shirt on, just the way I fell in bed a few hours ago. He walked over to the couch where he had dropped his pants next to his jacket and proceeded to slip them on. He also threw his shirt on, but didn’t bother to button it. He returned the pistol to the waistband of his pants.

Well, he said, Sheila, what the hell is going on. What trouble are you in, or should I say, are we in?

Sheila looked up at him and asked,

May I have something to drink? Then I’ll explain to you just what this is all about.

Yeah, sure, replied Carl. What do you want, water, coffee, beer, booze, what?

Anything with alcohol, Sheila said, anything.

Carl walked over to his closet door and swung it open.

I’ve got pretty much everything in my closet here, how about a martini? I make great ones I’m told.

Perfect, said Sheila, but I’d call that a mini-bar, not a closet.

As Carl mixed the drink he was intently listening for any noises out in the hall or in the adjacent outside courtyard, but everything seemed as quiet as it should be at 3:15 am. Carl then poured himself a Cuttysark Scotch with a little ice and walked toward her as she was finally picking herself up off the floor.

Have a seat. Carl said.

Sheila dropped down onto the couch and took her drink from Carl. After a slow sip, Sheila noticed Carl just staring at her and she said,

I don’t know where to start.

Carl said,

Considering I know nothing about what is going on, or who you really are, why don’t you start at the beginning. You know, name, rank, serial number, marital status, whatever. Just tell me something and don’t be annoyed if I break in and ask a lot of questions.

Sheila shook her head and said,

Okay, I have a lot to tell, but before I do, how about you? Who am I about to spill my guts to and why? I appreciate the sanctuary and the drink, but more than that I’ve got to make sure you make sense to me and if by telling you my story, that it will help me.

Fair, said Carl, thinking ‘this girl is not from your average dumb blonde joke.’ In fact for the first time he noticed she had red hair and striking green eyes.

Well, said Carl, "maybe you’re lucky finding me because I’m a former, and I emphasize former, government employee. I am currently a self-employed private investigator, and proud to say, I make a successful living at it. That’s why my pistol (as Carl touched it), and that’s why my suspicious nature. It’s also why I’m a bit uneasy about any situation that smells of trouble.

My first name is Carl. My last name is Downey and my middle name is Adam. My initials are C.A.D. (pointing to them on his shirt sleeve), that’s probably why most women end up calling me a CAD at some point in my relationship with them.

But now Sheila, if that’s really your name, we’ve wasted enough time on me. Either fill me in with your story, or I’ll gladly loan you an umbrella on your way out."

He thought he noticed she gave a faint smile, then, she started to speak. At first softly, then in a stronger, louder, quick paced tone.

Yes, my name is Sheila Babylon, and don’t laugh, my friends call me Baby. In fact everyone who knows me does.

Carl chuckled,

Well, I know you now, can I call you Baby too?

Yes. She answered as she kept on talking.

I live in Revere, but I work in downtown Boston.

Where Carl butted in.

Baby replied,

For an insurance agency called First Assurance, at least I thought it was an insurance company.

Carl asked,

What do you mean you thought it was an Insurance Company?

I’m getting to that. Sheila answered.

She then related this story to him.

Sheila said,

I was job hunting about 18 months ago. I had hired a head hunter, you know a job search service, and had listed on my resume that I was previously an office manager, I had a background in financial research and was extremely computer savvy. After about 3 to 4 days I received and EMAIL message and a follow-up phone call from the service asking me to go for an interview at 616 State Street in Boston for an Actuary and Payment Service. It was for an Office Managers job.

Sheila paused and looked at her drink, then took another sip. Carl noticed she also had slipped off the one earring she was wearing and put it on the end table next to her.

Then Baby continued speaking.

Well, to speed this up she said, I got the job and now I’m wet and sitting on your couch.

She stopped speaking and looked up at him.

Whoa, don’t stop there, Carl said, But do you know what, before you go back to your story tell me first about tonight. How did you get here? Why so messed up? Whose trying to kill you and why?

Baby excitedly replied,

Who’s trying to kill me? I don’t know his name. He just showed up at the office tonight after I thought everyone had gone home. After I thought, no I know, I had locked all the doors. My assistant Loreen left the office around 8:00PM.

Baby continued,

It’s just a blur. I had just shut off my computer and put my pocketbook on my shoulder, when I looked up, and I was shocked to see a man standing there. I couldn’t even scream. I couldn’t get a deep breath. The next thing I knew he was lunging across the desk, grabbing or trying to grab me by the neck. He was huge, maybe 6’ 5 just a big man all around. I pushed back so hard in my chair I tipped over backwards, releasing his hand as it slipped off my neck, and pulled at my ear. That’s when my earring came off."(She glanced at the earring now sitting on the end table.)

She hesitated then started to speak again,

The next thing I knew he was coming around the desk to grab me, but I managed to go under the desk and out the front side of the desk opening. I heard him swear as I scrambled to my feet and I ran through the first set of office doors. Then I ran through to the main office and then finally out of the main entrance office door into the hall. I remember thinking that door was locked as I started to run down the stairs. All the while I could hear him crashing behind me, because I was alert enough to throw off the wall switch, next to the office door as I ran by. Which plunged his route into darkness.

She stopped to take a deep breath and then continued,

As I ran down the stairs I lost one shoe before I reached the exit floor landing. So I kicked off the other shoe before I ran out through the main lobby exit onto the street. That was the first time I realized, my God, I still had my pocketbook on my shoulder as I ran to my car across the street. Normally, I park in a lot up the street, but when I work late I move it across the street where there is less demand for parking spaces. Thank goodness I did that,

You drove here? Carl interrupted.

No, no listen, Baby answered.

I fumbled for my car keys. When I reached my car I located them, and snatched them from the bottom of my pocketbook, which I had just taken off my shoulder. As I got in the car, I dropped my pocketbook on the ground. There was no way I was stopping to pick it up, I just started the car and started to drive away, when that guy reached my car and punched at the side window. I drove with my lights out, up the street and around the first corner. I just kept turning right, left, right, left anything to stop from being followed.

Once again she paused and then said

That’s when I saw a T station. I stopped and jumped out of the car. When I realized money, I’ll need money. I knew I always kept a few dollars and some change in a little compartment on the car console. I reached in and thought, YES, I had five $1.00 bills and some quarters, so I stuffed them in my skirt pocket here. (She pointed to a tiny pocket on her skirt). That was enough to buy a Charlie ticket on the subway. I grabbed the first train to come along. After five or six stops I got out onto the platform. It was now pouring rain. The few people on the train stared at me, because I was barefoot and wasn’t wearing a jacket. Only one creepy guy asked if I needed help, but I just ran off the subway station platform. I just kept walking and sometimes running through the neighborhood. I knew if they or he found my pocketbook that I had dropped on the ground outside my car then they would have my home address and would probably come looking for me.

Baby paused.

Carl interrupted her.

Baby, I think he, or more than likely they, already knew where you lived. If you’re sure you had locked the office doors that would mean that someone gave him the keys to get in, someone who wanted you dead. After you tell me how you got to my apartment, we’ll try to figure out who.

Sheila said,

Well, there’s not much more to tell, I wandered about until I saw this complex of apartments. I was soaking wet, and dead tired. So, I just came into the middle of the complex and started banging on your door. I heard your voice and well, here I am. By the way, where am I? Sheila asked.

You’re at 249 Lexington Gardens in Quincy, Ma. Also know as the Wollaston section by the locals, said Carl.

Wollaston as in Wollaston Beach? asked Sheila.

Right on, said Carl.

"In fact the beach is only a block away. On a nicer evening and under different circumstances I would invite you to take a walk along it with me.

Rain check. said Sheila, who for the first time noticed his physique. He was about, 6’ 3", washboard abs, dark hair and complexion, eyes like charcoal. Wow, handsome she thought, maybe 40ish. Definitely, I’d take a rain check under different circumstances.

The admiring was not just one way. Carl had noticed her looking at him, but he too was checking her out. Nice figure, great boobs, and long slim legs. Then he blurted out, It’s not very gentlemanly of me to ask you Baby, but how old are you, as you’re in this kind of trouble at such a tender age?

37, Baby said.

And you?

41, Carl answered.

Well, said Carl. Let’s take stock of what we have here. You can’t go home, you have no license, no credit cards, no phone, no money, no job, in fact, all you appear to have are the clothes on your back and me.

That’s about it, said Sheila. Now I can only hope you’re a gentleman and can’t do enough for a lady in distress.

Sheila, I mean Baby, said Carl.

It appears that you ditched your killers, or whatever they were, or we would have heard from them by now. Since it is 4:00 am and we can’t accomplish any more by talking right now, why don’t you fill out that couch while I go back to bed. We’ll finish this conversation later when we’re not so goddamn tired and while we’re having breakfast.

My god, you are a gentleman. said Sheila, as she lay out on the couch to try to sleep. A few seconds later a pillow and a blanket landed on her as she saw Carl walking back to his bedroom. Baby removed her wet clothes and wrapped herself in the blanket surprisingly she felt safe and did fall fast asleep.

Ever cautious, Carl closed and locked his bedroom door, put the pistol under the pillow next to him, and after thinking about the situation, and thinking he would never get back to sleep, he quickly faded off to sleep until 8:00AM, until his alarm went off. Carl had forgotten he had set it. He had planned on going to the gym at 9:00AM. He had his eye on a blonde beauty that showed up to workout there between 9:00AM to 10:00AM every day.

Carl got out of bed, and returned his pistol to his waistband. He had slept in his pants and shirt. Still cautious he opened his bedroom door half expecting his houseguest might have gone already, but there she was, still sleeping, still pretty he thought. No, she was more than pretty, but still a lot of trouble. She was covered up in the blanket as if she hadn’t a care in the world.

Carl didn’t want to wake her yet so he went into his kitchen and started to brew a pot of coffee. Great coffee too he thought to himself. Fresh ground beans, ground right in the coffee pot, and they were organic beans to boot. Nothing’s too good for Carl Downey especially where health was concerned.

Then he heard her voice.

Do I smell coffee? Yummmm. I suppose I have to get up to get some?" she laughed.

Good, a laugh thought Carl. Maybe if she relaxes we can figure out what to do. If she’s not overly tense it will help both of us. Baby got off the couch and quickly dressed herself. She then appeared in the doorway, once again with the blanket thrown over her clothes.

Cold? asked Carl.

Baby conceitedly replied,

No, just embarrassed by how wrinkled I must look in my day old clothes. It’s just not me. I’m the snobbish stylish type.

Carl couldn’t believe he was actually enjoying her strength, her resolve and oh yeah, her looks.

Hunry? asked Carl.

Starved. said Baby.

Carl asked,

How about some Eggbeaters with veggies mixed in and some whole wheat, toast?

Baby replied,

Sounds great, it wouldn’t hurt me to skip a meal, but not this time.

Do you need me to help or should I just do some weight watchers exercise while I’m waiting. she teased.

Your sarcasm may humble me. he retorted.

But be careful. I could starve you.

She looked at him and laughed.

I see you have no qualms about wearing wrinkled, day old clothes. she said.

Now how do you know that? questioned Carl.

No blanket. she quipped, and they both laughed together.

Yeah, well If you drop the blanket you could put the toast down. Carl said as he pointed to the toaster, and you can pour the coffee while you’re at it.

Carl added,

The mugs are in that cabinet over there. The eggs will be done in a few seconds. The veggies are cooked, I just have to add the eggs and scramble them up with my secret seasoning. As, he picked up the black pepper.

In a few minutes they were both seated at the table, eating quietly because they both knew once breakfast ended the pleasantries and playful bantering were going to turn into a question & answer and then we have to sort it all out type of conversation.

They finished eating and Carl picked up his plate and put it in the dishwasher. Sheila followed suit.

After a quick cleanup he turned to her and said,

How about we start by calling the cops.

She startled him as she jumped up really fast and said,

NO WAY, NO WAY.

He was in some respect puzzled by her reaction, but he also knew it went deeper than cops and lawyers.

Why not? he said.

Why not? Sheila replied.

Who am I to say it was that tried to kill me, a perfect stranger? The cops will show up to where I worked. They’ll suggest that I go home and they’ll give those people more info than they already have.

Carl said.

Stop, I knew the answer but I wanted to hear you say they again. You said last night if they or he looked in my purse. You said THEY would know where you live. So you are not thinking it’s a stranger trying to kill you. You know who it is. So who is it?

My bosses, it’s the men I work for, they want me dead. said Baby.

Why in the world would insurance people want you killed? asked Carl.

Baby just stared at him.

Carl asked,

My God. If they aren’t insurance people then who the hell are they?

Baby replied,

Well her it goes, I think they’re foreign agents, foreign agents who are deeply involved with undermining America. They are a pay off service that funds terrorists in the USA. I believe they are planning something that will make 9/11 look primitive.

Now I know why you said last night that you thought they were an insurance agency when you took the job, said Carl.

Okay, go on.

Baby added,

"At first I would get lists of names and addresses, all tied up neatly into insurance accounts, with account numbers and beneficiaries. Monthly payments came in for these names and accounts and the money was deposited into their accounts. Lots of names, lots of accounts and lots of money, but it all made sense. It acted and looked like a legitimate insurance company.

Every once in awhile but rarely, a claim would come in and money sometimes very large amounts would be processed, approved and the checks sent out to the beneficiaries. It looked right to me and it was a good job. I got good pay, had long hours sometimes, but not all the time, and I had great benefits."

Baby looked up into Carl’s eyes and continued speaking,

I did however notice that sometimes I would leave work with monthly reports on my desk, and the next morning the reports would be gone. I asked my assistant Loreen if she had seen them and she would always tell me, yes, but she had stayed late or come in early and had handled, reviewed and filed them away. There was nothing unusual about them.

Baby stopped talking abruptly,

Oh my God…. Loreen .her too, she’s in on this. Oh my God, It must have been Loreen. When she left last night she gave the keys to that big guy to come in and kill me. Loreen, Oh my God.

Go on Baby, said Carl.

I’m sure there are more people you’re going to figure out that were in on this, but I’m sure when they hired you they needed someone with a squeaky clean background in case Government agents decided to check out the company. Your background check would have put agents at ease. Go on.’

"Okay. Baby responded,

"After several months of Loreen handling the monthly reports and I never got to see them, it raised a red flag to me. So a few weeks back, when the reports came in I pressed Loreen to leave with me. I told her I needed a drink and wanted company, because I hated to sit in a bar alone. She agreed, so we stopped for drinks and chatted. When we left Loreen commented that she would see me in the office in the morning and that she would probably be going in early.

That’s when I decided not to go straight home, but back to work to take a look at those reports.

Baby paused to think how she would explain her next statement.

As I started looking at the names and addresses I noticed the number 616 (the same number as our office address) kept showing up on the reports. Whenever a payout to a beneficiary showed up, it was always preceded by the number 616. This sent a chill through me because most people reference 666 as the devils number. It’s supposed to represent the great beast Satan. But that’s a misconception. The last book in the Bible, The book of Revelation, is called in Greek ‘The Apocalypse’. The Apocalypse is responsible for that mistake. In Greek the Hebrew translates the number to 666 for the Great Beast, But in the Latin version written by Tyconius and later by Jerome it translates to 616. Successive translators Such as Iraneus in the second century found the error but chose not to correct it since then other transcribers have made and repeated those errors.

Baby stopped talking and then said,

The original text, as preserved in the Oxyrhynchus Papyrus (115) refers to the number 616 as Armageddon. Armageddon is the corruption of the name Har Meggido, which is the mountain and surrounding lowlands in Northern Palestine. That area has been rife with battles over the years, more than anyplace else on earth. According to the Bible, The Final Conflict between Good and Evil will take place here. (Revelation 16:16).

Again Baby paused for effect before she continued on,

I feel this whole insurance payout is for people who are planning their version of Armageddon. When I realized what I was seeing I went back over older reports and found that every payout was to a number 616. It became obvious to me that these payouts were going to terrorist cells.

Carl just stood there and stared at her. He thought to himself that what she was saying was nothing short of unbelievable. Could she be correct? In fact, if she was just somewhat right in her terrorist theory, it was huge statement, something that couldn’t be ignored. It had to be checked out by U.S. Authorities, by his old agency, and he knew just who to contact.

Carl blurted out loud,

Baby if what you say is true, this is incredible. I told you I was a former Government worker. It’s important now that you know the agency I worked for. I worked for a super secret anti-subversive agency known as SASA. SASA is a link between the FBI and CIA. Our job was to infiltrate, stop or obliterate any terrorist organization working against the U.S. My reasons for leaving the organization are personal but I still have many contacts, plus a few real friends working there. Let me call them and we will get them to hear you out and get to the bottom of this whole mess.

Sheila jumped at him.

Absolutely not. she yelled. As soon as those people I worked for saw the first sign of Federal Agents they would destroy any information on file and would be doubly sure it came from me so they wouldn’t rest until they found and killed me. No, I have to get those files somehow without them finding out. Only then can I turn the files over to your old agency. That way they couldn’t destroy the evidence and they could all be rounded up and jailed or whatever action your agency may resort to.

Sheila, be reasonable, said Carl.

How can you possible walk into that office, get onto a computer and copy all those files, especially now that you’re the subject of their search.

It’s worse than that, Sheila retorted.

What I really need now is the files that are kept on disc. These aren’t in the main office area where Loreen and I worked. The discs are in a secured area only accessible by the Thumb Prints of the three key management personnel. I’m sure by now the file folders and the office computers have been cleared of any incriminating information.

Realizing the hopelessness of what she had just said, Sheila looked at Carl and broke down crying.

My word Carl thought. ‘This is the first soft spot, the first chink in her armor, her feminine side.’ He shuddered knowing she would hate to hear what he was thinking.

She was still sobbing as she reached out to him and threw her arms around his neck. Involuntarily, he responded by hugging her and kissing the side of her cheeks and tasting the salt of her tears. He held her for a few moments and she looked up at him and to his surprise she started to kiss him. He responded to her returning her kiss. In seconds, without a word passing between them, they headed into the bedroom and into each other’s, passion.

Two hours later, after an incredibly passionate love making session and totally exhausted, they took a nap, Carl woke up with Baby still holding him. Her body was tucked next to his, with one arm by her side and the other pressed against his taunt abdominal muscles. He looked at her sleeping face and thought, Wow she is beautiful, but now he knew that was only part of what would from now on fascinate him about her. She was an incredible lover. She brought him to a level of excitement and passion that no other woman (and there were a lot of them) had ever managed to bring him to. How do I keep this woman in my life, he wondered.

At that point, reality set in. He realized what a ridiculous situation he was in. Here he was obsessing about a woman that was about to be murdered and he wanted to keep her in his life. That, of course meant keeping her alive. No matter what he had to do to help her. Saving Baby from her predicament and keeping her in his life was now the only thing that mattered to him. Ha, he thought, me the guy that women call the CAD. Now he was only thinking about her and not the danger it could mean for him.

Carl rolled over to get out of bed.

Baby opened her eyes and said,

Hey, where are you going, are you finished with me? Quitter, quitter. and then she laughed.

Her laugh sent a tinge of excitement through him, and when Carl looked down on that perfect face, and even more perfect body he actually thought about climbing back into bed with her.

His private parts were