Page 25 of No Time Off (Lexi Carmichael Mystery #15)

TWENTY-FIVE

Lexi

I felt relieved knowing that Slash was on his way back from the compound. It would be interesting to hear his overall assessment of the compound’s security, although from our brief conversation it was clear he’d already made up his mind to break into it. I intended to challenge him on that decision, so we’d see where that went.

While Slash was gone, I’d been busy looking into Maivia’s online presence. Frankly, it wasn’t much. He had a couple of social media accounts, but they were largely dormant, except for some postings by citizens over the past few hours who were not thrilled with their new interim prime minister. Clearly, he had made some enemies in the past. I prowled professional associations, police and government websites, and even neighborhood pages looking for an email associated with him, all to no avail. As my frustrations were growing, Petra stepped in.

“Sorry to interrupt, Lexi, but would you like some tea or coffee?”

“I’d love some coffee, and maybe a bottle of water,” I said.

“Sure,” Petra said. “I’ll bring them to you right away. How are things going?”

“Slowly, I’m afraid. I’m trying to track down more information on Maivia, but it appears as if he’s a technology caveman.”

She chuckled. “Actually, he’s a caveman in most aspects. What are you looking to find?”

“I was hoping to find an email address so I can see if I can hack in and confirm a direct relationship with the Chinese and the coup. However, I can’t find anything. Even his official email doesn’t follow your government’s standard formatting.”

She nodded. “Oh, that’s a huge inside joke. When his email was first set up, the IT technician misspelled his name as ‘Maiva,’ without the second i . Get this—he didn’t notice it for weeks until someone pointed it out to him. Then he was too embarrassed to have it changed.”

I sat back in my chair looking at her in surprise. “I wish I’d thought to come ask you first. It would have saved me some time. Thanks, that was super helpful.”

“I’m happy I could help.”

Petra left, and I found Maivia’s government account easily. I quickly set up a malicious link, but now I needed an enticing email in which to embed the link. I checked my watch and did a quick calculation. It would be just before midnight back in DC. Hopefully the help I needed was still awake.

I texted through my VPN, frustrated that the sluggish internet connection was too slow for voice at the moment.

“Away team calling Starfleet HQ.”

Within a couple of minutes, I received an answer. As anticipated, the twins were on high alert.

“Kirk here, with Spock and three junior ensigns in red shirts standing by online.”

Since that sounded like Elvis’s humor, I assumed Spock must be Xavier, and the three ensigns standing by on their computers were Angel, Frankie, and Wally. Just the team I needed. Angel’s and Wally’s exceptional hacking skills and Frankie’s fluency in Mandarin would be critical for my plan. I quickly typed a message and sat in to wait as our exchange wasn’t as instantaneous as I was used to.

“Can you provide an update on what you’ve found so far on Signet Investments and the other tasks,” I typed. “But first I have need for specialized assistance from Frankie if she’s there.”

A bit later his response came through. “ Frankie’s here and says she’s up for whatever you need.”

“Great,” I responded. “I’m trying to hack into Liko Maivia’s official email using a phishing attack. He isn’t very technology savvy, but as a result he may not open his emails very often unless it’s from someone he knows. I’ll send a malicious link I’ve created and want it embedded in an email he’s likely to open. Ideally, it would come from a source he perceives as Chinese.”

“Clever.”

“I hope so. See if you can combine what you know about Signet Investments’ emails and Frankie sprinkling a few Chinese words in the title to produce an email he can’t resist. Once he clicks the link, we’ll have access to his account.”

Elvis responded with several clapping emojis. “You’ve just made some kids here very happy.”

“I bet,” I typed, smiling. “Just didn’t want them to get bored without me.”

“Ha, not anymore. BTW, the additional ensigns working on the holodeck are having some success and estimate they’ll have full control by early tomorrow.”

He referred to Piper and Brandon, my other two interns, who were working with Wally on breaching the Cook Islands’ official government website and social media accounts so we could take them back from the plotters. Once they broke in, they would await my command to execute the next steps of our plan at a moment’s notice. While I was digesting that, Elvis sent another message.

“Spock and I have been researching Signet,” he continued. “Quite frankly, it’s been easier than we expected. There’s more information on them publicly available than you might imagine, and their systems show only ordinary commercial security, and not the signs of a state-sponsored intelligence front. Our assessment is their connection to the Cook Islands is first and foremost commercial. They invest in import/export business that transits to China. My guess is they are more of a front for businesses smuggling or whitewashing commercial products from China to avoid tariffs or sanctions. That doesn’t mean that they aren’t being used to support Chinese foreign policy in the region, but only that they started out as a commercial enterprise whose interests and resources have been co-opted.”

This was interesting information, but it didn’t necessarily connect Maivia or the coup to China.

“Have you been able to get into their system?” I asked.

“Not yet. Their security may be commercial, but it’s good. We’re avoiding any sort of brute-force attacks, as that would be impossible to hide. I’m convinced we can get in, but not on your timeline. We think you’ll have better luck trying to track the money and the connection directly through Maivia and the local Chinese officials. Sorry.”

It was disappointing news, but not a deal breaker. It also helped me focus on what might now be a better plan of attack.

“It’s okay. Thanks for the update. Let me talk to Slash and we’ll let you know whether to investigate further. Meanwhile, I’m going to need your and Frankie’s help tomorrow. We have about an hour starting at 0600 local time to crack a secure Wi-Fi network and take control of their security system. When I send the malicious link for the email, I’ll also send you the information on the wireless router and what I observed today. Use the time to research known vulnerabilities and plan attack options, and I’ll do the same here. We’ll connect 30 minutes prior to discuss strategy.”

“How will we connect to attack the system?” Elvis asked when his text finally came through.

“Slash will use his laptop to remote network with me so I can get access to their Wi-Fi and start the penetration. Between us, I propose we use high-side screen sharing so that you can see my screen. NinjaGhost is the only program I have on my laptop here. I didn’t come fully prepared, obviously. We’ll connect first and then I’ll sync to hubby’s laptop at the compound. Once we’re in, we’ll need Frankie to help us navigate the network to the cameras, as everything will undoubtedly be in Chinese.”

There was a pause, probably the twins discussing the plan with Angel, Wally, and Frankie and figuring out exactly what they needed for the plan to work. After another several minutes, Elvis responded.

“Gotcha. We’ll solidify our plan of attack. The kids are onboard—they’ve already been excused from school tomorrow. Everyone will be ready to go at 0530 your time. That will be before lunchtime here, so we should have plenty of time to do our research and be ready.”

“Thanks, team. Appreciate the assist.”

“Live long and prosper. Literally and figuratively.”

Smiling, I closed the VPN and my laptop. I was confident we could hack into the cameras within an hour if Slash decided there was no other option than to break in to plant the recording devices. But was that good enough? What if I failed and he was hurt, captured, or killed? Could I live with that? Did he really need to do this…alone?

I’d just stood to get some water and stretch when Slash entered the room. He quickly crossed to meet me and pulled me into his arms.

“How’s my girl?” he asked. His presence was a comforting anchor amid the intense stress of the afternoon.

“Worried,” I said. “And not fully onboard with you breaking into the compound.”

“So I was told,” he said, and then sighed. “Manny could hear it in your voice that you were upset with me. I’m sorry. I have a feeling I’m going to be saying that a lot until I figure out how this marriage thing works. I do want to make important life decisions with you. But it’s hard, because many of my decisions revolve around keeping you safe, and that skews my outlook and prevents me from either hearing you or taking your input into account if I think it runs counter to that outcome.”

“You do realize I have exactly the same problem, right?” I asked.

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I do, but the truth is I feel like your life is more important than mine.”

I looked straight into his serious eyes. “You couldn’t be more wrong, Slash. This is an equal partnership with equal importance, and we must work together to protect ourselves in unison. It will likely be a bit more intense for us than other couples simply because of the nature of our work. It’s not going to be an easy adjustment for either of us. But we can do this if we talk things out and respect each other’s perspectives.”

“You’re right. It won’t be easy to change my mindset, but I’m willing to try.”

“Good,” I said. “Because that’s where we need to start. Now, let’s talk over this breaking and entering plan of yours.” I took a step back and blew out a breath. “I know why you think you should do it, and I’m not against it…completely. I just need to know why you feel risking your life is the only option in this case. What’s your logic? For example, what if I’m able to get the evidence we need by hacking into Maivia’s email? Do you still feel it’s necessary to break into the compound?”

He nodded. “I really do. What if we find nothing incriminating in Maivia’s email? What if Elvis and Xavier’s hack into Signet comes up empty? We don’t have time to try all avenues in sequence. We’re going to have to run some in parallel, and that includes planting some recording devices in the hopes of picking up some critical information.”

I considered. “Okay, but once I’m able to access those security cameras, why do you still have to go in? We could just use the cameras to collect all the evidence we need without the risk being caught.”

“Two reasons. Manny reports that his cousin—who has been inside the compound on the bottom floor—has not seen any internal cameras. So, the only cameras we know of are the external ones, which won’t provide us with the evidence we need. Second, even if they had cameras in the halls, they’d be unlikely to pick up the very specific and private conversations we need to hear unless we were to get exceptionally lucky. It’s rudimentary, old-fashioned, and dangerous to physically plant recording devices, but it’s what we have to work with here.”

I closed my eyes. “I don’t like it.”

“I agree, it’s not ideal. But our options are severely limited. It would be golden to catch them discussing their plans and the coup. Manny already has some solid intel on the connection between Maivia and the Chinese—he’s got photos and videos he took during his own personal surveillance of the compound. I’m going to send all that to Candace tonight. We’re collecting the other evidence we need, but we still need a smoking gun, a solid tie between this coup planning and execution and the Chinese.”

“So why doesn’t Manny break in?” I asked. “Why does it have to be you?”

“You know why. He’s nearly thirty years older than me.” Slash scrubbed his face with his hands. “While he’s sharp and certainly capable, I’m not convinced he could stealthily climb the fence and get out of the compound undetected. Look, the one guard I saw at the gate was barely engaged. They’re stretched thin in terms of manpower. They’ll be relying heavily on the security cameras, so if we can bring those down or use them to our advantage, it should be easy for me to stroll in and plant the recorders. In and out within ten minutes.”

I took a deep breath to steady my nerves. “Okay, I’m in. I don’t like you putting yourself in harm’s way, but I understand the reasoning and the urgency. I bring down the cameras, you plant the devices and get out. Then what?”

“As soon as Manny and I return to the farmhouse, we get the prime minister out of here. She’s been in this spot too long and is in imminent danger of discovery.”

“It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours,” I exclaimed.

“This is a small island, and the longer the prime minister remains out of their grasp, the more dangerous she is to their plans. They will, or already are, ramping up search efforts to find her. We must keep her out of their hands and get her the resources and information to fight back. While we need to worry about everyone’s safety, those are our priorities.”

I sighed. “Well, my priority is finishing our honeymoon with lots of relaxation, but that doesn’t appear to be in the cards.”

Slash stopped and took my hands. “I promise you, cara , we’ll have our honeymoon. But now we need to stay focused on the endgame to make sure we get out of this situation alive.”

“I know, I’m just frustrated.” I squeezed his hand. “But this situation did precipitate a new addition to the marriage code, number four. We give each other grace when we’re irritable or scared in high-stress situations.”

“Grace under pressure,” he said. “I like it. Number four is a must for us, given our line of work and that little black cloud of ours.”

I stared at him for a moment not sure I heard what I thought I heard. “Wait a minute, you said our black cloud. Are you implying you want to share ownership of my diabolical puffball?”

He raised a dark eyebrow. “Your puffball is my puffball. If it affects you, it affects me. Together we’ll weather any storm our little black cloud decides to unleash on us.”

My heart stumbled in my chest. “Oh, Slash, that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me besides our marriage vows…twice.” My thumb touched the back of my engagement and wedding rings. “Thank you.”

He smiled and cupped my cheeks. “You can’t even fathom how you’ve saved me, cara . I can’t live this life without you, which is why I’d do anything to protect you, even against that infernal cloud. Te adoro. Il cuore mio. I adore you, my heart.”

He kissed me, and I wrapped my arms around his waist. We stood like that for a long time. Then I reluctantly pulled back, knowing we had to keep working.

“So, now what?” I asked.

Slash shoved his fingers through his hair. “I gather the intel and photos Manny has collected and send them to Candace as soon as possible. Then Manny and I will try to convince the prime minister and her team to move as soon as we’ve returned from the compound in the morning. How about you?”

“Things are progressing, but it’s going a lot slower than I’d like. The bandwidth is killing me. However, Elvis and Xavier—who are not hampered by said bandwidth—have made good progress on getting the information we need on Signet and the compound. They haven’t penetrated their networks, though, and doubt they can do so, unobserved, to meet our timelines. They recommend we pursue the Maivia angle. I’ve made good progress on that front and hope to have control of his government account shortly.”

“Good work all around. Time is not our friend.”

“It’s not. Also, Xavier reports that Wally, Piper, and Brandon are close to hacking into the government’s social media accounts and webpages. I expect they’ll be ready when the time comes.”

“They will.” He gave me a quick kiss. “I’ll be back shortly.”

I nodded, and he left the room. After drinking some more water and another stretch or two, I got back to work on my laptop researching the cameras Wi-Fi router’s possible vulnerabilities.

Slash returned a bit later, letting me know the prime minister had agreed to move to a different location in the morning and already had a safe place secured.

“There’s a yacht anchored just offshore that has already been searched,” Slash explained. “It belongs to a close friend of hers. It will be stocked before she gets there, and gassed up, in case she needs to make a quick exit.”

“Smart to choose a place already cleared,” I said. “Although, as you know, I’m not much into boats.”

“Hopefully it won’t have to set sail,” he said, patting my shoulder.

We decided to work for a bit longer, so Slash set up his computer next to mine, and hours blurred into night as we worked in tandem on penetration options. At some point, Rangi brought us food and drink, but otherwise, no one bothered us. At some point, I had a sudden thought and went and found Rangi.

“Rangi, we’re going to be heavy users of the local Wi-Fi bandwidth tomorrow. It likely will be critical to our success or failure. I will need every byte that your system can manage. Could you arrange to have everyone log off the network before going to bed tonight and not log back on until I give the all-clear signal tomorrow?”

“Certainly. I’ll let everyone know your request right now.”

I returned to the office. The air hummed with the sound of our fingers tapping on the keyboards. It mingled with our sighs of frustration and fatigue, but also with an unspoken trust, familiarity, and self-assurance that kept us working perfectly in sync.

It was after midnight when Slash insisted we shut down for the night.

I didn’t argue and quickly logged off. My eyesight was starting to blur. “I do have a question for you,” I said to Slash as I closed my laptop. “How do you want to play the camera angle tomorrow? Disable the cameras or freeze the picture?”

Slash stood, stretching his arms above his head. “Disabling would be the easiest choice, but it may prompt the guards to initiate a patrol if they were to notice. Freezing the image would be better, but it can’t be maintained for more than a few minutes without being detected. And once it’s discovered, it would be far more worrisome than if the cameras just went down.”

“Which option gives you the best protection?” I asked.

He considered for a moment. “Freezing. But only until I’m inside. Then, when it’s time to come out, refreeze again until I’m in the clear. In the unlikely event I’m caught, they won’t know their network has been compromised and we can still use it to gather information.”

“I can do that, but you’d better not get caught. I mean it.”

“I won’t. I’ve been in far more precarious situations.”

“I know, but I don’t want to have to say, ‘I told you so.’ In fact, I feel so strongly about this phrase, I’m making the I Told You So piece number five in our marriage code.”

“You won’t have to say it.” He took my hand, helping me from the chair. “I’ll be in and out in under ten minutes. Piece of cake—or cupcake—or whatever you want to eat. Come on, it’s time for us to get some rest, too. Manny and I are heading out at about 0500. I could use a few hours to refuel, and you look exhausted. I need you at your best tomorrow.”

He led me to a worn couch in the corner of the room that reminded me a bit of a couch we had shared at his grandmother’s house in Italy. “I’m feeling déjà vu,” I said as we kicked off our shoes and turned off the lights. “The last time we shared at a couch was at Nonna’s house in Sperlonga. Remember?”

We settled in close, our bodies tired but hearts happy to be together, hopefully not for the last time.

“I remember,” he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice.

“You kissed me, and I was so surprised, I hit your head with mine by accident. We rolled off the couch and Nonna thought something completely inappropriate was going on.”

He chuckled. “She already knew how I felt about you, even if I was still working it out.”

I smiled at the thought of it. “That was such a memorable time. Sperlonga is so beautiful. Promise me we’ll get through this and go back, Slash.”

He kissed me on the forehead. “We’ll get through this,” he said, tightening his arms around me. “I promise. Nonna would kill me if anything happened to you. I think she loves you more than me.”

“That’s so untrue,” I said, but I smiled as I touched my engagement ring with my thumb. Slash’s grandmother had given him her beautiful antique ring to give me upon our engagement, and it had made me feel special and wholly welcomed into his tight-knit family.

I could feel Slash relax against me. I thought I’d be so wound up, it would take me forever to fall asleep. But the warmth of Slash’s body and the happy memory of our time at Nonna’s caused me to easily drift off to sleep.

The last thing I remember was Slash murmuring something to me in Italian as I sank into the warmth of his embrace.