Chapter 14
Dakota
“The mighty Dakota Martinez needs my help? Damn, must be something real serious,” I hear on the other end of the phone line.
The news Marcus gave us while we were at the beach house was bad, but in the time it took us to get to the company, it's turned worse.
Much worse.
Crow arrives forty minutes later, looking around the offices with curiosity.
“Sweet setup. Damn, your girlfriend's got style,” she jokes, sitting down at the servers.
“Do you trust her?” Anna whispers, grabbing my elbow to pull me somewhere quiet.
“Don't let all those tattoos and purple streaks in her hair fool you. Crow's the best hacker I know,” I assure her.
Her fingers fly over the keyboard. She drinks Red Bull like water and occasionally snorts or makes comments only she understands.
“This is… interesting,” she sighs. “They used a polymorphic code that adapts to… Wow, whoever did this attack is good. Really good,” she explains while lines of code scroll across the computer screen.
“Can you trace it?” Anna asks worried.
“They broke through your firewall and all security measures and accessed the central files of your energy project,” she confirms, opening a new can of Red Bull.
“Can you tell if they stole information?” Anna presses again.
“Give me time, but the attack pattern suggests solid knowledge of your security protocols and…”
“An inside attack?” Marcus interrupts, tensing up.
“I'm sure of it,” the hacker responds without stopping typing. “They knew exactly where to look and which server to hit. In fact, I'd say it required physical access at some point.”
“You sure about that?” Marcus cuts in, his face going from pale to almost purple.
“They used a zero-day exploit. The firewalls, security scans and all that shit you got installed are good, ain't saying they're not, but they were looking in the wrong direction and that's why they didn't catch it.”
“Could you speak plainly, please?” Anna requests, squeezing my hand tight.
“It's like a microscopic crack in glass that looks perfect. You can't see it, but if you know where it is, you can hit there and break it completely. In your case, the security crack was in the authentication module of the main server. Specifically, in how it handles session keys when someone uses the interface. Thing is, someone caused that crack, wasn't an initial programming flaw.”
“That data transfer… shouldn't our security measures have detected it?” I ask confused.
“They injected a small command in the API request, nothing big, something that looked like legit traffic. What that command did was trick the security system into thinking it was connecting with admin permissions. They knew what they were after, so they used beaconing malware to extract the info bit by bit without raising flags.”
Crow grins and leans back in her chair, crossing her arms like she's proud of discovering the attack source despite the trouble it might cause us.
“Does the company Quantum Aegis Technologies ring any bells?” she asks suddenly.
“It's… it's one of Thorne Bishop's companies,” Anna stammers, exchanging looks with her head of security.
“Do they have server access?”
“They shouldn't,” Marcus jumps in. “But Thorne is one of the main shareholders and requested his company review our security measures to feel more confident in the prototype's final phases. They barely spent time on the computers, and I checked everything when they left.”
“Can you prove it was him?” Anna insists.
“I can show you exactly what data they accessed. Complete project schematics, patent applications, test results…”
“You think he's trying to steal the project? It makes no sense,” Anna protests.
“He wants to study any problem the project might have, no matter how tiny, so traditional industry can attack you,” I clarify, rubbing her back.
“Plus trying to kill you just in case everything works perfect,” Crow quips, though I don't think Anna appreciates her sense of humor.
She lets go of me and collapses in a chair, hiding her face in her hands. Defeated. She runs her fingers through her hair over and over, stopping only to slowly shake her head now and then. I've never seen her like this.
“If it helps, Thorne's in his office upstairs right now,” Marcus mutters.
“I swear I'll kill him,” I growl, storming toward the door before Crow pulls me back.
“I'm gonna call Izzy. For now, try not to cause any serious injuries, I know you. Just make sure he doesn't leave until the police get here,” she warns, raising her eyebrows meaningfully.
***
“Working late, Thorne?” I ask, leaning against his office door frame.
“Stay calm, please,” Anna reminds me, noting how my body tenses.
“What's all this?” the investor protests.
“You tell us. Did you really think no one would notice your little data theft?”
“I don't know what you're talking about,” he mutters with a dismissive gesture.
“Besides being useless at covering your tracks, are you stupid?” I growl.
“Tell your guard dog to shut her mouth,” he warns, pointing at Anna.
“You're screwed. The police are on their way, though nothing would make me happier right now than you trying to leave through this door or doing something to Anna. You know? I'm dying to smash your face with my boot,” I threaten, letting out a snort.
Thorne Bishop runs his hand along his jaw, likely wondering if we actually have something on him. Slowly, his arrogant attitude crumbles, giving way to rage.
“That technology… Do you have any idea how many companies it will destroy? How many jobs will be lost because of you?” he protests, clenching his fists.
“Is that what this is about? We've talked about this a million times, Thorne. Progress is always disruptive. For most people it will be positive, but, at least short term, if you're on the wrong side… let's say it's not good for you.”
“You call destroying companies that have dominated the world for generations progress?”
“Everything changes. You'll make plenty of money from your shares. I don't know what you're worried about,” Anna insists.
“We're talking hundreds of thousands of jobs. The entire energy industry, from generation to distribution. All so you can play at being the world's savior.”
“It's always been this way, since the beginning of time. Every significant technological innovation has caused these effects. It's nothing new, and the world will be better with a clean, cheap energy source. We're talking about greater economic progress, effectively stopping climate change. Hell, I don't understand how you can oppose something like this,” Anna despairs, biting her lower lip and looking away.
“The others won't let you. You're dead, Anna. You'll never see your prototype working,” he warns, deflating as the police enter.
“Who are the others?” I demand while a tall woman with brown hair handcuffs him.
“You think you're changing the world, but it's just another way to control it. The elites will always rule, only you won't be alive to see it,” he mutters as he passes us.
When they take him away, I place a hand on Anna's waist and smile to encourage her, but in her gaze, I see my own worries reflected. Maybe Thorne Bishop is just one piece of the puzzle. It's possible that somewhere out there, more powerful players intend to end her life.
And next time, they might not miss.