CHAPTER ELEVEN
“You know, when the internet came about we all thought it was going to be a place for us to find information quickly, share it, save it, and learn from it. Then it became something bigger. Something more sinister,” said AJ.
“Sinister? That seems extreme,” smiled Wyatt.
“Wyatt, it’s the truth,” said Hiro.
“Listen,” said Hex sitting in front of the screen back home. “Explain it to us like we’re idiots. Because some of us are as it relates to the internet.”
“Okay,” nodded Tanner. “A history lesson in the advent of the internet. The internet originated in the 1960s as ARPANET, a U.S. Department of Defense project designed for secure, decentralized data sharing via "packet switching". It evolved through the development of TCP/IP protocols.”
“Stop. What is that? TCP whatever?” asked Cam.
“TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. It is the fundamental set of communication rules that allows computers to exchange data over the internet or private networks. It is supposed to ensure reliable end-to-end delivery by breaking data into packets, addressing them, and routing them to the correct destination. In the 1970s and 1980s, enabled network interconnection, and exploded in popularity following Tim Berners-Lee’s invention of the World Wide Web in 1989. ”
“Ah, so www dot whatever?” asked Hex.
“That’s right,” grinned Tanner. “In 1991 the first website went live and the internet became commercialized. Google wasn’t even founded until 1998.
Think about that. We’re talking just twenty-eight years ago.
In 2007, we get the first phone that’s capable of launching the internet on the device, giving everyone, literally, the world at their fingertips. And. Giving them to the world.”
“Jesus,” muttered Luke. “We’ve come so far in such a short period of time. Yet, I still wonder if it’s for the better.”
“It is,” said Hiro, “but most users fail to take the necessary precautions. With the introduction of everything, literally online, it brought out the worst in humanity as well. Shopping, gaming, reservations, work, searches, social media. We can do it all in the palm of our hand.”
“How do we stop this?” asked Cam.
“We don’t,” said Hiro. They all stared at him wondering if there was more to his statement.
“The reality is, we cannot stop this. It’s way too big.
But we can stop whoever it is that’s stealing from our kids and digging into national security installations.
That’s what we’re good at. We will begin there. ”
“Tanner and I are headed to NuGame tomorrow,” said AJ.
“I thought we couldn’t find an address for them,” said Luke.
“Everyone has to file tax returns,” grinned AJ. “We found them. It’s a business located in a residential area, which tells me it’s a guy working out of his home, or her home, maybe in the basement. I’m going to guess they have ten or twelve people working for them.”
“That’s all?” frowned Cam.
“Look, they’ve developed an algorithm and capture system that does the work for them. They just route the money once the kids, or adults put the credit card information into the system.”
“Do you think you’ll need back-up?” asked Joseph.
“We don’t think so. Typically these guys are geeks, that’s all,” said AJ smirking, realizing he was also a geek. A Navy SEAL geek.
“That might be,” said Luke, “but those damn graphics and scenarios on the game are frightfully realistic. Someone did their homework or knows what to put on that system.”
“I didn’t think of that,” frowned Tanner.
“We’ll send a couple more guys to the hotel tonight. Ben and Kiel. They should be enough.”
“We’ll meet them in the restaurant at the hotel. How is Logan?” asked Wyatt.
“He’s getting there. He’s not physically sick any longer, but apparently there is a lot of underlying shit they’re trying to figure out. You definitely saved his ass.”
“We would have done it for anyone,” said Wyatt. “He just happened to be a true brother.”
“Well, either way you guys be careful out there. We’re on everyone’s radar for some reason right now. I understand the address is located in Maryland?”
“Yep, outside of Baltimore near the docks. No telling what this house looks like,” nodded AJ.
“Y’all, keep us posted. Don’t do anything that might get you all killed,” said Luke.
“Why are you directing that at me? They all served as well. Hell, Tanner and Hiro are far more dangerous than me!” he exclaimed.
“Doubtful,” smirked Hiro, “but thank you.”
They left the Pentagon and headed back to the hotel. With D.C. traffic, it took nearly forty-five minutes. They’d no sooner got settled back in their suite when Ben and Kiel were knocking on the door.
“Hey, that was fast,” smirked Tanner, as the men walked into the room.
“We were in Norfolk for something else. Fill us in on what’s happening here.”
“First, food,” said Wyatt. “I’m starving.”