Author's Note: We're back ladies and gentlemen! I could really use some critique and reviews, I know for a fact I can do better. We are getting close to where we'll be leading up to the end but I realized I haven't focused as much on Koko and her crew. So next chapter I'll focus more on what they're doing.
As for the delay why, I won't repeat it. You know, I know, the whole world knows. But also where I was staying had no wi-fi and I'm not paying an extra bill every month for a wi-fi puck. I was working off of my phone the last two weeks.
The fight continues!
Chapter 65: Crossing The Lines
July 22nd 2011 2045 Hours
Eleuthera Island, The Bahamas
My eyes were starting to hurt after looking at my laptop computer screen for the last few hours. Copying down and connecting all of Floyd Hekmatyar's web on it was a painstakingly slow process but I needed something readily available while still keeping the original copy handy. Separately on a removeable hard drive so that I could lessen the risk of a hack in case Hekmatyar performs her magic again. Not to mention I needed a better lead to figure out what she was planning since it was still a foggy way to see where she was leading me.
The previous day I had finally received the info I wanted from Black about getting something from Yildiz. Turns out I overhyped the idea that I had found her computer, it wasn't there. But I did get something kind of interesting. Hekmatyar and her partner in world ending, Amada, had some interviews and discussions with some of the professors and top students in engineering, physics, computer sciences, all of the nerd fields essentially. Naturally a bunch of what was being put out was very alien to me. Again, science on this scale is a bit beyond my understanding but I get the concept of it. From what Black managed to get, the duo put out a few theories and questionnaire's about simple to somewhat intermediate engineering and physics knowledge. Obviously she was trying to figure something out with 'Jormungand' but the messages she was using was a little weird. I needed to figure out what more she really needed. I don't regret taking out Faiza when I did but it would have helped if I figured out what Hekmatyar would have used her for.
At least though there was only a few people in the whole world that could do what Hekmatyar wanted. Nobody in Istanbul could help her with what she needed, thank God, and none of the staff at Yildiz were any good anyway. Only a few meetings were done with face to face, the rest was done through email and brief phone and video calling. Black's tech guys and even Dad's NSA man Carlyle tried to see if they could pinpoint their origins, after I told them it'd be a waste of time. All they got were scrambled ends, signal sources that ended in a hundred different cities, or in one bizarre case the middle of the Rub' al Khali desert in Saudi Arabia. Where absolutely nothing is out there but sand and maybe a couple of spiders.
For now I had to focus on not just finding Hekmatyar, but what she needed. Cause as insane as this sounds, she's only using that computer for defense. She's still vulnerable and can't use it to its full potential. So her father's web better work.
"Ok old man." I said as I finished imputing the last of what I needed on a separate hard drive. "Let's hope your little insurance plan would have given you a decent return on your investment."
After arriving at his house, and trying his best to get Mana off of me, Hinoki and I went over what we knew once more and then narrowed our options on where to begin a search. The best option I saw so far was what I learned from Tolokhovsky which led me to Kiseragi, a guidance system. I didn't think about it at the time but Hekmatyar does have a lot of satellites in orbit right now. Obviously in time they will require maintenance and an improved guidance system will benefit her network. Since most satellites move by a programmed trajectory to keep themselves orbiting the planet, they don't need a lot of human interaction unless necessary.
The problem though was how the hell is something so simple so key in Hekmatyar's plans?
"Ugh…the damn answer's right in front of me. Her ego's so damn bloated it would be obvious what she wants."
"You're letting your impatience get in the way of your concentration again, Damien. Sarcasm won't make the answer appear any faster."
Hinoki said from the door to his study where I was taking up residence for the last few days. He must have finished putting his daughter to sleep. The little thing kept pestering the both of us if we were going to go to the beach and collect shells again. He told her that this was another one of those times where someone from work had to stop by and he'd do it from home as opposed to going away from time to time. It looked like he hadn't told his daughter the true nature of his work yet. Maybe since he was so much older than your average dad that he wouldn't need to worry about it. Cause by the time she was old enough, he'd be too old to be in the game anymore. But hell anyone would have a problem trying to explain to their kid that their parent used to be their country's top spy.
"I think I've figured out what I need to look for next."
His eyes widened with interest as he stepped into the room. "Really? What about what Koko was trying to figure out in Istanbul?"
"That's still a work in progress but whatever it is, I'm willing to bet she's about to launch something else into orbit with the rest of the Global Grid."
"The young lady with the healthy appetite came through with something for you?"
I stood up from the desk to stretch.
"Yeah. After going over a few of old man Hekmatyar's files on him trying to keep tabs on his daughter, she's getting ready to make another rocket launch. I figure that there would be some activity from her launch platform in the Solomon's but it's been quiet. The weird thing though is that she's acquired some old Soviet era base in Kazakhstan. I think she might have realized that once she kick starts the apocalypse she's gonna need a pretty large bunker to ride out the storm."
A man could hope but Hinoki just looked at me like I was an idiot.
"I highly doubt that Damien. You said it yourself that she's so sure of her plans that she won't care how many innocent people have to die, herself included. People with fanaticism on that scale tend to want whatever they plan to happen, happen even if costs exceed the benefits."
"Well where am I supposed to start looking? I blew my chance in Turkey. And the Hekmatyar family's reach extends across three whole continents. She could be anywhere!"
"Well there's your first problem on why you're having such a hard time figuring this out."
"What? If it's about her and her…predicament I had no idea." I said looking away.
"Not even close Damien." He said sounding like I was answering a wrong question. "Vision with action is a daydream; but action without vision is a nightmare."
I returned a look to him letting him know I was visually upset at his choice of words.
"Skip the riddles prune face and give me the straight answer. I ain't got time for this shit."
He didn't even flinch. At least that still earned him some points for not buckling to intimidation.
"Alright then Damien. Fair enough." He then picked up one of the old books and started going through it. "You're trying so desperately to shoulder all of what potentially might happen on yourself that you don't realize that there are others that don't want Koko to succeed just as much as you do. Moments where it all falls on just one are very powerful but that's just all they are, moments. When they go into longer grand events they fizzle out quickly. Don't try to cast aside your steadfast rugged individualism, you need to. One of the biggest reasons why Koko is always ahead of you is that she has people she trusts to help her and fight for her. Your father, Chief Black, even myself all have assets and resources available to you so that you can fight her on equal ground. Her device gives her an edge but it can't do everything. But we can't support you if you treat the help you're getting like a burden instead of a benefit. I know that's extremely hard to do considering what is at stake right now, including what you just learned about Koko. But you have to push through or she wins."
It's these little moments that make me realize what an angry dumbass I've been. I've been boasting that Hekmatyar wouldn't get the better of me and powering through the pain and barriers put in front of me that I've completely forgotten one of the easiest ways to win a fight.
Do it smarter, not harder.
But that's easier said than done.
"It's only a matter of when people around me either suffer or…"
"Then change that so that it doesn't happen at all." Hinoki interjected before I could finish. "Stop thinking of the worst and make the best happen."
Again he was right. I need to stop being so afraid of what I think might happen because of what I've been through. Life itself doesn't repeat the same day over and over. As a matter of fact I hate the phrase; 'Same old shit different day.' People like that tend to think that everything is inevitable and can't be changed. Nothing is written that can't be unwritten. But getting worked up about this right now wasn't a good idea.
"I think for now we'd best call it a night. But I think we can leave off on one thing to start with."
"Go on."
"She still needs a rocket to send up whatever she has planned. So if she's still using her company at all, maybe we could figure out which sources she could either procure or make use of to get rocket parts, fuel, assembly areas, things of that nature. The company's primary focus is maritime but that doesn't mean everything they have is right next to an ocean."
He smirked. "Good to see that you've been thinking critically. I was thinking the same thing. So I talked to Carlyle and he managed to get me something."
"Huh?"
"If she's still using her father's empire as cover or as a source of materials and funds then most likely she'd want to draw something from them since they would be the most readily available as opposed to trying to track down a new buyer. But you have to remember who she's getting all of these materials for."
It hit me like a lightning bolt. They're the ones putting this doomsday device together. Hekmatyar just gets the shopping list from them.
"Amada and Baburin. But Hekmatyar's putting in just as much effort into keeping those two hidden as much as she has. Not to mention that they have full time access to that 'thing' as well."
"If you want to find out how something came to be, it's natural to go back to the beginning."
I could tell he was getting me to think but I wished he'd be less poetic about it.
"Ok…uhh…your saying we should try Russia and Japan next?"
"No. I meant their respective centers of education where they built the foundations for their knowledge. Professor Amada earned hers at the Imperial College Facility of Engineering."
It started to come together. "And Baburin went to Novosibirsk. So we try and dig up their old thesis's and figure out what else does 'Jormungand' need. But it still doesn't make any sense. They already have the thing. Thinking about it now, getting Faiza was just overkill."
"Damien…" He said to get my attention. "…you said that this was a good spot to leave off for the night. Don't overwork your mind. We'll go over a plan in the morning over breakfast. I think you'll like my wife's interesting combination on Caribbean and Japanese." He said as he left.
I was kind of still thinking about it still. I was racing against the clock just like she was, but I had to slow down and strategize. I closed my laptop and went to lean out the open window staring out to the beach. The summers meant longer days so even though the sun had already gone down it was still fairly light out. The mix of dark blues, reds, purples and pinks in the sky along with the waves hitting the shore made for a relaxing view. I never thought in my life that I'd make two trips to one of the most beautiful vacation spots in the world in a single year. I'd be flat broke if I did this while I was on active duty and leave times are never in your favor. But as much as these little distractions are in providing a brief moment of relief, a monster is still out there.
You can't win.
A monster that carried the outcome of one night between a man and a woman.
"You will not take a part of me and warp it into something based on another lie."
July 23rd 2011 1100 Hours
Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
The crew was on high alert this time. No matter how insignificant an event happened during the day it was shared by everyone else. But the jumpiness was starting to take a bit of a toll on everyone.
"Are you sure?" Said Mao standing next to Ugo.
"They were just having a heated debate about football. Relax!" Said Lutz from his earpiece.
He was standing a significant distance from them in the school courtyard. Being the go to guy for German translations he heard the argument between the two summer school students at the base of the stairs leading into the physics building where Koko, Lehm, and Valmet were in. Mao and Ugo were about to pounce on them if they were another distraction again.
"Alright sorry." He said as he looked towards the crew's driver who breathed a sigh of relief. His face still having marks of damage from Damien's fist.
Wiley had taken over for driving for the time being. Despite being on painkillers for having a fractured jaw, he wasn't going to slack in his duties of protecting Koko from when she needed it the most. He wanted a rematch with Damien badly. But as he turned his head towards the second floor where Koko was having a meeting, he knew there was someone else who wanted him even worse. He tried not to yell at her when she had an opportunity to end it all there. It was stupid of her if she wanted some kind of epic grand duel later to see who was the strongest.
But things were never simple with the two of them.
I wonder if Koko would have done the same thing.
She was only focusing on the results of the tests and questions to Dr. Miami's and Dr. Baburin's theories. The workarounds for miniaturizing 'Jormungands' second brain were starting to show some better results here as opposed to Istanbul but they weren't finished yet. Keeping up the charade of pleasant conversation with TUM's physics department head, Professor Hoffman. Her smile had continued to be her norm as Valmet stood behind her in a chair. She hadn't worn her suit and tie in quite some time.
"Dr. Baburin will be more than pleased with these results. Your students are quite intuitive and your staff is every bit as talented as they said they are. I wish though that I paid more attention to your school schedule though. Classes don't resume for another three or four weeks don't they?"
"Our classes resume on the twelfth of August Miss Hekmatyar. If these results are not satisfactory I can still hold on to them until our full class and faculty returns."
"No need Professor. They actually exceeded my expectations and I'm quite impressed with the results. You should be proud of your students."
The older portly man smiled. "I appreciate the kind words Miss Hekmatyar."
"Now as promised I will be making a donation to all of the science departments for their hard work. And be sure to let your fellow peers know of their accomplishments too. They earned it. Your schools finance department should receive the funds within a few days." She then took out one of her business cards. "If there are any issues please don't hesitate to call."
Hoffman looked out his office window as he took the card.
"You know it's not often one comes across another that has a genuine interest and fascination in sciences and physics. Present company who said she never studied it included." He said looking back to Koko as her smile beamed a bit more. "Many students here just want a set of skills that will make them a lot of money when they graduate. But I'm glad to see that even a merchant has an eye that science can even be beneficial in the proper hands."
Knowing her business was concluded, she got up to leave. Valmet followed in tow.
"You seem like you must have accelerated at every subject you took. Do you mind if I ask which school did you go to?" He said as she opened the door, Lehm standing guard outside of it.
"Ahh…let's just say you wouldn't believe me even I told you the truth."
The arms dealer with no schooling then made her way out of the university with her team and onto the busy streets of Munich back to their hotel. They decided to get one of the more inexpensive ones as opposed to their normal lavish ones that were more suited for business. They weren't planning on staying long anyway. Once Koko had forwarded the appropriate information to Dr. Miami then they would leave the country.
In her car, Tojo had given her the thumbs up as she got on her sat phone.
"It should have already hit your inbox Minami, what do you think?"
"Hmm…ahh much better than Istanbul Koko. It's not quite the perfected vacuum to house the core and power consumption is only a marginal improvement but it's making progress on becoming smaller."
"Make sure to go over some different questions and answers with Dr. Baburin. I got a feeling that the technical work arounds aren't cutting it. We need direct lines for the neural processors and nano crystals to work with the algorithm code properly. It has to work simultaneously."
Lutz just looked in the rear view mirror at Koko, barely understanding what she was saying while Tojo and Valmet just carried on like usual.
"Can do! By the way, thanks for giving me some time off so that I can take a little trip in India! There's SO many different butterflies out here that I'm not sure if I want to go back to Kazakhstan!"
Koko promised to make sure her best friend didn't go crazy and burn out with 'Jormungand' but she wouldn't work her to the bone. She did need to relax and go over her thoughts. But she wouldn't let her slack off like usual on her outings in South Africa.
"That's why I asked Karen, Moaeka, and Malin to make sure you go back no matter what. Elaina can't do all of that on her own."
"Aww come on Koko!" She whined.
"That's not gonna work this time Minami. Don't ever argue with a pregnant lady."
The car unanimously agreed in silence.
"Ugh…alright. But no matter what happens we still need to figure out when we're doing the baby shower. You still haven't even thought of names yet have you?"
Koko's tone then mellowed a bit.
"I'm working on it Minami. It's not that I haven't made time, it's that I can't."
She then hung up without saying goodbye. She didn't mean it with ill intent. She just didn't want to think about how much more frequent the extremes of life and death situations were becoming. She would apologize later.
2148 Hours
The Hilton in Munich
Their flight out of Germany would be an early one so with the exception of guard duties everyone went to sleep early. But one couldn't keep her eyes shut. Not because of Koko's snoring or that the air conditioning was too cold. She wouldn't have been sweating otherwise.
Damn it what the hell's wrong with me? It could have ended all right there.
It was as if things had drifted back to their previous version of normal for the longest time. Valmet and Koko had their own personal room away from the men again. It was much smaller than their usual suites as she sat up in her night wear. The last time she felt mentally overwhelmed she didn't talk to anyone to ease her mind. Since she didn't want to wake up Koko, she decided on the closest thing she'd consider as a friend. She grabbed her phone off the nightstand, went to the bathroom and shut the door. The time difference for who she wanted to call wouldn't have mattered, she always woke up and went to sleep when she wanted to.
"Hello?" Said the ex-wife of crew's leader.
"Hey there. You feeling any better? I hope I didn't wake you up."
"Hey girl! Nah I've been walking around without any problems for over a week now. How's the soon to be mom?"
"Uhh…learning process. The only experience I even remotely have with children is when I held my older brother's baby a few times."
On the other end, Chiquita knew this wasn't a social call.
"So what's really going on? Does he still not want to give up?"
Valmet then looked in the bathroom mirror. Still wearing the hand stitched black leather patch her former lover gave her. She'd have thrown it away and went back to her medical patch if she didn't throw those out first. Coupled with the fact of being constantly on alert, she never had time to go to a pharmacy to get replacements. Her usual straight combed black hair now more of an uneven mess. Her frown on her dry pale skin covered in scars of battle. She often wondered, besides the obvious as she looked down awkwardly, what he ever saw in her.
"We're all ok if that's what you're asking. Actually I just wanted to talk."
"Ok. About what?"
"I've been having these feelings that I haven't been in control of my life like I once though. That I have no idea where I'm going."
July 24th 2011 0300 Hours
Kasper Hekmatyar's Penthouse, Jakarta, Indonesia
She had spent two weeks in the hospital following the events in Singapore. Unlike her former husband she had long since realized that she wasn't a young woman anymore. The KGB had taught her everything she needed to know about winning a fight against any kind of opponent. Except one, and that was time. It was only after she had gotten to the hospital that she realized her action of falling out of a building was not only reckless but insane. Couple that with the internal hemorrhaging being so bad that she could have died. She could still fight like the best seasoned veterans of wars but realized that no one can stop the clock. When there were things you can't control, it was always best to smile and continue on without worrying about it.
Like she always had.
"Are you referring to what's been happening in the last few months? Or are you just unsure of what will happen when Koko sets her plan in motion?"
"Koko already knows that I'm grateful to her for being able to unlock the world. But for some reason I can't grasp what I'm seeing and feeling after walking through the door."
Unlike Koko who spend a majority of her time on the ocean, Kasper had preferred a more permanent means of not only setting up a central location for HCLI but also a house to rest once he was done with his deals while traveling around Asia. The apartment complex was rather secure as well with competent guards that worked for the realtor who managed the property as opposed to working for him. His own crew of four were a more trusted layer of protection though. But Chiquita felt safe enough as she opened up their refrigerator for some cold apple juice before stepping out on the penthouse terrace. She needed it for the humid summer of Indonesia.
"Well it's often natural to be wary and nervous around things you don't expect or are different than what you expected."
"That's not the problem, I meant because of how radical things have been occurring and…aww damn it."
"What's up?"
"Nothing. I was just thinking that this is similar to about what Lutz and I talked about a few months ago. He was mentioning about Koko being a little extreme with all the jobs we were pulling. At the time neither one of us knew about 'Jormungand' and I told him not to think about it."
Chiquita was starting to put the pieces together. It was obvious from the start but she wanted her to say it first.
"And then Damien goes berserk. Because he thinks you're part of everything he truly hates?"
There was silence on the other end. She had to keep the conversation going. It wouldn't have been good for her if she didn't open up.
"Ok let me ask a different question. Has he hesitated even once?"
Valmet knew what she was asking. "Not since all of this started. No, but…"
"But what?"
"It might have been due to the short amount of time I had due to a situation I couldn't control but when I had him cornered, he was on the ground. I looked right into his eyes and instead of confliction, I don't think I saw anything. It's like he didn't care, he just saw only an enemy. And I tried to figure out why I didn't finish him off then and there. I had a single second of opportunity and I wasted it. I don't know what's wrong with me."
Chiquita could tell that she was trying not to shout and heard the shudder in her voice. It was obvious what was going through her mind.
"Let me tell you something. Hypocrisy is what truly rots everything it comes across without discrimination. He and I had a discussion on this during his stay on our ship. But it looks as though his rage continues to be his biggest weakness that it seems to have made him forget. Damien is doing all of this because he thinks he's trying to save the world and what not. But he doesn't seem to care about the destruction and body count he's leaving in his wake. He's like any other human being who fears either the unknown or what they don't fully understand. The natural reaction to it is anger. I think the best advice I can give you on this is what you've already known for the longest time. Try to follow the example of Koko, and Kasper too even if you don't fully agree with his motives sometimes."
"Believing in Koko isn't the problem. It's that I feel so empty now. I don't have anything to fill the void he left in me!"
She took a moment to figure out a response. Someone who had on again/off again marriages wasn't the best source of knowledge for something like this. And in her case it wasn't as extreme or bizarre.
"Well if you let him make you hold on to that pain then you'll never move forward like you always wanted." She stifled a laugh. "My mother told me this once, where she got it from was a little ironic at the time."
"What was that?"
"It's better to be slapped with the truth than kissed with a lie."
She heard a slight giggle at the other end. Fitting since their personalities often focused on the approach for a direct attack.
"I don't want to admit it either but the one man you never expected to be so special to you, no longer exists. His lack of hesitation to try and kill all of you is proof of that. But don't think that it means the end of the road. Be stronger than him and live fully for your own sake if no one else's."
"Can I ask you another question?"
"I'm not going anywhere." She said as she went back to the refrigerator for a refill.
"Why did you always try to rile him up every time we met?"
She kept her own thoughts to herself but also realized she shared some of the same aspects of her ex-husband.
"Because it was fun." She paused for a moment. "Was."
She then also realized that Koko would call upon Kasper's help again. So she decided to let Valmet know about something she overheard Kasper talking about with his sister. They were going to tell their respective crews anyway but she wanted to get it out of the way. Considering Damien's tenacity thus far, she wanted to be prepared for when they would meet again eventually.
"There's also something you should know. Though I don't think you've realized it yet but Koko and Kasper have been talking to each other more than you think."
"What do you mean?"
"It's got something to do with her boat. They've been sharing and trading a lot of stuff to make some rather heavy modifications to it."
"She hasn't told me. What kind?"
"Your guess is as good as mine but the obvious answer is it has something to do with her project. But I know for a fact it doesn't have anything to do with making her ship like Kasper's. And more than likely you'll being seeing us sooner rather than later."
"Ok? Well I…Ahh! Oh, sorry Koko I was just…" Chiquita then looked to her phone with concern that they might have overheard their conversation but smiled again for what came next. "…Hey! For God's sake Koko I'm right here! Can't you wait and I'll give you some…aw shit!"
Chiquita could only imagine what was happening on the other end of the line. So she decided that Valmet had her hands full right now and would let her try to get back to sleep.
"Call me back whenever you're not too occupied. But for now, try to sleep it off."
"Yeah thanks…damn it Koko don't…!"
She then hung up before Valmet did to let her deal with whatever situation was happening. Koko always had a knack for weird and unpredictable things. But after a minute or two, her smile faded and began to think about the inevitable conflict that was going to happen. Whether or not Koko succeeds in activating 'Jormungand', Damien would only stop once he finishes her. She couldn't tell for sure but she doubted that in the end, Damien would even care about what happens to the world at all. The two of them were of very different generations of how and what the world was at the time when they realized it. It was up to the person on whether they saw change or not.
When they first met, Chiquita saw something radically different in him compared to all of the warriors, soldiers, and even mercenaries she had come across in her life. Damien was his own man and no one else's. So she wondered what kind of potential he had and what new heights he could achieve. And she would be lying to herself if she said he wasn't an attractive young man. But she never expected him to fall victim to the meaningless cycle that's bred from war.
Hatred.
"Oh Damien…why are you doing this?"
Chiquita could no longer come to acknowledge Damien as her little mishka anymore.
July 27th 2011 1000 Hours
Novosibirisk, Russia
Back here again.
I found it weird that such an esteemed place for an education in engineering would be way out in the very edge of southern Russia. But long ago the Russians used to place some of their most top secret research facilities as far away from the west as possible. Such as the deserts of Kazakhstan or the tundra's of Siberia. A common practice not unheard of for them. Even during the Second World War they moved whole factories hundreds of miles away from the front, no matter the human cost to make it happen. But since then the city had developed into something rather modern and not the old Russian Empire design of the older cities. The city was actually founded just at the turn of the twentieth century but it really took hold and began to make a name for itself during the Stalinist Era. Which needless to say led me to not fully believe any good tales that might come from the locals if I decided to talk to them. My only concern anyway was to get a hold of Baburin's old theories and what made her such a big deal in the world of physics and engineering.
"You guys read me?"
"Loud and clear Damien. You should be in the middle of the main campus by now. The Technical Department is about two buildings to your right with the big glass dome on it. You can't miss it."
Once again on the other side of my mic and earpiece, my support team was Schokolade and Scarecrow. The asshole was still sore both figuratively and literally from our brawl on the plane but he had eased up a little bit once he realized that we could try again. That didn't mean he eased off his skepticism.
"Why are we searching through Baburin's old alma mater? Wouldn't we have better luck in the Russian's military R&D?"
"The Kremlin is the opposite of where we want to look, shit for brains." I said quietly so as not to draw attention and keep up my Russian for as long as possible. "They could improve their communications and digital infrastructure better but they wouldn't catch on THAT much about Baburin laying out the foundation for a quantum computer. We need to know how she came up with the ideas to put her theories into practice and maybe formulate a program that can cripple her system."
"How are we gonna manage that? That thing doesn't have an IP address you can just look up. Plus we know that this thing works. It's eons ahead of what any kind of computer virus can do any damage to."
"Schokolade?" I asked for her to take over as I made past the lobby to find the student records.
"Well Mr. Carlyle and I have been working on some theories of our own as well. That computer may be powerful and it's put a lot of what used to be fantasy into fact but it's stretching the limits of technology to a point where it can't have any flaws in it at all. I think that might be the way to beat Koko in all of this."
As they kept the conversation going on the radio, I was speaking to one of the physics teaching staff there. Keeping up the ruse of a student wanting to do a report on one of the schools proudest alumni. Naturally he had a hard time trying to believe that I was a student at all considering my presence. But the easy way of forging a fake school ID and telling him I was about to join the schools hockey team managed to get him to think otherwise. He then led me to a computer room where I was able to look up Baburin's old thesis's rather quickly. They must have really wanted to make sure her work didn't get plagiarized.
"So your saying that this thing has to work in a very exact way or else it cracks under too much pressure?"
As the teacher then left the room, I took out a flash drive and started to download the old reports. As I was copying and pasting, it surprised me a bit that he actually took a quick study to see what Schokolade was trying to interpret.
"The wrong pressure to be precise. Now how can I explain this? Uhh…okay! Like any other computer, 'Jormungand' has to use algorithms to process computations. That's basically like how it puts together code in order to work. But since a quantum computer is running so many different calculations all at once, one misstep and it could deviate from the intended route it needed to make the correct answer to whatever formula was inputted."
"Meaning?" He was just as confused at this as I was first on this so I didn't reply with a snide remark.
"The thing is running so fast that if a different way to process information gets in its way, it won't keep pace with whatever the user wants the computer to do. Think of it like one of those rocket cars you see at motorsports fairs or stunt events. If those things aren't properly weighted in the right spots or is not on a completely flat surface, one bad deviation is all it takes for that thing to turn into an uncontrollable missile."
"This is all well and good that her machine is not perfect but your leaving out how we access it."
This was the one thing I didn't want to admit we still had a problem with. I'd go over Baburin's old reports once I got back to the safehouse. This was surprisingly easy to get what I needed but I wasn't in the clear yet.
"Wait one, I think I got everything I need." I checked to see if the teacher was occupied and I made myself out of the building.
"You clear?" Schokolade asked.
"Yeah, heading towards the van now. Anyway, as far as accessing it, we can't. Not unless we're physically there."
"There it is. And Hekmatyar's doubled down on not being found." He then frustratingly sighed as I walked a little faster to leave the campus. I wasn't here for the sights. "So what good will any of this do if we can't even find that damn thing?"
"Hey, stop with the damn skepticism. I'm not having another repeat of on the plane ride back from Istanbul. At least we're doing something rather than nothing."
Schokolade did shut him up but he also had a point. Finally having something to combat 'Jormungand' is fantastic but it won't do any good if the target won't show itself.
Fuck. I'm just doing intel gathering for Carlyle. I need to find someone or something to lead me to Hekmatyar or all this is just wasted time.
"Let's just hope Hinoki had as good as luck as we had here."
July 28th 2011 0100 Hours
Flight 2310 To London
The mission so far was only to observe until the opportune moment arrived to eliminate the target. The intel provided to Shadow Hammer by one of their opposite numbers in Clandestine was solid. It was by chance that the target was so close to where he wanted to find Koko Hekmatyar that it warranted caution that action wouldn't be required until the target was far enough away from Central Asia. The tracker had more than ample time on the flight to observe the team of three he was a part of.
First there was the girl. A bit of an airhead and it baffled him how she didn't get any fatter considering how much he saw her eat since trailing them to the airport out of Russia. But rather capable with her craft as well as technology from what he could overhear. The obviously weakest of the three but her analyzing of their clients top secret project was something to worth note.
Second was the other blond agent with him. A nuisance that Koko Hekmatyar had dealt with before. Arrogant to a fault but according to his intelligence from his company chief, was the best tracker for dirty money in the CIA hands down. Pompous or not, it didn't change the fact that he was a CIA agent and not one of the pencil pushers out of Langley. Sometimes that can be a reason enough for them to be a bit cocky.
Lastly there was the target himself. He was big enough that the small space of the seat he was in made it look like he was having difficulty sleeping. But while he was awake he had some kind of an ever seeing look of being on constant guard. It was expected of the kind of caliber of soldier that he was but he noticed it seemed to border on being a bit paranoid. Every part of him showed aggression, except for the surreal fact that he still looked like a kid despite all he'd apparently been through. Above all else Rhodes had told him that his client had implored with somewhat delirious insistence that he wasn't to be underestimated.
He then got out of his seat. He had to use the bathroom anyway when he had to make his call. The rest of Shadow Hammer would follow once he had established.
"Yes, it's me. They should arrive at Heathrow in the morning. They don't suspect anything but they haven't said where they're going yet."
"Hmm. Well it will take us a day to get there anyway. Anything else?"
The tracker took a moment to think of something to tell Rhodes. A name came up more than once.
"They mentioned a Japanese name several times. Hin..okee?" He said mispronouncing it.
There was a pause before Rhodes answered. "That's actually good to hear. Continue to keep observing them for as long as you can. We're going to make some changes to our flights so if you remotely suspect that they are on to you, just withdraw. I have a rather good idea."
The tracker didn't expect the mission to be just observing and reporting. But the rather confident method of speaking from his superior at the end warranted that he would exploit his enemies weaknesses to the greatest degree possible. He wondered how though considering of the agencies and military they were going up against.
July 31st 2011 2100 Hours
London, United Kingdom, CIA Safehouse
It seems as though no matter what kind of situation I get into, there's always the moments where it winds down where I got to go over the boring stuff. While I still felt nervous that every day Hekmatyar gets closer to getting her own personal chaotic realm, I did manage to slowly get a little bit of a better grasp on how this computer operates. I think maybe the only reason why I'm grasping it so easily is because of it being a necessity to understand it and I wouldn't have to worry about such things as grades or delay in work and the like.
"Goddamnit. I'm starting to wonder if I'll have better luck tracking her than this machine."
"Both will lead to the same goal Damien. We already have narrowed down the leads for materials and resources for what she will use a rocket for. So now we know that whatever she'll launch has something to do with 'Jormungand'."
I was looking out of Scarecrow's office window to the night scenery of downtown London. I figured I sleep whenever I wanted to again since my damn insomnia decided to come back with a vengeance. Hinoki must have wanted to keep me company so that I either wouldn't get bored or be sure not to overwork myself again.
"Yeah no shit. But it's not like she's gonna wait for us to let everyone see her launch another rocket."
"I know. That's why I wanted to ask if that first contact you made in Floyd Hekmatyar's web has made any results?"
The day before I had a secret meeting with someone I'd never expect. The UK's Minister of State for the Armed Forces, Nicholas Harvey. Who was basically the British governments third in line of military power leading up to the Prime Minister. If this was just one of Floyd Hekmatyar's contacts, who the hell knows what else kind of connections he has. As much of an awe inspiring moment that it was, I could care less about who he was as opposed to how I could benefit from him. He thought he was meeting a representative from the CIA and that was really the only non-truth that was told to him when we talked. That and how Floyd Hekmatyar really died.
"Well the good thing was that he took the threat I informed him of seriously. Bad news was that other than keeping an eye on the HCLI training facilities here, MI6 wouldn't have any clue as to where to start a lead on finding her. Only things HCLI has traded with the British for support was basic soldier equipment like rifles and radios. Practically nothing on rockets. So I'm afraid I hit a dud."
Hinoki just looked at me "Well, we still have Koko's scientist friends early theories on which we can make a countermeasure to 'Jormungand'. I can really see why Koko took such an interest in Professor Amada after looking over her early work. Her maverick like methods truly separated herself from her peers and it was enough to catch her attention."
I could give a crap about her and how she types on a computer or turns a wrench. Or soldering tool or whatever.
"Don't you mean to say they share the same completely fucked up mindset?" I said deadpanning.
"I wouldn't describe it in your words but maybe." He was already used to my blunt rudeness. "I'll send this to Carlyle back at Meade. He'll get a head start on this, at least until the young lady is there to assist him."
He was referring to Schokolade. Sleeping on the office sofa with an unfinished helping of fish and chips on the table. I needed to get the girl away from food. Not because of her health but it was getting to be too much of a distraction.
"How many more people does Carlyle have working on this miracle program?"
His eye's looked away as his face formed into one of hesitant embarrassment.
"Well, we're standing in the room with the one of the two."
I looked at him if I heard him right. "Excuse me? What about Black's tech guys? Shouldn't there be like a whole bunch of nerds working on this?"
I couldn't believe it was just Carlyle and Dietrich doing this by themselves.
"Damien, any intelligence agency regardless of how sophisticated they are, doesn't always have readily available access to whatever types of material or personnel to counter any threat. We're not magicians. Sometimes you must work with what you have and it's not that easy to find an expert of what you need specifically when a skill set you require is so rare. Much less trying to convince them to help the CIA with sketchy details on why."
"Isn't 'Two Heads are Better Than One' still a thing?"
"I just said that the skills we require isn't something…" His phone then started ringing smiled as he must have recognized the number. "Hold on. Yes dear? What can I…"
He then stopped abruptly. I wanted to give him some privacy on his call. But he was blinking a lot and his face looked like it was deliberately making it seemed like he was actively paying attention.
"Sure. Of course. Well then just call me whenever you like and I'll handle it. Alright. Goodbye."
I pretended not to look at him and stay busy. But I saw his hand shake just for a moment.
"How about we call it a night and…well I'll try to get some rest and we'll get back to this tomorrow?"
He looked at me like normal. "Very well Damien. Good night."
After he left, my sense started to kick in again. I always did have a bad habit of being right when bad shit was about to happen or was already happening. I pulled out my phone and dialed a very private number.
"Yes it's me. I apologize for calling so late and so soon but I think there's something you must know."
August 2nd, 2011 1600 Hours
CIA Headquarters, Langley, Virginia
While dad's primary focus was helping me find Hekmatyar, he did have to keep up the impression that he was still doing his job as SOCOM's Chief Tactician. A lot had happened in the time that I was gone and most of it was gonna make our job harder if we didn't do something soon. Bookman and I were communicating with him via video call in his office over a few unnerving matters. One was that Admiral Olson wasn't going to be able to cover for dad much longer. DHS and JCOS were starting to really pressure him on too many things being classified and not enough facts to prove plausible deniability. The other though was a little more concerning. Why Carlyle hadn't gotten the technical details on Amada's and Baburin's early thesis's on quantum physics and engineering.
"You're thinking she used her computer again?"
"It's possible. But it wouldn't do much good since a bunch of their early work was on paper. All I really would need to do was just go to NSA and hand it to Carlyle."
As I was standing behind Black, I had a different concern at least for now.
"Dad. What about keeping things under wraps? I don't find it coincidental that a few people are sticking their noses in where we don't need them."
He looked away frustrated. "Trust me boy, I don't believe it's coincidence either. But I had a talk with Olson recently and he's about to do something that I'm gonna owe him personally for later on down the road. But he'll buy us some time."
These were premonitions that I normally got nervous about. Most of the time it's followed by something heavy.
"He's not going to resign his commission is he?"
Dad looked at Black with a slight surprise but it he reacted like it was the most obvious answer.
"More like he's gonna choose his own retirement date. He made that announcement public yesterday and it's caused a bit of confusion at his level. He said the most time he could give us is only a week and it started yesterday."
I didn't really care who was going to replace Olson but I still needed someone to provide a layer of cover for what is really going on so that I could continue to get resources and help on the US government's dime. Given the situation, petty things like politics don't concern me. But we all agreed that if what Hekmatyar is doing gets to people who shouldn't really know about it, they'll more than likely just cause a repeat of what I tried to get Dad and Black to do first hand and it failed gloriously. They might get sideswiped for a while but if they continue then they might even suffer a worse fate than that Navy commander I heard about or Hekmatyar might kick start the apocalypse early.
"Crap." I said running my hand through my hair. "This is all we need. More distraction."
I figured it was a matter of time, but I didn't need to catch it on the nose that Hekmatyar was pulling someone else's strings. As I was thinking about running through Floyd Hekmatyar's web though, the Marine Coleman came on the screen after I heard his voice asking for dad.
"Sir. Sorry but I just got off the phone with Agent Carlyle at the NSA. Homeland Security was there asking him about unauthorized holding of classified information and the like. He asked me to tell you because he doesn't seem to trust a direct line to you."
"Aww damn it! Sorry Black, I gotta go. Damien we'll talk at the house." He said hastily as he turned off the feed.
There was a moment of pause, and then Black looked up to me from his desk. We were both thinking the same thing. The question was; who does she have under her thumb?
"Easy part is that there's only a select few that really knows what's happening. Problem though is that we're gonna have to try and observe them from a distance first so that they don't know we're on to them."
"No worries Damien. Even though we're trying to do this in a way where her computer can't interfere with us, we still need to have a way to get information to each other as fast as we can. We are fighting this thing handicapped and can't just have runners with letters, but that doesn't mean that we can't improvise."
I figured I let Black take the reins on this one. He seemed to have a better idea of what to do and spoke of it with confidence. He then reached into his desk, and pulled out a rather fancy video camera. I figured I let him explain, because I was a little lost.
"I have my own contacts in the NSA as and I asked them for a little favor to wire a feed to my computer of a tracing and monitoring program they have set up. I asked for specific taps for a certain number of people. But I couldn't keep record of them myself so I had to have this camera set up to watch my computer when I can't be here. Only thing really keeping this a secret is that I lock my office door every time I go home."
I knew what he was implying so I asked him directly.
"So you had our phones bugged from the start. Nice of you to place a lot of trust and confidence in us, Black." I said to spite him.
"I did nothing of the sort Damien. This is from an operation from a separate branch in another department where I have no control over. I know that you won't really care given the circumstances you're in right now. But believe me when I say that this will help."
I was a little nervous about what he was going to say but I held firm and asked anyway.
"So how shady is this?"
He answered by plugging the video camera into his computer to bring up the recording feed. It was just focused on his computer screen with a window open looking at a bunch of numbers and names. Names I was kinda associated with already and the numbers seem to represent times and dates.
"Well it depends if your definition of "shady" means employing whatever measures necessary in order to prevent terrorists, criminal organizations, and foreign spies from communicating with each other and catching their conversations in the act."
I hated when this happened.
"You're not answering me Black. What is this? And how can the NSA have access to this? Government phones are one thing but those aren't the ones I call. Those are their personal numbers."
Black stayed silent and started to fast forward through the video. His extended silence more than likely meant that this was questionable, even by the CIA's standards.
"Black?"
He then looked to me as he seemed to remember something. "You're asking a question in which I can't give an answer to Damien."
"Well too fucking bad. I wanna know!"
Black didn't flinch at the fact I towered over him with a presence that resonated killing intent and a stare that can pierce tank armor.
"So a little invasion of privacy is enough for you to stop going after Koko?" He simply asked. And that was enough to match it. And get me back on track to common sense.
Note to self; ask about what this is again once this is all over.
"Just tell me what I'm looking at." I said giving up.
"Since we're working on very limited tech here I figured to use a cunning approach and see if there had been any abnormalities in calls coming in to everyone that's aware of what's truly going on." He then zoomed in and cleared up the screen for a better shot. "And I found one."
"So you have a record of this?"
"I do but something decided to make sure that those records were never recorded. Unfortunately though they didn't take into account that something else which was totally unrelated and unconnected to the net was watching it. Take a look at this."
He then moved the video ahead a few seconds and then back several times. The incoming calls for one person were there one moment and gone the next like it was never even there. It just went back to the previous call. Looking at the time in which it happened was in no exaggeration less than half a second. It was a little hard to believe but computers work pretty fast, hers especially faster.
We both looked to each other and agreed in silence that we wanted to see who it was. My eyes widened but I remembered my bad feeling from a while ago. Judging from the date and time it happened. I was right there in the room. I doubted the voice on the other end of that line was his wife.
"Son of a bitch." Was all I could say.
"You don't seem surprised Damien." Black said with a bit of concern. It's rather impressive on how good he can read people.
"I didn't catch it on the nose but I was only wondering when this would happen when she would decide to go on the offensive if I put on too much pressure. She decided to go for the one of two…" I said looking to him. "…that not only has the most to exploit but also has enough of a key hand in it so as not to arouse too much suspicion on my part. Plus if she went after anyone I knew intimately like my dad or the rest of my family, I'd be burning every single HCLI office around the world to the ground one at a time until I either got lucky or I ran out of shit to blow up."
"Do you believe that he's been in direct contact with Koko?" He asked in a way where I'd know better.
"She wouldn't be that reckless. But if she's handing off her devices capabilities to someone else that just needs it as cover and not using it themselves then maybe we can use that to our advantage. Think you can trace that number and see if it's not at a scrambled end? Or at least who was making the calls?"
It was a fifty fifty chance that she wouldn't use it on people that were much closer to her. Since she only sees everything as a means to her end I had a little bit of hope.
"I just need time to call back the NSA and figure out but yes."
I then grabbed the physical copies of Amada's and Baburin's student theories and put them in my pack.
"Do it. I'll drop this stuff off at Meade head back to the house to talk with Dad. Let Schokolade know whenever she's done with Ass Hat to come to our house."
The old spy smiled softly as I went to exit his office. But what Hekmatyar was doing with Hinoki kept running through my mind. It was only a matter of time before she showed more of her true selfishness. But the only time that surprised me and the only time that ever will was when she told me all those innocent people dying was necessary.
Looks like my hunch was right and this can work in my favor. If I get my hands on just one of whoever she sent alive, I got a one way ticket to her. Plus she doesn't know I have a little bit of backup that I sent on behalf of her father's old contacts. If you really want to take on the world Hekmatyar, you better be prepared for an omnidirectional front.
August 3rd 2011 0700 Hours
Eleuthera Island, The Bahamas
So far their orders were to only observe the Hinoki family. The former Japanese spy was more than willing to cooperate with Rhodes' demands or else he would take appropriate measures so that it would be the last mistake the Colonel would ever make. He had been forbidden from returning to the Bahama's until either the problem with Damien Andrushko was taken care of or their employers project was successfully achieved. All he had to do was just lead the former Green Beret astray and whoever else was working with him.
"It seems as though Mrs. Hinoki is back to her usual morning routine of preparing breakfast before she wakes the brat up. Why couldn't I catch this milf when it was more appropriate? Like the shower or when she's in bed frustrated about not having her husband."
The other one of three on the stakeout far away from the beach house in an old building glared at his partner before throwing an empty water bottle at his head. The commotion caused the third to wake from his nap.
"Shut up and get your head out of the gutter! Go wank it whenever we're done."
"Aww damn it. Why didn't you two wake me up earlier, it's already past dawn." The slumbering one said rubbing his eyes.
"Oi piss off! I'm doing my best to stay awake. You know caffeine gives me stomach cramps."
"When you idiots are don't arguing with each other…" All three froze when they heard the Scottish accent of their company chief. "…can you tell me if there's been any attempt at Hinoki contacting his wife with any sort of signal that would indicate that she's in danger? This man was Japan's top spy and he would have contingencies for this."
The three Shadow Hammer mercenaries then switched over to professional mode and gave Rhodes their report. They didn't expect him to show up in the Bahama's in person.
"Nothing out of the ordinary sir. The taps haven't said anything that we would pick up on except wanting to know how their day was going. Seemed to be routine for them. But are you sure it was a good idea to let him to speak to his family?"
Rhodes just simply looked at him. "They need to believe that they are not under any type of threat. Besides the lady said only to get rough as a last resort. So that's what it's going to be. He does what we say, and nothing happens." He smirked.
"What if something does happen boss?" The one at the window said looking back to the Hinoki home.
"We get paid either way. Makes no difference to me."
The room let out a few wicked sounding chuckles. This wasn't the type of action they were hoping to get as opposed to guarding Koko Hekmatyar's factory in South Africa. But easy money in a Caribbean paradise was a big step up to them. Spencer Rhodes was rather eager to get his hands on an actual challenge if this Green Beret was as tough as his employer said he was but it looks like he'd have to wait a little longer for the opportunity to appear. For now he'd have to deal with an old fashioned extortion deal. It wasn't the first time he'd threaten others on behalf of someone else or himself.