Hi everyone. I would like to thank all those who have been following my story. To my one reviewer who pointed out my obvious spelling mistake, Thank-you, I have repaired my error. Like I said I enjoy receiving reviews and I do not mind if they are negative. Positive reviews are great though. Here is Chapter 8. Please keep reading, I promise the first three chapters are going to eventually tie in.
Eric and Nell sat in front of their monitors analyzing the code of the security company's monitoring system.
"This site was well set up. Whoever wrote this code definitely knew what they were doing." Nell stated.
"They are using a couple of different firewall programs to protect their system. They have well protected themselves and it would be really difficult to even attempt to penetrate their system. My expert opinion is that it would take a world class hacker to get in without detection." Eric responded studying the code in front of him.
"Could you get in? Nell asked.
"It would be a challenge, and take a considerable amount of time, but I think I could. I don't think I would be in long though before I would be detected."
"It keeps track of every alarm system the company has installed and monitors. At any given time the company can tell if a system is active or not. Every time a code is used to turn a system on or off it is recorded. It's designed that when an alarm is activated, and if it is not disarmed within 30 seconds, it is registered at the monitoring station. Ten seconds later the system will have matched the alarm to the address it is registered to, the home or business owner's contact numbers and the local authorities' numbers. This information will then be displayed on a main screen at a main monitoring centre. A customer service rep will then have the local authorities dispatched and contact the owners. Generally the whole process takes approximately 50 seconds." Nell said.
"Hmm." Eric replied.
"What's hmm?"
"I'm not sure yet."
"I have found the log where the Coverman's system was recorded as being disarmed. It definitely appears as though the system was turned off by punching in their code."
"It was a rather unusual hour. I mean 3:34 am. I guess the Security Company doesn't really monitor for unusual activity."
"Kids get sick in the middle of the night, and have to be taken to the hospital. People come home late from being out somewhere. A gas leak, somewhere in the neighbourhood happens, and people have to leave their home. There are lots of reasons why the system would have to be turned off." Eric replied still viewing his monitor.
"Here, look at this Nell."
Nell leaned over closer to Eric in order to view his screen better.
"This code is written perfectly line after line after line. Then all of a sudden there is this little bit of dribble drabble at the end of this line. Then again at this one and then again at this one. Every so often there is a line of code that does not seem to belong."
"Um, let's isolate the lines in question first." Nell suggested.
Four minutes later the two techs sat back in their seats and turned to stare at each other.
Hetty was notified to come to ops and the "team" were all conference in via their phones.
"We have isolated a small program within the main program. It was well hidden, and appears to have gone undetected for at least three years. The code was added to the end of several original code lines. At first it appeared to just simply be useless jibber jabber that was left at the end of a line by accident. Once we isolated every piece we realized that was not the case. The program is one that, when activated, can be used to turn off any security system this company has installed and monitors. You no longer need the actual access code for that particular system. This program overrides the actual access code for the security system targeted forcing it to accept "Entry123" instead." Eric explained.
"The Coverman family was targeted." Deeks said.
"We believe they were." Nell replied.
"It appears that the code is activated through one of the screens the customer service reps use when they are registering a newly installed system. If "activity343" is entered in the space for name and then "enter" is clicked a hidden screen appears."
"What does the hidden screen do?" Sam asked.
"It just simply wants an address to be typed in. Once that has been done and "enter" clicked it activates the program." Eric answered.
"The system associated with the address entered can now be turned off using "Entry123". Sam replied.
"Exactly."
"There is something else. As brilliant as this is, there is a flaw. The code was designed so that when the program is activated it will only remain that way for 3 hours. After that it, automatically de-activates itself. Essentially giving the perpetrators a 3 hour window to enter the premises targeted. Once it de-activates, it is suppose to erase the address that was entered, and the original access code to the system targeted will be reinstated. We should not even have been able to tell that the Coverman's system had been tampered with. The thing is the main system has been maintaining the addresses that were entered. Nell and I have uncovered 64 addresses from all over the country. We are trying to discover if there were crimes committed involving any of these locations."
The few moments of silence that followed this revelation spoke volumes. Everyone was thinking the same thing. What had they stumbled upon?
"Can this program be activated from off site?" Callen asked.
"I could probably do it. It would take me awhile to crack the firewall. I do mean awhile. Honestly though, I think it was an inside job."
"Keep digging. Do a search of all the employees working in the LA office. See if you can isolate what computer was used to activate the program. Was the same computer consistently used? Was there a particular employee working every single time?" Callen said.
"Sam and I are still in the Coverman's neighbourhood. We may be on to something. We'll check in again soon."
"Deeks and I may have some video footage for you to analyze shortly. We are about to enter a small shop that is across from the park where took her daughter to play yesterday. They seem to have video surveillance."
Sam and Callen had walked from the Walker's home along the proposed route the kidnappers had taken to both enter and exit the neighbourhood. They were standing on the corner where the main street and the small neighbourhood street connect. From the main street the perpetrators could have connected to a main highway from a number of locations in both directions.
"This is the corner G. There is no bus stop at this corner. No fear of "witness" standing around waiting for a bus. There are no bars or pubs located near this corner that are open late. There are no banks with bank machines that could have captured something on security camera and there are no traffic cameras."
"Okay, then let's not focus on what is not here. Let's focus on what is here."
"Alright then. What do we have G."
"We have a butcher shop, a fruit and vegetable market, a bistro, a drycleaners, a deli…"
"G, we have a bakery across the street right on the corner."
"Yea..."
"Bakers are in early. I mean early. Like four or five a.m. early."
Sam and Callen looked at each other.
"Let's go talk to the baker." Callen said.
The bakery had three early morning bakers. One started at four a.m., and the other two started at five am.
"To be honest I don't remember seeing a vehicle being driven out of the neighbourhood. The only time I may have seen something though is when I first arrived. Once I am inside I am in the back of the bakery. I am the bread maker. I need to get the bread put together and rising before five. Other wise we don't have it ready in time to open."
"We are both pastry chefs. Like our colleague, once we are here, we are in the back of the shop."
"Sorry, but I don't recall a vehicle in the area."
"Neither do I."
"Did you talk to the owners of the jewellery store?" The four a.m. baker asked.
Sam and Callen turned to look out the front window of the bakery.
"Where is the jewellery store?" asked Callen.
"It is across the street, on the other side of the intersection, three stores down. The owners had a hidden security camera system installed a couple of days ago. They had a smash and grab robbery a couple of weeks ago. Right in the middle of the day, if you can believe it. If one of the cameras is focused on the front, of the store, it may have captured something."
"Thank-you for your co-operation. This is my card. If you think of anything else don't hesitate to call." Sam said as he handed each of the three bakers his card.
Sam and Callen left the bakery and headed to the jewellery store.
The jewellery owners were a man and wife team who were only too pleased to help the two NCIS agents.
"There are five cameras in total on the premises." The gentleman owner said.
"The first four focus on the back door, the back workshop, and the main section of the store. The last camera is positioned, in the front window, to face the entrance, the sidewalk and the street immediately in line with our shop."
The wireless security camera system operated on a 24 hr cycle. The images were downloaded every 20 seconds to a computer in the back office. Every Monday and Thursday evening the images were downloaded to a flash drive and the data on the computer erased. The information was kept on the flash drive for a month and then erased.
Sam phoned Eric and gave him the access codes to enter the jewellery stores system and download the images from the last 48 hours.
Callen thanked the jewellery store owners for their help and left them his business card.
"Sam, I think we should head back to the Walker's home and talk to the LAPD. Try to keep them informed and see what they have found out. Tell them we will have the footage analyzed, and let them know if anything shows. Then head back to the mission."
"Yea, Did I mention I hate cases involving kids." Sam sighed.