The NYPD cordoned off the area around the Ambassador Hotel in a matter of minutes. The wounded were loaded into ambulances, and firemen used the Jaws of Life more than once to extract people from mangled vehicles. Department of Homeland Security agents arrived at the scene soon thereafter. After they interrogated a few eyewitnesses, heard Justin’s testimony, and confirmed his identity, they whisked them off in one of their Chevrolet SUVs to a hospital and then to their local office. Justin repeated his account to DHS senior officials, skipping over his meeting with Romanov, but otherwise leaving out no details. Satisfied with Justin’s replies and his offer about Canadian Intelligence Service’s full cooperation, DHS agents offered to drive him and Anna back to their hotel. After cleaning up and gathering their belongings, they boarded a flight to Ottawa.
The tragic turn of events had drastically changed their plans, pressing new priorities into Justin’s schedule. He dropped off Anna at her townhouse, ending their short-lived romantic getaway with a goodnight kiss. McClain had called an emergency meeting at CIS headquarters to discuss the information obtained from NCS, the evolving situation of the intelligence leak, and the recent car bombing in New York.
Justin flashed his credentials to the guards at the gate of the CIS complex, and they waved him through at once. He arrived at the massive marble building a few minutes before the meeting scheduled to begin at two in the morning. The parking lot was half-full, a usual sight for an agency that never slept. He parked at the first available spot and hurried to the main entrance, slightly annoyed at yet another security checkpoint. The young intelligence officers put his briefcase through the X-ray scanner and asked him to walk through the metal detector. They examined his badge at length, eyeing him suspiciously and comparing his face to his photo ID, reminding Justin of his early days in the Service. He had been doing this exact same job for a few weeks, and he had soon learned to learn to trust his instincts rather than just go by the rules.
After getting back his ID, Justin climbed the stairs, taking them two and three at a time. The Maple Leaf Conference Room was at the end of the fourth floor, right by where he used to have an office. He slowed down for a moment when passing by the door, where now hung a sign with another man’s name.
“Hello everyone, sorry I’m late,” Justin said as he entered the room.
McClain stood up from his seat across the large oval table. “How are you doing?” A look of concern spread over his square, unshaven face. He walked over and shook Justin’s hand.
“OK. The explosion spared me, but for a few bruises.” He pointed to his lips and the right side of his face.
“Glad to hear it.” McClain patted Justin’s shoulders. “And Anna, how’s she doing?”
“She’s fine too. Thanks for asking.”
“The Americans patched you really well,” Carrie said, before giving Justin a hug.
“Yeah, and they didn’t charge me for the pleasure.” Justin rubbed his left forearm. “Still stiff from the stiches.”
“Coffee?” McClain asked, returning to his seat.
A brown plastic carafe and a few mugs sat on a small table in one of the corners by the window.
“Sure.” Justin poured himself a cup and looked at the dim lights of Ottawa’s skyline. A blurry moon struggled to show its face from behind thick clouds.
“Well, we’ve analyzed the NCS files.” McClain said, opening one of the folders in front of him after Justin has sat down and had taken the first sip of his coffee. “Unfortunately or perhaps fortunately, depending on the point of view, they’re right. Al-Shabaab has come to possess accurate, up-to-date intel about our operations on the ground.”
Justin nodded.
McClain continued, “I’ve personally reviewed all our communications, among me, you, and Nathan, about the Iran operation. I’ve also sought technical expertise from our cyber analysts. We all concluded that someone has succeeded in penetrating our Service’s firewalls, defeating our secure encryption system, and accessing our sensitive data.”
“Al-Shabaab is doing all this from some broken down mud hole in southern Somalia?” Justin asked.
“No, of course not. The data-stealing worm, as the cyber techs call it, was installed by someone working on the inside. Inside our Service.” McClain let his last words hang in the air for a few moments. “The worm is still active, but we’ve quarantined it. Our techs have strengthened some of the firewalls.”
Justin exchanged a quick glance with Carrie. She shrugged, as if to say it had not been her call. “Quarantined? Why not remove it completely? And why not strengthen or replace all our firewalls?”
McClain ran his hand through his receding, yet still mostly black hair. “That was my initial thought too, but we haven’t identified who installed the worm and the location where it’s transmitting the data. So we’re—”
“You’re keeping it active to monitor it and bait the traitor,” Justin said.
“Yeah. We’re allowing it to go in a safe direction, giving it non-secret or worthless intel about old or bogus operations.”
“Wouldn’t the people behind this worm clue in soon to your tactics?”
McClain sighed. “We just hope it’s not going to be that soon, at least not before we have uncovered their identity and their hideout.”
Justin chewed on McClain’s words. “It may work if these people are dumb enough. But the fact they were able to breach our defenses tells me that’s not the case.”
McClain’s eyes narrowed, focusing on Justin’s face. “True, which makes it even more important for us to act fast and capture this son of a bitch.” He drew in a deep breath. “I’ve started to review all new hires and dismissals during the last six months. It’s going to take some time, since I’m keeping the circle of people who are in the know quite small.”
Justin nodded and looked at Carrie. She had removed her eyeglasses and was rubbing her temples. A couple of curls had fallen over her eyes.
McClain continued, “But we have a starting point. We know it involves you and al-Shabaab.”
A brief pause followed, then Carrie said, “And we know this is personal. Someone is personally targeting you. First in Iran, then in New York.”
“Well, not exactly,” Justin said. “The attack against the Navy SEALs in Somalia had nothing to do with me.”
“It did involve you, albeit indirectly,” McClain replied. “Your team assessed the intelligence about that operation.”
Justin frowned. “Yes, and the intel was solid, as was our assessment,” he said in a stern voice.
“I have no doubts about it, Justin.” McClain’s voice also took a heavier, forceful tone. “I’m not accusing you or even suggesting there were any errors on your part or on the part of your team for that matter.”
“All right.” Justin spread his palms over the table. “Just wanted to make that clear,” he added in a softer voice.
“It is clear. Now, it seems you’re the common denominator in all these attacks. They’re shadowing you really close, and I don’t want to give them another chance at taking a shot at you. These bastards are coming after you, and we’re going after them.”
Justin smiled. “I was hoping you would say that, sir.”
McClain nodded. He took out a small manila envelope from a folder and slid it toward Justin. “Here’s your new smartphone with the updated encryption.”
Justin pulled out his old BlackBerry from his briefcase and handed it to McClain.
“Not sure if your old phone is compromised, but let’s take no chances,” McClain said.
“I haven’t used it since last night.”