Skill Set (4 page)

CHAPTER

Later that afternoon, Isaac was still in Soto's office while she had been called away to a meeting. Isaac sat on one of the couches, opposite her 'tech guy', with sheets and sheets of printouts on the coffee table between them.

“Maybe we're going about this all wrong,” Rose sighs, leaning back in the seat and loosening his necktie.

“What do you mean?” Daniel replied, holding his glasses by the temples.

Pursing his lips and staring at the ceiling, Isaac was silent for several seconds.
“At the moment, we're looking at it from the same angle as everybody else,” he mumbled, mostly to himself. “And nobody is getting anywhere. So, what if we look at it another way. Why hack this email, why send it to Russia? Exactly who was it sent to and what do those people have to gain from it?” He reeled the questions off quickly, not pausing for breath or for an answer. “
Umm,
” the young man’s eyes stretched open even wider. “
Well, I...errr.
”

“I'm just thinking out loud,” Isaac assured him. “I don't expect you to figure it all out.” He pushed himself wearily to his feet.

“
Oh,
” Daniel chuckled, embarrassed.

“I just need to talk to the secretary again before I go,” Isaac said, smoothing his hands down the front of his jacket, a habit he'd picked up from watching Foxhound. “She'll be back in a few minutes,” Daniel said, jumping to his feet. “Please don't hesitate to call me if there's anything I can do to help, Mr. Rose,” he added.

Nodding, Isaac smiled at the young man
’s enthusiastic and excited expression. “I think we'll be seeing more of each other, Dan. . . . and I'll let you know if I need anything.” He was amused by the fact the young man seemed to find the whole affair so thrilling. He'd almost forgotten what it felt like to not be surrounded by this kind of intrigue on a daily basis.

“Great,” Daniel beamed. “
Well,
” he added awkwardly, pointing to the door. “I better, umm, get back to it,” he nervously stuttered like a high school kid who had just been thrust into a room with his crush.

Isaac chuckled as Daniel headed for the door and awkwardly tripped at the threshold. It wasn't a cruel laugh and he tried to keep it as muted as possible.

Nevertheless, Daniel heard it and his cheeks flushed red.
“There's..errr...a little lip,” he muttered pointing to the pesky metal threshold that had tripped him.

After the young computer geek had shut the door, Isaac shook his head and sighed.
“These are the people I'm working with now?” he asked the ceiling. More worrying still, he thought, these are the people who are in charge of ensuring our government's computers are secure. The thought didn't instill much confidence.

While he waited for Emma Soto to return, he eyed her bonsai tree, tenderly taking one of the branches between his finger and thumb. It brought back fond memories; his grandmother, who supplied the Asian portion of his blood, was crazy about those trees. Growing up, he remembered her always
having dozens and she cared for them as though they were her children. She was a good woman; the best Isaac had ever known.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Rose.”

The voice behind him pulled him out of his nostalgia and instantly back to the present.
“No problem. . .I just wanted to ask a couple more questions before I go.”

“All right. . .but you know everything I know. There's really nothing left to tell.”

“Well, they’re not those kind of questions . . .I think if the problem is here, then I need to be here.”

“ Okay, whatever you think best. . .”

“It would be helpful if I could place myself undercover in your office. Nobody, with the exception of our young friend, Daniel is to know who I am and why I'm here.”

“
Fine,
” she agreed, “But, if you don't mind my asking, what role do you intend to take?”

”“That's easy,” he said, shoving one hand into his pocket as he waits for her to figure it out.

Several seconds pass and she still looks puzzled.

“I'll be your bodyguard!” he stated, as if that were the most obvious solution in the world.

Emma Soto's eyes widened.
“You can't be serious,” she said. “I don't need another bodyguard, Mr. Rose.”

“Sure you do.”

“Mr. Rose,I already have two bodyguards, and they do a perfectly good job.”

“Ms. Soto, This is not really a request. I need to do my job, do you understand? If we're going to find the guy who's been hacking your emails, I need to be here. So, you can claim you received a threat and that I'm your new personal guard or you can just tell people that you wanted a large security detail. Makes no difference to me.”

She was stunned into silence for a few moments.
“Have you quite finished?” she asked, reasserting her authority by placing her hands on both hips.

“
Yes,
” he nods.

“All right,” she sighs. “Then, you can start tomorrow,” she turned smartly and marched toward the door.

Isaac didn't bother to contact Foxhound. Officially, all Trackers are supposed to keep him a breast of what they are doing at every step. Going undercover as part of the defense secretary's staff definitely qualified as a step. Nevertheless, Rose was accustomed to playing by his own rules and ignoring the etiquette of the department. As far as he was concerned, his situation was of no interest to his boss anyway.

Dressed in a smart suit with a white, open-collared dress shirt, Rose arrived at Soto's office the following morning. He had new ID, which the secretary rushed through clearance as a member of her 'security' team and he also had a pass and badge prepared for him. The only people who knew he was actually really part of the intelligence agency were the security personnel who had checked him in the day before. And they hadn't known the reason for his visit. It was quite plausible they too would buy the story that Emma Soto had received a death threat and was being supplied with an extra bodyguard. Emma Soto and Daniel the computer whiz were the only two people who knew Rose's true purpose for being there.

As he walked through her open door, he lightly rapped his knuckles against the frame to announce his entrance. She glanced up and beckoned him inside.
“I'd like you to meet the men you'll be working with,” she said, her face tight and businesslike. “
Isaac Rose,
” she began, “this is Ed Hayes,” she gestured to a mountain of a man with a shaved head. He was tough, of that there can be no doubt, but he would certainly lose in a battle where speed mattered. “And this is Paul Kendrick,” she added, pointing to a shorter man, with a sleeker but still very muscular physique. He had blonde hair with far too much gel in it, and a pair of aviator sunglasses hanging out of the breast pocket of his jacket.

'To cool for school', Rose silently noted. However, he stepped forward and offered his open hand to Ed and then Paul.
“Nice to meet you, guys!” They shook hands.

“
Likewise,
” Ed sized him up, looking him up and down. Within a matter of seconds, he smiled indicating that Isaac had met his prerequisites, whatever they were.

Kendrick, on the other hand, was not quite so welcoming.
“We'll show you around,” he groused, tipping his head to the door. “Then we need to get an earpiece fitted.”

“I don't need an earpiece, and I'm sure I can show myself around.” Isaac spoke softly but with an undercurrent of independent determination.

Raising an amused eyebrow, Kendrick stared at Rose. After several seconds, he turned to Ms. Soto. She was sitting at her desk, her eyes fixed on a piece of paper, apparently oblivious to what was happening in front of her.

“I was here yesterday,” Rose added. “I've already familiarized myself with some of the building. Look, I'm not exactly new to the field,” he stated, as Kendrick’s obvious resentment was beginning to get on his nerves.

“So you think you're going to protect the secretary single-handed?” scoffed the disgruntled bodyguard.

“
No,
” Isaac shook his head. “You have a job to do; I have a job to do. . .We're working in tandem, but not together. I work alone.”

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Kendrick stepped forward aggressively.

Ed Hayes lunged at his colleague's arm, but it was quickly shrugged off.

“
Gentlemen!
” Soto yelled, jumping to her feet and moving around the table. Placing herself between the two men, who both stood head and shoulders taller than she was, looked from one to the other like a mother glaring at her naughty children. “What is going on here?”

“Nothing,” Kendrick instantly backed down. “Just your Lone Ranger here thinks he's capable of working solo.”

She stared at Rose, her eyes communicating something the other two men could not see. Realizing she'll get nowhere with him like this, she swivels back to her bodyguards.
“Look,Mr. Rose is here to deal with a specific threat made against me. He will, of course, be sharing information with you and seeking your advice, but he'll also have his own lines of investigation and concern.”

Kendrick and Hayes remained silent.
“I'm sorry you feel as if you're being pushed to the sidelines,” she added, looking only at Kendrick. “To be honest, I don't like this any more than you do. . .”

It's yet one more thing Rose is unfazed by. The ability to successfully complete his mission was not dependent upon his being liked...by anyone.

“. . .However, I'm told it’s a necessity. And with a bit of luck it will all be over soon! Now, if you could just give me a moment with Mr. Rose,” she added, smiling warmly. In Emma Soto's world, being liked was important. She certainly didn't want the people who protected her to actually prefer she was dead.

Ed Hayes nudged his partner with an elbow as it became apparent he
was not eager to move. Continuing to glare at Rose, Kendrick slowly shuffled his feet toward the door. It's not until he was crossing the threshold that he eventually turned his head away.

As the two entered the hallway, Hayes could be heard muttering words of reassurance to his colleague.

Emma Soto stared at Rose.
“You've got to be kidding me! You've been here for five minutes and you've already managed to antagonize the men you're supposed to be working with.”

“I'm not working with them,” he corrected her. “I'm here to find your hacker; I don't need them.”

She scoffs humorlessly, shaking her head.
“I'd really appreciate it if you would not disrupt the entire department while you're here. . .”

“Look,I can't be held responsible for the attitude problem of your muscle. It was obvious his nose was put out of joint the moment I walked in.”

“And diplomacy isn't your strong suit?”

“I can charm people when I want to,”
he grinned.
“When it's necessary. . .If Paul Kendrick is butt hurt, that's not my problem.”

“Right,” Soto gave up trying to talk any sense into the stubborn man before her. “Well, I've got a busy day ahead.”

“Me too,” Rose nodded. “I'm going to take a look around, familiarize myself with the building.”

“Please don't anger anyone else while you're at it. . .”

His eyes twinkled at her as he strode for the door.
“You better hope you haven't got any other overly sensitive souls working for you,” he muttered, just loud enough for her to hear. Emma Soto watched him leave and waited for the door to close. “I'm not so sure about that,” she mumbled.

Isaac spent the morning walking the corridors of the Oval Office. His security badge gave him access to almost every room, every hallway, and even the into the bowels of the building. He knew he was unlikely to find anything, but felt it important to familiarize himself with his surroundings. If and when something does go down, he wanted to know everything there was to know about the building.

By the early part of the afternoon, he was satisfied he knew the layout of the entire building. When he returned to Emma Soto's
office, he found Daniel waiting outside the large closed doors.

“Oh, hey,” Daniel turned at the sound of his footsteps. There was mild alarm in his young eyes.

“What's up?”

“Well, I was about to take this to the secretary,” he lifted a manila file.

Rose nods, to urge the man to continue. Daniel hesitated.

“I...She really ought to see this first,” he says, his words coming fast.

`
“Is it something to do with why I'm here?” Rose asks, deliberately being cryptic enough so none of the suited men and women passing the corridor would have pause to question what was happening. At Daniel's reluctant nod, Isaac held his hand out, demanding the document be handed over.

“
Mr. Rose,
”
Daniel pleads.
“I really shouldn't...I could lose my job.”

Isaac says nothing and continues waiting with an impatient open hand.

“Please...” Daniel continues to hesitate. “
I...
” And suddenly something seems to snap. With a roll of his eyes, he thrusts the file into Isaac's hand.

Rose's gaze immediately turns to the file, as he flipped it over and opened the cover. His eyes moved quickly down the page, before lifting disbelievingly to Daniel's concerned expression.
“Are you sure about this?” he whispered.

Moving his head up and down like a toy dog in the back window of a sedan, Daniel continued to appear shell-shocked.

“Is she in?” Rose reached across Daniel’s desk and banged firmly on the thick wooden doors. “I...I don't know,” Daniel stepped out of the way. “I knocked, but. . .”

“Madam Secretary,” Isaac yelled, cutting over the younger man's attempts to speak. “Ms. Soto, I need to speak with you!”

Now he was beginning to get the attention from some of the staff members, but he's too focused on getting the secretary's attention to notice or worry.

Thankfully, it only took a few more moments for the door to swing open.

Emma Soto is breathless,
“What?” she barks. “I was on the phone with the President, do you have any idea. . .” Her words were cut short, as Isaac placed a hand on her hip and pushed her into the room.

He doesn't bother to grab the door, knowing Daniel is following behind. Sure enough, the computer expert slipped through the opening and closed it behind him.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” Soto argued, trying to push his large hand from her body. “Kendrick was right, you are insane.”

Isaac does not rise to her taunt. Instead, he thrusts the file he's still holding under her nose.

“What's this?” she demanded.

“Just read it,” he insisted.

She wanted to refuse, wanted to tell him to get the hell out of her office and not come back. However, despite her willful nature, her eyes drifted down to the sheet of white paper in front of her. Like Rose just moments before, she grew quiet as she read its contents.

Satisfied that she now understood, Isaac released his hold on her and took a step back.

“It's not possible,” she whispered. “I don't understand.” “I don't know how they were managing to get it,” Daniel chimed in. “Every time I tried to put up a new firewall, they were busting right through it as if it weren't there.”

“What was it you were saying about a prank?” Isaac shoved his hands into his pockets.

Soto ignored his remark.
“Did you get a trace, Daniel?” she asked.

He seemed reluctant to answer, but finally nods.

“
Oh, Jesus,
”
she sighed.
“Not here again?”

“
No,
” he responded. “It's...umm. It's worse than that.”

“What do you mean?” Emma wondered, scared about the next thing to come out of her security expert's mouth.

“
Umm,
” he mumbled, “
it's...err....Moscow. . .
”

She peered into his face for a few seconds.
“Where?”

Daniel can only shrug and shake his head.
“That's as far as I could narrow it down,” he apologetically explained.

“Wherever it was and whoever they are, they know what they're doing,” Isaac interrupted, his tone much more businesslike than Soto's or young Daniel's. It was clear Daniel, despite being a master of computer technology, was shocked by the serious implications of what was happening. Soto, on the other hand, was stunned into silence. She knew things were bad, really bad. It was certainly going to cost her job. It might even have more serious ramifications for the country. Neither of them knew what to do. Rose, meanwhile, was a man of action. It was the only way he knew how to deal with things.

“How long were they actually in the system?” he asked, turning to Daniel.

“Umm, ten minutes, give or take a couple. . .Maybe a little longer. It's difficult to say exactly.”

“And you have no idea how deeply they went and whether they managed to access anything?”

“Well, they got through three firewalls and another two I had set up while they were trying to burrow under 'em.Something happened. . . I lost sight of them for a while, but I knew they were still in the system.”

“Get back on it, right now,” Rose urged. “Find out exactly where they went and what they took, if anything.”

“Absolutely.” Daniel nodded, happy to have something useful to do. His long legs took giant strides across the room.

“Do you have any idea what they could be after?” Rose continued turning to Soto.

“
I...
” Her eyes scanned the floor in panicked sweeps. “
I don
’t know. I just don’t know.”

“All right,” Isaac glanced at his watch.”
I
’m going to speak with your friend from the CIA, where is he?”

“
Umm,
” she mumbled.

“
Don
’
t worry,
” Rose insisted, with a wave of his hand. “
I
’ll find him.”

“I need to speak to the President,” Soto said, as if she was announcing her own execution.

Rose didn
’t have the time or inclination to reassure her. He was already heading out the door. He tugged it closed behind him, but didn’t get very far before he heard his name being called from the other end of the corridor. Turning, he saw Daniel’s head protruding from a small office.

“What is it?” Rose asked.

“Come take a look at this,” came the reply..

Intrigued, Rose followed the young man
’s instruction. He moved calmly, peering over his shoulder and watching the other suited men and women bustling obliviously around the office. When he reached Daniel, he pushed him into the room. He closed the door, locking it, then repeated his question. “What is it?”

“Look at this,” Daniel pointed to his computer screen.

The room was much smaller than Emma Soto
’s office and it only took two steps to reach the desk and another one to move around so he could see the monitor. He blinked and stared for a moment and then turned to the IT expert by his side. “
I don
’t know what this means,” he mumbled, gesturing to the series of letters and numbers filling the screen.

“I know where the security breach came from,” Daniel said, swallowing hard.

“Where?”

His tongue nervously moistened his lips.
“Secretary Soto’s office. . .” his voice was almost a whisper.

Rose paused, squinting, as awareness sharpened his expression.
“So, she’s the one providing access to these guys in Russia?”

“
But I don
’
t understand,
”
Daniel babbles.
“Why would she do that?” “Maybe she’s being offered a lot of money. . .or maybe there’s a cause behind all this, something she believes in enough to risk everything.”

“
I...I...
” Daniel paled and remained speechless.

“This needs to stay between you and me for now, understand?”
Rose grabbed Daniel
’s shoulder firmly. “If we’re going to find out what’s behind this, what information has been sent and to whom, we need to keep this quiet.”

“
We can
’t be sure it was Ms. Soto, can we?” Daniel asked. “Maybe it was someone else using her computer. . .”

Isaac stepped back from the desk and found his back against a wall. Leaning there for a moment, he slipped his hands into his pockets as he continued to stare at the screen. The information on the computer meant nothing to him, but he wasn
’t really focusing on it. He was just blankly gazing at the object that was directly ahead of him. “I need to speak with someone,” he eventually stated, pushing away from the wall. “Keep your eyes on Soto’s computer and watch for any other suspicious activity.”

“
Okay,
”
Daniel nodded.

Rose grabbed a pad and jotted down a series of numbers.
“Call me if you find anything,” he instructed, handing
Daniel the note pad. “
I
’ll be back in half an hour or so,” he explained, heading out the door.

stammered
“
Okay,
” Daniel stammered, as nervousness and panic seemed to seep from him in waves.