Shadow Tyrants

FORTY-ONE

Although Mallik could have taken his yacht out to the designated coordinates in the Arabian Sea where his final Vajra satellite would be launched, he preferred the safety of his security vessel Kalinga. After the Nilgiri-class frigate had been decommissioned by the Indian Navy, Mallik had purchased and refurbished her to provide protection for his sea-based launch system. She currently used modern computer fire control systems for her twin 115mm cannons, anti-aircraft guns, and torpedoes, but the Kalinga was also fully operational even if her computers went down, a situation that Mallik anticipated in the very near future.

He had renamed her the Kalinga—and her sister ship the Maurya—to honor Emperor Ashoka and his creation of the Nine Unknown. This was before his current involvement with the Nine had corrupted Ashoka’s vision. The years when the Mauryan Empire had conquered Kalinga had fascinated Mallik ever since his father told him he would someday become one of the Nine Unknown. He wished he could travel back in time to the birth of Ashoka’s peaceful nation, but he would have to be content with the creation of his own empire, one he planned to rule with a similar grace and balance. Like all births, it would require pain and blood, but the result that he imagined would be a beautiful new era of civilization, one free from the specter of an artificial intelligence that could replace humanity.

Mallik took the laptop from his bag and sat at his desk to open it, noting the irony that this was one of the last few times he would be using it. He logged on to his network to review the status of the upcoming rocket launch and was pleased with what he read. According to reports, the launch platform and command ship were currently being resupplied and refueled while the Maurya patrolled the perimeter. All tests of the Vajra satellite had been passed with flying colors, so they should be able to launch as soon as the rocket was transferred to the launchpad.

The only problem was a monsoon that was sweeping across the Arabian Sea region where the launch was to take place. The weather team estimated that they would have to wait two days so the weather could clear. Mallik was annoyed by the delay, but he didn’t want to take a chance with this satellite. If it exploded on launch like the last one or crashed because of the storm, it would be months before he could send up a replacement.

A knock at his cabin door interrupted his reading.

“Come,” he said.

Torkan entered with a thin smile on his face.

“You have good news?” Mallik asked.

“You were right about Carlton’s location. His A380 is on Cyprus.”

Mallik nodded. “He has a home there. He must be cowering with a security team around him for protection.”

Torkan’s lip curled up as he nodded in agreement. “There is a cargo vessel being refitted in the Limassol shipyard. My sources say it fits the description of the Colossus 5.”

That got Mallik’s attention. “Do you think you can disable it again? We need more time.”

“I doubt it. They’ll be ready for any attempt to damage the ship.”

“Then why are you still smiling.”

“Because I got word that his plane will be taking off two days from now.”

“Where is he going?”

“The destination wasn’t specified. But I do know that he’s contracted with a shipping company. He’s taking two of his cars with him.”

Carlton was a car aficionado, mixing classic antiques and state-of-the-art sports cars. He was known for using his private jet to move them between his homes in London, Cyprus, Mumbai, the Cayman Islands, Sydney, and Monte Carlo.

“You have a plan?” Mallik asked.

Torkan’s smile grew wider. “If we can’t take out the Colossus 5, eliminating Carlton is the next-best thing. My contact also found out that Lionel Gupta is with him. They were both spotted getting onto a helicopter at the Larnaca Airport.”

“Then it’s likely they’ll leave together as well. If they’re dead, Chen Min will have no choice but to follow my orders no matter what Carlton has told him.”

“I will take care of it.”

He turned to leave, but Mallik stopped him.

“Asad, take a seat for a minute.” The news he had to deliver was unpleasant.

Torkan sat, a puzzled expression on his face.

Mallik searched for the words, but before he could say anything his phone buzzed.

He looked at the screen. It was the head of his network security department, somebody he wasn’t expecting a call from.

“Just a minute,” he said to Torkan, and answered it gruffly. “This better be important.”

“It is, sir,” came the tremulous reply. “We’ve just detected a breach in our network.”

A jolt of anger ran through him. His systems had some of the best encryption in the world. “How is that possible?”

“I don’t know, sir, but someone began downloading files to an unauthorized location a few minutes ago. We’re attempting to stop it now.”

“Tell me the name of the idiot who let this happen!” Mallik shouted.

“S… s… sir,” his internet security man stammered, “the breach is originating from your laptop.”

Mallik wasn’t sure if he heard right. Torkan tilted his head in confusion at the one-sided conversation.

“What?” Mallik said.

“We’ve tracked the leak to your computer,” the IT man said.

Mallik went red with rage. “Change the network password on the Kalinga immediately, and do not let my computer reconnect. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, sir!”

He hung up and slammed the phone on the desk in frustration.

Mallik wanted to destroy the computer but restrained himself, knowing his people would need to analyze it. All he could do was shut it down.

“My computer was compromised,” he said. “It has to be Carlton.”

“Can I see it?” Torkan asked.

Mallik handed the laptop over, and Torkan inspected it, turning it over slowly in his hands. Then he stopped to look at one of the USB ports. He took out a knife and pried out a tiny device embedded in the port.

Mallik leaned forward and took it from Torkan. “I’ve never seen one of these, only heard of them. I think it’s called a barnacle. How did you know?”

“Those men we saw in the stairwell back at the party,” Torkan said. “I suspected they had been in your office.”

“But why would Carlton want to access my system? He must have known it was separate from my launch computer.”

Torkan shrugged. “Maybe he wanted to use the information he downloaded to blackmail you about Colossus.”

“No, then he would implicate himself. We’ll look at what was downloaded. That might tell us.”

Torkan prepared to stand. “Is that what you wanted to talk about?”

Mallik sighed. “Unfortunately, no. This is difficult because you are the only family I have left.”

Torkan sat forward. “It’s Rasul, isn’t it?” He hadn’t heard from his brother since the covert mission on the Triton Star.

Mallik nodded. “I got a phone call from someone I know in the Indian government. They’ve received inquiries from the United States about the missing BrahMos missile. During the discussions, it was disclosed that Rasul was killed in the attack. I’m very sorry.”

Torkan slumped back in his seat, his jaw grinding back and forth as he processed what they had both feared.

“How did he die?” Torkan finally asked.

“I couldn’t get any details. The Americans are tight-lipped about the events surrounding the attack on Diego Garcia.”

“Who did it? Who killed my brother?”

“I don’t know that, either,” Mallik said. “But when Rasul was texting me, he told me about the ship that had stopped the Triton Star. He said it was a cargo ship called the Goreno.”

Torkan stared at him for a moment, his eyes flickering with both sadness and fury. Then he rose.

“Are you okay? You sure you can still carry out the mission?”

Torkan nodded and spoke with a low growl that chilled Mallik.

“First, I’m going to kill Xavier Carlton. Then I’m going to track down and annihilate the people who murdered my brother.”