Perfect killer

CHAPTER 88

Our jet began a gradual descent.

"Fuel," Kilgore said. The jet got us in and out of Jackson nonstop, but won't get us back. We'll land near Longview, Texas, for a minute. But before we get there, let's go over a few things. Time's awfully short and we'll need to hit the ground running when we land."

Without waiting for us to reply, he retrieved a large brushed-aluminum briefcase from the seat across the aisle, walked back to the rear of the aircraft, unlatched a table, and folded it down.

"C'mon down." He waved at us as he covered the table with topo maps, aerial photos, and street maps.

I stood next to Jasmine and reveled in the warmth of our casual touch.

"First of all, rules of engagement. We will avoid hurting or killing anyone except as a last, desperate resort. Other than the one or two folks out to dispose of Dan and the doctor, I'd say we're dealing with good folks just doing their jobs. Let's use that bear repellent and other nonlethal items whenever possible."

"Finally, we're not going to use U.S. government assets or equipment other than information. I do not want to get my quartermaster in trouble, and I do not want to make my legal case worse through multiple charges of misappropriation of government property."

I looked around the jet and back at Kilgore.

He caught my question. "American Express. My personal card. I'll worry about how to pay it off next month-if it matters by then. Same at the other end. Bill Lewis used his card to rent a van and an RV to use as a sort of mobile base. He's done some shopping for us as well."

Talmadge snorted in his sleep then. Anita looked over at him.

"Now, for personnel assignments," Kilgore continued. "Let me finish. Then if you disagree, we can discuss it."

Heads nodded.

Anita, we'll keep him sedated in the RV with you to look after him." She nodded.

"Bill Lewis'll be with his unit, which still believes we're monitoring Castello Da Vinci to assess security readiness. He'll relay the information to me as it happens. Nothing suspicious about that; I'm usually involved in penetration operations against high-profile targets."

"Rex: you, Brad, and I will attempt the main penetration and rescue. Jasmine and Tyrone will mount a diversion from a safe distance since neither's got combat experience."

Tyrone frowned. Kilgore shook his head. "For you I have something that would be fun if results weren't so important."

"Such as?"

"I've read your rap sheet," Kilgore said.

"That's juvenile stuff," Tyrone said "Sealed by the court."

"Uh-huh."

"I'm awfully rusty with that stuff."

Kilgore's smile and eyebrows said he was unconvinced. "I want to see if you can hack Castello Da Vinci's network."

"I can most probably do that."

"Lives depend on it."

"Do they have any wireless parts of their net?" Tyrone asked.

"Just for guests," Kilgore said. "They have hot spots for all the visitors they have. But it's firewalled off from the main network. Plus, everything's encrypted. Guests get a onetime use Wireless Encryption Protocol key."

"WEP's a piece of Swiss cheese," Tyrone said. "Total moving target. Crackers break it, router guys issue some new firmware, which hardly anybody ever upgrades, and even if they did, the crackers are usually a step ahead."

"I thought a WiFi hot spot only went a few hundred yards," Jasmine said.

"Depends," Tyrone said. "Back at a DEFCON hackers convention in Vegas, they had a contest and managed more than fifty miles. My guess is that with all the guests they have and all the rock and stone around Castello Da Vinci, they will have ratcheted up the power of their system and tweaked antennas so their important guests won't get a weak signal. And, if the place is as big as you say-and we know Braxton has access to all sorts of corporate things-he probably has an IT setup there, probably a VPN to his company and maybe links to other places."

The air got rough for a moment as we closed in on the Longview airstrip.

"So you can do it?"

"Yeah," Tyrone said confidently. "I can do it, but I need a decent laptop with two wireless 802.11n cards, some wire, aluminum foil, a couple of Pringles cans, and an hour or so with a good Internet connection to download some software."

"We can do that." Kilgore nodded. "But, remember, you can't access your servers anymore."

"Don't need to. The software I need to blow open the General's network is available for free to anyone with an Internet connection."

"Oh, jeez," Rex said.

"Okay, we've got only a couple of minutes here," Kilgore said as he spread out the topo maps to offer the lay of terrain, roads, and the fortresslike security around and in Castello Da Vinci.

"Our guy's certain Gabriel and Harper are jailed in one of the half dozen barrelaging caves at the base of the complex. None of them have locks, just big iron bolts on the outside. They're off a spur tunnel intersecting the main service tunnel not far from the loading docks.

"Bad news is the weather's hot as hell, well over one hundred degrees. Good new is there's one helluva big wildfire on the other side of the valley and the prevailing winds are blowing it right over the General's place, so visibility's pretty bad.

"More bad news: there's a big party tonight-Pentagon brass, corporate execs- which means extra security and a lot more people we will not want to shoot. The upside's all the caterers, and deliveries of food and wine. That's how we get in."

"Why wine delivered?" Rex asked. "From everything I've read, Braxton's got a multimillion-dollar wine cellar."

"But he doesn't drink it," Kilgore said.

"Doesn't drink it?"

"He's a collector," Jasmine said. "It's all about the collection, not about the drinking."

"Now that's crazy," Rex said.

"It's one sign of the type of brain injury Braxton has," I said. "And he picked up his collecting mania right after the head wound."

The pilot interrupted us with his final approach announcement. We helped Kilgore secure his papers and cleaned off the fold-down table until only a single red file folder remained. The jet lurched and yawed as the downdrafts of approaching afternoon thunderstorms tossed it about.

"Here." He handed the file folder to Jasmine. "This describes your mission. Pass it along to Tyrone when you're done."

The landing gear groaned into position. Only then did Jack Kilgore take his seat and buckle in for the landing.