Young Again
Copyright© 2018 by Edward Douglass Patterson
Chapter 11: More Security
FBI Agent Marsha Poe had arranged the security meeting, which was being held at MSI. The stated purpose was possible terrorists’ retaliation against Ashley Sawyer. She had mentioned there had been two attempts in Hawaii, and they wanted to ensure no attacks were successful in California.
Marsha Poe and Mark Sawyer described the bugging and the attacks in Hawaii. Marsha said the FBI had rounded all but one member of the terrorist group. They believed she had left the country, but to be safe, they felt extra security was needed until the end of the year for Ashley Sawyer, Mark Sawyer, and Sarah Pierce.
“Now, since this is going to cause an increased workload, Sawyer Holdings will be covering your costs for the extra work. We’re just forming Sawyer Holdings, which will include MSI as one of the companies it will control. You should send billings to MSI Security. Don Alexander is the Director of Security. Contact him if you have any questions. Fred Kolneski would be the contact at Sawyer Holdings once he comes on board. He should be available later in the week. It’s a temporary assignment for him until we set up a separate security office at Sawyer Holdings.” Mark looked toward Cindy.
“We are hiring a private security firm to accompany the girls at certain occasions when they are out in public. I’ll also be having a security escort, but it will be at all times I’m out in public. Cindy Wong was hired to perform other work for us but has agreed to provide added protection when needed. Cindy is a senior at Stanford, and she has been teaching the girls martial arts. She was responsible for subduing three attackers during the second attack in Hawaii. Her brother and cousin each accounted for another. Sarah also accounted for one. This caused the other six attackers to stand down. I invited her here tonight so you could meet her. She will provide the last level of defense before the girls have to defend themselves.”
“You expect the girls to be able to help in their own defense?” San Mateo County Sheriff Bob Hanks asked.
“For the next few weeks, no one will expect them to be able to, but after they participate in the Golden Gate Championship, the element of surprise will be lost. They will be testing for their black belts on Saturday. They started less than a year ago.”
“Just before the meeting, we selected a private security firm, but they were not able to attend on such short notice. They’ll be providing security when the girls aren’t at home, school, or at one of our facilities. We need increased police presence around the homes and Woodside High School by the local police and sheriff offices at other times.” Mark looked over those there and smiled. “I’ll now turn the meeting over to Navy Captain Sheila McRae. The previous discussion on security, while needed, also served as a reason to get you here without mentioning her topic.” Mark turned the podium over to Sheila.
“I am Captain Sheila McRae, formerly of Naval Intelligence. On Sunday, Defense Secretary Al Simpson requested I take over the command of a new multi-service group, which will be based in this area. This group will undertake active cyber warfare actions against international groups, which are planning hostile action against the United States. This morning, I learned the Joint Terrorism Task Force of the San Francisco FBI office has been assigned the task to set up a similar group co-located with us, which will undertake active cyber warfare actions against groups in this country planning hostile acts. I expect the first of the hackers who will be under my command to arrive in the next few days. Support people for the group will be arriving as soon as we can get them identified and transferred. We will also be working with Seal Team Five under Commander Nathan Whitner. I will let Special Agent-in-Charge Marsha Poe tell you about the plans for the FBI group.”
“I only learned about the plan for the FBI to set up a group similar to what Captain McRae is planning this morning. Written guidelines are being sent from Washington for me to set up a domestic group to work with Captain McRae’s group. I was directed to find out what she was planning as well as what the Sawyers were doing. Based on that information, I’m to outline a plan for the FBI which I am to present in Washington next week.”
“Mark, how are you involved? Captain Jesus Sanchez of the Menlo Park PD asked.
“One of the companies we are setting up under Sawyer Holding will support the work of the DOD and FBI on this as well as other tasks.”
“They have supplied suggestions for our first ‘hackers’ and can provide similar help to Senior Agent Poe if she requests it.” Captain McRae wasn’t going deeper into what Ashley’s company would be doing. “They also will provide specialized equipment.”
Sheriff Hanks looked back and forth between Mark, Sheila, and Marsha. “There is something you are not telling us. Why are you locating here? Yes, Silicon Valley is nearby, but you are choosing this area for a reason.”
Sheila looked to Mark, who hesitated only a second before nodding. “Sunday, Defense Secretary Simpson came here to request Ashley and Sarah help the Department of Defense identify other groups which are planning attacks on the United States. They were to gather information so we could take action against those groups. The girls correctly told the Secretary they weren’t what was needed, but they would help set up a group which met our needs. They supplied some names of active members of the military who had the skills needed by such a group. They had vetted them and told them we would be requesting they transfer to the group. Ashley and Sarah will provide training to improve the abilities of our people. I assume they will also be supporting the FBI.” She saw Mark wanted her to continue, but she chose to turn the job over to him. “Mark, would you explain what you have planned?”
“When I thought all of my family had died during the North Korean attack, I made up my mind we wouldn’t be surprised like that again. I wasn’t sure what I needed to do, but I planned to find out the reasons we were surprised and do what I could to ensure things were corrected. When we talked to Ashley after she was rescued, I found she shared my goals. What surprised me was both she and Sarah were adept at finding information out over the internet and other communication systems. When Captain McRae and Agent Poe came to talk to Ashley about the plane crash, they learned what the girls could do in finding and interpreting data. They have been called on to support a number of government groups since then.” Mark decided not to go into details.
“How good are they?” Sheriff Hanks was curious. “What could they do for my sheriff’s office?”
“I requested they attempt to hack into Department of Defense computer systems and tell us where improvements were needed, which is how they knew what Secretary Simpson came here to ask them. They have supplied lists of problems which we are working on to correct. I understand they did something similar for Honolulu PD while they were there. Their hourly charges are high, but I think the billing so far is under ten thousand. If they have to help with the corrections, then the price goes up.” Sheila explained.
“The girls looked into the local police computer networks when they heard who was going to be at the meeting. Sheriffs Hanks and Usher, and Captain Sanchez, your systems are from the same company which supplied Honolulu PD. One of you should have your department contact HPD to find out the problems the girls reported to them and what they did to fix them. You should work with the other local offices, which use similar systems, to get the problems corrected. They suggested you go back to your system supplier and request they make the changes and send them out in an update. That way, when they make future changes, they don’t interfere with the corrections. There is no charge for this. The rest of you can contact us about the rates the girls will be charging. Marsha, this is one of the things they will be teaching your people. They will use it as a practice lesson where they are to attempt to access the FBI computer systems and write reports of the security problems they find.”
“Is this the reason you are giving the girls increased security?” Sheriff Hanks was realizing there were more than one reason for what was being done here. He decided not to ask about anything which didn’t directly impact his sheriff’s office or his county.
“There are many reasons why people do things. The companies we are setting up under Sawyer Holdings will do a number of things which will benefit people. We hope we will be able to generate enough money to support the work we are doing. Ashley and I plan to take MSI public. We will use the money from the shares we sell as startup money. Captain McRae, if you haven’t chosen a location to set up your command, I have some property about which I would like to talk to you and Senior Agent Poe. Let us talk after the meeting.”
They spend the next hour discussing the new government groups which would be setting up in the area and how to protect Ashley, Sarah, and Mark.
When the local law enforcement people were leaving, Mark walked over to Ranger Ed Colson. “Ed, we need you to stay and discuss security for my cabin. It’s so remote that we will have to be taking other precautions.”
“I was wondering why you requested me to be here. When I checked about going, I found I had orders to come here and talk with you.” Ed and Mark had known each other for over twenty years.
Ed was surprised that most of Marks people as well as the FBI and Defense people were going to be in the meeting to discuss security at the cabin.
He was surprised even more when Captain McRae handed him a folder marked top secret. “Ranger Colson, this is for you to read before you leave here. Basically, the area around Mark Sawyer’s cabin to an extent as yet to be determined but to extend at least ten miles in all directions is transferred to the Department of Defense. This area is designated Area 87. This transfer is top secret. You have been assigned as the ranger in charge of USFS land in this area, but you will coordinate with me or whomever I designate in my command, all USFS activities in Area 87.”
“Does this have something to do with what you were searching for up there?” He had recognized both the Captain and Commander Whitner from the search of the area for the North Korean warhead.
“No, it has to do with something else we now suspect was up there way before then.” Mark was watching him intently. “Ed, you have spent a lot of time in that area. Have you noticed anything which didn’t look natural but may be extremely old?”
“You don’t mean Indian ruins. You mean something older. In fact, a lot older.”
“You have seen something.” Mark had hoped someone had seen something or there was an old legend about something so they wouldn’t have to search the entire area to look for some place to start their search. Now the entire area might not need to be searched.
“There is a cliff with what could be cuts in it which don’t look to be natural. A lot of the cliff has fallen, but there are a few portions I thought just didn’t look right. I camped with a view of the cliff and noticed it in the evening when the sunlight hit it before sunset.”
Len had brought up Google Maps on the video projector. It showed the area around the cabin. “Ranger Colson, can you show us the location about which you are speaking?”
“It is southeast of the cabin. The cliff is facing southwest. It is about a mile and a half away. No, a little bit more southwest. Expand it. More to the south. Expand it again. The area in the center there.”
Sheila wrote down the coordinates. She was about to use her phone to send an email but saw the phone showed no bars for tower signal strength. “Mark, do you have a secure computer I can email these coordinates to? I can have a scan of the area done with ground penetrating radar. We can have the results by morning.”
Len passed the laptop he was using for Google Maps for her to send the email.
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