impossible to stop it from leaking out,
if it already hasn’t. If this isn’t a matter of national security, then I don’t
know what could be,” Jenkins replied.
“So, this can’t be a software-based cipher, can it?” asked
Steiner.
“Well, I think it may be a hard-encoded cipher. It must be
some new form of algorithm. I wouldn’t know unless I could get a chance to see
the research that went into it. But, most likely, it’s a cipher sitting on a
circuit. If that’s the case, and there’s multiple devices like this out there,
then even if we get Medviek, we’re not solving our problem.”
“That’s scary stuff,” he said as they rounded the well-lit
hallway enroute to their section in the underground spy station.
“I know,” said Jenkins. “I did my master’s dissertation on
advanced ciphers. It seems hard to believe that someone could crack a 2048-bit
RSA key. It was supposed to be virtually impossible. Well, at least not
possible for years to come. I don’t think this has anything to do with Moore’s
law. They’ve found some sort of key that can unlock these ciphers. It’s like a
master key of all ciphers. I have to sit down and think of it. I have to draft
out my ideas,” she said.
“Yeah, me too. Okay, well let’s get to work,” he replied.
“Okay, we’ll regroup later today to review what we’ve
found,” said Jenkins as she rounded her way towards her office. The pair split
up. It was clear they had a lot of work to do; they had a whole lot of work to
do.
Chapter 11
Jonathan Grace ran through the gears
of the BMW as they sped through the city of Istanbul. He was at the wheel
again, while Jennifer sat in the passenger seat, helpless with her arm in a
sling, unable to drive the vehicle herself. Jonathan looked over at her sitting
there helplessly, her pale blue eyes sparkled in the
late morning sun of the city. The light Sunday traffic made navigating the
streets much easier than normal. They whipped through cobble-stoned streets,
along major highways, across a bridge over the Bosporus, and back onto more city
streets.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Back to my hotel,” he said.
“But it’s not safe there. What if they’re there waiting for
us?” He could see the tense look on her face. She was stressed out and
rightfully so. They had been through quite an ordeal, and it was taking a toll
on her. He could see the look on her face. She turned her eyes out towards the
city. “How do you even know where you’re going?”
“I know it’s through these streets, on this side of the
Bosporus.”
“Good memory,” she said. She cracked a half-hearted smile.
“Thanks. But, what the hell are we going to do? We need to
get out of here. This guy isn’t going to stop until we’re both dead.” Jonathan
felt the gun that was now between his legs. He hadn’t held a gun in a long time
and he knew that it was no toy. But, the fact that they had a gun made him feel
much better. They were certainly going to need it. He held the brushed steel
silencer of the gun in his hand for a moment and double-checked the safety.
They were safe for the time being, but for how much longer? How much longer
would it take for them to find them again? Were they tracking
via satellite? Did they have the license plate of the car?
“We have to ditch this car,” he said. “Especially with these
gunshot holes in the windshield. We’re going to be a pretty obvious target.”
“I know. But, what are we going to do without a car? We need
a car.”
“We’ve got to find a different one,” he said. “There’s so
much to do, but first things first is we need to get to the hotel, and we need
to find that cipher drive.”
“The cipher drive?” She looked at him with a puzzled
expression. “How do you expect us to find that? It could be anywhere by now. It
could be thousands of miles away,” she said.
“We have to try.
We don’t have any other choice. It’s why I’m here.
if it already hasn’t. If this isn’t a matter of national security, then I don’t
know what could be,” Jenkins replied.
“So, this can’t be a software-based cipher, can it?” asked
Steiner.
“Well, I think it may be a hard-encoded cipher. It must be
some new form of algorithm. I wouldn’t know unless I could get a chance to see
the research that went into it. But, most likely, it’s a cipher sitting on a
circuit. If that’s the case, and there’s multiple devices like this out there,
then even if we get Medviek, we’re not solving our problem.”
“That’s scary stuff,” he said as they rounded the well-lit
hallway enroute to their section in the underground spy station.
“I know,” said Jenkins. “I did my master’s dissertation on
advanced ciphers. It seems hard to believe that someone could crack a 2048-bit
RSA key. It was supposed to be virtually impossible. Well, at least not
possible for years to come. I don’t think this has anything to do with Moore’s
law. They’ve found some sort of key that can unlock these ciphers. It’s like a
master key of all ciphers. I have to sit down and think of it. I have to draft
out my ideas,” she said.
“Yeah, me too. Okay, well let’s get to work,” he replied.
“Okay, we’ll regroup later today to review what we’ve
found,” said Jenkins as she rounded her way towards her office. The pair split
up. It was clear they had a lot of work to do; they had a whole lot of work to
do.
Chapter 11
Jonathan Grace ran through the gears
of the BMW as they sped through the city of Istanbul. He was at the wheel
again, while Jennifer sat in the passenger seat, helpless with her arm in a
sling, unable to drive the vehicle herself. Jonathan looked over at her sitting
there helplessly, her pale blue eyes sparkled in the
late morning sun of the city. The light Sunday traffic made navigating the
streets much easier than normal. They whipped through cobble-stoned streets,
along major highways, across a bridge over the Bosporus, and back onto more city
streets.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Back to my hotel,” he said.
“But it’s not safe there. What if they’re there waiting for
us?” He could see the tense look on her face. She was stressed out and
rightfully so. They had been through quite an ordeal, and it was taking a toll
on her. He could see the look on her face. She turned her eyes out towards the
city. “How do you even know where you’re going?”
“I know it’s through these streets, on this side of the
Bosporus.”
“Good memory,” she said. She cracked a half-hearted smile.
“Thanks. But, what the hell are we going to do? We need to
get out of here. This guy isn’t going to stop until we’re both dead.” Jonathan
felt the gun that was now between his legs. He hadn’t held a gun in a long time
and he knew that it was no toy. But, the fact that they had a gun made him feel
much better. They were certainly going to need it. He held the brushed steel
silencer of the gun in his hand for a moment and double-checked the safety.
They were safe for the time being, but for how much longer? How much longer
would it take for them to find them again? Were they tracking
via satellite? Did they have the license plate of the car?
“We have to ditch this car,” he said. “Especially with these
gunshot holes in the windshield. We’re going to be a pretty obvious target.”
“I know. But, what are we going to do without a car? We need
a car.”
“We’ve got to find a different one,” he said. “There’s so
much to do, but first things first is we need to get to the hotel, and we need
to find that cipher drive.”
“The cipher drive?” She looked at him with a puzzled
expression. “How do you expect us to find that? It could be anywhere by now. It
could be thousands of miles away,” she said.
“We have to try.
We don’t have any other choice. It’s why I’m here.
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