Satan's Spy (The Steve Church saga Book 2) AndrĂ© Gallo (top 100 books of all time checklist TXT) đ
- Author: André Gallo
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Also, Firuz had become friendlier over the day. However, he had not crossed the line; he had not revealed confidential information as some might do to show-off their knowledge and importance. He thought Firuz had to be the key, and luckily, Yazdi could help him turn that key.
26. Tehran: Tuesday
Hashem Yazdi drove in the evening traffic with Steve in the passenger seat. âIs Steltzer still an issue?â Steve asked him. âWe can help. However, you may have to leave the country for a few days. Has Mousavi mentioned it again?â
They were driving out of the city to a kebab restaurant in the suburbs. It was early evening, and a light rain had been soaking the city most of the day.
âHe doesnât have to repeat it. He expects results even if he mentioned it only once.â He glanced toward Steve expectantly.
âHereâs what we can do,â Steve said. âYou go to Hamburg where youâll find out that Steltzer is dead. I assume that will satisfy Mousavi. Weâll tell you how to find his grave, and you take a picture.â
Yazdi was leaning forward, as if trying to improve his view through the dirty windshield made muddy by the inadequate wipers.
âWhat if we had someone send it to you or email it to you?â Steve continued. âYou wouldnât have to leave Tehran. Could you claim that your contacts in Germany did the research, or perhaps even took care of Steltzer themselves at your command?â
Yazdi smiled slightly. âThatâs too easy. Proof through some sort of official record would be better.â
âThe impossible will take us a bit longer,â Steve grinned.
âAlso, itâs better if I go to Hamburg so that I can report on the case personally. Itâll be more convincing to Mousavi.â
âOkay, letâs plan on your departure in, say, three days, and your return three days later.â
As they turned a corner, a roadblock surged in front of them. There were no side streets into which to turn and no choice except to make a U-turn, which would have raised the alarm and triggered a pursuit. There were several other cars in front of them, and now more in back. The policemen wore dark green ponchos with hoods over their hats. They were checking several cars at a time.
While Steve held his breath and rehearsed cover stories in his mind, Yazdi rolled down his window as a policeman approached. Words that Steve didnât understand were exchanged. The policeman evidently wanted to inspect the car, but Yazdi was trying to talk him out of it. Faced with a persistent cop, Yazdi reluctantly showed his I.D. card. The effect was instantaneous. The policeman saluted, returned the card, and waved them on. Yazdi drove around the cars in front, and Steve allowed himself to breathe again.
As they reached the end of the street and turned, Steve said, âWow. Even the president of the United States doesnât have a card like that. What were they looking for?â
âIt was just a mobile road block checking for drugs and alcohol. Donât worry. Itâs nothing.â
âItâs not nothing. We canât meet like this anymore. Hopefully there wonât be a record that you were stopped. Do you have an apartment we can use, besides yours, I mean?â
âDonât panic. I know how to handle security in Tehran. If it will make you feel better,â he grinned, âyes, there is an apartment we can use.â
They drove without speaking for a few minutes reflecting on what had just happened. It had stopped raining, and the only sound came from the squeaking windshield wipers, which Yazdi turned off.
Yazdi broke the silence, âFiruz told me he had met a Canadian businessman. I didnât want to ask for details, but was that you?â
âYes, I was wondering also if he was your nephew. Good tennis player. What is that computer center really doing? There were some classified areas that we couldnât go into. Firuz said that itâs part of Iranian Cyber Army.â
âRemember Mousaviâs special project? Kozak, the KGB guy? The center you visited is part of that project, not the main installation, or you wouldnât have gotten in. There are several computer centers in Tehran that support the project. Unlimited funds since the Supreme Council is the sponsor. The centers are very loosely connected but are carefully separated from each other.â
âCompartmentalized?â âYes, thatâs it.â
Steveâs recollection of the Center didnât reflect unlimited funds. It was too small for one thing. However, he let Yazdi go on with no interruption, which he had learned was an essential virtue in an intelligence officer.
âUnlike whatever Firuz said, thatâs not even where he works,â Yazdi said. âHeâs in the headquarters of the project which is located where?â
Yazdi gave Steve a quick glance. âIn the former American Embassy compound! I waited him out, and Firuz opened up last night.â
Steve felt rewarded for his patience. âWhatâs the purpose of the project?â âRemember the Russian attack on Georgia? As part of the attack, the Russians disabled most of Georgiaâs computer systems; Kozak had a big role. So now, as part of Russian-Iranian friendship, Russia is assisting Iran in setting up the mother of all cyber warfare capabilities. In return for an oil deal. Up to just recently, they were mapping American systems and identifying backdoors and inserting horses.â Yazdi had to brake suddenly to avoid hitting a car that had cut in front of him.
He muttered imprecations in Farsi and, when they were able to move ahead, Steve asked, âHorses?â
ââTrojan horsesâ is what Firuz said, viruses and software that can be activated remotely, from Iran. He said that the attack on Georgia was kid stuff compared to what theyâre preparing; that Georgia was almost a dry run; that lessons learned are being applied; and that the damage will take years
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