23

Toronto, Canada

Jeremy's laughter fades away in the living room.

"Sorry... But you have to admit, it's kind of funny, right?"

The atmosphere has shifted significantly in the house since Sarah's intervention regarding the hypothetical "secret member" of RoTP. Kyle Kinkaid has just received updates from his team dispatched in Moscow. On the small coffee table, he has placed his laptop, an ultra-light model from the latest generation. Displayed on the screen is the initial report on the contents of the USB drive extracted from Kagda's body. A revealing but not particularly insightful outcome, which triggered Jeremy's laughter.

"Baltac... Our analysts have been on it for barely an hour, give them some time to..."

"An hour? Not so long ago, you were implying that Phoenix could have recruited any basement-dwelling geek's services instead of complicating matters by seeking out former RoTP members."

The major shows a weary grimace as Jeremy continues: "Apparently, as 'obsolete' as our methods from back then may be, it seems KryptBoy's work is still capable of stumping all your experts..."

"Okay, Baltac, I got it. Evidently, your little team has managed to keep up with technology. The file that was on the drive has been sent to my men. Obviously, it's encrypted. The problem is, upon inspecting the document, they don't recognize any of the known encryption protocols."

"Without a single clue, even a brute force attack could take years before deciphering anything," adds Jay.

"This time you're underestimating us, Baltac. We have access to computational power far beyond what you can imagine."

"Oh! Alright, not years then... Months?"

As the Cajun doesn't respond, Jeremy takes his silence for agreement.

"I don't understand," Sarah interjects. "A few weeks ago, the newspaper did a report on secure data exchanges and encryption. I remember the researcher telling me about 'keys' or something like that, necessary to access an encrypted file. If we only have a file, then where are these keys?"

Jeremy smiles. "You're exactly right. It's a bit like bank vaults that require two keys to open. The bank holds one key, the client holds the second; both are needed simultaneously to proceed. In the case of computer encryption, these keys are called the public key and the private key, respectively. The role of the bank is played by the decryption software, which holds the public keys, chosen according to the protocol used. The private key, on the other hand, can be a simple password, or a certificate to be installed on one's machine. But without these two keys, you can't open the file..."

The major has also followed this brief explanation.

"When my men say they can't identify the encryption protocol used, what does that actually mean?"

"Basically ... that they don't recognize which bank the vault belongs to. So, no idea about the public key employed..."

"In other words, we're missing both keys to access Kagda's information?"

"From what you're telling me, yes," confirms Jeremy.

"He ingested the device containing this file. Clearly, he intended to use this data, probably to harm Phoenix, to counteract the work he had been forced to do for him. Is it possible that he hid these famous keys elsewhere?"

Jeremy thinks for a moment before answering.

"In theory, he had no way to communicate with the outside world, or he would have sent this file somewhere on the Internet. His best choice, then, would have been to memorize two somewhat complex passwords."

The major lets out a gesture of frustration.

"In that case, these two keys disappeared with him, and this file is useless to us. It might have contained crucial information to counter Phoenix..."

None of the three speakers say a word for a moment, as if to digest the enormity of the situation. Then Jeremy finally breaks the silence.

"If you'll allow me, Major, I could take a look at this file. You never know, a fresh perspective might uncover something your men missed."

Kinkaid seems hesitant. He appreciates that Jeremy is no longer joking. He's not challenging the competence of his teams this time; he's sincerely offering an outside opinion. Faced with his reluctance, Jeremy adds: "I understand it's a sensitive investigation, if you don't wish to break the seal of confidentiality..."

That decides the major.

"At this point. I've already told you enough to warrant a nondisclosure agreement. Bring me a USB drive so I can make you a copy; I don't want to see this file traveling over unsecured networks."

"Sarah?" asks Jeremy.

She nods towards the hallway leading to her husband's office.

"In the left drawer, there should be a new one."

Jeremy stands up and heads down the corridor.

"Miss Wessler?" Kinkaid pleads in an affable tone after Jeremy's departure.

"Yes?"

"I have a small favor to ask. I would understand completely if you're not ready to..."

"Go ahead, ask me whatever you want, no need for beating around the bush."

"Thank you for letting my agent and Mr. Vaughan join us at your house tomorrow. My team from Russia is also returning in the morning. I'd like to meet them for a full debriefing, and since I'll be here, I wondered if you would agree to a few extra guests."

For a moment, Sarah's face lights up, one might imagine her as a hostess delighted to receive her visitors. But her motivation for accepting is entirely different.

"Bring as many agents as you want. The more people here, the safer Jay will be."

Kinkaid nods in agreement. He admires this woman's strength of character. Devastated by the loss of her husband, she remains lucid and fully understands the situation: Baltac is next on Phoenix's list.

"Thank you, ma'am ... and I'll leave two of my operatives posted outside your house tonight," he adds.

She returns his nod, with a faint smile. "Thank you... He would have never asked for it himself, you know?"

"Too proud?" guesses Kinkaid.

"Too carefree," Sarah contradicts, enhancing her smile. "Jay is an exceptional observer and remarkably intelligent, but in his mind, he's still a teenager. If it weren't for my husband's death, he'd probably take all of this as a game."

"I see..."

She looks at him, perplex.

"Is there anything else you want to ask?"

"No..." he responds defensively. "Not at all... I... I was just wondering if..."

"If what?"

"It's a bit personal..."

"Go ahead," encourages Sarah.

Kinkaid adjusts his sitting position in the armchair before continuing. "You and Baltac, you..."

Sarah lets her gaze wander to the window. "I made my decision eighteen years ago. I chose the most responsible, the most stable, and my career. Don't get me wrong: I loved my husband, and he loved me. We spent those eighteen years exactly as I had hoped... In stability and comfort..."

With these words, Sarah's gaze, filled with nostalgia, extends far beyond the window. She sees herself eighteen years back at the moment of choosing between two romances. The major cannot help but feel a slight sense of guilt this time. His question was inappropriate for a recent widow.

Jeremy's return to the room breaks the uncomfortable spell between the agent and his hostess.

Sarah turns her attention back to the living room, subtly wiping away a tear rolling down her left cheek. The major grabs the USB drive—freshly removed from its packaging—handed to him by Jeremy.

"I'll copy the file for you, then I'll take my leave," declares Kinkaid. "We'll meet again tomorrow morning, Mrs. Wessler has kindly agreed to let us use her residence."

Jeremy returns to Sarah's side, who grips his hand as he approaches, while the agent proceeds to copy the file.

"Something wrong?" Jeremy asks, seeing the man perplexed.

"Uh... I don't know, I don't see the drive appearing on my computer. It's like it's not detected..."

"It's brand new," Jeremy replies, surprised. "It should work... Want me to take a look?"

Kinkaid turns his laptop towards Jeremy, who lets go of Sarah's hand to kneel in front of the coffee table.

"Go ahead," invites Kinkaid. "You're the computer expert."

Jeremy performs some manipulations in the system, removes and reinserts the drive, which is detected this time with a characteristic sound.

"There you go," concludes Jay, placing the laptop back in front of its owner.

Kinkaid copies the file, then removes the USBdrive.