17

Toronto, Canada

The major gasps for air. Seeing Jeremy and Sarah still attentive to his story, he continues: "Six months ago, almost five years after the cessation of his research, Phoenix infiltrated the storage compound where his archives were located. He committed suicide by activating an incendiary explosive device. He took four guards with him, and all his work vanished into smoke."

The major pauses, before commenting: "Yes, I know... Phoenix have mastered the art of rising from his ashes. Yet we had no reason to be wary. The surveillance footage irrefutably showed him entering the premises. The charred body's dental prints matched with the implants he had received twenty years ago during his disappearance's charade. The agency therefore concluded that Phoenix decided to exert revenge and destroy his research. His attempt had indeed succeeded, but he had died while executing his plan... As far as the CIA and 'Emerald Pyramid' are concerned, this version of the facts remains accurate."

Jeremy speaks up. "That's where you and your employer come into play, I imagine?"

The major suppresses a small smile. "Mr. Baltac, I told you, I'm one of the good guys. Don't assume that all this staging was yet again to recruit Phoenix for other purposes. We are quite certain that he orchestrated this scheme on his own..."

"Oh! Far from me to think you're not one of the 'good guys,'" Jeremy retorts.

"I thought you had used up your speaking time, Mr. Baltac, and that I could give you all the information I possess," the major interrupts.

Jeremy smiles in return. "All the information?" he questions, sarcastically.

"The ones relevant to why we are gathered here today," Kinkaid snaps back with a hint of impatience.

"Exactly," adds Jeremy. "You'll be much more credible if you explain where these famous pieces of information come from. Especially since from the story you've just recounted us, something tells me you were quick to omit the five years spent by Phoenix working on Echelon."

The major nods.

"Echelon wasn't built in a day, Mr. Baltac, certain nations and other significant groups didn't take the emergence of such a surveillance tool very kindly. Some irregularities in obtaining huge international markets and the daily infringement on individuals' freedom... I believe you yourself would appreciate it if an entity kept a vigilant eye on all this, right? ... Let's just say my employer is the answer to the perennial question, 'who watches the watchers?'"

Jeremy displays a genuine smile and with a nod and a significative gesture, invites Kinkaid to continue, satisfied with the explanation.

"So, to the rest of the world, Phoenix is dead," the major resumes. "But on our side, we had noticed some irregularities in Echelon's usage in late years. Nothing to do with the somewhat legal, economic or political pushes we see from time to time. But some analyses pointed towards insider trading, small enough not to attract attention without a thorough comparison.

These suspicions led us to conduct discreetly more in-depth tests on the corpse. Our pathologist soon discovered that the materials used for the dental implants were far too recent to be those of Phoenix."

"Phoenix literally rises once again from his ashes," notes Jeremy.

"Yes, and this time by playing the CIA itself. A terrible mistake on their part to have included Phoenix in the Echelon program. We now have proof that he was abusing his access for personal ends. Stock market manipulations and other trickery allowed him to enrich himself, always within a reasonable limit, not to attract attention. Given recent events, we think he used this money to continue his research in secret. Research that he was able to significantly advance by stealing the results of renowned scientists through their digital exchanges.

Familiar with the Echelon network, Phoenix was keen to protect himself from it, and it's difficult for us to determine exactly what he is preparing. What we do know, however, is that his research must have led to something tangible. Our agents discovered that your former colleagues were not just assassinated; Phoenix also forced them to work for him."

"Work for him? What do you mean?" asks Jeremy.

"Your friend Brian Wessler wasn't at his workplace accidentally on the night of his execution."

Sarah's hand tightens on Jeremy's at the mention of her husband.

"And he wasn't there to finish an important overdue project or anything of the sort. We checked with the bank's administrators. However, his user codes were entered just before his death to access the main transaction system. He deliberately opened communication ports to the outside, and a computer worm was installed. This worm is so sophisticated that our developers can't determine its exact function. But a few hours after its upload, thousands of anonymous accounts had been created in numerous international financial institutions. So far, we haven't detected any fund transfers, and our analysts haven't reported any major changes in the global stock markets." Noticing the sudden pallor on the lady of the house's face, Kinkaid adds wisely: "We have no reason to believe your husband acted on his own, madam. On the contrary, we have strong suspicions that he was coerced."

"Coerced?" repeats Sarah in a faint voice.

"Yes, madam, unfortunately."

Sarah turns her face towards Jeremy again. He articulates for her the question burning on her lips: "How do you know this?"

The major scratches his chin, embarrassed.

"May I answer your question with another?"

Sarah remains silent but nods in agreement.

"Did your husband complain of migraines recently?"

She sits up, surprised. "Yes ... for a little while..." She swallows with difficulty. "He had a persistent headache in the last few days, but nothing serious, we attributed it to lack of sleep and stress," she continues.

"And he had a medical examination the previous week, didn't he?"

"Yes, but I don't see..." Sarah looks at him uncomprehendingly.

"Would you say that his migraines started on the day of this examination?"

Sarah thinks for a moment before answering: "Yes, actually he began complaining that very evening, but..."

The major interrupts her. "Your husband's exams were never done. The lab technician in charge of inoculations and samples disappeared after his shift. Our services found his trace yesterday, strangled to death in a hotel in Las Vegas."

Sarah and Jeremy now look at the major with faces marked by utter incomprehension.

"Knowing that many of the research Phoenix spied on with Echelon were about brain chemistry, we have reason to believe he managed to improve and find a use for his nanobots. That they were injected into your husband's blood stream during his exam, the lab technician having probably been bribed for that. And that somehow, Phoenix has a way to control them to torture his victims until they comply to his will. Then he disposes of his prey by activating the nanites so that they induce a cerebral attack..."

Sarah's eyes widen in horror at the mention of the terrible ordeal her husband must have undergone. Jeremy squats beside her, and she lays her head on his shoulder, sobbing.

The major, for his part, does not flinch, seemingly indifferent to his certain lack of tact. However, he resumes with a brief apology: "Sorry for having to be so direct. It's only a theory, but it's a good one, unfortunately. It explains the cerebral attacks and the last behaviors of each victim."

Jeremy raised his head with a questioning look, still passing a hand through Sarah's hair.

"Mr. Wessler is not the only one to have acted strangely before his death," the agent continues. "Sergey Kagda was found in an abandoned warehouse, with clear signs of being held captive. Although unoccupied, the warehouse's electricity consumption shows a huge spike in the days leading up to Mr. Kagda's death. This usage corroborates the use of the computer equipment discovered on site, which had sufficient computing power to perform heavy cryptographic work. Again, we think Phoenix coerced Kagda into decrypting information, or on the contrary, encrypting it, to perfect the next step of his plan.

The body of Allan Vaughan, your communication and network expert, has not yet been uncovered, but his employer declared him missing two weeks ago. Investigating, we found that he had sent an email containing schematic diagrams and instructions to circumvent an emergency communication system. The kind of system used in crises or hostage situations. The recipient was an anonymous email box whose account has since been closed. But the information was utilized to commit a theft at the New York branch of an international research group last week, the day of your arrival in Toronto to be precise. No eyewitnesses, no surveillance video. A very rare and difficult-to-produce compound is missing from their storage area. It seems, then, that Mr. Vaughan was also pressured to help Phoenix against his will."

"And Mosquito?" asks Jeremy.

"Too early yet to understand what Mr. Rodriguez might have been forced to do. He is the latest victim, died in a public place, with witnesses, it's not very clear at the moment. The preliminary examination of his body by the local coroner revealed no cutaneous trace that could confirm an injection. But now that we know what to look for, I've dispatched a team to conduct a full autopsy, especially on the brain, since his attack was clearly anything but accidental."

"And KryptBoy's body?" Jeremy asks pragmatically. "Did it reveal anything more?"

"You must understand that it took time before we could find what you and your companions had in common and connect their deaths to Phoenix's actions... It's only upon Mr. Rodriguez's murder, two days after your friend here, that we could make the link. Mr. Kagda had already been dead for five days. His family had his body buried, but we've requested an exhumation from the Russian authorities. I have another team in Moscow since this morning."