The Remora Shadow (Bryce Seagraves Book 1) by Drew Stone

Author:Drew Stone [Stone, Drew]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-10-01T16:00:00+00:00

17

Learning that hackers had stolen data off my computers staggered me. Cyberspies in the People’s Republic of China copied every file off my server — client emails, confidential memos, legal briefs, and all my personal information. The People’s Liberation Army downloaded a complete record of my professional and private life. I had not seen it coming.

Somewhere in Shanghai, intelligence officers searched through my digital files for the Remora Shadow, as well as for other information they could use against me or my clients.

I stared blankly at the kitchen cabinets, but my eyes could not focus. My vision was trapped in a gray-sided tunnel. I leaned hard against a countertop, unable to move and unsure where to turn. My heart hammered a jagged rhythm that surged throughout my neck and temples.

“Why me?” I whispered to myself in disbelief, not expecting Glenn to hear me.

Glenn answered anyway. “You’re Marisa Dupree’s lawyer. The PLA thinks you might have the plans.”

I shook my head, trying to process all this.

Glenn threw back some coffee. “Tell me you don’t have them.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Well, that’s good at least,” he said with pale encouragement.

None of this should have surprised me. Sheriff Tompkins suggested the same thing when she asked if Marisa had given me a flash drive or any documents from Benton Dynamics. Tompkins mentioned that clients sometimes hand over evidence to their attorneys for safekeeping before trial, but I had not received anything like that from Richard Kostas or Marisa Dupree. I kicked myself for not even contemplating a cyber breach.

The Chinese hackers broadsided me. How they would use my computer files remained a disturbing question. The PLA compromised my clients’ confidential files. Calling the ethics hotline made sense, but no one would be at the state bar association on a Sunday evening. With this fact pattern, a volunteer ethics attorney would have been as lost as I was right now. More likely, that attorney would think I was wearing a tinfoil hat.

Placing my malpractice insurance carrier on notice was another option, but by telling anyone about this, I would expose Glenn. He would not only lose his job and security clearance, but also face prosecution. My friend and former coworker had no authorization to disclose the NSA operation that discovered the hack. Other than with Glenn, I could not discuss this with anyone. I needed time to think. Time was not on my side.

Straightening up, I felt numb in both knees. I turned to Glenn. “What should I do?”

He set his coffee mug on the faux marble countertop. “Well, first of all, change your passwords. Really solid ones. I’ll help, but one computer at a time. No one can know I was here.”

“Okay, though let’s face it. The damage is done.”

“Yeah,” he said, “but you can’t roll over. Passwords are a start. Tomorrow, hire a security firm. Clean your system, install a really tough firewall, and upgrade your protocols. The PLA must’ve planted malware to let them back in whenever they want. Standard procedure. You’ll need to wipe your CPU and reload from back-ups.

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