The Secret Meaning of Blossom: a fast-moving spy thriller set in Japan by T.M. Parris

Author:T.M. Parris [Parris, T.M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-08-20T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 25

Fairchild thought Rose looked tired when she arrived at Trade Winds, but she was still early for the meeting, as was everyone else. Earliest of them all was Agent Alice Rapp, who’d walked in half an hour before the agreed start time and wasn’t prone to small talk. She brought a guy with her and they sat at a table in the empty restaurant, closed at that time in the morning. After a brief introduction, they both worked their mobile phones in silence. They were dressed in standard issue FBI uniform: suit and tie, skirt and jacket. Rapp’s long dark hair and heavy-rimmed glasses took the edge off her muscularity a little, but she could handle herself, Fairchild could see that. He wondered if she was carrying, even here on foreign soil. It wouldn’t surprise him.

Zack came separately. That lifted the mood a little. At least they could sustain a conversation, if only small talk about hotels and traffic. Next to arrive was Barclay, the booming CIA head who came to the opening.

“Fairchild! Hey! Didn’t expect to be back here so soon. Great party. Any chance of one of those cocktails? Only joking, it’s a little early even for me.”

Then came Tim Gardner – more greetings and introductions – then finally Rose. Fairchild didn’t have the chance to ask her about the conversation they’d had last night but she gave no indication things had moved forward. He remembered with some self-consciousness a long pause, during which he’d toyed with the idea of suggesting that they get together to discuss the matter face to face. He was glad he hadn’t in the end, and hoped that Rose hadn’t read too much into that awkward silence.

Not being privy to the full invite list, Fairchild wasn’t expecting to host such a large group, and they had to engage in some table-moving to accommodate everyone. Rapp stood with her arms folded and watched.

“How secure is this place?” she said to Zack, who’d suggested it.

“It’s clean,” said Fairchild. “I sweep it for bugs regularly.”

“Yeah,” said Zack. “If anyone’s going to be listening in here, it’ll be Fairchild.”

Rapp was unimpressed. “Well, if you can vouch for it.”

“Sure.” Zack met her gaze.

As soon as they were seated, Rapp got started. “Right. It seems we all know each other now, so let’s get to business.” No one questioned her authority to lead. “You all have the background, but let me tell you more about these scumbags and why we want them. You know that ransomware attacks are surging. Over two thousand organisations reported an attack to the FBI last year but that’s a gross understatement because most firms simply pay the ransom. It’s quick, it’s low-profile, they get an insurance pay-out and it’s becoming seen more and more as just another cost of doing business. But that just sets it up as a successful activity, puts money into the pockets of cyber-criminals and encourages more of it. The criminals will go wherever the pay-outs are bigger and come easier.

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