Satan's Spy (The Steve Church saga Book 2), André Gallo [ebook reader color screen .txt] 📗

the planet. Settled by fishermen a long time ago. Where are you from? You speak unaccented American English.”

“I got my degree in California, U.C. Berkeley.”

“You should have come to Canada. We have great schools. Also, the cost is more reasonable.”

“I had a tennis scholarship, so that worked out.”

“I knew there was something about you that I liked.”

Firuz smiled at Steve’s remark and said, “I haven’t played since I’ve been here. There has been no time, man.”

Steve replied enthusiastically, “If you can make time, I’m your guy. I usually play tennis a couple of times a week at home. I don’t know if I could give you a decent game though, scholarship at Berkeley! You must be good. I didn’t bring my racquet. Got a spare?”

Firuz thought for a moment and said, “Well, tonight is the only time I have this week. I was going to ... well, never mind. Okay, I’d rather play tennis. I’ll find you a racquet. Good. I’m looking forward to it.”

Firuz gave Steve directions to a sports complex where they would meet. At lunch, Roberto Lucca asked, “I hope you were satisfied with your tour.

Tell me something about your company.”

“It’s called Magnum Controls.” As he spoke, Steve gave Lucca a business card. “We’re more used to working in larger facilities. However, using an assortment of energy sources, solar power, high performance windows and roofs, passive solar design, high efficiency equipment, variable speed motors, reflective roofs, use of daylight, occupancy controls and other measures, we can probably bring your energy costs down by a third. I see a number of problems, correctable problems, which can degrade energy performance. Our forté, of course, is the installation of precise temperature and atmospheric controls. We manufacture some of them and obtain others from forefront companies in several countries. You have an impressive operation Mr. Lucca. What is your most important output?”

“It is knowledge. Research and development to protect computer systems from external cyber attack. It is an unfortunate necessity in a hostile world. There are dark forces out there, Mr. Breton that would like to harm this country. We are here to foil them.”

“You seem to have a pretty international group here. Are you from Italy?”

“I belong to the world. Many of us are citizens of the world. Borders do not limit us. We go where our talents are most needed. This country is in the vanguard of computer science so it is a good place to be.”

Lucca was fiddling with Steve’s business card absentmindedly. “The leadership is giving our activities a high priority. We do have experts from several countries. Firuz is from your neighbor, the United States. We have no Canadians so far. Perhaps you would like to join us?” and he laughed.

“Only if you need a computer Neanderthal. Seriously, we would like to join your team and improve your results. You’ll see how we can help when you read my report.”

As he left, Steve was confident that he had passed the test and that Mousavi would be sent a favorable report. On the other hand, he thought inviting a stranger into what was apparently a classified area, although it had no electronic access system, was unusual. It was also clear that the center was new and not yet in full gear. Perhaps setting up temperature controls was part of the ramping up process.

* **

That evening, Steve and Firuz played tennis at the Enghelab Sports Complex, a large, and modern multi-sport club in the northern part of Tehran. They went to a soft-drink bar in the complex afterward. The color theme was black and white. Steve thought himself in a 1950s movie set. They sat on black chairs at a white table. Some players and their friends preferred the black stools at a tall shiny metal health bar. Other tennis players were coming off the courts and, with much visual display, remembered their good shots.

“Six-four, four-six, seven-five is respectable ... for an old guy,” Steve said. “You must be, what, ten years younger than me?”

“How long will you stay here?”

“I came to visit family,” Firuz explained. “And then I got a job. I don’t know how long I’ll be here.”

“Your project apparently has high level support. So it sounds like the job will last. What’s your specialty?”

“In Los Angeles I was co-founder of a startup. We helped companies set up sophisticated firewalls. To get their business, we sometimes would break through their security systems, those that had them. It was fun, more fun than the defensive side.”

“What about Marko? What’s his specialty?”

“He has great experience. He was...” Firuz interrupted himself, as if suddenly aware that he might be going over the line and discussing sensitive information. “Listen, I’ve got to go?” as if asking permission.

As if he hadn’t heard, Steve asked, “What about this Iranian Cyber Army?

What’s that about?”

Firuz smiled but didn’t reply, looking at the other customers instead. Steve followed Firuz’s gaze but no one was paying attention to them. “How does the Computer Center fit into this ‘Army?” he pressed Firuz.

“It’s not an army. Nothing military about it. I don’t know why we’re even called that,” Firuz said quietly. “But I really have to go.”

As they finished their non-alcoholic beers and left, Steve gave him his card. “Let me know if I can help you in any way. My hotel number is on the back. Good luck to you. Thanks for the tennis.”

Steve walked out of the complex but didn’t look for a cab right away. He wanted to go over his day. He had a feeling that what had started as a cover-building activity was turning into something else.

He wasn’t sure what to make of the presence of foreign computer experts like Firuz and Lucca. He probably wasn’t supposed to meet Marko, the Russian. Either the presence of foreigners indicated that this was