“What’s Malice?” Carlton broke in.
Nicholas’s heart sank. The man’s ability to hold on to new pieces of information was getting worse. “It’s a computer program I needed,” he said politely, as if they had never before discussed it. “I was able to get the CIA to part with a piece of it.”
“Excellent job. Sorry I interrupted. Keep going.”
“No apology necessary,” he replied. “Bottom line is that once I had it, I was able to embed it in the email data. I uploaded it all last night.”
“And?” Ryan asked.
“And early this morning, someone downloaded it.”
“Someone who?”
“I don’t know the who,” said Nicholas, “but I’ve got the where. As soon as those files were accessed, Malice activated its silent beacon.”
“So where was it accessed from?”
“Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.”
Ryan was now just as confused as Carlton. “Cedars-Sinai?” she replied. “I don’t get it.”
“Do you know what HIPAA is?” the little man asked.
“Vaguely.”
“It stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Basically, it’s a law regulating data privacy and security provisions for medical information. The government takes it very seriously.”
“So what,” she answered.
“So Cedars-Sinai is one of the busiest, most technologically advanced hospitals in the world. Because of HIPAA, they have some of the most secure computer systems available. If you could get on the inside of their system, not only would your data be secure, but if you were a bad actor, you’d have the added benefit of being in one of the last places the government would ever think of, or dare to look for you. It’s brilliant.”
“Can you hack it?”
“With enough time and resources, I can hack anything. Here’s the problem,” he stated, as he pushed one of his pieces of paper across to her. On it was what looked like a flowchart of some sort. “Based on what I got back from Malice, I don’t think the people we’re looking for are keeping their data on the actual Cedars-Sinai system.”
“What are they doing then?”
“They’re using the system for cover and then offloading the data to a different system.”
“Do you have any idea where that other system is?” Ryan asked.
Nicholas nodded. “I think it’s right there in the hospital.”
“What would you need to be absolutely sure?”
“I’d need to go there and see it for myself in person.”
Ryan looked at Carlton. Any expression of confusion he might have had moments ago was gone. In its place was a focused look of determination.
“Put a team together,” he ordered, “get the plane ready, and get him out to LA, ASAP.”
? ? ?
After wrapping up all the details, Nicholas picked up his backpack and with the dogs by his side, exited the house.
Back in his van, he put on his seatbelt and grabbed his phone. One text had come while he was inside. It was from Scot Harvath.
URGENT: Need big favor. Fast.
CHAPTER 71
* * *
* * *
REGGIO, CALABRIA
The last thing Harvath wanted to do was head out to a dance club, but it was Thursday night, the place was going to have a decent crowd, and they might get lucky. At the very least, they’d get a feel for how it was laid out and could begin to get their arms around how they were going to snatch La Formícula.
Harvath’s plan had been pretty straightforward. He kept within Argento’s “ground rules” as best he could, but there were certain things he simply couldn’t promise. Life, especially in their line of work, was full of surprises—many of them extremely dangerous.
As they ate dinner, Harvath sent two texts, stepped outside to field several phone calls, and compiled a list of things he needed Argento and his team to track down for him.
When they arrived back at the safe house, he headed to his room to grab a shower and close his eyes for an hour.
At the appointed time, both teams met in the living room and Harvath went over the plan, with Argento translating to make sure everyone was on the same page.
To a person, they all agreed that the biggest wild card was going to be Vottari’s protection detail. They weren’t professionals by any stretch. And because they weren’t professionals, their behavior was unpredictable. Anything could happen. That was where the greatest danger lay.
In essence, the men “protecting” Vottari were thugs. They came from his village, or another close by. They would be fiercely loyal to him. When it came time to throw down, these boys wouldn’t think twice.
That part didn’t bother Harvath. He had them outmanned. In fact, even without Argento and his team, Harvath’s men could handle La Formícula’s crew. They just needed to bring the right tools for the job.
Someone raised the issue of security at The Beach Club and what should happen if they decided to jump in. Harvath had already discussed that possibility with Argento, and he let him inform his men. If they had to play the Carabinieri card, that was going to be the moment to do it.
With all of their questions answered, they piled into their vehicles and headed out.
It had been decided that the teams would go in separately and not acknowledge each other inside the club. The Americans were first.
Having pulled a stack of cash from his messenger bag, Harvath was ready to play the big-spending American. If The Beach Club had a VIP section, which it very likely did, that was where Vottari would be and Harvath wanted to be in it.
Unlike the restaurant where they’d eaten dinner, The Beach Club was actually built on a part of the coast with a long sandy beach. From its website, it looked like something you might have seen in Miami in the 1950s—lots of outdoor tables, chaise lounges, cabanas, and even a pool.
The building itself had a retractable roof and a full glass wall that opened up onto the outside. There were three bars, a huge dance floor, and some nights there were even fireworks. It was one of the hottest clubs in Calabria.
When they walked up to the entrance, Harvath wasted no time. He greased both bouncers, each with a hundred-dollar bill. As soon as that happened, word spread like wildfire that there was a big spender in the house.
The Beach Club did indeed have a VIP section, and Harvath and his team were shown right to it.
After being handed a hundred-dollar bill, the man at the velvet rope leaned in and told Harvath that it was five hundred to get in, but that included a bottle of champagne. Harvath discreetly peeled off four more notes and placed them in the man’s hand.
With a smile, the man then undid the rope and allowed the team to enter. An attractive young waitress showed them to their own seating area with bright white couches like the ones in Vottari’s Facebook photos.
“Well done,” said Lovett as they all took a seat.