Read Online Flight Path: A Wright & Tran Novel by Ian Andrew - Free Book Online
Authors: Ian Andrew
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action was quite unusual to watch. Her prosthetic left hand, with extended index finger, prodded the keys in the style of a one-finger typist. Meanwhile, her right hand was the fully functional hand of an experienced touch typist. The resultant speed was much faster than most and much slower than Tien had once been.
The laptop screen displayed a new interface and a mobile number appeared in a box on the top left. Tien highlighted it and dragged it into another search box at the top right. A small egg-timer appeared and rotated for a few moments before another dialogue box popped up.
“This is an unregistered, pre-paid mobile, first activated for use in June,” Tien read off the screen.
“Unregistered?” Jacob asked.
“Not on a contract. A burner phone that isn’t in anyone’s name so it’s untraceable to an individual,” Kara explained. Jacob nodded.
“And,” Tien said as she continued to type and the display of the laptop changed again, “it’s only ever made one call and only ever sent five text messages. The call,” she paused as she transferred another phone number into another search box, “was the initial activation call to the network in June. The first text was also in June, loading on credit with an over-the-counter top-up. The rest of the texts were sent tonight,” she checked her watch, “twenty minutes ago. Ties in with Amberley’s trip to the toilet.” Tien turned the laptop around so Kara and Jacob could see the screen. “The messages on the right are outgoing, the ones on the left incoming,” she said as she zoomed the display in.
This is Francis 44619
Hello Francis, Pin?
826
Not quite.
392
Excellent.
Get a message to Del 44128
Contact me URGENT
A woman snifn about
Says there is money?
Insurance?
Need to talk
OK.
Tien closed the text display down and brought up a further interface. She opened a browser window and pasted yet another number into a search box. “Okay, these texts were sent to a mobile in Holland, or at least one with a Dutch country code,” she said and sat back from the laptop.
“Thoughts?” Kara asked.
“The fact that everything was deleted off the phone is significant in itself. The texts look like a challenge and response protocol, which infers a set of security procedures and our Mr Amberley was quick off the mark to reach out for help,” Tien said.
“But who’s he calling for help from?” Jacob asked.
“Don’t know yet, but I would say it’s more than likely Del is short for Derek. Whether that means Derek Swift and that he’s alive and well in Holland is something we’re going to have to ask Amberley about,” Kara said.
“When?” Jacob asked.
“No time like the present. I don’t think we can afford to wait, just in case whoever is on the other end of these texts decides to contact him by some other method.”
“So we’re going to go knock on his door?” Jacob asked.
“Yep,” said Kara. Conscious of her earlier reasoning to Jacob, she added, “He won’t have any home advantage this time. We’re going to be way less than polite visitors. I’ll brief you on the way.”
ɸ
The street had tightly packed, 3-storey terraced houses to the north side of the narrow road and much more substantial, detached houses to the south.
“It’s like Coronation Street versus Quality Street,” Tien said as they made their way along the ridiculously narrow footpath. The only light came from behind curtained windows, or the occasional faux-Edwardian porch light on the southern side.
“Why are there no street lights?” Jacob asked, in almost a whisper as he walked in the middle of the three of them, strung out in single file.
“Where would you put a pole? There’s hardly enough room for one person to walk on the footpath let alone sticking a light pole in. It would have to go in the road,” Tien whispered back.
“I’ll take it as a lucky omen. It certainly works to our advantage,” Kara said softly over her
The laptop screen displayed a new interface and a mobile number appeared in a box on the top left. Tien highlighted it and dragged it into another search box at the top right. A small egg-timer appeared and rotated for a few moments before another dialogue box popped up.
“This is an unregistered, pre-paid mobile, first activated for use in June,” Tien read off the screen.
“Unregistered?” Jacob asked.
“Not on a contract. A burner phone that isn’t in anyone’s name so it’s untraceable to an individual,” Kara explained. Jacob nodded.
“And,” Tien said as she continued to type and the display of the laptop changed again, “it’s only ever made one call and only ever sent five text messages. The call,” she paused as she transferred another phone number into another search box, “was the initial activation call to the network in June. The first text was also in June, loading on credit with an over-the-counter top-up. The rest of the texts were sent tonight,” she checked her watch, “twenty minutes ago. Ties in with Amberley’s trip to the toilet.” Tien turned the laptop around so Kara and Jacob could see the screen. “The messages on the right are outgoing, the ones on the left incoming,” she said as she zoomed the display in.
This is Francis 44619
Hello Francis, Pin?
826
Not quite.
392
Excellent.
Get a message to Del 44128
Contact me URGENT
A woman snifn about
Says there is money?
Insurance?
Need to talk
OK.
Tien closed the text display down and brought up a further interface. She opened a browser window and pasted yet another number into a search box. “Okay, these texts were sent to a mobile in Holland, or at least one with a Dutch country code,” she said and sat back from the laptop.
“Thoughts?” Kara asked.
“The fact that everything was deleted off the phone is significant in itself. The texts look like a challenge and response protocol, which infers a set of security procedures and our Mr Amberley was quick off the mark to reach out for help,” Tien said.
“But who’s he calling for help from?” Jacob asked.
“Don’t know yet, but I would say it’s more than likely Del is short for Derek. Whether that means Derek Swift and that he’s alive and well in Holland is something we’re going to have to ask Amberley about,” Kara said.
“When?” Jacob asked.
“No time like the present. I don’t think we can afford to wait, just in case whoever is on the other end of these texts decides to contact him by some other method.”
“So we’re going to go knock on his door?” Jacob asked.
“Yep,” said Kara. Conscious of her earlier reasoning to Jacob, she added, “He won’t have any home advantage this time. We’re going to be way less than polite visitors. I’ll brief you on the way.”
ɸ
The street had tightly packed, 3-storey terraced houses to the north side of the narrow road and much more substantial, detached houses to the south.
“It’s like Coronation Street versus Quality Street,” Tien said as they made their way along the ridiculously narrow footpath. The only light came from behind curtained windows, or the occasional faux-Edwardian porch light on the southern side.
“Why are there no street lights?” Jacob asked, in almost a whisper as he walked in the middle of the three of them, strung out in single file.
“Where would you put a pole? There’s hardly enough room for one person to walk on the footpath let alone sticking a light pole in. It would have to go in the road,” Tien whispered back.
“I’ll take it as a lucky omen. It certainly works to our advantage,” Kara said softly over her
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