SEVEN

Using his good hand, Jay tracked the cursor onto the 'Lazarau' shortcut on his father's computer. He clicked on the link. A pop-up screen suggested the drive or network connection for the document was unavailable. Without thinking, he banged his damaged hand on the desk. The agony clawed up his arm. He kicked back in his chair and held the injured hand close to his stomach.

The grandfather clock interrupted his pain with a moan of its own. Seven chimes. Jay controlled his breathing and realised that he was supposed to be at work in half an hour. He grabbed his mobile phone from his pocket, flipped it open and placed a call to his superior officer's mobile.

After the second ring, a gruff voice answered. 'This better be good.'

It sounded like his boss was catching his breath. 'Boss, it's Jay. Sorry to call so early in the morning.'

'Been for a run. What's wrong?'

'I've got a situation, boss. I need to take some time off. My dad needs me to help him with some dramas.'

'Do I need to ask for specifics?'

Jay could trust his boss. They'd been through a lot together, from the spectacular, yet deadly, snow-lined mountains of Afghanistan to the biting dust storms and ravaging heat of the Iraq desert. Although Jay had always been on the frontline and his boss at the strategic operating bases, the professional relationship had grown into a solid friendship upon their return from operations. Jay hated withholding information from him, but realised sometimes it was necessary. 'Not yet, boss.'

'How much time do you need?'

'A week at least – emergency leave.'

'Everything OK? Anything I can do?'

'I may need some advice down the track but at the moment we have a few things to sort through,' Jay said.

'You tell me what you need and keep me updated. You've got one week. I expect a call before the end of it.'

Jay knew his father had worked with his boss in the past. Neither had mentioned exactly what they had worked on, but asked about each other in conversation. Jay figured it couldn't hurt to request a favour. 'Well, actually there is something that, if you don't mind, will help us out some.'

'Shoot.'

Jay took the risk. 'What do you know about Lazarau?'

A distinct pause. 'That's been kept out of the public eye. Is your dad freelancing on this one?'

'Just came up in conversation.'

'Here's the thing, Jay. I know your dad and I know why the "community" thinks he's a legend. He's got better contacts than I have so I assume he's not there, otherwise you wouldn't be asking me about Lazarau.'

'Umm . ..'

'Don't answer that. I don't want to know. You're my best interrogator and have always come through for me. It's no secret that you're headed places, and I don't mind giving you the time off. But I need you to assure me that this is legit.'

'Yes, it is, boss.' Jay guessed his boss wanted to remind him not to screw up any career opportunities. He knew he'd been targeted for commissioning and his boss knew he wasn't interested. Sometimes a soldier just wanted to be a soldier.

'OK. No more talk over the phone. Have you still got access to that secure portal that you and your dad used when we were in the Ghan?'

Jay hadn't thought about the portal for a long time. He and his father had used it to communicate while Jay was overseas. 'How did you know about that?'

'Your old man is big on contingencies. He told me about the portal in case I ever had to deliver him bad news while we were away. I guess he wanted to know the real story should anything have ever happened to you. Anyway, you still got access?'

Jay was lost in the revelation for a moment. He had always played down to his father the dangers he'd faced in Afghanistan and Iraq. The night infiltrations with the SASR deep into hostile territory. Enemy RPG-7 rockets and small arms fire sweeping the ground around him. The grenades found taped on prisoners' bodies. The interrogation of Iraq's intelligence chief. He'd figured some things were better left unsaid.

'Still with me, Jay?'

'Umm . . . yeah, boss, sorry?'

'Have you still got access to the portal?'

'I suppose so. Haven't used it for a while.'

'Good. I'm about to head into work. I'll post onto the portal what I know about that bloke you mentioned. It'll be there within the next two hours. Does that suit?'

'It will.'

'Anything else you need?'

'Not at the moment, boss.'

'OK, anything you need you just call me any time. Day or night. Yeah?'

'Thanks. Will do.'

Before Jay could flip his phone closed, it vibrated in his hand. A number appeared that he didn't recognise. He hit the answer key and raised it to his swollen ear.

'Speak,' he said.

'Is that Jay Ryan?'

'Who's asking?'

'Sarah Jacobson from the Australian Federal Police.'

The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't place the name. 'Yep, this is he.'

'I'm hoping you can help me out with some enquiries I'm making. Are you on the Gold Coast at the moment?'

'No, Brisbane. What enquiries?'

'It'll become more apparent when we meet. I'm about to board a plane from Canberra and I need to see you as soon as I land. Direct flight arriving at eight o'clock. It's good that you're in Brisbane, makes it easier. Can you pick me up from the airport?'

Not a chance, he thought. 'I'm busy at the moment, Agent Jacobson. I...'

'This is very important. I need to see you ASAP.'

'What do you need to see me about?'

'I've been speaking with a friend of yours.'

'Who's that?'

'Lazarau.'

Jay's heart skipped a beat. 'Never heard the name before.'

'You've done well to stay calm, Sergeant Ryan. I'm coming to Brisbane, so you just stay put, I'll get a cab. I assume you are at your father's house?'

'Am I that predictable?'

'I have your file. Don't go anywhere, I'll be there in a few hours.'

'Can't promise anything, Agent Jacobson, but you have my number.'

'It's in your best interests to stay where you are. Do you understand?'

'We'll see.' He hung up.

For the next two hours Jay rummaged through his father's house looking for answers or clues, to no avail. He kept checking the portal, waiting for the message from his boss. Two bowls of cereal chased with a strong coffee lined his stomach and calmed his worry. An icepack on his wounded hand eased the pain. He showered and changed back into the same clothes. Finally, the message came.

Logged on away from work just in case. I called in a couple of favours for this one and had to use your dad's name to get the info (hope you don't mind). I find this whole Lazarau thing a bit bizarre but here are the facts.

Anthony Lazarau had been employed by the Defence Intelligence Organisation as an intelligence analyst for just over eighteen months before being caught trying to sell classified information to a foreign embassy (Singapore). The case file states Lazarau had photographed eight Top Secret documents with his mobile phone and transferred them to his personal laptop computer. The NSIS computer techs discovered 106 fully reconstructed Top Secret documents on his hard drive. All these documents had been burnt once to compact disc on various occasions for two years prior to his arrest, with the exception of the last eight documents, which had been copied twice. A search of his apartment failed to find these reproductions.

Lazarau claims he was being blackmailed by a woman who had pictures of him with a male prostitute. He said the woman called him about a year ago and identified herself as a business woman and said that it would be in his best interest to cooperate; otherwise the pictures would be sent to his employers. Lazarau has stated that he knew he would lose his security clearances if the pictures were sent, thus losing his job. The day before the call, he claims he received three pictures in the mail of him in compromising situations with another man. Although asked as part of his security vetting for the intelligence analyst job, Lazarau had never disclosed his sexual preferences, or the fact that he often used the services of male escorts.

Lazarau further claims that the business woman ordered him to start collecting Top Secret data from his workplace by using his mobile phone to store pictures. He was then to download them onto a computer and burn them to compact disc for later collection. He was to start this immediately and wait for further instructions. He further stated that he has not heard from the woman for about a year and tried to make contact through the foreign embassy where he was caught. This is all Lazarau would provide his questioners.

Lazarau has stuck to his cover story. His first court appearance is approaching and although there is enough evidence to secure an espionage conviction, there is still no explanation for the remaining ninety-eight documents. The investigation has come to a standstill and has been handed over to an NSIS agent, Sarah Evans, for further exploitation as it was determined that Lazarau was susceptible to questioning by a female.

This is all I have. I remind you that this is close-hold information. Memorise it and delete. Call me if you need anything else.

Jay didn't need to read it again. It was committed to memory. He deleted the message and shut down his father's computer. He headed toward the kitchen for a third bowl of cereal, washed down with another strong coffee.

He thought about the information his boss had provided and was amazed at the number of classified documents Lazarau had been able to copy. But more astonishing was how quickly his boss had gained the information.

Resisting the urge to leave his father's house for an inevitable confrontation with Warren Primrose, Jay started thinking of ways to hurt Primrose for what he had done.

In the meantime, he waited for Federal Agent Sarah Jacobson – aka NSIS Agent Sarah Evans.