the plate, the EFP would still fail. If he gave them the kit, that was worked out ahead of time. All that had to happen was jamming the explosives into the container that was already mathematically mated to the plate.
“Yeah. I was bringing the complete set, but I told you, I didn’t get a chance to give them to anyone.”
“What happened?”
He gave me what he knew, telling me what he had planned and what had actually happened. He ended by saying that he’d thought I was behind the theft. He didn’t have any idea who else it could be, but I did.
Mack pulled my sleeve. “Can I see you outside for a minute?”
“Sure.” I looked at Retro. “He does anything but sit in that chair, kill him.”
“How about I just kill him anyway?”
I saw the congressman scooting back as I left the room.
Once the door shut, Mack said, “What do you want to do with this guy?”
“I told you, that’s your call.”
“Well, I was thinking of turning him. Get him to go back to the Chinese and say he was wrong, that the airplane was delayed or some other bullshit. Then pass them faulty plates. Worse case, they figure it out and end up with nothing. Best case, they reverse-engineer the faulty plates and fill their armories with crap.”
And that’s why he was the chief of station. My imagination ended with beating the man to a bloody pulp. His allowed him to see an angle in this disaster that could prove to be as big a positive as the loss of the plates were a negative.
“Can you do that? I mean get something that’ll pass muster that quick?”
“Won’t know until I try, but it’s worth a shot.”
“What about the dead Chinese? We killed a few at the market because that asshole fingered us, and their boss may still want some payback.”
“That was you? Jesus, you’ve got the entire agency spinning their wheels trying to figure out what the hell happened.”
He turned away, thinking for a moment, then said, “I’ll come up with a story and feed it to them. I can make that work. Are you on board?”
“Yeah, but the minute this guy quits being an asset, he gets burned.”
When we reentered the room, I half expected to find Retro branding the guy’s face with the coffeepot. Instead, the congressman was sitting where we’d left him, looking sorry for himself. Mack took the lead and explained what he wanted to do.
The congressman’s eyes got wider and wider until he finally said, “This won’t work! They’ll never believe it. They’ll kill me when they find out I’m trying to trick them.”
I said, “Looks like you’re dead either way, then, because if you don’t do it, I’m going to throw your ass off the roof. So you want to give it a shot and extend your life, or save us all the exertion by choking yourself to death?”
38
Jesus Christ! He’s a fucking traitor? How are we supposed to deal with that?”
Kurt remained calm, letting Secretary of State Brookings blow off some steam, knowing President Warren would rein him in if necessary.
It was clear that Brookings was becoming an issue on the Oversight Council. A man more concerned with the effect on his career should the Taskforce become public knowledge than any judgment about how best to secure the nation. The mixing of traditional counterintelligence, a near-peer competitor like the Chinese, a U.S. congressman, and Project Prometheus was scaring the hell out of him.
The director of central intelligence said, “Let me deal with that.” He addressed the president. “Sir, I’d prefer to talk to you off-line. It’s not Taskforce business and doesn’t need the Oversight Council.”
Brookings rolled his eyes again. “The old ‘sources and methods’ excuse?”
The DCI said, “Actually, yes. There’s a reason that rule was put in place. Usually because pompous asses like yourself caused the death of someone.”
The president raised his hand. “Enough. Ordinarily I’d agree, but since everyone here now knows the congressman’s status, let’s hash out what we’re going to do about it. I don’t want a bunch of guessing the next time he’s on TV.”
The DCI grimaced, but relented. He relayed the plan with the faulty EFPs and the fact that the CIA would wring out of him anything and everything he had ever done against the United States.
President Warren asked, “And after that? Are we going to arrest him or what?”
“No, sir. If we did, the Chinese would suspect the plates. I’m also afraid that the whirlwind of media will uncover Pike and Decoy’s little interrogation, and we can’t have that come to light. Congressman Ellis has agreed to resign after we’re through with him and an appropriate time has elapsed.”
Kurt said, “Are you kidding? That’s it? He leaves office?”
The DCI smiled. “Yes. After we ‘find’ child pornography on his government computer. Then find more in his house. He’s agreed to plead guilty to kiddy porn charges and go to jail. If he decides not to, he knows we’ll be seeking the death penalty for his treason. It’s a good trade.”
Kurt blurted, “That fucker killed my father! What kind of ‘good trade’ is that?”
“Kurt,” said President Warren, “I hear you. I really do, but you know the stakes. Killing him won’t bring back your father, but this might save someone else’s life. Don’t jeopardize the Taskforce on a vendetta that will do no good.”
Kurt said nothing.
President Warren took the silence as acquiescence, telling the DCI to execute the plan, then turned back to Kurt. “Let’s get back to the current threat. What about the EFPs? Who has them?”
Kurt struggled with what to say next. It took a great effort, but he ripped himself away from the congressman and thoughts of his father, knowing the president was right. He exhaled and returned to the EFPs. “We don’t really know. The team has an idea, but it basically ends with a dead Indonesian terrorist and three Arabic-looking gentlemen. We believe they’ve flown to Prague.”
“Why?”
“Jennifer was in the airport with them at the same time. She’s the one who reported it. We’ll know more when the team gets to Prague.”
Secretary Brookings cut in. “Prague? Who gave you permission to do that? You’ve moved a team without Oversight approval?”
He turned to the president. “Sir, I demand they return. We haven’t done any analysis on the Czech Republic at all. Project Prometheus is getting looser and looser. Why even have an oversight council if this guy”—he jerked a thumb at Kurt—“can ignore us?”
Kurt said, “All I did was get them a Taskforce aircraft. They had to have a way to get their kit through customs and we don’t have a lot of time to screw around. They won’t do anything until we give them the execute order. They’re just preparing the battle space for follow-on operations.
Secretary Brookings scoffed. “What the hell does that mean? ‘Preparing the battle space’? That’s just bullshit DOD mumbo jumbo. Like saying ‘kinetic option’ when you mean put a bullet in someone’s head.”
President Warren said, “When will Jennifer get here? Can she appear before the Oversight Council for a firsthand debrief?”
Kurt inwardly cringed at the terminology.
“Sir, she’s with the team.”
“I thought she was coming home because she was sick?”
