guess he was never in the Navy.”
“It was a seriously long day, Admiral,” Train said. “And now I think we need to revisit the guidance.”
“You do, do you?” Carpenter said with a faint smile as he sat down.
“Can’t imagine why. According to Mcnair, you did some amazing things out on that river.”
“Admiral, whoever this is, he’s not messing around. One, probably two homicides, a kidnapping, and attempted homicide. I think this thing has expanded well past Admiral Sherman’s involvement.”
“Just so,” Carpenter murmured, staring at Train over steepled fingers.
Both Train and Karen looked at each other.
“Admiral,” Karen said, “what is Admiral Sherman’s status?”
“Admiral Sherman has been given temporary administrative as the president of a selection board.”
“So he’s not on some kind of admin leave or even suspension?” Train asked.
“No. Whoever gave you that idea?”
Karen looked down at the floor. Train pressed ahead.
“Can I suggest a meeting?” Train said. “I think he needs to know what’s happened to Karen, and perhaps some other things as well.”
Carpenter looked over at Mccarty, who nodded imperceptibly. “There is a small problem with that,” Carpenter said. “No one actually seems to know where Admiral. Sherman is at the moment.”
Karen and Train stared at him.
“Indeed. When Karen went missing, someone from the police attempted to contact Admiral Sherman to see what, if anything, he knew, or even if she might be with him.”
Train saw Karen color slightly at this comment. The admiral continued.
“The OP-32 front office told them he was on leave, which is what they’ve been instructed to say, of course. But then this morning, the secretary of the selection board called into OP-32 and asked where he was, since the board could not convene without him. Thirty-two Acting called us, but we’re in the dark,. too.”
Train leaned forward. “Admiral, Detective Mcnair told me yesterday that the Fairfax County Police Department was being pressured by someone to move slowly with this investigation. Do you know why, and who might be doing the pressuring?”
“I have no idea,” Carpenter replied, looking from one to the other with a sincerely neutral expression, as if daring either one of them to challenge what he had just said. Train thought of a hundred things to say, including reminding the admiral of their earlier words on this subject, but it was pretty obvious that something had changed and the admiral wasn’t going to talk about it. After a few seconds of silence, Carpenter got up and walked around to his desk.
“I think it is indeed time to review your tasking. Both of your taskings, for that matter. Karen, I think Admiral Sherman, wherever he might be at the moment, has problems that are beyond the scope of your initial tasking. I want you to resume your normal duties in Investigations Review.”
Karen’s expression registered protest, and she looked over at Train as if for support. But Train was studying Carpenter.
“Mr. von Rensel,” Carpenter asked, “you remember those things I was going to order you not to do, when we last discussed this matter?.”
“Yes, sir, but-“
Carpenter cut him off. “Right. Execute.” The other thing I told you that I did want you to do remains in effect.”
Train was momentarily baffled. “The other thing.” Then he renyembered.
Keep Karen safe. “Oh, right,” he said.
“Good. I don’t think ‘we need to discuss this matter any further. Karen, you’ve been through a truly harrowing experience. I suggest you take a couple of days’ leave. In fact, I insist on it. You, too, Mr. von Rensel. How about we see you both back here, say Monday? You’ve both been through a lot.”
“What about Admiral Sherman?” Karen protested.
“What do we do if he gets in touch with us?”
“Refer any calls from Admiral Sherman to my office.
Captain Pennington will be instructing the IR yeomen to do the same.”
Then Mccarty was standing up, indicating the meeting was over. The admiral looked at both of them as they stood before his desk. “I’m sure it hasn’t escaped your attention that there are currents in this case moving above your respective pay grades,’ as the saying goes. Above my pay grade, for that matter. You both did well. You two were very lucky yesterday. Now I think it’s time to observe the golden rule about following orders when you don’t understand the reasons behind those orders: You must assume your boss knows something you don’t, okay?
Captain Mccarty will let you know if there are any new developments.
Thank you both. That’s all.”
After the door closed behind Karen and Train, Admiral Carpenter instructed his yeoman to hold all calls. He then went to his computer desk and entered the JAG archive system.
A minute later, the Rung Sat incident investigation report was on the screen. He read through the by-now- familiar findings of fact, opinions, and then the all-important endorsements. The archive files were, by law, read- only files.
He cursed his JAG forebear who’d put that restrictive protocol into the system. Access could be controlled, but content could not be modified.
Well, that would never do, he thought with a sigh. He dispatched the file back to the mainframe over in the Navy Yard across the river, and the screen settled into an undulating helix screen-saver routine.
But then he had an idea. It was a program protocol preventing anyone from altering data. Maybe, with the right kind of help, he could change the protocol, or perhaps inhibit it long enough to make one small change. He thought of the-dour Kensington. Okay, two small changes-if he’s nice to me. And he thought he knew right where he might get some help of that kind.
He picked up his secure phone and autodialed-the DNI’s office. The EA patched him in to the admiral. “‘Yes, Thomas?”
“Subject is the flag officer in difficulty.”
“No, Thomas, I rather think the subject is larger than that. “
Carpenter, surprised, said nothing for a moment. “Okay.
I’ll grant you that. I want to make a deal with those people.”
“Oh, they love deals. What’s yours?”
“They want us out of their sweeper problem, presumably so they’ll have a clear field of fire. I’m ready to accommodate them. But, in return, I want two things. The first is a complication with which I need some technical help.”
“What kind of help, exactly?”
“I need the services of a hacker, a really good hacker.”
It was Mallory’s turn to be silent. “Do I want to know the details of this, um, complication, Thomas?”
“You do not.”
“Didn’t think so. And the second thing?”
“I want their guarantee that nothing bad will happen to my two people, because if something bad does happen, I’ll be forced to tell the whole world. But you can also tell them that, as a measure of my good intentions, I’ve sent the two of them home for a long weekend, with orders to stay there. “
“All right. Back to this complication. It bears on your flag officer’s problem?”
“He’s got new problems. No, this is much more important.
“Very well. I’ll transmit the message.” There was. a pause on the line.
“If I may ask, Thomas, are you sure you know what you’re doing here?”
It was a question made just possible by that minute difference in seniority. Carpenter was not permitted to take offense.
“I sure hope so, Kyle,” he said. “But a lot of it depends on how quickly they solve their problem. And after what this guy did last night, sooner would be a whole lot better than later. You can tell them that if you want to.
