“Senseless, my ass. He probably dissented openly.”
“That’s what I thought, though no one is talking,” Young said.
“And does that surprise you? Would you talk if you knew the lone objector was dead the next morning?”
Young shook his head. “Things are going to get worse if something isn’t done. Michaels’ about-face on this currency issue means that he’s angling for something with Petrov. She is either threatening him with something or making a grandiose promise of power.”
“Michaels is a fool if he believes anything she says. He’s going to be her puppet.”
“I agree, which is why you need to stop him.”
“We’re open to suggestions on how to do that,” Hawk said. “Just point us in the right direction.”
“Excellent,” Young said. “There’s someone you need to meet.”
* * *
SITTING OUT THE MEETING with the vice president rankled Alex at first, but she understood. Grabbing a few minutes alone with him was difficult enough in a public men’s restroom, but adding her to the mix would’ve made it next to impossible without increasing the likelihood of getting identified or even arrested. Instead, she told Hawk that she was going to do what she did best: dig around.
Holed up in an FBI safe house that was no longer active, Alex cleared off the dining room table and opened her laptop. She needed to focus and use her critical thinking skills to unearth what was going on with Michaels. If he was indeed making a power play, angling to assert his leadership as president into the currency issue, he wasn’t doing it via any traditional route. Everything Michaels was doing appeared to be akin to guerilla tactics where everything of importance was handled in the shadows.
“So if I wanted to control the Supreme Court justices, how would I start?” she said aloud. After about a minute, she let out an exasperated breath and resorted to tapping mindlessly on the keyboard.
Alex took a deep breath, regrouped, and realized she was asking herself the wrong questions. She would never be president, so she needed to think more like a detective instead.
“What would Michaels do to control the justices?” she asked aloud again, this time narrowing her focus. “He would do what he always does—intimidate, threaten, and lie . . . just like every other politician.”
What Alex needed was evidence linking them all together. She needed to show that Michaels was exerting undue influence on the justices. But how? If Michaels could keep his meetings secret, Alex assumed it’d be simple for him to avoid any kind of potential pitfalls with regards to this information going public.
Then Alex realized she was ignoring her best resource in a time that absolutely required assistance.
“Mallory Kauffman,” Alex said aloud.
She picked up her phone and dialed former CIA colleague, Mallory Kauffman, who’d recently joined the National Security Agency. In a text to Alex, Kauffman explained that she had finally seen the light as it pertained to their former supervisor and wasn’t going to stand for it another week. Once she contacted the NSA and inquired about any openings, she switched agencies with no resistance. Alex assumed it was because their former supervisor was eager to see both women leave.
If anyone could help Alex, Mallory Kauffman could.
“Long time, no see,” Kauffman said when she answered Alex’s call.
“Definitely longer than it should be—and technically, this is still just a phone call,” Alex said.
“Well, since you’re calling me at home, I’m assuming this is a work related request.”
“Of course.”
“If I can assist you, I’m going to require you to buy me at least two drinks when you get an opportunity.”
“If I survive, you’re on,” Alex said flatly.
“You’re not joking, are you?” Kauffman asked.
“I wish I was, but we’re in some deep trouble. To be honest, we’re all in deep trouble.”
“Do I really want to know what’s going on?”
“I’m sure you can figure it out after I make my request.”
“Lay it on me.”
Alex took a deep breath. “I need you to search the phone records of Supreme Court justices over the past week. Look for any numbers that seem out of the ordinary. Can you do that for me?”
“For you, anything. Now that everyone knows what kind of information we collect, I’m sure I’ll be getting more requests like this.”
Alex laughed. “I don’t want to be that kind of friend, the kind that only calls you when she needs something.”
“Better than never getting a call at all,” Kauffman quipped. “I’ll call you back after I’m done searching. It shouldn’t take too long.”
Five minutes later, Alex’s phone rang and “unknown number” appeared on her screen.
“Hello,” Alex said as she answered.
“I found something that might interest you,” Kauffman said.
“I was hoping you would.”
“Well, it certainly makes me a little bit nervous.”
“Yeah?”
“According to Camille Williams’ phone records, she received a call recently from someone at the Pentagon.”
“The Pentagon? Calling a Supreme Court justice?”
“Yeah. A guy by the name of Frank Stone. Ever heard of him?”
Alex nodded even though she knew Kauffman couldn’t see her.
“Stone is a close ally of President Michaels.”
“There’s your link then,” Kauffman said. “Good luck uncovering whatever it is. And the next time you’re free and we can meet up, you owe me two drinks.”
“Sounds like a fair trade to me,” Alex said. “I appreciate it.”
“Stay alive out there. And I mean that—I’d hate to have done all this work and not get my two drinks.”
“You’re incorrigible,” Alex said.
“I’ve been called worse.”
Alex hung up and contemplated the result of Kauffman’s search. It confirmed—at least in her mind—that Young was on the right track about the purpose of the meeting: Michaels was trying to influence the Supreme Court.
CHAPTER 13
Portree, Isle of Skye
Scotland
BLUNT STUDIED THE SECURITY MONITOR in his bedroom, unsure if he could trust his eyes. The man standing outside his home ringing the doorbell appeared to be longtime friend, General Van Fortner. But Fortner
