asked.
“We don’t have the facilities to do it there. But when Michelle caught Champ in the act, we didn’t have time for anything else.”
Sean said, “Okay, what happened to old Val and her homicidal sidekick, Alicia?”
In answer Whitfield held up a copy of the
Sean looked at Michelle and then back at Whitfield. “Damn, I didn’t mean for them to be killed.”
“And what exactly did you expect would happen to them? That we’d try them in a court of law where their stories would come out? Where highly sensitive programs they were involved in might possibly be revealed to the public?” He looked at the photo of Alicia. “I was riding in the Humvee with her in Iraq when we hit the IED. I was the one who pulled her out. That’s how my leg got banged up. She used to be a good agent. Something just went wrong somewhere.”
“What about the treasure?” Sean said.
Whitfield pulled out some documents and handed them to Sean.
“The full proceeds were split into thirds, tax-free, as you requested. A nice gesture,” he added. “Most people wouldn’t have been so magnanimous.”
“And Viggie?” Michelle said.
“That’s where we’re headed right now. And she’s absolutely fine. It was fortunate Valerie was so busy with you two she put her plans for Viggie on hold.”
Sean hunched forward. “Ian, you took our side against your own agency. Why aren’t you dead or under arrest?”
His features turned grim. “I was the technical head of Camp Peary, but Valerie really ran the place. She’s done impressive work and her rise at the Agency has been amazingly swift. I didn’t know that was the deal when I took the job, but I had to live with it if I wanted to continue my career.
“Very quickly I saw it was a mistake because she started doing things that were way over the line. She co- opted several of the paramilitary squads based at the camp. All I could do was wait for an opening, though it didn’t look like one would ever come along.” Whitfield glanced at Sean. “I know Valerie made a hard rush at you to get you in the sack.”
“I didn’t have much trouble resisting,” Sean said almost truthfully.
“Good. Because you wouldn’t have walked out alive. That’s why I showed up on the beach. I knew she was concerned about how much you were finding out. I followed her and pretended to be the cuckolded husband. She was pissed at me for letting you get away.”
Sean looked stunned. “Thanks for saving my life. Again.”
“It’s my job to protect Americans, even from my own agency.”
“I’m surprised Valerie just didn’t have us killed right away.”
“I think she wanted to pay you back, for messing up her plans. And she also needed to find out how much you knew.”
“So who killed Len Rivest?” Sean asked.
“The only thing I can tell you is that Alicia’s interest in Rivest wasn’t romantic.”
Sean said, “And her and Champ being at Babbage Town was no coincidence?”
“Champ and Alicia were recruited long ago by the CIA. They were posted at Babbage Town when it first started. By the way, they were the real deal in the science world.”
“And they were at Babbage Town to steal whatever technology they came up with on quantum computers?” Michelle said.
“Let’s just say they were very interested observers. But what they were really working on at Babbage Town was a counter to the quantum computer.”
“A counter?” Michelle said.
“It’s a given that a commercially viable quantum computer will be a reality one day. The folks that owned Babbage Town were attempting to build a quantum computer so they could, in turn, construct an effective counter-device to it.”
“So the owners of Babbage Town were the very ones who would be hurt by quantum computers?” Sean said.
“Like banks and multinational companies?” Michelle added. “Really deep pockets.”
Whitfield nodded. “They had to do it on the Q.T. If the public found out, there would’ve been a panic. But the CIA wasn’t going to stand by and let something like that take place right under its nose. I can’t say we were interested in a counter-device though. We are spies, after all.”
“So how close are they to stopping the world in its tracks?”
Whitfield shrugged. “If I were you I’d start paying in cash and stocking up on paper and pen for your correspondence.”
“But was it a coincidence that Babbage Town was located right across from Camp Peary?” Sean asked.
Whitfield shook his head. “CIA owns the estate through a shell company. They bought it because it
Michelle added, “And Champ was a pilot who could fly the drugs out for you.”
“Be clear on this point: Champ is a good agent. He was doing what he was ordered to do. That’s all. He wasn’t working with Valerie or Alicia.” He glanced at Michelle. “He told me to tell you that he was sorry how things turned out.”
“Sorry! The bastard shot me in the arm!”
“If he wanted to kill you, you’d be dead.”
“Viggie was in his plane. Was he going to kill her?”
“No. We were getting the girl away from Valerie.
“Oh,” Michelle said, looking chagrined.
“Champ also told me to tell you that you have a lot to live for. And to give up trying to fly planes. I’m not sure what he meant by that.”
Michelle looked down at her hands. “So Champ is okay?” she said.
“Yes. And like me, he’s been reassigned.”
“Why was Viggie taken?” Michelle asked.
Whitfield said, “There was also code in the song’s notes that Alicia managed to break using the computers at Babbage Town. It was actually based on the World War II-era Enigma code.”
Sean said, “I knew it! She used my clue about the Enigma code to break it and then lied to us about it. And Viggie was also a code, a living, breathing one.”
“And the song title was the big clue: ‘Shenandoah,’ ” Michelle added. “That’s right,” Sean agreed.
“What did the decoded song say?” Michelle asked.
“It described some of the things Monk Turing saw at Camp Peary. It was enough to make Valerie order Alicia to take Viggie.”
“Alicia kidnapped her?” Michelle exclaimed.
He nodded. “I know it probably doesn’t mean much after all she did, but Alicia helped me and Champ get Viggie onto that plane. I believe she really did care about the girl because it was a big risk, her doing it.”
“It might mean a little bit,” Sean admitted.
“Ian, how can you continue to work for a place that’s dealing in drugs!” Michelle exclaimed.
Whitfield shrugged. “You need poppy seeds to make opium and you need opium to make heroin. And right now in Afghanistan, the poppy crop is the only thing keeping the economy going. And if we don’t buy it terrorists will and use the enormous profits from dealing the drugs to attack us. Lesser of two evils; sometimes it’s the only choice we have.”
“It’s still wrong,” Michelle persisted. “And what Valerie did was criminal.”
“Valerie was a rogue clear and simple. As crazy as it sounds I believe she was going to kill you both after the torture was done, and she probably believed she’d get away with it. The role of the CIA she had in mind is not the same one I have, and never will be so long as I have anything to say about it.”
