Chapter 10
Posted: July 13, 2007 - 08:58:01 am


On a fine May afternoon, Mike sat in his cubicle attempting to work. The flow of intelligence data from overseas had dried up. The flow had dropped after a CIA agent in Iraq was arrested and sent to the Netherlands to stand trial in the World Court. When the President didn't protest the arrest, a significant percentage of the few remaining agents overseas resigned.

One of the agents who resigned was the man who had been investigating the German company that had built the rail gun. The German Intelligence Community had stopped co-operating with the CIA. They were afraid of getting caught up in the backwash of an intelligence scandal in the United States. Without support of the German government, it was impossible for the agent to work through the German legal system to get permission to tap the company's telephones. Knowing that if he was caught breaking German law he'd be prosecuted had been the final straw. The Israelis were still monitoring the company, but they had more or less cut out sharing Intelligence Data with the United States for the same reasons the Germans had stopped co-operating.

It was a surprise when his query against the intel data base returned a hit. He opened the article and read it. He groaned and rested his head in his hands. Getting up, he started shoveling the documents he had been reading into his file cabinet. He cursed his left hand after dropping a stack of papers. It took him five minutes to get all of his documents locked up.

Marching to Dale's office, he ignored everything going on around him. He rudely brushed aside Chang in the hall and walked into Dale's office without knocking. Dale gave him a look that should have sent him running. Mike ignored the look and said, "Eight months ago, the Iranians starting building ten of the rail guns here in the States."

Dale felt like someone had hit him in the stomach with a baseball bat. Falling back in his chair, he asked, "Ten? Here?"

"Yes," Mike answered.

"Shit!"

"You look comfortable sitting there," Karen remarked looking over at Mike seated in his favorite chair holding Robert in his arms.

"I am," Mike commented. Robert chose that moment to start kicking. He put the child on the floor and watched as he crawled over to the small pile of brightly colored toys in the corner. Shaking his head, he said, "They grow up so fast. Look at him go."

"Yes. I have to watch him every minute," Karen said.

Robert was making all kinds of little noises as he played with the blocks. Mike smiled and asked, "Did you hear what he just said?"

Karen hadn't heard anything that sounded like a real word. Looking at Mike suspiciously, she answered, "No. What did he just say?"

"OohRah. Our baby boy is going to grow up to be a Marine," Mike said with a grin.

Karen laughed and said, "That's right. He'd going to grow up to be a Marine just like his Daddy."

"You know, sitting here watching you take care of little Robert makes everything right in my world. I mean, I see a lot of things that are pretty ugly at work. Coming home and seeing how much you love our child, well... I think that the world is okay," Mike said. He felt bad that he couldn't put his feelings into better words.

Tears welling up in her eyes, Karen said, "That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me."

"I love you," Mike said.

Mike sat in a chair at the front of the room in the Headquarters Conference room thinking that he was really beginning to hate that place. Each time he looked out at the two hundred faces looking in his direction, he wished that he had a Tums. It seemed to him that every alphabet agency was represented in the crowd.

Dale finished with his introduction and turned to Mike. Smiling, he said, "The show is all yours."

Mike rose and walked over to the podium. Reaching the podium, he said, "The following film is classified Top Secret."

His announcement was met with looks that ranged from interest to total boredom. Looking up at the media center, Mike said, "Please lower the lights and show the film."

Mike turned to watch the edited film play out on the screen beside him. It showed the rail gun and the operator releasing the canister onto the rail. It looked like the canister just disappeared as the electromagnetic forces launched it. The film transitioned to showing the outside of the targeted building. After a few seconds, a huge hole appeared in the side of the building. The scene shifted to cameras inside the building as a red cloud spread through the whole area.

The film ended and the lights returned. Mike turned to look at his audience. Two hundred pairs of eyes were staring at the screen despite the fact that the film had ended. The room was so silent that he could have heard a pin drop. Mike said, "That is a device that we built based on a design that originated in a German company. Iran contracted to have one built by that company. The red cloud was a powdered dye that had been loaded in the canister. I have to warn you that anything could be loaded in the canister. It could be loaded with Anthrax spores, sodium cyanide, or a radioactive material."

Chang was staring at the screen with a look of horror on his face. He had been harboring a grudge since Mike had brushed him off the previous day, but that was forgotten in light of what he had just seen. He recalled when he had laughed at Mike about the rail gun intelligence. Feeling sick to his stomach, he didn't feel like laughing now. He stared at the screen thinking that he would like to return to China.

Two hundred heads turned to look at Mike. He said, "Yesterday, we received intel that Iran had ten more of them built in this country. We have no idea where they are. We need you to find them. Are there any questions?"

There was still dead silence in the room. People didn't even shift uncomfortably in their seats. Mike hoped that meant the meeting was almost over. He turned to Sanjay and asked, "Sanjay, would you pass out the specifications for the device, please?"

Sanjay wobbled his head and answered, "Yes, Mike."

One of the men in the audience raised his hand and said, "We'll need to know everything you can tell us about who might have these devices."

"I've told you everything we know about who has it. All we know is that Iran has ordered that ten of them be manufactured here. We don't know who manufactured the parts. We don't know who picked up the parts. We don't know where they are being assembled. We don't know anything other than the fact that we received an intel message telling us that ten rail guns were being built in this country. The source is impeccable," Mike answered. He forgot to mention that the order had been issued eight months ago.

"How does it work?"

Mike flipped the switch on the podium and the first slide of a PowerPoint presentation showed up on the screen. He started to give the lecture that he had titled Rail Gun 101; it was a strange mixture of physics and engineering. He took his time hoping that he didn't lose his audience with the technical details.

Weeks passed and there was no news about the rail guns. Mike checked the intel database several times a day hoping to learn something new, but there was no news. After a week, the basic plans were released to law enforcement agencies in the hope that some alert cop somewhere would recall having seen them somewhere.

Dale entered the office and said, "We've been called to the White House."

"What?" Mike asked wondering if he had misunderstood.

"We've been asked to visit the President at the White House," Dale answered thinking that Mike hadn't heard him the first time.

Leaning back in his chair, Mike picked up a report and opened it as if to read it. He said, "That's nice, but I don't want to go. I have an idea, why don't we send Chang in our place?"

Dale laughed and said, "I'm afraid that won't work. The President wants to talk to you. I'm coming along so that when you start to say something that will get you fired I can kick you under the table."

Mike said, "That's not going to do any good except get you fired, too. He's not going to believe what I tell him. He's going to fire me no matter what I say."

"They say that seeing is believing," Dale said giving Mike with a knowing smile. Looking at a piece of paper or hearing a description didn't have the same impact as seeing it.

"That's a good idea," Mike said.

"I'll have a CD couriered to the White House, send our bona fides over, and request that a secure conference room be set up for a briefing with the Secretary of Defense," Dale said.

"He's already seen the CD," Mike said wondering why they would brief the Secretary of Defense on something that he already knew about. Despite the President's general disdain of the military, the Secretary of Defense was a good supporter of the armed services. Mike wondered how long he would last in that position.

"I know that and you know that, but the President doesn't know that. I'm pretty sure that the Secretary of Defense won't tell him," Dale said with a wink. Grinning, he said, "I'll let you know when everything is arranged."

Four hours later the President sat in the briefing room watching the film made of the rail gun in use. When it was over, Mike said, "We have an intelligence report that ten of them were built here in this country."

"So on the basis of this one report, you scare the hell out every cop in the country?" the President asked.

"Yes," Mike answered. He purposefully left off any honorific earning a look from Dale that suggested he should behave himself.

"Are you a fool?" the President asked. He growled and said, "On the basis of what might be little more than a rumor, you have put every police department in the country on alert. You know that I demand one hundred percent accurate intelligence. You admit that you don't have any confirmation of that report."

The Secretary of Defense covered his eyes with a hand while rubbing his forehead. Mike shook his head and said, "Let's just assume for the moment that there is a one out of a million chance that the rumor, as you put it, is true. Are you willing to risk the consequences of what would happen if it is true?"

"Yes."

"You are a very brave man. In fact, you have to be the bravest man that I've ever met," Mike said. Dale kicked him under the table, but Mike didn't look away from the President.

"What do you mean?"

Mike snorted and said, "Because I can just picture one of those canisters filled with radioactive material exploding through the White House covering you and your wife with radioactive particles. I imagine that it will be a long slow painful death. Radiation poisoning has a tendency to kill very slowly."

"They wouldn't dare," the President said with a white face.

Ignoring the President's comment, Mike continued, "While I won't miss you, I will feel sad that the White House will never be used again. It will be a tragic loss of a national treasure. I'm pretty sure they'll replace this grand building with a bunker style concrete building that will be very modern in appearance, but ugly as sin."

"They wouldn't dare," the President repeated.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure they would replace the White House with an ugly building. Have you really looked at the recent government buildings that have gone up? None of them have style," Mike said enjoying himself way too much.

"Not that, you fool. I meant they wouldn't dare fire at me!"

"The White House would be my first target if I was them. With ten of those weapons, I could take out Congress and the Supreme Court as well. Just think, in one afternoon I could destroy the entire United States government," Mike said. Mike rubbed his hands together and, grinning at the President, added, "Sometimes I even impress me with just how evil my mind can work."

Smiling at the President, Dale said, "We can pull back the alert. As you suggested, it is just a one in a million chance. Just give us the order and we'll do it. Of course, it is your life you are gambling."

They were leaving the White House twenty minutes later with explicit instructions to increase their efforts to find out more about the missing rail guns. When they reached Dale's car, Dale started laughing. He had been holding back ever since Mike had started his discourse on how ugly the new White House would be. Unlocking the doors, he said, "That was a very good move despite having thrown an insult or two at him."

"He's a coward. There's nothing like a direct threat to his life to motivate him to take the appropriate actions," Mike said in disgust. Almost without exception the more vocal members of the 'Peace at Any Price' crowd were surrounded by bodyguards.

Mike sat down on the couch and ran his fingers through his hair. Karen came up behind him and said, "You look exhausted. Did you have a bad day at work?"

"I'm not so much exhausted as I am frustrated," Mike said enjoying the neck rub Karen was giving him. She didn't do that very often, but he really enjoyed them.

"Is there anything that I can do to help you out?" Karen asked.

"You can go put on your slinky black dress and get ready to go out to dinner," Mike answered.

"We aren't going to take the baby to a restaurant, are we?" Karen asked. She had always hated it when babies cried while she was trying to enjoy a romantic meal. It would be horrible to be the one creating a problem for others.

"I got a baby sitter," Mike said looking up at Karen with a smile.

Frowning at the idea of leaving her baby with someone else for a whole evening, Karen said, "I'm not sure that he's old enough to leave with a..."

"I had to give your mother an outrageous bribe, but she agreed to do it," Mike said cutting off her objection.

Surprised at the identity of the babysitter, Karen laughed and asked, "What did you bribe her with?"

"A chance to be alone with the baby for an evening," Mike answered with a smile.

"She would have paid you for the chance," Karen said.

"You know my mother's going to be upset," Mike said.

Knowing what Mike was going to say next, Karen said, "Just tell your mother that my father outranks your father."

"That's cold," Mike said with a laugh.

"Besides, it'll be her turn next," Karen said deciding that she liked the idea of having both sets of parents in the same part of the country.

Mike stopped by the Internet Café and took his usual position at the terminal. Much to his surprise he found an announcement upon accessing the website. He considered ignoring it for the moment. He was about to click on the link that would take him to the known spies area to see if he could get any insight into who might be building the rail guns for the Iranians. At the last minute, he decided to check out the announcement.

The announcement was simple and read, "As a result of the intelligence information that we've developed over the past three years, the investigations of all individuals holding Top Secret clearances have been completed well ahead of schedule. Arrests will be made in two days. It was anticipated that the need for our efforts would have ended, but our charter dictates that we continue until the intelligence services recovered the ability to develop accurate assessments. The legal framework within which we function remains in effect. Thank you, NSA001 of the Intelligence 100."

Mike frowned and read the announcement a second time. Sitting back, he stared at the screen with a puzzled expression. He wondered if he had missed something at some point in the past. Curious, he asked, "What in the hell is the Intelligence 100?"

There was no one to ask. He looked over at the counter and thought of asking Joe, but didn't feel that was the right thing to do. Shaking his head, he went to work. The idea of rail guns at loose within the country terrified him. Scrolling down all of the way to the bottom of the page he noticed a link that he had never explored. It was titled, "Intelligence 100."

He followed the link and read the page that came up on the screen. Shocked, he discovered that he was a member of a group called the Intelligence 100. It involved exactly 100 intelligence agents distributed across every intelligence agency at the Federal level including civilian and military. It was made up of individuals working in the intelligence community who had served in the military until retired or released due to injuries sustained in the line of duty. In fact, every member was third generation military with each generation having served at officer rank.

The group functioned under the authority of a top secret Presidential Order issued the same year that Mike had joined the CIA. It was formed because of an unofficial consensus among a number of top level officials that foreign agents within the intelligence community were preventing accurate security assessments of real threats to the United States. Mike knew that was a fact. Some had even felt that those same foreign agents had effectively shaped the WMD assessment that had caused the President so much trouble. Mike didn't believe that the foreign agents were to blame for that mess.

Mike sat back thinking about what had lead up to the invasion of Iraq. For all he knew, the President could have pressured folks into making a misleading assessment. It was just as likely that the assessments were accurate and the President misrepresented it. Of course, it was also possible that analysts who had the President's ear really did believe that there were WMDs in Iraq and that they represented a real threat. He hadn't read the original reports and didn't have a need to know that would have granted him access to them. Although lots of people were pushing different explanations as fact, he didn't know the answer for a fact and the people he worked with didn't like to talk about it. Even the idle comments he overheard in the hallways were contradictory.

Regardless of the reason, the mess in Iraq had cost him two fingers. Rather than waste his time trying to place blame on this group or that, Mike felt that it was his duty to deal with the consequences that threatened the country regardless of past decisions that may have created them. At the present time, one of those consequences was that ten rail guns were getting built, or had been built, somewhere in the United States. That thought reminded him why he was there.

He returned to reading the webpage and discovered that the purpose of the Intelligence 100 was two-fold. The first was to identify and eliminate foreign agents influencing national policy. The second was to develop accurate assessments that were not biased according to the dictates of political correctness until the foreign agents were eliminated and the intelligence agencies recovered the ability to develop assessments untainted by the legacy of misinformation introduced by foreign agents.

He clicked the link that identified the members of the Intelligence 100. Reading down the list of names, he found a few that he recognized — Tim Brown, Dale Dawson, and Jack Lancer. Pausing at CIA009, he read the name Alex Darnell. Smiling, he said, "I still owe you a beer, Alex."

"You look happy," Karen commented when Mike entered the house.

Winking at her, he said, "I just had some very good news."

"What kind of news?" Karen asked.

Winking at her, he said, "Saving the country kind of news."

"Oh," Karen said disappointed that he wasn't supposed to share it with her. She knew that he wouldn't share the news with her since he took his responsibilities very seriously.

"Don't worry about it. It is very good news," Mike said hugging her. In just a few days he wasn't going to have to worry about Chang.

Karen said, "I hope it has something to do with the news on television."

"What news?" Mike asked.

"A policeman in Pennsylvania was killed when he stopped a bunch of terrorists for speeding. Pennsylvania state troopers chased the terrorists down and confiscated some kind of deadly weapon," Karen answered.

Excited that they may have gotten the break they needed to track down all of the rail guns, Mike asked, "Did they capture the terrorists?"

"No. There were three of them in the van and they were armed with automatic weapons. They all died in a huge shootout. The news was broadcasting the whole thing from a helicopter. You should have seen it. It was the most amazing thing I've ever watched," Karen said. She had been cheering when the police had opened fire on the van. There were at least a hundred of them and they didn't stop firing until they had run out of ammunition. The reporter covering the news might have been dismayed, but Karen had been happy to see it.

"I'm sure that it was an impressive gunfight, but we shouldn't have killed them," Mike said.

"They opened fire on the state troops with automatic weapons before they even had a chance to ask them to surrender," Karen said. Frowning, she said, "You sound like that liberal asshole who was commenting on the gunfight claiming that the state troopers used excessive force."

"I'm sure they used the appropriate level of force in taking them down. It's still bad news that all of the terrorists were killed. If it was up to me, I would have captured them alive, questioned them, and then shot them," Mike said snorting at the idea of being compared to a news reporter. Shaking his head, he said, "We really need to know what they were doing."

"Oh, I didn't realize," Karen said. Based on his desire to question them, she wondered if he knew something about the weapon that had been found.

Lazlo Zalezac
Lazlo Zalezac
Chapter 11