Game of Shadows

by R. J. Patterson

  “Don’t you know who I am?” she asked. “If I let you run this through that machine of yours, it might get dirty. And let me assure you that my editors won’t be happy if I have a dirty jacket for my report.”

  “Lady, nobody watches your show anyway,” the security guard said.

  “Tell that to the millions who tune in each night to watch what I have to say about the happenings here in our nation’s capital.”

  “Fake news,” the guard quipped. “Now move along or you’re going to have millions upset that you’re holding up the line.”

  She glared at him, which he laughed off as he ushered her through the metal detector.

  “See what I mean,” the man in front of Antoine said. “It’s a zoo in here. I’m just shocked that woman didn’t have a legion of bare-chested man slaves carry her here on a howdah.”

  Antoine raised his eyebrows. “Far too many entitled people around here literally getting away with murder.”

  “Ain’t that the truth,” the man said.

  Antoine flung his bag onto the X-ray machine belt and moved through the line as instructed.

  “Do you have anything metal in your pockets?” a guard asked him.

  Antoine shook his head. “I do have my blood sugar monitor.”

  The guard held out a small dish and waited for Antoine to remove the medical device. Once he complied, he was ushered into the metal detector. After he was cleared, he gathered his belongings and asked a congressional page to point him to where the Elliott hearings were taking place.

  Antoine followed the directions, meandering down the hall. He walked slowly, eyeing the number of armed guards patrolling the main corridor. After pacing back and forth, he waited until he saw one of the security team members slip into the men’s restroom. Antoine followed and selected a stall right next to the man.

  While the man was washing his hands, Antoine seized his opportunity, inserting his ear plugs before activating the ultrasonic device. Seconds later, the man collapsed in a heap as did the few people occupying the stalls. Antoine dragged the officer into one of the stalls and propped him up on the toilet before snagging the man’s pistol.

  Antoine made his way toward the hearing room, smiling politely at the guards strolling through the hall. He found a dark-haired page and bumped into him to snag his identification badge off his lapel. The young man’s picture was emblazoned on the card, but the small, grainy image likely wouldn’t be scrutinized by the guard at the door. And Antoine was right, getting waved inside after a quick peek at the picture.

  Antoine pocketed the badge and ambled over to the media members clustered together. He took a seat next to the reporter who’d made a fuss in the security line.

  “Are we going to get anything good out of this?” Antoine asked the woman.

  She gave him a sideways glance. “Who are you with?”

  “The Drudge Report,” he said. “And you?”

  She rolled her eyes. “The fact that they allow bloggers to sit with the media corps shows that just about anyone can be considered a member of the media these days.”

  “I’m sorry,” Antoine said. “I didn’t catch your name again.”

  She slowly turned to him and glared. “Are times so hard at your little website that they can’t pay you enough to afford a television?”

  “Oh, that’s right,” Antoine said. “I recognize you now. It’s just that you look completely different in person than you do on camera after they’ve covered you up with all that makeup.”

  “My, aren’t you a charmer,” she said as she rolled her eyes.

  “I’m not here to make friends. I’m here for the truth.”

  “Good luck getting it out of these fellas. They trade in lies. I doubt we’ll hear one true thing the entire time we’re in this room today.”

  Antoine eyed her closely. “I wouldn’t be so sure.”

  “Do you know something the rest of us don’t?”

  He shook his head. “I just have a feeling.”

  A hush fell over the room as several committee members marched up to their seats at the front of the room. Chairman Ian Henry was the last to ease into his chair before calling the meeting into order.

  For the next five minutes, he outlined the rules for the interview period, explaining how much time each member had for their respective questions for the different witnesses subpoenaed for the hearing. When he was finished, he looked at the member on the far end of the row and nodded.

  “For my first witness, I’d like to call Special Consultant to the Department of Defense, former Senator J.D. Blunt,” the man said.

  This ought to be good.

  Antoine pulled his bag onto his lap and reached inside, wrapping his hand around the gun and then fingering the trigger. He couldn’t wait to watch Blunt squirm—and then die.

  CHAPTER 23

  BLUNT GRABBED THE seat back in front of him and pulled himself to his feet when he was called as the first witness by Arizona Congressman Albert Zuckerman. When Blunt represented Texas as a senator, he made an enemy out of Zuckerman by squashing one of his bills when it came to the floor. He didn’t even try to disguise the Zuckerman-Harding Act, which was touted as an answer to prop up the flagging social security system but was actually a wide-ranging piece of legislation stuffed full of pork. If the portion of the law that drew all the attention was passed, tax payers would’ve footed a modest bill. But as it was written, the cost quadrupled after factoring in all the handouts for the various districts set to reap a windfall.

  When Blunt served as an elected official, he took the position entrusted to him by his constituents seriously and saw the passage of such a piece of legislation to be morally reprehensible. So, he used procedural rules to keep it from ever even seeing the light of day in the Senate. And for that, Zuckerman vowed to get revenge on Blunt one day.

  That day had finally arrived.

  As the chairman reminded Blunt that he was under oath, he sat down.

  “Welcome, Senator Blunt,” Zuckerman said, a faint smile appearing at the corners of his mouth. “We appreciate your willingness to come before this committee in an effort to shed some light on how the U.S. conducts itself abroad and at home as it pertains to our intelligence gathering.”

  “It’s really simple,” Blunt said. “We act within the confines of the law.”

  “In that case, would you mind walking us through how you gather information on American citizens?”

  Blunt furrowed his brow as he leaned forward to speak into his mic. “I’m sure you know that we aren’t allowed to gather information on our own citizens, right?”

  “Of course you are,” Zuckerman said. “And you aren’t leaving that stand until you explain the means and method by which you’ve been operating.”

  “I’m afraid you don’t understand what I do,” Blunt said.

  Zuckerman leaned back in his chair and interlocked his fingers, resting them on his bulging belly. “Enlighten us then.”

  “I consult with the Department of Defense on matters of national security.”

  “And what makes you qualified to handle this?”

  “You’d have to ask the men who hired me. They’re the ones who feel I’m well-suited for my position.”

  Zuckerman shrugged. “In that case, humor us.”

  Blunt sighed. “Aside from serving on the foreign relations and intelligence committees, I have a background in intelligence while serving during the conflict in Vietnam. Prior to getting elected to public office, I served briefly with the CIA.”

  “And while you were a member of the CIA, did you ever spy on anyone illegally?”

  Blunt scowled. “Excuse me, Mr. Chairman, I didn’t realize I was on trial here.”

  Henry glared at Zuckerman. “Can we please keep the line of questioning within the parameters that we established prior to holding this hearing?”

  “Of course, sir,” Zuckerman said before returning his gaze to Blunt. “Now, let me rephrase that question: Did you ever wi
tness any illegal information gathering practices conducted by the CIA during your time there?”

  Blunt sighed. “That was a long time ago, but off the top of my head, I don’t believe I recall any instance where we broke the law to spy on our own citizens. If we ever did anything that came close to crossing the line, it was always in the best interest of our citizens and protecting them from danger. But I don’t recollect any specific instance.”

  “But there were times when that happened?”

  “Maybe. Like I said, there are times when you just need to get the data to make an informed decision. And there are moments where we might need to bend the rules a little. But there’s a group of judges who oversee this activity to ensure that we stay above board in everything we do. The law is there to protect its citizens, but so are we.”

  “So you’re saying that when these two things are in conflict with one another, we should just trust that people are going to do the right thing?”

  Blunt nodded. “The agency wasn’t—nor is it—full of evil people. And neither is the military. You’ll always find a bad apple or two floating around. But in general, people are respectful of the laws governing this great country and do their best to work within them.”

  “It’s funny that you should use that phrase there: do their best,” Zuckerman said. “I know you’re very careful with your words, especially since you’re under oath. But that’s an interesting way to say that you don’t always comply with the law.”

  “In keeping our nation safe, operatives in every intelligence agency sometimes find themselves in gray areas in the moment,” Blunt said. “But there’s no willful lawbreaking that I’ve ever witnessed.”

  “Never?”

  Blunt shrugged. “If there is, I haven’t seen it.”

  “So you’re saying everyone is squeaky clean?”

  “Do you drive yourself to and from work every day, Mr. Congressman?” Blunt asked.

  Zuckerman withdrew and scowled before replying slowly. “Yes, but I don’t see what that has to do with—”

  “Do you ever go above the speed limit?” Blunt pressed.

  “I try to use my cruise control and stay within the prescribed limits.”

  “So you never speed?”

  Zuckerman shook his finger at Blunt. “I know where you’re going with this and—”

  “From your answer, it’s easy to conclude that you sometimes exceed the limits, am I right?”

  “But I—”

  “Despite your occasional misdeeds behind the wheel, I doubt you would characterize yourself as a reckless driver since your record shows that you haven’t received a ticket since moving to the capital. Now, I don’t know if that’s a result of professional courtesy from Metro police or if you’re really cautious. But, today, you’re on record as saying that you do your best but implied that you don’t always adhere to the letter of the law. However, nobody is worried you’re going to go flying around the Beltway tomorrow and hit four cars and cause a major pileup. Likewise, you shouldn’t be concerned about the status of our intelligence community. They’re doing their best to make sure you can sleep at night without worrying about getting blown up by terrorists.”

  A partisan applause erupted. Zuckerman threw up his hands in a gesture to quiet the attendees.

  “Settle down,” Chairman Henry said. “This isn’t about scoring political points. This is about finding out how our intelligence agencies comply with the law.”

  “Thank you,” Zuckerman said, his nostrils flaring.

  “Unfortunately, that’s all the time allotted to you,” the chairman said.

  “But I’m not done,” Zuckerman protested. “The witness’s long-winded meandering answers ate up all my time.”

  Henry shrugged. “You should’ve known you were dealing with a former politician.”

  Blunt shot a glance at Zuckerman, winking before leaking a wry smile.

  “Congressman Elliott, your five minutes begins now,” Henry said.

  Elliott nodded at Henry. “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And now that I’m well versed with Mr. Blunt’s tactics, perhaps we’ll get some real answers out of him.”

  “I have nothing to hide,” Blunt said.

  “Excellent,” Elliott said. “Then let’s begin with my first question. As I was reviewing some of the budgets, I noticed that you’re listed as a consultant in connection with seventy-five million in discretionary funds. Mr. Blunt, what exactly do you do?”

  “I help advise the Department of Defense regarding certain policy decisions,” Blunt said.

  “And what exactly does that look like?”

  “I share my opinion about the best way forward to maneuver through the turbulent waters of Middle Eastern diplomacy,” Blunt said. “It’s not too complicated.”

  “Is that all you do?”

  “In a manner of speaking, yes.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to amend your answer, Mr. Blunt? Or do I need to remind you that you’re currently under oath?”

  Blunt swallowed hard as he eyed his hard-charging interrogator.

  A hush fell over the crowd as it anxiously awaited Blunt’s response.

  CHAPTER 24

  BLACK GROWLED AS HE STARED at the gridlock in front of him. He tuned the radio to a news station in an attempt to find out if there was anything causing the blockage or just another routine day in rush hour traffic. After five minutes of no movement, he picked up his phone to search for an app that would help him plot the fastest route to the Capitol Building through the current logjam.

  As soon as the flow resumed, he took the next off-ramp and weaved his way through surface streets. When he came to a stoplight, he called Shields to update her on his status.

  “How far away are you?” she asked.

  “Maybe fifteen minutes until I get parked,” he said. “Were you able to reach Blunt yet?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Keep trying. We’ve got to get him out of there because he’ll be a sitting duck for Antoine.”

  “You think he’s going to try something in a public place?” Shields asked.

  “Without a doubt. He’s got a vendetta against Blunt and wants public retribution. The only question is when he’s going to do it.”

  “Well, Blunt has just been called forward as the first person to be questioned to kick off the hearing.”

  Black let out a string of expletives. “And I can’t do a thing about it stuck here in traffic. If I hadn’t gone to that safe house this morning . . .”

  “If you hadn’t gone, you wouldn’t be alarmed. You wouldn’t even be going to the hearing, so stay focused. We’ll still have a chance to stop Antoine.”

  “Can you hack into the Capitol Building and set off the fire alarm?” Black asked. “I mean, anything to get Blunt out of there and buy me some more time.”

  “That’d take too long. Besides, a fire alarm would create mass chaos and be easier for Antoine to do something to Blunt.”

  Black sighed. “You’re right. Can you at least leave an anonymous tip with Capitol Hill police that there’s an assassin sitting in that hearing?”

  “I’ll do my best. Remember to call me when you get there.”

  “Roger that.”

  “And, Black?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I know you’re going to be in a rush when you arrive, but don’t forget to put your coms in so we can stay in touch.”

  “Of course.”

  “Be safe.”

  Black turned to the right to find a stretch of light traffic and reached the parking near the Capitol Building five minutes earlier than expected. He jammed the coms into his ear, grabbed a baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses, and took off running.

  CHAPTER 25

  BLUNT TOOK A SIP of water, anything to stall responding. He hoped that one of the congressmen on the panel, fellow lawmakers that he considered to be his friends, would come to his rescue. But they all remained silent, awaiting Blunt’s answer.

  “We’re
all waiting,” Elliott said. “Take your time. I don’t want you to perjure yourself.”

  Blunt sighed before he began. “I’m afraid there’s not much more to say. You’re on some fishing expedition, perhaps at the behest of your constituents. But all of my work with the D.O.D. is sanctioned, lawful, and effective at keeping you and all of the American people safe from attacks on this country as well as protecting our interests abroad.”

  “That’s a mighty evasive answer,” Elliott said. “And not what I asked. Now, let me repeat this again. Aside from advising the D.O.D., is that all you do?”

  “That’s a broad description of what I do, so I guess I’m not sure exactly what you’re after.”

  “Let me rephrase the question: How can you justify a budget line item that large if all you do is consult?”

  “I’m not the comptroller,” Blunt said. “You’ll have to ask him.”

  “Do you think what you do justifies a budget this substantial?”

  Blunt shifted in his seat before answering. “I know that you’re new to Capitol Hill, so perhaps you should’ve discussed this with some of your peers who understand how all this works. The finance committee approves the D.O.D.’s budget. If you don’t like how the country’s money is being spent, there are other avenues to address this. Having a hearing isn’t going to fix this.”

  “I’m trying to understand the waste Washington dumps on the nation’s taxpayers each year, but thank you for the civics lesson. I know how this works.”

  Blunt’s eyebrows shot upward, and he cocked his head to one side. “Are you sure about that? Because these questions you’re asking are ones that could easily be answered by members of the finance committee. For someone who’s worried so much about waste, you’re wasting the government’s resources as well as plenty of people’s time.”

  Chairman Henry butted in. “If you don’t have any other line of questioning, Mr. Elliott, I suggest you cede your remaining time to another congressman.”

  Elliott shuffled the papers in front of him and peered over the top of his glasses at Henry. “I’m not even close to being done.”