“Yeah. I did several plays. In Peter Pan I was Tinker Bell. Playing a part outside yourself is cool. Kind of lets you branch out into a different personality.”
After a short break, they continue their run and return to the house covered with mud.
From that day on, the two regularly jog together through the pasture and the woods. Amanda’s endurance and athleticism eclipses Britt’s within about 10 days and becomes a running joke between them. After their morning jogs, they spend hours on Amanda’s classwork that David brings by each week.
Chapter 100
An Extension
Braningham finds Solarez in the hallway after clearing the intensive security screening required to enter the FISA courtroom and judge’s chambers.
"I expect some fireworks today about extending and expanding this warrant," Braningham says.
"We have good reasons to want to." Solarez says.
A few minutes later they are inside, addressing Judge Bondakopf.
"All right, we are here on the second requested extension of the warrantless searches on a number of persons under this Affidavit 2165. I'll hear from you, Mr. Braningham," Judge Bondakopf says looking up at him.
"Judge, if we have an ongoing intelligence operation, it’s appropriate to ask the court to extend the warrantless search operation because if we notify the targets now, it will jeopardize or compromise this ongoing operation."
"That could be said any time an operation hasn’t been completed. If I don’t force the disclosures, there are no other checks or balances in this court system."
"Judge, we need more time," Solarez interjects. "One of the targets of the warrantless operations, Kent Perless, died. "
"Wait a second. At the first hearing you told me he was a person of interest. Obviously he was a person of serious interest to somebody.”
"Well, it's been listed as an accidental-overdose death. But it’s caused problems and we’ve had to expand the investigation. So that's why we're asking for an additional warrantless search on Robert Pletcher, a New York patent attorney."
"Wait a second. This name wasn't even listed under Affidavit 2165. What does he have to do with anything? And why should I delay the original disclosures?"
"We’ve learned that Ron Michaels, who died in the crash, was on his way to meet with Pletcher in New York. We’ve done extensive research on him and his specialty is biological and medical patents. We also learned that he’s dealt with a couple of Russian companies and specifically had met with one individual that we are concerned may have been a front for a Russian governmental entity. And Michaels may have met with Pletcher before."
"You assured me at the first hearing that Amanda and Andy Michaels were not targets. But now it sounds like Ron Michaels may have been involved in transferring classified material. Is that what you're saying?"
"We've never completely come to that conclusion Your Honor. Is it possible that he transferred classified biological information to Pletcher at any earlier time? Yes. Until we do further surveillance on Pletcher I can't answer all these questions."
"I'm only going to authorize another 30 days. You’d better have some answers by then, or all of the targets will get the information, including Mr. Pletcher. Do you understand?"
Both Braningham and Solarez nod in agreement. The judge then signs the extension order.
"Have a good day gentlemen," she says.
Inside the secure room in the embassy off Massachusetts Avenue, Jiang takes the headphones off his head and pauses for a second. He then turns to the agent beside him.
"Our worst fears have been confirmed. Michaels had already transferred the biological information to Pletcher, and maybe others. There’s no way Pletcher would still be talking with the Russians unless he has the biological formulas. It looks like we underestimated him, he must’ve been planning this longer than we thought."
"When is Pletcher meeting with the Russians?" Chun asks.
"Soon, but we don’t know exactly when. The U.S. agents now have him under surveillance. They know he wants to sell the information." Jiang rubs both of his eyes.
“What about our own source?”
"He promises and promises. Says he has to move ultra-carefully. I’m not convinced he can deliver. It may be he needed Michaels because he was just siphoning information from him,” Jiang says.
“Put our people on this in New York," Chun directs. “We can’t let the Russians get the technology, especially after what we’ve invested in this operation. You understand me? We can’t let the Americans dominate. Maybe they develop it first, but if we stay with this, we can develop the telomere data independently. Understand?”
"Yes sir, absolutely." Jiang says.
Chapter 101
Abbott’s Grill
Andy could recall having had drinks with the reclusive senior partner of his own law firm, Hunter Wilson, only once, after a law seminar several years ago. When he called this time Wilson mentioned that one of his former colleagues, Dennis Stratton, who had worked at the U.S. Attorney’s office in D.C. with him, had extended the invitation. Andy wondered whether this was some new case opportunity for the firm.
Old Abbott’s Grill is purportedly the oldest bar in the capitol city, tracing its existence back to the 1800s when it was a saloon. Situated only a block or two from the White House, all sorts of politicos and big shots frequent its multiple bar areas, including the oyster bar hidden in a back corner.
As he walks in, Andy spots Hunter right inside the large glass and brass double doors, near the maître d’ stand.
“Hi Hunter. Is he here yet?”
“No, just walked all the way down the bar and around to the other room and I didn’t see them.”
“Oh, not just Stratton?” Andy asks.
“He said another attorney might join us too,” Wilson says.
“Any idea what he wants?”
“No clue, I’m assuming there’s some connection to your Hemispheres settlements.”
They snag a small round bar table with four stools that two guys are vacating as they walk by. Once they place their drink order, Andy asks Hunter over the din of the after-work crowd, “How well do you know Stratton?”
“When I was the U.S. Attorney, I helped him get the job over there,” Wilson answers.
“Who is he counsel for at the State Department?”
“I don’t know really. There are so many lawyers over departments reporting to the Secretary of State. We can ask him when he gets here.”
A waitress working the bar area shows up with their drinks.
“How’s your niece doing?”
“Thanks for asking. She’s being tutored. She could go back to her classes, but she refuses. She is currently living at a farmhouse in Middleburg that she bought. It’s a long story, but she insisted on buying it with part of her settlement money, and we couldn’t talk her out of it.”
“She bought a farm?”
“It was the family farm of this guy she befriended during her hospitalization. He was found dead in his car in one of the pastures. Supposedly an accidental drug overdose.”
“You never told me anything about this. You know you can confide in me Andy, really. Is Amanda okay now?”
“Well, thanks. She’s been erratic, depressed, and I’m keeping an eye on her as best as I can. But on the bright side, she just got accepted to UVA. We just need to make sure she graduates from high school.”
“Hunter, my old friend,” Stratton suddenly says from behind Andy. “Great to see you. I’d like to introduce you to Brett Stein, one of my colleagues at the State Department.”
Handshakes are exchanged and introductions to Andy are made. Andy eyes Stein, who’s in a well-tailored blue suit, white button-down shirt and an understated red tie with an angular striped pattern. He’s tall, taller than Andy, with well-groomed short hair, and looks to be no more than 40 years old.
Once they are seated, Stein and Stratton each order a drink, and they order a couple of appetizers
too.
Finally, Stratton opens the real conversation. “Andy, congratulations on what appears to be a number of very good settlements you’ve negotiated for your clients. Obviously a very tough situation for your family though.”
“Here, here,” Hunter says, raising his glass, and all of them spontaneously raise their glasses. “Is it appropriate to make a toast at all, given Andy’s family losses? I say yes, this toast is to Andy’s guts and determination, and for bringing all his cases to an early resolution.”
They all click their glasses in response.
“I brought Brett along for a specific reason. He’s one of the attorneys who works with the CIA.” Stratton says.
With this, Andy takes pause.
Stein interjects. “Andy, we understand that you visited Biological Blood Services after you settled the cases. We realize you’re curious about your late brother, but some of the things you want to know involve national security.”
“Wait. Just going over to talk to Michael Jacoby stepped on the toes of the CIA? Really?” Andy asks.
Stein glares at him for a second, then shoots a quick look at Stratton.
“Look. Sometimes things that seem simple are complicated. We understand you wanted to see the lab where your brother worked. And we understand you have a lot of questions. But some of the research he was involved in is highly classified. What we’re trying to gently convey here is, uh, it’s deeper than you realize.”
“Wait, I’m lost. The CIA doesn’t do domestic intelligence. Everybody knows that.”
Stratton and Stein glance at each other. Then Stein says, “True. But we can protect U.S. citizens under our counter-intelligence authority.”
“Gentlemen, in deference to you both, this is a very vague message. Are you trying to tell my partner specifically not to do something? We’re all lawyers and we deal with lines that can or cannot be crossed,” Hunter interjects before Andy can respond. “So what line are you talking about, Brett?”
“When the CIA believes we have a national security leak, like with a mole, we’ll go to extraordinary lengths to seal the leak.”
“Are you accusing my brother Ron of being a mole, a traitor?” Andy asks, his hackles rising with his voice.
“Absolutely not, but what I’m authorized to tell you is that you are innocently putting yourself in the middle of an ongoing, potentially dangerous situation.”
“Dangerous in what way?”
“Here’s what we’re trying to say, Andy. You’ve done an awesome job on settling the cases. Just let sleeping dogs lie now.” Stein says.
Andy feels like he is ready to explode, he has so many questions. But before he can open his mouth, Stein speaks again.
“Andy, let me show you some of the old pictures they have in the basement. Have you seen them before? Several presidents have eaten here.”
Stein gets up from the table, and Andy gets the message. He stands and follows Stein past the main dining area and down a stairway to the basement where a private room and the restrooms are situated. And yes, there are a bunch of very old framed pictures there. But they both know that’s not why they are down there.
“Did the jet crash because of Ron’s work for the government?” Andy first demands of Stein.
Thoughtfully, carefully, Stein measures his words.
“What I can say here is…we’ve read the NTSB investigation documents. And the FBI has investigated. We believe it was an electrical malfunction, and I can tell you conclusively the CIA and the U.S. Government had nothing to do with the crash.”
Andy thinks about that answer. Crafty lawyer lingo, no doubt.
“Obviously, Hemispheres wouldn’t have paid my clients unless they knew it was a mechanical or electrical failure.” Andy says. “What am I doing that you don’t want me to? Amanda and I want to talk to Ron’s former patent lawyer in New York, this Pletcher guy.”
Stein looks shocked. “How do you know who Pletcher is?”
“My niece did some homework. I’m not sure exactly how she found him. What’s the big deal?”
“No, you absolutely need to forget about Pletcher. Do not go to New York, just let it go. Do you understand me?”
Andy stares back at Stein, boiling. But, he still holds his tongue. He knows he is receiving this warning because the CIA has actual concerns for his safety, but there are still way too many unanswered questions.
“Let me just say this,” Stein says, “There are times that the agency works for months, even years, to build an operation. They must be built one brick at a time in order to, in this case, expose a mole. The foundation must be rock solid. Just because you believe certain so-called facts doesn’t always mean they are real. That’s all I can say Michaels.”
“You know something you're not telling me. Is it about what my brother did at BBS?”
“Good intelligence work often doesn't involve bullets or bombs. Bullets are overrated. Bullets can shatter the normalcy necessary to lure a mole from their cover.”
“Stein, I have no idea what you just said, but you haven’t told me a damn thing. What about Kent Perless, Amanda’s friend? Was he involved in this somehow? Loudoun detectives say it was an accidental overdose. I don’t buy it.”
Stein looks pissed off now. "Bush or Obama, Michaels? Where do you fit?" he asks Andy in a mere whisper as a woman walks by toward the ladies room.
“Which Bush?” Andy plays along and whispers back.
“Really?”
"It matters, Stein," Andy says, purposely needling him.
"Okay, the son." Stein grudgingly says, still whispering.
"Lincoln." Andy answers.
"Come on. He wasn't on any of our ballots, Michaels. Where do you fall?"
"Lincoln is on the ballot, Stein. There's a different kind of ballot every day. It’s a moral ballot, not a political one.” Andy says pointing his index finger close to Stein’s chest.
"You think it's about philosophy? What you believe? Ha! I never pictured you as a dreamer, Michaels. Where I live, dreamers get vaporized. There’s no nuance, Michaels, it’s us against them. There’s a line on the pavement."
"Nice, I like the imagery, Stein. Did you take English Literature before Armageddon Studies in grad school? My brother’s dead, my sister-in-law’s dead and my niece is lucky to have survived. Don’t you try to pin philosophy crap on me, and act like you’re some amazing patriot and I’m not, because you work for the CIA. Give it a rest.”
“You’re being the ass, Michaels. I came here for one reason – to help you and your niece, but you won’t listen to me. We’ve been trying to help you both in so many ways you’ll never know. Don’t go forming a posse now, and definitely don’t let your niece either. I’m done for now. I did what I could.”
Stein starts down the hall to the foot of the stairway.
“For now? What’s that supposed to mean?” Andy asks having cooled down a bit.
“This ain’t over, I told you that upstairs. Just listen to me. Please.”
Standing on the sidewalk outside, Andy hails a cab. “Things must’ve got testy between you and Stein. I could tell when you came back.” Hunter says, standing next to him.
“It’s fine. It was a friendly warning, if such a thing exists. You notice they picked up the tab. They wouldn’t have done that unless it was official business.” Andy says sarcastically.
“Andy, I really had no idea that this was going to be a meeting about your family, I’m sorry.”
“Sure, I understand. Maybe I’ll see you at the office tomorrow,” Andy says climbing into the taxi.
Chapter 102
Ambassador
The world of diplomacy has protocols and formalities. Formalities that stretch back centuries, not merely decades. For this reason, when the U.S. Undersecretary for Public Affairs receives a request from the Chinese ambassador for a formal meeting, accommodations are made. The undersecretary postponed the meeting for a day and a half to be sure he was briefed on all current issues “on the tab
le” between the two nations.
True, some tension between the two powerful nations is to be expected, mainly over trade issues, but the U.S. and China enjoy a symbiotic relationship vital to each nation. Mind boggling billions of dollars flow between the two nations each month. Undersecretary Bauman reviewed the complete dossier his staff prepared, and then covered a number of problem areas with his staff.
The black limousine carries Bauman and his assistant across town to the Chinese Embassy on Wisconsin Avenue in northwest D.C. The Chinese guard waves them past through a wrought-iron gate, and the limo travels down the long road to the unobtrusive building.
"Mr. Undersecretary, it is a pleasure to see you again," says the ambassador, firmly shaking Bauman’s hand. The undersecretary sits in the side seat nearest the ambassador who is at the head of the table, followed by each side’s aides. The undersecretary accepts the hot tea offered to him out of diplomatic protocol, and his counterpart patiently waits to begin until the tea has been poured and the server has left the room. The Chinese ambassador speaks impeccable English, and Bauman speaks passable Chinese himself.
"Mr. Undersecretary, you realize why I have called you here to meet me?"
"I’m assuming to discuss the recent fluctuation of your Yuan in relation to the dollar."
"No. You must know why. Let's be frank and open with each other."
The undersecretary looks back at him, confused. "Mr. Ambassador, you'll have to be more forthright with me. I’m unaware of any situation between our nations."
"Mr. Undersecretary, this comes directly from the premier of the People's Republic of China. The U.S. has something important that we want returned, and we believe we have one of your important assets also."
"Mr. Ambassador, I respectfully request that you provide a clearer explanation so that I can promptly assist with your request."
Taming the Telomeres, a Thriller Page 31
