The Initiative: In Harm's Way (Book One)

by Bruce Fottler

  “Thank you, Senator,” Sam replied.

  “Let's all have a seat,” Merrill said, gesturing to a small conference table. “We have much to discuss. There's water, coffee, or anything stronger over there at the bar. Feel free to take anything you want.”

  “Nothing for now, thanks,” Sam replied as he sat. “I'd like to get started.”

  “Sam,” Merrill began. “Everyone deeply appreciates the sacrifices you've endured. Now we want to tell you why it all happened. This morning we're going to share things with you that you must keep secret. It's all part of an ongoing crusade that we've been engaged in. I'll let Senator Barlow explain in more detail.”

  “Sam,” Hector continued, “You were involved in the tragic incident last month that was perpetrated by parties desperate to obtain our technology secrets. Our advances in LIDAR are groundbreaking. Once deployed, it'll be a game-changer in military technology. It will give our military a huge advantage in detection capabilities. Our country alone has already spent billions developing stealth capabilities that we see on aircraft like the F-117 and B-2, as well as naval research for ships. Many other countries and corporations have invested huge sums of money trying to come up with the same capabilities. Now we possess a new method of detection that overcomes what many have spent obscene amounts of money to develop.

  “Sam, a desperate concern over the sudden loss of huge investments unfortunately creates a powerful motivation to resort to corporate espionage. They turn to nefarious third-party organizations to acquire, or steal technology. We believe it was one of these organizations who shot down our test flight and attempted to steal whatever they could. The incredible value of our LIDAR technology has deeply emboldened their efforts.”

  “Which organization did it?” Sam asked.

  “We're still working to pin down which one,” Colin replied.

  “What do you mean which one?” Sam asked in an aggravated tone.

  “Sam, I understand your frustration,” Hector replied. “It's a very slow and complicated investigation. We're dealing with a complex web of private concerns hired by powerful corporations and countries around the world who want to shield their involvement. They're very good at what they do, but recent events have caused us to re-prioritize this investigation. We're pouring more assets into the effort and will hopefully sort it out very soon.

  “Sam, what I'm trying to do is to paint a backdrop of what's been going on in order to give you an idea of what you've been caught up in. After the airplane crash, and just before you and Hank Tiller were rescued, you engaged in a brief skirmish. You fired on one of their operatives before being hit by that electrical shock, but one of your bullets managed to wound the shooter. Despite our best efforts to save him, this operative died of his wound during the evacuation. Nobody here is blaming you for defending yourself, but that sentiment isn't shared by the organization who sent that operative. We believe this is connected to the car bomb that claimed Angela. Our investigation has uncovered a lot of evidence that suggests the bombing was orchestrated by the same organization that shot down our airplane.

  “Sam, I'm sorry to say that you were the intended target of the car bomb. From what you said, Angela took your car that morning when they expected you to take it to work. We believe it was a retaliation for what happened to their operative, all to send the rest of us a strong message.”

  “Sam,” Merrill said, “I know this is a lot to take in, but I want to stress that we had no idea they were anywhere near motivated to launch such a senseless retaliation.”

  “No one thought that it would escalate like this,” Hector added. “We have special intelligence assets tracking them down as we speak. We'll keep you informed of any progress. Meanwhile, the FBI will soon tell you that they suspect a serial bomber randomly selected your car. It's very important that you say nothing about what we discussed here today with them. They are not in the loop. This is being handled at a much higher level.”

  “We've put extra security in place to protect you,” Colin reassured. “You probably haven't noticed them, which is by design. We're also extending this special protection to your friends.”

  “I know this may be of little consolation to you,” Merrill said in a reverent tone. “But the memory of what happened to Angela is driving us all to make sure this never, ever happens again. We'll find whoever did this to her. Justice will be served.”

  “That's a promise,” Hector added with firm conviction.

  “Do you have any questions about what we shared with you?” Merrill asked.

  “What am I supposed to do now?”

  “Take some time, Sam,” Merrill replied. “Recover, and then we need you back. The Dignosco project will be expanding. You'll play a key role, but we'll talk more about that at another time.”

  Huston Associates- Lowell, Massachusetts

  “Sam, please come in,” Kyle said from his desk.

  “Hi, Dr. Kyle,” Sam replied as he walked in and plopped down in one of the plush club chairs.

  “Thanks for coming in.” Kyle got up from his desk and walked over to sit in his leather wing chair. “That must have been quite a meeting you had this morning.”

  Sam blurted out a cynical chuckle. “You think?”

  “That's why I wanted us to sit and talk about it.”

  “Okay, what do you want to talk about?”

  “What have you been doing since the meeting?”

  “That's an odd question to lead with.”

  “I like to mix it up and start things differently.”

  “I didn't say anything to anyone, if that's why your asking.”

  “That's not why I'm asking the question.”

  “Well, I just got in my rental car and started driving. I ended up back at my condo complex and took a stroll down by the river. I eventually passed by my old place. It's still roped off and the deck looks like it's about to tip over.”

  “Did they ever let you back in to get your belongings?”

  “Nope, too dangerous. If they can't find a way to stabilize the structure, the insurance company will bring in a wrecking ball and write-off the whole thing.”

  “I'm sorry to hear that. Is there anything valuable trapped in there?”

  “Just of sentimental value.” Sam paused and frowned. “I only have one worn picture of Angela in my wallet. There are a lot of other things in there too, like pictures of my parents. I could never replace those things.”

  “I'll have a talk with someone I know to see if we can do something about that. Is everything else working out?”

  “Yeah, I guess so.”

  “So,” Kyle said as he leaned back in his chair. “What are you thinking now?”

  “Mostly? I guess I'm wondering why everyone seems so sure that Angela's death wasn’t my fault. I killed someone and they came after me over it. Angela shouldn't have been involved. That's the second time I should have died, but others died instead.”

  “Sam, you need to look at this from a broader perspective. First of all, you killed someone in self-defense. You didn't ask to be part of that. This got you innocently caught up in a global high-tech espionage operation, and no one could have anticipated it would escalate into a car bombing. So, please, Sam, you can't possibly blame yourself for what happened to Angela. Sometimes shit just happens.”

  Sam snickered. “Shit happens? That's your explanation for all of this?”

  “Sorry, Sam, but sometimes the explanation is unsatisfying.”

  “That's a fucking understatement.”

  “It's not the first time you've had to deal with an unsatisfying explanation. Your parents died in a car accident, which was a bizarre circumstance as well.”

  “I suppose.”

  “Sam, you sat in a meeting this morning with your CEO and a United States senator who shared some pretty big secrets with you. In fact, your life might still be in danger. When I just asked you what you were thinking, the first thing your mind ran to was blame for what happened to Angela. I
t's not fair to blame yourself over circumstances you had no control over.”

  Sam snickered. “I've been hearing that a lot lately. Sues has been telling me the same thing.”

  “Smart girl. I really like her.”

  “But she doesn’t know the truth.”

  “If you were allowed to tell her everything, do you think she would've said anything different?”

  Sam sighed. “Probably not.”

  “So, there you go. Even your sister would agree with me.”

  Sam chuckled. “It's funny how Mr. Drake thought she was my sister at the memorial service.”

  Kyle's expression shifted. “Did you correct him?”

  “No.”

  “Good,” Kyle replied, immediately looking relieved. “He probably forgot you're an only child. If it ever comes up again, it's best to continue letting him think that she's your sister.”

  “Why?”

  “It has to do with his rather strong feelings against religion.”

  “Why does he have a problem with it?”

  “It's a long story. The short version is that he had a falling out with a founding partner over it. It's something he's never gotten over. In fact, it was a historic event for him to even step into a church for Angela's funeral. It shows how highly he thinks of you.”

  “I'm confused about what this has to do with Sues.”

  “Look, I know what she means to you. If Drake connected her as a friend from your old church group, it could cause complications for your future at Blanchard.”

  “You know we're only close friends. There's nothing going on between us.”

  “I know that, but he's always concerned about the potential of influence. I don't agree with him, but it's something I have to deal with. I'll keep this on the down-low because I understand that you consider her the only family you have.”

  “I appreciate it.”

  “My job is to make sure you have the support to deal with things. Right now, she's a very important part of your support network.”

  Wednesday, July 5, 1995

  Blanchard Corporation- Chelmsford, Massachusetts

  Colin sat at the small conference table in Merrill's office as they waited for Hector to be connected on the speakerphone. Merrill shuffled through a few papers in an effort to catch up with some other work that Colin had interrupted with his urgent sit-down.

  “I'm connecting Senator Barlow,” a voice spoke out from over the phone.

  “Make sure it's a secure line,” Colin interjected, which caused Merrill to stop shuffling papers.

  “This sounds important, Colin.”

  Colin only offered a distressed gaze in reply.

  “This is Barlow, are you guys on?”

  “Hi Hector. Merrill and Colin on at this end.”

  “Hello, gentlemen. I just got back to DC this morning. I enjoyed the fireworks at the Esplanade last night. Miss me already?”

  “Are you in a private situation?” Colin abruptly asked.

  “Private enough, but I only have five minutes before my limo arrives at my destination.”

  “Have your driver take a couple of laps around the neighborhood.”

  “This sounds serious.”

  “I have some troubling news,” Colin started with a deep sigh. “I had a team scrubbing our corporate systems for any infiltration. They found some suspicious code imbedded in our email system. It's extremely sophisticated and impossible to tell how it got there or how long it's been around. I'm going to assume the worst. It appears to have specific directives to implant other monitoring subroutines on specific personal computers. Most belong to key players in the Dignosco project, but it's spread out to a number of other key directors around the company. One of the targets was Sam Maxwell's PC, so this could explain how they obtained information regarding his role. It appears that a great deal of information was replicated and transmitted out through an obscure dial-up connection. We've shut it all down and installed stronger countermeasures.”

  “Any way to tell who was behind it and where the information went?” Hector asked.

  “The information was transmitted to a phone line installed at a house in Nashua, New Hampshire. This house was recently vacated, but we were able to send in a forensics team. The place was sanitized, but they found a single fingerprint on the inside lip of a toilet tank cover. The print was just identified. It belongs to Neil McLarin.”

  “Jesus fucking Christ!” Merrill hollered as he threw a pile of papers to the side of his desk. “Neil? He's working with them?”

  “Are you absolutely sure it was him?” Hector asked.

  “It would be hard to plant this fingerprint,” Colin continued. “It was lifted from somewhere that could have been easily missed if he had to lift the top to stop an overflow. The forensics team confirmed that the toilet had recently overflowed.”

  “I'll check with NSA,” Hector interjected. “They've been looking for him since he fell off the grid a few years ago. Maybe a lead turned up.”

  “Shit, this explains a lot,” Merrill fumed. “Dignosco was his darling.”

  “It's going to be much bigger than that, Merrill,” Hector said. “I'm having trouble wrapping my mind around how deeply screwed we are if he's been working with them.”

  “I'm having trouble understanding how he'd even be capable of working with them,” Merrill chided. “I know he didn't part with me on good terms, but could this be about revenge?”

  “Something like that always seemed beneath him,” Colin hesitantly replied.

  “We need to find him,” Hector declared. “I'll get resources on it right away.”

  Thursday, July 6, 1995

  Regal Apartments- Lowell, Massachusetts

  “Mr. Ross?” Sam asked in surprise after answering the late evening doorbell. He anticipated another delivery from the concierge service, but instead found Colin at his door.

  “Sam, sorry to bother you. Can I come in?”

  “Certainly. Is something wrong?”

  “No, I just wanted to take a few minutes to sit and talk with you. I need to ask you a few things. I hope this isn't a bad time.”

  “Not a problem, please come in. I haven’t been doing much, so it'll be nice to break up the boredom. Can I get you something? A beer maybe?”

  “A beer would be nice, thanks.”

  Sam walked into the kitchen as Colin sat on the couch.

  “This is a nice little place.”

  “They had me in one last year before I found my townhouse,” Sam explained as he retrieved a bottle opener. “At least they put me in a different unit this time. It would've been too hard to go back to the one Angela and I started out in.”

  “What have you been doing to pass the down time?”

  “Just trying to stay busy,” Sam replied as he walked back in and handed Colin his beer bottle. “At least the baseball strike ended, so I have some games to watch. I'd rather be back at work.”

  “I know our guidelines can be a pain in the ass.” Colin paused to take a drink while Sam sat. “Some people need the time off while others are better off getting back to work. I agree that sitting around can't be doing someone like you much good.”

  “Are you here to clear me for work?”

  “No.” Colin leaned back and relaxed himself. “Sam, our jobs have a lot in common. You're a project auditor. Your role is to make sure everyone is following the rules and to find problems that could cause trouble for the project. I essentially do the same thing. We have to stomach the reputations that come with our jobs. I'm sure you've noticed how differently everyone tends to act around you.”

  “You mean all the phoney courtesy?”

  “Exactly. When you've been doing something like this for as long as I have, it becomes much easier to sense it from those we interact with.”

  “Oh, so I guess I'm giving you a lot of the same phony courtesy?”

  Colin smiled. “Sam, from one professional to another, I'm not here to work you over. When I ask you que
stions about your personal life, it's because I'm actually human and concerned for your well-being. When I ask you questions about work, I'll make sure you know the difference.”

  “Sorry. Like you said, reputations can be hard to look past.”

  Colin nodded. “You don't know this, but since last fall I've been involved in a fair amount of record tampering on your behalf. The company keeps a close eye on employees with secret government clearances. There are certain details that occasionally turn up in reports that would cause concern for executive level directors, particularly Drake. I periodically edit out certain details that I think are of no consequence. It saves a lot of needless trouble for people.”

  “Is this about his problems with religion?”

  “I'll be honest with you, Sam. I think Drake's issues with religion are one big pain in the ass. Trust me, it's put me through too many fucking dramas to count.”

  “Are any of my old friends causing trouble for me?”

  “They might have, if I hadn't been doing some trimming. I just wanted to let you know that I know who Susan is and she's absolutely no problem for me.”

  “I've been told to be careful about her, and that it could complicate my career if Mr. Drake ever knew the truth. How often do things like this come up in your reports?”

  “More than you'd be comfortable with. Safeguarding our technology secrets is serious shit, but we've stepped it up in the aftermath of recent events. ”

  “I'll be more careful about what I sing in the shower.”

  Colin laughed. “I actually came here to talk to you about something that we recently uncovered. After the test flight crash, we turned our internal systems inside-out looking for security breaches. We recently found that our systems were hacked and many employees had specialized code inserted into their PCs – yours included. It monitored all internal communications and files related to certain projects. We determined it was placed there by Neil McLarin, former co-founder of Blanchard.”