“Perhaps they won’t approve it then. If that happened would you still want to get involved?”
“Not sure. That place gave me a weird vibe. And what was that about the Canadian Government pre-approving the sale?”
They stood beside the limo.
Frank grimaced as he looked at the other buildings in the industrial park. “The way governments normally work sales like this are hung up for months, if not years. So my bet is that this trip has turned out to be a complete waste of time.”
Naomi smiled at him. “I don’t know, Frank. It’s allowed us to see a beautiful part of the world together. Besides, what could the technology be used for commercially that you’d be interested in it anyway?”
“I did a little research and high performance lasers are critical to advanced manufacturing techniques. Plus Regina told me that lasers will soon be used to do mining in space.”
“I think it’ll be a few years before anyone can manufacture stuff out in space.”
A grin crept across Frank’s face.
He grabbed Naomi’s hand. “You’re being as practical as always. Hold on while I call Regina with the bad news.”
Regina answered on the second ring. “Frank?”
“Hey Regina. There’s been a change in plans. Naomi and I just met with Brad Miller, the SpaceLaser Chief Executive. He told me that he’d just received an offer to buy SpaceLaser lock, stock and barrel.”
“Really? Who’s the buyer?” Regina sat back in her chair.
“He said it was a Chinese company that disclosed that they are owned by the Chinese government.”
Regina’s left hand shot up to rub her forehead. “Shit! Excuse my French, Frank. But I was just in a meeting where we discussed how the Chinese are talking about achieving space supremacy using anti-satellite technology. Right now, we believe we are ahead of them. If they acquire SpaceLaser, they may be able to catch up with us overnight. We can’t let this happen.”
This must be why Cyrus wanted me to pay attention to Canada.
Regina Lofthouse collected her thoughts before she continued. “Thank you for the heads up, Frank. Since SpaceLaser is selling key patented equipment to branches of the U.S. military and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, I’ll immediately notify the U.S. Defense Department. Would you mind staying put there in Vancouver for a day or two longer as we try to squash the offer?”
“Certainly.”
“Thank you Frank.” Dare I? “Oh, one more thing: Is there any chance you can spare Naomi. I need her back here at CIA headquarters, but only if you can spare her for a few days.”
“What for?”
“Your Russian, Boris, is turning out to be a wealth of information for us on Russia. However, he’s told me that he’ll only discuss certain topics if Naomi is present.”
“I don’t understand why he would say that, but I’ll tell her that you need her. It’ll be up to her.”
“Of course. But, please tell her that I’m sure I’ll only need her for a day or two.”
So much for proposing to Naomi here in Vancouver.
“I’ll tell Naomi of your request and she will let you know if she’s willing to go.” Frank pushed the end button.
He turned to Naomi. “The news of the sale certainly upset Regina. She’s notifying the Department of Defense to see if they can stop the sale as we speak. She’s also asked me if I can stay a day or two longer. I said I would.”
“Just you?”
“She said that Boris wouldn’t talk to anyone but you about certain topics and asked if you could go to Virginia for a day or two.”
“That sounds strange, but I guess I can go there to straighten Boris out. Hopefully, that’ll only take me a few hours. Then I’ll call you and see if I should fly back here or if I should meet you back home. If that works for you.”
“That makes perfect sense. But you know I’ll miss you.”
“They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. I guess we’ll find out. I’ll leave you alone for a few days. But then I’ll be expecting a proper knees-on-the-floor proposal when you get back to St Kitts.”
“And you shall get one.” He looked at Naomi’s reaction.
She was smiling.
He opened the limo door for Naomi to get in then went around to his side.
As soon as he was sitting beside her, Frank started talking. “Naomi, why don’t you use your phone to book your flight to Virginia while Denver drives us back to the hotel so you can grab your bag.”
“Okay, eh.”
Frank looked at Naomi and they smiled together at Naomi’s attempt to speak Canadian.
15
Naomi had found a flight leaving within three hours. She had just enough time to get to the hotel, grab her bag and get back to the airport in time to board the international flight.
Frank dropped Naomi curbside at the Vancouver airport with a hug and a kiss. He watched her walk through the automatic doors.
Then he turned to the vehicle. He decided to sit in the front passenger seat for a better view. “Okay Denver, let’s go.”
She’ll be arriving around midnight.
Denver pulled away from the curb. “Where to, Mister Moretti?”
“I’m thinking that I’ll just back to the hotel. I’ll make it an early evening.”
“As you wish.”
Once he was in his room, he tried telephoning Regina Lofthouse to see how things were going on her end.
No answer. And the call didn’t forward to her cell; now that’s strange.
Since it was still afternoon in Vancouver, Frank looked at the local travel magazine in his room. He found an advertisement for an area that looked interesting and was near downtown.
He texted Denver. Can you drive me somewhere?
I’ll pull the limo around and be waiting for you out front in ten minutes?
Perfect.
Fifteen minutes later Frank was settled in the rear seat. The privacy screen was down.
“Where to?”
“Is Granville Island nearby and worth seeing?”
“Granville Island is on the same False Creek where you watched the Dragon Boats. However, it’s on the opposite shore from where you were. It has a public market, interesting shops offering lots of art work, locally made items and restaurants, so yes, it’s worth seeing.”
“Great.”
As they eased down the small hill Frank leaned forward. “Where’s the best place to start?”
“Near the Public Market, Mister Moretti.”
As he entered the Market through one of its many glass doors, he was pleasantly surprised to see so much variety. It has the feel of the stalls by the cruise ship terminal in Basseterre.
For as far as he could see, small stalls were right next to each other. They all seemed to have a unique and fascinating assortment of food and produce, handcrafted products and unique gifts.
The aromas were heavenly.
He sampled a piece of fudge. It exploded in his mouth. He then tasted cheeses followed by bread dipped in olive oil. It was a gourmet’s delight.
Down another aisle, he was smacked by the odors of fish and raw meat.
He was offered a small sample of seaweed. “Argh.” The metallic taste of iodine was intense.
Frank was offered a cup of water and gulped it down.
Realizing he hadn’t eaten lunch, he went outside and saw a seafood restaurant nearby.
A young female hostess seated him on the upper deck facing the water. She was wearing a loose fitting blouse and was obviously braless.
Shifting his attention to the scenic view, Frank could see teams of workers taking down the stands where people had watched the Dragon Boat Races. He watched as some type of mini tugboats were ferrying people back and forth to the other shore.
The food was fabulous.
As he paid his tab, he asked, “What are those little boats?”
“They’re the aqua bus ferries for False Creek. They’re fun and inexpensive to ride.”
She told him where to catch one. “They leave every few minutes. They can take you to various restaurants and shopping areas around the Creek.”
“Thank you.”
He left her a generous tip.
16
Regina had been summoned to meet with her boss, Deputy Director Cyrus Saxton to discuss the SpaceLaser situation. She found his door was already ajar.
Saxton was leaning back in his chair. “Regina, please close the door behind you and have a seat.”
She felt his eyes following her every move. It’s part of being a woman in the CIA.
Cyrus moved his chair closer to his desk. “It’s interesting isn’t it? In every country, spies have run businesses as a cover for years. Why? Anytime you have money involved, it’s perfect for intelligence officers. Gathering information out of a business relationship has always been the easiest way to do the job. That’s why utilizing agents like Frank Moretti works.”
Cyrus put his elbows on his desk.
Regina sat back into her own chair. “Personally I was surprised by what Frank found. I’m concerned that SpaceLaser may only be the first firm the Chinese purchased because they think it’s important militarily. In effect they are now using our own Capitalism against us.”
Cyrus rubbed his chin. “I’m afraid you’re right. That leads me to the reason I called you here. I’ve notified the Department of Defense, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Army as well as the fourteen Intelligence Agencies. In turn, NATO and each member of our alliance have been informed of the situation and what it means. Of course, everyone is waiting for us to tell them how we are going to work around this problem. The problem is that we are vulnerable in the near term.”
“I heard a rumor our President telephoned the Canadian Prime Minister to tell him that the U.S. can’t tolerate having Canada not committed to being one of our partners.”
Cyrus confirmed the conversation.
Regina asked, “What’ll happen if he doesn’t reconsider the deal. Do you think he’ll cancel the trade negotiations or go even further like ordering our military to invade Canada? I can’t believe I even said that.”
Cyrus lowered his voice and clasped his hands together. “It’s not our jobs to second guess the President. Whatever he decides to do, we’ll have to implement it unless Congress passes legislation to do otherwise. Personally, I think Canada had better be careful. If we send just one F-35 to Dorval airport, they’ll probably surrender.” Cyrus grinned at his attempt at humor.
“What do you want me to do?”
“It’s critical that we find a way to stop the Chinese from purchasing SpaceLaser. I need you to have Frank Moretti find a way to delay the purchase for a few days.”
“I’ll let him know. Is that all?”
“For now, yes.”
Regina knew Cyrus was watching her bottom as she walked out.
17
Tuesday
Because of the three-hour time difference, Regina Lofthouse had a head start on the day. She called Frank at 10AM her time.
He was having breakfast. “Frank, are you free to talk, it’s Regina.”
Frank tried to sound positive. “Yes, I’m just having a cup of coffee.”
“I wanted to update you on the SpaceLaser situation.”
“Have you been able to stop the sale?”
Regina’s tone was anything but upbeat. “We can’t.”
Frank was surprised. “I don’t understand.”
“Our State Department asked the Canadian Government to stop the sale but they’ve refused to even discuss it with us.”
“Why would they do that?”
“The ongoing negotiations around the North American Free Trade Agreement are at a serious stage. Canada feels the U.S. is bullying them. We think this is their attempt to fight back.”
Even though Frank was no longer an American citizen, he had nothing but admiration for the United States’ military might. “Shit. Don’t they realize the only reason they’re safe is because they’re under the umbrella of U.S. military’s protection?”
How much dare I tell Frank? “It’s petty geopolitics. When the U.S. walked away from the Asian Free Trade talks, China stepped in to fill the void. Canada probably feels they can no longer trust us and are cozying up to China and other Pacific Rim countries.”
“Does that mean I can now leave?”
“Please don’t, not yet.”
“Then what do you expect me to do here?”
“I’ve been ordered to ask you if you can buy us some time.” Regina paused to let her statement sink in. “The Department of Defense is rushing to review all of its contracts and business dealings with SpaceLaser. We’re also trying to find other leverage we can use to squeeze the Canadian government.”
Frank felt he was about to waste his precious time and skills. “If you’re asking me to try to buy you some time, remember that I’m an investor, not a diplomat.”
“I’m not asking you to be anyone but yourself… Would you mind making an offer to buy SpaceLaser?”
“The whole thing? I don’t think so. There’s way too much risk involved.”
“Just tell the CEO that you’re thinking about it. Tell him you need to talk to the outside analyst and lawyer before you can make them a firm offer.”
“What analyst and lawyer?”
I’ve stepped in it now.
“They are someplace in the office. I have them in place pretending to be with their accounting firm doing due diligence for the CIA venture group. Once you talk to Brad Miller, he’ll have no choice but to advise his Board of Directors of your offer. That’ll buy us a few days to see if we can find another way to change the Canadian Government’s mind.”
Frank’s gut told him Regina wasn’t telling him the entire truth. “It’s time you gave me the real reason why you want me to do this. Why would the Chinese military want SpaceLaser’s technology?”
Regina didn’t want to answer.
I have to get him to stay a while longer. “So that they can easily target the satellites we heavily rely on with their critical sensor and communications capabilities. If the Chinese do target us, they’ll be able to cripple us. Our national security satellites are parked in geostationary earth orbit and are well within the reach of Beijing.”
Holy shit! “How do you do it, Regina?”
“Do what?”
“Deal with the stress of knowing all the crap that is going on in today’s world, you know, dealing with the stress of the world's deepest, darkest secrets.”
Regina appreciated Frank’s respect. “I have to admit it’s not easy. At the end of each day, I look at myself in the mirror and I hope that I can say that I made the right decisions, based on the information that I had. I do this job because I’m not doing it for myself but because it’s the best thing for this country and the American people.”
“Then I guess I can pretend to make an offer to buy SpaceLaser for you.”
“Good. I knew that deep inside you’re still a patriotic American. Now back onto the analyst and lawyer that work for us. You can’t miss them. They’re both blondes. Just sit down with the analyst and see if her figures make any sense to you. You never know, right.”
“As I just said, I’ll do my best to try to buy you some time.”
“Good, now please, finish your coffee then go make an offer to the CEO.”
Frank hung up from Regina.
I need to call Luca.
Frank pulled up Luca’s number and dialed him.
“Frank?”
“I need a favor, Luca. I need some leverage or advantage that I can use on a Brad Miller in Richmond BC. He’s the CEO of SpaceLaser and I want to make an offer to buy his company.”
“How soon do you need the information?”
“Hopefully within an hour.”
“It’s only ten minutes after seven Frank. I’m not even in the office yet, but I’ll call you back as soon as I find anything useful.”
“Thanks, Lu
ca.”
Frank clicked his phone off.
I wonder if Naomi could pull something out of her contacts and experience to help me if she was here.
He took another sip of his coffee then stared at his phone again.
He checked his email.
Nothing. Naomi must be tied up with Boris.
He texted Denver. Pick me up out front at 8:30 to take me back to Richmond.
18
Frank glanced through the open partition at the limo’s dashboard clock.
8:58.
“This might take a while. Why don’t you go find a coffee shop and I’ll text you when I need you.”
“Take your time, Mister Moretti. I’ll be nearby.”
Frank bounded up the steps and entered the office.
He was greeted by the security guard, then the receptionist.
“Why, Mister Moretti, you’re back.”
“I am and I need to see Brad Miller as soon as possible.”
“Please have a seat, Mister Moretti.”
Frank stood to one side then checked his phone to see if Luca had called and left a message. Nothing.
Three minutes later Frank was standing with Brad Miller in his office.
Brad seemed to be more relaxed. “I would have thought you’d have headed back home last night.”
Frank turned on his best sales smile. “The truth is that I was so impressed that I thought I would make a competing offer to purchase the company.”
Brad opened his mouth to speak but shut it instead.
Then he moved his feet and scratched his head. “I must say that I’m surprised. But how much are you offering?”
“What did the Chinese offer?”
“Sixty four million dollars.”
“Then I’m hoping that a sixty six million dollar offer will get your Board of Directors’ attention.”
Brad was poker faced. “If you can put that in writing by noon today I’ll try to present it. But, I can’t promise anything.”
Is This Goodbye?: A Frank Moretti Thriller Page 6
