Intentional Consequences

by Charles Harris

  Bernbach stood up, glaring at Dan. “You stupid asshole! Are you crazy? Why would you possibly think Tara would swap her life up here for some guy like you in Austin, Texas? You’re not Jeff Bezos. You can’t do this.”

  “Well, I’m doing it. I don’t have your money or your experience in business or politics. I may be out of my league, but I’m calling your bluff.”

  “You’re making a huge mistake. You don’t want to burn these bridges.”

  “Maybe not, but neither do you.”

  Dan walked out of Bernbach’s office and grabbed his briefcase and suitcase in the lobby closet. His car to the airport was waiting outside. As the car pulled out of the parking area, Dan pressed the stop button on the iReg app on his Apple watch, ending the recording he had made of his conversation with Bernbach. Just in case, he sent a copy of the audio file to his personal email address.

  ◆◆◆

  Bernbach sent a text to Susan Ward that read: “Did CnEyeco create the photo editing SW UR testing? Cld it be from Daneva Tech?”

  She replied: “Don’t know. Will check. Can you ask Chen?”

  ◆◆◆

  After going through security at the airport, Dan sat in the first waiting area he passed and called Andy. “Are you someplace where you can make notes? Good. Don’t ask me how I know what I’m about to tell you, just write it down. I’ll be home late tonight. We can talk more tomorrow. First, I’ve talked with David Bernbach. Your suspicions are correct. PaprW8 is part of his China connection. He’s working with Susan Ward, the COO there. He knows a lot about the Saturday incident at the Ball’s house. Not sure how. He’s worried you’ll tell the FBI you’re targeting him. He’s aware of Rakesh’s project to reunite America and wants to kill it. He’s also after some new technology we have at JPAC for Rakesh’s project.” He paused, watching a man across the waiting area who was looking at him intently. “I’ll call you back in a few minutes.”

  Dan walked down the concourse. The man followed. Dan went into the men’s room. The man was waiting across the concourse hallway when he came out. He called Andy back. “I’m at JFK. I have a 7:30 flight and get in around 11:00. I think I’m being followed by one of Bernbach’s men. Anyway, I have two suggestions. Think seriously about bringing the FBI into whatever you’re doing. Also, be alert. Don’t get yourself or anybody else hurt, especially Eva. Call me if you need to. I’ll try to reach Eva before I board.”

  While eating penne pasta with chicken in the airport terminal food hall, Dan opened the iReg app on his Apple Watch and played a few seconds of the recording he had made in Bernbach’s office. Both sides of the conversation were audible. As he pressed the stop button, he noticed his tail continuing to watch him from across the hall.

  Chapter 47

  While Dan was in Westport on Tuesday, Eva came up with the idea of creating a flood of targeted posts and tweets that would raise questions about Bernbach. She called Andy. “We need to turn this social media game around on him. If Bernbach gets rattled, he may do something stupid. But our real goal should be the Chinese. We need to make them worry he could drag them into a high-profile controversy about Chinese involvement in the 2020 elections. If we can do that, they’ll drop him like a rock. If they lose enough confidence in him, they may do something foolish to cover their tracks.”

  Andy loved the idea.

  Working together, Eva and Andy mapped out the details. Eva recommended using altered photos of Bernbach with President Trump as part of the strategy. Andy suggested posting rumors about Bernbach being under investigation by the FBI for mail fraud and political conspiracy. The game was dangerous and probably ran afoul of some laws, but they were both convinced it was worth the risk. Their main concern was gaining enough targeted online exposure that Bernbach and his Chinese partners would see it. They were counting on Dan’s help with that, once he was back on Wednesday. By late Tuesday afternoon, Eva’s team had used VADS to create the fake photos, and she and Andy had crafted the messaging for various social media applications.

  Given his experience with Bernbach in Westport, Dan was more than willing to help. By noon on Wednesday, he had set up the bots and untraceable accounts necessary to spread the photos and the messaging. When Andy asked about the risks, Dan said, “Don’t worry about the legalities. We know how to do this.”

  They specifically targeted Bernbach, PaprW8, Susan Ward, Jason Chen and a variety of other people and companies Andy had discovered in his research. Professor T.Y. Lee at UC-Berkeley was among them. With Dan’s expertise, technology and PII access, the stories started trending by early afternoon: “David Bernbach spends time with Donald Trump.” “Is Bernbach changing sides?” “Bernbach being investigated for election deals.” “Bernbach linked to Chinese election meddling?” Several of the posts included references to Valerie William’s earlier Sentinel Observer blogpost warning about potential Chinese election interference. Others suggested possible investigations by the FBI as well as the media.

  ◆◆◆

  Later that afternoon, Professor Lee called Leonard Mayer to ask whether he had seen the posts. He had not. “This is exactly what I warned you about,” Lee said. “My associates are going to be very unhappy. I’m not sure I can keep them in the game.”

  Franks saw the trending stories before Billings or Bernbach. He sent texts to both. Bernbach was livid. He was on a call with Billings and Franks minutes later. “Where did this crap come from?” he asked. “How does shit like this get all over the internet? What are we going to do about it?”

  Billings had no idea. Franks knew they had a problem. He said, “Sir, this is what we do to other people. There are no good answers. We can craft some denials, but they won’t get much attention in this torrent. We can chase the social media companies and demand they remove the content, but it’s a slow process and there are no guarantees they’ll take it down.”

  “Well, get it done!” Bernbach yelled. “Do something!”

  He hung up and called Susan Ward, who offered little encouragement other than saying she’d have her fake news team look at it. After conferring with them, her question to Bernbach was simple. “Who’d you piss off? This is a very sophisticated campaign.”

  Bernbach said, “My Chinese associates are upset about this. I’m trying to manage their concerns.”

  “You have to get some denials out. Create some counterflow. But no interviews. Can your PR team or your man Franks help with this?”

  “I’ll see. But what do I do about the Chinese?”

  Ward said, “I can get some input tomorrow. My old Stanford classmate who works for the Chinese Ministry for State Security is in town this week. You remember, Zhang Xiu Ying. We’re having dinner tomorrow night. I’ll let you know something Thursday."

  A few minutes later, Mayer called Bernbach to tell him Lee had called. “He’s going ballistic,” Mayer said. “Says he’s not sure he can keep his associates in the game. You need to call him.”

  “I’ll call him, said Bernbach. “Let’s just hope your damn reporter stays out of this.”

  “Let’s hope he’s not already in it,” Mayer said.

  Bernbach placed a call to T.Y. Lee. Lee did not call him back.

  ◆◆◆

  As the news spread across the web, Andy joined Eva and Dan for pizza, salad and wine at their house. They were elated, giggling and laughing as they read some of the posts, tweets and comments.

  Andy said, “I’ve never seen anything spread this fast, Dan! This is amazing! Now I understand why you have the business you have.”

  Dan beamed.

  Chapter 48

  Zhang Xiu Ying’s non-stop Air China flight from Beijing landed at San Francisco International Airport shortly after noon on Wednesday. After clearing customs and immigration, she reclaimed her bags and met her driver, who delivered her to the Chinese Consulate.

  After initial meetings at the Consulate, Zhang and a colleague drove across the Oakland Bay Bridge to the University of California-Berkeley, where they
met for an hour with Professor Lee Tung-Yen. After returning to San Francisco, Zhang checked into her hotel, showered and took a nap.

  At 6:00 p.m., Zhang left her phone in her hotel room and jumped into a car that took her south to Susan Ward’s home in Menlo Park. Ward was waiting for Zhang in the circular drive. The driver put a small valise on the front porch and departed. The two women embraced, then walked into the house.

  Ward said, “It’s wonderful to see you. Thank you for coming all the way down here. I know you have a very busy schedule this trip. If you’re ready, we can go to the restaurant in my car.”

  “Thank you for sending a driver for me. This is very special. Your home is beautiful, even more beautiful than I imagined. Yes, I am ready. Let’s go eat.”

  They had a casual dinner in Palo Alto at a small Italian restaurant they’d enjoyed when they were both students at Stanford. Ward was wearing a red knee-length button-front shirtwaist dress. Zhang had on a close-fitting silk print sheath far too short for business in China. At the dimly lit restaurant, they reveled in the smells of freshly roasted garlic and baking bread as they laughed their way through college memories, spaghetti dinners and lots of Sangiovese wine.

  After getting back to Ward’s house, they shared hot green tea on her brick terrace and listened to music from their years at Stanford. Moonlight trickled through the trees. Pool and landscape lights illuminated the curving beds of tulips, poppies and hydrangeas.

  Ward said, “I’m so glad you could break away to do this. It’s been a long time.”

  “It has been. Do you remember the fun we had together at Stanford?”

  “I do. I often wonder how things might have played out differently.”

  “Me too.”

  They sat silently for some time.

  Zhang stood up and walked over to a fountain spraying glistening strands of water into a Koi pond. She watched the Koi. Turning to look at Ward, she unzipped the back of her dress and let it drop to the ground. Beautifully naked, she stepped out of the dress and her pumps, her pale skin illuminated by the moonlight. She said, “Do you still remember me like this?”

  Ward smiled and stood up. “Yes. You are even more sensual than you were at Stanford,” she said. Ward walked across the terrace to her. Zhang slowly unbuttoned Ward’s dress and untied the sash, then slipped the dress off her shoulders. Ward was wearing a black lace demi-bra and matching bikini briefs. Zhang stepped back and looked at her. Ward unhooked her bra and it fell away. Without another word, they embraced, kissing fervently again and again, their hands and fingers searching, finding, touching, feeling.

  On the verge of an orgasm, Zhang pulled away. She said, “This is so good. With my job, we could not do this easily in China. Times are changing in so many ways, but we are still far behind you in being able to freely express our sexual identity. There are no laws against being LGBT, but no laws protect against discrimination either, and gay marriage remains a dream.”

  “I understand. I would think that’s especially true for people in your role.”

  “It is. I miss the freedom we had at Stanford. I miss you.”

  “I haven’t done this with a woman since you left Stanford. I went back to men. I’ve enjoyed the penetration and the physicality. I’ve enjoyed riding the bull. But what I’ve enjoyed most is the feeling of power it gives me over men’s satisfaction. I never felt that with you. With you, it was never about control or domination. It was about sensuality and emotion.”

  “Because of Chinese cultural values and what I do, I have had to learn to like sex with men. Sometimes I like it. But my first choice is women, physically and emotionally. Given the danger of lesbian relationships to my position, I have tried to convince myself I am bi-sexual. Yet if real sexual freedom ever comes to China, I will gladly be just with women.”

  Ward walked around Zhang, kissing her neck as she cupped her breasts and hugged her from behind. Ward slid her hands down Zhang’s body, until she found the spot she was searching for. Zhang moaned softly until her reflexes took control. She shuddered as she cried out. After a moment, Ward said, “Welcome to America. It’s getting chilly out here. Let’s go inside. You haven’t seen my bedroom yet, and we’ve hardly gotten started.”

  They grabbed their clothes and went in. Two hours later, they finally fell asleep.

  ◆◆◆

  The following morning, Ward’s iPhone woke them up at 4:30 a.m. After lingering in the shower together, they had breakfast and dressed for work. Pulling clothes out of her valise, Zhang put on her dark blue Chinese business suit with a fully buttoned white shirt, both over suitable underwear. Ward teased Zhang with some sexy lingerie, then pulled on tight blue jeans and a white tee shirt with a rainbow on the front.

  Ward drove Zhang into the city. On the way, they talked about David Bernbach.

  Zhang said, “What Bernbach is trying to do is very daring. Do you think we should trust him?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Do you trust him?”

  “Most of the time. David compartmentalizes what he works on, especially on the political side. It’s like the military need to know.”

  “Or the terrorist cell structure.”

  “True. If one cell is caught, only the information they know is compromised. He does think like that.”

  “Do you think he’s told you everything about his political goals?”

  Ward held back. “No, I’m sure he hasn’t. If he needs me or my company for something, I learn more.”

  “But you still think we should trust him.”

  “Yes. David is a businessperson, a very good one. He does deals. He has a reputation as a tough negotiator, but an honest one. His negotiating style is more transparent than most people think. If he says he’s going to break your arm, he’s going to do it.”

  “Are you aware a Boston reporter is working on a potential expose of Bernbach?”

  “Yes. His name is Andy Baker. He works for the Sentinel Observer group in Boston.”

  “Have you seen all the posts about Bernbach that surfaced on the web yesterday? They’re still trending today. My colleagues are very upset. They don’t know who is behind it, but they think it was well planned and executed.”

  “I’ve seen some of the traffic. We’re looking at removing some of the posts as fake news.”

  “It doesn’t matter whether the posts are true or fake. China can’t be linked to allegations about interfering in American elections. We can’t take the risk, especially now, with Trump and the trade issues. Look what Trump’s doing to Huawei.”

  “Don’t you think this will die down after the usual denials?”

  “Maybe or maybe not. Denials work for Putin. He’s a master at it. We have other issues to consider.”

  “What do you think is going to happen?”

  “If Bernbach doesn’t get control of that reporter and the web traffic, we’ll need to cut him off, and we’ll need to do it soon.”

  “Meaning?”

  “We’ll pull out of everything we’re doing with him.

  “So, would my company would lose the CnEyeco software and data access, and the image editing software we’re testing? That would be bad for us.”

  “Probably.”

  “Why punish us? You know the respect I have for China.”

  “Collateral damage happens. No offense, but you and PaprW8 could be in the line of fire. I am having conversations about preserving a relationship with you. We need the foothold and friendship you offer. However, the puzzle has many pieces. Bernbach promised us things he hasn’t delivered. He also knows things we wouldn’t want him to talk about if your government goes after him. He’s a risk for us even if we cut him off and pull out.”

  “None of that sounds good.”

  Zhang asked, “It’s not good, especially for Bernbach. Tell me, have you had sex with him?”

  “What? Me? No, I haven’t. Why would you ask?”

  “Call it need to know. We are using your judgment as part of our a
ssessment of him. We need to know if your objectivity is being affected by a personal relationship.”

  “OK. No, it’s not. He and I share similar views about sex and business. Whether or not it messes up your personal life, sex with a business associate or adversary can make you lose your objectivity and keep you from focusing on your business goals.”

  “Could you have sex with him if you thought it would be useful?”

  “Probably, but I don’t see it being useful. I’ve never traded sex for a job or a promotion and I wouldn’t do that with David. Why are you pushing me on this?”

  “You should be concerned about risk too. If some negative story about him sweeps you in, you may need some insurance for you and your company. I fly back on Friday. Stay close. I’ll be in touch.”

  Ward dropped Zhang off two blocks from her hotel and drove to work in Menlo Park. Although Ward had some important internal meetings, her mind wandered, re-living her evening with Zhang and wondering whether Zhang was serious about sex with Bernbach.

  ◆◆◆

  Ward finally called Bernbach around noon Pacific time. “You were right,” she said. The Chinese are upset about the reporter and the news and rumors about you on the web. My guess is they’re trying to decide whether to pull out and what that means to you and PaprW8 if they do.”

  She didn’t know whether to offer reassurance or be sure he understood how bad things might be. She decided on the latter. “It’s not a good situation, David. Whatever you can do, you need to do it quickly. I’ll free up after dinner. Call if you want. And be cautious. This is serious. You’re not playing with your investments. You’re dealing with the Chinese government. They may not think cutting you off is enough to make this problem go away.”

  Bernbach said, “What the hell do I do about this?”

  Ward said, “I don’t know. Talk with Professor Lee. Find some way to show you have control over what’s happening. I’ve directed our fake news team to start deleting some of the problem content. Maybe that will help.”