by E L Russell
She pulled her eyes from Robert and studied Granger’s face, looking for answers. Meret digested what he’d said. Lord, make it true. Granger was strong. He could do it. He could beat Katya. “What is it you sense when you examined him, Robert?”
Robert shrugged. “It’s hard to say, but he’s in there, Meret. I believe . . . I hope . . . I feel . . . his mind. He is trying to establish a work-around of sorts.”
“This business of just waiting around is for shit,” Steve said. He stood and looked closer at his on-time partners face. “Isn’t there anything we can do?”
“I hear your frustration, believe me,” Robert said. “We can talk to him so he knows we have his back, that he is not fighting alone.” He returned Steve’s suspicious look. “Sorry. It’s all I’ve got and no body else has anything more.”
Steve sat on the edge of his seat and ran both hands through his short hair. “God. We have got to get through this and come out okay on the other side.”
“Let’s work with it, Steve,” Meret said, “Plan to have all of our meetings here, so he can hear everything. “We can start now, Nancy, Will you review where we are with Katya, what we know and what we can expect?”
Nancy, who had said nothing to this point, quickly organized her thoughts. “Our attempt to convince Katya that she has little control of her life is well underway. However, while our efforts to diminish her sense of herself are progressing, the path toward cooperation is slow. I am cautiously, and I do mean cautiously, optimistic we are approaching a behavioral threshold. When she accepts her fate as a life-long prisoner, I think she will begin to help us with what we need to know. When she crosses that threshold, her changes should be rapid and we will need to quickly respond with reward and reinforcement.” She stopped talking and looked at Granger.
They all looked to see if there had been any change in his face that indicated he’d understood, or at least heard, what they’d said.
Meret’s heart sank. There was no change in his face or in his vitals and she returned her attention to Nancy. “Tell us about your session with Jack Strake. What did you get from him? Did he spill anything?”
“He—”
One of Granger’s monitors dinged and everyone’ focus turned back to him.
Robert waved his hand. “Sorry, that happens from time to time.”
Meret hardly heard what Nancy said. Worrying about Granger, the pending attack on the Homeland, Katya and an all-to fast countdown clock made it all seem hopeless; so very much was riding on their success.
* * *
“Using tiny SuperFly bots, Steve’s agents to visually monitored enough congressional offices to now know that several congressmen have already had their DNA genetically tagged for assassination by Strake’s crew. They did it using Katya’s protein.”
“How do we know that?” Nancy asked.
“The video recordings of the SuperFlys show the ‘housekeeping staff’ dosing the coffee and food of the congressmen with a sugar-like powder.”
Check it out “Wait a second,” Nancy said. “I need some clarity. This ‘sugar-like powder’ tags a person’s DNA so it is susceptible Katya’s poison virus. Is that what you are saying. And Jack Strake is supposed to deliver this virus at the given time? But we have him, so he can’t do it.”
“We are working on the assumption that Jack Strake has a crew that will deliver the poison with or without Jack. Wouldn’t you agree, Meret?”
“Absolutely. Katya would leave nothing to chance. “Using larger BeetleBots, we gathered enough DNA samples from the targeted congressmen we caught on video. Those samples are undergoing tests by several of my biochemical research teams back in Houston. They are working on an antidote. ” However, although we’re happy to get the evidence we have, we still have problems.”
“Yeah, like we don’t have a list of everyone Katya intends to eliminate and we don’t have the date or location. We’ve got to learn more, Nancy. You have to get through to Katya.” Steve sat back in the chair and linked his fingers together behind his head and exhaled one of his the-world-will-end-sighs. "Meret, tell everyone what we learned about the nature of the tag."
“Right. I called. Zhen. We brainstormed and think we can make an antidote based the DNA we’ve collected from those we saw on the bot’s video that had been tagged and use the technology in CRISPR-Cas9 to make a genetic antidote.” And—”
“And then we use the bots to release an aerosol of the protein antidote throughout the White House. And then we do it again in case we have missed or added victims to the list.”
Nancy said, “What happens to people who get the antidote but are not tagged for assassination?”
“Nothing. The Cas-9 tag we give them is simply integrated into their DNA to wait forever for Katy’s poison. Simply put,” Meret said, “they’ll have life-long immunity. We do not need to know who has been tagged or bloodlines, like in Socotra. “That’s great,” Nancy said. “Once we have this Genecaust covered, we’ll know nothing about the next one.”
Meret leaned toward the bed and brushed the hair off Granger’s forehead before responding. “All the more reason to instal routine DNA checks. While our solution looks clear, it hadn’t been easy. Nor is it is not a sure thing.”
Between interruptions, distractions and the pressure of time, it had seemed impossible. Thank god for Poppy and Zhen. With her instructions and guidance, sometimes when she was there and sometimes when she was not, they had come through.
“Yes, we can thwart Katya’s Smart Killer Virus but we have got to get the date and location.” Her phone vibrated. Steve’s vibrated at the same time and the face of the security man and Director Davies at the front entrance.
"Security has a young woman at our front door who claims to be Debby Yasser. I need the two of you to identify and read her in as fast as possible.”
74
Debby Shares
November, D.C. Black Site - more knowledge
Meret hit the elevator button several times before swearing. The guy monitoring this area of the complex had no control over the speed the thing and she knew Debby could be skittish at times and was concerned she’d split if spooked. The door opened with a ding and she hit the lobby button before Steve was fully through the door.
He caught the door and asked, "How confidant are we with of Debby's offer to help us bring in Henri Baudin?"
"High to extremely high.” Finally, they were in motion. Meret watched the lights change on the control panel. “She blames PSI Corps for her father's death and she blames Katya for coercing Henri to hack for her and to be her IT guy.” She stopped the elevator and turned to him. "Listen, she’s in a panic rush, remember? Debby and Henri are both convinced Katya mind-fucked him, and they're scared. They don’t know what he’s been programed to do or what word she planted in him will set off his action. Because it involves Katya they are convinced it is something terrible. Something really terrible.” She sighed like she’d never inhale again and Steve placed a concerned hand on her shoulder.
“Thanks, Steve. Just don’t treat Debby like a hostile witness. She considers Granger a father figure of sorts. When she sees him in restraints and learns he tried to kill me, she’ll freak out and god knows who she’ll trust. We have to be careful with her.”
“Maybe Hawk will benefit from her presence. Carrying on with Robert’s theory, let’s debrief her in his room so he hears, too. I’ll go back to his room and see you there. You can go meet Debby and tell her what’s going on. The one-on-one should be less threatening and when I’m done, I’ll go back to Hawk’s room and meet you there."
Meret entered the small holding room adjacent to the main entrance and greeted Debby with a prolonged hug. "I worried PSI Corps found you and I wouldn’t see you again. Is Henri safe?” She stepped back and held Debby's upper arms, looking at her closely. "Are you okay? You took a big chance getting here.”
Debby acknowledged her words with a quick nod. “Where’s Granger? Why isn’t he here?”
Meret
pulled her close and whispered in her ear. "He’s alive and safe in this building. We’ll go to his room now, but I want to prepare you before you see him.” They walked toward the elevator. “We’ve put both of them in separate rooms in the prison hospital so he can view Katya in private and at a distance.”
“Katya’s here?” Debby jerked backward. “You put Granger near that bitch?” She turned to run.
Meret reached out for her. "No, no. Definitely not. Debby, I explained it poorly. Let me start again.”
“The girl slowed her escape, but when she turned, she cast her eyes in all directions searching for Katya.
Meret continued, “Katya’s totally locked down and under our control. She has no power over anyone or anything. She is no danger to anyone.”
Meret was pleased to see that Debby breathed normally again. “Granger is in a deep sleep from the drugs Katya used on him and we’re waiting for him to wake up. When he does, wake that is, he can, if, and only if he wants, view her through a one-way mirror while we question her. Come, I’ll take you to him,” she coaxed.
After a silent ride down to the hospital floor, Meret and Debby stepped from the elevator to be met by Steve. “You two go visit with Granger, while I meet Nancy for a check on you-know-who’s status.”
Meret nodded, grateful for the private time. "You’re aware,” she said, turning again to Debby, “that inside the CIA, conversations are monitored and recorded.”
"Oh.”
Meret watched her young friend’s brain go into overdrive and hoped all forth-coming information had not been just shut down. Small as that information might be, Debby could well be a vital part of the puzzle they needed to crush the upcoming Genecaust.
Debby said, “I’ve nothing to hide,”
With a sigh of relief, Meret said, “And I’ll be totally honest with you. Henri had good reason to avoid contact with Katya. She programed Granger to kill me. During our takedown of her at the airport, he attacked me.”
Debby recoiled. "No, that can’t be. You’re wrong. He wouldn’t do that.”
“Of course not. Not in his right mind, he wouldn’t, but he is not in that mind.” She held Debby's shoulders to make sure the girl was paying attention. “What Katya did to him is treatable. We’ve seen small changes already in his behavior, but he is still bound to the bed. I don’t want you surprised to see that. Your presence can help. He worried about you and wanted you safe. Maybe together we can learn something from Granger that will help Henri.”
"Henri will never come in, you know that, right? But he mentioned something I think he wanted me to share with you.”
“That’s good. Anything helps. What did he say?”
“He didn’t tell me anything about how this happened, but he is in close proximity to Piero, who is getting care from an underground medical team. That’s all I know. Will that help Henri should he ever negotiate with the CIA?”
She took Debby’s hands. “I know it will. This will help me persuade the CIA that Henri can do more for them without having to come in. I promise. You’ll understand more in the next few hours. Come on. I’ll take you to Granger.”
They waited at the entrance of the interrogation center turned psychiatric center for the metallic click of the latch. Meret pushed the door open and entered first and checked the window’s view to Katya was turned off both ways, thanks to Steve.
Debby tugged on her sleeve. "He’s looking at me. And he’s smiling.”
Without turning around to see him, Meret deliberately stepped out of his field of vision and left Debby as the sole person in his view. Standing behind his bed she flashed a thumb’s up to Debby and put a finger to her lips to tell Debby not to tell Granger she was in the room, then opened and closed her thumb and four fingers to mimic talking.
Debby took the hint. They spoke softly together for maybe five minutes before Granger dozed off. When Debby didn’t move, Meret realized she was quietly crying.
“You did great, Debby. Come on. Let’s go into another room so he can rest. That’s the most focused I’ve seen him since Katya shot him at the airport. “Feeling better now that you’ve seen him?” She took Debby into an empty adjacent holding cell with a view to Granger’s room so they could watch him until Robert returned.
"It was good for me to see him alive.”
Meret’s brow furrowed. "But?” She raised an open palm and waited for Debby to tell her about her hidden concern.
"You think if Granger had seen your face his reaction would’ve been different?”
"I’m afraid so.”
"So he’s not well?”
"Not yet, but he’s better. I want to show you something.” She turned and walked toward the room’s other window.
Debby joined her. "What are you going to show me?”
"A large part of Granger’s recovery relies on our ability to undo the conditioning Katya created. We have to find the keywords and touches Katya used to condition him to her will and influence. You and I have a strong partner in this. Dr. Nancy Buchanan. She is a world-class psychiatrist who has had experience in this sort of conditioning.
The girl’s eyes were huge. "World-class? The best? He needs that? Yes, Good. Okay, Great.”
“You will understand Dr. Buchanan’s role the minute you see her. Brace yourself.”
As though on queue, Nancy entered into the room they viewed dressed as Katya, the brazen interrogator for PSI Corps.
Debby's jaw dropped. "Holy bloody shit.”
75
Dynamic Tactics
October, D.C. Black Site - Jack Remembered
Nancy joined Meret and Debby in the viewing room. Seeing her, Debby backed up several steps.
“It’s alarming, isn’t? She started me at first, but we have a plan.” After introductions, and after Debby relaxed, Meret continued. "It’s obvious to me that my presence is a trigger for Granger’s agitation and rage while Debby, you are a welcome person in his life. I propose that we will work you into our plan as a member of Granger’s recovery team.”
“Sounds smart,” Nancy said, smiling reassurance to the girl. “I think that would be very helpful. Meanwhile, It’s time for me to push Katya’s buttons until she gives up details of the conditioning technique she used on Granger.”
Meret reached for Debby's hand. "Because we have Katya and she can’t get to Henri now, do you think you could get Henri to set up a secure channel of communication between him and me?"
Debby squirmed in her chair. "I’m not sure he’d like that. What all do you need from him?”
"For openers, we need to know everything he can remember about how Katya conditions her victims. Hopefully, that will help us set Granger free of her influence. We need to know how to break the hold she has over him. And think, once we know how to do that, we can help Henri erase the grip she may have on him. Do you think that might convince him?”
Her facial expression said ‘no’ but she mumbles a different response. Debby “Yeah. Maybe.”
Meret pushed harder. “You have to make him understand. By helping Granger, he helps himself. Can you do that Debby? Can you make him see the logic in it?”
She’d brought her hands to her lips and turned as pale as the paper on Nancy’s clipboard. “I know it sounds good, but he’s terrified of Katya. I never even met her and she scares the shit out of me.”
“With good reason,” Nancy said, weighing in. We don’t want her to continue to have control over Granger, Henri, or anyone else. She is an unscrupulous, immoral, dangerous bitch and we need to know who is paying for her horrific actions. Henri can help us out. We need to shut them down. Henri knows about the eight oligarchs and how to break through their level of secure communication.”
Debby’s head snapped toward Nancy. “You just want him to hack into their system.”
“Wouldn’t you? The oligarchs are billionaires with lots of time to find and pay anyone top money if they can help them.”
“He hasn’t even told me anything about that. Why
would he tell you?”
“Debby,” Meret said, taking her hand, “You understand what he did, setting up the communications network for Katya with Russians to attempt an assassination of our leadership is a federal offense? He is snarled up in all sorts of treasonable actions. If he cooperates with the CIA, there can be considerable immunity for him. Katya is willing to kill people for money and power and the oligarchs are willing to spend huge amounts of money to find people like her. It isn’t enough just to stop Katya, no one’s safe until we take out the oligarchs.”
Debby looked at Meret and then at Nancy. "I see what you are saying. I’ll try to get him to understand."
Meret squeezed Debby's hand. "Thank you." She got out her cell phone.
"Steve, Debby has agreed to help us establish communication with Henri Baudin through their TOR account. Would you send an agent down here with one of our secure company phones along with a secure laptop for Debby?”
“With pleasure. Thank god she’ll work with us. You’ll see to it she has full cell communication with our team?”
"Yes,” she said, smiling at Debby. “Zhen will hook her up as soon as I call him. She'll also need a bed, some chairs, a table and a private portable refrigerator. She can tell the workers what to put in the fridge." For Debby’s benefit, she said, "No, I will not put any pressure on Henri to come in. We're still at the talking stage. Sorry you missed Debby's reunion with Granger. He’s still resting peacefully and Dr. Buchanan feels good about what Debby's presence can do for his recovery.”
Confused by sudden background noise, Meret asked, “Steve can you hear me?”
“Hold on . . .”
The sound of a slamming door and angry men’s voices including Steve, who hadn’t covered his phone’s mike. “I don’t care what you have to do, shut the son-of-a-bitch-up.”