Systematic Attrition

by Waggoner, Robert C.

  “I think,” she said, “they are strong church goers, yuppie type, liberal of course, married with kids, live in a modest, but nice homes, wife stay home raising the kids, reunions are important such as Christmas with family, and of course, they think they are the true Americans found in communities that are safe and where all know their neighbors.” She turned to look at him and he looks at her. The wind was starting to freshen and clouds were rolling in. Soon it would rain and a new storm would pound the Oregon coast.

  “Wendy, I know you think what you just told me anyone’s evaluation, but as I’ve often said, the simplest is the most obvious. If you take a piece at a time, say for instance, church, then follow that until you exhaust all possibilities; then move on to the next one. Like a captain of a ship in a storm, point the bow straight on and plow ahead. Write up what you have and send it off to Nancy and let her agents follow the paths”

  They were approaching Fish Rock and the tide was just turning to come in when they decided to follow the ledge around up to the top of the rock. Rocky had run ahead and was on top when they got there. Both stared to the east as a slight change of color announcing a new day coming. Suddenly without warning Wendy began to cry. Brad was not used to emotional females and knew when the pressure and stress was on they needed to vent it. He vented his by running or climbing dangerous rocks and now Wendy turned her back and mostly silent tears ran down her lovely face. Brad put his arm around her and said, “Let’s go home and have some hot tea, sit by the wood stove and all of us can discuss what we should do with this challenge.”

  * * *

  In her loft, Eve Braun sat at her computer and with a smug face, thought about outsmarting Billy Ricker. At twenty five she was the youngest of the hacker group who shared vital and secret information only shared with themselves or with Billy’s boss. She’d met Billy one time when he was in New York and they’d met for dinner in a funky restaurant that seemed to cater to what America called nerds and geeks. Taking stock of her, she saw a mousy person with long fire red hair and more freckles than anyone she had ever seen. A perky nose above thin lips with no chin sat on a fragile frame that appeared too weak to function properly. That was the image the black suited assassin saw as he looked through her window at her sitting at a computer. Silently he climbed onto the roof and through the skylight he unlatched the window with his knife and dropped the seven feet or so soundlessly onto the hardwood floor. Eve never heard any sounds except music through her headphones while she answered some e-mail.

  She thought about how fat her bank account was and couldn’t wait for her next assignment from the mysterious man who never showed his face to her. They’d met, after telling her he was a friend of Billy’s at a plain restaurant. He sat with his back to her reading a paper when she came in and sat where he told her to. From what he said he wanted was to have her play a sort of trick on Billy and for that he would give her a fat envelope full of cash. At first she was suspicious, but soon warmed to the news of big money and more money after that. Now as she sat at the computer, her life was about to end as the assassin moved up behind her and broke her neck in one move. He left her in the chair with the headphones on and left the way he came: silently and unseen.

  * * *

  Back on the Oregon coast the team sat around the floor table having an early morning breakfast including little Brian. Small talk was going around as Billy told them about a friend of his that he was sure Eve Braun in DC was the leak in the pipe. He went on to tell them that she was always trying to outdo him and make her mark within their private group of computer hackers. Also he had had a brief affair and that Eve was just too weird for even him. She lived with a girlfriend who worked nights at a data processing company and that he hadn’t heard from her in the last few hours. It is strange he told them that no mail or contact was in his mailbox or instant messenger.

  Brad was listening carefully and he said, “Billy I think maybe you need to call Nancy and give her your friends address and have her check her apartment. I fear she might have been seen as a weak link in the plans of the PAE group. From now on, if indeed something happened to her and she has met with foul play, we can expect a new twist in their plans of clue giving.” Billy jumped up and went outside to have a smoke and call Nancy Longstreet in DC’s FBI office. He looked at his watch and saw it was around noon back east. After sucking down two cigarettes and making contact with Nancy’s office leaving her Eve’s address, he felt the first drops of rain begin signaling a gloomy day coming walking back in the house as Sujin made a change from Rocky inside to Sandy.

  He too had the feeling something happened as he kept his head down walking downstairs to the computer room where he felt the most comfortable. He saw Brad and Wendy sitting around the glass table conferring on something. From upstairs he heard the faint noise of the baby crying and Sujin’s voice talking Korean to Brian as he sat down to the giant monitor found only in special places within the government. For the next hour he and his friends had been searching for acronyms that might reveal who this PAE group was. Billy didn’t hear the door open as Brad came in with a long look on his face. Billy looked at him knowing the bad news was coming from DC telling them Eve was dead. After hearing the news Billy mailed his friends about Eve and to be damn careful who they talk to in the future. Billy sat back and nothing hit him harder since he became part of this team than a friend, even though she betrayed him, met a violent death. He signed off and went upstairs and for a rare walk on the beach. Brad realized he needed some time alone and went upstairs to tell Rocky to go with Billy. Sandy went back outside for guard duty and Brad told Sujin the news about Billy’s friend met a violent death. He told her it appeared her neck was broken and Sujin nodded and went downstairs to the bedroom to put the little guy to bed.

  Mike, Agent Jones with Steve made a plan to snoop around. Agent Jones moved around with lobbyists and Mike made his way to Greenwich Village in New York to see what he could come up with from some left wingers.

  Steve met with his boss and after he left his office, felt beat up. Unfortunately in politics the first thing a politician does looks for a fall guy or agency to lay the blame on. Already he felt the transfer of responsibility to Brad and his team from the FBI to his agency in case something went drastically wrong. His boss didn’t need to tell him, but he did, that once the news broke a Ninja character was systematically killing off high ranking politicians, for all intense and purposes, the government would shut down for the most part. As Steve drove home to his house he thought what the current administration might do if the Undersecretary met with foul play. The media would have a field day putting the fear of god in every bureaucrat in Washington. Martial art lovers would cry foul stating their art was defensive and not to be used for random killing. God what a mess he thought as he hit the Beltway and on to his Georgetown home. His phone rang and it was Brad who told him about the leak regarding the computers and murder of Billy’s friend. He told him Nancy was personally overseeing the case and for him to call her for details; but he was sure the assassin was responsible for the broken neck. Steve put down the phone as a light snow begins to fall signaling a cold night coming.

  Underground

  Chapter 5

  Simultaneously two major storms hit both the west and east coasts. Gale force winds slammed onto the west coast bring heavy rain and on the east coast snow fell at the rate of four inches an hour. Both storms brought the citizens to a halt while the power went out from both storms. At the Round House, the backup generator kicked in when the public power system failed, but back east thousands huddled around whatever heat they could find.

  Billy, Wendy, Sujin and Brad sat around the table with her Chinese Master who had flown in the previous night. Now as the wind lashed the windows and the wind howled outside, the occupants sat drinking herb tea while the formal rituals of greeting occurred. He spoke only Mandarin, but both Brad and Sujin understood and spoke the language. Alas, Wendy and Billy had to rely on Brad to interpret what w
as said. Both of them were shocked when last night Brad and Sujin left for the North Bend airport to pick the old Chinese Master up. When they came home, later Billy said, after looking this guy over, looked like he wrote the book on old timers as he came through the door dressed in a two piece matching cotton pants and shirt with Chinese scrolls of writing all over the shirt, made him look like a carnival character. Long thick gray hair in a ponytail hung down his back. A scraggly white beard hid his small mouth, but the most striking thing about him was his eyes. Coal black eyes that looked bigger than usual stared at you and at once you had the feeling he reached inside of you and saw the darkest secret of secrets you possessed. He was about the same height as Sujin, but his arms seemed longer. In one hand he held a valise reminiscent of years gone by like a passenger on a train in the late eighteen hundreds might carry on a trip. Billy wondered what might be in it and he was to never know the contents. The old man’s looks never changed and until the day he left, he always looked the same dressed like he arrived; left looking the same way. The old Master slipped off his slippers and scurried to the floor table where he spied a pot of tea. Without waiting, with the steadiest of hands, poured the cup full and slurped its goodness. Two loud sips later he sat back straight as a board and released a sigh of pleasure looking into Sujin’s eyes. Sujin immediately lowered her eyes in shyness, but the Master said something to her and she looked up slowly at him. Wendy noticed he never said a word, but just looked at her for a full five minutes before he turned to Brad and said something. Brad translated for the others saying, “He asked to see the baby boy.” What he didn’t say is he wants to see if it is worthy of his parents. Sujin’s sister hurriedly brought little Brian and placed him on the table in front of the Master. The baby had just woken up and was starting to think about a little snack as the Master with his hands in his sleeves peered down at the boy child. His little eyes were closed and then both Wendy and Billy noticed the little guy’s eyes pop open and looked at the strange looking old man staring down at him. They were locked on for what seemed a long time, but in reality only a few seconds had passed when the old man raised his head and a small smile crossed his lined face in satisfaction. Sujin took Brian down to their bedroom and gave the little guy his dinner. Meanwhile hot noodles were served and the Master deftly slurped the bowl clean and drank the remaining broth. Billy noticed the only sounds of him was his sounds of pleasure in food, but he never heard the chopsticks or when he sat the bowl on the table there was no sound coming for what as usual sticks against the sides of the bowl and a small noise setting the bowl on the table. Strange he thought as he tried to eat without making a noise and failing miserably. After eating the old man went to the window and watched the rain run down the glass with his hands clasped behind him. Brad moved over and stood next to him. Both just stood together without talking until Sujin came back up turning the baby sitting over to her sister.

  Sujin spread three mats around the wood stove and invited her husband and the Master to sit down. She waited until both had sat down and then took her place sitting on her knees, hands folded in her lap with her head down on her chest. Both Wendy and Billy knew something special was happening, but neither one had a clue what. They sat on the sofa waiting patiently for something to happen and after a moment or two the Master spoke for about ten minutes without stopping. That was the last time they could remember him speaking more than a few words or phrases at the time he was there. Later after the Master took a lotus position and either went to sleep or meditated, they didn’t know what he was doing until Brad motioned them downstairs for a get together.

  Sitting around the table Brad said, “I know you are wondering what is going on so let me tell what is happening here. Chinese history is undated and once you pass the written record, only oral traditions are passed down from generation to generation. Suffice to say you could do your own research into the Chinese way of life thousands of years ago, but simply put, if anything is simple, body and mind are one and have to be in balance with each other. Now we know an Asian is out there killing people. To catch him is going to take one to know one as we say in America. Sujin had a vision and in that vision she is in combat with this assassin to the death.” Wendy’s hands flew to her mouth and her eyes turned to fright. “Not to worry Wendy, Sujin can take care of herself and then some. However, since the baby was born changes have occurred and she needs training for the upcoming confrontation with the enemy. The Master is here to see to the training. He was her trainer long before I met her. She lived in the mountains near Chung du while her father learned Chinese medicine. After graduating from Seoul National University, she went back for some advanced training in both Traditional Chinese Medicine and a form of martial arts much different than what we know of the Ninja way. So that is about it. Any questions?” As he smiled at them as if it was just another day in America having a Master Chinese whatever in your house mumbling to himself with closed eyes.

  The snow continued to fall bringing most of the east coast to a standstill. Fortunately for the unsuspecting Undersecretary instead of returning to Washington he was sent to England to confer with his counterpart about recent developments in Africa. Meanwhile the PAE group changed locations for their meetings. Now lodged in a busy hotel suited for the likes of young business executives, they gathered in a rented room. Each straggled in complaining about the traffic and road conditions. All had SUV’s and glad to have them in the winter time. Now they relaxed and the question that needed answering was when they should eliminate the Undersecretary. What would be the best time and then on to the next one. This year’s date for King’s holiday was January 16th and that decided the date for Mr. Undersecretary of State Ronald Livel’s demise. One member took out a list of names and when they were through with the meeting he tore it up and flushed it down the toilet. Before that they discussed the hit after this one and the ramifications surrounding the news of Ronald Livel’s suicide. There was some talk of letting the smoke clear and going to ground for a few months or continue with the set plan. One member said, “We lost our source inside the Pratt team so we don’t know what they are up to. We can’t ignore them and they are known to hawk a faint trail till doomsday. Let’s once again go around the room and see where we are vulnerable.”

  “I for one,” said one member “am in favor of continuing on schedule and the sooner the better while we have the advantage over them. No more clues except to throw them off the scent.” All seem to agree and word would be sent out to the assassin the date for the hit.

  Mike had been making the rounds slogging through the snow from coffee shop to coffee shop hoping to catch a rumor or whisper about something going on that was drastic and deadly. He was about to give up when he ducked into a little out of the way coffee shop smell of incense bringing back memories of pot smoking days of years gone by. Mike was dressed for the occasion wearing funky clothes and snow boots with a long black overcoat from Goodwill. The place was half full and not one looked up as he sat at a window table looking outside at the snow falling. He glanced at his watch and saw it was just past noon as the pretend hippie girl came up to his table waiting to take his order. He smiled up at her and she widened her lips revealing a mouth full of wires reminding him of a James Bond movie where a giant of a man had steel teeth to eliminate his victims. Mike shook it off and ordered a roast beef sand and a cup of great smelling coffee being ground somewhere behind the counter. Wire mouth left and as he was watching her trundle off two yuppie looking guys walked in and sat behind him next to the window. One guy was talking the other one’s ear off and continued while sitting down. Politics of some sort he heard a word or two, but the damn coffee grinder was making it difficult to hear what they were saying. Finally as his coffee was placed before him the grinder went off and he heard one say to the other, “…. is going stir the proverbial buck of shit when it comes off.”

  The other guy responded saying, “Quiet, you dumb shit. Walls have ears and you know we aren’t supposed to mention an
ything in public.” Mike was holding his breath and let it out as his sandwich arrived. He heard nothing of interest as he ate his lunch. He sipped his coffee waiting for the two guys to finish their lunch and then just before they got up he moved to the counter and paid. While wire mouth made his change he took a good look at the two as they stood up to leave. Mike went out the door and waited for the two guys to leave and he would follow them. He hoped they wouldn’t take a taxi, well maybe he would get lucky and they worked nearby. Both came out wrapping long scarves around their necks and wool stocking hats making them look a little silly walking down the slushy sidewalk where the salt had tried to keep the heavy snow from building on the walkway.

  In Washington DC Agent Jones had aligned with some newbie lobbyists sitting in a cafeteria chewing the fat. For the last few days ever since the snow storm hit, anything to do with government was mostly shut down. The forecast was for the storm to end leaving a mess behind to clean up. Agent Jones had learned next to nothing as was getting a little frustrated with the weather and what a needle in the haystack job this was. Use your brain, he said to himself. Make something happen. Suddenly he spoke up for the first time and shocked the other three guys he was having lunch with by saying, “You know don’t you that this storm will probably one of the last ones we will ever see if we don’t do something about global warming and finding an alternative to oil.” The other three guys just stared at him and one took the opportunity to jump into a new area of talk by offering his opinion.

  “I agree with you and these right wing shits are going to drag us into extinction if someone doesn’t’ do something soon. I heard through the grapevine that the death of the former speaker was murder and not heart failure like was reported. I overheard some guys talking that this was not going to be the last staunch Republican to die. A group has emerged to set the world right and it is gathering quite a following.”