“It proved helpful.”
“So, it worked?”
“We found some holes.”
“Where?” Tate wanted to know.
Alex wasn’t surprised by what she had uncovered. Secretary of Defense Gil Rodgers had numerous staff members who Alex considered problematic. The issue with the Department of Defense for Alex was always determining the hierarchy. In other words, which hierarchy commanded each individual’s loyalty. Alex spent years working for the Department of Defense, first, as a Lieutenant in the Army, later as an Army Captain at the National Security Agency. She’d taken an oath to defend the Constitution, and she had always understood that the Commander in Chief was her ultimate boss. Constitution first—Commander in Chief second, chain of command next—that is how Alex has always operated. That was not always the case. Learning that not every person she worked beside shared her understanding of the chain of command has been painful for Alex. Some soldiers’ loyalty rested solely with their commanding officer. Still others catered to initiatives that existed outside the official chain of command. She had suspected the Department of State, where numerous intelligence officials and agents worked, and The Department of Defense would present security issues for President Reid. Her initial observations indicated that the Secretary of Defense was, if not always reliable with his intelligence findings, trustworthy. There was a significant difference between reliability and honesty. Rodgers trusted his staff. Alex thought his level of confidence in those closest to him might prove to be his Achilles Heel. She has worried about the same thing with Candace Reid. To her surprise, Candace had shown herself to be cognizant of inevitable compromise and prepared to deal with any breach that might occur swiftly and adeptly. She gave Tate her assessment bluntly. “Rodgers’ office has the most. Gordon Brandt seems to have a line to Gregorovich.”
“Are you telling me the Deputy Secretary of Defense is in bed with the Russians?”
“I don’t know what his objective is,” Alex admitted. “Much less his alliance.”
“The intel is solid?”
“Straight from Claire and Eleana.”
“Shit.”
“It gets worse,” Alex said.
“I figured.”
“It’s true that the Russians are moving armaments to Kaliningrad. Lots of them. But Eleana’s contact—even Jim—they seem to think whatever the Russians are doing in Kaliningrad is something new. The military build-up is there to both protect and distract, not to posture.”
“But they want us to think they’re posturing?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. Look, Claire is in Poland right now.”
“Why?” Tate asked.
“Eleana has contacts there. Somehow, it appears that Biocon is involved. And, Joshua? Claire met Gregorovich at Atomen in Prague.”
“Nuclear meets biological? That’s not a scenario we can allow.”
“ It could be a coincidence,” Alex offered.
“I don’t believe in coincidences.”
“Neither do I,” Alex admitted. “But I’m not sure what we’re looking at here. Gregorovich wants Claire to meet with one of his people in Suceava.”
“So, Gregorovich’s first play is to send Claire to Romania. Candace heads there this week. Another coincidence?”
Alex laughed. “Hardly.”
“Do you think Gregorovich is trying to expose Claire? Maybe he suspects that we’ve put her in play.”
“He’s testing her. It’s pointless. He should know that Claire will cover her tracks, and from what I’ve heard, he isn’t one to trust anyone.”
“Do you think he’s feeding her false information to see where it lands?”
“I think he’s doing exactly what we did with Candace’s cabinet. I think he’s giving her partial information,” Alex said. “Claire is his first chance to gain access to what we have.”
“You’re referring to Jim.”
“Yes; more than that, Project Lynx and its tentacles. Everyone wants what Jim has in his head. Listen, I don’t know what Claire is walking into. I do know Candace’s presidency worries the Russians. Her decision to engage with Ukraine was unexpected.”
“She knows that. That’s why she’s doing it.”
“Yeah, I know. Kapralov can’t afford for her to make headway in Ukraine or Belarus. Both are in his back pocket. And, the SVR has made major in-roads in Moldova and Romania. If she disrupts that—"
“Candace is worried about the security of the Baltics.”
“Maybe that’s what they want her to worry about,” Alex said.
“You think I should deploy some assets around Kaliningrad,” Tate surmised.
“Around—not inside. Around. And, maybe a pair of eyes and ears at Defense. I’d be interested to discover how well Mr. Brandt knew The Admiral.”
Tate stroked his chin. On paper, Admiral William Brackett spent a lifetime serving his nation with distinction. In reality, he’d spent most of his storied career serving himself. He’d dressed it up as patriotism. Tate thought that the Admiral, like so many in his sphere, believed the narrative he sold to others. Everything he did was in the service of his nation. Power often deluded reason. William Brackett epitomized the notion that power could corrupt, and absolute power corrupted absolutely—even common sense and decency. “Do you think someone is trying to put Candace on the chopping block?” Tate asked.
“I don’t think it.”
“That’s what I was afraid of—Keep me posted. Anything at all, no matter how innocuous it seems, I want to know.”
Alex stood to leave. “Joshua?”
“Yeah?”
“We’re down the rabbit hole again.”
He nodded.
“Let’s try to keep Candace from the same slide.”
“That won’t be easy. She wants to know everything.”
“She’ll be able to make solid decisions if she knows what’s required. Anything more than that and she could—”
“Be compromised. I know. We’ll talk.” He watched Alex leave and rubbed his eyes. “Shit.”
WESTPORT, CONNECTICUT
“Thanks, Mom,” Cassidy said.
“Oh, don’t thank me yet. I have it on good authority that your father plans on feeding them ice cream later.”
“Just make it without all the candy and fudge,” Cassidy said.
“I’ll do what I can,” Rose said with a wink.
Great.
“Mom!” Mackenzie screamed for Cassidy from upstairs.
“I’ll get it,” Dylan told Cassidy.
“Good luck,” she replied.
“Maybe I could get her out of your hair for a couple of hours.”
“You are brave.”
“If it’s okay with you,” Dylan said. “I thought I’d take Kenz out for dinner. I promised her we would have one evening together while I was home.
“Mom!” Mackenzie’s voice boomed louder.
“Take her. Please,” Cassidy said.
Dylan laughed. “I’m on it.”
“Give. Me. Strength,” Cassidy mumbled as she jostled Fallon onto her hip. “That leaves me and you for the evening, Fallon. What should we do?” Fallon giggled and snuggled against Cassidy. “That doesn’t help, Pumpkin. I say we live it up and have macaroni and cheese from a box! With chicken tenders.”
Fallon laughed. “Momma,” she babbled.
“Yes?” Cassidy asked. Fallon had yet to differentiate Momma and Mommy. Cassidy was never sure who Fallon wanted, her or Alex. Most times, Cassidy thought Fallon simply enjoyed saying the word, “momma.”
“Momma,” Fallon repeated the word.
“What do you think about sinning with me and eating mac and cheese?” Cassidy asked. “A whole box. We won’t tell anybody.”
Fallon laughed.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Cassidy said.
Mackenzie ran into the kitchen. “Mom!”
“Yes?”
“Do I have to go to school tomorrow?”
“Yes.”<
br />
“Mom—”
“Kenzie, don’t start or you can stay home and have macaroni and cheese with me and Fallon tonight.”
Mackenzie rolled her eyes. “You won’t eat macaroni and cheese.”
“Oh?”
“No way. Mom makes that. You make real food.”
Cassidy nearly snorted. That was the truth, and it was also why she was deliriously happy at the prospect of making dinner from a box. “Try me,” Cassidy replied.
“But Dylan is only here this week,” Mackenzie complained.
“You are going to school tomorrow. Dylan won’t be home tomorrow anyway, Kenz. He’s spending the day with Grandma and Yaya.”
“Cause you made him.”
“I’m not forcing Dylan to spend time with anyone,” Cassidy said.
Mackenzie groaned. “But he can go with them later.”
“Mackenzie Jane, don’t test me or you will stay home with me and Fallon.”
“Fine.”
“Mackenzie—”
“I’m sorry,” Mackenzie apologized.
Cassidy nodded. “I suggest you get a move on so you can enjoy your time with your brother.”
Mackenzie grabbed her jacket from a hook and started toward the hallway. “It’s just one day,” she griped.
“And, you will thank me one day for making you go,” Cassidy called out.
“Uh. She hears everything,” Mackenzie grumbled.
Cassidy looked at Fallon. “Remember that, Pumpkin. I hear everything. So? Mac and cheese?”
Fallon grinned. “Momma!”
“Don’t tell her,” Cassidy whispered conspiratorially.
“Momma!” Fallon yelled with delight.
Cassidy laughed. “I won’t tell her either.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA
“Didn’t I just see you?” Jane joked.
“I didn’t want to get into everything with Dylan home and the kids around.”
“What is it you need from me?” Jane asked.
“That’s the thing; I’m not sure. Has Candace reached out to you?”
“We’ve spoken.”
“About Kapralov?” Alex inquired.
“No. Candace picks my brain about other issues in the White House.”
“You mean personal ones.”
“Sometimes. Now, tell me what she hasn’t told me.”
“I hate this,” Alex replied.
“This?”
“Yes. I hate that we always end up back in the same place we started.”
“I don’t think that’s true,” Jane said.
“Really?”
“Really. Look around, Alex. A lot of things have changed. Things are constantly changing.”
“Funny, things seems pretty static to me at the moment.”
“You know, no one is forcing you to jump back into undercover life,” Jane reminded her friend. “From what I understand, you offered to help the president. She isn’t expecting you to do anything other than advise her as best you can.”
“To advise her I have to know what is happening now. Jonathan is a terrific source, but he’s running a different strategy. We have to get closer.”
“You and Claire,” Jane guessed.
“Yes.”
“And, you think I can help you with that?”
“I do.”
“I’m not—”
“You’re Sphinx, Jane. For once, tell me the truth. You are; aren’t you? Isn’t that why Jim was in contact with you? Neither of you will say it. You are. Just tell me the truth.”
Jane poured herself a glass of wine. “Join me?”
Sphinx was a role that was passed down over decades within the Collaborative. For years, the only people who knew the identity of Sphinx were the person who occupied the role, and the person they chose to assume the title upon their exit. That protocol ensured that the Collaborative would never be completely compromised. It had worked for two generations. Sphinx served as the keeper of the Collaborative’s secrets—all of them. The person who assumed the position had access to every name that had ever been associated with the Collaborative. He or she was privy to detailed accounts of every mission Collaborative agents and associates conducted, from the end of world War II until the present. Alex suspected that her father had once served as Sphinx. He controlled the flow of Collaborative funds for years. She’d asked Jane. She’d asked Jim. She’d asked Eleana’s father, Edmund Callier. Each had denied any knowledge of Sphinx’s identity. Alex’s frustration was growing. She needed an answer.
“Alex,” Jane addressed her friend. “Why do you—”
“Don’t insult me,” Alex said. “You knew about Jim. You’re the one who orchestrated his return. Only one other person new Jim McCollum was alive—my father.”
“That’s not true,” Jane said.
Alex waited.
“Oh, Alex. I knew this day would come. I hoped it would come when we were both old and gray.”
“Just tell me.”
“Yes,” Jane said. “For all practical purposes, I have served in that capacity for the last thirteen years.”
Alex was shell-shocked. “Thirteen?”
Jane nodded. “Your father was never Sphinx, Alex.”
“I don’t—”
“Please, don’t ask me any more about how I arrived here. I can’t answer that question. I won’t answer it. That is not for my protection. My role is not what you think.”
“You need to give me access.”
Jane sipped her wine. “You have been listening to fairytales. No one has all the records anymore. There is only one thing that outweighs hubris in this business.”
“What’s that?” Alex asked.
“Paranoia. I was given an oral history of the establishment of the Collaborative along with access codes, locations, business holdings, and current agents as was best known at the time.”
“As was best known?”
“What is it you want to know?”
“Is Kaliningrad under Collaborative control?”
“The Collaborative is fractured,” Jane began. “You saw to that—we saw to that. There are splinter cells everywhere. What you want to know is whether President Kapralov is affiliated with the Collaborative.”
“Is he?”
“Indirectly.”
“Jesus.”
“I said, indirectly. Viktor Ivanov had more power in the Collaborative than I ever have had—at least, until Kargen’s untimely demise. I have information. Most of it is no more valuable than a history lesson. Viktor, your father, and Edmond—they held the purse strings, Alex. Sphinx was appointed to secure the structure. Once upon a time, yes—Sphinx held the power—called the shots. That time had long-passed before I stepped into the role. Do you need proof? I didn’t know about the plot to assassinate my husband. That came from The Admiral, largely to appease Viktor. Politics has taken a turn, Alex. John wasn’t pushed into running for office; it was a command—an order.”
“I know all that.”
“But have you ever taken the time to understand it?” Jane questioned. “Cassidy does. Claire does. Do you?”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“You are still looking for reasons and justification. There are none. When the Collaborative began it was sold to all those who agreed to join as the world’s best hope to avoid another catastrophe like the Second World War. It was created to orchestrate an understanding of our world that would keep order.”
“I’ve heard the story.”
“But you don’t grasp its meaning. Do you want me to recite names? To tell you what we have done over the last seventy years? The assassinations? The instillations? The wars? The investment in business and technology? The lies that were constructed and sold as fact? Do you want to know who in the annals of history answered to us? What do you hope I can give you? It was unsustainable from the moment it was conceived. Deceit ensures betrayal. All that the Collaborative accomplished was to build an inf
rastructure that allows for mass-corruption. That’s it. Stop looking for answers in the framework of the Collaborative. It’s just a name, Alex. An excuse. A reason. Countries are not controlled by one person. Do you think that the president knew about the job you and John did in Iraq? Do you think Candace knows what is transpiring at this moment in parts of the Pentagon, or the Department of Agriculture for that matter?”
“I do understand. It comes down to individuals. I get it, Jane. More than you think I get it. But that history you are so quick to discard might hold the key to the who, and the where—even if it can’t tell me what to expect. I need to know what Claire is walking into over there. I need to know why Jim came back—why did he come back? And, don’t ask me to question him. We both know that’s a dead-end. I know why you’ve kept this close to the vest. I know it’s been to protect Dylan.”
“Not just Dylan.”
Alex nodded. “Lynx. The project is broader than Jim told us.”
“It expanded after Jim left the country; albeit under different names.”
“Here?” Alex asked.
“Everywhere?”
“Kaliningrad?” Alex asked.
“I don’t know,” Jane answered. “Possibly. Does the where matter?”
“It might. Something is going on that involves ASA and Biocon, and my gut tells me the answer is in Kaliningrad.”
“And, you think that somehow this all ties to Lynx?”
“I don’t know what to think. Candace is worried about Russia positioning itself to advance on the Baltics. Much like they did in Crimea.”
“Through Kaliningrad?”
“Maybe. It is a logical leap.”
Jane considered the information. “Too bullish for Kapralov,” she said.
“That’s basically what Eleana’s contacts have said. Jim says to follow the money.”
“You still don’t trust him,” Jane said.
“I trust that my father-in-law loves my family. I believe what he tells me,” Alex replied. “I think he continues to leave out information that I need—that Candace could use. I’ve heard his argument; that he needs to protect us. I don’t buy it. There’s more to it. I feel it. You think I don’t understand. I do—with crystal clarity. Always follow the money. It’s more than that. If it were that simple, cutting off revenue streams would end this madness. There’s more to it. People believe the lies, Jane. They believe they are doing what is right. Worse, they believe they are invested in a noble cause. That drives this—all of it. It isn’t Viktor or Kapralov—it isn’t men like Lawrence Strickland who make the world tick. It’s the people they manipulate. It’s me. It’s John. It’s us, Jane. We’ve learned the truth. There are thousands of people in the middle of this mess that don’t know and don’t care to see what you and I understand. That is how this continues to work.”
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