by JC Ryan
“None taken,” Daniel responded.
“Suffice it to say that we will be using a trusted contractor, one who is above suspicion, to assist us with the plan. Once we’ve exposed our mole, or moles, we’ll pressure them to give up information about their OS contacts, and roll them up the line until we have the leaders. If other countries’ agencies are cooperating, I believe we can strike quickly and effectively, making sure to preserve their financial data. We’ll have our best forensic financial analysts on hand to track down their assets and seize them pending trial. Will that be good enough, Mr. Rossler?”
Daniel nodded. “As long as you at least cripple them before my expedition gets started. And warn us if you see any evidence that they’ve already dispatched people to our location. You know my brother had to take out six of them single-handedly last February. I’d prefer that not happen again.”
“We will, certainly. Please give your wife and her uncle my regards. If you’ll excuse me, I need to get some assignments made to get started.”
“Just a minute, Lewis,” the President said. “I want you to work with the other security agencies on this, and none of your silly internecine rivalries. Bring in the FBI, NSA and Homeland Security. I’ll expect a joint report at least weekly and please make sure I hear about everything before anyone else. You know I hate surprises.”
“Yes, sir.”
Daniel happened to know that Sam Lewis’s relationship with Sarah’s Uncle Luke was much warmer than his parting remark had indicated. He’d been Luke’s supervising officer during his CIA days, and had been instrumental in helping Daniel’s group to escape back in the day. His formality had been part of a strict need-to-know mindset that saw no reason to reveal the closer relationship to the President, when it had no bearing on the current case. Once he had gone, Harper relaxed a bit, too.
“So, my friend. You were really going to come in here and demand I do something about the OS?”
“I would have preferred to put it in the form of a strong request,” Daniel grinned, receiving a return grin from the President.
“What if I had refused?” Harper asked, a glint in his eye.
“Well, then I guess I’d have had to send my brother JR and my two Marine buddies to do the job,” Daniel answered, barely suppressing a guffaw. “When are you and Mrs. Harper going to come out and go skiing with us?” he continued.
“Well, I should have time after the election,” Harper returned. “You know it’s a mid-term election, but I still need to stump for the party’s candidates. I should be able to get some R&R in after the first of the year. It’ll be good to have a chance to kick back and relax again. How does late January sound?”
“Sounds great! We’ll look forward to seeing you.” With that, Daniel rose, knowing President Harper had other people waiting to see him.
“Wait, Daniel, tell me a little bit about this new expedition. What’s the purpose?”
Daniel filled Harper in, using some of Summers’ language from his presentation to the Board to emphasize how important the foundation thought it would be to current understanding of previous cycles of history. Harper nodded thoughtfully.
“You know, I never thought when I took office that I’d preside over a nation that would be turned on its head over an old conspiracy theory,” he quipped.
“And I never thought I’d be anything but a journalist and amateur archaeologist,” Daniel returned. “Funny how things work out.” He shook Harper’s hand and left, with another heavy sigh. It was up to someone else, now. His days of fighting the OS were coming to a close, and none too soon. After all, Nick needed a secure and safe future with both his mommy and his daddy. With the OS eradicated, the world would be one step closer to that ideal.
True to his word, Lewis set his own team in motion immediately, and spoke urgently with the heads of the security agencies in more than a dozen other countries as soon as he was able to reach them. Some answered immediately, others called back after speaking to their own heads of state. The plan was repeated, in Germany, England, Israel, France and Turkey, spreading out among the allies of those countries like a drop of water on a paper towel.
~~~
Back at home, Daniel was pleased to greet Luke early the next morning after flying back from Washington.
“Luke, glad you’re here, I wanted to thank you for getting Lewis on board for my meeting with President Harper. It went well, and I have every confidence that the job will be done before October. Sam Lewis sends his best, by the way. Now, what can I do for you?”
“You know we’ve been reviewing our background checks ever since Misty Rivers was caught spying, yes?”
“Yes. Are we clean?”
“Not quite yet. We have a translation lab assistant who’d like to make a deal. Shall I just turn her over to the police, or would you like to interview her?”
“Another woman. Why did they choose mostly women?” he questioned.
“You should ask your baby brother that question,” Luke said, a grim line where his mouth should be.
“You mean…”
“Yes. They considered him the weak link. Misty was the first volley, so to speak. By the time she was exposed, that Brazilian scientist, Carmen, had broken training and was more focused on the man who attracted her, Robert Cartwright, rather than attempting to attract the one she was supposed to, JR. If she hadn’t made that mistake, who knows what would have happened down there. You need to have a serious talk with JR.”
“Is that really necessary?” Daniel hedged. “He and Rebecca Mendenhall seem pretty committed.”
“Do you trust him not to cheat if someone throws herself at him?”
“I do, but maybe I’d better have a talk with him anyway. Man, I hate to get on his case again, now that we’re on pretty good terms. He seems to have straightened out. I’ll see what Rebecca says about it.”
“Better safe than sorry. As long as he sticks closely to Dr. Mendenhall’s side, I’m confident everything will be okay. It’s when temptation comes calling that I worry.”
“Okay, I’ll talk to him. Anything else?”
“Yes, you never answered my question. Would you like to interview our suspect?”
“Oh. Yes, I would. When?”
“How about right now?” Luke stood and strode to the door, which he opened wide to gesture at someone outside, then stood aside as a pretty young woman sullenly walked in and took a seat without waiting for an invitation.
Daniel stared at her for a moment. She looked a little like Sarah; same coloring anyway. The brilliant smile was missing. It frightened him to know that the OS knew so much about his brother.
“How do you pass information to your handler?” he asked.
She leveled a cool gaze at him. “Facebook,” she said. “It’s encoded.”
“You’ll keep your account open, and pass on some information that we’ll give you. Or, you can go to jail. Your choice.”
“What’s it worth to you?”
“To have your cooperation? We can use it, but we don’t need it. You’re on your own for money. If you’re any good at your job, you can stay and draw a salary until this is over. The question is, would you prefer to help us or go to jail? Again, your choice.”
“They’ll kill me,” she said, dropping her cool act.
“They won’t have the chance,” Daniel responded, hoping he was right.
“Okay, I’ll play. What do you need?”
“Mr. Clarke here will let you know exactly what he wants you to do. I imagine he’ll also be keeping a very close eye on you. I wouldn’t try anything underhanded if I were you. Jail is always a possibility, and I have no problem having you arrested immediately if Luke tells me you’ve been less than cooperative.”
As they left, Daniel shook his head. He hadn’t bothered to ask her name. With luck, he’d never see her again, because she would be turned over to the CIA to be used for their operation and then when it was over she’d be fired. He felt no remorse at the harsh reali
ty that she would be left without either of her jobs. A girl like that, she’d do whatever she needed to in order to survive. She’d land on her feet or she’d go to jail. Thinking of all the people that her employers, the OS, had killed or put in jeopardy, he really didn’t care which. The OS had messed with him and his family for the last time.
Chapter 5 - My code name is Latet
Luke wasted no time in using the girl’s communications link, at the same time alerting Lewis at the CIA that they had a lead. It never occurred to him, nor in fact to the girl, that her contact was none other than the lead OS operative stateside. She didn’t know his name or even where he was located, but Luke had designed her message to lure out anyone who had information to trade for their own benefit. Hopefully, the girl’s contact would take the bait and then use their own method of communication to lure out the next guy, until they’d rolled up the entire organization.
Latet read the CIA memo with disbelief. It was over, or would be soon. Every major security agency in the world was after the OS, and with a cooperative effort like that, even they would soon fall. It made the message he’d received from the last remaining operative at the Rossler Foundation tempting. But, could he trust that? The private Facebook message read, ‘Compromised. Agency offering immunity for information revealing leadership or substantial financial info. Turn yourself in. No further communications.’
Was it genuine? It had the required image file attached, a compass rosette. It was straightforward, and he couldn’t imagine any hidden message within. He could take the advice to turn himself in for immunity, go underground with the money he’d skimmed, or take his chances and try to save the OS. This couldn’t be a snap decision. Before making any move at all, he would check his assets in various offshore accounts.
To his dismay, online access to some of them was out of service. He opened a new window and checked world news. Venerable institutions in Germany, France and Italy were under some sort of cyber-attack and funds were frozen. Unless Andorra was secure, he was screwed. With the funds in his bank there, he could disappear and there’d be enough to stay hidden until the other funds were released. But these banks were OS controlled. Would the funds ever be released?
Latet first had a trusted friend in Andorra pick up a package from his bank and transport it to Madrid, where he opened a new bank account with cash in a bank that to his knowledge was not OS-controlled, in the name of a business that had a corporate address in Seychelles. Feeling secure though somewhat short of funds, with an account full of Euros that had a value of just over a million dollars, Latet then contacted one of the leaders of the Orion Society.
The OS was a cartel run by four families, each having one representative to the group that ran the ancient organization. Each representative bore a code name, based on the quarter of the world that he or she claimed dominion over. Auster, the oldest and therefore the avowed leader, was a sharply intelligent woman who had managed to oust one family and replace it with her own daughter.
Auster’s code name meant ‘South’. Her daughter was the relatively new Septentrio, meaning North. The previous Septentrio had died of a stroke while indulging in a fit of temper, leaving no heir to take over. The other members, Occidens, meaning West and Oriens, meaning East, were relatively weak, mostly agreeing to whatever schemes Auster and her daughter put forth.
When Latet contacted Auster, he found her in a temper because the banking systems the OS controlled had been crippled. He wasted no time in informing her of what he knew—that the CIA, aided by security agencies worldwide, was launching an attack on the OS. Latet wanted instructions.
“How exposed are we, Latet?” she asked.
“It’s hard to say, but the fact that they’ve frozen funds in most of your banks isn’t a good sign. What do you hear from your people in industry and the military? Am I the first to report in from security agencies?”
“You are. I’ve tried to contact your counterparts in Germany, France and Italy to find out what’s going on with the banks, but they aren’t responding.”
“They’re probably compromised. What are your arrangements for going to ground in a situation like this?” This was the real reason for Latet’s call. The only reason the OS had lasted as long as it had was the secrecy with which it operated. As long as no one, particularly governments, knew of them, they could control their assets with impunity. Now that they were known, it was only a matter of time before they fell, given a concerted worldwide effort. Latet didn’t intend to be on the losing side.
Auster wasn’t a fool, but Latet was a trusted senior operative. She anticipated the secure communications network that the OS controlled going down at any time, as soon as any operative who knew of it turned to save his own skin. To maintain communications with Latet, she gave him the locations of the others as well as where she’d be hiding as soon as she could direct the counteroffensive to the bank fiasco.
“Latet, I expect to see you face-to-face as soon as you can make the arrangements. How will you communicate with me?”
Caught off guard because he was dependent on the secure videoconference link, he had to think fast. His arrangements with some of his operatives came to mind.
“Create a Facebook account, and send a friend request to this address.” Quickly, he typed in a link and sent it via instant chat.
“What in the world is Facebook?” Auster asked.
“Ask your daughter. I’ve been using the Private Message feature to communicate with some of my people. It isn’t immune to search warrants, but there are so many users, it would be difficult for the CIA to discover us. It will have to do until we re-group.”
Auster agreed, then cut the communications link.
For a moment, Latet considered toughing it out and waiting to see who would win. But, his earlier assessment came back to him. The days of the OS were numbered. Cursing himself for a fool, he made the final decision and pressed the intercom button.
“Director Lewis, please. On second thought, can you pencil me in for a quick conference? I’ll be right up.” He listened to the answer.
“I assure you, he’ll want to see me. Tell him I have confidential information about the Orion Society.” With that, he looked around the office he was certain never to see again. Nothing of personal interest caught his eye. He strolled out, carrying nothing but his cell phone and the extensive knowledge of the Orion Society in his head. He’d help take down his employers on the condition of being accepted into the witness protection program. There were others who wouldn’t take kindly to the news that he was a traitor. After all, the Orion Society wasn’t the only criminal organization in the world who needed CIA moles. He needed to retire and get out of the line of fire, before it all went down.
“Director Lewis, thank you for seeing me. I have information I believe you’ll appreciate. I’m Agent William Smith, counterintelligence. My code name in the OS is Latet. I have a proposition for you.”
Latet talked for several hours, revealing what he knew of the OS, in return for the promise of entry into the witness protection program. He had no illusions that it would actually protect him from whatever remnants of the OS might be left after his betrayal. What it would do for him was allow him to disappear from his current life. Once he was safe from prosecution, he’d disappear from the new one as well and travel under his new credentials to Spain, where he would become someone else again. Perhaps the trail would go dead there and he’d be safe. It remained to be seen.
With Smith’s help, OS communication satellites were identified and disabled, either jammed by high-tech counterintelligence technology or crippled by top secret space-based illumination designed to fry their sensitive electronics. The network of OS-controlled financial institutions and multi-national corporations was paralyzed, key points for movement of funds shut down and under surveillance for attempted access. Auster’s premonition about the communications had come to pass, with the help of her trusted lieutenant.
With their communications crip
pled, the directors of the OS were left alone and vulnerable to discovery, unaware that Latet was supplying the information about their whereabouts to cooperating agencies in Wurzberg, Germany, Singapore, Rio de Janeiro and Turin, Italy. In Singapore, Oriens was found cowering under a secretary’s desk. Latet broke the news that he’d been arrested to Auster.
“How did they find him?” she asked.
“I’m not sure. I’m afraid someone has turned traitor,” he said. “Are you sure you should stay where you are?”
“I don’t know about the others, but I’ve told no-one my whereabouts except my daughter and you.”
“You’re probably safe, then. Do you trust your daughter?”
“I’ll let that pass, but don’t ever suggest that my daughter could be a traitor again.”
As they spoke, the fortified compound where Occidens was located erupted in gunfire, as the Agência Brasileira de Inteligência attempted to enter and arrest him. Backed by the Brazilian Army, their firepower overwhelmed the mercenaries that Occidens had gathered to protect him. The latter, since they weren’t bound by loyalty, threw down their arms as soon as they began to take heavy casualties. Occidens was wounded, but was taken into custody and reports were that he was expected to recover.
Latet didn’t receive that news until the next morning. By the time he reached Auster, she had heard it already and was livid when he opened the chat window in Facebook to let her know.
“Who is providing them with this information?” she demanded. Latet knew that if he didn’t convince her it wasn’t he, there would be hell to pay. He named an operative in Germany and asked if it could be him.
“I’ll check with my daughter,” Auster replied. “Is your position secure?”
“Yes,” Latet lied. “They don’t suspect me.”
“I expect you to follow our traditional expedient if you are caught. You have the means?”
“Of course.” Latet had no intention of committing suicide, of course, though his betrayal of the OS might yet have that effect.