by Bryan Murray
Jake continued. “I didn’t realize that my wife and her friend, who was trying to help me, had been murdered, until I checked the tire that was supposed to have blown on my wife’s car, only to find it had been tampered with. Her friend’s apparent suicide was also murder.”
Handforth was taking lots of notes. “How did you know these things?”
Jake was enjoying watching them squirm. “The blown tire on my wife’s car was an agency device, in fact I’ve used them myself in the past!”
Handforth was looking dejected. “And the fake suicide?”
Jake replied quickly. “There was no way that Nicole could have committed suicide. She was with me less than an hour before she was murdered and in an excellent frame of mind.”
Handforth was looking for loopholes. “Things can change very fast, when it comes to one’s mental health!”
Jake wasn’t buying it. “When she left my cabin, she was followed by a black SUV, driven by Agent Kovacs, who couldn’t wait to admit to killing my wife and her friend, when he thought he was going to kill me! Unfortunately for him, it didn’t quite turn out that way!”
Rogerson could see his career ebbing away like sands through the hour glass. “So, why did this Nicole come to see you?” he asked.
“She wanted to tell me that Nancy had overheard something she shouldn’t have at Midecon where she worked, and that Nancy was also convinced she was being followed by some maintenance guy, immediately after which she was murdered!”
“Maintenance guy?” Handforth was curious.
“Yes, sir, I checked it out and the Midecon maintenance crew were on strike that day, so I assumed he was also with the agency!”
Rogerson was clearly in a daze as Jake continued. “Nicole was trying to help me, and she paid with her life. She was pushed to her death from her balcony window by the same bastard who killed Nancy!”
Rogerson was starting to feel some empathy for Jake as the terrible sequence of events started to become clearer. “So, what did you do?” he asked.
Jake continued. “Nancy’s friend Nicole also told me that Nancy had been working on a large project in Midecon, for of all people Ashram Energy. The very company where I had been ordered to terminate their CEO just a week earlier. As she was dying, Nancy also told me there was an FBI agent embedded in Midecon!”
Rogerson looked confused. “You’re losing me, Harrigan? What happened then?”
Jake continued. “I was also confused too, so I decided to check out what had been going on at Midecon with their client Ashram Energy. I broke in after hours to check it out and this was where I met Sarah Schaumberg, the embedded FBI Agent involved, who wanted to help me. She knew about my wife’s death and she told me the FBI were already keeping an eye on Davidson and Jennings, who they already suspected were dealing in illegal military contraband!”
Rogerson, who was clearly agitated, was rubbing his hand up and down his face in despair. “My God! I don’t believe I’m hearing this!”
Handforth was still scribbling away. “So what did you do then?”
Jake clearly had their attention and he sensed that his bosses were much more perturbed at the actions of Davidson and Jennings, than anything he might have done. He continued. “We checked the documents and found irregularities on a Midecon shipment that my wife had been working on for Ashram Energy, before her boss, Bill Peterson started changing the paperwork, which then indicated that Midecon were planning to slip in an extra container load of sensitive equipment and technology to be delivered to the sons of Mahmoud Ashram and their terrorist friends in Dubai.”
Rogerson was concentrating hard. “And these sons of Ashram, where were they when this was going on?”
“They were already in the US, sir and when I refused to track down the FBI undercover agent in Midecon for Davidson, in total breach of CIA protocol, he actually told the Ashram boys that I was the one who killed their father, as an independent contractor, and as you would expect, they came after me! They busted into my apartment and I got shot, and all the while the agency was helping them,”
The men in front of him were clearly in shock as Jake continued. “They even planted an undercover agent on me to try and help me, but the reality of it was that they wanted to know what I knew about their illegal arms shipment!”
Rogerson was already swallowing tranquilizer pills. “Go on?” he gasped. He could already see the obvious threat to national security, especially if Harrigan was ever put on the stand in open court to give the testimony he had just given to them.
Jake now had their undivided attention. “It was then that Agent Schaumberg and I realized that the illegal arms shipment being sent to the terrorists, was leaving last night from Baltimore, so we decided to try and stop it. Problem was, there was a heavy storm rolling through and there were only the two of us who could get to the port in time. We were outnumbered by rogue CIA agents, the Ashram sons, complete with their bodyguards and the senior guy from Midecon. We had contacted the FBI for back-up, but they were delayed by the storm, so we had to go it alone. You know the rest, sir!”
Rogerson and Handforth exchanged hopeless glances. Rogerson was the first to collect his wits together. “I understand you also met with Senator Johnson, the Head of the Arms Appropriations Committee last night in Baltimore?”
Jake nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Handforth interjected a question of his own. “And what about Agent Schaumberg?”
Jake replied honestly. “She did a fantastic job, last night, sir. She handled herself very professionally and I’m glad that she had my back.”
“And her involvement with Senator Johnson?” Rogerson asked
“I think she may have been reporting to him, sir, but I’m not sure.” Jake replied.
Rogerson decided to terminate the meeting. He now felt a strange empathy for all that Jake had gone through over the past week or so. “Agent Harrigan,” he began. “I’d like to thank you for your role in stopping the illegal arms shipment last night in Baltimore. Once again, I would also like to sympathize most profusely at the loss of your wife Nancy and her friend Nicole. I can assure you that your conduct in this whole issue has been exemplary and in keeping with the actions of a true patriot. This meeting is over and I again caution you against speaking of anything that took place in this office this morning.”
Jake got up to go, but he was determined to have the last word. “Thank you, sir, but I must warn you that some serious damage control is required both in the agency and in the bureau,” he then delivered his parting shot. “And after all that’s been said and done, you need to answer a very serious question.”
Rogerson looked him in the eye. “And that question would be?”
Jake looked back at him unflinchingly. “Where the hell do the CIA get off killing people at random, who are not at war with the USA, for their own personal gain, without facing the consequences? Good day gentlemen!”
He left the office quickly and Rogerson looked across at Handforth. “The son of a bitch is right!”
Later, back in his office, Rogerson realized that his worst fears were about to come to fruition. This wild card assassin Harrigan seemed to have inadvertently signed the death warrant on his career, He sat back staring vacantly out of the window, reflecting on all the constructive things he had done as head of the world’s largest external security agency, only for it to be overshadowed by one unfortunate event that went wrong, involving a mission that he had not even been fully briefed on before it took place. Life was so unfair.
His mind was suddenly made up and he buzzed his secretary to come in.
Elizabeth entered. “Yes, sir?” He had a dejected look in his eyes. “Get me the President!” She seemed to somehow sense the purpose of the call. “Yes, sir.”
CHAPTER 40
It had been a hectic start to the morning for Sarah and she had risen early to change the dressings on her wounds from the night before, when her phone started to ring and as expected, her presence was wan
ted immediately at the bureau offices. Deputy Director Davies and Senator Johnson were urgently waiting to meet with her for a debriefing. The Director, Steve Mobley was now trying to get back from overseas as quickly as possible.
She had slept very little the night before and the thoughts of what had happened had kept her awake for most of the night. She hadn’t admitted it to Jake, but this had been her first action where death was a real possibility at every turn and she was having mixed emotions in the aftermath. The thought that she could have died at any second from a stray bullet from the criminals, was a real adrenaline surge and the prospect of getting killed, while trying to stop some over-zealous terrorists from killing her and Jake, was a sobering testament to the futility of the fight against terrorism, against people who had a totally different class of values of what a human life was worth.
She hoped that Jake had managed to get the little boy settled in proper surroundings and she was also wondering what kind of reception Jake had received at his CIA debriefing. No doubt she would be facing a similar scenario in the debriefing that she was currently heading into.
The big difference between Jake and herself, was that he had actually terminated fellow operatives of his own agency. This alone was probably a first for the beleaguered CIA hierarchy to deal with, hence the cool reception that Jake would have no doubt received.
Upon arrival at the bureau offices, she went straight to Davies’s office, where Davies and Senator Johnson were drinking coffee, anxiously waiting for her to get there.
Johnson was the first to speak, anxious to get her relaxed for the debriefing. “And how are you feeling this morning, Agent Schaumberg?” he asked politely.
Sarah smiled tiredly. “Morning, Gentlemen, still sore and a little tired, but other than that, just fine!”
Davies was anxious to get the meeting under way. “That’s good news, Sarah and protocol dictates that what we discuss here this morning does not go outside this room. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir.” she replied.
Senator Johnson poured her a cup of coffee and handed it to her.
“Thanks.” she smiled.
Davies began, a serious look on his face. “We’ve got a lot of ground to cover in a short time and the White House is screaming for an official report on the events of last night and I can’t say that I blame them,” Sarah nodded in agreement.
Davies continued. “So for the record, your assignment was to check what was going on at Midecon and it was sanctioned by the bureau. It was also agreed that your liaison would be Senator Johnson, in his capacity as head of the Arms Appropriation Committee with the objective of finding out what, if anything, was going on that was not above board?”
Sarah nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Davies was collecting his thoughts. “So, what got things moving so fast last night, Sarah?”
She thought for a moment. “Well, sir, as you now know, I wasn’t the only one checking up on Midecon. Jake Harrigan was convinced that his wife Nancy and her friend Nicole were murdered by rogue elements of the CIA. He was also checking out Midecon after hours, which was when we met up. From what Agent Harrigan told me, his wife must have overheard something she shouldn’t have, concerning an illegal arms deal that spooked both Midecon and the CIA!”
Davies looked curious. “Spooked them?”
“Yes, sir. Agent Harrigan was convinced of this and that it was then that they apparently decided to silence both his wife and her friend for good.”
Davies moved on to his next question. “So, why did they terminate his wife’s friend?”
Sarah answered. “It seems that she was the last person to see Agent Harrigan’s wife alive and apparently she had told Jake what his wife Nancy had told her.”
Davies was incredulous. “You mean about overhearing something she shouldn’t have?”
“Yes, sir”
And just for telling him that her friend was terminated?”
“Exactly,” Sarah replied. “Apparently, the agency tried to make it look like a suicide, but Jake, ah, Agent Harrigan didn’t buy it!”
“Why not?” Davies asked.
“Because he had been talking to her very shortly before she was followed by a black SUV, presumably CIA, from his lodge in the woods. He said that she was in a very positive state of mind and no way suicidal. Yet shortly after that she was dead!”
Davies and Johnson looked at each other dejectedly. Johnson was the first to speak. “Looks like we’ve got our work cut out here, Peter?”
Davies nodded his head in agreement. “I agree, so let’s re-cap. What’s your take on it so far, Sarah?” he asked.
She thought for a moment. “Well, sir, we need to come up with a cover story to explain why two rogue CIA Agents and a crooked senior exec from Midecon, as well as a group of Middle Eastern insurgents, were killed by a combined FBI/CIA task force, in order to stop them from exporting sensitive defense equipment and software to terrorists in Dubai. We also need to let the public know that the Ashram boys and their thugs, were the insurgents in question, who were also terminated! At the same time we need to show both agencies in a favourable light!”
Johnson stood up and shook her hand to indicate the meeting was over. “You got it in a nutshell, Sarah, we can take it from here. Once again, you did a hell of a job last night and the entry on your record will indicate that.”
Davies also added his parting comments. “As far as you are now concerned, Agent Schaumberg, there is a an immediate bureau gag order on discussing everything involved in last night’s activities in Baltimore. Is that perfectly clear?”
She nodded. “Yes, sir and thank you, Senator. There is just one thing that worries me, though?”
Johnson was listening as he walked her to the door of the office. “And what’s that?”
She had no hesitation in voicing her concern. “Retaliation! Those black-ops guys in the CIA scare me to death. They have secret agendas that get innocent people killed, so I’m worried what could happen to Agent Harrigan or myself for that matter?”
Johnson patted her on the shoulder as he opened the door. “It has already been taken care of, Sarah, so don’t worry!”
She looked surprised. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, indeed,” he replied. “The agency has been told that if anything happens to you or Agent Harrigan, I will blow the whistle big time to the media and then let them deal with the fallout! Okay?”
She smiled as she left. “Thank you, Senator, you too, Deputy Director Davies!”
Johnson closed the door after Sarah left and turned to Davies. “Well, Peter, I guess it’s time we got creative!”
Davies nodded, heaved a heavy sigh. “I guess! We’ve also got to get the bureau in on the spin. This is a big one!”
Sarah walked down the corridor, away from Davies’s office and she could see how easy it would have been for the FBI to be one up over the CIA, based on who were the good guys and who were the bad guys the night before. As far as The White House were concerned, they obviously needed to make what happened look like both government agencies had acted correctly. Sarah did not envy the task of the two men in the office back there.
CHAPTER 41
In the local bistro, Jake was already sitting at the bar having a cold one, when Sarah arrived. His debriefing session had gone as well as expected and Jake felt some satisfaction that he and Sarah had foiled the intended shipment to the terrorists. He had personally terminated three of the four guys responsible for the deaths of Nancy and Nicole, as well as Jamal, but the words of Jennings still resonated in his mind and the thoughts of the rogue agent actually being able to get away with his murderous acts, was definitely cause for another drink.
He and Sarah looked battle scarred with various cuts and bandages and Jake’s arm was still in a sling. Sarah slid into a seat next to him as the bartender walked over with the menus.
He took one look at both of them and grinned. “Well, look at you two, now?” he grinned. “There’s no ne
ed to keep tossin’ them pots an’ pans at each other. It isn’t that big a deal to decide who takes out the garbage!” he grinned. “Just messin’ with ya. What can I get you?”
Jake glanced at the menu. “Burger and fries and another beer.”
Sarah also took a quick glance at the menu. “Make that two and I’ll have a Coke.”
“You got it.” the bartender left them.
Sarah looked at Jake, a warm look of endearment in her eyes. “So, how did it go with Marcus?”
He shrugged. “Hell of a brave little guy. I took him to Child Welfare Services first thing this morning.”
She looked surprised. “He has no family at all?”
He shook his head negatively. “Nothing worth calling a family! A dead-beat uncle who’s into drugs big time. He never knew his father and his mom is deceased, apparently drug related!”
She shook her head sadly. “Not much of a chance for the kid! Other than that, how was your morning?”
He shrugged. “Went by the office, it was total panic. The Director was totally stressed. Not only about the thought of the CIA killing US citizens for their own personal gain, but doing it on his watch. They wanted my report like yesterday. They’d probably have a shit fit if they even knew we were doing lunch. Believe me, ice water runs through the veins of those bastards! The Director was dropping valium like goddamned M & M’s!”
She looked mildly sympathetic. “I can imagine, let’s face it, though, you did kill two of your colleagues and the VP of Midecon! So, what did they want to know?”
“Just about everything and the most enjoyable part was watching the bastards squirm at the information I was giving them. They gave me the old patriotic pat on the back bullshit and offered their insincere condolences for the deaths of Nancy and Nicole.”
She was watching him closely. “So what did you say, because I know you just didn’t leave it at that?”
He gave a tired grin. “I told them that they had better come up with some major damage control if they were going to survive what happened last night and then I told them they needed to answer the big question.”