The Philly FBI office was in center city on Arch Street across from the old National Constitution Center. It was only about 15 minutes from Angela’s house as Victor used four-lane Broad Street and managed to either miss or ignore most of the traffic signals.
After parking in the underground parking garage, they traveled up the elevator to the eighth floor. Ferguson asked Angela if she would like something to drink, before showing her into an interview room. She sat uncomfortably in an old wooden chair at an old wooden table.
Just like in the old movies, she thought. Can’t the FBI afford some decent furniture? Sanchez had begun the questioning along with an Agent Tyrell Ferguson, but he had a previous engagement and left her in what he said were the capable hands of Agent Ferguson.
Agent Ferguson was a 6’4” well-built black man whom she guessed to be about 35 years old. He was extremely handsome, well-mannered and very professional. Angela was nervous at first but felt a little better as she sensed that, because he wasn’t a hardened veteran, she might be able to manipulate him.
The part that made Angela nervous was that she didn’t know what they had on her. Obviously, there was no evidence of foul play on her part, or they’d have already arrested her. No, this was not about them having anything on her. The Feds were simply on a fishing expedition. She figured someone gave them her name as a PI, but she couldn’t figure out who would have ratted her out. So Angela Marie DiPietro, you are officially a person of interest. On TV, that meant that they did think the person was guilty of something. She wondered what it meant in real life.
“Mrs. DiPietro,” said Agent Ferguson. “Do know a Father Delaney?”
That fag, she thought.
“Yes, I know Father Delaney. He’s one of the priests living in a nearby parish. Why do you ask?”
“Well, his name was brought to our attention by a parishioner who mentioned that Father Delaney was involved in some meetings at your house.”
“There were no ‘meetings’ at my house, agent. I do have some friends who come over from time to time to pray the rosary. As far as I know, while not popular, it’s not against the law yet.”
“Well Mrs. DiPietro, Father Delaney claims that when he was at your house, some of the other men were discussing problems that they had with the current administration and the president. Can you confirm that?”
Angela was deep in thought.
“Well, Mrs. DiPietro?”
He always started his questioning with well. It must be a requirement here at the FBI. Ok, she’ll play along.
“Well what?” replied Angela.
“Well, did you ever hear anyone discussing problems that they had with the current administration and the president?”
“Well, I can’t rightly say that I have.” Angela was trying to act coy.
“Well, can you explain why Father Delaney would think that?”
“Well,” Angela was getting the hang of this, “First off, Father Delaney hates my guts. Secondly, I think Father Delaney is more than a little nuts.”
“Well, why would you say that?”
“Well, why would I say what? That he hates me or that he’s nuts?”
“Well both,” said Agent Ferguson
“Well when he was in here did you see him checking out the size of your dick through your pants?” so much for sophistication. “No, maybe not, you’re a little too old for Father Delaney’s taste. I’d guess you’re about 25 or 30 years older than he likes them.”
Agent Ferguson sat there with his mouth open.
“Surely you can’t be too surprised, Agent.” oh-oh, Angela was breaking the ‘well’ tradition. “Father Delaney was accused of being a pedophile some months ago by a former altar boy who claimed that he buried photos that would prove it. Ben Campbell was his name. I knew Ben and his family personally, and I believe without any doubt that the claims are true. The family has even filed a civil suit, that’s pending, against Father Delaney and the Archdiocese. Philly PD took his initial statement and believed him as well. They thought they had the goods on the good Father, and I’m being sarcastic when I say that agent.”
“I checked in the system, and Father Delaney did not have a record. What happened with the case?”
“Philly PD believed that they had plenty of time to investigate. So, they didn’t immediately put the case together for the D.A. Sadly, in their typical vulture style, the press learned the young man’s identity and started following him and taking pictures. Before the case could even get off the ground, the young man hung himself.”
“What happened to the photos and what about the other boy who was willing to testify?”
“So far, no one has found the photos and the one other boy who came forward against Father Delaney decided that he didn’t want to testify. So Delaney was released.”
“Well, you sound like you have some ill feelings toward Father Delaney.”
“You think?” said Angela.
”Look Agent Ferguson. Let me make this as simple as I can for you. I do not like Father Dickie Delaney. He knows that I don’t like him, and he knows why I don’t like him. He knows that I’m friendly with the Campbells, and I’ve told him in no uncertain terms what I think of him. I know that he’s a child molester, and I will never let him forget it.”
“Well if you hate this priest so much, why did you have him over to your house for these prayer meetings?”
“Was he at my house once or twice? Yes, but not by invitation. One of the other participants in the prayer meeting brought him along. I didn’t want to make a scene because he’s a priest and because everyone else liked him. He’s a pervert and a predator, but maybe some people don’t realize that. In any event, he came to two meetings. I was going to say something to him after the second meeting, but he left early. I didn’t want him in my house, and he knew that so maybe that bothered him a little. Don’t know for sure but he stopped coming, so that saved me the trouble of having to deal with a very sensitive situation.”
“Well, I see that there is no love lost between you two.”
“I’m glad that you understand. It’s like a mutual aversion society. I hate him, and he hates me. I’m not surprised that if you called him in for questioning, he’d make up some story to get back at me.”
“If I may, I’d like to recap your story,” said Agent Ferguson as he was writing on a notepad. “You’ve had a few prayer meetings at your home, nothing more. Father Delaney attended a couple and then stopped coming. Father Delaney is a suspected pedophile and because of that, you do not like him. He hates you as well, probably because you won’t let him get away with what he did. In your opinion, Father Delaney is lying because he hates you and wants to get even with you for calling him out repeatedly about your suspicions regarding his past sexual behavior. Is that fairly accurate?”
“Close enough,” said Angela, “but for me he’s not a ‘suspected pedophile’ but a real one and his ‘past’ sexual behavior is not necessarily in the past.”
“I understand. That’s all I had for you today, Mrs.DiPietro. You’re free to go, but I’d hope that if I had further questions, you’d be willing to help me out.”
“Of course, Agent Ferguson. I’m glad I could be of help. Is there a way that someone could give me a ride home? I don’t have money on me for public transportation and it’s a little far to walk in the rain.”
“Well, I’d be happy to drop you off.”
Angela was relieved. Dodged a bullet this time and got to throw Dickwad under the bus at the same time. Well screw the good Father, thought Angela. That prick deserves everything he gets.
Agent Ferguson called Victor Sanchez and related Angela’s story.
“Good work, Tyrell. I think it might be a good idea for me to pay a personal visit to Father Delaney in the morning”.
Chapter 61
As a young girl growing up in Birmingham, Karen often helped her mother prepare for what oftentimes became the social events of the year. The Belle of Birmingham, as m
any referred to her, took southern hospitality to a whole new level; sparing little expense and going to extremes to accommodate her guests.
One of the things that Karen disliked about being married to an Army officer was the constant moving. No sooner had she made friends at one base when they were off to another. Consequently get-togethers were usually limited to small dinners with one or two couples.
So to Karen, this cocktail party was not only an excuse to get her hair done, buy a new dress, and get a mani-pedi, but a chance to be a real southern hostess. To Josh, it seemed like the perfect way to get all of the Joint Chiefs together for a final walk through and to show them their place of business for July 4th.
As she left the house on the morning of Saturday, July 2nd for her favorite salon, Karen told Josh that she much preferred her party plans to his stuffy briefing.
The Redmond House, in Head of the Harbor, was unique in the area in that Josh, being a techie kind of guy, had brought their home into the 22nd century, 50 years before its time. The entire house was one big operating system and Wi-Fi hotspot. You could use cell and other wireless technology from anywhere. Retinal scanners armed and disarmed the security system and controlled access to in-wall safes. Every wall was a touchscreen. Tiny sensors were used in things like light bulbs, light switches, bio-locks on doors, windows, thermostats, and fitness devices. By using these M&C (Monitor and Control) sensors, homeowners could easily monitor and control things like the temperature, doors, security systems, TVs, and kitchen appliances from anywhere in the house or even remotely using a cell phone.
In the basement; Josh had established a Command Post which was technically bleeding edge. Retinal scanners and Nymi™ heartbeat biometrics sensors were used to restrict access and secure all electronic equipment. C6I centers were run by the government so it was odd that an ordinary citizen would have a secured facility at his home. But then again, Retired Two Star Josh Redmond was no ordinary citizen. While much smaller in scale, in some ways Josh’s basement resembled the NORAD command center at Cheyenne Mountain.
Karen, annoyed that he had converted their home theater and entertainment room into this whatever you call it, asked him why he needed all of this equipment. Josh explained that the network was already in place but by commandeering the DOD and intelligence community’s networks, his Joint Chiefs would be able to manage the entire operation and improve interoperability in real time with the touch of a screen. For a coordinated operation like this, timely information and optimum reliability and security were essential.
This technical stuff was beyond Karen’s interest, and her eyes were practically glazed over as she mockingly humored Josh “hmmm, very impressive”.
“Josh, would you play some nice mood music before the guests arrived.”
“Sure honey”, said Josh as he put on a mixed bag of 1960s and 70’s rock that included Aerosmith, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, and his favorites The Stones.
“Oh my God, Josh, that is not mood music.” She knew that Josh loved the old classic rock sounds of his grandfather’s time but he could listen to those any time. She changed services to one with a mellow light classical feel and started humming.
“Really, Karen?”
Josh’s protest was interrupted by the doorbell as their guests had begun arriving.
Along with their spouses, the guest list included Demetri Kotsopoulos, Deputy Secretary of Defense, Admiral John Barrington, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Raymond Rivera Secretary of the Army, Admiral Terrance Combers, Secretary of the Navy, General Bradley Gallant, Secretary of the Marine Corps, General Richard O’Meara Secretary of the Air Force, and Admiral Jesse Happ, Commandant of the Coast Guard. Kyle Simpson, Director of Homeland Security, was also in attendance but being gay presented unique social challenges for Kyle and his partner, Ty Landis, so Ty stayed away from these types of affairs.
These were the brave men who now ran the military. Josh could remember the days when the secretaries of the branches were civilians who didn’t know shit from Shinola as they say. Of course back then they didn’t play an operational leadership role the way these men do. Those pansies were mostly pencil pushers who worried about their branch’s budget and fighting with Congress to get money for new weapons. They were more like lobbyists, kissing asses at every turn.
But the challenges of war became more complex as the face of the enemy became shapeless. President Ryan realized that only seasoned war veterans could understand the nature of radical warfare and make the kinds of decisions needed to protect US troops and the country. So, in 2024 it became mandatory for the secretaries of the branches to be high ranking military officers. This turned out to be one of the more brilliant decisions any president had ever made. Over the last 20 years having military minds making crucial decisions for their branches proved invaluable in defending the country from terrorists.
Karen warmly welcomed her guests in true Southern style. “Y'all just make yourselves comfortable.” As they settled in chairs, she circulated among the crowd with a tray of hors d’oeuvres as Josh poured drinks for everyone.
After a short while, Josh gave a toast. While the wives all had a sense of what was happening, Josh thought it more appropriate to give a vanilla toast to friends and family. He did tell the men that they were only allowed one drink before he showed them his newly remodeled basement. “Afterward, you can all get shit faced for all I care, provided you don’t try to drive home and take out one of my neighbors’ mailboxes.” Josh wasn’t the funniest man around but being a retired general had its perks; everyone laughed.
Around twenty hundred hours the men left the women and adjourned to the basement to see a truly impressive command center within a Secure Compartmented Information Facility or SCIF. Like the rest of the house, the doors to the SCIF were secured with bio-locks and retinal scanners, requiring Josh’s thumbprints and eyes to be scanned before allowing access. Not only were the walls of the SCIF serving as touch screens but the tables in the room were as well.
“Gentleman, starting on the 4th and until we have things under control, this room will be your home.”
While each person in this room had undoubtedly memorized the operational plan before shredding it, Josh briefly laid out the primary plan one more time to ensure that there were no misconceptions and so that he could address any questions or issues. He hoped that things went according to plan. If they did, he and the military would have control of the country by the end of the day on July 4th. And, they will have neutralized the president, vice president, cabinet, Secretary of Defense, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and most of the Congress. They would all be captured or dead. That seemed like an ambitious schedule for a takeover, but the combination of Josh being a strategic genius and all of the key military and security leaders in the fold made it doable.
He initially had some concerns about the heads of the CIA, NSA, and FBI but Kyle explained to him that these men were running ops because it was their passion, it was what they enjoyed doing, and that their changing hats to the other team would not present a problem. “They are not combatants,” said Kyle, “and because they know and trust the people in this room, they’ll roll over for us. We just need to ensure that the teams at the various organizational headquarters at Ft. Meade, Langley, and Washington are in place to receive their orders and open the communication lines for a message from you at the appropriate time.”
“Does everyone understand this plan and your respective roles?”
They all nodded so Josh moved onto Plan B by explaining what everyone already understood.
“I believe we’ve put together a sound plan and have the right people to implement that plan. But, as you all know from first-hand experience, sometimes that’s not enough. Sometimes things don’t go according to plan. There are many reasons for this. Unsuccessful missions sometimes occur because one or more groups fail to carry their respective assignments. This can be caused by a breach in security, or because of some uncontrollable events. We’ve all
seen this happen. But chief among them is underestimating the enemy’s intelligence gathering capacity and his ability to withstand an assault. That’s why we need a contingency plan and why I’m presenting Plan B.”
Josh went on to discuss his backup plan without providing all of the specifics. Ultimately, only he would know every detail of the plan; only he knew the end game. Like in battle, not everyone was going to be privy to every detail of either plan but rather, like actors, each would know their particular role in the plot and be in a position to execute that part flawlessly. Secrecy was critical. “Need to know basis” was always his way when he formulated a strategy because the fewer people involved the better and the less people knew; the less they could divulge under interrogation or torture. Thinking back through history, Josh wondered how many individuals working on the Manhattan Project, or even in the military, knew the details of the plan to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima during World War II.
There were a few questions about his backup plan that Josh had to clarify, and there were some aspects that he chose to keep to himself for the time being. Josh would reveal more as the need arose, but everyone in the room accepted that this alternate plan was necessary.
“Gentlemen, remember what I said about security breaches impacting our success. Discuss these plans on a need to know basis only. Confide in no one except the few people who will be critically important to the completion of our mission. Is that understood?”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
“Good, let’s go up and join our wives for what I hope will be a relaxing remainder of the evening.”
As they filed out of the basement, Josh worried about the ability of patriotic Americans to essentially wage war against their own country. He hoped that Plan A would work as expected because he feared the consequences if they had to move to Plan B.
Chapter 62
After getting up early to visit Father Delaney before his 7am mass, Agent Sanchez decided to pay another visit to Mrs. Angela DiPietro
Acts of Sedition Page 21