by Kurt Winans
In turning his attention to the thought of how best to deal with Kristen and what had happened, Heath came up with a plan. Although he would have preferred to first run his idea by President Harwell before acting upon it, the hour was approaching one in the morning. He realized that the man would either be enjoying some type of New Year’s Eve celebration, or sleeping soundly. Either of those scenarios would be beneficial to the well-being of the President, so Heath decided to move forward with his idea while understanding that he could brief the President in detail at a later time.
Glancing out the window while still maintaining a vigilant watch on Kristen, Heath could see the large black suburban quietly pull up in front of her apartment building. Four agents emerged from the vehicle, and made their way with a measure of stealth to the third floor. Using the internal clock within his head to calculate the time needed for their approach, Heath opened the door to the apartment and motioned for them to enter as they were no more than thirty feet away.
Once inside the apartment with the door locked, the lead agent looked at Kristen seated in the corner of the room and asked, “Alright Bishop, so what happened here?”
Still without a shirt, Heath briefed the team on what had transpired. Within the course of doing so, he turned so that they could see the slash wound across the upper right portion of his back.
Then he added, “The weapon is still on the floor between the bed and the window. I haven’t touched it, so the only prints you will find on it will be hers.”
“Alright Bishop, we can bag that as evidence along with anything else you think will be useful. Now what’s your plan?”
“First of all, we’re all working for the same team. So please, call me Heath.”
“Fair enough Heath, so once again, what’s your plan?”
“After you take photographs of my back for additional evidence, I think we should all glove up so we don’t contaminate the crime scene more than we have to. Kristen over there may be working alone on this, but it’s also possible that she is working for others. Therefore we need to carefully search the apartment to see if we can locate any information or evidence that might help us figure out which of those scenarios is most accurate.”
“Sounds good, but we must tend to your wound before moving on.”
“I agree, but only after the photographs.”
A loud murmur could be heard from the direction of Kristen, so one of the female agents moved toward her.
Pulling her silenced weapon from its holster, she said to Kristen, “I will remove one of these gags so that you can speak, but you will do so quietly. Is that understood?”
With eyes wide from fear she nodded vigorously.
When able to speak Kristen said softly, “Thank God you are here. That man shattered my hand with his foot and tried to rape me! That’s why I cut him in self-defense.”
Before another word could be spoken, Heath replied, “That is not an accurate accounting, and a complete forensic examination of the lady will prove that I have not touched her sexually. In fact, she is still wearing exactly what she had on when I was invited into her bedroom. As to her claim of injury, I did stomp on her hand to pin it to the floor after she attempted to stab me in the back.”
The female agent at the side of Kristen slowly pulled back the jacket that Heath had draped over her knees, and saw that although tightly bound at the wrists and ankles, she was still clothed in a bra and panties. Glancing at her hand she could see that it was red and slightly swollen, but not mangled as the shattering claim would suggest.
The agent smiled at Kristen while replacing the jacket and said, “I don’t think that your accusation will hold up, but it was worth a try.”
When the gag was then replaced, Kristen knew that her situation was dire.
As he looked directly at the bound woman, the lead agent of the cleaning crew asked Heath, “So, what’s your plan for her after we search the apartment?”
While Heath and the other two members of the cleaning crew went about searching the apartment for evidence and useful intelligence, the two female agents tended to the needs of Kristen. With her silenced weapon redrawn from its holster for security sake, the first motioned for the other to assist. After loosening the wires which bound her ankles to her wrists, they lifted Kristen to a standing position. Then they helped her hop with still bound ankles to the bathroom where she could relieve herself. As they entered the space, both female agents noticed a neatly folded stack of clothes perched on the rim of the bathtub. That stack contained a pair of jeans, a long sleeve turtleneck shirt, and a pullover sweater, with a pair of heels which had apparently been worn with the outfit turned sideways below them. Such care for the garments and shoes would not lend credence to the cry of Kristen that Heath had attempted to rape her, as it was obvious that they had been removed from her body in a deliberate and orderly fashion. Therefore in the belief that the clothes could offer additional evidence to support the stance of Agent Bishop, they were photographed in their current position and bagged for forensic analysis.
A few moments later one of the agents called out, “Agent Bishop, could you please bring us a pair of her sweats and a t-shirt? She claims that they can be found in the bottom dresser drawer.”
Stopping his evidence search for a moment, Heath complied with the request. Then he stood as an additional sentinel within the doorframe of the bathroom while one of the female agents untied the ankles of Kristen and slipped the sweatpants on. Kristen appeared to have no fight left in her, and stood passively while they were raised to her waist. Then her waist and ankles were shackled with chains before proceeding to free her wrists.
In anticipation of a final desperate attempt by Kristen, Heath warned, “Be careful. She might swing at you when her hands are free.”
The second female agent headed the advice, and said to Kristen, “So far you have been cooperating, but don’t do anything stupid so that I have to finish this the hard way.”
Kristen nodded with understanding, and once her wrists were free, offered no resistance as she pulled on the t-shirt and sweatshirt. Her wrists were then shackled to her waist, and a new more effective gag was put in place and secured with tape. Finally a hooded blindfold was added for good measure after they shuffled Kristen over to sit on the couch.
More than an hour passed before Heath and the cleaning crew had finished searching the apartment, but it had been most revealing. Along with computer files which would all be confiscated, there was the discovery of various uniforms within the closet. During the six weeks or so that Heath had known her, he was never aware that Kristen was actually a Navy Lieutenant. A quick crosscheck with the military database confirmed that her last name was Royce as the identification on her uniform implied, and that she was currently assigned to a posting within the Pentagon. Perhaps even more telling to the hidden talents of the woman was the cache of appearance altering facial prosthetics, hair pieces, and theatrical makeup. It was obvious that Kristen had posed as several other women in the past for one reason or another, as some of her props matched up with photographs on a series of identifications. That discovery was something which Heath intended to explore further throughout the upcoming interrogation, but the task at hand needed to be completed first.
The plan which Heath devised while waiting for the cleaning crew was drastic, but he felt that it would be necessary. It called for the simulated death of both Heath and Kristen, as it was the only way to ensure that no other attempt would be made upon his life. The logic was sound in that if Kristen had not acted alone; those who had sent her to kill him would be given the impression that she had been successful. Additionally, her supposed death would keep those same individuals or group from awaiting her safe return to either confirm the completion of her assignment or contradict the perception of Heath being eliminated.
As Kristen sat calmly on her couch while closely guarded, Heath and three members of the cleaning crew finished collecting all the evidence which could be pertinent. Then
after much of their cache was shifted to the black suburban, a call was made by the lead agent. In speaking with the same male voice that Heath had originally asked for assistance, a request was made for an additional undercover team possessing special skills. That crew of two police officers in a patrol car and two more in an ambulance were completely bogus, but they would be able to convince any curious late-night onlookers that two dead bodies were being removed from the third floor apartment.
Roughly thirty minutes later one of the female agents asked Agent Bishop, “Do you know where she keeps the keys to her apartment?”
While pointing in the direction, Heath replied, “Yes. I saw her drop them in that little bowl at the corner of the kitchen counter.”
After hearing the slight jingle of the keys, Kristen suddenly felt the weight and strength of several arms holding her down. That was followed by the sharp pain of an injection into her neck, and within seconds she was out cold. After laying down on one of the gurneys which had been brought in by the bogus ambulance crew, Heath was given the same injection to ensure that he wouldn’t accidentally move while in transport. Then a few minutes later under concealing full body blankets, both he and Kristen were wheeled out of the apartment and placed within the awaiting ambulance.
As the rear doors where closed and the vehicle pulled away from the smattering of curious onlookers, one of the agents posing as a police officer leaked some information to a member of the press who had received an anonymous tip. His response to the question of the media as to what had transpired was direct while still providing limited specifics.
Standing with an intrusive cellphone shoved near his face, the man announced, “All I can tell you at this time is that two people, one male and one female, are dead from a struggle between them. The male was a federal agent with the Secret Service, and he died as a result of receiving numerous knife wounds. As for the female, she was also stabbed several times, but apparently was able to fend him off before bleeding out herself.”
As Heath and Lieutenant Royce were brought into the sanctity of a secure underground facility operated solely by the United States Secret Service, the lead agent of the cleaning crew understood the magnitude of his next and most pressing duty. Before the news which had been intentionally leaked would become public knowledge, it was his responsibility to contact the White House with a contradictory and truthful accounting as to the condition of Agent Bishop.
By way of the dispatcher who had taken the original call for assistance from Heath, the agent from the cleaning crew contacted the lead agent of the White House detail. He did not give any specifics as to why it was necessary, but in providing a special code phrase, it was understood that a conversation with POTUS was imperative.
Roughly five minutes later, after the President had been awakened, the cleaning crew agent received a return call.
The voice of Jordan Harwell was stern as he asked, “It’s after three in the morning, what is so important that it couldn’t wait a few hours?”
“I’m very sorry Mr. President, but I don’t believe this information can wait sir.”
After listening to the brief yet concise report of how the issue had been handled and the number of agents that knew of it, the President replied, “Alright, you were correct in wanting to inform me now. It would have been a shock to hear that Agent Bishop and the woman had been killed, only to then learn that it had been an elaborate fabrication. Now is there anything else?”
“No Mr. President. That is all.”
“Alright then we shall move forward. Is there a totally secure briefing room which can be used at your location?”
“Yes sir there is.”
“Good, then this is how I want you to proceed. Assemble all eight of you who were involved at the scene, and any other agents such as the dispatcher who have knowledge of this situation. Tell them they will be required to attend a meeting in that secure briefing room at nine o’clock this morning. Is that clear?”
“Yes sir Mr. President. Consider it done sir.”
“Good. I will send someone to speak with all of you at that time.”
Adhering to the wishes of POTUS, the agents gathered at eight fifty-five and waited for the pending arrival of whoever the President would send to meet with them. Five minutes later the door to the large briefing room opened, and Christopher Westin walked in.
After looking around the room he asked, “Which one of you spoke with President Harwell early this morning?”
Stepping forward, a man replied, “That would be me sir.”
“Well you were correct in doing so, as this is a delicate matter to say the least.”
“Yes sir, and thank you sir.”
“So is this everyone that was involved?”
“Yes sir. Beyond the dispatcher and the eight of us who were at the scene, we have two members of the medical staff and four from our security team who worked on Agent Bishop and the prisoner.”
“So that makes a total of fifteen, and you’re absolutely sure there is no one else?”
“Yes sir, fifteen total.”
After another look around the room to see nothing but attentive and professionally focused faces, Christopher Westin said, “Alright, then let’s get started. First of all I would like to thank all of you on behalf of the President for the exceptional work that you did earlier this morning, and I echo that sentiment.”
Throughout the next several minutes he conveyed to them the importance of keeping a tight lid on the information to which they were privy. Although the number of people who knew of Agent Bishop still being alive would inevitably increase with time, the best way to ensure his safety would be to keep that number to the barest minimum. In that regard Mr. Westin stated that the President insisted upon total silence after the conclusion of the current meeting. He wanted it clearly understood by those involved that they were to never speak of the early morning event ever again, and then Mr. Westin solidified the importance of that Presidential order by looking each individual directly in the eye. Every one of his questioning stares was met with a positive nod of both comprehension and the willingness to comply, so only then did he feel that it was time to move on.
When he asked about the current condition of Agent Bishop and the prisoner, a woman from behind him stated, “The male has regained consciousness, and although still somewhat groggy, is resting comfortably.”
Spinning to face her, Christopher Westin asked, “The male? Don’t you mean Agent Bishop?”
With a smile she replied, “I’m sorry sir, but I’m afraid that I don’t know who that is.”
He returned the smile and gave a slight nod of comprehension before replying, “That’s good to hear, and well played on your part. You have just displayed the exact response that the President is looking for from all of you.”
“Yes sir, and thank you.”
“Now, you said that the male is resting comfortably?”
“Yes sir. My associate and I checked on him just a few minutes before reporting to this meeting. The effects of the drug are almost completely worn off, and he should be able to travel within another hour.”
“That’s more good news, as moving him covertly will be our next most pressing order of business. The President wants him to be taken to the White House as soon as possible, and it will be the responsibility of some of you to make sure that happens.”
The lead agent of the cleaning crew spoke up once again and stated, “Mr. Westin sir, my team of four can handle that from this end. However if we are to keep this as contained as possible, then we will need some assistance from those at the White House.”
“What do you require?”
“The lead agent of the White House detail must be brought into the loop about our friend and informed that we are coming. That way he can shift the positioning of the agents on duty at the appropriate time, and we can be ushered in by the two of you through the Secret Service entrance with minimal detection.”
“So that will increase the numbe
r, not including myself and the President, to sixteen.”
“Yes sir, but it must be done. Otherwise we could not approach and get our package safely into the White House without several more people knowing of it.
“Alright, since you understand the inner workings of the Secret Service better than I do, we will do this your way. I will coordinate an effort at the White House, and contact you when it’s safe to bring him in.”
“I understand sir, and my team will be ready.”
Then turning back toward the woman from the medical staff, Christopher Westin asked, “And what is the condition of the prisoner?”
“The female has been kept under full restraint since her arrival, and remains unconscious for the time being due to a booster injection of what was given to her at roughly two-thirty this morning. Based on her smaller frame and body weight, the drug will take longer to wear off than it did for the male. I would estimate that unless additional boosters are given, she should awaken in approximately six or seven hours.”
Although the coordinated effort to transport Agent Bishop from the Secret Service facility to the White House had been established an hour before, Heath wasn’t fully cleared for travel by the medical staff until nearly eleven. Regardless of that minimal delay, the task was completed without complication. As a result, Heath was seated in the modest comfort of a basement room well before noon on January first. While he continued to hydrate in order to completely flush the simulated death drug from his system, there was a gentle tap on the door. However without the slightest hesitation the door swung open, and President Harwell entered with Christopher Westin a stride behind.