No shit! Abelson now knew why he was invited to this briefing. He figured it would be best to listen until he was asked to say something.
His handler continued. “Turgenev is reportedly worried that Klein is getting too close to what Turgenev and Baker have been orchestrating, and how they are going about it. Turgenev and Baker want to discredit Klein, and make him the source of the upcoming U.S. election manipulation so Baker can arrest Klein for treason and get him out of the way, making it appear that Klein is a progressive trying to assure that the Democrats will win the election.”
Abelson continued to listen without remark.
“I reminded our colleagues that you and Klein are classmates and that you have cultivated a relationship with Klein. I also reminded everyone that, with our permission, you have loaned some of our technology to Klein in furtherance of his cybersecurity career objectives, and with the informal understanding that he would share with you—with us—anything he learns that might be of interest to us. Klein presumably does not appreciate the extent to which you are following his pursuits. Have I summarized that about correctly.”
“As you always manage to do, boss, yes you have,” Abelson answered.
“Obviously, Israel cannot take sides in the U.S. elections, but we’d like to be in a position to prevent the future use of Turgenev’s technology to manipulate elections in other countries—including Israeli elections. This was the reason we authorized you to help Klein. We now find ourselves in an awkward position, Gali.”
“I think I get it,” Abelson replied.
“On the one hand, we want—and almost feel a sense of duty—to protect Klein as much as we can, in light of the fact that we may potentially benefit from his efforts. On the other hand, if we come to Klein’s rescue in any noticeable way, Turgenev will likely figure out where our information came from, and our Russian mole will be exposed, and no doubt captured, tortured, and terminated. Our asset must be our first priority.”
“I understand,” Abelson said. “First things first. It pains me, but blood is thicker than water. I trust that I can give Klein a heads-up?”
The answer of everyone in the room was unanimous: “Absolutely, just so long as Mossad—and Israel—do not otherwise tangibly surface or become involved in domestic American politics.”
JAKE WAS WAITING FOR the other shoe to drop. Every day now, the news was riddled with stories about the COVID-19 pandemic. Jake was trying to follow it all, to stay informed and responsible, but he couldn’t tell who to listen to, or what to believe. He figured Baker and the federal government would be taking the lead and offering reliable science-based data and advice. But all Baker seemed to do was to make light of it—buy some Clorox—before there was a run on it—gargle and rinse with it, and just wait for the virus to vanish. Which he said would happen as quickly as it had appeared.
The Democrats were making much more of the situation, and blaming Baker for being so cavalier. What should have been science was turning into politics. What else could happen in this election year?
He was waiting to see how SCSU would tackle the issue. He just finished reading their email missive, issued jointly by the University President, and the Director of the Campus Health Center:
MEMORANDUM
APRIL 11, 2020
FROM: OFFICES OF THE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT AND THE CAMPUS HEALTH CENTER DIRECTOR
TO: ALL STUDENTS, FACULTY, OTHER UNIVERSITY EMPLOYEES, AND THEIR FAMILIES
BY NOW, YOU ARE ALL AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL COVID-19 PANDEMIC THAT IS FACING OUR COUNTRY, AND THE ENTIRE WORLD. WE WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT WE ARE VERY CAREFULLY MONITORING THIS SITUATION, AND THAT YOUR HEALTH AND SAFETY IS OUR FOREMOST CONCERN. WE WILL UPDATE THIS COMMUNICATION FROM TIME TO TIME AS APPROPRIATE. YOU SHOULD ALL SHARE THIS MEMORANDUM WITH YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS FOR THEIR PEACE OF MIND.
FOR NOW, WE ARE CONTINUING ON-CAMPUS CLASSES, BUT ALL STUDENTS SHOULD USE THEIR BEST EFFORTS TO DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM ONE ANOTHER. WE ARE LOOKING INTO THE POSSIBILITY THAT WE WILL SOON NEED TO SUSPEND IN-PERSON CLASSES AND REPLACE THEM WITH ONLINE VIRTUAL CLASSES. WE REPEAT: CLASSES ARE STILL OPEN, BUT STUDENTS SHOULD EXERCISE COMMON SENSE AND GOOD JUDGMENT.
IF YOU EXPERIENCE ANY SYMPTOMS SUCH AS: FEVER, EXTREME FATIGUE, WEAKNESS, DIFFICULTY BREATHING, OR LOSS OF SMELL OR TASTE, YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY REPORT TO THE CAMPUS HEALTH CENTER. OUR STAFF ARE TRAINED TO ASSIST YOU. IF YOU NEED HELP GETTING TO THE CAMPUS HEALTH CENTER, PLEASE CONTACT THE TELEPHONE OPERATOR BY PICKING UP ANY CAMPUS TELEPHONE AND DIALING ZERO (0).
FOR THE TIME BEING, ACCESS TO THE CAMPUS WILL BE CONFINED TO STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND OTHER UNIVERSITY EMPLOYEES. GUESTS WILL NOT BE PERMITTED. YOU WILL NEED TO PRODUCE YOUR UNIVERSITY IDENTIFICATION IN ORDER TO BE ADMITTED TO THE CAMPUS.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO RESIDE IN CAMPUS HOUSING, SUCH HOUSING WILL REMAIN OPEN AND CAMPUS FOOD SERVICES WILL CONTINUE.
PLEASE KEEP CALM, EXERCISE GOOD SENSE AND COMMON JUDGMENT, BE WELL, AND STAY SAFE.
Jake read the memo a second time. He figured the smartest thing for him to do was to remain in his campus apartment where he was close to any medical attention he might require. Hopefully, that would not prove necessary.
Jake attached a copy of the memorandum to a text he sent Leah saying he would be remaining put in his campus apartment for the time being.
She called him immediately. “Are you sure you wouldn’t be safer here with us?” she said.
“No,” he answered. “I don’t want to skip my classes as long as they are still being conducted. I’ll be fine. I’ll call if anything changes. Take care of the family.”
“I will,” Leah said. “Please let me know if anything changes. If there’s any doubt, please come home.”
He knew Leah. If he didn’t end the call, she’d just keep talking, in spite of the fact that there was nothing more to add. He ended the call.
CHAPTER 71
April 14, 2020, Three Days Later
FRANKLIN KELSEY WAS ONE of the country’s wealthiest arch conservatives. He supported any number of right-wing causes and organizations, both directly and as the founder of the companion Red Crier Magazine and Red Crier Online. He was one of President Baker’s five largest donors. Without any byline, the following identical “news” bulletin copy appeared in the April 14, 2020, weekly and daily issues of Red Crier Magazine and Red Crier Online:
IN AN EXCLUSIVE FROM AN ANONYMOUS SOURCE NOT AUTHORIZED TO SPEAK BECAUSE OF THE SENSITIVITY OF THE MATTER, IT WAS CONFIRMED TO RED CRIER TODAY THAT JAKE KLEIN, AN ACCOMPLISHED COMPUTER SCIENCES MAJOR AT SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY, HAS REPORTEDLY DEVELOPED SOPHISTICATED SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY THAT HE PLANS TO USE TO ALTER THE UPCOMING NOVEMBER ELECTION RESULTS IN FAVOR OF SEVERAL DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES, INCLUDING LOGAN SULLIVAN, EXPECTED TO SOON LOCK UP ENOUGH PRIMARY DELEGATES TO BECOME THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE FOR PRESIDENT. ONE OF KLEIN’S PROFESSORS AT SCSU, MATTHEW CARTER, WHO HAS CLOSELY MENTORED KLEIN AND IS KNOWN TO BE A LEADING PROGRESSIVE MEMBER OF SCSU, TOLD RED CRIER THAT KLEIN, WHOSE COMMAND OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY IS UNPARALLELED, IS SOMEWHAT OF A LONER, BUT HAS SHARED WITH CARTER HIS STRONG OPPOSITION TO THE REELECTION OF PRESIDENT BAKER. “IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME THAT HE WOULD DO ANYTHING LIKE THIS,” CARTER SAID. THE OFFICE OF STUDENT AFFAIRS AT THE UNIVERSITY SAID THAT THE PRIVACY RIGHTS OF ITS STUDENTS PRECLUDE IT FROM COMMENTING ON A STORY LIKE THIS. KLEIN HIMSELF HAS REFUSED TO COMMENT.
The wire services declined to carry the unsubstantiated news bulletin. However, the story was trending on Twitter and Facebook, and comments were running two to one against Klein. Some of the comments against him were quite inflammatory, but were not removed by either of the social media platforms. Facebook explained that in the absence of clear and immediate threats of bodily injury, the right of free speech of all members must be respected.
When asked about the story in his press conference this afternoon, President Baker said, and shortly thereafter repeated on his Twitter account, “I know all about this guy. It’ll take a lot more than Jerky Jake to stop me from
being reelected, but that doesn’t lessen the seriousness of his treacherous and treasonous conduct. Nothing is more important than the right of our citizens to know that the elections of our public officials are carried out with integrity and without fraudulent and undue influence.”
AUSTIN‘S SECRETARY HANDED HIM copies of the Red Crier “news” bulletin and the resulting social media posts and comments. He read it all and smiled. “Make sure copies are sent to all members of EBCOM.”
Austin promptly put in a call to Louis Tenenbaum, Director of the FBI. “Did you see the Red Crier news bulletin published today?” he asked the director.
“A copy of it was brought to me. I just finished reading it. I was about to task a couple of our special agents to pay a visit to this radical fellow, Jake Klein. These progressives are just getting worse and worse.”
“That’s why I’m calling, to let you know that POTUS would like you to just let it be, to let you know that he’s got it handled.”
“Really? Isn’t that a bit out of his field?”
“Really,” Austin said.
“Okay, Rupert, if you say so, the FBI will stand down, but it’ll be on POTUS to explain why if we’re asked how we came to look the other way about this.”
“Thanks, Lou.”
TURGENEV ALSO READ THE Red Crier bulletin and social media posts. Maybe Baker had the right idea after all.
CARTER MORE OR LESS knew how the bulletin would read. He fully anticipated the onslaught that Klein would soon bring down on him. He was ready.
GRADSKY SHARED AN ENCRYPTED call with Cipher within minutes after the Red Crier bulletin went public.
“Did you see the social media coverage too?” Cipher asked. “I guess Turgenev knew how best to handle this after all. Our software is now covered and good to go.”
Gradsky focused on Cipher’s characterization of Gradsky’s software. Our? Since when is my software our software?
ANYA RECEIVED A SCRAMBLED call, informing her about the Red Crier bulletin and related social media posts and comments. She was instructed how to respond when Klein reached out to her.
“When?” she asked. “Don’t you mean ‘if?’ Do you expect him to reach out to me about this here where I supposedly am? In Russia?”
“Just be prepared.”
JAKE ANSWERED THE KNOCK on his campus apartment door. He looked at a very somber Abelson. “Gali, I don’t recall ever seeing you look so serious,” Jake said. “I also don’t recall you ever showing up at my door unannounced like this. What’s up? Where’s your usually cheery self?”
Gali handed the Red Crier and social media printouts to Jake. “I take it you haven’t seen any of this yet,” he said.
Jake looked at the papers. He couldn’t believe his eyes. He couldn’t breathe. He wasn’t sure what to do. He sat down and looked at Abelson. “Are you able to explain this to me?” he asked. “I trust that’s why you’re here.”
Abelson gave Jake the background. Most of it. He didn’t tell Jake the part about Mossad knowing more about what Jake had accomplished than Jake realized. “Look, JK, I’m really sorry about this. Mossad would like nothing more than to jump into this fray with you, but we can’t. We just can’t. We have an asset to protect in Russia. And we are also prohibited from taking sides in U.S. politics.”
Jake seemed to recover. Maybe. It might have been bravado. Or an adrenaline burst that had not yet been overtaken by panic. “I get it, Gali. I’m on my own.”
“Look, I understand,” Abelson said. “Obviously, you have to take this seriously and you have to figure out how you’re going to deal with this. While Mossad cannot come out of the shadows, I want you to know it will be whatever kind of quiet resource it can. You’re not alone, even though it may feel like you are. I’ve been your point of contact to date, and I will continue to be your point of contact.”
Jake was breathing again—a little. “Trust me. I’m not about to roll over. My biggest worry is how I’m going to explain this to my family, especially my sister. And how I’m going to protect them from all of this.”
“Maybe you’ll get lucky. Maybe they won’t see this shit and maybe you won’t have to explain it. If your sister doesn’t raise it to you, I wouldn’t raise it to her, if I were you. If she does raise it, and asks you why you didn’t come to her, just play her macho brother, tell her it was just a bad joke, that you’ll handle it, that it’ll go away. Tell her to stay out of it. That otherwise, she’ll only make it worse.”
“Good advice, I guess. All right. I need some alone time to process this. I also have a girlfriend, but she’s at home in Russia helping her father nurse her sick mother. So maybe she won’t see this, and I won’t have to talk to her about it either.
“A Russian girlfriend?” Abelson asked. “Have I seen her before?”
“No. She’s new on the scene, but we’ve become pretty close.” Jake gave Abelson the G-rated short version.
“Hey, I don’t want to be paranoid and I don’t want to make you paranoid, but Russia seems to be all over your life. I would be lying if I didn’t tell you this girlfriend—what’s her name?—makes me more than a little nervous.”
Jake hesitated, but he did give Anya’s name to Abelson.
“All right then, bud, I’m outta here, but I won’t be far away. You know how to reach me, 24/7.”
Jake closed his apartment door. Well, at least he still called me bud.
CHAPTER 72
April 15, 2020, One Day Later
JAKE BURST THROUGH CARTER‘S unlocked office door without knocking, and squarely faced off a startled Carter. He grabbed Carter by his shoulders, yanked him out of his desk chair and shoved him up against the rear wall of his office. “What the hell did you do to me! And why?” It was a good thing I gave it the night and counted to ten before coming over here. What would I have done to him yesterday!
“Hey, man, calm down, back the fuck off. I didn’t have any more to do with this than you did.”
“Like hell you didn’t. I suggest we go through this so-called ‘news’ bulletin, line by line, while I’m still reasonably open to what you have to say. You’d better make sense—a lot of sense. And fast.” Jake pulled out a copy of the news bulletin from his jacket and slammed it down on Carter’s desk. “I’m listening.”
“Am I allowed to sit?” Carter asked.
“Quit being a wise ass and get to it.”
“Okay, first of all, I’m not the source mentioned in the bulletin, and I have no idea who is. Nor, smart guy, do I know anything about any software you’ve supposedly developed. All you ever said to me is that you learned about election software developed by others. Why would I attribute it to you?”
“And the rest of it?” Jake asked.
“They did contact me and ask about you. All I said was you’re extremely savvy. And that I couldn’t believe you’d do what they said you were planning to do.”
“What about you quoting me as being against Baker?”
“I didn’t say anything like that,” Carter said.
“Well, they say you did,” Jake responded.
“Let me ask you something,” Carter said. “They say you refused to comment. Is that true?”
“Of course not,” Jake responded. “They never contacted me.”
“My guess was they hadn’t,” Carter said. “And that was a lie. A lie you know about. If you know about that lie, does it not occur to you that they may have lied about quoting me saying you’re against Baker being reelected?”
That slowed Jake down considerably. He didn’t know what to believe right now, but he still had the feeling that Carter had used him to his own undisclosed benefit. To Jake’s detriment. “I’m not finished with you, Professor,” he said, but he closed Carter’s office door with less force than he’d used to open it.
IT DIDN’T TAKE JAKE very long to realize the notion that Leah might somehow miss his sudden infamy was wishful thinking. With the events of the past few hours, he had overlooked his smartphone, usuall
y glued to his hip, if not in his hand. When he returned to his apartment, he reached for the phone on automatic pilot. He thought about turning it off and closeting it away somewhere out of sight. Who am I kidding? He spotted all of the texts and voicemail messages, almost all of them from Leah.
He called her back. How could he not? He would follow Abelson’s advice—and his own instincts—and hold her at bay. In spite of everything that was going on, he couldn’t help but smile—sort of—when he thought back about how the call had gone.
No, I’m fine. No, I had no idea this was coming. No, there’s no truth to it whatsoever. Are you kidding, asking me that? No, I have no idea who did this, or why. No, you will not get involved. I’m a big boy. I’ll take care of it myself. This is just some kind of prank, some kind of a sick joke. If I don’t feed it, it’ll blow over in a few days. The last thing I am is newsworthy. Don’t you do anything to make me newsworthy!
Reluctantly, Leah promised him she would leave it be. That didn’t mean that Jake would. With Leah hopefully under control, Jake sat down and tried to organize his thoughts, decide what to do next.
It was useless. His mind was a jumble. His head was splitting. He took a shower, three extra strength Tylenol, and went to sleep. It was ten hours until he came to.
CHAPTER 73
April 16, 2020, One Day Later
BIANCHI HAD NEVER HEARD of this Jake Klein character. At least not that she could recall. She had just finished meeting with Simon Lefevre, the chair of the DNC. Klein’s name did not appear anywhere in their database or computer system. He was a non-entity, as far as the DNC could tell. Lefevre had assured her that he would promptly put out an appropriate release. He had. Bianchi read it:
JK's Code (Brooks/Lotello Thriller Book 4) Page 19