by J. C. Fields
“Yes, yes. What about the man?”
Volkov slid his finger across the tablet and read for a few moments.
“He is in his early fifties, married to a woman he met in college, no kids, handsome. And hates being a politician.”
Orlov smiled and turned to look at Volkov. “Interesting. What else?”
Volkov swiped again before speaking. “Media declared him the next John F. Kennedy when he was elected to the Senate. No scandals, has never cheated on his wife, only drinks wine, but never in public. Considered a conservative Democrat, even though he is from California. There was an assassination attempt on him when he was a Congressman.” Volkov read this part carefully, smiled and raised his head. “Guess who prevented the assassination?”
“No games, Boris. Tell me.”
“FBI agent Sean Kruger.”
Orlov whipped his head around and stared at the big man with the tablet in his hand. After a few moments, he nodded. “Interesting. Go on.”
Another swipe.
“His confirmation as Vice President was approved overwhelmingly by both houses of Congress. The vote was considered historical as there were only a handful of no votes in each chamber. Most of the no votes were by individuals who felt slighted they were not chosen for the job.”
Orlov shook his head and returned to staring out the window. “Are any of those individuals approachable?”
“Possibly.”
“Okay, go on. What else do you know about Griffin?”
“American cable news commentary seems to believe he is a reluctant warrior and the American public looks at him as a white knight riding into town to save the day.”
“Hmmm. Anything else?”
“Not really. The media continues to speculate about why Pittman committed suicide, but the theories proposed so far are not even close.”
Orlov was quiet for a few moments. “Tell me about the theories.”
“The most common one concerns a woman who came forward after his suicide. Her attorney claims she is pregnant with Pittman’s child. The woman is not his wife.”
“Americans can be so provincial. What else?”
“The FBI found bank accounts in Dubai and Hong Kong that Pittman never declared when he was vetted to be Vice President. My informants tell me the source of those funds have yet to be discovered.”
“Can they be traced?”
“Eventually, but not to you, sir.”
“Good.”
“Anything else?”
“Lots of conspiracy theories, but nothing close to the truth.”
Orlov nodded again. His eyes tracked an attractive Parisian woman as she hurried down the street below his office. He turned, sat behind his desk and looked up at Volkov.
“Boris, the loss of Pittman was a major setback to our president’s plan. He was not happy about the loss of the Burns family. Now with the planning and resources spent on Pittman also gone, he is furious.”
Volkov nodded, but did not comment.
“Where is the Algerian?”
“We do not know. He refuses to reveal his location.”
“Understandable. Could he get to Griffin?”
“Doubtful. He is now the most protected man in the world.”
The Russian oligarch responded with a thoughtful nod. “The men who voted against Griffin intrigue me. Since the Algerian is being paid on a standby basis, tell him we need background on these individuals. Our president’s patience has limits. He wants contingency plans made on how we can proceed without Pittman. Maybe there will be one or two individuals disgruntled enough to help us out.”
Another nod from Volkov.
Orlov drummed his fingers on the desk and stared at a blank spot on the wall behind his assistant. “What have you heard from the hacker in Mexico City?”
“We have the information you requested and will proceed when you are ready.”
“Very well, move forward with it.”
With a slight smile, Volkov kept his attention on his boss. “Anything else, sir?”
“Why don’t you plan a trip to the US? It is time to cash in on one of our investments.”
***
“So, what did you find on the three Russians, JR?”
Kruger sat across from JR in the glassed-in conference room. JR smiled and raised a flash drive in response.
“It’s all right here.”
“Give me the executive summary.”
“Our initial premise was correct. They are not legitimate bankers. All are ex-KGB operators who worked for Orlov when he was a section chief. When the KGB disbanded, these three moved over to the SVR while Orlov transitioned to banking.”
“What did they do for the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service?”
“All three worked out of embassies in Western Europe and North America. Mid-level diplomatic work, which gave them the cover they needed. Now they work for Orlov’s banking empire.”
Kruger was silent as he tapped the flash drive on the table. “Are they still considered employed by the SVR?”
JR nodded.
“So, their roles as so-called bankers, that’s a ruse too?”
Another nod.
“How’d you find this?”
“Let’s just say one of them clicked on a link in an email he shouldn’t have.”
Returning to silence, Kruger turned to look out the conference room windows. Now tapping the flash drive on his lips, he said. “Why? Why would Orlov want three SVR agents in constant contact with the Vice President? To me, it would be easy for the CIA, FBI, or anybody to determine who these guys are.”
“One would think so, but they didn’t. Sean, you have to be looking for something to find it. They were businessmen and he was the vice president involved in a boring study group. No one was looking.”
“Apparently.” He paused. “Any hints about Pittman in what you learned?”
“A little. There were a few emails referring to a source deep within the Bryant administration. The source was not named.”
“You think it was Pittman?”
“I don’t analyze data, I just collect it.”
“Bullshit.”
JR chuckled. “Yes, I believe all the data points we have right now point to it being Pittman.”
“I would agree.”
“One other thing, Sean.”
“What?”
“Since Bryant’s death and Roy’s swearing in, email traffic from Orlov’s laptop has increased by a factor of three. I traced one to the Kremlin.”
“Can you read the emails?”
“Most are encrypted, but some aren’t.”
“Can you get into any of those servers?”
JR just smiled.
***
Joseph Kincaid stepped out of Knoll’s Denali and buttoned his suit coat. He was greeted by several Secret Service agents and escorted into the White House. After being shown into the Oval Office, the door closed behind him. President Roy Griffin stood behind the Resolute Desk and smiled.
“Thank you for coming, Joseph.”
“You’re welcome, Mr. President.”
Griffin’s smile turned grim as he stepped out from behind the desk and the two men shook hands.
“Wish it was under better circumstances.”
A nod of Joseph’s head was his response.
“Please, sit down.”
They sat across from each other on the sofas in front of the President’s desk.
“I’m sure you are wondering why I called you all the way to Washington, D.C.”
“I’m sure you will tell me, sir.”
“That’s unnerving, Joseph.”
“What, sir?”
“Calling me sir.”
“Sorry, you are the President.”
Taking a deep breath, Griffin let it out slowly. “Yes, a fact I am struggling to deal with.”
“How can I help?”
“By becoming my National Security Adviser.”
Joseph’s eyes widened and h
e stared at the newly sworn in president. He chose not to say anything immediately.
Griffin continued, “I know I asked you to head up your old team again, but that was before current circumstances changed. I need your insight and experience. Plus, I trust you.”
“I’m honored, Mr. President.”
“Then your answer is yes?”
Another deep breath.
“I don’t know, sir. Mary and I…” He paused and looked out the window behind the president’s desk.
“I understand your hesitation, Joseph. Trust me, I understand. But I need someone with your experience, plus, you won’t have a hidden agenda to cloud your judgment.”
“I just don’t know, sir.”
“What if you agree to the position for at least a year? Help me get my feet on the ground. You and Mary can rent an apartment while you’re here.”
“I’d have to ask her. She left Washington and didn’t look back.”
“Good. Let me know as soon as you can.”
***
“You told him yes, didn’t you, Joseph?”
“No, I wanted to talk to you first.”
“That was sweet, but you can’t tell him no.”
The call was being made on a secure satellite connection from the White House to his place in Christian County.”
“What about our plans?”
“We can wait a year. Besides, this is a wonderful way for you to end a distinguished career, Joseph. Plus, I’ve never been married to a National Security Adviser before.”
Chuckling, Joseph realized he was the only one hesitating about accepting the position. “Will you join me in Washington?”
“Of course. We can plan on being here at our place once a month. The year will go by fast, Joseph.”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Being you.”
Although he couldn’t see it, Mary smiled.
Chapter 12
Springfield, MO
The Next Day.
JR shifted his view from the rightmost screen to the leftmost screen as he finalized a bid for a new client. An instant messaging notation appeared at the lower right-hand corner of his middle computer monitor.
Call for you on line 3
He stood and entered the conference room, shut the door and accepted the call on the Polycom phone on the conference table. “This is JR.”
“Mr. Diminski, my name is Dennis Greene. I’m an attorney with Barnes, Hickman and Holmes. How are you today, sir?”
Frowning, JR shook his head. “What’s this about?”
“Mr. Diminski, we represent a large investment firm that is interested in purchasing your company.”
“It’s not for sale.”
“You haven’t heard their offer yet.”
“No, and to be honest with you, I don’t need to hear it.”
“Sir, they are offering a very generous purchase price and a long-term retainer for your services.”
“Okay, I’ll play your game. Tell me.”
Dennis Greene told him.
JR was silent for a few moments. Finally, he shook his head. “Mr. Greene, that’s very generous, but this is an unsolicited phone call. I have no idea if you are who you say you are, or if this is even a legitimate offer.”
“I understand, Mr. Diminski. With your permission, a certified letter will be sent with the details. At that time, you can have your own attorney contact our office and review the offer. Once you attorney is satisfied, you can get back to us. Is that agreeable?”
“You can send the letter. Whether it is agreeable isn’t part of the discussion right now.”
“Very well. I’ll follow up with you in a few days. Good day, sir.”
***
“What does Mia think?”
JR frowned and looked at his friend. “She says it’s up to me, but thinks if the offer is legitimate, we should look at it very closely.”
The two friends sat on Kruger’s back deck enjoying a beer and discussing the events of the morning.
“Wise counsel,” Kruger grinned. “It is your company, JR. You built it from scratch and now…”
“I know.”
“What do you want to do?”
“I don’t know. Part of me wants to sell and the other part is worried about my clients and the employees. What happens to them?”
Kruger smiled and sipped his beer.
JR stood, walked to the railing of the deck and leaned against it as he looked out over Kruger’s treed backyard.
“The incident in New York City keeps me thinking about how much it hurt the employees when Tony sold the company. I don’t want to do that.”
“But…”
“Yeah, there is that.”
“Are you tired of running the company?”
“No…” There was silence. “Maybe.” He studied the grain on the hand rail. “I enjoy the coding and problem solving.”
“Go on.”
“I don’t like the minutia of managing cash flow, dealing with employee issues, sales budgets, or the constant stress of having to increase business each quarter.”
“I thought that was what Jodi did?”
“It is, but she feels I need to be involved. Besides, I never get to do the things I like to do anymore.”
“Such as?”
“Hacking other computers.”
Kruger laughed out loud.
“Don’t laugh. It’s saved your butt several times.”
Covering his grin, Kruger stifled another guffaw. “Sorry. Yes, it has and I appreciate your talent. However, I didn’t know that was your favorite pastime.”
“It isn’t, but…”
“You enjoy it.”
JR nodded.
“Do you think you could get a guarantee about your clients and employees?”
“It will mean exactly zilch. My clients are independent. Some will stay, others will get pissed at me for selling and find another company to work with. Same with everyone who works for the company. Some will stay, others will move on. The essences of the company will change and become something unrecognizable.”
“Little high on yourself, aren’t you?”
“Nope, it’s just the way it works.”
Kruger nodded. “So, what are you going to do?”
JR was quiet.
A thought occurred to Kruger and he stiffened. Standing, he walked to a position next to JR and leaned on the wood railing.
“How many offers have you received for your company over the years?” he asked slowly.
“I don’t know, several, why?”
“Were they worth pursuing?”
“Nope.”
“Why now?”
Frowning, JR turned to stare at Kruger.
“What do you mean, why now?”
“Just what I said, why now? If you’ve never had a lucrative deal until now, why?”
His attention did not divert from his friend, who stared out over the yard. After a few moments, JR smiled slightly. “Yeah, why now?”
“What do you know about the company trying to buy you?”
“Not enough. Looks like I need to get on a computer.”
***
It was mid-morning the next day before Kruger saw JR again. He was busy at his cubicle as the Keurig pressed water through a coffee pod into Kruger’s cup. He turned to JR, who had not acknowledged his presence. “Any luck?”
Silence was his answer for about five seconds.
“Maybe. You were right to ask the question of why now.”
Remaining quiet, Kruger sipped his coffee.
JR turned to look up at the FBI agent and said, “It’s a large holding company that owns numerous IT companies in Europe, the Middle-East, China and a few in the US.”
“Okay, no law against it.”
“No, there isn’t.” He paused for a few seconds. “It’s the same holding company that owns the anti-virus and internet security firm known as Kaspersky Labs. Ever hear of them?”
/> Nodding, Kruger sipped his coffee. “Yeah, the name sounds familiar. What about them?”
“Kaspersky is based in Moscow.”
“Oh boy.”
“Yup. Homeland Security banned the use of Kaspersky products on any government computer in September of 2017.”
“Huh.”
“I’ve always been aware of the company, just didn’t need any of their products.”
Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, Kruger hesitated before he commented. “We both know I don’t believe in coincidences. Do you think this could be one?”
JR’s response was a deep breath and a hard stare at Kruger.
“Okay, JR, let’s assume it’s not a coincidence. That raises two questions. How did they know about you and your company? And, secondly, how did they know you are involved in our investigation?”
JR shook his head. “I don’t know and I don’t like it.”
***
Joseph sat quietly as JR and Kruger summarized the events of the previous day and their discussion of the morning. He sat quietly keeping his comments to himself until they completed the story. When they finished, he gave JR a slight smile and said, “Don’t sell the company, JR. Turn down their offer. Simple.”
“That’s not the point, Joseph. How did they know about me?”
“JR, your company has clients in all fifty states and a few in the UK, if I remember correctly.”
“Yeah.”
“It’s profitable and therefore becomes a target for investment companies. I don’t see anything sinister with the offer.”
“What about the Kaspersky Labs connection?” Kruger asked.
“What about it? The holding company is based in the UK. That’s probably how they found out about your company, JR.”
Silence fell over the conference room. JR studied his coffee mug as he turned it clockwise and then counter-clockwise.
“Put that way, my initial paranoia about the offer seems silly, he said.”
Joseph shook his head. “Skepticism is healthy, don’t stop asking questions.” He took a sip of his coffee. “What are you going to do, JR?”
“Mia and I discussed it last night. She agrees with you, don’t sell. So, we decided to reorganize into an employee stock ownership plan, my attorney called it an ESOP. That way if something happens to me, the employees aren’t hurt. Plus, it gives everyone an incentive to keep the company profitable.”