Terminal Compromise - Winn Schwartau (fiction book recommendations TXT) 📗

class="calibre1">“Well,” he agreed. “It might prove embarrassing. I thought my

intentions were honorable.”

“Bull. Neither are mine.” She arched her back and patted the

towel again.

“Fuck it,” he said laughingly as he dropped his bathing suit and

dropped quickly, facedown next to Sonja. “Ouch!” He yelled

louder than the hurt was worth. “I hate it when that happens,”

he said checking to make sure that the pieces were still intact.

They spent the next two days exploring Half Moon Bay, the lush

green hills behind the resort and each other. Scott forgot about

work, forgot about the hackers, forgot about Tyrone. He never

thought about Kirk, Spook, or any of the blackmail schemes he was

so caught up in investigating. And, he forgot, at least tempo-

rarily about the incident with Pierre. The world consisted of

only two people, mutually radiating a glow flush with passion;

retreating into each other so totally that no imaginable distrac-

tion could disturb their urgings.

They slept no more than an hour all Saturday night, “I told you I

wanted to thank you for tomorrow night!” she said. They made it

to the water’s edge early Sunday morning. Scott’s body was

redder in some places than it had ever been, and Sonja’s tan line

all but disappeared. They both knew that the fantasy was going to

be over in the morning, a 7:00 AM flight back to reality, but

neither spoke of it. The Here and Now was the only reality that

they wanted to face.

“I’m impressed,” Sonja said turning to face Scott on the beach

towel. No matter in which direction she turned, her body stood

tall and firm.

“Impressed, with what?” Scott giggled.

“I had two days to loosen you up before you went back to that big

bad city. I’m ahead of schedule.”

“What schedule?”

“Scott, we need to talk.” Sonja reached over and touched Scott’s

shoulder. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her magnificent nude

figure. “Did you ever work on something, for a very long time;

really get yourself involved, dedicated, and then find out in was

all for the wrong reasons? That’s how I feel now.”

* Saturday, January 10

It is not uncommon for the day employees at the CIA in Langley to

arrive at their desks before 6:00 AM. Even on a Saturday. Today,

Martin Templer arrived early to prepare for an update meeting

with the director. Nothing special, just the weekly report. He

found that he could get more done early in the morning. He

enjoyed the time alone in his quiet office so he could complete

the report without constant interruption. Not fifteen minutes

into his report, his phone rang. Damn, he thought, it’s starting

already.

“Yeah?” Templer said gruffly into the mouthpiece.

“Martin?”

“Yeah, who’s this?”

“Alex.”

Templer had almost forgotten about their meeting. “Will small

wonders never cease. Where have you been?”

“Still in Europe. I’ve been looking for some answers as we dis-

cussed.”

“Great! What have you got?” Templer grabbed a legal pad.

“Nothing,” Alex said with finality. “Nothing. Nobody knows of

any such operation, not even a hint.” Alex had mastered the art

of lying twenty years ago. “But I’ll tell you,” he added, “I

think that you may be on to something.”

“If there’s nothing, how can there be something?” asked Martin

Templer.

This was Alex’s opportunity to throw the CIA further off the

track. Since he and Martin were friends, as much as is possible

in this line of work, Alex counted on being believed, at least

for a while. “Everybody denies any activity and that in itself

is unusual. Even if nothing is happening, enough of the snitches

on the street will claim to be involved to bolster their own

credibility. However, my friend, I doubt a handful even know

about your radiation, but it has gotten a lot of people thinking.

I get the feeling that if they didn’t know about your problems,

they will soon enough. I wish I could be of further help, but it

was all dead ends.”

“I understand. It happens; besides it was a long shot,” Martin

sighed. “Do me a favor, and keep your eyes and ears open.”

“I will, and this one is on the house,” said Alex.

After he hung up something struck Martin as terribly wrong. In

twenty years Alex had never, ever, done anything for free. Being

a true mercenary, it wasn’t in his character to offer assistance

to anyone without sufficient motivation, and that meant money.

Martin noted the event, and reminded himself to include that in

his report to the Director.

*

The television coverage of the Senate hearings left Taki Homosoto

with radically different emotions. He had to deal with them both

immediately.

DIALING . . . <<<<<>>>>>

I AM NOT PLEASED.

Ahmed Shah heard his communications computer beep at him. He

pushed the joystick control on his wheelchair and steered over to

read Homosoto’s message.

Greetings

THAT WAS A MOST SLOPPY JOB.

Some things cannot be helped.

WHY IS HE NOT DEAD?

It was a difficult hit.

IS THAT WHAT YOU TELL ARAFAT WHEN YOU MISS?

I do not work for Arafat.

YOUR MAN IS ALIVE TOO.

Yes, fortunately.

NO, THAT IS UNFORTUNATE. ELIMINATE HIM. AND MAKE SURE THAT

TROUBLEAUX IS TAKEN CARE OF. HE MUST NOT SPEAK TO ANYONE.

He is in a coma.

PEOPLE WAKE UP. I DO NOT WANT HIM TO WAKE UP.

It will be done. I promise you.

I DO NOT WANT PROMISES. I WANT THEM BOTH DEAD. TROUBLEAUX MUST

NOT BE PERMITTED TO SPEAK TO ANYONE. IS THAT CLEAR?

Yes, it will be done.

FOR YOUR SAKE I HOPE SO. I DO NOT TOLERATE SLOPPINESS.

<<<<<>>>>>

Homosoto dialed his computer again, to a number inside Germany.

The encryption and privacy keys were automatically set before

Alex Spiradon’s computer answered. To Homosoto’s surprise, Alex

was there.

MR ALEX.

Yes.

CONGRATULATIONS. RICKFIELD IS BEING MOST COOPERATIVE.

He has many reasons to.

MILLIONS OF REASONS.

We merely gave him the incentive to cooperate. I do not expect

that he will maintain his position for very long.

YOUR HANDLING OF HIM HAS BEEN EXCELLENT. I HAVE NOT SEEN A U.S.

NEWSPAPER. HOW DO THEY REACT TO HIS COMMITTEE?

He took a small beating from a couple of papers, but nothing

damaging. It’s the way Washington works.

WHO IS SENATOR DEERE? SHE COULD PRESENT A PROBLEM.

I don’t think so. Between her and Rickfield, the sum total will

be a big zero. There will be confusion and dissension. I think

it works in our favor.

I WILL FOLLOW THE PROGRESS WITH INTEREST. WHEN ARE THE HEARINGS

TO CONTINUE?

Next week. One other thing. You asked that I get to Scott.

Consider it done. You found a most attractive weakness and he

succumbed instantly. But, I should say, I don’t think it was

necessary. He is doing fine on his own.

I THINK IT IS NECESSARY. IT IS DONE?

We have a conduit.

KEEP THE PIPELINE FULL.

<<<<<>>>>> * Sunday, January 10 New York City Times What’s wrong with Ford? by Scott Mason

Ford is facing the worst public relations disaster for an automo-

bile manufacturer since the Audi acceleration problem made inter-

national news.

Last month in Los Angeles alone, over 1200 Ford Taurus and Mer-

cury Sable cars experienced a total breakdown of the electrical

system. Radios as well as anti-skid braking controls and all

other computer controlled functions in the automobiles ceased

working.

To date, no deaths have been attributed to the car’s epidemic

failures.

Due to the notoriety and questions regarding the safety of the

cars, sales of Taurus’s have plummeted by almost 80%. Unlike the

similar Audi situation where the alleged problem was found in

only a few isolated cases, the Taurus failures have been wide-

spread and catastrophically sudden.

According to Ford, “There has never been a problem with the

Taurus electronics’ system. We are examining all possibilities

in determining the real cause of the apparant failures.”

What else can Ford say?

* Chrysler Struck by Ford Failures by Scott Mason

Chrysler cars and mini-vans have been experiencing sudden elec-

trical malfunctions . . .

* Mercedes Electrical Systems Follow Ford by Scott Mason

Mercedes owners have already organized a legal entity to force

the manufacturer to find answers as to why so many Mercedes are

having sudden electrical failures. Following in the footsteps of

Ford and Chrysler, this is the first time that Mercedes has not

issued an immediate ‘Fix’ to its dealer. Three deaths were

reported when . . .

Sunday January 10 National Security Agency

“What do you make of this Mason piece?”

“I’d like to know where the hell he gets his information,” said

the aide. “That’s what I make of it.”

“Someone’s obviously leaking it to him,” Marvin Jacobs, Director

of the National Security Agency, said to his senior aid. “Some-

one with access to a