Terminal Compromise - Winn Schwartau (fiction book recommendations TXT) 📗
- Author: Winn Schwartau
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“I guess I wasn’t as right as I usually am,” he snickered.
Templer followed suit. “How many did you get?”
“How many are there?”
“That would be telling,” Alex said coyly.
“I assume, then, that you would be averse to helping us out of
our current dilemma.” Being friends with potential adversaries
made this part of the job all the more difficult.
“Well,” Alex said turning his head toward Martin. “I guess I
could be talked into one more job, just one, if the price was
right.”
Templer shook his head. “That’s not the right answer.”
Alex was taken off guard by the sullenness in Martin’s voice.
“Right answer? There are no right and wrongs in our business.
Only shades of gray. You know that. We ride a fence, and the
winds blow back and forth. It’s not personal.”
Martin straightened up and put both hands deep into the pockets
of his London Fog. “Among the professionals, yes. But Sir
George and his cronies, and you by default, broke the rules.
Civilians are off limits. We were hoping that you would want to
help.”
Alex ignored the second request. “I won’t do it again. I prom-
ise,” he said haughtily.
“Is there anything I can say that will make you reconsider?
Anything at all?” Martin implored.
“No,” Alex said. “Unless we can discuss an equitable arrange-
ment.”
Martin took his hands out of his pockets and said, “I don’t think
that will work. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?”
Martin quickly moved his right hand up to Alex’s neck and touched
it briefly. Alex reached up and slapped his neck as terror
overtook his face. He grabbed Martin’s arm and twisted it with
his free hand to expose a small needle tipped dart projecting
from a ring on one finger. Templer wrested his arm free from
Alex’s weakening clutch and tore off the ring, tossing it away
from the Tower.
Alex weakened further as he leaned both hands on the railing to
steady himself. His mouth gaped wide, intense fear and utter
disbelief competing for control of his facial muscles. Martin
ignored his collapsing adversary and walked deliberately to the
open elevator which provided escape down to street level. Before
the doors had closed, Templer saw a crowd converge over the
crumpled body of Alexander Spiradon.
Martin Templer crossed the Seine and performed evasive maneuvers
to make sure he was not being followed. The cleansing process
took about three hours. He flagged down a taxi and the most
uncooperative driver refused to acknowledge he understood that
the destination was the American Embassy on Gabriel. Only when
Templer flashed a 100 Franc note did the driver’s English im-
prove.
Templer showed his CIA credentials to the Marine Sergeant at the
security desk, and told him he needed access to a secure communi-
cations channel to Washington.
After his identity was verified, Templer was permitted to send
his message. It was electronically addressed to his superiors at
CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.
PLATO COULDN’T COME OUT AND PLAY. UNFORTUNATE STROKE INTERRUPTED THE INTERVIEW. Chapter 30 Monday, March 22 National Security AgencyHe had two separate offices, each with a unique character. One
ultra modern and sleek, the other befitting a country gentleman.
The two were connected by a large anteroom that also provided
immediate access and departure by a private elevator and escape
stairs. He could hold two meetings at once as was occasionally
required in his position as DIRNSA, Director, National Security
Agency. Each office had its own secretary and private entrance,
selected for use depending upon whom was expected.
The meeting in the nouveau office was winding down to a close and
the conversation had been reduced to friendly banter. Marvin
Jacobs had brought in three of his senior advisors who were
coordinating the massive analytical computing power of the NSA
with the extraordinary volume of raw data that all of the 5ESS
switches downloaded daily.
Since they had been assigned to assist the FBI, the NSA had been
hunting down the locations of the potential conspirators with the
assistance of the seven Baby Bells and Bell Laboratories in
Princeton, New Jersey. The gargantuan task was delicately bal-
ancing a fine line between chaos and stagnancy; legality and
amorality.
As they spoke, Jacobs heard a tone emit from his computer and he
noticed that Office-2 had a Priority Visitor.
“Gentlemen,” Marvin Jacobs said as he stood. “It seems that my
presence is required for a small matter. Would you mind enter-
taining yourselves for a few minutes?” His solicitous nature and
political clout demanded that his visitors agree without hesita-
tion.
He walked over to a door by the floor to ceiling bookshelf and
let himself in, through the gracious ante-room by the commode and
into his heavy wood and leather office. He immediately saw the
reason for the urgency.
“Miles, Miles Foster, my boy! How are you?” Marvin Jacobs
walked straight to Miles, vigorously shook his hand and gave him
a big friendly bear hug.
Miles smiled from ear to ear. “It’s been cold out there. Glad
to be home.” He looked around the room and nodded appreciative-
ly. “You’ve been decorating again.”
“Twice. You haven’t been in this office for, what is it, five
years?” Jacobs held Miles by the shoulders. “My God it’s good
to see you. You don’t look any the worse for wear.”
“I had a great boss, treated me real nice,” Miles said.
“Come here, sit down,” Marvin said ushering Miles over to a
thickly padded couch. “If you don’t already know it, this coun-
try owes you a debt of thanks.”
“I know,” Miles said, even though he had been paid over three
million dollars by Homosoto.
“A drink, son?” At fifty-five, the red faced paunch bellied
Jacobs looked old enough to be Miles’ father, even though they
were only fifteen years apart.
“Glenfiddich on the rocks.” Miles felt comfortable. Totally
comfortable and in control of the situation.
“Done.” DIRNSA Jacobs pressed a button which caused a hidden bar
to be exposed from a mirror paneled wall. The James Bondish
tricks amused Miles. “Excuse me,” he said to Miles. “Let me get
rid of my other appointments.” Jacobs handed Miles the drink and
leaned over his desk speaking into telephone. “Uh, Miss Gree-
ley, cancel my dates for the rest of the day, would you please?”
“Of course, sir.” The thin female voice came across the speaker
phone clearly.
“And my regrets to the gentlemen in One.”
“Yessir.” The intercom audibly clicked off.
“So,” Marvin asked, “how does it feel to be both the goat and the
hero?”
“Hey, I fixed it, just like we planned, didn’t I?” Miles said
arrogantly, but his deep dimples said he was joking. “I remember
everything you taught me,” he bragged. “Lesson One: If you
really want to fix something, first you gotta fuck it up so bad
everyone takes notice. Well, how’d I do?” Miles still grinned,
his dimples radiating a star pattern across his cheeks. Jacobs
approved whole heartedly.
“You were a natural. From day one.”
“Homosoto thought that fuck-it to fix-it was entirely too weird
at first, so I quit calling it that.” Miles fondly remembered
those early conversations. “As you said, it takes a disaster to
motivate Americans, and we gave them one.”
“I’m glad you see it that way,” Marvin said obligingly. “It
occurred to me that you might have gotten soft on me.”
“Not a chance.” Miles countered. “How many men get to lead
armies, first of all. And I may be the first, ever, to lead an
invasion of my own country with my government’s approval. This
was a sanctioned global video game. I should thank you for the
opportunity.”
“That’s a hell of a way to look at it, my boy. You show a lot of
courage.” Marvin drank to Miles’ health. “It takes men of
courage to run a country, and that’s what we do; run the
country.” Miles had heard many of Marvin’s considerable and
conservative speeches before, but this one was new. After over
five years, that was to be expected.
“It doesn’t make a damn bit of difference who the President is.
The Government stays the same regardless of who’s elected every 4
years.” Marvin continued as Miles listened reverently.
“The American public thinks that politicians run the country;
they think that they vote for the people who make the policies,
who set the tone of the government, but they are so wrong. So
wrong.” Marvin shook his head side to side. “And it’s probably
just as well that they never find out for sure.” He held Miles’
attention. Marv walked
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