The Caliphate, André Gallo [best books to read ever .TXT] 📗

knew that he was in danger, why didn’t you take action to warn him and get him out?”

     He slapped his hand on the conference table with restrained anger.

    “We didn’t have those messages until after the fact, unfortunately,” LaFont said, shaking her hear. “Sorting and translating and then figuring out where the information should be sent took the National Security Agency a bit too long to make it actionable. Further, we didn’t know who the messages were about either, until you told us what was going on Marshall.”

     “When will the NSA understand that its information is not just for the historical record?” he asked.

    LaFont nodded in sympathy and turned to Steve.

     “I hope you don’t mind, we’ve already talked to your boss at West Gate. He said that he would reluctantly lend you to us, but he wants you back. Sounds like he’s got you on the fast track.”

     Mel, who had been silenced earlier, came back to the charge.

     “Before we let you go overseas on our behalf, you need to be medically cleared. We’ll sign you up for a full physical next week. Secondly, I don’t know what it’s like in the private sector, Steve, but here you’ll have to keep a tight record of all the expenses you expect to get reimbursed. And we’ll need receipts. We’ll buy your flight tickets, of course. We’ll get cheaper government fares.”

     Steve thought he was in the presence of a frustrated accountant. “Mel—it is Mel isn’t it? I admit that I’m new at this, but right now I think it’s more important that I … that we … focus on the actual mission.”

     Marshall looked at Steve then at LaFont and said, “Welcome to the government, Steve. For the privilege of taking risks on behalf of your country, you get to spend more time filling in forms than you do on actual operations.”

     Turning to LaFont, Marshall continued, “But since Mel brings up the issue of money, keep in mind that Steve, if he agrees to do this, will continue to be paid by West Gate since you’ve already made the arrangement. He won’t be paid by the Agency. In other words, you’re getting a freebie, so…”

     LaFont frowned at Mel.

     “Of course, and we appreciate it. I agree. We’ll minimize the paperwork.”

    Mel frowned back and said, “I only thought that since Steve’s new to the government he should know the rules.”

     LaFont looked at her watch and got up to leave.

     “Steve, thank you for your willingness to help us. I suggest that the next step is to train you on basic tradecraft, especially agent assessment, reporting, and show you what we’ve got on your new best friend al Khalil.”

     She left the room and they laid out a training program for Steve. As they were leaving the CIA’s Langley campus, Steve asked his father, “What’s with this Mel? I’ve met a lot of your CIA friends. She’s not like them.”

     “No, she’s not. The Agency is so thin that it’s taking people like her with no overseas experience in order to staff the desks. I heard she comes from HR and spent some time with the Recruitment Center. She’s obviously big on process.”

     Steve laughed.

     “If people like Mel are the face of the CIA with new applicants, the Agency has more problems than I thought.” Left unsaid were internal warning signals that he was entering a situation with more rules and oversight than he wanted.

15. CIA Safe House, Virginia

That evening, Marshall drove Steve to the safe house out in the countryside where he would live during his brief training period. They soon got off the highway and drove across familiar rolling hills. Although it was dusk, Steve could make out the large estates and forested properties.

     The training safe house turned out to be a comfortable six-bedroom structure on twenty wooded acres. An unobtrusive fence surrounded the property. In the front, the white cross-buck fence was the same type used by the horse farms in the area. The front gate was a simple white wooden pole with a counterweight dropped across the entrance road to bar vehicular access. It was controlled remotely by the authorized visitor or by security from inside the grounds.

     “The periphery of the property is guarded by concealed sensors and cameras monitored from a separate building recessed just inside the tree line,” Marshall said. “The office of security normally keeps a unit of guard dogs on the grounds. I want to remind you of a couple of things that you already know, which may come up early in the training. First, remember that the CIA is not part of law enforcement. It doesn’t have the power to arrest and doesn’t fall under the Department of Justice. Also, an ‘agent’ in CIA parlance is a foreign national recruited to steal secrets for an intelligence officer. The media still uses the FBI meaning of the word to describe the FBI staff officer who investigates and makes the arrests.”

     They turned into the driveway as Steve said, “Don’t worry Dad, I won’t embarrass you.”

     Inside, Steve resented his father’s assumption that the talk was necessary.

***

After a week during which Steve had been introduced to basic tradecraft topics such as the spotting, assessing and developing of potential agents, Marshall dropped by after dinner as Steve was going through French language cards, French on one side, English on the other.

     “Sorry to interrupt you. I thought I’d come over and see how you’re doing, whether you need anything since you’re not allowed to leave.”

     “I guess these French irregular verbs will just have to wait,” Steve said, putting his cards aside.

     Marshall moved some books off a chair and sat down.

     “I have something to ask you. You know