Chapter 22

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

“Jaed - if that is his picture - is not in the immigration system anywhere. The only place we found a likeness is in the secret file that Mossad gave us months ago. He was suspected of being a spy and operative for Iran in Syria,” Robert said.

“Why am I not surprised?” I said.

“There is one thing that may interest you that was posted today for about four minutes. We did a screen copy before it was taken down,” Robert said.

I looked at the document and realized what it was immediately, even though it was written in Arabic. Somehow someone - either General Kedar or Tiam - had inadvertently posted Kedar’s travel itinerary for the next 60 days.

I wondered if it was the real thing or posted as a trap or way to see if their system had been hacked. For now we would just try to verify his travels to see if they matched.

In another post to Jaed he was told there were no more ingredients available to him and they could not get more to him by the deadline. He was to complete his assignment and let nothing interfere.

That was one post I was glad to read.

After an update on the rest of today’s important intercepts, I joined the girls for their meeting.

“The first C5 is on its way to Turkey for the Air Force. It is stopping off in Portugal to drop off the eight Suburbans for your visit there. The second flight leaves on Monday and will carry the four helicopters, pilots and part of the ops team for your visit on Wednesday,” Lorrie said.

“Thad Jennings has the keys and information for the hangar. I had to rent it for three months. That should be long enough for them to decide if they want a security contract; if not, then time enough for us to get the equipment out,” Marcy said.

I agreed with that opinion as we looked over the information Andy had put together from Prime Minister Aleixo Cordeiro. Counting himself and the vice prime minister, there were a total of ten persons who wanted 24/7 protection, including their homes.

Andy was going with us because there was a lot to evaluate on the residential part of the contract. Biff Leland had replaced Bill and was also going.

It was down to the gym for a while then supper and little boys. I even got to hold the two new little ones for an extended period of time.

We were getting ready bed when the duty man called from EIT, “Make sure you stop by in the morning before your trip to Washington. There are some reports you may want to take with you,” he said.

At 0730 I was speed reading the two reports with Vicky waiting for Robert to come in for the day.

Tiam was pushing for pictures of the completed bikes and pictures of the water park. The general wanted to pick locations or else was just plain nosey - I was willing to bet on ‘nosey’.

The Mossad folder on the general was to be delivered today and I was going to pressure the CIA and General Ingram for anything they had on him.

Vicky went to deal with embassy things and I rode to Washington.

The media was waiting at the fence and there were more than usual. They were yelling questions and insults along with a few threats. The White House had not given a real answer to explain the actions that I took and I was not going to either.

The first hour was with Ben and the committee. We had just finished our meeting when the IRS courier delivered the first business employee list from Harrisburg. The agents were going to be busy a while. Bobbie sent a copy to Robert for a more thorough search than the committee would do.

At 1000 Andrew, Anne and I spent another hour reviewing other work essential to their new positions. At 1100 I went to the cafeteria for an early lunch.

Troy came in and quietly said, “You should bring your lunch to the Oval Office; we need a couple of answers.”

The news was on the TV and the reporter was interviewing a senator who was ranting about the IRS’s sudden change in policy about collections without consulting Congress.

“You would not know anything about that change in policy, would you?” the President asked.

“Sure would, I cleaned off the desk; you know how I hate a cluttered desk. It was there in a stack of papers that I signed. I signed the first one hundred enforcement actions and I’m going to sign one hundred more today.”

“There is almost one trillion dollars in delinquent payments over the one hundred thousand dollar mark; some are twenty years old. I thought the treasury could use it and I gave orders to start collecting it,” I added.

“You did tell me to keep the agency on its toes and not to let the agency get complacent,” I said.

“That is true but I am not sure we wanted you to be that aggressive right off the bat,” Troy said.