Chapter 27

On the way to the Legg Mason bldg.

Mike, Rodderick, and John sat in the back of the Blackhawk helicopter and talked amongst themselves as they flew across the landscape. They were all watching Trisha as she scowled at the controls of the bird. The three men all had smiles on their faces as they watched her curse when she had to correct something.

“I hope you assholes are enjoying yourselves.” Trisha said through the bird’s internal coms.

“We are actually.” John said with a small chuckle. “It’s not every day that you get to see a master aviator get pissed off at having to fly something she’s not familiar with.”

“I keep up my rating, and I’m plenty familiar with a Blackhawk. That’s not the problem here. The people that work on this bird are either lazy or incompetent. The throttle is almost completely worn out, the peddles are so far out of adjustment that I’m amazed this shitbox will even turn.” Trisha told him.

“Sounds to me like she’s making excuses...” Rodderick said.

“My goddess like image of you has taken a big hit Trish. I thought you could fly anything.” Mike told her.

“I think we’re going to have to re-evaluate her qualifications to fly for us if she’s...” John started saying. Suddenly the helicopter jerked and dropped. The men grabbed on to anything they could find. The three of them looked outside and all around the cabin, and then saw Trisha looking back at them with an evil smile on her face.

“I forgot to mention that the collective lever is really loose as well...” She said turning back to flying.

Rodderick started to laugh the same time John did. Mike smiled and shook his head.

About that time, a voice came over the radio. “Yankee tango 6-1-3, this is DC flight control. We just noticed a slight drop in altitude. Everything ok?” the Air Traffic controller asked.

“Roger DC Control...” Trisha smirked and looked back at John again. “We had a small issue with cargo shifting, but we’re ok. The crew chief is fixing the problem.”

“Good copy 6-1-3. DC Control out.”

The men all looked at each other and then all put their arms up and started to bow repeatedly. “We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy!” they started repeating.

“I know you’re not...” Trisha said with a small giggle in her voice. They flew on for a few minutes before Trisha broke the silence. “Hey John, I wanted to ask you something if I could.”

“Sure...”

“I’ve seen pictures of your Harley. Would your Street Glide fit a 5’7 woman?” she asked.

“Absolutely it would. Monica is 5’7 and she rides it with no problem. You thinking about getting one?” John asked her.

“It’s a toss-up between that or an Indian Chief. I like’em both.” Trisha told him.

“I like the new Indian bikes. If they had been available when I bought my Street Glide, I probably would have gotten one of those instead. They cost a bit less, and they’re more ergonomic for the rider in my opinion.” John told her.

“That’s a bold statement coming from you. Last time we talked about it, you said you were Harley for life.” Mike told him.

John shrugged his shoulders. “THEN, I was. But I’m man enough to admit when there’s a better option available to a new rider. Besides, about 20% of the cost of a Harley is its name. The new heads I bought last year were more than two THOUSAND dollars. The ones for my 72 Camaro were cheaper.”

“This is why I have a Ducati and an extended warranty.” Rodderick told him.

“You mean you have a Honda?” John asked.

“No, I have a Ducati Multistrada.” He replied.

“Since 70% of the parts for Ducati come from Japan, Korea, or China ... They scratched out Honda and wrote Ducati on the tank.” John said with a smirk. Mike started to laugh.

“Sorry to do it guys, GPS puts us at five minutes to target.” Trisha told them. She watched as Mike and Rodderick took their headsets off and started getting ready to fast rope to the building.

John moved to one side of the bird and double checked the rope. Grabbing the snap links, he pulled them both, checked the safety pins, and then looked at the knots.

Rodderick was checking the rope to make sure that it was coiled properly, and they’d have no knots when they slid down it. He turned to look at John and gave him a thumbs up. John returned it and both him and Mike pulled their gloves on and got ready to slide. John turned to look at Trisha. “Two minutes...” he heard her say over the intercom.

“Two minutes...” John told them holding up two fingers. He watched as Mike and Rodderick sat in the door of the Blackhawk and prepared to deploy their fast ropes. John was watching through the canopy as the Legg Mason building came into sight.

Trisha slowed her approach and spoke into the intercom. “Stupid shitbox ... Thirty seconds.” She said with a frustrated tone.

John started to laugh as he yelled “Get Ready!” to the other two men. Mike leaned out and grabbed the rope as John stood ready to push it out. He felt the Blackhawk flare and come to an almost complete stop and then he pushed.

Mike was on his way down as the rope fell and Rodderick was a second behind him. John leaned out to watch them land. He got the thumbs up and told Trisha. Trisha pushed the throttle and the bird started moving forward again. When it was over the street, john pulled the release on the rope, and it fell to the roadway where Angus and Simone would police it up as they waited for Mike and Rodderick to come out of the building.

THE STREET BELOW

Simone and Angus were sitting on International Drive next to the Legg Mason building. They had found a spot that had very little lighting but close enough where Angus could still piggyback on one of the internet signals from the building. They were both watching as the fast rope fell from the Blackhawk. When it was on the ground, they ran out, coiled it up, and put it in the back of the Yukon SUV they were driving.

“This is Tower, Radio check.” They both heard Rodderick say over comms.

“Ground has you Lima Charlie. Your body cams are coming in crystal clear. How’s it looking up there?” Angus asked.

“There’s lots of cable conduit and even more what appear to be satellite uplinks. There’s a metric buttload of Dish and Direct TV equipment up here.” Mike told him.

“Forget about that crap. The optical boxes should be roughly 4 inches tall, 8 inches wide, and about 10 inches deep, or something like it. It’ll have a pair of lenses like an old school police radar gun. There should be a cluster of two or four. They’ll be sitting up taller than the building’s edge, so they’ll have an open view of the skyline for clear transmission. Look for a pole or platform and a cluster of devices that fit that description.” Angus told him.

“You’re sure about the description and dimensions, Angus?” Rodderick asked.

“There’s different sizes and different styles, but my gut tells me that they’ll want it to look natural and not stand out.”

“Good copy...” Mike told him.

“How do you know all this stuff Angus?” Simone asked.

“I won’t admit to this, but there’s a decent chance that I’m not in complete retirement in Fiji.” He said with some pride in his voice.

“I knew you’d get bored sooner or later.” Mike said to him.

“I didn’t get bored, so much as I missed the tangible benefits of people owing you favors.” Angus explained. “I did some work for a South Korean steel manufacturer a couple of years ago and this sort of thing came up.” He said with a grin but not looking away from the laptop.

“What does Joanne think about that?” Mike asked.

“She handles the contracts and payment, so she’s fine with it. Not to mention it keeps her in Luli Fama and Versace bikinis and sarongs.” Angus replied.

“How many people owe you favors?” Rodderick asked.

“More than a few security agencies and contractors, NGOs, and defense companies.” He replied. “Rodderick, stop. Move to your left about four feet ... Angus told him.

TOP OF THE BUILDING

“There’s a conduit that runs into the roof of the building from what looks like a control box.” Rodderick said as he knelt.

“Is there a data port or USB jack on the box?” Angus asked.

Mike had joined him and was looking at the other side of the box. “Yeah, USB port ... I’m plugging the data connector in now.” He took out a small battery powered relay and plugged it in and waited. “Green lights Angus, go ahead...”

Rodderick stood up and looked at another conduit and then back at the Optical data box. “Mike, take a look at this quick...” He asked. Mike came over and knelt. “Does this look like the same people did the work on this conduit as the others on the roof?” Rodderick asked.

“No, it doesn’t. Get some pictures and then we’ll get out of here.” Mike told him. “Angus, did you get what they have on the server?”

“Yeah, I got it all. You can exfil whenever you’re ready. I deactivated all the motion sensors and cameras, you’re clear.” He replied.

“Roger, we’re on the way out.” Mike said as he grabbed the relay connection. Rodderick was already at the door picking the lock. They got to the top floor and were getting ready to move down the stairwell to the ground floor when it suddenly opened, and they were faced with General Richard Jumper.

“Who are...” Were all the words he got out of his mouth before Rodderick hit him in the mouth with an elbow strike. Jumper fell to the floor unconscious.

Mike rushed to flip him over and zip tie his hands behind his back as Rodderick investigated the stairwell to see if anyone else was with him. “What are the fuckin odds?”

“I’m buying a lottery ticket tomorrow morning... “Rodderick paused for a moment and the spoke again. “Mike, we do NOT need to get pulled over with a three-star general tied up and unconscious in the back of our vehicle.”

“Wait, repeat that!” Simone said to him excitedly.

“We have Jumper unconscious at our feet.” Rodderick told her. “We’re trussing him up and moving to the roof. We need the bird back here ASAP.”

“Ground, call higher and let them know the development and ask for guidance.” Mike asked.

“Roger...” They heard Angus say.

Less than 5 seconds later, they heard Trisha’s voice over the radio. “Tower, this is Bird, we’re enroute ... ETA two minutes ... if I can keep this thing together.”

“Roger, we’ll be ready.” He told her. Rodderick picked Jumper up in a fireman’s carry and him and Mike made their way back to the roof. They had been on the landing pad for less than a minute when they saw the bird flaring for a landing. John had the door open, and they were moving as fast as they could. Tossing Jumper in and climbing in, they were away in less than 10 seconds.

Handing headsets to Rodderick and Mike, John spoke. “You don’t do anything half assed do you?”

“What can I say, we’re overachievers.” Rodderick told him. “We can’t go back to the airfield with what we have, where to?”

Mike grabbed Trisha’s iPad and looked at the map. “Trisha, call DC control and tell them we’ve been diverted North to pick up a VIP. That’ll give the puzzle palace time to decide what to do about this fiasco.” Mike told her.

“DC Control, this is Yankee tango 6-1-3.”

“Yankee tango 6-1-3, DC Control, go ahead.” The voice told her.

“DC Control, calling to let you know that we’ve been diverted north to pick up a VIP.” Trisha told him.

“Roger, Yankee tango 6-1-3. Confirm you’re moving north to pick up a VIP. Thanks for the heads up.”

“Roger DC Control, Yankee tango 6-1-3 out...” She said finishing the call to the air traffic controllers. “Now what?” She asked Mike.

“Who knows. I’m sure that Richards and Haspel are shitting their pants about now.” Mike said as the four of them started laughing.

CIA HQ situation room

“Could you repeat that, I’m not sure I heard you right.” Hank asked Simone.

“You heard me just fine, director. Where do you want him?” Simone replied.

“Jumper? They have Jumper?” Haspel asked in shock.

“Yes Director, we have him. I’d love to tell you how it happened, but we need to get him under wraps and quick.” She replied.

“Where are they now?” Krauss asked.

“They just changed course and are headed due north to get out of the area.” Simone told her.

“Perfect ... Tell Mike to head northwest to the Raven Rock facility after they clear the suburbs of Baltimore. I’ll alert the base to have MPs standing by. After they’re on the ground, tell Trisha to fly back to Langley to pick myself and director Krauss up. You and Angus return here, and you can ride up with us instead of driving.” Richards told her.

“No problem ... Trisha loves that Blackhawk she’s flying.” Simone said with a giggle as Angus broke into a chuckle.

“I can’t wait to hear the story behind your sarcasm. But it’s going to have to wait. Also, tell Mike that I’m calling the Marine FAST detachment at Norfolk to get some help up to him ASAP.”

“Yes sir, I’ll let him know.” Simone said cutting the call.

Hank looked over at Stephanie. “Thoughts?” he asked her.

“I’m running through about half a dozen scenarios as to why he was there, and NONE of them are good.” she told him. “Even if he’s got a good excuse or reason to be there, appearances alone are enough to detain him for questioning.”

“Stephanie, what are you going to say to Walker?” Haspel asked her.

“Other than I’m dealing with operations shit, nothing. I’m not going to say anything to him about Jumper. Until I have confirmation that he IS a Russian agent, to do so would be ... premature.” She replied.

“We’re thinking along the same lines then.” She said picking up the secure line. “This is Director Haspel, please get FBI director Wray’s secure line ... Yes, thank you.”

“What are you going to tell him?” Hank asked.

“The truth...” She said as she talked to the FBI director. “Chris, Gina ... Yeah, the op is over, and we have a problem ... Not even close to being arrested, Jumper was in the building, and we have him in custody ... Raven Rock facility ... No, Hank and Stephanie Krauss are headed up via helicopter. I figured you and I could fly up in the morning after the preliminaries are done...” She rolled her eyes and then made a motion like she was smoking a joint. “No, I wouldn’t let the AG know anything till we know more ... Ok, 1000 the bird leaves here ... Ok...” She hung the phone up.

“Call the attorney general? Is he serious?” Krauss asked her.

“Apparently...” She said rubbing her temples. “I like the guy, but sometimes he’s such a police officer.” Haspel replied
standing up. “Hank, you, and Stephanie get everything organized tonight. We should be there no later than 1100 tomorrow. Have Denny download all the stuff they found to the internal servers and let our techs look at it. I’ll let you decide if we need to bring in outside help to look at whatever technology is on there. Stephanie, he’s your man. So, I’ll let you decide on how to deal with Jumper. Either way the NSA is going to be the ones to brief the president...” She gave Stephanie and hard look, “Should. You. CHOOSE. To. I’m not speaking for the FBI, but the agency will support whatever you decide.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” She replied understanding what she was saying.

“We’ll get it done, director.” Hank said as he and Stephanie stood to leave.

Raven Rock Facility

Mike, Rodderick, and John were across the pad with Jumper as Trisha increased power and took off again. When they got to the bunker door, a full Colonel was waiting for them.

“Gentlemen, I’m facilities commander, David Smythe.” The man said with a thick Bostonian accent. “If you’d follow me, we’ll get him secured so you can relax a little bit.”

They got to the elevators in the bunker and were met by three MPs with rifles and body armor. “Gentlemen, could I see your ID please?” The sergeant in charge asked them.

“I’ll take responsibility for these men. Log me in with three personnel and a detainee.” Smythe said handing the sergeant on duty his ID.

“Yes sir...” the sergeant replied as he made note of the officer’s instructions. “Thank you, sir.” He said handing his ID back to the commander.

“Thank you, Sergeant McCrillis.” Smythe said as the elevator doors opened.

“I had no idea that this bunker had multiple levels.” Rodderick told him as the doors closed.

“No, that’s not a commonly known fact. The internet says there’s only one and we pay people very well to keep it that way...” He paused for a second and then spoke again. “By the way, all these men have top secret clearances and have been vetted by both the DOD and the state department. In other words, this is Vegas, and everything stays here.” The Colonel told Mike and his group. The doors slid and another 6 Army MPs were standing with full gear waiting for them. Mike smiled as he saw that they were holding cuffs, chains, and shackles.

The facility sergeant major was waiting for them as they stepped out. “Sir, cell 6 is ready. Sergeant first class Hollish is the NCOIC in charge of this detail and will be overseeing it until complete. Staff Sergeants Wilson, Anderson, their squads are rotating every four hours until relieved. We’ve got three on the top floor and 6 on this floor. Video and audio feeds from the cell are active and being recorded in the control room.” He turned and looked at Mike. “We’ve got a couple rooms up on level two should you and your team want showers and rest.”

“Thank you, Sergeant major. I’ve been told that the men should be relieved some time tomorrow.” Smythe turned and looked at Mike. “Anything else you need from us?”

“No sir, I think you’ve covered everything.” Mike replied.

“Director Richards told me to offer you whatever you needed. If something comes up, the control room has my cell number.” The Colonel said holding his hand out.

Mike took the officer’s hand. “Thank you, sir. It’s nice to work with competent people.”

Smythe smiled. “Absolutely...” He turned and looked at his sergeant major. “Buy you an early breakfast Sergeant Major?”

“You’re paying? yes sir...” The E9 told him as the elevator doors closed behind them.

Mike looked over at the squad leader. “Sergeant, could you give my men a hand getting him cuffed? I have call home quick.”

“Yes sir...” he turned to look at his men “cuff and stuff him.” was all he said to them. They watched as three of them got Jumper cuffed and shackled while Rodderick and John held him up. When that was finished, they carried him to the cell, put him on the cot, and locked his leg chains to the wall ring. Anderson turned and looked at Mike again. “He’s not going anywhere. If you’re interested, the DFAC on two is making an early breakfast and they always make more than needed.”

“I’ll hang out in case he wakes up or talks in his sleep. Lemme know if it’s any good.” Rodderick said to Mike.

“Not a problem. I’ll be back down to relieve you in thirty minutes.” John told him.

When he was back above ground, Mike dialed Simone.

“Hey honey, how’s things?”

“We’re back at Langley, and on the way to link up with Richards and Krauss. Trisha is about 20 minutes out. She’s gonna fly us up and we should be there in less than an hour. Hank wanted me to tell you that FAST Marines will be arriving sometime tomorrow between 13 and 1500 to relieve the MPs.” Simone told him.

“Not a problem. The facilities commander is rotating two squads on guard until they get here. Tell Hank that Jumper is cuffed, shackled, and under wraps.”.

“I’m sure that they’ll be happy to hear that. When we get there, I’m going to do the debrief. By the way, from what Angus is telling me, you’re going to have a big surprise coming when you see what was on the server. See you in a bit.” She said disconnecting the call.

2 hours later, Raven Rock facility, Pennsylvania

“Is he even awake?” Krauss asked Mike.

“He’s awake. He tried to grab the hood off his head about a half hour ago but couldn’t reach it. Since then, he’s just been laying there.”

“He hasn’t said anything or asked to speak to someone?”

“No. He’s kept his mouth shut and been quiet as a cemetery.” Rodderick replied.

“I seriously doubt he’s going to say anything to anyone. He’ll wait until he has some idea of where he is, who has him, and why.” Simone told him.

“What makes you say that?” Stephanie asked her.

“Experience...” Simone replied.

“Care to share?” Hank asked Simone.

“He knows that someone knocked him out in his supposedly secure area that only he knows about. Right now, he’s running possibilities through his mind about who could have taken him. He’s also trying to remember if there’s anyone in the building that has reason to kidnap him.” Simone told him.

Stephanie looked at him in the monitor and just nodded her head. “You built the profile on him; what do you think we need to do when we question him? She asked Simone.

“If you don’t mind director, let’s wait till we see what Angus and Denny show us. After that, we’ll come up with a plan of action.” Simone told her.

“Why do you say that?” Krauss asked Simone.

“Too many variables at this point. We’ve confirmed through a reliable source that he’s a Russian agent. But we have no idea to what degree he is. He works with Symanski and probably has access to lots of other things involving intelligence gathering in the NSA. But is he more of oversight or handler, or is he still an active intelligence gatherer? I’d like to wait until we know what Angus got off the server before we plan further.” Simone explained.

“Good enough...” She said to her.

John appeared in the control room letting them know the connection with Denny Crane at Langley was up and running.

The group walked back to the conference room and sat around the table. Angus was quietly talking with Denny about what was on the server and some of the things they found. Hank cleared his throat and Angus told Denny he was going to start the briefing.