Chapter 395

We had plenty of conversation on the flight back to Kampala about today’s trip. We tried to make plans for them to continue receiving whatever assistance I could put together after I went home.

I thought some things would work with the expanded JBG security team at the Kampala. There would be flights and freight flights, but that was something that we could work out later.

Back at the embassy, I had a late supper and a long VCATS with the girls. I then worked on all the emails, and there were plenty.

Frank sent me the preliminary report from the investigation, “for my eyes only”; it was already 300 pages long. Reading all those pages was for later, for sure.

An email from Victor informed me that the Senate and House investigative hearings into the attack were to start the day after I was scheduled to return home. “Oh boy, let the fun begin,” I thought.

The House Sergeant at Arms sent me 2 electronic subpoenas to appear for testimony in the Kampala Embassy Attack; one for the intelligence committee and the other from the State Department Oversight committee.

The Senate Sergeant at Arms did the same thing; I had four days straight of hearings on the Hill; another ‘Oh joy’ moment. I wondered if delivering subpoenas that way was legal, even though I had to sign an electronic receipt for the email to open it.

I went on to open the first email from Robert; there were several. I opened them by date to get the encryption codes.

The terrorist leaders were scrambling to find a way to get on the good side of Anton. They were even trying to find enough new recruits for a second revenge attack.

They were counting on our reduced numbers as a tactical advantage; the media had showed our people leaving but not the replacements coming in.

They were trying to make amends with their financiers and quick.

The next message had more of the same, with updates, and the third message was filled with desperation when their calls for recruits and followers were not being answered.

I called Cory to hear that my order had been completed and delivered to Morton Field. Then I called Robbie to find out about the ball bearings. Only a partial order had come in.

I knew there was plenty of C4 and batteries in the armory.

I called Frank next, “Do you have any aircraft coming this way?”

“Not scheduled right now, why?” he replied.

“Looks like they are planning another attack and I might need my replacement devices sooner than I thought,” was my reply.

“Pack up, get out.”

“I don’t run. It is not my nature, Frank; you know that.”

“They are only in the planning stages and having recruiting problems. I might have an ace in the hole to play tomorrow night. I will keep you posted.”

“What kind of ace?”

“I can’t tell you yet, it hasn’t all come together,” I replied.

It was 11 PM when I showered and slipped into bed with Linda. She was sound asleep, breathing heavy and in the middle of the bed again. I snuggled up close and moved her enough that her breathing changed to something more at ease. Oh, how I wished she was one on my mates; I needed someone to hold and talk to who I could trust.

With that thought I closed my eyes and went to sleep.

With the morning light I headed to the kitchen for coffee and breakfast. Andy was seated with the Kampala morning paper reading about our exploits of yesterday and looking at the pictures. There were two pages of pictures with brief explanations and a half page article.

“If anyone goes out today, pick me up several papers; I want one for a souvenir,” I said.

“Speaking of going out; no one goes out alone for the next few days. There might be more trouble brewing,” I said.

After breakfast I gave him all the intel that Robert had sent last night, while I looked at my email for anything new.

I pulled up the department’s expensive version of Google Earth and looked at 515 Nubulagla Road. As customary in this part of the world, the house was a single story with a roof that had very little slope and looked to be terracotta of some sort.

The house was off the street a ways and there was no driveway to the house; the cars were parked on the street if one owned one.

Two blocks away there was an abandoned business of some kind. Andy decided the best thing to do was call a taxi to do a field trip to get a good look at 515, the abandoned building and anything else interesting on that street.

Andy wrote down several streets that he would have the taxi take as not to draw any suspicion. Not only that; but the streets he chose to sight-see was a complete box around 515.

Last night after I went to bed there were lengthy emails sent from the girls and my clerks. All of it was updates. Vicky and Cindy along with Jason and Roseanne had started the interviewing process to fill all the new security positions.

They had come up with the idea to get as many on board and trained as soon as possible. By doing so they were going to be able to get the recertification training back on schedule by using them.

I had two thoughts on that. One was could the training be expanded to bring the embassy people back on the schedule? The new hires could be sent to the remaining embassies that needed to go through the training. That would give the new hires some on the job training.