Day at the Beach Ch 14

Chapter 14

     As they went to the front door of Susan's house to leave, Brad came to a sudden stop before exiting “Wait a minute.” Brad said, obviously thinking about something.
   “Do you have memory sticks similar to the one in the jewelery box?
   “Yes.” Susan replied.
   “Go get one and exchange it for the one in the box. You saw how I opened it. I'll be right back.”
   As Susan finished exchanging the sticks Brad walked back into the house with Recon at his side.
   “Did he finally let you out of the truck?” Susan said to Recon playfully. The dog responded by wagging his tail and nuzzling her hand for a scratch behind the ear.
   “I should have thought of this before.” Brad said, taking the stick and bending down at Recon's side. Brad opened a silver clasp on Recon's collar and placed the stick inside of it, where it fit perfectly.
   Rising he said, “The fate of the world as we know it is now in the hands, excuse me, I mean, around the neck, of a dog, and I'm not so sure if that's worse than the hands the world is usually in.”
    Recon sat on the floor, his tail sweeping its surface, looking adoringly at both of them with his tongue hanging out, a happy grin on his face, as if to say, “I have no problem holding the fate of the world around my neck.

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Special Agent Armando Martinez of the special branch of the anti-terrorism task force knew that the information that had been stolen had to do with top secret weapons, though he didn't know what those weapons were. Up until the theft, he didn't even know that the weapons existed, even on paper. As high as his clearance was, it wasn't high enough to know this, plus, even if his clearance was that high, it would be opened to him only on 'a need to know' basis.

    Armando had a need to know now. He was unsure who to talk to before putting a team together. So far, he had only the spotty information from Brad Wilson, and though he trusted Brad's intelligence and honesty, all Brad really showed him was that a past operation that had been put deep underground had risen. The wolves were sniffing, knowing that something wasn't right. Their mole, who ever he was, had come across information that showed the agencies story of lost agents and lost weapons systems was bogus. Nothing was lost – just hidden from view and nothing was going to stop the thieves from find it. Whoever had that chip was a guaranteed billionaire.
    The agency had never gotten the memory stick back, and had assumed it did go down with the yacht, which they also knew that Jeff Jenkins sunk, but had no way of knowing if he went down with it. The rumor was that he didn't die, but either went into a protection program where his identity was completely changed, or he had been sent into deep undercover on a different assignment in a far away country.
    Maybe the weapons smugglers who now searched for Jeff might have got a whiff of information through their mole or were fed the rumors and believed them. However their interest was peeked, they had found a trail, and like bloodhounds, they were following it.
     Armando knew that the correct protocol would have been to pick up Brad and Susan for their own protection. But, in so doing, there was the possibility they would be in even more danger. Plus, the bad guys would know that they are being hunted.
    Brad and Susan had just become guinea pigs in a trap to catch the weapons thieves, and Armando had to get a team in place to keep his guinea pigs alive, and, he was sure, the two of them would eventually find out where the stick is. If he had to pick an undercover agent to go looking for it, he couldn't pick a better one than Brad Wilson. Sometimes circumstances gives a person a lucky break.
    Armando rose from his desk, walked down the hall and knocked before entering the office of the director of his section. As he entered, the man behind the desk looked up over his glasses that hung on the end of his nose. The man had sharp, chiseled features, square jawed, a bull neck and short gray hair cut in a military style. Thick shoulder muscles stretched against his shirt as he rose and extended his hand.
    “Command Sergeant Major.” He said with the hint of a smile, referring to Armando's rank before retiring from the military. “To what do I owe this honor.”
     “Good-morning, Colonel.” Also referring to Director Ted Warner's service rank, as in all the years they had known each other, most of it had been in the army.
    “Sir, do you remember the stolen weapons systems paperwork that was lost with Jenkins?”
    “Sure.” the director responded immediately. “What about it?”
    “Apparently, it didn't have the burial at sea we thought it did.”
    “This was a real headache when we went through it, Armando. We still don't know who the mole is or if he's still with us. You don't plan to revive that headache for me, do you?”
    Armando sat down in the chair if front of the desk and said, “Sorry, Ted. Do you have any aspirin, because you're going to need it.”
    Armando recited the events that Brad had given him of the night before, as the director sat silently listening. When special agent Martinez was done, his boss stared at him for a full thirty seconds before speaking, as if he was trying to process it all into something tangible.
    “How in the hell did they find his sister?” he finally asked.
    “I don't know. Somebody did some research. They apparently think that Jeff is alive and has eyes in the area. If they get the sister, they get Jeff.”
    Retired Colonel Ted Warner picked up a pencil and drummed it against the desk. “Brad Wilson. I remember him. He was an SF Captain that worked special ops. I worked as lead on a couple of assignments with him.” He paused. Staring at the framed Silver Star medal on the wall that he had been given in the days he knew Brad. “Wilson was never part of that operation. It wasn't even in his line of work. How did he get into this? Didn't he take a Purple Heart bullet and retire?”
    “Yes sir. He was mustered out as a Major. “ Armando answered. “Brad actually has nothing to do with this.” Armando continued.
    “You and Wilson are old friends, aren't you?” the Colonel asked
    “Yes sir. Brad and I served in the same unit when he was a sergeant, and at his request, I was has his command sergeant when he became an officer assigned as a team leader.
    “What's Susan Jenkins to him?” asked the director.
    “I think she's his girlfriend. He didn't give his relationship to her, other than a lady he is with.”
    “Man, Brad sure picked a dangerous woman to be with.” assessed the Colonel.
    “Luckily for her, she picked a dangerous man to be with.” Armando responded.
    “Here's the problem we have right now, Sir.” Armando said, getting to the reason he came in to the director's office. “We have an unofficial person in an investigation and protection position, and he's doing it by himself. We wouldn't even let our own agents do that. Worst yet, he's a civilian.
    “We have to get some kind of protection around him and the Jenkins girl.”
    The director cut in as Armando paused. “Just to make a slight correction on that, Armando, Brad Wilson is an army officer, which means he can be recalled to duty any damned time his country sees fit, and his country just saw fit.
    “He is now Major Brad Wilson assigned to the special branch of the anti-terrorism task force. See that it is made official as soon as possible.” The director drummed his pencil for a moment. “If he lives through this, we'll retire him again as a light colonel. Hell, that's the least we can do if he and Jenkins sister can save the world from a devastating war.”
    “What about a protection team, Sir?” Armando persisted.
    “You're his protection. Discreetly put a back up team together of people you trust implicitly. Do not tell them or anybody else about the operation, just that they may be needed for back up or extraction.” The Colonel said briskly. “The mole could be in any unit and there may be more than one.
    “You be his contact and make damned sure he stays in contact with you at all times and keeps you updated. You report to me and me only. If suspicions arise within the agency of something going on and you get questioned, this is a 'need to know only' operation. Direct any problem superiors to me if they hassle you.
    “If Major Wilson needs anything, give it to him. All data base information he requests or systems that are at our disposal are his as if he was an agent on a special ops assignment, which actually, that's what he is whether he like it or not.”
    “He won't like it.” Armando said, rising to leave. “But, he'll accept it. He has no choice.”

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