Chapter 50 – The Wolf Pack
Monday Morning, July 27, 2308
Von Kalt sat in the chair reserved for bodyguards and flunkies while Stanwood took the seat in front of Senator Miller’s desk.
On the far left of the room, a sheet of plywood filled the space where one of the floor-to-ceiling windows had been knocked out.
Stanwood noticed but said nothing.
“What can I do for you, Joe?” the Senator asked. Miller didn’t even bother to look away from his monitor. He held a stylus before the screen, occasionally tapping or dragging one section or another.
“I presume you’ve kept abreast of events?” Stanwood asked.
“Somewhat.” Miller tapped the screen with the stylus, like some kind of digitally interested bird. “If there’s something specific you’d like to address, please cut to the chase, I don’t have a lot of time.”
“The warrants on Fox’s properties were served,” Stanwood stated.
“Ah, yes. The committee is greatly looking forward to putting several of his technologies on the fast track. I can’t wait to hear all about it.”
“Well, Sir, that’s why I’m here.”
“This doesn’t sound good at all.” Miller put the stylus down and clicked off the display. He held up his hand. “Let me stop you before you begin, Director. You wouldn’t believe what happened while I was out at lunch the other day. The window, that one,” Miller pointed at the sheet of plywood, “It just blew out, all of a sudden. And then, the security team says, all my files, my personal belongings, everything, just started flying around the room. Sounds kind of crazy, doesn’t it?”
“It is a problem sir.”
“Obviously. Otherwise, you would not be here, would you?”
Stanwood cleared his throat. “We served over seventy warrants for properties belonging to or even associated with Doctor Andrew Fox. Not one of the addresses yielded anything worth noting.”
“NOT ONE?” Miller was on his feet. “Are You Frigging Kidding ME!” He was screaming; his face had grown beet red.
“We spent years accumulating that data! There was not one FALSE LEAD in the Bunch!” He was leaning all the way across his desk, his index finger in Stanwood’s face.
“What Kind of incompetent morons did you put on this job? Do you REALIZE YOUR LIFE IS ON THE LINE? You let these idiots smash up my office! You let them make fools of the both of us! Do I have to tell you how much hot water you are in right now?” Miller paused to catch his breath. “WE ARE TALKING TREASON!”
The Senator withdrew to his plush leather chair and took a moment to adjust himself. “This is treason, Joseph. You killed one of the country’s leading scientists, and I will see that you are prosecuted for murder in the first degree.”
Von Kalt suspected that, years ago, while Stanwood was still new to government, this sort of outburst might have unsettled, or even frightened Director Stanwood. Von Kalt certainly wasn’t impressed. These sort of idiots get people killed. He wondered how Stanwood had tolerated the buffoon for so long. That must have been eight long years.
“I have a plan, sir.” Stanwood sounded as cool as could be.
Von Kalt had heard that kind of cool before.
“I’d be more than happy to share it with you. But I understand that you are a busy man.”
Von Kalt placed the vocal pattern, the tonal nuances and implications. He smiled; Stanwood was biting Fox; immitating his personal speaking style.
Miller blinked.
Stanwood read this as an invitation to continue. “We know that Fox had conspirators, inside the highest levels of the Republic.”
“So?”
“So, now Fox is dead. We are in control.
“You don’t seem very…”
It was Stanwood’s turn to get loud.
“We Are In Control.” The man was hypnotic.
Miller calmed down.
Von Kalt was impressed.
“We will put the word out that we are in possession of Fox’s research and that it is being put under lock and key, for further consideration. In this, we show our humility and our ambition Not To Become Tyrants.”
Stanwood paused.
Miller waited.
“We will let our enemies come to us, curious to see what we do or do not know. Their own curiosity will undo them. Instead of walking into their traps, we will make some of our own.”
“So we turn it around on them. Okay, I like that,” Miller said.
“Good. Because this is where you come in, Sir.”
“How’s that?”
“We have two options. The first one is rather direct, but requires a significant sacrifice on your part.”
“Let’s hear it?” Miller sounded intrigued.
“Well, as we can see,” it was Stanwood’s turn to gesture to the plywood sheet. “Our enemy clearly has you in their cross hairs. We can exploit that.”
Miller cocked his head to the side.
“If you were to be heard bragging about the Fox operations. I think that might accelerate some sort of traceable reaction.”
“You’re talking about using me as bait.”
“If you want to be crass about it, I suppose that’s accurate.”
Miller snorted.
“I do have one other idea, it requires significantly less of a contribution on the part of your office.”
“That already sounds better. Usually I’m the one asking for contributions.”
“I need the Wolf Pack.”
“I’m afraid that’s completely out of the question! Why would you ask me that? Why would you even suggest that? What is wrong with you? You must really be desperate.”
“Sir, I was just violently depressurized from thirty thousand feet.
“Earlier this week I activated the full forces of Scotland Yard to subdue a ninety-two year old curmudgeon, who thoroughly enjoyed it and later lectured ME on the evils of the Republic. After shooting my childhood friend in the forehead, I played golf with his Ghost of Christmas Future and shared war stories about our childhood. There’s not a lot you can do or say that would surprise me, short of giving me what I ask for and sharing a drink from that bottle in your lower drawer.”
“Do you really think this will work, Joe?”
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t, Sir.”
“It would be a lot easier to garner support if you had some kind of evidence.”
“I completely agree, Senator, but how long have you known me?”
“You’re whole career, of course.”
“Have I ever steered you wrong, Sir?”
“Of course not. What’s your point?”
“My point is; don’t I have something in the bank with you? Was all that time worth nothing? Don’t you trust me at all?”
“That is a one time ploy, my friend.”
Stanwood said nothing.
Miller smiled. “You’re usually so resourceful with this kind of thing.”
“A one time ploy, huh? The Wolf Pack would not exist without the work I did, for You! Illegal work, I might add. The list of illegal things I have done while working for This Office could choke a team of Clydesdales. This is not a one-time ploy, Sir.
“I only came here as a courtesy. I can get to Bergstrom on my own; I simply thought you might appreciate the opportunity to give your blessing to this endeavor.
“Our enemy, in this case, is smart and cunning. He knows how to cover his tracks and we’re not going to get what we want without some leverage.”
“What did you have in mind?“
“Something simple, something direct.”
“It seems if you went after one of these other fellows, Porter or Wyndham, they might be rather valuable, considering. Don’t you think?”
“That certainly is an option we can keep on the back burner, sir. But not the sort of immediate target I had in mind.”
“All right, Joe. I’m thinking maybe it’s time to bring Dr. Bergstrom and his Wolf Pack into the loop. What do you
say?”
“Thank you, Mister Senator.”
Miller activated his communications terminal and called up Cedric in his contacts, placing the call.
Dr. Bergstrom’s system answered and asked if the Senator would like to leave a message. “Cedric, this is Senator Miller. I’m going to be sending Joseph to see you. He’s got a project I think you could really help out with. Thanks.”
Miller turned the terminal off. ”He’s probably just got his hands full.”
Stanwood nodded.
“Well, regardless, if you want to get right to it… He’s out on D13, Angel City. I’ll forward you the docking codes.”
“Thank you, Senator.”
“Would you take some water?”
“Some aqua vitae? What the hell, it’s six o’clock somewhere.”
Miller pulled out the bottle of Connemara and two glasses.