Starcross

Chapter Seven Part lll

Central Intelligence Agency

Langley, Virginia

 

            As always, the Director of Central Intelligence, began his morning by reading the latest news, sometimes called ‘The Hot Sheets’, collected by his numerous agents and assets from around the world. The CIA had agents on every continent in the world including Antarctica, you never knew when someone might find something of import especially since the whole world knew that aliens were real, and though they didn’t always report in, he had so many that his days were full nonetheless.

            ‘TOP HAT reports that British Parliament is developing new anti-air weapons from the Druidth radar tech left behind.’

            ‘WAYFARER suggests that after losing most of their military capabilities India and Pakistan have finally come to the negotiating table to discuss their disputed borders.’

            ‘CHESTNUT has located a surviving Druidth colony in Australia. Australian Army Forces have secured a quarantine zone around the colony. Food is being brought in periodically but none of the colonists are allowed to leave.’

            ‘LENIN reports that all of the Druidth in the Moscow area have disappeared over night. Sources suggest that they have been taken to Lubyanka Prison.’

            Lovett found that last one right on par with Russian sentimentality. Whenever something happens the citizens of the responsible party are rounded up and interrogated by the KGB, or now FSB, in their special prison; this was doubly true since the Russian President hated all foreigners. Some compared him to Stalin for his love of sending people off to Siberia for the slightest infraction; many Christians have compared Russia to a promised land since abortion and homosexuality were highly illegal there.

            For the next few minutes he read the rest of the reports about various items before he got bored enough to wander on down to the digital intelligence department that scanned all internet traffic coming from and going to foreign embassies in D.C. Standing up he stretched and was about to leave when his phone rang.

            Grumbling he sat down to answer it, knowing that anyone who called his direct line without going through his secretary was important enough for him to talk to. “Director Lovett,” He said as he lifted the receiver.

            “Will! It’s Richard. How are you today?” The Secretary of the Interior’s voice spilled out of the earpiece.

            Smirking, and always glad to talk to his friend, Lovett replied. “Bored as hell. Reading reports can only entertain someone for so long.”

            “Well, you can have my job and have people come in all day just to yell at you for policies that aren’t anywhere near your control.”

            “Mmmm, Dick,” Since they had forged their friendship during the Five Day War the two had gotten on a first name basis, Lovett had even eaten dinner at Burbank’s house a time or two. “I would just yell back and then no one would get anywhere.”

            Burbank made a psh sound over the phone. “William, if we’re talking about Congress then no one gets anywhere anyway.”

            “Isn’t that the God’s truth,” He said with a grumble. Last year before Congress had closed they had voted to cut spending costs for the all intelligence agencies and Lovett had not forgotten about that and as far as he was concerned he was going to sit on all positive information and just let them have all the bad news so they would think the world was in a worse shape than it was. “So what can I do for you on this fine day?”

            “Well…” Burbank sounded a little unwary. “I don’t know if Wheeler has called you yet but I need some help in introducing a bill to allow Druidth citizens to enlist in the military.”

            “Richard,” He said, trying not to be a naysayer but still giving his opinion. “I really don’t think that’s gonna’ fly.”

            “I know it’s a long shot but hey, the worst thing they can say is no. Now, I’ve already got Wheelers support and you know that the two of us has the President’s ear when it comes to anything alien. Perhaps if we had the intelligence community behind us then maybe it’ll sneak through…”

            Sighing heavily, William rubbed his eyes. Normally he was in the habit of giving favors since the men he dealt with always tried to return it. And in this business favors were sometimes better than cash. Lovett recalled when he was just a young agent starting out in the 1980’s when the Cold War was in its death throes but still very much alive. They had captured a pair of Soviet agents in a counter-espionage sting and tried to turn them, when it was clear that they were die-hard Communists the then DCI made a deal with his counterpart in Russia to exchange the captured Soviets for a pair of American agents that had been in Lubyanka for nearly a year.

            When they went to make the exchange it was Lovett’s senior agent and another rookie that was there to make sure everything went down peacefully. He smiled as he remembered how his heart raced and was so loud that he thought it would spook every animal in a mile, the meeting place was past a mile marker on a deserted dirt road out in the sticks. The meeting and sub-sequent exchange went down without a problem, the American agents that were handed over by the Russians looked much worse than the other prisoners. When it was all said and done the rookie asked the senior agent why they didn’t arrest the Soviets that showed up at the meeting and the agent simply replied: “Because that’s not the way this game is played. Favors are the currency of our world and mutual respect is the law.’

            That stuck with him more than anything, so when the Cold War finally ended he assisted in getting all of the Soviet agents that wanted to go home back to Russia; of course he tried, and succeeded quite a few times, to convince them to stay and spill what knowledge they had.

            “Richard, since I know it’s so important to you I’d be more than happy to help you on this,” He finally answered.

            “Really? Thanks so much Bill, I owe you one.”

            “I know,” Lovett said and hung up the phone, already planning on how to call in his favor from the Secretary of the Interior.