Hot Pursuit

17

Holly filed into the Cabinet room for her second president’s intelligence briefing. Kate Lee joined them. “Do we have anything on yesterday’s item about a terrorist infiltration?”

Lance Cabot stood. “Yes, Madam President. As you recall, we sent out requests to locate the top twenty Al Qaeda subjects. We have reports back that place seventeen of them in various broadly defined areas — south Yemen, eastern Afghanistan, northern Pakistan, and the like.”

“And the other three?”

Lance wielded a remote control and three photographs appeared on a large screen. “We apologize for the quality of these pictures, but they’re the best we have.” The names appeared under the photographs. “All of these men are active in contriving plots against us around the world. All three speak fluent English — two of them from having attended Eton College, in England, one having attended the University of California at Berkeley. As you can see, they all have full beards and are wearing the native dress of Mideast regions, so a clean shave and a change of clothing would make them substantially unidentifiable at points of entry into the United States.”

“Won’t the latest facial recognition program work?” Kate asked.

“Our software requires a distinct photograph for comparison, and as you can see, these photos are too indistinct to be useful.”

“What about photographs from their time in English and American schools?”

“We have been unable to locate any photographs of them from that or any other period,” Lance replied.

“But you believe that one of these men is our infiltrator?”

“All three certainly qualify for that distinction. Of course, that does not exclude many other male Middle Easterners, but their placement in the Al Qaeda hierarchy, their language skills, their past behavior, and the lack of any distinct photographs of them make them our three most likely suspects. Of course, all the agencies are combing their records for any other helpful information, but this is what we have now.”

“I want this to be the first matter presented at all future intelligence briefings until we have resolution,” Kate said.

As the meeting broke up, Holly fell into step with Lance. “Will you e-mail me those three photographs and the files on these men?” she asked.

“Of course. You’ll have them by lunchtime. How are you enjoying the West Wing, Holly?”

“It’s too soon to tell,” Holly replied. She waved goodbye and left him to return to her office.

Later that morning the photos and files arrived on her computer. She called in Millie. “I have an assignment for you,” she said.

Millie turned over a leaf of her steno pad and waited to be told. Holly called up the three photographs. “One of these men may have entered the United States with the intention of carrying out a terrorist plot, probably in Washington.”

“Very bad photographs,” Millie replied.

“They’re the only ones available.” She brought Millie up to date on what they knew. “I want you to make it your first priority to track the investigation of these three until we have evidence that will help us locate them. We will be getting daily updates from all the intelligence agencies that should add to our knowledge. I can’t devote myself to this full-time, that’s why I’m devoting you to it. Their files are attached to their photographs. Get to know them as you would a new boyfriend that you suspect of being a complete shit, and keep me posted as often as you get usable intelligence.” Holly typed a few keystrokes. “Everything is now on your computer.”

“How long ago were these men at their respective schools?” Millie asked.

“I don’t know — you find out.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Millie replied, and left the room.