Operation Hail Storm

Langley, Virginia ― Central Intelligence Headquarters

“We didn’t stop Chang. We were too late,” the Director of the CIA, Jarret Pepper told his staff.

Four people sat around a large mahogany table. Two men and two women.

Pepper’s mind was in a strange space. He was pleased that Kara had obtained Kornev’s phone and that his agency had acquired critical intelligence. On the other hand, he was extremely disappointed that the intelligence they had gathered indicated that they were too late.

“The deal is already done,” Pepper said. “The shipment of missile parts, pieces, gyros, fuel cells, everything it takes to assemble an ICBM is already being shipped to North Korea as we speak.”

Kara was pissed off. She didn’t do what she did, take the risks she took, sleep with the scumbags she slept with, for no reason. It sure the hell wasn’t for the pay. It was more for the payback. She felt as if she should say something, but knew the Director had more to say. So she bit her lip and bided her time.

“As most of you know, the Minister of the People’s Armed Forces, Kim Yong Chang is dead. We’ve all seen the data chatter over our intelligence channels and know that to be a fact. What you don’t know, and I found out during a meeting with the President yesterday, was that a man named Marshall Hail killed him. Assassinated him.”

Pepper paused for the reaction.

Kara went from looking pissed, to looking intrigued.

The Directorate of Analysis, Karen Wesley, went from looking concerned, to looking even more concerned.

Paul Moore, the Directorate of Operations, said, “You’ve got to be kidding. I don’t believe it. No one gets into North Korea.”

“Believe it,” Pepper huffed. “Hail produced a video of Chang dying by some sort of poisoning in Chang’s own backyard. The NIA has updated our file on Hail to include the video. You can go watch it when we’re done. I’ve already seen it and don’t care to watch it again. I just ate breakfast. I might not be drinking orange juice for a while.”

Karen Wesley was upset. She was considering the big picture; the consequences for the nation at large.

She told Pepper, “If what you are saying it true, then this is the most significant action I have ever witnessed since I’ve been at the CIA. A private citizen assassinated a top official in another country. How can we allow that?”

Pepper laughed cynically.

“How can we allow it?” he sneered at Wesley. “You have to be shitting me. We put a God damn bounty on the heads of each of these terrorists. We encourage this type of response. So based on our incentive program, Hail puts together some sort of magic show with lots of smoke and mirrors and Chang dies. And you are asking, what are we supposed to do? Do you think we should slap him down for it? Get real.”

Wesley looked pissed but said nothing.

“Do we know how Hail pulled this off?” Moore asked calmly, trying to ratchet down the tone of the meeting, but it didn’t help.

Louder than before, Pepper responded, “That’s the smoke and mirrors shit I was talking about. No one knows how it was done. I would bet my job that the North Koreans don’t know how it was done. Their execution wall is probably absorbing a lot of hot lead over this thing. But that really doesn’t matter. The Minister of State Security for North Korea, Kim Won Dong, has already stepped into Chang’s job. The North Korean National Defense is like a whack-a-mole government. Knock one fuzzy head down and another mole pops right back up from the same hole.”

Pepper paused to take a breath.

“This isn’t good,” Wesley said.

Pepper looked at the woman and was tempted to tell her to leave.

Instead he did his best to compose himself and said, “Karen, can you be a little more insightful in your comments or do I need to remind you, that’s why you make the big bucks.”

Wesley looked hurt but restated her position.

“First, our bounties are in place to encourage people who are in close proximity to our top ten terrorists, to provide us information so we can apprehend them. It was never intended to be an incentive for full military action by private entities.”

She looked around the room to make sure her point was understood.

Wesley continued, “Second, from what I understand, Hail is an American citizen. Therefore, if the North Koreans ever figure out what actually happened, then they would jump to the conclusion that it was an American-sponsored attack on their government.”

No one said anything, but Pepper eyed her coolly.

Wesley continued.

“And third, any organization, whether it’s an army, a militia, a rogue group of separatists, a gaggle of boy scouts, or even a billionaire with an international business; any organization that has the wherewithal and technology to pull off something like this, they are a threat to everyone.”

Pepper sat quietly and mulled over Wesley’s three points. It didn’t take him long to come to the conclusion that Wesley was right. He wanted to say, well where do we go from here, but he was the guy in charge and was supposed to have all those answers.

“So where do we go from here?” Paul Moore asked.

Everyone looked at one another.

Kara kept her mouth shut. So far, even though everything they had been hashing out was remarkable, none of it was in her wheelhouse. She had finite responsibilities and upper-level policy making wasn’t one of them. She was starting to wonder why she had even been invited to the meeting.

“I have some ideas,” Pepper told them. He had calmed down considerably. His voice was back to a normal volume.

“During the meeting I had with the President, two interesting items came to my attention. One of them is a fact about Hail. I would like you all to study Hail’s file after this meeting. That fact was that Hail’s wife and two young twin daughters were killed in The Five.”

No one in the room looked upset by this information except for Kara.

The fact hit her like physical blow to her solar plexus. She found it difficult to breath for a moment. A zap of anxiety flooded her system and she felt a flash of sweat break out across her forehead.

Pepper wasn’t looking at anyone but Kara. He noticed that his words had impacted her. He knew they would.

He continued.

“The other point of interest is that the President is going to set up a meeting with Hail so she can personally hand him his twenty-five-million-dollar check. The President asked if representatives from the CIA, NIA, military, and that new little worm Rodgers from the FBI could wait in the oval office while she and Hail had lunch. If Hail wants anything or needs anything in order to continue his valuable work, then the POTUS wants us to help him out. The President doesn’t feel like this is a one-time deal. She thinks Hail is going to do more of this vigilante shit and he might ask for some assistance.”

Pepper glanced at everyone and then his eyes came back to rest on Kara.

Kara looked at him indifferently. She was sure that the other shoe was getting ready to drop and sensed it would affect her in some way. After all, why else was she there?

“I would like you to be at that meeting, Kara. I want you to accompany me while we wait in the oval office with the others.”

“Why?” she asked, but she could have guessed the reason. She knew the reason. She wished she could withdraw the question.

“Why?” Pepper responded rhetorically. “Well, let’s run down a few of the facts. Hail’s wife was killed over two years ago. He has been on his ship for over two years. He has possibly never taken a step onto dry land in all that time. My guess is he’s been pining over his wife and has probably not thought much about female companionship during that time.”

Pepper looked at Kara. Kara looked down at the table. She knew her value to the agency, but she resented it being spelled out so directly in front of all the other Directors. She was a damn good agent and it wasn’t all about her looks. But like any sensitive organic surface that has been continually irritated, Kara had built up callouses over what people thought of her. She really didn’t care what prissy Karen Wesley thought of her. Wesley probably demanded a tissue and an aspirin each time she had sex, if she ever had sex. As for the two men that were currently staring at her. Hell, if she had a dime for every man that lusted after her or resented her because they couldn’t have her, she would own her own island.

Pepper said in an emphatic manner, “My plan is to get you onto Hail’s ship.”

No shit, Kara thought.

She said nothing.

“Can you think of anyone more qualified than yourself to do this assignment?”

Unfortunately, Kara could not. She stayed silent.

“I didn’t think so,” Pepper said.

Kara said nothing.

“The only way we are going to find out about Hail’s capabilities is to get someone on the inside. If we can’t pull that off, then we’re just spinning our wheels.”

Another long silence.

“Do you understand, Kara?” Pepper asked her directly, expecting a response.

“I understand, Sir,” Kara said in a voice so lenient that if someone didn’t know her they might have thought she was always soft-spoken.

“Good,” Pepper said, standing up and collecting his papers off the table. “Right now, I would like all of you to study Hail’s file. Let’s spend about four hours on it and then meet back here to further discuss strategy.”

Kara was still staring at the shiny, brown, endlessly long table top. She saw the faces of all the Directors looking back at her in the reflection. She shifted her eyes and looked at the floor.

“That’s all,” Pepper said.