The Solomon Effect

8

Langley, Virginia: Saturday 24 October 7:15 P.M. local time

Jax was at his desk skimming through an article on submarine salvage operations when Matt stuck his head around the edge of his cubicle.

“You’re booked on the next flight to Berlin, with a connection tomorrow morning to Kaliningrad.”

Jax looked up. “Please tell me this is a lead from one of our agents.”

“Well…” Matt dropped a file folder on the desk in front of him. “I guess that depends on whether or not you consider Tobie one of our agents.”

Jax sat very still. “Let me get this straight. We’ve got a terrorist attack about to go down in this country and the DCI is sending me all the way to Russia on the strength of some remote viewing session?”

Matt tapped one finger on the top of the folder. “Look at the report on her viewing. I think you’ll find it impressive.”

Jax didn’t move.

Matt sighed and handed him another folder. “Then look at this. After we got the Colonel’s report, we checked with the National Reconnaissance Office. According to their latest satellite photos, there’s something at an old shipyard near the Vistula Lagoon in Kaliningrad that wasn’t there two days ago.”

Jax flipped through the NRO report. “Something? What do you mean, ‘something’?”

Matt scratched behind one ear. “Whatever it is, the Russians have set up camouflage nets over it. But it’s about the right size and shape.”

“About?’ Oh, that’s encouraging.”

“The Colonel’s pretty sure about this, Jax.”

When Jax still didn’t say anything, Matt sighed again and handed him a bulky envelope. “Here’s your legend.”

Jax tipped the envelope to spill its contents across the surface of the desk: a well-used U.S. passport, credit cards and business cards, driver’s license, and assorted pocket litter, all in the name of Jason Aldrich. “Aldrich? Again?”

“There wasn’t a lot of time. Plus, it’s a cover you’re familiar with.”

Jax gave a soft laugh. “Not only me. I suspect our friend Jason Aldrich has been blackballed by every car rental agency in the world with a computer system.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I don’t think car rental agencies in Kaliningrad have computers.”

A tense silence fell. Matt shifted his weight and looked away again.

Jax watched him with a growing sense of unease. “Out with it, Matt; what else aren’t you telling me?”

“Ensign Guinness has asked to be let out into the field on this one.”

“They turned her down, right?”

“Not yet.”

Jax shoved up from his chair so fast it went skittering across the floor. “Are they nuts? What the hell do they think she’s going to do? Hold a séance on the beach or something?”

Matt snorted. “I think the idea is that she can help interpret what she saw in her viewing.”

“Right. What’s to interpret? I go there. I see there’s no U-boat. I come home, and the taxpayers take another dredging picking up the bill for a wasted trip. End of story.”

“And if U-114 is there?”

“Let’s just say for the sake of argument that by some miracle the U-boat is there; what the hell would I need a remote viewer for?”

“It doesn’t hurt to have a backup.”

“A backup? October Guinness? You’re kidding, right? She’s not a field operative. She’s a linguist…with a couple of screws loose.”

“She’s a Naval officer. And an Iraq War vet.”

Jax gathered up his cover-story documents. “She went to Baghdad as an interpreter, Matt; not a SEAL. And she still managed to almost get herself killed-and earn a psycho discharge.”

“She didn’t deserve that and you know it.”

“She can’t shoot for shit-”

“True. But she does have a black belt in Tae Kwon Do-”

“And she can’t run.”

“She’s got a bad knee!”

“My point exactly.” Jax reached under his desk for the bag he kept packed and ready to go. “Tell her to forget it. I work alone.”

“It isn’t just Tobie pushing for this, Jax. The Vice President thinks it’s a good idea, too.”

“So?”

“So, you want me to tell the Vice President to forget it?”

“Yes.”

Matt laughed and turned away. “You tell him. In the meantime, you’d better hurry. You’ve got a flight to catch.”