“Where it’s always been,” Foreman answered, absolutely glacial. “The problem wasn’t it, the problem was you—your Agency is deeply classified. Or was,” he added, not looking all that happy.
“I’ll take it,” I said as the door shut behind Rocha and Scott. “At least there’s some benefit to us for getting blown out into open. Before when we would ask other agencies for information, they’d end up looking around wondering who the hell just said something.”
“Welcome to the federal government,” Foreman replied. He was so impassive I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to take that.
“So can Mr. Rocha tap us in to Century’s communications?” Ariadne asked. “I mean … is it possible that they’ve just been talking out in the open like this, where anyone could read it?”
“Not just anyone could read it, as I understand,” Foreman said. “Something about browser encryptions, and Tor, things that I couldn’t explain to you if I had to. However, the NSA does seem to have some experience tracking communications of all varieties, and with your boy J.J.’s help—and the laptop recovered from Weissman—Mr. Rocha seems to think we have an excellent chance to uncover some of Century’s back trails.”
“Find their trails, maybe find the tip-off for the meeting,” I said, tapping the table.
“That’s the hope,” Foreman said. “But I don’t know enough about it to be very optimistic. Still, it’s another door.”
“Every door we can open at this point is a good one,” Janus said wearily. He was leaning on the arm of his chair.
“What about the one with Sovereign behind it?” Reed asked. “Because I’m still not keen on opening that one unless we’re going to throw in a few grenades and wait before entering.”
“Very concerned about your right to privacy, not so concerned about perforating a man without a trial,” Foreman mused aloud. “That’s an interesting set of contradicting beliefs you’re running around with there, Mr. Treston.” Reed flushed but said nothing.
“Acrimony aside,” I said and shifted my attention to Harper, “if they find this meeting site, you can provide surveillance, right?”
Harper nodded once, crisply. “I’ll have to refuel soon, but that shouldn’t take too long.”
“Where does that happen?” I asked.
“If need be, we can do it here at the 133rd Air Wing, next to the airport,” Harper said. “Preferably I’d send it to Camp Ripley, where the drone wouldn’t look quite so out of place coming in for a landing.”
“Okay, well, just do it now,” I said. “We don’t know when we’re going to get a break and I’ll want something ready urgently.”
“With the pull the Senator has, I can get you a few more drones for coverage if need be,” Harper said, betraying nothing in the way she said it. “Have them standing off in orbiting patterns and just hand them off to other operators when they need to refuel.”
“Whatever it takes and whatever you can give,” I agreed. “But once we find these guys, then we have to decide what to do.”
“Hit ’em with a missile from the drone,” Reed offered, a little viciously. “That’s what drones are for, right?” I didn’t think he was serious. Exactly.
“We can’t do that in U.S. airspace,” Harper said with a simple shake of the head.
“Of course not,” Reed muttered. “We only—”
“Stuff it, Reed,” I shot at him. “So we’re back to a ground-based conflict on this one.” I looked up at Foreman. “Any other support? Army? Marines?”
He shook his head. “Posse comitatus.”
“National Guard?” I asked.
“Not yet,” he said. “Get me a clear and present danger and the president might—maybe—move on this sooner.”
“Do you have his ear on this?” I asked.
“No,” Foreman said with a faint smile. “I’m a junior Senator from the opposing party. He’s more likely to listen to a man on the street than me. I’m working through channels with him, but they’re not particularly clear ones, if you catch my meaning.”
“So we’re on our own but at least we have some ancillary support at this point,” I said. “I’ll take it.” It was a hell of a lot better than having nothing. Foreman did not respond other than with a slightly amused raise of an eyebrow.
“So we wait,” Janus said. “We wait and hope that this … technical wonder you have constructed bears some form of fruit?”