she saw her guests freeze in place when Cleo marched into the room. Whatever they were expecting, Cleo definitely was not it.
“Gentlemen, I’d like to introduce Cleo to all of you.” As the president made the introduction, she had to wonder if Cleo would remember the long heart-to-heart talk they’d had earlier about the individuals she was introducing. “We’re not going to bother with protocol today since this is just a little informal gathering. Cleo, this is Director Span of the CIA. Director Yantzy of the FBI, and Secretary Frank of the Department of Homeland Security. This last gentleman is the former director of the FBI, Elias Cummings.”
Her gaze guileless, the president watched as Cleo’s tail dropped between her legs, and her ears flattened against her head as she walked in front of the standing men. She didn’t do anything obvious like sniff their shoes, but she did look up at them as she walked along. When she came to Elias she did sniff, her tail wagged, and her ears went to full attention. She offered a paw, which Elias took.
“You remember me, don’t you?” Elias said, stooping down. Cleo barked again. “I personally pinned a medal on this little lady when she came back from her first tour of duty in Iraq. She did a second tour if I’m not mistaken. The Post did a long article on her and her fellow K-9s. Sergeant Sullivan …”
“Is on his way to Afghanistan. They retired Cleo, and she’s mine now,” the president said.
Elias ruffled the dog’s ears and grinned.
The president motioned for the dog to walk with her to the head of the table that had been set up. “Take a seat, gentlemen. This won’t take long. Anyone for coffee or a soft drink?” A steward in a pristine white chef’s coat stood ready to serve. “Coffee for everyone,” the president said as she withdrew a chew bone from her pocket and handed it to Cleo.
“I want to thank all of you for coming on such short notice. I know how busy you are even though it’s summer. I never did believe the myth that nothing goes on in the summer in Washington.”
A smattering of small talk ensued until the server quietly closed the door behind him, at which point the president barked an order in a voice none of them had ever heard. “I want a yes-or-no answer to this question. I don’t want excuses because there is no excuse I will tolerate. Let’s be clear on that right now. Director Span, have you made any progress in tracking down Mr. Jellicoe?”
“No, Madam President.”
“Mr. Yantzy?”
“No, Madam President.”
“Mr. Frank?”
“No, Madam President.”
“It’s been a while, gentlemen. I’m finding it very difficult to understand why the three of you and your agencies have been so unsuccessful. It can’t be for lack of manpower. I give you everything you ask for. Especially you, Director Span. Sometimes I wondered who was running the CIA, you or Mr. Jellicoe. Which means he knows all your secrets. And all the secrets of the Agency. Do not try to tell me he doesn’t know them. The whole world knows he knows. And I want a full briefing on our agents that were killed. He’s popping them off, one by one, to show you he can. This is on your doorstep, Director Span. I mean a full briefing. As for you, Director Yantzy, this might be a good time for you to say whatever you have to say.”
“Madam President, I can truthfully say Mr. Jellicoe knows nothing of the inner workings at the Bureau. I never liked the man, and I make no bones about it. I’ve said on more than one occasion that the CIA was too loose where he was concerned. It was my belief then and it still is my belief that Hank Jellicoe told the CIA what to do, not the other way around. I’ll go to my grave saying and believing that.”
“Hold on here, Yantzy!” Span bellowed. “You clods over there at the Bureau don’t know your asses from your elbows. You’re the goddamn laughingstock of this town.”
“That will be enough of that, Director Span! I will not tolerate anything but civility in this room. Children squabble; grown men discuss issues and negotiate. Director Frank, do you have anything to add?”
“Only that I agree with Director Yantzy. I have tried repeatedly to get information from the CIA, and none has been forthcoming. They do not share anything with the Bureau and Homeland Security. Our hands are tied, Madam President. I have our best agents on Jellicoe, as does Director Yantzy. The man has gone to ground. I for one have asked repeatedly for intel on those six brave agents. Nothing has been forthcoming. I agree with Director Yantzy’s assessment of Jellicoe and the CIA. The whole damn world knows he was at the helm and Span was his yes-man.”
“You burned Jellicoe, Span,” Yantzy said. “Did you really think he’d take that lying down? The guy is an expert at black ops, covert ops, and all other kinds of ops. Once you burned him and left him out in the cold, he went to ground just the way Frank said. Now he’s going to burn other agents, and I’m not taking the fall for you and your ego.”
“Once again, I agree with Director Yantzy,” Frank said.
“I think we all know what happened, gentlemen. You have left me no other choice; so listen closely to what I am about to tell you. I am giving you thirty days. T-h-i-r-t-y days to track down and capture Mr. Jellicoe. If on the thirty-first day that has not happened, I will expect your resignations on my desk at first light. Now, I suggest you all go somewhere and have a talk and agree to agree and start from there. That means whatever agency asks the other for something, it is to be given what it needs. All three of you can call here twenty-four seven to apprise me of failure or success on any agency’s part. Thirty days, not one second longer.”
Elias Cummings looked around at his colleagues, wondering what the hell he was doing sitting there. The three directors looked like they were wondering the same thing but wisely refrained from asking.
The president solved the problem by saying, “Mr. Cummings, I’m sure you are puzzled as to why I invited you to this meeting. Suffice it to say, I had a reason. Mitch Riley, your predecessor, who belonged to the previous administration, if I recall correctly, kept dossiers on just about everyone in the world, including Henry Jellicoe. My memory is telling me that Mr. Riley’s wife turned those files over when the special agents arrested him. Do you happen to know who has those files at this point in time, Mr. Cummings?”
Nellie is going to love this. Elias cleared his throat, aware of the eyes on him. Was that a smile tugging at the corners of the president’s mouth? It sure looked like a smile to him. “Actually, Madam President, I know who had them at the time. I can’t be certain of their whereabouts at this moment in time, however.”
“Do you recall seeing those files, reading them?”
“Yes, Madam President. However, I was not allowed to copy them. I have to admit I was impressed with the thoroughness of each and every one of those dossiers. I do remember a file on Mr. Jellicoe and it was thick, twice the size of the other dossiers. I remember thinking at the time that Riley put J. Edgar to shame with the thoroughness of the material he obtained. It was downright scary as I recall.”
Director Yantzy stood up and bellowed, “What the hell do you mean you weren’t allowed to copy those files? They are FBI property! I should have them. What? What? You let some creep bamboozle you? That creep let you look at them, then walked off with them, and you didn’t arrest that person! I don’t believe I’m hearing what I’m hearing.”
Elias shrugged. “You weren’t there at the time, Director Yantzy. I had no other choice.”
“Everyone has choices, even a director of the FBI. Who the hell has those files? I want a name, and I damn well want it now. If you don’t give it up, I’ll damn well arrest you myself, right here and now, for obstructing justice.”
“Stop blustering, Director Yantzy. You are not going to arrest anyone. If you try, then I will have to give Mr. Cummings immunity. Stop grandstanding. Mr. Cummings, tell us who had those files.”
“The vigilantes.”
Cleo barked