Read The Cloud Collector Online
Authors: Brian Freemantle
The coverage was padded out by archival materialâas well as an official ambassadorial photographâof Irvine's father's Middle East debacle. Irvine was described as NSA's leading code-cracker, who'd worked on the Stuxnet sabotage of Iran's nuclear-development project before devising the entrapment operation of Ismail al Aswamy, whose importance equaled that of Osama bin Laden. Intelligence analysts judged the death of Aswamy, the mastermind of the failed attacks on the Washington Monument, Rome's Colosseum, and a British nuclear installation, as a major Al Qaeda setback. A further and equally devastating defeat for the jihadists was the degree of co-operation and information from thirty of the fifty-eight mini-drone operators in exchange for shares in the multi-million-dollar bounty, coupled with witness protection.
Sally was not identified by name and was referred to only as the English intelligence agent who had been seconded to the American operation after foiling the British nuclear attack. The details of the attacks on Creech and Waddington were limited to their being incendiary assaultsâwith no reference to mini-helicoptersâthat had successfully been repelled. Al Aswamy's death had occurred in a separate attack on another, unnamed military installation.
âWhereâhow the fuckâdid they get this!' exploded Irvine. âIt's ⦠I ⦠Oh, fuckâ¦!'
âThere were leaks at Creech, of course,' said Graham. âI authorized a media release limited to what you see there, and which is all that's running on the wires. I obviously didn't mention you by name; I didn't mention anyone by name. Or say anything about Stuxnet. Or your father.'
But the story would open the way for the biopic, thought Sally. She said, âNearly all of it was put together in advance, ready for a hook to hang it on. It's got Fred Bowyer's fingerprints all over it.'
âI neutered him,' insisted Graham.
âNot sufficiently,' accused Sally.
âI'll find the source,' promised Graham. âWhoever it is, I'll find the son of a bitch and hang him by the balls with piano wire.'
âI lived once through what happened to my father,' said Irvine. âI guess I can live through the repetition.'
Was there an element of satisfaction, son restoring the family name? wondered Sally. The outrage had been short-lived.
âYour father isn't the point, why I hauled you two out of bed,' said Graham. âGCHQ intercepted some chatter. The ayatollahs are issuing a fatwa.'
Irvine sniggered an uncertain laugh. âYou can't be serious!'
âNSA wants you in a protection programme. So do I.' Graham looked at Sally. âYou're going out of Andrews in two hours on a military flight, courtesy of the CIA. Until then you're staying here. We're returning your rental car, picking up all your stuff and bringing it here; you can change your shirt.' He went back to Irvine. âYour guys will have cleared out all the technical stuff from Owen Place by now; your personal things are being brought here, too.'
âI don't want to go into a protection programme!' protested Irvine. âFatwas only apply to Muslims. It's sharia law, doesn't apply to me. Who's going to get to me inside Fort Meade, for Christ's sake!'
âYou work at Fort Meade, you don't live there, and even if you did, you still wouldn't be safe,' insisted Graham.
âKilling you would re-establish the jihad,' said Sally quietly. âAnd to the jihadist it wouldn't matter whether you're a Muslim or not. That's what they do, manipulate the Koran.'
âNo!'
yelled Irvine.
âIt's not a choice,' insisted Graham. âWe're keeping you alive.'
*Â Â Â *Â Â Â *
Sally changed her shirt when her luggage arrived. Irvine stayed as he was. They stacked everything in his soon-to-be-abandoned office to make enough room in hers for them to wait for their transport to arrive.
âIt's not going to be permanent,' said Irvine. âCould be over in just a few months.'
âSure.'
âWe could keep in touch: there'll be channels.'
âYou know we can't, Jack.'
âWhen it's all over, I mean.'
âIt hasn't begun yet.'
âIf it hadn't happened, this threat, would youâ?'
âI don't want you to finish that question,' stopped Sally.
âIt was hypothetical.'
âThat's how it stays, hypothetical.'
âI want to tell youâ'
âI don't want you to finish that either.'
âI don't believe I have to.'
Two escorts arrived at the door to take her down with her luggage, waiting outside after they collected it. Sally said, âNone of the usual good-byes fit, do they?'
âNo, I don't suppose they do.'
âJust good-bye then.'
âYes, just good-bye.'
They remained looking at each other for several moments, not touching. Abruptly Sally turned away towards the waiting escorts. She said, âLet's go.'
Conrad Graham was waiting in the expansive Langley entrance hall. Two unmarked 4x4s were drawn up directly outside, and several more plainclothes escorts waited around them.
Graham said, âAnother ending might have been better.' He hadn't bothered with peppermint candy.
Sally shrugged. âYou're probably right.'
âYou really did do a hell of a job.'
âI need a favour,' ignored Sally.
âYou got it.'
âLet me know who leaked to
The Washington Post
.'
âLike I said, you got it.'
Sally didn't think he would, but there was always the outside chance.
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I am grateful to Simon Taplin and Jeff Kightly for technical guidance in the writing of this book. Any errors result from my misunderstanding of that guidance.
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BRIAN FREEMANTLE
is the author of more than thirty books, which have sold more than ten million copies worldwide. He has been foreign editor and chief foreign correspondent for the (UK)
Daily Mail
and foreign correspondent for the (UK)
Daily Sketch
, among others. He lives in England. You can sign up for email updates
here
.
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ALSO BY
BRIAN FREEMANTLE
Bomb Grade
Charlie's Apprentice
Comrade Charlie
The Run Around
See Charlie Run
The Blind Run
Madrigal for Charlie Muffin
Charlie Muffin's Uncle Sam
The Inscrutable Charlie Muffin
Here Comes Charlie M
Charlie M
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CONTENTS
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This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
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THOMAS DUNNE BOOKS
.
An imprint of St. Martin's Press.
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THE CLOUD COLLECTOR
. Copyright © 2015 by Brian Freemantle. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
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Cover design by Lisa Marie Pompilio
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Cover photographs: man walking up some steps © Stephen Mulcahey/Arcangel Images; Capitol building © Bill Dickinson/Getty Images
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The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
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ISBN 978- 1-250-06623-7 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4668-7381-0 (e-book)
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e-ISBN 9781466873810
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Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at (800) 221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at [email protected].
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First Edition: November 2015