Part 151 (1/2)
Since they had been assigned to assist the FBI, the NSA had been hunting down the locations of the potential conspirators with the assistance of the seven Baby Bells and Bell Laboratories in Princeton, New Jersey The gargantuan task was delicately bal- ancing a fine line between chaos and stagnancy; legality and amorality
As they spoke, Jacobs heard a tone emit from his computer and he noticed that Office-2 had a Priority Visitor
”Gentlemen,” Marvin Jacobs said as he stood ”It seems that my presence is required for a s yourselves for a few minutes?” His solicitous nature and political clout deree without hesita- tion
He walked over to a door by the floor to ceiling bookshelf and let hiracious ante-room by the commode and into his heavy wood and leather office He iency
”Miles, Miles Foster, ht to Miles, vigorously shook his hand and gave hi
Miles smiled from ear to ear ”It's been cold out there Glad to be home” He looked around the rooain”
”Twice You haven't been in this office for, what is it, five years?” Jacobs held Miles by the shoulders ”My God it's good to see you You don't look any the worse for wear”
”I had a great boss, treated me real nice,” Miles said
”Co Miles over to a thickly padded couch ”If you don't already know it, this coun- try owes you a debt of thanks”
”I know,” Miles said, even though he had been paid over three million dollars by homosoto
”A drink, son?” At fifty-five, the red faced paunch bellied Jacobs looked old enough to be Miles' father, even though they were only fifteen years apart
”Glenfiddich on the rocks” Miles felt comfortable Totally comfortable and in control of the situation
”Done” DIRNSA Jacobs pressed a button which caused a hidden bar to be exposed from a mirror paneled wall The James Bondish tricks aet rid of my other appointments” Jacobs handed Miles the drink and leaned over his desk speaking into telephone ”Uh, Miss Gree- ley, cancel my dates for the rest of the day, would you please?”
”Of course, sir” The thin female voice carets to the gentlemen in One”
”Yessir” The intercom audibly clicked off
”So,” Marvin asked, ”how does it feel to be both the goat and the hero?”
”Hey, I fixed it, just like we planned, didn't I?” Miles said arrogantly, but his deep diht ed ”Lesson One: If you really want to fix sootta fuck it up so bad everyone takes notice Well, how'd I do?” Miles still grinned, his di a star pattern across his cheeks Jacobs approved whole heartedly
”You were a natural Froht that fuck-it to fix-it was entirely too weird at first, so I quit calling it that” Miles fondly remembered those early conversations ”As you said, it takes a disaster to lad you see it that way,” Marvin said obligingly ”It occurred to otten soft on et to lead armies, first of all And I may be the first, ever, to lead an invasion of overname I should thank you for the opportunity”
”That's a hell of a way to look at it, e” Marvin drank to Miles' health ”It takes e to run a country, and that's e do; run the country” Miles had heard many of Marvin's considerable and conservative speeches before, but this one was new After over five years, that was to be expected
”It doesn't make a damn bit of difference who the President is
The Governardless of who's elected every 4 years” Marvin continued as Miles listened reverently
”The American public thinks that politicians run the country; they think that they vote for the people who overn” Marvin shook his head side to side ”And it's probably just as well that they never find out for sure” He held Miles'
attention Marv walked around the roo with his hands and arms
”The hundreds of thousands of Government employees, the ones that are here year after year after year, we are the ones who er, the staff writer, the polit- ical analysts who create the ies, the pictures that the White House and Capital Hill see