Barry Lando: Deep Strike

“The disguise looks good,” said Steve. “What’s your cover story?”

“On a consulting trip to Edinburgh,” she said. “Flew there from the States, and then I took the train from there to London with this gear on. I’m certain no one’s spotted me.”

Steve knew he was running a risk by bringing in another member of Deep Strike, but he had no choice: he needed her here for this. Besides, as long as Stokes’s killers were searching for the team, 51 Belgravia was as safe as any other spot and probably safer.

“We stay here until this operation is finished,” said Steve. “No one goes out.” It was the same instruction he thought grimly, that he’d given a few days earlier – before Charlie was killed. “Now let me show you where we’ll be working.”

“Like being back in Langley.” said Sarah, as they stepped out of the elevator into the bunker and Steve gave her a tour of the sophisticated facilities.

“We’re going to need it,” Steve said.

“Your plan is for real?” she said.

“Absolutely. It’s going to work.”

“And if it doesn’t?”

“We don’t want to go there. Your network is ready?”

“Already up and running.”

After getting the encrypted message the day before from Steve in Moscow, it had taken Sarah just a few hours to establish her own fake news network. She created a new Washington news blog called “Stokes Watch,” for which a stable of hungry, hawkeyed reporters from “The Foggy Bottom News Service” would keep stories coming. To give them substance, Sarah cut and pasted scores of reports that Stokes Watch and the FBNS had supposedly already published since Stokes took office.

Before leaving the U.S, she had already begun uploading her new sites with their first breathless reports.

Heads up from Stokes Watch:

Stokes labels Kozlov “a hundred and fifty-million-dollar chiseler.”

To: all media

Urgent

According to a bulletin from the usually reliable Foggy Bottom News Service, at a fundraising event in Pittsburgh yesterday evening, President Stokes, when asked for his latest views on Russian president Kozlov, replied, “You mean that hundred and fifty-million-dollar chiseler?” His comment was picked up by a microphone the president apparently didn’t realize was turned on. When queried about that statement, the president denied having made it, though it was clearly heard by hundreds of people in the room. The president’s press spokesman also played down the reported quote, calling it “another example of fake news.”

Heads up from Stokes Watch

Stokes “not at all unhappy” that his ‘chiseler’ charge against Kozlov has leaked

To: all media

Urgent

The capital is still buzzing over the statement first reported by the Foggy Bottom News Service earlier today. The FBNS scoop claimed that the U.S. president accused his Russian counterpart of being “a hundred and fifty-million-dollar chiseler.” FBNS now reports that a confidential source very close to the president says that “Stokes is not at all unhappy” that his strong feelings were made public. “Perhaps that will bring some action from Kozlov,” the president is quoted as saying, adding “I would like nothing better for our former warm friendship to resume.” When queried, the White House denied knowing anything about the dispute.

Heads up from Stokes Watch

Stokes veiled threat against Kozlov if “the chiseler doesn’t stop chiseling.”

To: all media

Urgent

The Foggy Bottom News Service now claims White House insiders confirm the mounting anger of the American president towards Russian President Kozlov. Though the President Stokes apparently refuses to specify what the source of the dispute is, according to those same insiders, he now maintains he is ready to take action himself “if the Russian chiseler doesn’t stop chiseling.”

Trending on Twitter

North Korea threatens missile test.

Stokes to Kozlov: $150 million chiseler!

REUTERS

White House denies mounting reports of friction between President Stokes and President Kozlov.

CNN

Reports currently circulating on Facebook and Twitter of rising tensions between the American and Russian presidents are “totally false” says the Stokes White House. “We are still trying to get at the source of these lies,” says White House spokesman Crawford.

Heads up from Stokes Watch

Stokes threatens unspecified action against Kozlov within “hours, not days.”

To: all Media

Urgent

According to their usually reliable White House sources, the Foggy Bottom News Service now reports that President Stokes is confiding to his family and advisers that he is “fed up” with waiting for “chiseler Kozlov” to act. “Either he comes across now, or I take action myself. And I am talking about hours, not days.” FBNS reporters have still not been able to ascertain what the issue is between the two heads of state. The White House press office continues to deny there is any problem at all.

MCCLATCHY

Our reporters unable to find any truth to the sudden claims of bad relations between Presidents Stokes and Kozlov. Fake news – or not??

Russian Television

According to a statement just issued by Russian President Kozlov, he is totally puzzled by the views being attributed lately to U.S. President Stokes. “If he really feels this way,” President Kozlov said jokingly, “President Stokes has no grounds for such insulting views. Perhaps he just had a bad night.”

Trending on Twitter

Stokes-Kozlov: food fight or much worse?

N. Korea launches new ICBM

“Terrific stuff” said Steve, as he scrolled through the stories Sarah had put out and their impact as they spread worldwide. “It’s amazing the way they’re being picked up everywhere.”

“Including the Kremlin.” Sarah beamed. “Instead of throwing away my life with the agency, I should have been a press baron.”

Action Memo:

Urgent, Urgent.

From: Jean Swanson

To: list

Re: Sarah Levin/Steve Penn/ Fake Kozlov news

Sarah Levin is again on the move. After eliminating Charlie Doyle, we decided not to move against Levin since she remained our best chance of tracking any further terrorist actions planned by Penn.

Levin left JFK last night on flight to Edinburgh, supposedly as part of an IA consultancy contract. We immediately alerted British counterparts. MI5 agents at Edinburgh Airport didn’t spot her. Nor did an immediate search of CCTV footage in the arrival area.

Now suspect she has radically changed appearance and that Edinburgh was not her final destination. Much more likely to be London, the locus of Penn’s last aborted operation. British counterparts will continue to monitor Edinburgh area but have also extended surveillance to London. But cannot count on facial recognition to pick her up. Forwarding further data on Levin’s basic eye/nose measurements, plus manner of walking for possible gait recognition.

OSGH and MI5 also reviewing surveillance data on Charlie Doyle. Attempting to trace his movements back from when he arrived at his apartment, to determine where he actually came from, i.e., where Penn and Ed Diamond prepared their treasonous report. A laborious process, analyzing millions of CCTV images. But may be worth it. It’s conceivable they still may be using that location.”