Michael Williamson - When Diplomacy Fails…

“We are determining details, ma’am. The method of encryption should lead to a source, and from there we can learn who is involved.”

“Very well. Inform me at once. The voters must know this.”

Das apparently didn’t know how to refuse without risking her ire. Alex stepped up.

“I will also be using that information to determine best routes and appearances for you, ma’am. My job is to ensure your safety during high-visibility appearances.”

“Yes, with safety that is very high visibility, and excessive,” she snarled.

“Ma’am, you instigated events to create an impression, and neglected to tell us-” The expressions of the others indicated they hadn’t known that.

“I did not! I-”

He cut her off with a steady, firm voice. “Had we known, we’d have helped you arrange it so we wouldn’t respond in a fashion meant to hurt people. I’d have advised against it entirely. You may have now created the meme that it would be clever, amusing or some kind of score to attack you. Now we have to deal with it. My agents respond as the threat appears. If someone tries to look lethal, we respond accordingly. If we don’t, you wind up dead sooner or later and we get the blame. You can have our security, or arrange your own.”

He hadn’t intended to tell her off, but the woman was beyond irritating.

“Yes, your job, your company comes first.” Her tone was belittling.

“Word indeed,” he said. “They do.”

Everyone looked at each other, embarrassed, though she’d apparently forgotten her rising argument with Das.

“I see there is nothing further to accomplish here. Good day,” she said and rose.

Alex realized the other two now considered him a hindrance. He’d had that intel, and not shared it.

He shrugged, nodded and stood himself.

Elke found it amusing to listen in that morning.

Highland was cursing up a storm to JessieM and the walls.

“Those mercenary assholes! That loose-lipped bastard, telling everyone we staged an attack. They can’t be trusted with anything.”

JessieM sounded timid as she said, “It’s always best to keep information inside, ma’am.”

Yes, Highland had told them of the fact herself. She seemed to have missed that. Interesting that she didn’t trust her own intel people, or the military’s. What a terrible world she lived in.

Highland said, “Well, we’re safe here. Das admitted he can’t spy on us, and Gillette said he detected nothing. As long as our phones are off, we’re okay.”

That was amusing, and even more so as her monitors picked up two phones handshaking the nodes and logging out. They’d both had active systems.

So, Elke must assume someone else with similar gear was monitoring Highland, too. It wasn’t certain, but it was eminently possible. That was the nature of their world. Still, their principal assumed she had secrecy. It was a good thing she didn’t know about Shaman’s monitors, also.

JessieM said, “Ma’am, you present well. You are still perceived as strong, courageous and honest in the face of adversity.”

“Hmmph. And what is being said about my security detail?”

“You’re seen as a victim of the administration, with them as its contract muscle.”

“Close enough to the truth. You say it’s reading well?”

“Quite. Even the Neo-Stalinists are sympathetic. They’re talking it against Cruk.”

“Interesting. Then we need to keep playing that. There are just so many issues here. Showing position over him is as important as the opposition proper.”

“Yes. They’re all opposition.”

“Exactly. I can have no friends.”

“You do have me, ma’am.”

“Of course. You’re trusted and paid, and so is Erickson.”

If Elke recalled correctly, Erickson was her campaign manager on Earth. She had quite a small personal staff, considering all things.

Jessie sounded timid when she said, “What about paying Ripple Creek a bonus?”

“What?”

A bit more firmly, she said, “You could offer a bonus for their support so far. That might swing them more your way, and amenable to promotion.”

“No. They’d let it leak eventually, and then I’d be the one contracting mercenaries. That has to be played right, too.”

“I understand. It was a thought.”

“Not a bad one, but not right for this circumstance. But I’ll call Mogreb.”

Elke perked up at that. Mogreb… oh… kurva drat.

Mogreb was a Serbian thug disguised as a lawyer, who’d been Highland’s employer before she went into politics. Interestingly, it seemed she’d taught him more than she’d learned from him.

Still, he was an ugly man. Intimidation and coercion were typical of him, though never proven in court. He’d been on her payroll early on, handling interventions for constituents in her district. If she took an interest in a case, Mogreb showed up to “express concern.” Most of the time, the problem then resolved amicably.

Certainly it saved court costs. It was also certainly unfair.

So he was either still on payroll, or was a consultant. So why call him? And where was he?

“Zoltan, hello again.”

He was on planet, then, if she spoke to him directly.

“Did you see the broadcast? Yes, Ms. Landinger’s comments were rather unkind.”

They spoke for several minutes, but Elke gained all she needed from that opening. Highland wasn’t happy with the press, and was arranging for muscles to mix it up. That was useful to know, and the team would need to be prepared for that if she ever went nasty. More than she already was.

When she briefed Alex and rolled the file for him, he nodded.

“For two reasons we can’t get involved. First, it’s none of our business what she does to others, except as it affects potential threats. Also, we can’t let her know we have that feed.”

“She also might escalate against us,” Elke added.

“Yes. Still, I’d like to find a way to dissuade her.”

“Without mentioning it?”

“It was an encrypted signal, yes?”

“Yes.”

“Can someone ‘discover’ the signal and report it to us as a security issue? Meaning to Cady’s people?”

“Everyone knows she has secure and personal communication.”

“Yes, but can we pretend we didn’t know? Then hint contents to encourage her to shut up?”

She flared her eyes slightly. “Probably not. I’ll think on it.”

Highland had what she needed. Keeping it discreet across light years had taken money, patience, effort, and a good rapport with people who could read between the lines.

Huble was good at that. It had cost money, though. The question was if the payoff would be worth it.

The newsload should be coming through this system any time now. There was the lightspeed delay from Earth, the wait for a ship to carry the signal through, for it to clear UN BuSec at this end, which should be a formality but could take time. More lightspeed delay. It should be now, dammit.

She sighed and poured a champagne and vodka cooler. It would happen.

There.

Oh, that was brilliantly done, she thought, feeling a rush that was almost naughty. It was even more spiteful than she’d hoped for. She brought the volume up so as to catch all the details.

— essman Hunter’s wife. According to the release, she caught him in an ‘inappropriate embrace’ with a junior staffer. She reiterates her belief in his campaign, and vows to stand by him despite this personal trouble.”

The payoff would come shortly, because Amelia Hunter had made no such statement. They’d be days sorting it out, and Highland would have time to regain points.

But it got better. So much better.

“The staffer was not identified, but came forward as Angela Soruto. Ms. Soruto asked for Whistleblower protection, and CNNBC News is discussing the release of further details from her.”