After a few minutes of scuffling in his seat, ”Hope Emerson, Senator from Montana, Chairperson of the Senate foreign relations oversight committee.”

”Ruth Gavin Missouri, Senate foreign relations oversight committee.”

”Gilbert Howell, California Senate foreign relations over sight committee.”

”Rose Pearlman, Oregon Senate appropriations committee.”

”Sherman Ballard, Minnesota Senate appropriations committee.”

”Roxy Granger Ohio, House foreign relations committee.”

”The other four were to Iraq government officials; they were supposed to be for compensation divided between the victims of the Market Square fiasco. That was how the officials demanded payment. The victims ended up with nothing.”

”All the ladies play bridge every Wednesday night and gossip. Hope, Ruth and Gilbert routinely delayed legislation that would have a negative impact on us. Rose, Sherman and Roxy were sending us proposed contracts before they were published, giving us advance notice and pushing our bids higher on the list,” he said.

”It started with Hope, Ruth and Gilbert. They were steering countries to us that needed the services we supplied. Sometimes they arranged foreign aid funding or mutual security grants for those countries to help pay for our services. Then they got help from their friends to expand the enterprise,” he said.

”As long as contracts were coming the payments were viewed as a cost of doing business. Then several things went haywire and the contracts slowed down or stopped. They thought they should still get the checks. We couldn’t do it anymore and that’s when they started all the investigations to force our hand to pay them again,” he said.

”Have they tried to contact you since the court decision?” I asked.

”A couple times but the courts ended our problem, but they may have their sights on you,” he said.

”I can handle them – let them bring it on. I have several surprises for them when they do,” I said.

I learned all that I needed to know and what to expect when I went to Washington on Monday the third. I didn’t want to go but I needed to give the monthly terrorist report to Congress.

I expected that there would be trouble from the foreign relations committees and the appropriations committee. Also trouble with the foreign relations committee because so much of the terrorism was foreign sponsored.

The appropriations committee because we were still requesting anti-terrorism funding and awarding grants to colleges for security. The very people that were railing against the grants and our international findings had their hands out.

Milton Bear confirmed what Charles had said. There was no need to continue with that line of questioning.

I brought both of them back in and began discussing some of the previous contracts they had held and the men assigned to them. I was sure Andy would do the same thing when he had time.

The weekend was upon us and so was Indian summer. It was still warm and muggy with the days getting shorter. Dad and Jason were back into the farming mode with harvest in full swing. They would be done with their corn crop in another week. Then they needed to plant a cover crop but the real thing on their mind was getting goose blinds set up in the bay property they had leased. It would not be long before the Canadian geese would in full migration.

Last year I had brought a select few to go goose hunting; Troy, Frank Love and Eric Roberson. This year General Ingram and a couple more Generals and Supreme Court Judge Harvey Sizemore wanted to join the group. He and Judge Slaughter were old friends. Judge Slaughter was part of the regular hunting group with Dad, Jason, Andy and Judge Kellerman – aka Bones. Several of the county commissioners joined the group from time to time.

Bones didn’t apply anymore; she had filled out to be a real catch for some lucky man.

The girls and I spent part of Saturday putting Halloween decorations up. JJ and RJ were big enough to be interested in the festive atmosphere of the season and picking out trick or treat costumes.

Supper tonight was at the seafood inn; we wanted a little change plus we had worked hard today. No one had taken time to think about putting together supper. Family time and intimate time consumed the rest of the evening.

Most of Sunday was laid back. I did spend time moving six of the crates that came back on the C5 to the office basement. The rest were placed into the secure hanger. Thirty five crates came in this time. The weapons had been taken directly to the explosives bunker until we could get them shipped to Texas.

The jet was taking off for Texas with the additional trainers going to Fort Dean to train the men going to France in crowd and traffic control – French style. Andy had chosen two hundred of the men that were there for the task. The day after the French raid they were flying back to go to Mexico. At least that was the plan.

I arrived in Washington at 0730 – early enough that I missed most of the press staking out the back entrance to the White House. I waved at the ones that were there as I walked inside.

I took the elevator down to my office in Section Twelve. Andrew and Anne were already waiting on me. They had put the reports together for me. All I had to do was put them in a format so that I could report to the Intelligence, Foreign relations and affairs and the National Security committees. Three presentations in the Senate this morning and three in the House this afternoon. Andrew and Anne were going to accompany me.

Together we finished up the reports and I went over the findings so I would be familiar enough to make sense in my presentation.

We just had finished as the mob came in, the President followed by Troy, Dick James, General Ingram, Frank Love and Eric Roberson.

”Looks like a good day for a hanging; is this all of the lynch mob?” I asked.

”I don’t know about that but I might have to take a serious look at that letter that is in my desk I have been holding,” the President said.

”If you are going to do that I would suggest doing it by the twenty third,” I replied.

”What is the significance about the twenty third?” he asked.

”That is the day I unlock the cover and push the red button of no return underneath it,” I said.

”But don’t worry, all is good after that – maybe except for the circus and the zoo that follows,” I said.

”Eric, what has your department been able to come up with all the communiqué blasts from Bashir?” I asked.

”There is expected to be an uptick in lone wolf attacks in Europe on that day,” he said.

”And an attack at Oklahoma State,” I added.

”We saw some of that but that is one of your colleges so we were pretty sure you had things under control. Have you communicated what you have found to the local authorities?” Eric asked.

”Yes, but they are more interested in restricting JBG into an unarmed college security. He basically said we were full of it and there was no threat, that the community worked in harmony with all groups and there was no chance that any group would be terrorists,” I said.

”Ching Lee is handling it, extra people for there are in the works and Andy approved the plan,” I said.

The National Security committee was first. I went through the numbers, calls into the federal tip line and combined numbers from the state tip lines and the number of calls forwarded from state law enforcement tip lines.
Then there was the breakdown of how they were rated and the investigations of each. Then I reported the numbers of those being labeled as bogus, false reports and misrepresented facts.

I continued on with the numbers of those that were labeled high as probability requiring in depth investigation with advanced techniques by multiple agencies. I broke them down by area, North East, Middle Atlantic, South East and so on.

When I finished the session went into a question and answer segment.

”No, I will not break the numbers down by states or localities. There are ongoing investigations that may be jeopardized by such information,” I said.

”No, we do not have any undercover employees working in illegal establishments. No strippers or pole dancers,” I said.

”Yes, I expect there to be an uptick in activity as the holidays and religious holidays get closer,” I said to another question.

”No, there has not been any new information gleaned from the Harrisburg investigation. We are assuming everything that was of intelligence value went up in the flames. For the size and scope of that operation it was disappointing not to gain a wealth of information,” I said.

”The security contract between Mexpo and JBG surely can’t fall within the scope of this committee. After all, it is just another international contract that has no connection to national security,” I said.

”No, I am not overseeing that contract. The security division under Victoria Jones and Ching Lee Jones is in overall charge of that project with Vice President Andy Reddick in charge of the particular project,” I said.

”No, I do not have control of that operation or need to direct it. If Vicky or Ching Lee whisper sweet nothings in my ear at midnight in the form of a question, I might passionately respond with the appropriate suggestions,” I said.

When the laughter subdued the chairman thanked us for appearing and gaveled the meeting to an end. The Foreign Relations committee was next. It was looking like it was going to be a hum dinger. Hope and Ruth had been twitting all during this morning’s testimony. They hoped I had brought lunch because I was not leaving until I answered all their questions.

Edit by Alfmeister
Proof read by Bob W.