The Layered World Pt. 08

The Layered World - Part 8 - Allan Becomes a Seagoing Double Agent

Chapter 30 - Rendezvous at Alcaniz

In the morning dimness, before the alarm could go off, Jay caressed his naked bed companions and inquired, "Perhaps it would be better if we dressed and asked the helpers to join us for breakfast? They will be intensely curious."

They each took half of him and complained, "Only one treatment? You fire us up and then no more?"

They were already wandering to the bathroom, clutching underwear. He growled, "You will receive appropriate rewards."

He followed and pressed them against the vanity. Their alluring fronts, with stiff pink nipples, stared back from the mirror.

"I promise, after this is over, to find a location where all your loving instincts may be indulged."

They looked at his laughing eyes in the mirror and complained again, "Jay, you have us in dangerous uncharted waters. We expect to survive!"

"Certainement," he whispered, passing a hand across the stiff tips.

Pulling on his running shorts, he found Hugh in the next room. "Any news this morning?

Headed to the elevator, Hugh responded, "Nothing significant. London thinks the Beirut blast was over something internal to ISIS."

They circled the city center, which was filled with well preserved buildings from a complicated past of Moorish and Spanish occupations. The exercise felt good and they did several intervals in clear stretches.

Coming back, they walked for a cool down. Jay asked, "Are we too relaxed?"

"Actually, we are not very relaxed, are we? Everyone alert and armed. Two parties advancing separately. Itineraries obscured. Electronic use minimized."

Jay waited a moment, reacting to Hugh's words. "You are correct. Perhaps I am over concerned, but the unseen nature of our opponents is worrying."

Hugh smiled as they approached the entrance to the hotel. "It is a pleasure to work for you. Many leaders have been brought down by inattention."

After a quick series of feints, they entered with a laugh.

The women had been busy dealing with breakfast and asking the kitchen for takeaway lunch provisions.

A few minutes later, Kelly had her helpers in the suite, where a large cart had been unloaded to a credenza in a line of hot breakfast items.

Jay sat down with them and commenced a briefing over the food.

"We are leaving in an hour or so for a parador called Alcaniz. For the next several days, we are visitors enjoying Spanish sights on vacation before business meetings in Tarragona next week. We do not expect any trouble, but you must remain alert, because your client and the rest of us are potential targets for Jihadis. Our company is in the insurance business and the plane explosion last week involved some of our business associates.

"Your job is to assist in getting Kelly and others in the party safely to Tarragona at the end of the week. Since Kelly is staying here for another assignment, you will be free to return home however you wish."

He paused for questions. The two men looked at each other and then responded, "Sounds good to us, Mr. Manco. So far, this has been a first rate trip."

"Excellent. Remember that the people we are dealing with are deadly serious and good at what they do."

Kelly inquired, "It is a short trip to Alcaniz. Should we be taking a countryside route?"

"Yes. Check with the Concierge. Perhaps there is a park along the way. If we can raise the others, see if a country rendezvous is possible. Jennifer and I need a talk." He didn't mention Orange, but Kelly realized immediately what his comment meant.

Walking out the door with her precious electronics sack, she responded, "Yes, sir. On it."

Sybil pinched him, "You are so spoiled..."

In morning traffic, leaving Zaragoza was slow. The rental van was nondescript, which is what Jay and Hugh wanted. Stan took the first driving turn, with Mark in the passenger seat. Hugh said quietly that Kelly's helpers seemed to be the kind of men they needed.

"And appreciated," Jay added. He turned and noticed Kelly talking on her cell. She mouthed, "Jennifer," and smiled. In a few minutes, she bounded forward from the back seat and landed in Jay's lap.

"Oops, must not act like college girl. Your instincts are perfect as usual. They are to our south, but we will meet at a lake outside Alcaniz. They stayed in a place called Andorra last night."

"No special news?"

"None. Jen sounds as bad a coed as I do. This is ok as long as we are alert?"

Jay rolled his eyes at Hugh with a question mark in them. He responded with a Brit military growl, "Not proper SAS at all. Must need more training."

Emily, sitting next to him, pinched his ear and hissed, "Stop oppressing your women. So far, they are doing a perfect job."

After an hour or so, Hugh gestured out the rear window. The van was approaching with a smiling Allan behind the wheel. Kelly and Jennifer were instantly talking on their phones.

"Ten minutes to our lake. Snack or early lunch available."

Chapter 31 - Orange Takes a New Direction

Shortly, they were enjoying a sunny lake view with thermos coffee and cakes spread on a camp table. Sybil had been on her phone and announced, "The Parador Alcaniz is pleased to welcome us today. We have two suites, and three adjoining rooms with views."

They deserve this relaxation, Jay thought to himself. Life would be busy and dangerous next week.

He inquired, "We mustn't talk work today, but are arrangements for the next meetings in order?"

Four sets of PA eyes were staring at him. Jennifer and Fina were smiling. Emily and Hugh were having a long, good morning kiss. Stan and Mark were consuming croissants with their coffee. Allan was stretched out on the grass, eyes closed.

"Joshua," Sybil said severely, "if you have anxieties, please keep them to yourself. Some influential Arabs are flying to Spain, and we will be ready to meet them!"

He mustered up a deep frown and pointed at Jennifer. "You, follow me," and stalked off toward the water. She skipped along at his side.

"You don't do fake irritation very well."

"I have to act up once in a while. They got good loving last night."

"I didn't get good loving last night. But you warned me..."

"Yes. You must act the junior miss of the group after those days with me."

She ran across the grass doing somersaults and exclaiming loudly, "Junior Miss, that's what I am!"

A convenient bench was near the lake. "Sit and brief me again about Orange. Your boss is nervous."

"You are nervous? Think of your helpers!"

She began, "The PA's and I have decided there should be an initial transfer from New York, suitably disguised. The next day, when they are wondering about a mysterious six figure transfer from an unknown account in New York, an email from a public account of ours arrives inquiring if by chance a mistaken six figure transfer had gotten into their account."

He was massaging her fingers carefully while he listened. "Yes. I am with you so far."

"It is necessary to have alternative options at that point, depending on their reaction."

"Hold on a minute. Let's talk organization of the Orange effort. Not everyone needs to be fully informed. It would be safer, for them and for the plan, to have limited knowledge."

She interrupted, "Yes. Has Allan joined us yet? At the moment, he has divided loyalties and that is a problem. The agency needs to be kept at arms length."

Jay was quiet for a minute, weighing risks and opportunities. He looked up at the intense blue eyes and nodded, "Please run over and retrieve him down here. You will get nasty looks, but ignore them and say to start lunch."

With prodigious energy, she cartwheeled across the grass, shouting, "Allan, you are required to report to Jay!"

The young agent growled fiercely, seizing the twirling body and dashing down the hill.

They stood in front of him, panting and blocking the view of the lake. Allan's smile was wide as he pinned Jennifer's arms behind her and turned sideways to protect his privates from her kick.

"You called, sir?"

He frowned, "Jennifer and I are upset to take a Yalie into our confidence, but you have made yourself indispensable to our plans. Is it true that you would like to join our ragtag group?"

Slowly flexing his knees, Allan sank lower and lower until he sat on the green grass, forcing Jennifer into his lap. Her vigorous resistance was for naught, and failed completely when he kissed under her ear.

"Jay, it pains me no end to admit that a female from LSE has bested me, but it is the truth. Whenever I turn around, she is there, one step ahead. This question has to do with the secret plan?"

"Yes. It doesn't seem possible for you to serve two masters, and as we go forward from here, the details of our plan will begin to emerge. Your agency masters must be kept at arms length, or they would make a terrible mess of what we are doing."

Slowly again, Allan reclined fully, leaving Jennifer sitting on his chest looking uncomfortable and glancing fearfully at her boss.

"You make an attractive pair. Do you suppose you could banish your attraction for each other long enough to punish a few Jihadis?"

She jumped up, pulling him after. "Allan, we must stop behaving like teenagers. What we are about could easily get us killed. Look at Jay's cold eyes. Perhaps you should go back to New York and just be a good CIA agent?"

She quickly found herself with an arm twisted firmly behind her. His growl was low voiced, "Jay, there is no way on earth I am leaving this woman or your leadership. I will sign whatever oath of allegiance you require."

"Sit down on the bench, then, both of you. We were discussing the circle of information sharing about our project, which is called Orange, by the way. A title not to be mentioned in any form of written or electronic communication, or out loud in public."

Taking his hand in both of hers, Jennifer said, "Partner, Jay is fortunate that his women helpers have heads for details. For some genetic reason, I have what seems to be endless capacity to keep reams of number details in my head. The Orange plan intends to inflict serious financial and physical harm on as many Jihadis as possible. Bringing you into our full confidence is probably going to wreck my love life, but there are more important things right now."

Jay intervened, "We must rejoin the others for lunch. What I have decided is that everyone in the group, except Mark and Stan, will be fully informed of the Orange plan as far as decisions have been made. Jennifer and Fina and Allan are used to working together by now, and will function as the advance guard, relaying ideas as they develop..."

Walking up the hill, the three were all smiles. Sybil asked, with a frown, "What was all that?"

Jennifer opened her mouth, and closed it quickly, realizing the Allan announcement needed to be made by Jay. He poked her butt and said, "Thank you."

Raising his voice, "Allan has graciously accepted an offer to join us full time. His talent is needed for our work, and I am most appreciative. He and I will endeavor to let his current employer down without too much breakage."

Jay was too nervous to obey his own instruction about no work talk. Munching on a sandwich and surrounded by The Three, he asked Jennifer to continue from where she had left off.

"Earlier, when our tempers were hotter because of the crash, our thoughts about Orange included a bit of revenge killing. Perhaps we should recycle on that. With radicals, one killing leads to another and so on, repeatedly. If our intent is to disable their operations to the extent we can, with minimal exposure of ourselves, some restructuring is needed."

She paused to look around the group. Seeing nods, she went on. Jay throttled an impulse to speak.

"Since ancient times, the Mediterranean has been used for piracy, small wars, big wars, and other mischief. There is no doubt that today's Muslim radicals have made use of it. What if we acquired a suitable yacht, moored in Palma, around which encounters could be arranged? Encounters that might have bad consequences for our Jihadi opponents?"

Allan could not keep still. "My god, Jennifer, now there has to be a Manco Navy?"

Jay stood and waved everyone else to the group in front of him.

"Jennifer has had an interesting idea. She proposes that we charter a suitable yacht to take us from Tarragona to Palma, Mallorca, and perhaps other destinations. A week or ten days to sun, swim and adjust our plans following the meetings in Tarragona."

He looked at Mark and Stan. "Do the two of you have any blue water experience?"

"Yes, sir. We've been down the coast to Ensenada and Acapulco. Can be a bit rough, so you have to pay attention."

"You wouldn't mind signing on to crew a yacht for a few days?"

"Not at all, Mr. Manco. With a group this size, we will need at least eighty feet. And two big diesels if you want more than twenty knots."

Smiling, he turned to Sybil. "Do we have insurance clients among the yacht brokers?"

Smiling back, she said, "This is sheer devilment, but yes, there is one in Palma and another in Barcelona."

Hugh and Allan were barely able to contain themselves, thinking of US and Brit intelligence reactions to the Manco gang afloat on the Mediterranean.

He paused to let this new and extreme idea sink in. Then said, "Hugh and Allan, come with me for a stroll. The rest of you enjoy some free time on a marvelous day."

He set off at a good pace, to give them distance from the others. The small mountain top, on which was perched a large structure which was their destination for the day, was visible to the east in haze.

Pointing, he said, "A convent in former times. Now a fancy hotel with a fancy name. Will we have any privacy?"

Hugh and Allan looked at each other, shaking their heads. "Not that we could count on, " answered Hugh.

"Yes. My thought also. Which is why we are hashing out Jennifer's risky idea here by the lake."

He took a deep breath before Allan could say anything, "Allan, most spies at one time or another need to negotiate divided loyalties. I am about to ask you to become, very briefly, a double agent."

Holding up his hand to quell a response, he said, "Please let me finish before you disagree violently."

Anticipating what was afoot, Hugh smiled at Allan and Jay, saying nothing.

"If the CIA learns we are at sea and have also poached their agent, there will be the devil to pay. We can't afford that. So, I propose that your resignation from the agency be postponed for two weeks or so. They will unhappily agree to your being on the yacht outing representing their interests."

"Unfortunately, we can't delay the launch of Orange two weeks. In fact, the whole notion of a yacht outing has to do with the initial steps in Orange. Which means, you will be an Orange co-conspirator while also serving as an agent, a double agent, of the CIA."

Allan was smart enough to spend a minute or two thinking that over.

"I wouldn't actually betray any US interests, would I? Orange is as much in our country's interests as it is in the interests of Jay Manco?"

"I believe that to be the case. What is your opinion, Hugh?"

"On target, as usual, Jay. I have a question, however. We don't want to destroy Tim's career, so at some point there will have to be sharing of Orange information? The CIA networks would track us down, sooner or later, anyway."

"Indeed. I asked Jennifer about second order effects and she tossed the hot potato back at me. So, she and Fina will worry about numbers and communication, and the three of us will worry about intelligence agencies and other complications. The PA's will fit in where they are needed."

His most trusted advisor said, "Emily will be upset, but I will send her on the yacht trip she has always wanted and myself go back to London to deal with fallout on all sides as our nasty plan goes into effect. Someone will keep my wife from harm?"

Jay made a point of shaking Hugh's hand and said, "I will consider it a personal responsibility."

He turned around and walked slowly, waiting for a response from Allan.

"Jay, this is all a bit much for a very junior agent, but the logic is straightforward. Also scary. What about backup? We can't count on the Islamists to be dumb."

Jay and Hugh laughed. "Yes, assuming the other side is dumb can ruin your day!"

As they approached the group, Jay stopped, saying to Allan, "Provide some company for your women, who are all wound up by now. I need a private word with Hugh."

Reversing course yet again, he inquired, "Are there any of your ex-SAS friends who are sailors and might hold a skipper certificate for this part of the Med?"

"I can think of two who might. I could inquire."

"Before that, tell me how we explain this latest scheme to Anthony."

Sotto voce, Hugh replied, "It's simple. I just say that Jay Manco has gone entirely off the deep end!"

They both laughed. The scheme was barely hatched, but needed to be vetted.

"What if you made a deal with your friend? Fully paid vacation in return for helping us comply with the sailing rules. He gets filled in later about Orange, probably after we are at sea."

"And I flesh it out with Anthony as a bit of protection for your group while they decompress from the important meetings?"

"Yes, exactly. When you are back in London and face to face, he gets a version of the real story."

They walked slowly, each trying to put meat on the bones of Jennifer's latest brilliant idea.

After several minutes, Hugh ventured, "Jay, after the burst of traffic following our initial electronic salvo, there are going to be Spanish coastal warships in close proximity."

"That occurred to me. Do you suppose our brilliant young friend already is thinking that the Spanish warship Captain should be advised that the other vessels advancing on us are carrying contraband?"

"Yes. You know, she has an aptitude for pushing the envelope to the limits of the risks you and I are willing to take."

"Here is another 'do you suppose.' We will need self-defense weapons on the yacht. How do we obtain them and board them under the radar?"

"Ha! I have an answer to that one. The black hulled motor yacht with seasoned warrior at the helm makes an overnight transit to Marseilles, where the Six agent in charge is a personal friend. He will provide."

"You are in London by then, in a tight loop with Anthony?"

"And Tim, who will tell me he is being sacked every five minutes."

"When the Allan business leaks out, he will be sacked."

"Yes. It will be so delicious watching someone at Langley getting sacked in return when Tim has a soft landing with Brit intelligence."

Back at the vans, Sybil said, "Two cats have swallowed two canaries. You look far too relaxed."

Hugh hugged her tightly, "We are so grateful for your attention to this evening's accommodations!"

Emily was at their side. "Devils. They must think they are keeping up with Jennifer."

Chapter 32 - Parador Alcaniz

Valets took the two dusty vans away, promising to see they were washed immediately. The welcome in the spacious lobby was quick and efficient. In a few minutes, they were reunited with luggage in beautifully appointed historic rooms and the women were relaxing with a drink. Something resembling tea cakes was available and needed, since dinner would not be until eight.

Hugh quietly asked Jay, "Perhaps I should track down the SAS acquaintance while we are here?"

"Yes. By all means. I am thinking he should be Jennifer's advisor on yacht rental?"

A soft voice behind them said, "You are acting on my idea already?"

Nudging her to a corner, Jay said, "There are needed improvements. Hugh has a friend from SAS days who may have a current certificate to captain a yacht in these waters. You know Palma from family visits, but he knows boats. A perfect pairing, don't you think?"