It is important to process things. Process enough, now, then compartmentalize, then process some more, later. That's what he'd learned in his years doing what he did for a living.
He allowed himself a moment to wish she hadn't found it. He let himself worry about the enormity of the news. He spent a few seconds worrying about his own safety and allowed himself to dwell on the ramifications to his mission.
Then he noticed two blank faces staring at him intently.
He allowed himself a moment to wish she hadn't found it. He let himself worry about the enormity of the news. He spent a few seconds worrying about his own safety and allowed himself to dwell on the ramifications to his mission.
Then he noticed two blank faces staring at him intently.
Through his entire crisis, they had not looked away from him. Their expressions were frozen. They simply waited, like a family listening to a doctor rattle off technical details when all they really cared about was the prognosis.
It was one more burden on his shoulders. Two civilians - real civilians, not "civilian" contractors, like himself - who depended on him to carry this the rest of the way.
Their lives were in his hands. Samantha had made it that way by finding the data leak and sharing it with him.
Their lives were in his hands. Samantha had made it that way by finding the data leak and sharing it with him.
Before speaking, Adam took a moment to reflect on the trust Samantha had placed in him. How could she know he was not a part of whatever she found? He could easily have just lied to pass her clumsy little test of authenticity.
As it stood, he didn't have to.
As it stood, he didn't have to.
She had taken a calculated risk. The United States is a big country with a lot of people. It had a big government, also with a lot of people. Statistically-speaking, Adam probably wasn't a traitor. So, she probably just played the numbers.
He began slowly, choosing each word carefully. "You've shown me a lot of trust in sharing this," said Adam. "I won't lie. This could get ugly."
"What's our next move?" asked Fred.
Adam pursed his lips and tried to focus on his chin for a minute.
"I have to think about what to do, next.," said Adam. "This is the kind of problem you can't just report to your commander. It has to be handled carefully..." he reflected on that for a moment and guffawed at the understatement. "Very carefully," he clarified.
Samantha's eyes glistened in the dim light of the closed room. "You don't know who to trust?" asked Samantha.
Adam shook his head. "I don't even know how you decided to trust me."
"So what do we do, now?" asked Fred. He swallowed a gob of nothing then added: "I mean right now."
Adam nodded. "Yeah. Okay. Action items. Stay safe. That's your main job," he said. "Stay safe."
"How do we do that," asked Samantha. "Are we going to some kind of a...a...safe...place?"
Adam shook his head ever so slightly. "Noplace is safe from something like this," he said. "Safe actions is what you need...not a safe place."
"What are those actions?"
"Behave exactly as you did before you found this," said Adam. "Go home, spend time doing the things you did.
"See your girlfriend, Fred. Keep investigating the problem from home in ways you think we don't see. Samantha, keep arranging for your...uh...sleepovers.
"We need to safeguard ourselves because what we know is too valuable to risk losing. That said, we need to quietly and slowly adjust our routines to reduce potential leverage. Create distance...distance keeps you and the things you care about safe.
"No matter what we do, though, there is a chance that things will go south. We need a plan to ensure what we know isn't lost. Ideally, one that ensures our safety. Even a stalemate that stops the leak and keeps us safe is a win, at this point."
"So what's that?"
"I don't know, but I'll start making arrangements for your escape if things get bad."
Adam could see he was losing them. He tried to force a smile but both Fred and Samantha seemed to recoil at whatever emotion he actually rendered.
"What's our next move?" asked Fred.
Adam pursed his lips and tried to focus on his chin for a minute.
"I have to think about what to do, next.," said Adam. "This is the kind of problem you can't just report to your commander. It has to be handled carefully..." he reflected on that for a moment and guffawed at the understatement. "Very carefully," he clarified.
Samantha's eyes glistened in the dim light of the closed room. "You don't know who to trust?" asked Samantha.
Adam shook his head. "I don't even know how you decided to trust me."
"So what do we do, now?" asked Fred. He swallowed a gob of nothing then added: "I mean right now."
Adam nodded. "Yeah. Okay. Action items. Stay safe. That's your main job," he said. "Stay safe."
"How do we do that," asked Samantha. "Are we going to some kind of a...a...safe...place?"
Adam shook his head ever so slightly. "Noplace is safe from something like this," he said. "Safe actions is what you need...not a safe place."
"What are those actions?"
"Behave exactly as you did before you found this," said Adam. "Go home, spend time doing the things you did.
"See your girlfriend, Fred. Keep investigating the problem from home in ways you think we don't see. Samantha, keep arranging for your...uh...sleepovers.
"We need to safeguard ourselves because what we know is too valuable to risk losing. That said, we need to quietly and slowly adjust our routines to reduce potential leverage. Create distance...distance keeps you and the things you care about safe.
"No matter what we do, though, there is a chance that things will go south. We need a plan to ensure what we know isn't lost. Ideally, one that ensures our safety. Even a stalemate that stops the leak and keeps us safe is a win, at this point."
"So what's that?"
"I don't know, but I'll start making arrangements for your escape if things get bad."
Adam could see he was losing them. He tried to force a smile but both Fred and Samantha seemed to recoil at whatever emotion he actually rendered.
"You took a huge risk, sharing what you found. You could have stopped searching when you had an inkling. I'm going to reciprocate that trust. I'm going to give you my real name and the contact info for my commanding officer. Don't use either unless you absolutely need to but, if things go off the rails, head for the La Jolla airforce base. He'll get you in and keep you safe."
