COVERT WRITERS TAKEDOWN by Joe Bergeron (best beach reads txt) 📕

was that the natural
occurrence of the Laws themselves was affecting the
outcome of everything.
374
Part III
Closure
Chapter 14
Yin and Yang
The Eighth Physical law
Tuesday, May 30, 1:00 p.m.
Sitting on the bed, Michael Courtney reviewed
a contingency plan he’d set up long ago. There were
elements to consider, and because of these elements,
this was the contingency he needed to implement.
Yankee Echo
Power - control
Fill - overflow
Yin - Yang
The last reference was his key.
He knew that when anything became too full,
too complete, it would retreat in favor of its opposite.
Yin and Yang - the two polar forces in Chinese
thought, would be assigned to Yankee Echo, and its
opposite.
He’d characterize the organization as Yang, the
part associated with power, movement and creativity.
Its polar opposite, Yin, would be the same organization,
but one that was static, resting and lacking authority.
It existed simply because of the actuality of its own
opposite, where the power presently stood.
He’d need to create, and cause to come to life,
an opposition to Yankee Echo - its Yin.
375
Once it existed, the organization, because of its
own weight, power, and authority, would transform
itself into its opposite - a non-effective, nonauthoritarian
entity.
The process was simple - to make something
change, interrupt its pattern, create its mirror image.
No drastic overt action on the organization would be
necessary to effect the transformation - it would happen
naturally.
Technology would be involved, but that part
was easy. In fact, he couldn’t believe how simple some
solutions are to problems we consider major.
It was time to act on the contingency.
He’d need Kay.
Picking up the phone and holding the encoder
against the receiver, he was flushed with guarded
anticipation as he dialed her number.
There was a voice at the other end - female.
“McKenzie residence, may I help you?”
“May I speak with Kathleen, please?”
“May I ask who’s calling?”
“Michael Courtney.”
What took twenty-five seconds seemed like an
hour.
“Michael!?”
Her voice washed him.
“Oh God, Kay, it’s good to hear you. Are you
OK?”
“Yes, are you? Where are you? Are you coming
here?”
“I’m with Andy, and I can’t tell you where we
are, but yes, we’re coming there - soon.”
“Michael - nothing’s happened that can’t be
worked out.”
“I don’t agree with that, Kay. It was you who
finally convinced me that Yankee Echo was
manipulative and wrong. Do you remember?”
“Of course - I’ve been trying to tell you that for
months.” 376
“Well I don’t like what I see. I don’t like being
a part of this now, and I need to meet with your father,
but I wanted to make you were safe, and available.”
Her voice quieted.
“I understand - thank you - and I am.”
“I’m going to come to you - stay in Connecticut.”
“I will.”
“We need to talk about a lot of things.”
“I know…can’t you come here now?”
“Please, Kay - it has to be like this for the time
being - It’ll be soon.”
“…..I love you.”
“…..Thank you…I love you too.”
Did he love her? Did she love him? Was it
love, or need, or both? Did it matter?
Arms folded across her chest, she leaned
against the doorframe leading into the den. Her father
sat on a leather couch reviewing corporate papers.
“That was Michael.”
“I thought so.”
“Will you tell David he called?”
“I have to, but he’s probably already figured
that out.”
“I don’t know what to do.”
He motioned for her to sit beside him.
“Kay, Michael will be able to take care of
himself. I’m concerned about you. Tell me how you feel
about your relationship with him.”
“I don’t know. I really don’t know - I think I
love him.”
She turned to him.
“Dad, Michael found out it was George Tollman
who killed John. He went to Cuba and risked his life to
get you out of there. He’s been loyal to you all these
years. How can you just let him go?”
“I’m not - he walked away.”
“He walked away from a lie.”
“Kathleen, some things are…”
377
She held up her hand.
“Dad, stop, please. I’ve heard it all before. The
greater good - the larger picture - the keeping things
balanced. I don’t buy it. I never really did, even though
sometimes I said I did. Yankee Echo is deceiving and
wrong. I wish I’d never been allowed to know it
existed.”
He spoke softly.
“Kay, it’s too big to stop.”
Her voice was also calm and quiet.
“What you’re really saying is it’s out of control
and can’t be stopped.”
The elder McKenzie stood.
“You should try to convince Michael to leave it
alone - let it go.”
“What makes you think he’ll do anything else?”
“His attitude.”
“What’s his attitude?”
“He’s hostile. We think he knows who the
breacher was stateside
“Hostile? He probably thinks David wants to
tie him to a chair and shove a light in his face to
interrogate him.”
“Both he and Andy can come back. David and I
have agreed on that.”
“Don’t count on it.”
“I’m not, but I still need to see him. I need -
David needs to know who the breacher is, and what
Michael’s going to do.”
“I think you’re going to find out soon, Dad. I’m
going for a walk on the beach.”
“I’ll be here when you get back. Kay - it’s going
to work out.”
Looking at him like only a daughter can, she
silently nodded her head.
McKenzie picked up his phone dialing
Washington.
“David Eisenberg.”
“Michael just called.” 378
“I thought it was him. He has an encoder. We
couldn’t trace it. Did he talk to you?”
“No, Kathleen. She wasn’t on that long.”
“I would think he’d want to see her.”
“He’s got to make some first moves. Have your
people come up with anything?”
“We think he and St. Croix are still in South
Florida. I have an idea we’ll be hearing from them
soon.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because he’ll want to start an offensive
pattern - put us on defense.”
“How will you handle that?”
“I’ll try to turn it back on him. He’ll be a
challenge on the outside. I’m feeding information on
whatever he does to two Physical Laws Professors at
Georgetown. We’re sure he has answers on the
breachers and we want to know his intentions.”
“Well - I’ll keep you up to date from here.”
“I’ll talk to you later.”
Eisenberg made a call. It was answered by a
Professor of Physical Laws and Metaphysics sitting in
his office in the middle of Georgetown University’s
campus.
“This is David. Courtney’s contacted Kathleen
McKenzie.
“Then you’ll be next - he has his plan set. You’ll
hear from him within twenty-four hours, maybe
sooner.”
“We still put the defense back on him, right?”
“That’s right - it’s also assuming you can.”
“What would you guess his intentions are?”
“He’s working from deductive logic, he has a
conclusion. We’re working from inductive reasoning -
we need to build theories that will make his conclusion -
then we’ll know what he’s doing. We still have a piece,
though. His call to the girl probably means he’s
finished all his brain-intensive work. 379
He’ll be moving toward you, very fast - you
have to be a part of his plan.”
“He has the advantage.”
“That’s true.”
“I don’t like waiting games. I need to know
who Bellcamp and Belize were working with.”
“If he knows who it is, you’ll have it sooner
than you realize. Don’t forget, it’s been Courtney and
St. Croix who’ve solved this whole puzzle for you to
date. They’ll continue to do so. Courtney’s not going to
withhold information. He’s just waiting for the right
time to deliver it. We re-read his Law One Corollary
Paper. As a Philosopher, he likes primary movement.
He’ll make something happen, and in order to do that
he needs everyone to be aware of all the parts,
otherwise no one knows he’s done anything. If I were
you, I’d be more concerned about what his intentions
are toward the organization. He may try to dismantle
it, and he may have worked out a contingency plan for
that years ago.”
“That’s an impossibility. Even if all our
computers were destroyed, we’re redundant. We could
set up again in two weeks.”
“He probably wouldn’t even consider physical
destruction, David.”
“So how could he do it - he’s out. He doesn’t
have access anymore.”
“Good question, and we don’t have an answer
for that. He’s changed his philosophical concept of the
organization from positive to negative. He’s
resourceful, and pretty much a straight pragmatist. He
needs to practice his science, and he’ll find a way and a
place to do that. What would make sense is for you is to
find him a new job where he could use the tools of his
trade. We think he’d be well placed in the CIA in a
Special Operations Division where he could work with
St. Croix on U.S. economic security. What we’d suggest
to you is that you have a talk with Scott Orefice, and
see if this would work for him. 380
If it does, and they accept the positions, you’ll know
where they are, and you can watch then through the
Director. Give Courtney a one year option. He can
leave after that. He knows Yankee Echo can’t be
physically destroyed, and if he has any other plans, he
may just opt for another job and let them go.”
“So you think he’ll contact us.”
“He won’t just contact you, he’ll come to you -
he’ll want this resolved quickly.”
“I’ll be waiting, stay close.”
“We will.”
Eisenberg punched another number into his
keypad.
“Wirtham answered.
“Yes.”
“Have you changed the satellite codes to the
writers?”
“Yes, we’re finishing it up now. David, if you’re
worried about Michael, he’s not going to come here.”
“How can you be sure about that? How do you
know he and St. Croix won’t borrow a Zero explosives
kit and come in and level the place?”
“Because he won’t want to destroy what’s here,
and he knows he can’t make it go away. He wants
justice, but we don’t know what that means for him
right now.”
“You don’t think he’ll seek retribution?”
“Yes, but he may feel he’s already accomplished
it by leaving the organization. He has a lot of respect
for himself and for what he does - and to tell you the
truth, David, we’re really in a lousy position without
him - he knows that.”
“We’ll get a replacement.”
“I know we will - but think about the change in
philosophy, in analytical procedure. Look at what he
and Andy St. Croix have managed to do. We’re going to
miss these people.”
381
The man was right. He hadn’t even thought about
replacements yet. The organization had run so well,
been so well managed and executed that it seemed like
it would never be any way but that.
He needed to see him - talk to him and St.
Croix
He was nervous, not knowing what to expect -
and expecting the worse.
Signing off, each promised to contact the other
with any subsequent news.
Tuesday, May 30, 2:14 p.m.
Andy St. Croix had returned from renting a
car.
“Got us a Bronco, Mick. It’s got a cellular
phone.”
Courtney slid off the bed.
“Sounds good to me, want to leave?”
“Yep.”
They left - heading North.
Tuesday, May 30, 4:05 p.m.
Courtney waited two hours before dialing.
“David Eisenberg.”
“This is Michael Courtney.”
It was their first introduction.
Eisenberg was immediately on defense.
“Courtney…Michael…I’m in the middle of
something right now - let me call you right back.
“You hang up on me and we don’t talk for two
more days.”
That was unacceptable -