Robert Ludlum - Covert One Series Omnibus by Robert Ludlum & Robert Ludlum

Author:Robert Ludlum & Robert Ludlum [Ludlum, Robert]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Covert One 4 - The Altman Code

Chapter Twenty-Four.

Washington, D.C.

In his bedroom, the president was still buttoning his shirt when Jeremy knocked and spoke through the door, “Director Debo, sir. She says it’s urgent. Would you like to take the call?”

One more emergency was not what he needed. “Of course. Put her through.”

The Director of Central Intelligence, Arlene Debo, had been appointed to the position by the previous administration, and he had kept her on, despite her affiliation with the opposition party, because he trusted her. She was very good at the job.

Her voice was just below strident, her natural tone. “Mr. President, my people ran the statistics on the leaks. The vast majority of them are related one way or another to defense and military matters. Did you know that?”

“Yes, why?”

“Because I instructed our agents to concentrate most heavily on the area on and around the joint chiefs, and it’s paid off with our first hit.”

The president sat down on the edge of his bed. “Who?”

“Secretary of the Army Jasper Kott.”

“Kott? Kott himself? Are you sure?” He was shocked.

“He went to Manila on somewhat questionable army business, so we put an agent with him. Sure enough, he slipped away in civvies and went into the city to what appeared to be a pleasure trip to a brothel where our agent was unable to follow. However, she’d had the foresight to contact our station chief, and he had a man there quickly, who went in as a customer. He learned Kott had insulted the house by not being there for ‘fun.’ He was meeting a man and reporting on your recent military budget session.”

The president frowned. “What man?”

“Ralph Mcdermid, CEO of the Altman Group.”

“Mcdermid? My God. He was telling him about our budget discussion?”

“Indeed, Mr. President.”

“Insider trading?”

“We don’t know yet, but we’ll find out. Our agent and her team are shadowing Mcdermid now, too, as we speak.”

“Keep briefing me, Arlene. Thanks.”

“My job, sir.”

After hanging up, he finished dressing, his forthcoming breakfast with the vice president far from his mind as he pondered the possible motives for Secretary Kott’s deceit and Mcdermid’s involvement. Was it simply extremely bold economic espionage to gain a business advantage … or something else?

Few people knew the White House had two family dining rooms–one in the northwest corner of the main floor and the other upstairs in the private quarters, remodeled with a small kitchen originally for Jack and Jackie Kennedy in 1961. Like Jack Kennedy, Sam Castilla preferred to keep the upstairs one private for his family, too. He and Cassie could sit around with uncombed hair, still in their bathrobes, drink coffee, and read the Sunday papers without worrying about being disturbed except under the most unusual emergencies.

Still, he liked this family dining room on the first floor, too.

Although it had a vaulted ceiling and was furnished with solemn Hepplewhite and Sheraton pieces, it was small relative to other White House rooms, and the fireplace and yellow walls gave it warmth and intimacy. This morning, it smelled pungently of chiles and cheese.

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