After a comfort food lunch in the McLean Deli, Peter drove back to the hotel. After a shower, a nap, and another shower, Bernadette said, “I thought I heard something about a briefing that would tell me what happened today. Right?”

“Yes, come close and I’ll do my best briefing.”

“Peter! I’m close enough. Your damned briefing, please.”

“First, we were right. They want something and for the time being will not threaten our safety. They want me, and people who work with me, to do some dirty work for them. Work they cannot do effectively by following the law. But they encourage us to break the law to protect American citizens. A tactical and moral position that is familiar to all governments.”

“They want us to be their assassins?”

“That’s close but it is a little more complicated. They have located a camp teaching survival skills and paramilitary training to people holding an anti-American philosophy. There is some evidence that the KGB provided start-up money and a leader to operate the camp. They want me or us to watch the training camp and provide the government with information.”

“Sounds like pretty standard government counter-espionage operations.”

“Yes. It does. But I wonder why they don’t do the job themselves. They have the people, equipment, and charter to handle operations like this. It’s possible that they want to do this without exposing a sensitive source. Or they don’t want to take the political risk of failure within their own organization, or are fearful of Congressional oversight exposing an operation conducted against American citizens in the U.S.”

“You’re hurting my Irish sense of morality. I need a world of good guys or bad guys. The people you met must have a very flexible core of values. I neither trust them nor like them. I feel we would be better off if you had raised your arm and given me the take out signal. These people will use you until you become a problem and then make you go away.”

“I don’t disagree. Right now I need them in ways they don’t even know. My plan is to keep them happy until I don’t need them any longer. I will need your help.”

“You have me. I’m your woman. You couldn’t drive me away.”

“The danger to you is that I want you too much and will keep you near me long after it is safe for you. I want you to build a new life on my protection and money. A life I can sometimes share. Protecting Jack and you are my top goals in life, and I won’t fail either of you. No matter what.”

“That’s what I love about you, you’re so wishy washy.”

“Okay, your orders. Tomorrow you fly to Jacksonville. I need you to be with Jack and I need to do some things up here I can do better alone. I will be in Amelia in a week or ten days.”

“I’ll go but if you get hurt, I’ll hurt you much worse for not having me at your back.”