Chapter 35 - High Water Mark

DEFSEC Gautrachs returned the secure satellite phone to his jacket pocket and continued from SECOM3 to the operations war room set up to conduct the search for the missing Watch keeper jurors. Nearly exploding through the doorway on entry, he immediately captured everyone’s undivided attention and fear.

“What have we got?” he commanded with a tone of authority, as always, but the trained ear would have picked up on the true confoundedness of his questions. Likely this was the first time in anyone’s experience when DEFSEC Gautrachs did not only know everything about everything going on.

A square-jawed Marine colonel, the operations watch commander, turned from his workstations centered in the room and began conveying all known facts of the search for the national security persons of interest – none in the room other than the DEFSEC and National Security Advisor had the clearance to know anything about Watch Keeper or the connection to the two missing NSPOIs.

“Sir, it has been determined that there was an identical vehicle to the one SHERRIF was last seen in. It was discovered at the hourly parking lot at Reagan National Airport. A cursory review of all TAO resources is underway. We have several likely scenarios that we are tracing simultaneously. The most likely two both suggest Special Agent Seldnak was alone and passed through the terminal. Not much was found in the video, but a link to a cash airline ticket purchased using an undercover identification associated with Treasury TIGTA led us to a few shots of a man fitting his description. We have agents on the ground at the destination airport ready to secure and control the plane and its passengers upon arrival. A scenario we are pursuing is that Seldnak left the facility via public transportation. We’re searching WMATA’s video for the subway and any video equipped busses that were in the proximity of the airport within a 30 minute window of the likely video sighting. We cannot confirm or deny that scenario at this time. Thirdly, a deep search through the TIGTA undercover files that we performed to link the airline tickets found a connection to a Potomac River marina within walking distance from the airport. Special Agent Seldnak once procured a small vessel there for an undercover operation. We have discovered that his brother has rented a slip for a 32’ sailboat at the same marina for the last ten months – beginning at about the same time as the references but not disclosed vessel in the UC files. The sailboat is not on property, and we have found several witnesses that say they saw the boat pulled from the water yesterday for engine repairs and bottom painting. We have not located the brother to verify its whereabouts. We are performing cursory searches through TAO on both land (trailer) based or water bound departure from the marina in the past 36 hours. Several similar sailboats have been discovered along the Chesapeake waterway within the distance we calculate could be achieved in the timeframe since Special Agent Seldnak was lost from cover. We have deployed twelve reconnaissance drones to sweep the east coast from 5 miles in land to 20 miles off shore. They are one-quarter of the way through the grid now.

At this time, we have no new information about Ms. Simpson. The ATF crime lab is re-doing the tissue and DNA testing performed previously by the FBI without any conclusive results. We expect to have the latest test results from the crash scene seeking to confirm Ms. Simpson’s remains have been found.”

“Every 5 minutes! I want updates!” the DEFSEC shouted then exited the war room.

Proceeding down the underground corridor towards the elevator exit to surface level, DEFSEC Gautrachs engaged the first Secret Service agent he encountered. “Where’s the Vice President right now?” he asked with confidence that he was due the answer without question.

“The Vice President is dining with the visiting Chinese Prime Minister in place of the President at the Chinese embassy. He is due to depart for the Naval Observatory – the home of the Vice President and Second Lady of the United States – in 2 hours. He will arrive on property 22 minutes after departure.” the agent informed.

DEFSEC Gautrachs continued toward the exit. He did not thank the agent nor respond at all. Upon arriving at the surface level, he pulled the secure phone from his jacket and dialed a direct to reach Christine.

“Again, on this number?” was asked upon answer by the woman on the other end of the line.

“No. I am going for dinner. I want you to come. You know where. We have 2 hours.”

“OK.” she replied without hesitation. “I’ll be there soon.”