Perilous Panacea by Ronald Klueh

could have talked her out of it after Nate dangled it in front of her like the keys to a BMW. Nate probably saw it as a way to guide Saul in what he considers the right direction—Nate’s way of bestowing fatherly generosity.
    Uncle Nathan called as soon as Saul got to Washington. He “gently” urged Saul to get in touch with the Senator if he ever got wind of something the Senator could use politically. Shortly after Nate talked to him, the Senator called to deliver the same message. Until now, Saul had spent his time behind a computer console massaging numbers, and there was nothing the Senator could use.
    “So how do we fit into this case?” Spanner asked. “I’m sure somebody’s concocted the rules we’ll work under.”
    Logson nodded, smiled, and glanced at the ceiling. “It’s been decided on high, very high. You got certain directions from the Director’s office before you came over here, George, and you’ll be getting more. The Administration isn’t taking this lightly, no sir,” Logson said, smiling at Saul. “It’s Operation SWISILREC, Swift Silent Recovery. Bart and I will report to the Assistant Secretaries of DOE and DOD, respectively. George, you’ll report to your Associate Director Dowel. The Justice Department, Homeland Security, DOE, and DOD have formed a joint oversight committee for SWISILREC that includes the Attorney General, Director of Homeland Security, the FBI Director, and the Secretaries of Defense and Energy. Finally, there’s a White House POC—planning and operations committee—with those same people, plus the President’s National Security Advisor, the head of CIA, and the President’s Chief of Staff. Of course, the President will be involved in SWISILREC on every level as he sees fit.”
    “The Washington way to a perfect solution,” Spanner said. “Got a problem, form a committee. Two or three committees are even better.”
    Saul smiled at Spanner’s comment, but neither Logson nor Kraft did. Now, if the Senator could get in on it, he could fire up the congressional committees.
    Spanner nodded at Saul and asked, “So how do we fit in?”
    “The FBI investigation will be low key in consultation with DOE and DOD. Bart Kraft will consult for DOE, and I’ll represent the DOD hierarchy. You two will mount the investigation. Just you two.”
    “What?”
    “You were picked because you can keep quiet,” Logson said to Spanner. “Saul was picked because he’s new to Washington and hasn’t had time to build connections that could lead to disastrous leaks. It’s just you and Saul in consultation with us. Use anybody else you want, just don’t give them all the details. They can work on the hijackings and murders if you only tell them government property was stolen…say chemicals…or industrial silver…something like that.”
    Spanner chuckled. “With all the people involved that you just mentioned, along with the CIA and military security, it’ll get out soon enough. This is Washington, not Beijing.”
    Color drained from Kraft’s face. He unbuttoned his jacket.
    Saul realized if he was to do most of the dog work on the case, he was looking at lots of traveling: Tennessee, New Mexico, and South Carolina, just for starters. He didn’t want to be gone that long, but maybe this was the time to be gone. Maybe by being apart, he and Mary could think things out. Trouble was, she would still be around them at work, and he couldn’t stop thinking about that, regardless of what she said.
    Logson stood. “Let’s just get the stuff back fast—the swift in SWISILREC. Nobody’s going to build a bomb, but if whoever’s got that material screws up and lets it get into the environment…that could be serious. Talk about a toxic-waste mess…I can’t stress too much that the silent in SWISILREC is of utmost importance.”
    Kraft nodded. “Above all, keep it contained.”

Chapter Eight
    “They tried to blame it on us,” Ray Woodward said to Saul in a strong southern