But such a move was typical of Martindale. A former U.S. Congressman from Minnesota and former mayor of Minneapolis, Martindale’s style of politics was full-speed- ahead, smash-face, down-in-the-dirt nasty. It was those traits that had made him such a prized pit bull in dealing with Congress, the liberal left, and others during his two terms as Vice President during the previous Administration. Tough and conservative, he was one of the country’s biggest advocates of tougher laws, tougher sentences, the death penalty, and a strong military. During his term as Vice President, he had been a huge supporter of Admiral Ian Hardcastle’s Border Security Force (the Hammerheads) and his disdain for the current Administration had been known practically from the moment the new President was sworn in. Martindale had little use for a man whom he considered a Southern political snake with a duplicitous and questionable private life. He had even less use for the President’s wife, a tough-as-nails political infighter he and every other Republican in the capital referred to derisively as the Steel Magnolia.
Representative Wescott, Senator Heyerdahl, and Representative Leyland all made brief comments after Vice President Martindale. The usually outspoken Hardcastle declined to make a comment or take any questions, which probably evoked more questions and surprise than if he had spoken. Afterward, Martindale and his group left the podium and encircled FBI Director Wilkes and her staff. “Judge Wilkes, it’s a pleasure to see you again,” Martindale said, extending a hand. The press, out of earshot, snapped away as Wilkes took his hand. “I hope you’ll forgive this intrusion, but the Senate subcommittee wanted to be in on this investigation from the very beginning, so we had little choice.”
Wilkes tried very hard to continue to maintain her composure. “I would be happy to brief the subcommittee or any other chamber of Congress on the status of this investigation at any time, Mr. Vice President,” Wilkes said crisply, not bothering to acknowledge Martindale’s apology. It was obvious to all that she was greatly displeased with her press-conference-tumed-circus. “It wasn’t necessary for the Senate to appoint a commission; I pledge full cooperation. I’m of course happy to see you and pleased to be working with you, but all this congressional attention to an unfortunate but random act of violence seems rather unusual, Mr. Vice President.”
“I seem to recall an investigation begun by the Senate Judiciary Committee back a few years ago, around 1991,” Martindale said, affixing the beautiful Lani Wilkes with a boyish, mischievous hint of a smile, “that produced a lawsuit against the old Border Security Force in a Mexican drug-smuggling-investigation incident. You might be familiar with that case, Judge Wilkes — that lawsuit was filed in your court.”
Wilkes did indeed remember the Maria Fuentes incident. A young, pregnant female Mexican drug “mule”—not a drug dealer, not a true smuggler, but someone who, most times knowingly, carries drugs — had swallowed thirty condoms filled with cocaine, almost thirty pounds and two hundred thousand dollars’ worth, and had tried to take the drugs into the United States on board a small motorboat, with two young children. She was detected, but could have gone unchallenged had she not panicked and gunned the engine when the Border Security Force’s V-22 Sea Lion armed interceptor aircraft flew near her. The chase took two hours, with a small air force of sophisticated aircraft buzzing overhead.
Fuentes ran the boat aground near a popular seaside resort at Palmetto Beach, near Mobile, Alabama. The woman grabbed her two kids and tried to flee across the beach on foot. To the astonishment of about a hundred stunned onlookers, she was finally apprehended in a spectacular assault by the V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft. But during the arrest, one of the condoms of cocaine inside the woman broke open, poisoning her and creating an instantaneous stillbirth for everyone to watch, including Fuentes’ two terrified children.
The public outcry was deafening — and it was all directed against the Hammerheads; then-Vice President Martindale, who was a strong Department of Border Security ally; and then-co-commander of the Border Security Force Admiral Ian Hardcastle. In response, the Senate Judiciary Committee unexpectedly launched an investigation, “leaking” its supposedly classified information to the press, which led to a lawsuit filed on behalf of the dead woman’s family charging the Hammerheads with an unreasonable pursuit, unreasonable “search and seizure”—actually charging the Hammerheads with using the V-22 to force the woman to disgorge the drugs — and unreasonable use of force. Federal Judge Lani Wilkes’ court blasted the government, equating the Hammerheads with East German border guards shooting Germans trying to escape over the Berlin Wall.
The government was ordered to pay an incredible ten- million-dollar settlement to the dead woman’s family and to some of the onlookers, who claimed they were “traumatized” by watching the incident. Kevin Martindale and Ian Hardcastle were publicly ridiculed. Although the verdict was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court years later on appeal, the case was regarded as the beginning of the end of the Hammerheads and the Department of Border Security, which was abolished shortly after the new President took the oath of office in 1993.
“I remember the Fuentes case very well, Mr. Vice President,” Wilkes said uneasily. “But the Judiciary Committee was completely within its bounds to investigate the incident then. Besides, that was an investigation of a serious incident by the Border Security Force, not of an ongoing FBI criminal investigation. The FBI enjoys a certain immunity from Congressional oversight in the course of an investigation. I’m sure you understand…”
“I can’t speak for the Senate, Judge Wilkes, but I think the rules have changed — we’ve been authorized to proceed,” Martindale said. He accepted a sealed folder from an aide. It carried the seal of the U.S. Senate on its cover. “And I assure you, we won’t interfere with your investigation. We’ll just require a briefing — no more than three times per day — with the items stated in this folder included. Also, we have observers that will accompany some of your investigators. If you would, please provide us with a list of your senior investigators, and we’ll pair an observer up with him or her right away.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Vice President, but there’s been some mistake,” Lani Wilkes interrupted. “I can’t allow nonBureau observers on an investigation. And I wish I had the time to give you special briefings on the status of the case, but I don’t. The Bureau gives daily press briefings in Washington.”
“Our observers are fully trained former FBI, DIA, or CIA investigators, Judge Wilkes,” Martindale said. “They know your procedures — our chief Bureau consultant is Jeffrey Peck.” Wilkes’ eyes grew wide — Peck was the former Bureau deputy director, a longtime FBI veteran, fired from his post as number-two man because of allegations of wrongdoing. No specific charges were ever brought against him. Peck had vehemently argued his innocence and never resigned even though the pressure to do so was enormous, but there had to be a housecleaning when the new Administration came in, so Peck was forced out. The President expended a lot of political capital to fire Peck — now they were going to face him again. Martindale’s pleasant smile dimmed a bit as he added, “And I certainly hope the three briefings a day won’t be too much of a burden for you — because our charter demands nothing less of you. I’m sure you understand.”
Wilkes saw the smile diminish and knew that Vice President Martindale wasn’t going to spar with her any longer. But she wasn’t going to be bullied by any of these outsiders either. “Of course I understand, Mr. Vice President. I’ll extend every consideration to you and your people. All I need is confirmation from the president pro tern of the Senate.” Wilkes knew the current Vice President would put a halt to all this nonsense right away. “We can start as soon as—”