“Well, if I understand correctly, it was quite a meeting. Please elaborate on the nature of your discussion,” asked Senator Ricks.
Calvin Burns’ facial expression said it all, and it was not a positive appearance. Burns knew that the Senator knew, and Burns was caught unprepared. Nor was he ready to discuss something this early in the process.
“Not at this time, sir. Once I can get further information, I would be happy to discuss it further.”
“Mr. Burns, this Committee has oversight of DIA. Yes? And when we ask a question related to military intelligence, we expect it to be answered.”
Jason was panicked and was wondering what was going on. He immediately texted his point of contact, Jessica, to ask what was going on.
“Yes, Senator, I understand your responsibility and the responsibility of the Committee,” replied the Deputy, “but I am not at liberty to discuss the nature of the meeting at the moment.”
“Mr. Burns, what was the nature of the discussion?”
Calvin Burns did not expect this line of questioning, and knew that the PSM’s had ample opportunity to call him ahead of time, meet with him privately, or ask just moments before the hearing began. This interrogation was for the cameras.
“Senator, I appreciate your question. I would be happy to take your question for the record, and get on your schedule soonest.”
“No, Mr. Burns. It is this Committee’s understanding that your meeting was of a significant national security issue, and we feel that as oversight of DIA, and the other Defense Department intelligence agencies, that we have a right to know what you know. Now, what went on?”
“Sir,” as Calvin paused. “Senator, that’s classified, and this is an open hearing. We can either go closed, or it will have to wait. I’m sorry. Do you want me to stop?” replied the Deputy.
The Senator and Calvin Burns had an old-fashioned staring contest.
“Well, Mr. Burns, no, we do not need to stop this hearing. But, this Committee wants to know. You’ve piqued my interest, Mr. Burns.”
Calvin Burns thought for a moment about how the news of a possible Chinese stealth bomber could have gotten over to the Hill that fast. It didn’t surprise him though, but it was going to make things tough for Mark Savona for his team with the latest Hill interest. More like pressure.
“Yes, sir. I assure you that myself, or the Director, will come over and give you a full brief,” replied the Deputy.
“I yield the remainder of my time back to Senator Wilson, the distinguished gentleman from New York,” said Senator Ricks.
Jason thought this was very unusual, and from the look of the Deputy’s face as he turned around in his seat to give Jason a look, so did he. The remainder of the hearing was uneventful, and Jason continued to monitor his email for a reply from Jessica.
The men departed Hart Building’s Room 219 down the large and wide staircase near the elevators that led to the open atrium, walked past the uniformed Capitol Police, and headed for the vehicles parked on C Street, North East.
“Well, that was interesting, Jason. Did you have any knowledge of what he was getting at?”
“No, sir. No knowledge,” Jason asked.
Deputy Burns smiled and said “Shit. We can’t talk about it here… The Senator was fired up, though.”
The Deputy and Jason got into the Suburbans and got on 2nd Street south towards the Navy Yard. They stopped off at 2nd and M Streets to get a late lunch at Five Guys Burgers, and double parked out front. To the locals, it was completely normal to see a mini-motorcade like this in town. To the visitors from out of town, though, the sight of two black trucks with dark windows, complete with guys wearing earpieces, was a treat.
Jason’s Blackberry vibrated with an inbound text. He read off the email silently, then to the Deputy out loud. “Sir, our liaison Jessica said she was not aware of the topic Senator Ricks was interested in, and it’s not in her portfolio.”
Being a former liaison himself, Calvin Burns nodded in agreement and understood the game.
“Okay, got it,” made a smirk, nodded his head slowly, “okay.” Calvin remained silent for a moment, then turned to Jason. “Jason, it’s in her fucking portfolio, believe me. Please. Make sure Mark Savona and his team are on my schedule Monday.” The Deputy knew he was being played.
Ford Stevens took American Airlines Flight 5379 via Detroit, and landed at Ronald Reagan National Airport a bit later than planned. He took out his phone on landing rollout and texted Emily to say he landed, mentioning that he was sincerely excited to see her again.
“I’m here!” he wrote, “Can’t wait to see you! I love you.”
Ford thought maybe the B-1 fire came at just the right time for him personally, as a week off from the squadron commander was great timing. Ford was also still bothered at the pending investigation, and dreaded the future interviews that came with it. He wasn't overly concerned as there was nothing he or his crew could do about a snowplow hitting his aircraft (other than make sure everyone got out safely), but there was always that chance. In typical U.S. Air Force fashion, he would not be flying again until the mountains of paperwork were complete, and appropriate regulations poured through, which was what truly irked Ford. For the time being, he was very happy to see Emily again, and he plowed through the TSA exit gate with his wheeled carry-on to find Emily.
“Hello, again, girl,” he said, giving her a big and they kissed.
“Hello, love, I’ve missed you. Thank you for making the trip again. I know you are so busy,” Emily told him, as they walked through the airport terminal to the Metro station.
They stood outside on the platform, looking at the city in the distance to the north, then looking at each other. From an observer’s point of view, they looked like a happy couple in love. And they were. The Blue Line Metro train arrived so they could head to Emily’s apartment in Rosslyn, Virginia.
Sitting on the orange plastic seats, Ford turned to Emily, and smelled her perfume and hair. He loved it. Then he whispered, “I’ve missed you so much. Between the fire, and my flight schedule, and all the travel, I’m so happy to see you.” Ford reached for both her hands.
“I’ve missed you, too, love. Thank you for coming.”
They arrived in Rosslyn, dropped off his luggage at her apartment quickly, and they walked over the Potomac River on the Key Bridge into Georgetown. Their favorite restaurant and bar was Clyde’s on M Street NW near Wisconsin Avenue, and the 15 minute walk in the cold evening air would be nice.
“This is striking, Ford. Look down there at the river. All the city lights reflecting off… it’s beautiful,” Emily noted.
“It is stunning, although glad to see you don’t have any snow yet here,” Ford replied, enjoying the pause in their conversation. “Look, Emily. Let’s stop for a second. I’m sorry I did not reply earlier to you on the phone when you said ‘I love you’. I was under some stress from the mishap at work, wasn’t feeling well with a stomach thing, and just arriving back to the house. You know that sometimes I am not a man of words. Please know, that I love you,” Ford told her, ensuring that he relayed his feelings to her. The bridge and breath taking view felt like a great spot to do it.
“Thank you, Ford. It did bother me, but it’s okay now. I understand,” Emily said, kissing him again and holding his hand. “My work has been both stressful and stimulating, too. Some new things have popped up, and keeping us busy overseas. The IMF is very demanding as of late, especially with the rising interest rates by the U.S. Feds. More than a few countries are concerned, and that’s square in my lane. I love you, too.”