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“Yes.”
“After dinner, then.”
“BIC?”
She put down her menu. “Peter Bunting is an extremely well-respected player in the intelligence field. He started his own company at age twenty-six. He’s now forty-seven and has made a fortune selling to Uncle Sam. He owns homes here in New York and also in New Jersey. He’s married and has three children; the oldest is sixteen. His wife plays the social circuit well, has substantial charity involvement and part ownership in a trendy restaurant. The kids are by all accounts no more pampered and privileged than others of their ilk. From what I’ve heard they’re actually quite a nice family.”
“And he owns the E-Program platform you talked about?”
“It was his invention. Brilliant and ahead of its time.”
“Which means he owns your brother.”
“Peter Bunting also has a lot to lose. That makes him vulnerable.”
“Do you think he framed your brother?”
“No. His best asset is sitting in a cell. I understand that Bunting’s last briefing in D.C. was a disaster. He has every incentive to get his Analyst back as soon as possible. And there’s something else.”
“What?”
“There are some serious players who don’t like Bunting or the E-Program.”
“Who are these serious players?”
“You’ve probably heard of Ellen Foster.”
Sean blanched. “The secretary of Homeland Security? Why wouldn’t she like the E-Program? You said it was a brilliant idea.”
“Intelligence agencies don’t like to share. The E-Program forces them to. And Bunting runs the show. A show that used to be theirs. Feathers get ruffled. Word is Foster is leading the pack in bringing the hammer down on Bunting. She has the full backing of CIA, DIA, NSA, and so on.”
“And then do what?”
“Turn the clock back to where everybody did their own thing.”
“So you think they might have set up your brother? To discredit and knock out the E-Program? That’s highly unlikely, isn’t it? I mean they’re putting their country at risk every second your brother isn’t doing his job.”
“National security trumps a lot. It can trample civil rights. It can denude personal liberties. But it cannot and never will triumph over political gamesmanship.”
“Do you really believe that?”
She took a sip of wine. “I’ve actually lived it, Sean.”
He stared at her for a long time before speaking. “Okay, then tell me, are we a match for these guys?”
“David beat Goliath in the Valley of Elah.”
“But is our slingshot big enough?”
“I suppose we’ll find out.”
He sighed and tapped the table. “Comforting. So what about Bunting?”
“He’ll have figured out by now how you got on to him.”
“You think?”
“He’s a very smart man. Otherwise he would not have achieved what he has. However, he’s also a very nervous man right now. I’ve been following him around town. He’s met with several people, one of whom I find very intriguing.”
