Homeland: Saul’s Game. Andrew Kaplan

40

       Characters

       Glossary

       About the Author

       By the Same Author

       About the Publisher

       AUTHOR’S NOTE

      For readers interested in additional useful information on the characters, CIA acronyms, terminology and slang, organizations, agencies, and other entities portrayed in this novel, a list of characters and a glossary are provided at the back of the book.

      TOP SECRET//X1: SPECIAL ACCESS CRITICAL//ORCON/NOFORN/FOR DIRECTOR CIA EYES ONLY/100X1

      [Polygraph Transcript: CIA Community Security Center/For Middle East Division/National Clandestine Ser­vice/Baghdad Station; Date: 20090621]

      SUBJECT: Caroline Anne Mathison aka “Carrie”/Operations Officer/Baghdad Station/MED/NCS

      POLYGRAPH EXAMINER: [[Name redacted—­see comment at end]]

      NOTE: Includes Polygraph Examiner evaluations [[in double brackets]]. Polygraph audio transcript begins here:

      EXAMINER: Your name is Caroline Anne Mathison?

      MATHISON: Yes.

      EXAMINER: You were born April 5, 1979?

      MATHISON: Yes.

      EXAMINER: You are thirty years old?

      MATHISON: Yes.

      EXAMINER: You are a CIA operations officer currently assigned to Baghdad Station in Iraq?

      MATHISON: Yes.

      EXAMINER: Have you had sexual intercourse in the last week?

      MATHISON: … Yes.

      EXAMINER: Have you ever heard of a CIA operation code-­named “Operation Iron Thunder”?

      MATHISON: I … Yes.

      EXAMINER: Just yes or no. Have you ever heard of a CIA operation code-­named “Iron Thunder”?

      MATHISON: Yes.

      EXAMINER: Were you in fact, the lead operations officer for Operation Iron Thunder?

      MATHISON: Yes.

      EXAMINER: Did you terminate an Iraqi national named [[redacted]]?

      MATHISON: He was going to [[redacted]].

      EXAMINER: Did you personally kill him? Yes or no?

      MATHISION: Yes.

      EXAMINER: What about [[redacted]]? Did you have sexual intercourse with him?

      MATHISON: Yes, but it was … [[redacted]].

      EXAMINER: Were drugs, including ecstasy and/or Captagon, also known as Zero One, and multiple sexual partners also involved?

      MATHISON: No, I didn’t participate. [[False. Subject is lying.]].

      EXAMINER: You were acquainted with Warzer Zafir, an Iraqi employee of the United States embassy who also acted as a CIA operative in Baghdad, were you not?

      MATHISON: Yes. We worked together.

      EXAMINER: You knew him better than that, didn’t you? You lived together and had repeated sexual relations with him. Is that correct?

      MATHISON: Yes.

      EXAMINER: Nevertheless, despite your relationship, were you also involved in the death of Warzer Zafir?

      MATHISON: Are you out of your mind? Absolutely not. No. [[False. Subject is lying]]

      EXAMINER: Miss Mathison, were you, as part of Operation Iron Thunder or otherwise, involved in any way, in a [[redacted]] that [[redacted]]?

      MATHISON: No. What the [[redacted]]? [[Evaluation redacted]]

      EXAMINER: Just to be absolutely clear, you have no knowledge whatsoever about [[redacted]]?

      MATHISON: [[Redacted]]

      EXAMINER: During Operation Iron Thunder, were you [[redacted]] and [[redacted]]?

      MATHISON: Yes.

      EXAMINER: And during that [[redacted]], did you reveal intelligence severely damaging to the security of the United States?

      MATHISON: I did not. No. [[False. Subject is lying]]

      EXAMINER: Are you a traitor to the United States of America?

      MATHISON: No, you son of a bitch! No. [[False. Subject is lying]]

      Remainder of examination redacted: FOR DIRECTOR CIA EYES ONLY. Examiner and all Human Resources Data/201 File/Aardvark HUMINT/Redacted pursuant DCIA/M–20090624–2.

       2009

       ONE YEAR BEFORE THE ARAB SPRING

       CHAPTER 1

      Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C.

      28 July 2009

      22:19 hours

      “Mr. President. And Vice President William Walden too. I appreciate you both coming at this time of night.”

      “What is this place? It’s like a damn cave.”

      “Special chamber, Mr. President. We use it for secure meetings with spook types like the vice president back when he was director of the CIA. It’s right under the regular Senate hearing room. From an electronic eavesdropping point of view, it’s probably the most secure location in Washington. And with Marines guarding the tunnel from the Dirksen Building, no one will ever know you were here.”

      “Good, because this meeting never happened. Tim, my Secret Ser­vice guy isn’t thrilled about this.”

      “You have my word, Mr. President. Speaking of which …”

      “Let’s cut to the chase, Senator. You can’t hold your hearing.”

      “Hang on, Mr. President. We’re a coequal branch of government. The American ­people have a right to—­”

      “Bullshit. This is politics, pure and simple. Only I’m not a candidate anymore, Senator. I’m the president—­and I’m telling you, you can’t do this.”

      “Of course it’s politics. What the hell did you expect? This thing stinks to high heaven. You can’t cover this up.”

      “We sent you everything you asked for, Senator.”

      “You jumping in here, Bill? You sent us what my daddy used to call a giant wagonload of horse manure. The polygraph for this female agent, Mathison, for instance. You redacted damn near everything except her name. Surprised you didn’t do that. This ain’t gonna fly, gentlemen. We’re going to have this hearing—­in public. Full media, CNN, Fox, MSNBC, the whole circus. And if it embarrasses you, Mr. President, or you, Bill … well, tough shit.”

      “Senator … Warren, let’s not pretend we like each other. I know you want to make political hay and see yourself on all the Sunday talk shows and maybe a stepping-­stone to something bigger, but trust me, this is one hearing that isn’t going to happen.”

      “You