“Ah yes. It’s the same the world over. No matter how much people hate America, they love her movies. Don’t tell me, you also like pretty girls to stand beside you at the craps table?”

  “I don’t hate America. I hate its government. And yes, it would be great if you could arrange some girls for us as well.”

  Janusz had neither the patience nor the inclination to explain why in a democracy a government represents its people. By default, if Dr. Ahvazi hated the American government, he also hated the people who voted for its politicians.

  “I’ll see what I can do about the women.”

  They drank to good fortune, enjoying the sunset over the water. From there it was back down to their rooms, where Janusz napped while Dr. Ahvazi made his way to the spa for an hour-long massage. When he woke up, Janusz made arrangements to visit the hotel boutique with Dr. Ahvazi. They bought matching 007-style tuxedos. After a shower and shave, Janusz searched his phone for the number provided by a bellhop. He called Monaco’s top escort agency to arrange for their dates. As instructed, Janusz requested one blonde and one brunette for the Iranian scientist. He also arranged a companion for himself. At that point, both men proceeded to the lobby to wait for the ladies. It was quite a show when the girls arrived. All three were drop-dead gorgeous. For the price he was paying, Janusz was not surprised. Their tight outfits and the scent of their perfumes turned every head in the lobby.

  “What do you want to play first?” Janusz asked.

  “Ehhem, I’m in the mood for roulette.”

  Dr. Ahvazi walked over to exchange Janusz’s money for chips. They then headed to the tables, where Dr. Ahvazi placed several bets, each in the amount of a hundred euros. The Iranian scientist surprised even Janusz with his ability to lose fifteen hundred euros in less than ten minutes.

  “You better slow down, buddy,” Janusz warned as Dr. Ahvazi ignored him. From there it was on to the craps tables. An hour later, Dr. Ahvazi had lost another four thousand euros.

  “Wow, this is great. Let’s move over to the card games,” Dr. Ahvazi said.

  “Don’t you think you need a break? You’ve lost quite a bit.”

  “Yes, but America is paying, khhhh. My assistance does not come cheap.”

  “Well, either way, I’m going to have to put a limit on your losses before you do too much damage. Why don’t you have a drink? I’ll go look for the girls. I think you scared them away.”

  Janusz was only too happy to get a break from the Iranian scientist. Dr. Ahvazi was like the kid in a candy store, eager to get a taste of everything in sight.

  Next to the craps table, the girls talked among themselves.

  “Excuse me, ladies,” Janusz said. “I paid good money for your services this evening. How about joining my friend and me once more?”

  “Oh, we like you, but he’s sooo boooring. He did not say a word to us all night. Does he speak English?” one of the girls asked with a Russian accent.

  “Just a little. He is a businessman from Iran. How about this? I’ll see if I can prod him to be more friendly if you come back?”

  The girls nodded reluctantly and gathered around Dr. Ahvazi. He was back at the craps table. After losing several more rounds, he turned to kiss the three girls while motioning for Janusz to have a roll.

  “Come on, my friend. I’m tired, and it’s your turn now.”

  “No, thank you. I don’t like to gamble.”

  “Come on, khhhh, just once.”

  Janusz continued to shake his head until the girls started to egg him on.

  “Don’t worry, it won’t kill you,” the blond escort said.

  Dr. Ahvazi asked the waiter to bring shots from the bar.

  “Well, at least take a drink with me, ghoolp. Tonight’s not the night to be a good Muslim,” Dr. Ahvazi said in jest.

  Feeling the pressure, Janusz thought it best to play along. He threw back a shot of vodka while watching Dr. Ahvazi roll the dice.

  “Come on, John, take another shot.”

  On they went, drinking in that fashion with the girls.

  “How about a lucky roll, John, just for me?” Dr. Ahvazi said when Janusz was half drunk.

  “Okay, but just once,” Janusz said as he rolled the dice.

  “Wow, a seven. You’re a lucky man. How much did you win?” Dr. Ahvazi asked.

  “A thousand euros,” the croupier declared.

  “You can’t stop now, John. Let’s have another roll,” Dr. Ahvazi said.

  Janusz was not sure if it was the alcohol or Dr. Ahvazi’s infectious attitude. Either way, he continued to roll the dice. An hour later, he was up twenty thousand euros.

  “Hey, let’s take a break and celebrate,” Dr. Ahvazi said, motioning for a waiter.

  “Please get us another bottle of Grey Goose,” the Iranian requested in English, to Janusz’s surprise.

  “That was pretty good. I see you’ve been practicing your English,” Janusz said, slightly slurring his speech.

  When the bottle arrived, he drank some more with Dr. Ahvazi and the girls.

  “John, I think it’s time to spin the wheel. What do you say?”

  “Okay, but just once,” Janusz replied.

  As Janusz stood by the roulette table, Dr. Ahvazi handed him another drink. Things were moving rapidly and he lost track of time.

  “Come on, spin it again, khhhh,” Dr. Ahvazi said enthusiastically.

  Amazingly, his winning streak continued. At midnight, he was up half a million euros. The pile of chips had grown into a small hill in front of him. Dr. Ahvazi was now his personal cheerleader.

  “You’ve made so much money. There is enough here for both of us to enjoy a wild shopping spree in Monte Carlo.” Dr. Ahvazi took three yellow thousand-euro chips from the pile, handing each to one of the escorts. Then he tipped their waiter with a hundred-euro chip for carrying their drinks.

  “You’ve become quite the big spender, Doctor. I’ll have to keep my eye on you,” Janusz said under the influence of alcohol.

  “Hey, it’s not my money, although I’m getting a cut of your prize if you want my cooperation.”

  “We’ll talk about that later. For now, I need to get back to this game.”

  “That’s what I’ve been waiting to hear. How about another drink?” Dr. Ahvazi ordered more vodkas as Janusz’s lucky hand continued.

  “Wow, this is crazy. I think I’ll call it quits,” Janusz finally declared at one in the morning.

  “Ehhem, what are you talking about? You’re just getting warmed up.”

  Dr. Ahvazi volunteered Janusz for a new game. The stakes kept getting higher and higher. Finally, it happened. With a pot of over a million euros, Dr. Ahvazi encouraged Janusz to risk everything at the roulette table.

  “Come on, you can do it.”

  The girls were just as enthusiastic. With the number of chips Dr. Ahvazi was throwing their way, they would have said anything he asked them to. Acting on impulse, Janusz bet it all. The mood around the table turned tense. Several Russians were seated across the table. They glared at Janusz, then at Dr. Ahvazi, back to Janusz again. A Saudi sheikh also sitting at their table threw in his pot for the next spin. When the ball landed, Janusz came up empty.

  “I guess I’m finally out of luck,” Janusz said, ready to walk back upstairs. Dr. Ahvazi grabbed his elbow as the floor manager walked up to them.

  “Not so fast. We have lawyers in America. How much are your house and assets worth?” the floor manager asked in perfect English.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Don’t worry, we can help you stay in the game,” the manager said as Janusz thought it over.

  “I have half a million dollars’ equity in my house. My car is worth another sixty grand, plus the half million in my retirement account. But this is crazy, I can’t believe you’re actually—”

  “Fantastic, that’s over a million dollars. I can have our lawyers draw up the paperwork for you. You can use your assets as collateral to get your winnings back. That is, if you think you can win?” the manager taunted.

  “Of course I can win,” Janusz boasted without thinking. “Okay, bring the attorney.”

  Within minutes, the documents were drawn up, signed, and notarized.

  “What an honor, khhhh. I think this is the most exciting night of my life,” Dr. Ahvazi said.

  “Yeah, mine too, except now my entire life is on the line,” Janusz said.

  Dr. Ahvazi patted him on the back. “I’m not worried. You can do this.”

  The numbers were called out as the faces grew stiff. The five men around the table all glanced at each other before the croupier closed off the bets.

  Then it happened. The ball landed. Paralyzed by and unexplained feeling, he was not sure what hit him. His head suddenly throbbed before spinning round and round. All he could see now was Jennifer’s disappointed face. He scanned the room without luck. Where the hell was Dr. Ahvazi? Where were the girls? Was it all a dream? Janusz got up to search for them. The only thing he accomplished by this effort was to throw up on a poor Arab fellow standing next to him. Two attendants from the hotel next door were called to take him to his room. On the bed, he cried out her name in horror. “Jennifer, what have I done?”

  40. Mayflower Hotel, Washington, DC

  October 24

  Jennifer stood in the corner of the ballroom staring at the buffet line. The people passing her constituted the apex of Washington’s political class. She’d already spotted Senator Donald Patrick and his top staff aide, Jason Osborne. Supreme Court Justice Joel Katz, who’d had a rough confirmation hearing after his appointment by President Adkins, was walking arm in arm with a girl half his age. Ryan Irving, the secretary of defense, was making the rounds among the crowd as if running for office. Jennifer had a sudden urge to leave. There was enough pomp and arrogance in the room to inflate a hot air balloon, perhaps one of those old German zeppelins. It seemed that Brad, her companion for the evening, was a different man. He was not the character she had lunched with at the Sequoia days earlier. Perhaps he too was infected by the sycophancy in the air. Whatever it was, Brad was much sleazier this evening.

  There was a tap on her shoulder.

  “There you are, Jennifer. I thought you decided not to come,” Brad said.

  “Sorry, I tried to get food and realized I’d lost my appetite.”

  “Very odd. Allow me to introduce Karl Sanders, the president’s chief of staff,” Brad said.

  “How’d ya do, Mr. Sanders?” Jennifer said.

  “Please call me Karl. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Brad here was telling me that you’re interested in a political career.”

  She turned to Brad with inquisitive eyes. He spoke before she could object.

  “Jennifer has served our country as a CIA officer. She’s disillusioned with the bureaucracy but still eager to keep our country safe from the bad guys,” Brad declared as if speaking for a political advertisement.

  “Perhaps a stint on the National Security Council would be in order. We have an opening for a director of Near Eastern Affairs, I believe.”

  Jennifer stared at both Brad and Karl. The two men were having a conversation in which she was merely a spectator. She bit her lip to stay quiet before changing her mind. “So, how aboot those Iranians? They just downed one of our UAVs and are spreading their tentacles in Syria. Is the NSC prepared to turn up da heat on the tyrannical theocracy in Tehran?”

  Brad’s jaw lowered slightly as he shifted his weight from side to side.

  “It’s not that simple, Jennifer. Iran is one of our most intractable problems. We’ve been encouraging President Adkins to take a more nuanced approach, one emphasizing carrots over sticks,” Karl said.

  “In other words, we’re exhibiting weakness to a regime that only understands strength?”

  “Well, the problem is our allies. We must take their interests into account. The Europeans have numerous business interests in Iran,” Karl said, trying to shift blame.

  “I thought the job of the NSC was to safeguard America’s national security.”

  “Well, let’s save this discussion for a later time,” Brad said. “Excuse us, Karl. I want to introduce Jennifer to Senator Scarsdale.”

  “It was a pleasure meeting you, Jennifer,” Karl said, shaking her hand.

  I can’t say the same for you, Jennifer thought. She turned toward a waiter carrying a tray of chocolate truffles. The conversation with the president’s chief of staff had left a bad taste in her mouth. As soon as she took a bite, Brad’s voice pierced her eardrum once more.

  “Jennifer, this is Senator Scarsdale, chair of the Armed Services Committee.”

  “Pleasure to meetcha, Senator,” Jennifer said with a forced smile.

  “Likewise, Brad’s been singing your praises to me. I can’t say that I blame him either,” Senator Scarsdale said as he eyed her up and down.

  Not wanting to make a scene, Jennifer attempted a conversation. “President Adkins is turning up the heat on our adversaries in his last year in office. It’s about time we start putting our foot down after years of apologetic administrations.”

  “President Adkins is a menace. He doesn’t understand the first thing about foreign policy. We need someone in the White House who is willing to work with allies, not someone who antagonizes them.”

  “Agreed. Someone who doesn’t bully,” Jennifer shot back without hesitation.

  “Precisely.”

  “Or start unnecessary wars.”

  “You got it.”

  “And yet you and da other senators oppose the president’s initiative to pull our troops out of harm’s way in the Middle East. How is that not a contradiction?” Jennifer was in a combative mood. The hypocrisy of Washington insiders was one of the reasons she’d left government service. The other was the duplicity of officials who worked in the federal bureaucracy.

  Brad shifted his weight once again. He turned his face from side to side as if searching for someone. It was obvious that Brad was not the kind of man to take a stand on any position other than for his career.

  “Well, this president is all over the place. He has no experience, and he’s always saying offensive things.”

  “So the job of the president is to be nice and make everyone feel good?”

  “You know, I love a woman with strong convictions. How in the hell did the CIA let you get away?”

  “Whatcha mean by that, Senator?”

  “I mean really, who in their right mind wouldn’t betray their country for you?”

  “That’s very flattering, Senator, but I’d like to think the CIA hired me for my ability to think on my feet, not my appearance.”

  “Of course, young lady, that goes without saying. But no one in their right mind will fail to appreciate your other assets.”

  “As a matter of fact, my first boss at the agency did not like my assets, as you put it. He sidelined me to a desk job precisely because he was intimidated by my beauty.”

  “Damn shame, damn shame. Brad mentioned you’re his guest for the evening. A few staffers on the Armed Services Committee and I are having an after party upstairs. We’d love for you to join us. I’ll introduce you to everyone.”

  “I’m sure ya would, Senator. Perhaps another night,” Jennifer said curtly. She quickly made her way over to the snack table. Her face was hot, and her breathing had quickened. She took a glance around the room. When she was sure no one was watching, she grabbed a metal fork from the buffet table and bent it in half. She then dropped the mangled fork on a table and was about to leave when she turned to acknowledge another tap on the shoulder.

  “Are you Jennifer Soltani?”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “Such a pleasure to finally meet you.”

  Jennifer rolled her eyes at the prospect of another lecherous senator hitting on her.

  “I’m Donald Patrick, a fan of your husband. I’ve only met him once, but he’s a legend on the Intelligence Committee.”

  The compliment about her husband brought a genuine smile to her face. “Oh, hello, Senator Patrick. Pleasure to meet you too.”

  “Brad told me you’d be here tonight. I wanted to talk to you in private, since he’s not aware of the work of your husband.”

  “That’s very thoughtful. I appreciate it.”

  “I trust my colleagues here tried to chat you up about a career on the policy side. Brad has a lot of influence in this town. He’s been talking you up. From what I know about your husband, I wouldn’t recommend it.”

  “Why not, Senator?”

  “Because unlike a lot of people in this room, you folks have integrity. Your husband has helped this country in more ways than anyone in this room, except you and me, can imagine. I wouldn’t want the world of Washington politics to corrupt the two of you. This is a dirty game. I’ve made my deal with the devil.”

  “That’s refreshing to hear, sir. Why are you running for the White House, if I may ask?”

  “You’re the only one asking that question who is going to get a straight answer from me tonight. We need someone to continue the work of President Adkins. Unfortunately, he was not able to implement his policies due to unprecedented opposition. I believe President Adkins has taken us in the right direction, and someone needs to pick up the baton when he leaves office.”

  “You think the establishment will let you implement your program?” Jennifer asked.

  “Someone has to try. Take this room for instance. Do you think Secretary Irving or Karl Sanders would compel our NATO allies to pay their fair share or put pressure on Iran? All these people care about is not offending anyone so they can get reelected.”

  “Senator Patrick, I want you to know that my husband and I will fully support you during your campaign. I’m so glad I ran into you tonight.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because I would’ve left this place feeling jaded and angry.”

  Senator Patrick laughed as he shook her hand. She was surprised by what he said before walking away. “Watch out, behind you.”

  Jennifer turned to see Brad staring at her. “Oh, hi, Brad. I think I’ll call it a night. I’m quite tired.”

 

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