Plausible Deniability

From a conversation over the summer.

“Did you know how much of this nation's intel is now farmed out to private, for-profit companies? These guys who once worked in Naval intel, the CIA, NSA and State were lured away with three times the salary by private companies...they jumped at that chance. Did you also know how insecure these companies are too? They're security is like a busted, torn screen door flapping in the wind.”

I then reminded him of an episode I was witness to years earlier of lax security.

Years ago, we returned to our friend’s tiny apartment just off Atwell's Ave. We had just come from bar hopping around downtown and were good and buzzed. As I walked into his living room, I noticed a weird translucent book binder on the floor. He then came into the room and without much tact, kicked the binder under his couch, sort of hoping none of us saw this.

So, of course, we drink further and an hour or two later I reach under the couch and yank it back out. He weakly says through his Pilsner Urquel haze...”Uh...you really shouldn't look at that.”

“Uh-huh” I say.

It was large translucent binder that had a huge lock on it. Inside was a book that slid around. The lock was not locked. So I opened it up and shook the book loose and it flopped onto the floor, the title read: “Norfolk Base, Second Fleet, 6/22/89, NATO Action/Briefing Report”

I open it up and in it are a bunch of maps, of the North Atlantic, with little symbols showing where the US Navy was, where the Soviet (Archangel base) fleet was and every other commercial ship was at during the day of June 22^nd.

“They track every single ship out there? No matter the size?” I ask.

“Yep..every single one...and PUT that down! He demands.

I don't. Then I see this on another page. “Aegis Key Command. Good Until Revoked or 22:20. Upgrade via Ryolite at 22:21. Key: 430020-;'al3e0002003..002037y0a.=230a00e7ur....and it goes on for three sentences, complete gibberish.

“Aegis! You worked on Aegis? You never have yet told me what Aegis does..C'mon...tell me!”

He groans, “Look, all I'll say it can make one of our task forces look like it's 60 miles off target on the other guy's radar...Put that back!”

I sense he's getting pissed so I put it back.

“I thought were you weren't in the Navy anymore?” I say.

“I ain't. But my retired status doesn't mean I don't get these reports when I ask for them. I still write up analysis of Soviet economic, political, agricultural and other things...they still pay me.”

He leans back, chewing on an idea.

“Did I tell you the story of when I was in Archangel? It's one of the three main Soviet naval bases, the other two are Odessa and Vladivostok.”

He goes on.

“I was a retired civilian on board a US cruiser that was to do a “good will” tour of Archangel. The captain and others were in the ward room,were trying to figure out how to explain my presence to the Russians, as they would have an entire list of personnel of this ship in their hands in a matter of hours...and I ain't part of the usual complement. Don't be fooled, the Russians are very good at getting our info as well and personnel reports of various ships are easy to to get.”

“The captain suggests that I'm a reporter...with say...Mother Jones.”

I tell him that'll never work. The Russians are far too paranoid and suspicious. They'll spot that as a lie in an instant. It would be better to tell them the absolute truth..as they won't believe that either but it's more plausible than the other story. It'll cool their jets some to know we are sort of lying to them as they expect it. But wild lies will really get their brains cooking...”Vat is ze Americans really trying to obscure?”

“Archangel is a dump, typical Soviet architecture of block after block of the same concrete Communist designed apartment buildings..and there's little to do. I was allowed to walk around the entire city. I wasn't molested by anyone. Though through the entire walk I took, a black sedan was trailing me the entire time. They weren't really making an effort to conceal themselves at all!”

“I find a bar, go in and notice the sedan pulls up along side the curb right outside the bar. They don't come in though.”

“I order four shots of vodka, using sign language and bad Russian and the bar tender gets it, and gives me the four glasses. I chuck one down and motion to the bar tender to bring the other three out to the gentlemen in the sedan outside. He does it.”

“I drink some more, spend about twenty minutes in there and leave. As I go out the door, I wave to the three men in the sedan. They completely ignore me but I see three empty shot glasses on the dashboard of their car!"

Spy vs. Spy.

I say, “You know Barn, you've been to every country except Nepal...I've only been to Canada..which doesn't count. Man, do you miss those international travels?”

“Yep...full retirement from everything isn't as fun as I thought it was. I just can't up and leave for Berlin anymore like I used to.”

“You ain't really retired yet.” I say.

“Well, I still write up reports...it keeps my mind active.”