ZAP Agent Mathis Read online

  Liang sat sipping her wine for several minutes. "Yes. I like it. We can't develop training or recruit or set policy until we know what we want the graduates of the program to look like." She nodded. "College graduates. They will be interfacing with well-educated people. They must be able to understand and communicate with the people they come in contact with and not be intimidated by their environment."

  "Physically fit, strong, good reflexes, into contact sports maybe—" Matel stopped when Liang snorted and gave him a wry smile.

  "You're assuming young men," she said, her lips creased into a small grin.

  "There may be exceptions, but yes. I'm not being a chauvinist, just realistic. If I were to attack you, a trained FBI agent, do you think you could win?" He grinned back.

  "You're trained in combat self-defense techniques and have seen action, so I'd give you a forty percent chance of winning."

  "What? I'm talking about without any weapons!" Matel frowned and seemed to assess Liang's lean body mass and five foot seven-inch height.

  "I understand, but you don't. You assume I'm not as strong as you, have less body mass, slower reflexes, and am not as well trained in the art of killing. Those assumptions would immediately give me an advantage because I've studied Kung Fu for years and know a number of lethal spots that take little strength to disable or kill. Therefore, our contest wouldn't be the slug-fest you imagine. The first blow would determine the winner."

  Matel stared at Liang for several moments. "Of course, you're right. We aren't looking for them to brawl or take prisoners. Combat rules—kill the opponent—no warning or negotiations or reviews afterward."

  "Well educated, qualified as an expert with a handgun, master of self-defense ..." Liang said, deep in thought.

  "Knife fighting and throwing, knowledge of explosives ..."

  "Bodyguard protocol—"

  "What do you mean?" Matel asked.

  "I think we need a set of rules we expect each ZAP agent to use when guarding someone. What does he or she do when the client decides to eat at a restaurant? When the client decides to go out with other people, or on a date? What if ..."

  "Now I have a headache." Matel finished his glass of wine and refilled it, then pushed it to the side. "A criterion for passing has to include a psych review." He gave her a lopsided grin. "A program like this is certainly going to attract nuts of all kinds."

  "Now I've got a headache." Liang said, putting her head in her hands. "People willing to kill without hesitation but not gun happy psychopaths. Ninety-nine percent of the FBI agents would hesitate to pull the trigger unless someone was shooting at them. ZAP agents can't afford to wait or try to negotiate."

  "I agree. But is that in large part due to the review afterward, rules of engagement, or ...?" He shrugged. "I know the rules for an FBI agent and a combat marine aren’t the same."

  "I guess we will have to find out. Can you imagine how long some of these issues would take if they had to be decided by a committee, reviewed by lawyers, and approved by congress?"

  "Yes, you and I would retire before the bill passed." Matel laughed. "I'm actually feeling a bit better about our chances of pulling this off. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but the director has reduced the number of obstacles: no committees, reviews, or money issues."

  * * *

  They worked every waking hour making lists of things that needed to be done and slowly filling in the details. Late on the third evening, Liang looked across at Matel and laughed.

  "I hope I don't look as bad as you do, Phil. You look like you've just come back from a not-too-successful combat mission."

  "Well, if you want to maintain that hope, avoid mirrors." He smiled. "We've made good progress in the short time we've been at it, but I think it's time to prioritize. All of these items we have don't need to be done right now. Some can wait, while others can't. For example, we need a location, buildings, equipment in place before training can begin and that will take time to make happen."

  "You're right. I'm going to cover all the mirrors. And about prioritizing the things that need to be done or at least started."

  * * *

  By the end of the fourth day they had the list prioritized:

  1: Find location, begin construction, and order equipment.

  2: Develop recruitment notice and places to seek candidates and instructors.

  3: TBD

  "That was simple and certainly brings everything into focus," Matel said when they finished. "Any suggestions on where we should hold the training?"

  "Some place secluded. If they are going to be operational in two years, the candidates will have to be sequestered for the entire time." Liang wasn't confident that two years, even working seven days a week, would be enough. "Although that will probably rule out married people."

  "Unless they were planning a separation or divorce. But I suspect the candidates we want will consider this position worth the cost—like being a Navy Seal," Matel said, looking off into space. "And we have to consider the staff and their families. They’ll need to be close to civilization: shopping, schools, entertainment, and doctors."

  "What about California, around the Los Angeles area? Edwards Air Force Base is near there. Maybe they would let us use a corner of their base. The base is mostly vacant desert. Alternatively, we could buy a hundred acres around Lancaster for next to nothing," Liang said, turning her laptop so he could see the Google map she had on the screen. Matel spent a few minutes checking the satellite view of the area.

  "I like it, especially Edwards Air Force Base. They would already have extensive security, limited shopping, medical and mess facilities, and a landing field. We would just need to construct a few buildings to accommodate our training. That would save us months if not a year. I think this is a job for Director Wegner—from the Director of Homeland Security to the president of the United States to the Secretary of Defense to the base commander of Edwards. If we can resolve issues like this with a phone call, maybe we have a chance of succeeding, Ann."

  "All right, who do we call to get our trainers and candidates? Because I doubt the director intends to do our leg work."

  "Well, we had better get started then." Matel pulled a pen from his shirt pocket and smiled in reply.

  CHAPTER TWO

  ZAP School

  Colonel Thurston’s office emailed that he would meet with them to work out the details around creating the ZAP training facility. Tara, their technology person, set up a help wanted ad at universities with ROTC units, military installations, and select paramilitary groups currently under contract with the government:

  WANTED: Men and women for a new division of the FBI charged with protecting high profile individuals. The job is demanding and rewarding. Those selected will be in an elite group directly combating terrorism on American soil. To apply call 1-800-000-0000.

  Callers were directed to an automated survey and had to answer a series of questions that Matel and Liang planned to use to slim down the list. Questions included educational level, age, willingness to use physical force to defend a person in their charge against a terrorist, available for two years’ training, etc.

  And Tara set up a second ad directed to military installations, selective martial arts organizations, major newspapers, and selective Internet sites.

  WANTED: Instructors for a new division of the FBI. NEEDED: Self-defense instructors, weapons trainers, and consultants in psychology, nutrition, physical fitness, and information technology. To apply call 1-888-000-0000.

  Callers had to answer a ten-question survey that included current position, years in the field, related experience, current salary, willingness to relocate, etc.

  They booked two suites and a conference room at the Embassy Suites in Palmdale and flew out the next day.

  * * *

  Matel and Liang's new conference room located on the second floor of their new administration building was well equipped with two wall monitors, whiteboards, executive-like chairs, and a conf
erence room table capable of holding twenty. A wall of windows looked out onto miles of flat landscape with sand and cacti.

  Three months had passed and things appeared to be progressing well—actually better than could be expected. To Matel’s surprise, despite their diverse backgrounds, the two had worked seamlessly over the months, understanding each other's weaknesses and strengths. Today's meeting was the first time the core team had been assembled together. Liang took a seat at the head of the table while Matel remained standing.

  "Good Morning. This is going to be a regular Saturday morning meeting to ensure we are all on the same page. Today, I'd like each of you to introduce yourself and give a synopsis of what you have been doing, what needs doing, and any potential problems. I'll start." Matel gave them a moment as he sipped his cappuccino. He felt strange being out of uniform and a little sad. The military had been his life and it appeared one way or the other that phase had ended, but his mind was still struggling with the transition. "I'm ex-special forces Colonel Matel, co-director of the new anti-terrorist group, ATG9. I'm responsible with co-director Liang for the Zero Assassination Program. Our mission is to produce at least three ZAP agents twenty-seven months from today." He sat and looked to Liang.

  "I'm ex-FBI Agent Liang and I have equal responsibility for ZAP. I don’t have much to add to what Colonel Matel said." She sighed and looked toward a forty-something brunette woman sitting to her left. She was dressed casually but in style.

  "My name is Dory Yancy, ex-executive secretary to retired-Senator Gilbert. I'm officially an executive assistant, which means in addition to keeping the directors’ schedules, I'm available to do whatever needs doing. One of my current projects is listening to the recorded answers from those individuals who responded to the ad for agents, sorting them into eligible and not eligible, and setting up interviews for those considered viable candidates." She opened her laptop, typed something, and the monitors lit with the questions. "Those are the questions. Each has a value, shown in parenthesis; the respondent must score sixty to get an interview. The directors typically interview twenty to twenty-five each week. My telephone number is in your handouts should you need to call me. For now, I'm available twenty-four-seven if you need to get in touch with the directors." She cut the display and looked left to a fifty-something broad-shouldered man. He looked like a steel worker with his broad, heavily lined, tanned face.

  "I'm Mike O'Brien, facility manager. We currently have four completed buildings. They ain't pretty, but they're functional: the largest is a combination workout, self-defense, and general auditorium. The long narrow building is a barrack, and the short narrow one next to it is a dining facility. It turned out to be too inconvenient to use the one on the base. The fourth—this one—is a two-story combination administrative offices and classrooms. We’re in the process of putting furniture in the classrooms while the administrative offices are finished. The dining facility is partially functional and can handle the individuals currently hired. I anticipate all the facilities will be fully functional in two months." He turned toward the man seated next to him, who looked to be in his early forties by his rugged-looking face. His hair was short and he had a receding hairline but otherwise looked wiry and in prime condition.

  "I'm Matt Andrade in charge of self-defense, which includes weapons training. I've tentatively selected my mixed team of weapon instructors and martial artists and have begun developing a training program. I'm still interviewing and open to changes if someone better comes along." He nodded across the table to a middle-aged woman with shoulder-length light-brown hair.

  "I'm Doctor Vanessa Duvall in charge of psychology, medical considerations, and nutrition. My job is to monitor the candidates' health during their training and to weed out those ill-suited to the program. I'm comfortable with the team I've assembled but continue to interview to ensure I have the best team to meet the needs of this program. This will be a very intense two years for the candidates. It will require close psychological and physiological monitoring." She finished with a nod and turned to Tara, who was in her late twenties and the youngest person at the table.

  "I'm Tara Anderson. I'm in charge of anything electronic. I see you all have your badges, and they must work since you can get on the base. These are temporary and non-electronic. That will change when the program becomes active."

  "Thank you," Matel said. "Director Liang and I want everything ready to go two months from today. If you don't think you can make it, let us know sooner than later. The candidates will have been selected two months from today and scheduled to report here three weeks later." He nodded to Liang.

  "While Caesar fiddled, Rome burned. While we fiddle, people who are critical to the United States will die. So although two years is a ridiculous time frame to produce elite bodyguards, it is generous considering the need. If you have a question, don't guess. Contact Director Matel or me for the answer. If you have a problem that affects your schedule, don't waste time trying to solve it, contact us. Let's not create another government bureaucracy. Director Matel, you and I must be available twenty-four-seven."

  * * *

  "What do you think, Ann?" Matel asked while they sat alone in the new dining facility. Fifty candidates were scheduled to arrive in two days.

  Officially she was Director Liang, but she didn't feel like a director. They had made great progress over the months, but she still felt like a worker-bee. The group wouldn't be validated until they produced successful agents, and there were a hundred unknowns awaiting her over the next two years.

  "I didn't think we had a snowball's chance in a sauna, and I wasn't sure I would like working with a Special Forces Colonel—macho man used to giving orders—but I like you. We still have a long way to go and plenty of obstacles, but I couldn't have picked a better partner for this project." She smiled.

  "Thanks. The feeling is mutual. I too had my doubts about working with someone from the FBI and me being military and you a civilian. But the two perspectives have produced a balanced program. I think we've exceeded what anyone could reasonably expect, but the real question is whether we will produce what they are expecting?"

  "I think that's the wrong question. Let’s ask, 'What do we want this program to produce, and will it?'" Liang pushed her plate away and picked up her coffee cup.

  Matel sat quietly, gazing off into the distance. "You're right. In the end, they want individuals to protect them from professional assassins. They have no idea what kind of a person meets those criteria. We’ll have to rely on our vision. We’re responsible and will have to be actively involved in overseeing the training and monitoring the assignments."

  "In fact, Director Matel, I think you and I need to qualify as ZAP agents." She put out her hand for a high-five.

  His frown slowly turned into a smile and then he laughed as he smacked her hand in agreement. "I hope we can pass."

  CHAPTER THREE

  Candidate Kate

  I sat scanning my fellow applicants, which looked like a cross section of America: white, black, olive, tall, short ... except everyone looked relatively young and physically fit. I wasn't sure why I was here, although it did fit a pattern of my life—restless and easily bored. I had graduated from the University of Illinois with a Liberal Arts degree, but I'm not sure I had a major—more of an eclectic degree: I had taken courses in accounting, computer science, psychology, Spanish, logic, biology, mathematics, history, and English searching for my area of interest but hadn’t found it in my four years at the University. But by then I was bored with college.

  In school I had also tried swimming, tennis, soccer, and partying. I was pretty good at sports and better at partying but even too much of that got boring—the same thing with the same people repeated over and over again. So the ad had piqued my interest and even more so, the automated questionnaire. The questions were provocative and had forced me to look seriously at my life and feelings—something partying didn't require. It took me three calls to complete the questionnaire
because of questions like: Would you be willing to kill someone trying to kill a person you had sworn to protect? Would you be willing to risk your life to make a significant difference? I could have just given the answers they were looking for, but I hadn't. I had answered honestly and been surprised at what I discovered—I might be willing under the right circumstances. The follow up telephone interviews hadn't provided much additional information. The interviewer had merely gone over my answers in more detail.

  My musing was interrupted when a thin Asian woman with long midnight black hair dressed in a dark blue pantsuit walked in accompanied by an athletic-looking man.

  "Good morning," the woman said, stopping in front of the bleachers where we were seated. "I am Director Liang and this is Director Matel. I apologize for the vagueness of the help wanted ad. We had hoped the information we provided in the ad plus the survey questions would interest the type of applicants we were looking for. We believe it did. You're the fifty-two we selected from the one thousand four hundred who answered the ad. This orientation will give you the information you need to make an informed decision on whether you want to enter the program. First the bad news: you will be sequestered for the two years this course will require. You can write letters and make limited phone calls, but you will not be allowed to leave this facility." She paused to let the whispering die down. "If you survive the program, you will be in an elite group within the FBI, somewhat like the Navy Seals are to the military. Of course, like the Seals qualification program, the dropout rate is expected to be high. Those who qualify will protect the elite of America and in the process, save the lives of persons who contribute to the success of our way of life and to the security of the United States. They will also enjoy exceptional pay, benefits, and privileges not found in any other government agency. Questions?"