I am envisioning something akin to an oversized U-2 but with the ass end of an A-10? Or are the engines wing-mounted?
Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread III
- Thread starter Peabody-Martini
- Start date
The closest thing to it in OTL is the piston driven Republic XF-12 Rainbow. The engines are mounted ahead of the leading edge as is commonly seen on airliners.
Part 148, Chapter 2693
Chapter Two Thousand Six Hundred Ninety-Three
4th July 1978
Boston, Massachusetts
It was a hot, humid summer night which made most of the disguises that Tatiana might have employed impossible, as it was the blond wig was itching. At the moment she was trying to get out of the city because the dead drop in the Boston Commons had been empty. That meant that Billy was compromised, and the FBI would be only minutes behind her. Entering the station Tatiana was thankful to be off the street. The relief was short-lived as several policemen walked onto the platform. It could have been that they were looking for her or they might be here in anticipation of the crowds going home after watching the fireworks display. Fortunately, the train rolled into the station, Tatiana boarded and found a seat. A minute later she saw that two policemen were walking down the car checking IDs.
“Identification Miss?” One of the policemen asked.
Tatiana handed him the ID, she had been told that as far as Law Enforcement was concerned, it was real.
“Margret Anne Morgan” The officer asked, “From Lynn?”
“Salem” Tatiana said, with as much attitude as she could muster.
It had been a clumsy attempt to trip her up. She had worked hard to have the right sort of accent for here in Massachusetts. The one she had been born with tended to get noticed. When the policeman handed back her identification and continued down the car she caught a glimpse of the flyer in his other hand. Suspect, white female, age 27, 5'6", 125 pounds, blue eyes, short brown hair, considered extremely dangerous.
The leak, the one that her mother had said that Aunt Asia was hunting had struck again and it couldn’t have come at a worse time…
Trying not to react, Tatiana kept focused as the train pulled into the next stop. When she had been in Boston before she had heard a lot of jokes about the labyrinthine nature of the MBTA, those didn’t seem remotely funny as she stepped off the train and looked for a connection that would take her in the general direction of where she had put the car she was using. For lack of anything better to do, she boarded a Red Line train headed for Forest Hills.
Every station Tatiana came through seemed to have a large police presence, but the crowds of people who had been watching the various fireworks displays where finding their way onto the trains. She was left alone while on the trains, unfortunately she still had a long walk ahead of her. It was more than three to Dorchester on night that was showing no sign of cooling down just yet.
Over the Central Atlantic
It felt like they were floating. During daylight hours they would be able to see the curvature of the Earth, night was completely different. JoJo was kept incredibly busy, monitoring for search radars and the radio frequencies that would light up if they triggered an alert by the US Strategic Air Command. These days no one thought that it would be impossible to intercept an airplane like the Gänsegeier. At the same time, any potential interceptor would be struggling with being at the very limits of their capabilities in an environment that a Gänsegeier was perfectly at home in.
They had made good time on the southbound portion of the journey, descending to a lower altitude to refuel off the coast of Argentina. Like always, the course that would take them back home seemed to take much longer. “They can’t all be like that operation over Chile a few years earlier” JoJo had pointed out whenever anyone complained. As far as Oxcart knew, that was the only time a Gänsegeier had made an attack run by dropping a laser guided bomb from their usual cruising altitude. Apparently, the mission had been a success even if they had never learned the whole story. Oxcart knew that all four of the crew had received a Merit Cross in Silver. The rest remained shrouded in secrecy.
“We have a problem here” JoJo said over the intercom. “Search radar, two contacts inbound. US Navy, I think?”
Since the Patagonian War they’d had a few encounters with USN Tigers. Somehow that conflict had helped Grumman develop an extremely formidable aircraft from a plane that the US Navy had not initially been interested in.
Greater Landover, Maryland
This was one night that Tatiana just wanted to forget with getting stuck in traffic just outside of the District of Columba being one last insult. She had been running since she had found the dead drop empty shortly after sunset. First on the T and then in the car that she had borrowed from the embassy. The hated wig was under the seat of the car, and she was planning on throwing it away the first chance she got. The only other plans she had involved a shower and sleeping for a week.
Tatiana could hear the high, shrill sound of several fighter jets taking off from Andrews Airforce Base. It sounded like someone had kicked over the hornet’s nest, she had no idea what was actually going on though.
Driving through DC was uneventful, it wasn’t until Tatiana turned onto Reservoir Road NW and up to the back gate of the Embassy that she saw that Agent O’Neal of the FBI was waiting for her.
“I think we need to talk” Ed said through the open window of the car.
4th July 1978
Boston, Massachusetts
It was a hot, humid summer night which made most of the disguises that Tatiana might have employed impossible, as it was the blond wig was itching. At the moment she was trying to get out of the city because the dead drop in the Boston Commons had been empty. That meant that Billy was compromised, and the FBI would be only minutes behind her. Entering the station Tatiana was thankful to be off the street. The relief was short-lived as several policemen walked onto the platform. It could have been that they were looking for her or they might be here in anticipation of the crowds going home after watching the fireworks display. Fortunately, the train rolled into the station, Tatiana boarded and found a seat. A minute later she saw that two policemen were walking down the car checking IDs.
“Identification Miss?” One of the policemen asked.
Tatiana handed him the ID, she had been told that as far as Law Enforcement was concerned, it was real.
“Margret Anne Morgan” The officer asked, “From Lynn?”
“Salem” Tatiana said, with as much attitude as she could muster.
It had been a clumsy attempt to trip her up. She had worked hard to have the right sort of accent for here in Massachusetts. The one she had been born with tended to get noticed. When the policeman handed back her identification and continued down the car she caught a glimpse of the flyer in his other hand. Suspect, white female, age 27, 5'6", 125 pounds, blue eyes, short brown hair, considered extremely dangerous.
The leak, the one that her mother had said that Aunt Asia was hunting had struck again and it couldn’t have come at a worse time…
Trying not to react, Tatiana kept focused as the train pulled into the next stop. When she had been in Boston before she had heard a lot of jokes about the labyrinthine nature of the MBTA, those didn’t seem remotely funny as she stepped off the train and looked for a connection that would take her in the general direction of where she had put the car she was using. For lack of anything better to do, she boarded a Red Line train headed for Forest Hills.
Every station Tatiana came through seemed to have a large police presence, but the crowds of people who had been watching the various fireworks displays where finding their way onto the trains. She was left alone while on the trains, unfortunately she still had a long walk ahead of her. It was more than three to Dorchester on night that was showing no sign of cooling down just yet.
Over the Central Atlantic
It felt like they were floating. During daylight hours they would be able to see the curvature of the Earth, night was completely different. JoJo was kept incredibly busy, monitoring for search radars and the radio frequencies that would light up if they triggered an alert by the US Strategic Air Command. These days no one thought that it would be impossible to intercept an airplane like the Gänsegeier. At the same time, any potential interceptor would be struggling with being at the very limits of their capabilities in an environment that a Gänsegeier was perfectly at home in.
They had made good time on the southbound portion of the journey, descending to a lower altitude to refuel off the coast of Argentina. Like always, the course that would take them back home seemed to take much longer. “They can’t all be like that operation over Chile a few years earlier” JoJo had pointed out whenever anyone complained. As far as Oxcart knew, that was the only time a Gänsegeier had made an attack run by dropping a laser guided bomb from their usual cruising altitude. Apparently, the mission had been a success even if they had never learned the whole story. Oxcart knew that all four of the crew had received a Merit Cross in Silver. The rest remained shrouded in secrecy.
“We have a problem here” JoJo said over the intercom. “Search radar, two contacts inbound. US Navy, I think?”
Since the Patagonian War they’d had a few encounters with USN Tigers. Somehow that conflict had helped Grumman develop an extremely formidable aircraft from a plane that the US Navy had not initially been interested in.
Greater Landover, Maryland
This was one night that Tatiana just wanted to forget with getting stuck in traffic just outside of the District of Columba being one last insult. She had been running since she had found the dead drop empty shortly after sunset. First on the T and then in the car that she had borrowed from the embassy. The hated wig was under the seat of the car, and she was planning on throwing it away the first chance she got. The only other plans she had involved a shower and sleeping for a week.
Tatiana could hear the high, shrill sound of several fighter jets taking off from Andrews Airforce Base. It sounded like someone had kicked over the hornet’s nest, she had no idea what was actually going on though.
Driving through DC was uneventful, it wasn’t until Tatiana turned onto Reservoir Road NW and up to the back gate of the Embassy that she saw that Agent O’Neal of the FBI was waiting for her.
“I think we need to talk” Ed said through the open window of the car.
Wheels within wheels within wheels. I wonder how Tat will get out of this squeeze and how the overflights, the mole and Tat’s errand all fit together?
The mole plot here is tricky. At least for me.
Because as I understand it, and @Peabody-Martini has done a wonderful job of showing most important aspects before they get important, the mole is positioned in the Chancelors office. So he should not have access to original data and names. As such the large success of the FBI is problematic. They should not have the material to identify the German agents and assetts. Add that the wild abandon with which they use the data is damning for the agent...
There could well be other agents in the German system, but they would have to be in the agencies directly as only they should have the original data to link person to pseudonym.
As to the reccee plane... that could be overeager American pilots... like the ones in the Mexico arc shooting at allied German planes.
Because as I understand it, and @Peabody-Martini has done a wonderful job of showing most important aspects before they get important, the mole is positioned in the Chancelors office. So he should not have access to original data and names. As such the large success of the FBI is problematic. They should not have the material to identify the German agents and assetts. Add that the wild abandon with which they use the data is damning for the agent...
There could well be other agents in the German system, but they would have to be in the agencies directly as only they should have the original data to link person to pseudonym.
As to the reccee plane... that could be overeager American pilots... like the ones in the Mexico arc shooting at allied German planes.
The FBI probably has an information source (human or electronic) inside the German Embassy.
Possible... even probable. At least the cleaning lady should supply (ie sell) German trash to the Americans
But that still does not allow for the regular deconstruction of German inteligence operations on American soil.
Unless that dead drop was especially important, that information on suspects was spread this widely, then the sheer scale of the US intelligence community using information should make it easy to find the leak by liberally spreading false information around.
It's that old dilemma of burning a source by using it.
Unless, of course, this information came from a different source. Entirely possible, with the kind of ad-hoc way Tatiana got involved in this - and then I'd agree that that source is probably in the Embassy.
It's that old dilemma of burning a source by using it.
Unless, of course, this information came from a different source. Entirely possible, with the kind of ad-hoc way Tatiana got involved in this - and then I'd agree that that source is probably in the Embassy.
I think everyone knows who the leak is. Like, the fact that all the spies in NA were rolled up means that someone really high up was involved and typically that only involves 1-2 people. Like the one in the USSR that turned on the North American spy network (OTL), and was then picked up for it because he was the only one who knew the names.
The problem is getting the evidence, especially important if they're in the Chancellor's office and thus politically untouchable (like when Trump revealed massive numbers of CIA assets overseas... and all were hunted down). They need to get enough evidence to nail them to the wall without everyone screaming about over-reach of government institutions into the political process.
The problem is getting the evidence, especially important if they're in the Chancellor's office and thus politically untouchable (like when Trump revealed massive numbers of CIA assets overseas... and all were hunted down). They need to get enough evidence to nail them to the wall without everyone screaming about over-reach of government institutions into the political process.
I'd say 99.999% sure there is.
Unless, this was an attempt to get Tatiana burned by a jealous rival in the embassy, in which case, because what she was doing and why WILL come out in the debrief, someone is going home in disgrace and will need a new career.
If the car that Tatiana is driving belongs to the Embassy and has diplomatic plates, there is nothing that Special Agent O’Neal can do that stop her from driving into the Embassy.
If not, then it is fair game for law enforcement to search with probable cause, and apparently Special Agent O’Neal has it.
I think that Ed wants to tell Tatiana that she was set-up to be a patsy to cause a diplomatic row between the United States and Germany in order throw attention away from other operations that the BND is carrying out to catch the mole.
Just think of all the headlines and headaches about The Tigress’ daughter caught red-handed as a spy in the United States on Independence Day.
If not, then it is fair game for law enforcement to search with probable cause, and apparently Special Agent O’Neal has it.
I think that Ed wants to tell Tatiana that she was set-up to be a patsy to cause a diplomatic row between the United States and Germany in order throw attention away from other operations that the BND is carrying out to catch the mole.
Just think of all the headlines and headaches about The Tigress’ daughter caught red-handed as a spy in the United States on Independence Day.
New career? Au contrair mon Frere, they will need new body parts that your body needs at a minimum if Kat has her way. They will want to stay in the US and offer all kinds of reasons to stay there if they can when they realize its not the alphabet agencies waiting for them, but the Kat her self after having them be responsible for some thing that happened to her kitten.
The fact that a mole is in the Chancellors office and shouldn't, in theory, have access to that data, doesn't mean that said mole doesn't have access to it. Kissenger could be extremely sloppy with security within his actual office, relying on his staff to put things away for him, or he might use an aide as a sounding board for various issues. For that matter, Kissenger himself could be the mole. Stranger things have happened IOTL, as the Australians among us can attest to. They never did find out what happened to that PM of theirs. Furthermore, the presence of a mole in the that office preclude the existence of moles in other parts of the German civil and military bureaucracies.
Regarding the interception of the surveillance aircraft over the Atlantic, deep in international airspace, it could be as simple as there being an American carrier group nearby that decided to rattle some German cages and whose pilots got a wee bit carried away with the aggression in carrying it out. However, satellite observation of the flight's takeoff could have occurred, with a decision made to "remind" the Germans that they share the skies with others who have capabilities of their own. Likewise for the flight being detected by American spy ships in the North Sea.
Regardless of Ed's little chat with Tatiana, which I think is inspired by Ed's desire to get some payback on those who wacked Greyson, someone made the decision to use Tatiana as bait. That may have been 'Billy', who obviously suspected that he was burnt, or it may have been someone higher up the food chain. As mentioned by others above, I hope that person has a will made out, donated to several churches so that they'll says daily prayers for them, and has a very, very, deep, dark hole to crawl into, because the Tigress is about to go a hunting. That said, Tatiana is now fixed in the FBI's mindset as a 'Legal', a foreign agent with a legitimate cover who must now be kept under near constant observation, which will necessarily divert assets away from other suspected German intelligence officers.
Getting back to 'Billy' and Tatiana's little adventure back to Boston, whichever FBI agent was assigned to check that dead-trap must be kicking themselves, while cursing the supervising agent who authorised the temporary removal of whatever was in that dead-trap for inspection & copying, because they didn't do it fast enough to catch the next person in that rat-line red handed. Tatiana turning up instead must also have thrown them for a bit if they were expecting Billy, which explains why she was able to successfully evade them. And while they did start a manhunt, the inconvenient little fact that they didn't actually catch anyone from the German Embassy with anything incriminating in their possession means they have no legal reason to detain either 'Billy' or Tatiana. All they have would amount to some photographs of someone who resembles Tatiana sitting on a bench, stopping to tie a shoe, or dropping some trash into a bin that some other sod had carelessly left lying around.
Problem is, that the SOP should preclude the leak of information of clear names and initial data to such persons. The Kanzler / his office has no reason to know who is spying for Germany. Only that information is available. They do not even need the raw data, only the analysis that comes from it.
In OTL the Soviets were very successful in this. But it was Imo because they had people in the CIA and FBI. So they had some access to the raw data and names. But that would not be the case here.
As for other moles... as I understand it, PM has done a wonderful job in showing if something important to the story happend. Not always readyly appearant. But still there. And the mole is afaik shown in the Kanzler office and no other moles in important positions. So not impossible but as I understand the writing style unlikely. At least for longer running plot arcs.
Well, she should certainly be heading into that direction sometime.
I'm curious to see if she kees butting heads with kat politically.
Kissinger's aide could be a civil servant that has been assigned to him like how in Great Britain they have Permanent Secretaries that do the day-to-day running of the government no matter whay party is in charge.
That may have allowed the aide to have access to information that cut across departmental lines.
But no matter who the mole is, or where the leak is coming from, if this comes out then the Government coalition is going to collapse, and new elections will be called for.
That may have allowed the aide to have access to information that cut across departmental lines.
But no matter who the mole is, or where the leak is coming from, if this comes out then the Government coalition is going to collapse, and new elections will be called for.