Metafire

"Good idea. Ordering a soldier would be more suspicious than ordering a policeman. You know, I think I could get a policeman. If a policeman is caught, it will just look like Jack contacted the police, and this was a police action. Again, Metafire would stop there. They might not connect it to us. They wouldn't be sure, or any surer than they are now, that it went any further." He paused, looked out the window, and said, "I know the Chief of Police. We could have the guy at Erisa's house when we wanted him to be there."

"OK, what about Jack?"

"He doesn't leave. He's going to disappear."

"Right," said the Major with vigor. "Call the Chief of Police right now."

John Ferguson checked the number in his Rolodex and called the chief of police, "Sam, this is John, John Ferguson. Sorry to use your private line. Are you alone?"

A pause, then Ferguson continued, "OK, Sam, this is a matter of national security. I have Presidential authorization. I need your help. We need a volunteer from the police force to do some undercover work." Ferguson looked at the Major, and the Major nodded in approval. "In the next hour you have to find a police officer. He must volunteer on an assignment that could be dangerous. Within two hours, he has to be at a location downtown, on Augusta Street, in civilian clothes. He could be kidnapped."