Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread III
- Thread starter Peabody-Martini
- Start date
My Masters degree by research was a 35,000 word thesis. so there are lots of different requirements out there.
My Bachelor thesis was on the viability of wind and solar PV electricity generation within the environs of an airport. Got a nice green hood with fur trim.
Part 148, Chapter 2682
Chapter Two Thousand Six Hundred Eighty-Two
2nd June 1978
In transit, over the North Atlantic
“The Convocation was really was quite lovely” Charlotte said to the woman who was seated across the aisle from them in the First-Class section of the Lufthansa flight from Montreal-Dorval to Berlin-Brandenburg. Charlotte being Charlotte, she struck up a conversation for lack of anything better to do. Louis Ferdinand was perfectly happy to let Charlotte do all the talking. He had spent most of his life addressing the public in one capacity or another.
The woman who Charlotte was talking to certainly counted as the public and she had told them far more than they had ever wanted to know about her. She was middle-aged, looked like she was well to do, spoke with an American Berkeley accent, and didn’t seem to recognize who Louis and Charlotte were. She had spoken at length about how the trip to Europe was a reward to herself and the how she had a trusted friend watching her house in Cole Valley, wherever that was. She had also mentioned that she worked at the UCSF Medical Center as an Administrator. Charlotte had just told her she was a Social Worker, and the Louis was working for Médecins sans Frontières now that he was retired. The woman had been absolutely delighted to hear that. God only knew what assumptions she was making.
“Your goddaughter is a pretty girl” The woman said looking at the photograph of them with Marie Alexandra. “Has she said what her plans are?”
“She told us that she has already been accepted into Trinity College in Ireland” Charlotte replied, “She says that she is going to study International Law, but knowing Marie there is a chance that she might do something else.”
The woman gave Charlotte the sort of look that people gave when they didn’t know who Marie Alexandra von Mischner-Blackwood was but heard about the way she tended to present herself. It seemed like everything about the girl had always been subject to change even from moment to moment. Marie had stuck with Liberal Arts throughout her time at McGill though. If Louis had to guess, that the field of study like that which encompassed several disciplines suited someone like her perfectly. International Law was incredibly varied, frequently required imaginative solutions and extensive travel. Perhaps that was a good fit for her. Of course with Marie being who she was, she could just as easily end up doing nearly anything and it wouldn’t be a surprise.
Louis turned and looked out the window as Charlotte continued to chat with the woman. The graduation ceremony at McGill had been interesting to watch, nothing like that was done in Germany because the practices at the Universities were very different. It was Louis’ understanding that it had originally been based of the practices of Oxford and that was reflected in what he had seen. He knew that his son Michael would have loved the whole production. How many times had Louis heard Michael say that people loved a good show and that was exactly what he had done in Bohemia for the last several years.
New York City, New York
It was safe to assume that Andreas had lost his job this time. Not that it mattered, it was a bit obvious who the men who had stormed the bodega were. Despite everything else, it had been extremely satisfying to see the place that had been a key part of his prison for the last decade get trashed because the FBI were often heavy-handed when they made an arrest of someone they considered dangerous and their was a weapon known to be on the premises. Andreas had been arrested and so had the owner who had engaged with all manner of illegal conduct over the years that he had worked for him, so it was anyone’s guess just what had finally gotten him busted. The fact that the handgun that the owner had kept in the drawer of his desk was unregistered and possibly stolen was the icing on the cake.
That just left the question as to how Andreas was going to talk his way out of this mess.
With that, the door opened, and a pair of FBI Agents entered the small room they were keeping Andreas in. The one had a hangdog expression on his face and his partner looked like a child dressed up in his father’s suit so that he could play the role of a Federal Agent.
“I am Special Agent O’Neal” The first FBI Agent said, “And this is Agent Hovanesian. We are curious about how much you know about your situation Mister Roth.”
“David Roth?” The second Agent, Hovanesian asked, “Like the Rock singer?”
“I have no idea who that is” Andreas replied.
“That doesn’t matter” O’Neal said, “We are just hoping that you could give us a better picture of your employer’s activities?”
Andreas smiled at that. He was perfectly prepared to serve up the goods on the owner of the bodega. The fact that the owner had held the threat of deportation over Andreas’ head for much of that time had been a serious annoyance, one that he was perfectly prepared to pay back in kind.
“I would advise you to wait for legal representation before we start this interview” Hovanesian said.
Andreas was annoyed by that suggestion. A soon as he was done with this, he would be on the next bus out of the Transit Authority going anywhere.
2nd June 1978
In transit, over the North Atlantic
“The Convocation was really was quite lovely” Charlotte said to the woman who was seated across the aisle from them in the First-Class section of the Lufthansa flight from Montreal-Dorval to Berlin-Brandenburg. Charlotte being Charlotte, she struck up a conversation for lack of anything better to do. Louis Ferdinand was perfectly happy to let Charlotte do all the talking. He had spent most of his life addressing the public in one capacity or another.
The woman who Charlotte was talking to certainly counted as the public and she had told them far more than they had ever wanted to know about her. She was middle-aged, looked like she was well to do, spoke with an American Berkeley accent, and didn’t seem to recognize who Louis and Charlotte were. She had spoken at length about how the trip to Europe was a reward to herself and the how she had a trusted friend watching her house in Cole Valley, wherever that was. She had also mentioned that she worked at the UCSF Medical Center as an Administrator. Charlotte had just told her she was a Social Worker, and the Louis was working for Médecins sans Frontières now that he was retired. The woman had been absolutely delighted to hear that. God only knew what assumptions she was making.
“Your goddaughter is a pretty girl” The woman said looking at the photograph of them with Marie Alexandra. “Has she said what her plans are?”
“She told us that she has already been accepted into Trinity College in Ireland” Charlotte replied, “She says that she is going to study International Law, but knowing Marie there is a chance that she might do something else.”
The woman gave Charlotte the sort of look that people gave when they didn’t know who Marie Alexandra von Mischner-Blackwood was but heard about the way she tended to present herself. It seemed like everything about the girl had always been subject to change even from moment to moment. Marie had stuck with Liberal Arts throughout her time at McGill though. If Louis had to guess, that the field of study like that which encompassed several disciplines suited someone like her perfectly. International Law was incredibly varied, frequently required imaginative solutions and extensive travel. Perhaps that was a good fit for her. Of course with Marie being who she was, she could just as easily end up doing nearly anything and it wouldn’t be a surprise.
Louis turned and looked out the window as Charlotte continued to chat with the woman. The graduation ceremony at McGill had been interesting to watch, nothing like that was done in Germany because the practices at the Universities were very different. It was Louis’ understanding that it had originally been based of the practices of Oxford and that was reflected in what he had seen. He knew that his son Michael would have loved the whole production. How many times had Louis heard Michael say that people loved a good show and that was exactly what he had done in Bohemia for the last several years.
New York City, New York
It was safe to assume that Andreas had lost his job this time. Not that it mattered, it was a bit obvious who the men who had stormed the bodega were. Despite everything else, it had been extremely satisfying to see the place that had been a key part of his prison for the last decade get trashed because the FBI were often heavy-handed when they made an arrest of someone they considered dangerous and their was a weapon known to be on the premises. Andreas had been arrested and so had the owner who had engaged with all manner of illegal conduct over the years that he had worked for him, so it was anyone’s guess just what had finally gotten him busted. The fact that the handgun that the owner had kept in the drawer of his desk was unregistered and possibly stolen was the icing on the cake.
That just left the question as to how Andreas was going to talk his way out of this mess.
With that, the door opened, and a pair of FBI Agents entered the small room they were keeping Andreas in. The one had a hangdog expression on his face and his partner looked like a child dressed up in his father’s suit so that he could play the role of a Federal Agent.
“I am Special Agent O’Neal” The first FBI Agent said, “And this is Agent Hovanesian. We are curious about how much you know about your situation Mister Roth.”
“David Roth?” The second Agent, Hovanesian asked, “Like the Rock singer?”
“I have no idea who that is” Andreas replied.
“That doesn’t matter” O’Neal said, “We are just hoping that you could give us a better picture of your employer’s activities?”
Andreas smiled at that. He was perfectly prepared to serve up the goods on the owner of the bodega. The fact that the owner had held the threat of deportation over Andreas’ head for much of that time had been a serious annoyance, one that he was perfectly prepared to pay back in kind.
“I would advise you to wait for legal representation before we start this interview” Hovanesian said.
Andreas was annoyed by that suggestion. A soon as he was done with this, he would be on the next bus out of the Transit Authority going anywhere.
One Undesirable Alien to Theodore Roosevelt International Airport (formally known as Idlewild Airport) on the next flight to Germany on Lufthansa, of course, he is going to be sandwiched between two non-descript gentlemen who have bulges underneath their suit jackets, and not letting him out of their sight and always in arm's length.
ITTL Dulles International Airport in NoVa is named after Franklin D. Roosevelt after his death, and in my mind New York State Republicans soon after renamed Idlewild for TR.
ITTL Dulles International Airport in NoVa is named after Franklin D. Roosevelt after his death, and in my mind New York State Republicans soon after renamed Idlewild for TR.
I'm really hoping that, when the FBI finishes up with 'Roth', O'Neal says something along the lines of:
"Thank you for your cooperation in this matter, Mr. Roth, the information that you've provided has been of value to us in our investigation. We have also been able to confirm that you had no personal involvement in your employer's crimes and that pretty much ends our interest in your activities. These agents will escort you through processing and then help arrange transportation for you. Once again, we thank you for your cooperation,... Herr Baader."
"Thank you for your cooperation in this matter, Mr. Roth, the information that you've provided has been of value to us in our investigation. We have also been able to confirm that you had no personal involvement in your employer's crimes and that pretty much ends our interest in your activities. These agents will escort you through processing and then help arrange transportation for you. Once again, we thank you for your cooperation,... Herr Baader."
I would love to see that happen, however with the state of US - German relations, they're more likely to turn a blind eye.
Of course, that doesn't mean that German intelligence don't have their own sources...
I think if young Baader is picked up by anyone, it'll be by the associates of his former employer, especially once they realise that he's a snitch.
Baader will wish he'd been picked up by the Germans after that.
Of course, that doesn't mean that German intelligence don't have their own sources...
I think if young Baader is picked up by anyone, it'll be by the associates of his former employer, especially once they realise that he's a snitch.
Baader will wish he'd been picked up by the Germans after that.
Except that this isn't a spy, or even a bank robber. This is a terrorist & mass murderer, one that killed little kids in his bombing. And one of the FBI agents questioning him is Ed O'Neal, last seen in Dublin talking to a (semi)retired German detective regarding a criminal that no government, especially one that already has significant... social tensions, would want running around loose. Germany has also exhibited a willingness to assist US law enforcement with high profile crimes, for example the murder witnessed by their spy satellites. This is a standard reciprocal exercise of international LEO cooperation. Politically speaking, its also technical olive branch, a way of saying that the Great Game is one thing but these sorts of things are beyond the pale and something civilised countries help each other with.
Besides, the Germans also extended an offer to help O'Neal find out who offed his partner.
I'm not so sure, a lot of countries OTL have histories of treating another country's murdering terrorists as honoured freedom fighters when it suits political expediency, so long as that terrorist/freedom fighter* keeps their nose clean in the host country.
O'Neill may know who Baader is, but if his superiors would prefer to look the other way, then there's not a lot he can do without crossing certain lines that he would not be able to un-cross.
The road to hell being paved with good intentions etc.
I'd hope, (and actually suspect), though, as you say, commonsense will prevail, especially if O'Neill can go all the way through the interrogation referring to his subject as Herr Roth, and then at the end, in the most badass of moments just end the interrogation with a thank you for the information, we have no more questions, these gentlemen will return you home Herr Baader.
And if this were a film, the idea of a scene, shot in the style of Guy Richie in Lock, Stock... Where the bottom falls out of Baader's world when he realises he's utterly bollocksed would be every, single, solitary flavour of awesome. Especially if I Wanna Be Your Dog by the Stooges is playing as the background music for the scene.
O'Neill may know who Baader is, but if his superiors would prefer to look the other way, then there's not a lot he can do without crossing certain lines that he would not be able to un-cross.
The road to hell being paved with good intentions etc.
I'd hope, (and actually suspect), though, as you say, commonsense will prevail, especially if O'Neill can go all the way through the interrogation referring to his subject as Herr Roth, and then at the end, in the most badass of moments just end the interrogation with a thank you for the information, we have no more questions, these gentlemen will return you home Herr Baader.
And if this were a film, the idea of a scene, shot in the style of Guy Richie in Lock, Stock... Where the bottom falls out of Baader's world when he realises he's utterly bollocksed would be every, single, solitary flavour of awesome. Especially if I Wanna Be Your Dog by the Stooges is playing as the background music for the scene.
Part 148, Chapter 2683
Chapter Two Thousand Six Hundred Eighty-Three
2nd June 1978
New York City, New York
David Roth, AKA Andreas Baader, was more than happy to sell out his employer, in fact he didn’t seem to be in the least bit surprised that the FBI had picked him up. It seemed that like most other bodega’s in New York City the place had a thriving sideline of items sold under the counter that the NYPD's Vice and Narcotics Divisions would be more than happy to learn about. For Ed that was all well and good, but he had used the arrest and interview to confirm to his satisfaction that Roth was in fact Baader. Ed had a hard time not leaping across the table and strangling Baader after becoming aware of what all the evidence said he had allegedly done. Shooting up a street crowded street full of commuters fully aware that the resulting chaos and terror would cause more injury and death, and he had done it just to make a political point.
Ed had let Jimmy do most of the talking as let Baader continued to tell them everything that he assumed they wanted to hear. Ed tried to listen, but his mind kept going back to the photographs that had appeared in daily newspapers of Germany. They had been in black and white, but that had hardly mattered, and the German papers were not as inclined to avoid offending the sensibilities of their readers as their American counterparts. The images had been of bodies lying in the street having been hit by rifle bullets, broken after falling down a flights of stairs, crushed against walls as a result of this man’s actions had stuck with Ed.
As soon as Sven Werth had alerted him to Baader’s presence in New York Ed had known that this was something that he wouldn’t be able to let go of. It was a feeling that had only grown stronger as he had learned more.
“I think that will be Mister Roth” Jimmy said evenly, reminding Ed why he had been uninvited from their supervisor’s poker nights back in Dublin. “Unless you can think of anything else?”
“Nothing” Baader replied, “I have wanted to move on to greener fields anyway.”
“I’m sure you have” Ed said, breaking his silence. “There is just one thing that we need to know.”
“Yes, what is that” Baader asked in reply with a smile that was as fake as the identity he had been using.
“We stumbled across the business your employer had on the side by accident” Ed replied, “It is rare to see them operating outside of Germany, but the… I’m not going to try to say this out loud because I would probably butcher it, but it translates to Federal Interior Intelligence, they had the store you worked at under surveillance. You have to understand why we would take an interest in that.”
“I had no idea I was being watched” Baader hastily lied in reply, committing another felony in the process. The cool that he’d had when he thought that he had them snowed had vanished in an instant. “Why on earth would they be investigating me?”
“Really?” Ed asked with a smirk, “Do you think that they didn’t tell us what they were after?”
“More like who?” Jimmy said.
“I can assure you that it was a case of mistaken identity” Baader replied.
“I thought that you had no idea that they were watching you” Jimmy said.
“I left Germany more than a decade ago” Baader said, “In case that has escaped your notice, and agencies like them, the ones who enforce the orders of an unelected tyrant are the very reason why I left.”
“I think that is the only thing about yourself that you have told us that wasn’t a complete load of bullshit” Jimmy said.
“Let’s start with your name” Ed said, “David Roth died thirty-four years ago and was buried in the family plot in New Jersey. It didn’t take us long to figure that one out, that lazy jackass you bought that identification from likes to reuse documents.”
“And the Roth family has absolutely no connection to Germany” Jimmy said, “We asked them about that.”
“You not being who you said you are fits neatly with your comment about your employer blackmailing you” Ed said as Baader was clearly trying to think of an excuse for all of that. It wasn’t going to do him much good. The German BII had sent a partial handprint found on the wall where graffiti left by the shooter had been written. It had taken their experts only minutes to declare that Andreas Baader/David Roth had been the individual whose handprint matched. This interview was all about crossing all the T’s and dotting all the I’s.
“Of course, as an illegal alien we can just throw you onto the next flight back to Deutschland” Jimmy said. Ed saw something pass across the face of Baader. Fear.
“Ten years is a long time Dave, or whatever your name is” Ed said, “A long time spent hiding, working in a crappy bodega, and living in a one room apartment in Alphabet City. What could possibly be worse?”
That got Ed an angry glare in return.
“What I don’t get is why your own government would still be hunting you after all this time?” Jimmy asked.
“I have no idea” Baader said through gritted teeth.
“I have few ideas” Ed said with a smirk as he opened the paper folder he had been holding and sat it on the table in front of Baader. Inside was the newspaper articles he had been reading. “You just had to sign your work leaving the BII the evidence needed to nail your ass to the wall, Andreas Baader. Can you tell me what he is looking forward to in Germany?”
“I don’t know” Jimmy replied, “They don’t have the death penalty over there, throwing people into holes they never come out of is more their speed. Especially for this sort of thing.”
Jimmy tapped the newspaper clippings for emphasis.
It was dawning on Baader they had been onto him the whole time, a bit too late.
“Perhaps you should have taken Jimmy’s advice about waiting for a legal representative” Ed said.
2nd June 1978
New York City, New York
David Roth, AKA Andreas Baader, was more than happy to sell out his employer, in fact he didn’t seem to be in the least bit surprised that the FBI had picked him up. It seemed that like most other bodega’s in New York City the place had a thriving sideline of items sold under the counter that the NYPD's Vice and Narcotics Divisions would be more than happy to learn about. For Ed that was all well and good, but he had used the arrest and interview to confirm to his satisfaction that Roth was in fact Baader. Ed had a hard time not leaping across the table and strangling Baader after becoming aware of what all the evidence said he had allegedly done. Shooting up a street crowded street full of commuters fully aware that the resulting chaos and terror would cause more injury and death, and he had done it just to make a political point.
Ed had let Jimmy do most of the talking as let Baader continued to tell them everything that he assumed they wanted to hear. Ed tried to listen, but his mind kept going back to the photographs that had appeared in daily newspapers of Germany. They had been in black and white, but that had hardly mattered, and the German papers were not as inclined to avoid offending the sensibilities of their readers as their American counterparts. The images had been of bodies lying in the street having been hit by rifle bullets, broken after falling down a flights of stairs, crushed against walls as a result of this man’s actions had stuck with Ed.
As soon as Sven Werth had alerted him to Baader’s presence in New York Ed had known that this was something that he wouldn’t be able to let go of. It was a feeling that had only grown stronger as he had learned more.
“I think that will be Mister Roth” Jimmy said evenly, reminding Ed why he had been uninvited from their supervisor’s poker nights back in Dublin. “Unless you can think of anything else?”
“Nothing” Baader replied, “I have wanted to move on to greener fields anyway.”
“I’m sure you have” Ed said, breaking his silence. “There is just one thing that we need to know.”
“Yes, what is that” Baader asked in reply with a smile that was as fake as the identity he had been using.
“We stumbled across the business your employer had on the side by accident” Ed replied, “It is rare to see them operating outside of Germany, but the… I’m not going to try to say this out loud because I would probably butcher it, but it translates to Federal Interior Intelligence, they had the store you worked at under surveillance. You have to understand why we would take an interest in that.”
“I had no idea I was being watched” Baader hastily lied in reply, committing another felony in the process. The cool that he’d had when he thought that he had them snowed had vanished in an instant. “Why on earth would they be investigating me?”
“Really?” Ed asked with a smirk, “Do you think that they didn’t tell us what they were after?”
“More like who?” Jimmy said.
“I can assure you that it was a case of mistaken identity” Baader replied.
“I thought that you had no idea that they were watching you” Jimmy said.
“I left Germany more than a decade ago” Baader said, “In case that has escaped your notice, and agencies like them, the ones who enforce the orders of an unelected tyrant are the very reason why I left.”
“I think that is the only thing about yourself that you have told us that wasn’t a complete load of bullshit” Jimmy said.
“Let’s start with your name” Ed said, “David Roth died thirty-four years ago and was buried in the family plot in New Jersey. It didn’t take us long to figure that one out, that lazy jackass you bought that identification from likes to reuse documents.”
“And the Roth family has absolutely no connection to Germany” Jimmy said, “We asked them about that.”
“You not being who you said you are fits neatly with your comment about your employer blackmailing you” Ed said as Baader was clearly trying to think of an excuse for all of that. It wasn’t going to do him much good. The German BII had sent a partial handprint found on the wall where graffiti left by the shooter had been written. It had taken their experts only minutes to declare that Andreas Baader/David Roth had been the individual whose handprint matched. This interview was all about crossing all the T’s and dotting all the I’s.
“Of course, as an illegal alien we can just throw you onto the next flight back to Deutschland” Jimmy said. Ed saw something pass across the face of Baader. Fear.
“Ten years is a long time Dave, or whatever your name is” Ed said, “A long time spent hiding, working in a crappy bodega, and living in a one room apartment in Alphabet City. What could possibly be worse?”
That got Ed an angry glare in return.
“What I don’t get is why your own government would still be hunting you after all this time?” Jimmy asked.
“I have no idea” Baader said through gritted teeth.
“I have few ideas” Ed said with a smirk as he opened the paper folder he had been holding and sat it on the table in front of Baader. Inside was the newspaper articles he had been reading. “You just had to sign your work leaving the BII the evidence needed to nail your ass to the wall, Andreas Baader. Can you tell me what he is looking forward to in Germany?”
“I don’t know” Jimmy replied, “They don’t have the death penalty over there, throwing people into holes they never come out of is more their speed. Especially for this sort of thing.”
Jimmy tapped the newspaper clippings for emphasis.
It was dawning on Baader they had been onto him the whole time, a bit too late.
“Perhaps you should have taken Jimmy’s advice about waiting for a legal representative” Ed said.
Last edited:
Baader is one of those that is not going to make headlines. He might not even get put on a commercial airliner for the trip home, by this time there should be plenty of smaller jets going back and forth across the Atlantic to Europe that carry high security items. No one would think anything if there was a one of these going to Germany with people on board it Somethings like securities, gemstones, gold, important people and such would be using these. Think of the German equivalent of the UK's Queens messengers that would make use of this service and do that.
The Deportation orders is already typed up, and it is just waiting for the Federal Magistrate to sign it.
From there, Andres Baader is taken to the first available means of transportation that is going directly to Germany, which usually means going to the nearest international airport and catching whatever the next flight going directly to Germany, and by some strange coincidence there is a Lufthansa charter flight to Berlin that still have some empty seats and is willing to delay takeoff until this extra passenger shows up.
The Federal officials that are escorting Andres Baader makes sure that he catches the flight and waits until the door is shut and the jet takes off, and once the jet clears US airspace and is in international airspace, then he is formally arrested by the German government.
From there, Andres Baader is taken to the first available means of transportation that is going directly to Germany, which usually means going to the nearest international airport and catching whatever the next flight going directly to Germany, and by some strange coincidence there is a Lufthansa charter flight to Berlin that still have some empty seats and is willing to delay takeoff until this extra passenger shows up.
The Federal officials that are escorting Andres Baader makes sure that he catches the flight and waits until the door is shut and the jet takes off, and once the jet clears US airspace and is in international airspace, then he is formally arrested by the German government.
It will be interesting to see if his eventual fate will mirror that of his OTL counterpart. The flexibility he demonstrated in his shoulder, elbow & wrist to 'un-alive himself' in that manner was impressive.
That was a very impressive way of shooting himself in the head. Especially doing it with his off hand.
This another case of "Cops vs. Spooks" as the FBI and the BII are more comfortable going after criminals instead of doing counterintelligence operations.
Special Agent Ed O'Neal would rather go after information about the number of guns from the US that are showing up in Ireland that both the IRA and UDF are using to commit crimes with, and the influx of heroin from Afghanistan that is now flooding the US East Coast that is competing with "China White" heroin that is a West Coast operation.
O'Neal doesn't want to waste his time going after "Anne Morgan" or Tatiana von Mischner-Blackwood, or whatever she is calling herself this week.
The BII feels the same way as they want the moral clarity of punishing the bad guys and bringing justice to the victims, instead of getting involved with the games that the BND plays in which the bad guys get away with things that should land them in prison, but instead they get a pass because of "National Security".
Special Agent Ed O'Neal would rather go after information about the number of guns from the US that are showing up in Ireland that both the IRA and UDF are using to commit crimes with, and the influx of heroin from Afghanistan that is now flooding the US East Coast that is competing with "China White" heroin that is a West Coast operation.
O'Neal doesn't want to waste his time going after "Anne Morgan" or Tatiana von Mischner-Blackwood, or whatever she is calling herself this week.
The BII feels the same way as they want the moral clarity of punishing the bad guys and bringing justice to the victims, instead of getting involved with the games that the BND plays in which the bad guys get away with things that should land them in prison, but instead they get a pass because of "National Security".