The Kendrick File

By Edward Bates

“A spy novel dealing with the evil empire.”

Two Naval officers become aware of a foreign spy infiltrating the National Security Agency with the conspiring cooperation of at least three prominent government officials.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9781662475139

Book preview

Chapter 1

The supersecret National Security Agency is housed at Fort Meade, Maryland. It was once located in the old World War II, Navy Op-20-g, Communications Intelligence Complex on Nebraska Avenue in Northwest, Washington, DC, then in the Army Security Agency structures near Arlington Hall, Virginia, before their final move.

Security both inside and out was severe and complex. In spite of those security measures, Soviet intelligence agents had managed to obtain many of its secrets. Those breaches of security very severely affected the security of the United States of America.

It was common knowledge in the American intelligence circles that some of the defectors to the Soviets were known to be sexual deviates. Others, not determined to be agents of the Soviets, were liberal in their political beliefs and in one-world philosophies. All were very bright and intelligent people. Many were armed with impeccable credentials from the most prestigious universities. The majority of the staff personnel were solid American patriots, many still on active duty drawn from the various armed forces of the United States.

The scope of the responsibilities of the National Security Agency was unknown to most Americans. Their annual budget was known but to a few in government. They performed very top-secret operations dealing with gathering and evaluating intelligence. Their problem in recent years was in obtaining sufficient Middle Eastern language experts to deal with the problems in Iraq, Iran, Syria and the Middle East in general. What value was there in obtaining and gathering intelligence from a variety of sources with few who had the ability to decipher and evaluate the intelligence gathered? In one case, prosecuted by the Justice Department under President Reagan, one person who obtained top-secret data and who furnished it to a foreign government was operating on behalf of Israel, a reported friendly country. Who can we trust? was a common question posed. The gathering of intelligence was just one column of several that support the breaking of sophisticate cypher-coded data.

Send someone to attend the briefing of our new security people. We have that new commander down there who is a real bore. He’s been holding up the security clearance on one of my new applicants. He’s been dragging his feet and offering no good reason why! Get hold of Captain Johnson and find out the cause of this delay. Anyone who believes the days of steel ships and wooden sailors are past is badly mistaken. The speaker was a portly, red-faced bureaucrat. His personal secretary believed his appearance to be much older than his early sixtieth year of age. He was a very influential person, the brother of a sitting US senator. He owed his rise through the various bureaucracies in Washington, DC to his brother’s influence.

*****

Commander Rod Taulbee, US Navy, was lecturing to the new graduates of the Security Clearance class. "After the defection to Russia of Martin and Mitchell, you would’ve thought we had learned our lesson. We then found the two Walker brothers, both officers in the US Navy, selling submarine codes and not only codes but actual coding devices to the Soviets, not because they were deviants, no, they did it for the most simple motive—greed!

"Not many years ago, we found the son of an FBI agent who was working in the Silicon Valley of California and who had access to top-secret materials, selling that information to the Soviets at their embassy in Mexico. He was a known doper and involved in anti-American activities.

"More recently, one of the top agents in the CIA was sentenced to life imprisonment for being an agent of the Soviet KGB. Even more recently, the top FBI agent in charge of counterintelligence was convicted of the same right here in Washington, DC!

It’ll be your responsibilities to assure that each applicant has correct and verifiable background data recorded. We must be able to assure our superior officials of the complete accuracy and loyalty of the applicant. If we develop data which reveals the applicant, whether it is a he, she, or ‘it,’ to be a security risk, we must either prove or disprove any such data. I know you’ll all see your duty and perform it. Good luck and God bless you all in your new assignments.

The young officers left, complimenting each other on their assignments and ready to battle those seeking to infiltrate and become traitors to the United States of America.

They had all laughed following the commander’s remarks about the he, she, or it. He had made a great impression among the men and women. The commander looked the part of a section chief for security. He was tall and handsome. One of the young female officers remarked, He looks like a young Tom Selleck when he played the part of a Naval Intelligence officer in Hawaii. The other females agreed emphatically.

Sir, Lt.(j.g.) Alexandria Ward whispered into the commander’s ear as he was leaving the podium, I observed James J. Carver III listening and taking notes. He represents the State Department here, but I presume you know that. You knew he was in the room, but it didn’t stop you from speaking out over the past eight weeks. You can be sure he’ll present a complete dossier on your ‘training’ techniques. His boss doesn’t believe that the Navy should have any role to play in the National Security Agency. Their favorite story is ‘Naval Intelligence is a contradiction of terms.’

Commander Taulbee gave her a wink and laughed. Well, they can’t be all wrong.

After receiving the wink, Alexandria blushed. Not many men are capable of causing that reaction. Maybe it is because he is so handsome, and I do not have to lean down to talk to him. Alexandria Andie Ward had no steady boyfriend. At Annapolis, her beauty had not gone unnoticed by other midshipmen. It seemed to her that most of them felt they had a duty and responsibility to get her in bed. She had not been impressed with their schoolboy approaches. After graduation and then a year at sea, she found that more senior officers were equally concerned about her beauty. She had been determined not to become involved with servicemen at this stage of her career even if of equal ranks, yet Commander Taulbee fascinated her.

At their desks, Rod had reviewed the Kendrick File with her. Everything seems to check out, but there is something about this file that’s missing. I can sense it, but I’ll be damned if I know what. I hope it’s not prejudice on my part because some heat has been coming down from topside, he informed her. He continued without looking up, This applicant is very well qualified. The National Security Agency could use his talents. He seems to have skipped most of high school and was accepted into an accelerated class at the University of Chicago. His doctorate was completed at MIT, and he is reported to be a computer and mathematics genius. Men with talent like his could make much more money working in the free-enterprise system, and that fact alone bothers me. The National Security Agency has him working on a less-than-top-secret project pending his full clearance. I’ve been instructed to have our final recommendation in no later than Monday morning. I want you to look it over and comment.

Alexandria carefully leaned over his chair, making certain there was no body contact. It had been obvious since their first meeting just several weeks before that there was a mutual physical attraction. Both were trying hard to act in a very professional manner toward each other. In spite of their precautions, her hand brushed his as he handed her the file.

Rod looked into the deep-green eyes and wondered what her auburn hair would be like tumbled down from the severe knot bundled behind her very pretty young head. I can visualize her hair falling down around her white smooth skin. I wonder if she has freckles? he wondered and chuckled softly.

Is something wrong? she asked.

The question brought him back—back to reality. He looked into her eyes and thought, She is beautiful in spite of the severe hair tied back and the horn-rimmed glasses. She was dressed in a crisp white dress uniform. Her breasts fascinated Rod. He almost reached out and touched them.

She quickly looked down, afraid that he might read her thoughts too. She knew of his background from her briefing prior to her assignment to work with him.

Commander Ronald Rod Taulbee had first been an enlisted man in the Naval Security Group. He had been captured along with the entire crew and ship when the North Koreans attacked the USS Pueblo in international waters. Although severely beaten and kicked, he had not revealed any vital data to them. After his release, he continued his education and obtained his master’s degree. It was then that he was commissioned.

Thereafter, he gained prominence in the intelligence communities in Vietnam, Lebanon, and Iraq. Friendly intelligence agencies thought highly of him and his work when he had been assigned to work with them in London and Israel. As a grad of the Monterey Foreign Language School, he could read and speak languages as to military terms sufficient to meet his assigned duties.

One entry in his secret jacket showed that when he was an enlisted man, he had been the subject of a court of inquiry. An enlisted man assigned to the Naval Security Group had been found on a remote Aleutian Island shot to death. Rumors had it that Taulbee had been assigned to follow him since the other sailor had reportedly planned a meeting with a Soviet submarine to deliver top-secret cryptologic material. The court ruled that the death was a case of suicide, and no more was heard about the matter.

Alexandria thought, I wouldn’t even broach the subject with him. She realized that Commander Taulbee was waiting her responses. Yes, sir. I’ll review the file. When do you want it?

"I’ll need it by sixteen hundred hours today.

*****

Ten minutes before the hour, she was at attention in front of his desk. She presented him with a neatly typed twenty-page response. He waved it aside. Just tell me what you think, he said.

On the basis of what has been investigated so far, I agree with it. He logically should be cleared. I think the thing that bothers me, and perhaps it’s what is distressing you too, is the lack of a normal high school history. It’s missing school data from school chums and girlfriends, if there were any. Even the lack of such might be significant. Normally, we would have parents and relatives to interview. Here, we find that an old maid aunt raised him after his parents were killed in an auto crash. Other than the lack of early school history especially with females, his academic history is outstanding. Once again, though, he was a loner throughout his university training. All of his professors thought very highly of his academic performance and considered him a genius in his several fields. She added, By the way, Commander, at the naval academy, I was called by the nickname ‘Andie.’"

The commander stood up. That’s it. You’re right, Andie! Those factors about his earlier life have been the cause of my concern. We need more information from his hometown, or at least the time and associates in high school. He moved close to her and impulsively put his arm around one shoulder. Andie looked into his eyes and was startled and surprised. She did not step back, though. Then, quickly, he did. I’m sorry, Lieutenant. I just got carried away with the good information you brought me, he stammered. His normally tan features showed a hint of bronze color on his cheeks.

Andie realized that she had unconsciously put one arm around his waist and had pressed against him. It was her turn to blush and stammer. That’s all right, sir. I understand. She took a step back and straightened her uniform blouse.

Commander Taulbee regained his official face. His aunt had been a professor of mathematics before she moved to a small town in California to care for him and allow him to attend a well-known prep school academy there on the coast. She died just about the time we started our investigation. I’m going to call Captain Johnson and get authority to travel to California to check this out this weekend. It’s the last chance we have to clear up this matter.

What are you going to do? Send an agent from here? Andie asked, her eyes growing wide. She obviously wanted the assignment. Her eyes flashed and changed color to a hard blue as she awaited his answer.

He seemed to be in deep thought, though, when he replied. I’m going out on this personally. Get another agent ready to go by eighteen hundred hours, prepared to travel in plain clothes. We don’t want to attract any unusual attention by wearing uniforms in this small cow town. Get a couple of round-trip tickets to San Francisco, and I want to be back here no later than zero seven hundred Monday morning. He strode off, leaving her standing alone. Taulbee turned back for a moment. Make sure the agent doesn’t snore because we’ll be staying in some small nondescript motel probably. I know a detective in that county. He and I served together when we were enlisted. He could open some doors for us. I’m going to call him right away.

*****

Commander Rod Taulbee left through the rear door that led to the parking lot. A gray Navy van was parked there with a hard-looking, tough sailor behind the wheel. Under his front seat was an Uzi submachine. Rod quickly got into the van through the sliding side door. Temporarily he blinked his sun-blinded eyes to the darkness of the interior. He saw the other agent, a redhead with hair down to shoulder length. She was wearing blue tight-fitting jeans and a Western shirt. She held a blanket-lined Levi’s jacket in her arms.

What the hell? Rod stammered and then laughed. So you are the other agent! Well, I wanted one, and you fit the job classification. On the other hand, I can’t say that you will not be noticed. He almost asked if she snored, but he decided that discretion was best.

You can’t say that you will not be noticed either, Commander. She smiled. She had looked him over critically. He looked the part of a Western rancher. She had never seen him out of uniform, and she approved. She liked what she saw very much. Maybe I will reexamine my stance about men in or out of uniform. She smiled as she realized she had mentioned her stance about men, out of uniform. I really mean not in the service!

Once again, Rod was deep in thought. From now on, forget about military titles. I don’t want this to be anything other than ‘Andie and Rod’ Long. I decided on that last name since we’re both tall, and it’ll be easy to keep in mind. We’ll stop at a naval station and pick up a couple of weapons. A habit of mine from the old days. By the way, Andie, I’m glad to have you aboard.

Me too. She smiled.

Chapter 2

The man with the close-cut blond hair acknowledged the telephone call and immediately began his preparations. He asked only one question. What priority? The response was equally curt. Highest!

*****

The man selected his wardrobe very carefully, after he examined the outside weather situation through the one dirty window pane in his room. He saw the dark threatening thunderclouds, and the light ice that was beginning to form on the puddles of water in the parking lot. He then made his decision.

He elected to wear layers of clothing rather than single articles of heavier material. He chose a light pair of 100-percent virgin wool slacks in dark charcoal gray. A lightweight long-sleeved turtleneck pullover, also wool, served as a shirt. A black reversible parka was to be carried across his arm. The inside of the parka was rain resistant in a checkerboard design. He could change his appearance by merely reversing the parka. An extra pair of wool socks, a large dark bandana, and a wool naval type watch cap fit easily into the zippered front pocket of his jacket.

The effects of squeezing those items into the pocket made him appear paunchy, which he definitely was not. His shoes were deck shoes, in dark color. As he left the apartment, he pulled on his tight-fitting driving gloves. He also strapped on the dark leather holster that contained a sailor’s long, slender marlinspike. It was a tool used by seamen universally to assist in splicing together heavy line. It was needle sharp at the end after it tapered from the heavy hilt.

He examined himself in the cracked closet mirror. He knew he would pass practically unnoticed, since he was dressed typically like other young men who worked on the seagoing fishing boats in the harbor.

As was his custom regarding personal security when leaving, he placed a small dark thread in the doorjamb about one third from the bottom. It was invisible in the dark hallway.

‘There is only one more fly in the ointment. I am about to remove that fly. I know what I must do. My earlier preparations in scouting their apartment and making certain adjustment to the exterior light bulb of their apartment was a smart move." His mouth formed a tight, unfriendly grin.

*****

The sailor parked his car almost two blocks away. He exited his car and instantly disappeared into the darkness of the night. There was no moon or stars to provide the slightest light. The odor of meals being prepared smelled good. He paused and listened after he heard a mother’s call. Tommy, come home, it’s time for supper.

He turned into the alley and casually strolled toward the rear apartment complex. At the location, most distant from any back porch lights, and near his target, he quickly jumped the fence.

Shit! The sleet and rain have saturated the lawn, he silently cursed as he slid on the wet grass and mud. He stood still for at least five minutes, completely motionless. Finally, he moved toward the small, enclosed patio. It was surrounded by a redwood stake fence. He lifted up on the gate-locking mechanism and let himself in. Good! They have not replaced the light bulb. These people are stupid and lazy in spite of all their ‘education,’ he muttered.

He approached the sliding glass door to gain entry into the apartment. It’s locked, but I can take care of that. Using the pointed end of the steel marlinspike, he easily forced the soft aluminum lock mechanism and slid open the door. There was no light to brighten the area behind the drapes. Then he heard two male voices.

John, I have been so looking forward to this weekend with you. I have missed you terribly. I want us to go to dinner together, even if we have to go out of town. His voice sounded masculine, but in falsetto.

The intruder quickly moved to his left into the more darkened corner where the drapes were bunched. It was none too soon. Two men stepped out of the bedroom, both naked. One man was