Stone - 25 - Collateral Damage

authorizing us to work domestically in terrorism cases.”
    “Funny you should mention that. We talked about it a couple of days ago, and last night Will told me that he’s sending a request to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence to get a bill together to authorize. The White House counsel has told him he can issue an executive order to permit us to work domestically, but that it will expire with his presidency. I’ve asked him to make his request to the committee on an emergency basis, and what has happened today will make it imperative that they move quickly. He’ll sign the executive order today.”
    “Thank you, ma’am,” Holly said, and she meant it. “May I tell our people here? It might help morale. Everybody knew somebody who was in that restaurant.”
    “Go ahead and tell them, but warn them that the information is classified until they read it in the papers.”
    “Yes, ma’am. May I tell the police commissioner and the FBI AIC?”
    “Yes.” The director hung up. Holly called the police commissioner.
    “Yes, Holly. Don’t worry, we’re all over this.”
    Holly told him about the chase in the subway tunnel.
    “I’m sorry you weren’t able to shoot her,” he said. “That’s twice she’s eluded capture.”
    “Thank you, sir. I need your help on two things.”
    “Anything.”
    “First, I need confirmation from the morgue, soonest, of the ID of our people who were in the restaurant. Our best guess is six, and I’ll e-mail you the names.”
    “Of course. I’ll call the ME myself.”
    “The other thing is, the president is signing an executive order today to give the Agency the right to work domestically on terrorism cases. This will be the first one.”
    “Can he do that?”
    “Yes, but the order will expire with his presidency. He’s making an emergency request to the Intelligence Committee in the Senate for legislation modifying our charter to that effect.”
    “You won’t hear any complaints from me about that,” the commissioner replied. “We can use all the help we can get. I can’t speak for the FBI.”
    “I’ll ask the director to ask the president to call their director. Maybe they’ll take it better if the news comes down from the top.”
    “Good idea. I don’t want to have to listen to their pissing and moaning.”
    “One more thing, Commissioner: you’ve got to go public with the photograph of Jasmine Shazaz.”
    “I agree,” he replied. “I’ll give the order to Public Affairs immediately, and the FBI can lump it.”
    “Thank you, sir.” She hung up. Her computer chimed, signaling a priority e-mail, and she logged on. “This is going out to everybody in the New York office,” Kate wrote. “From now on, it’s the New York station.”
    Holly read the following bulletin. “To the staff in New York: I know you’ve all lost friends today, and our hearts are with you. As the result of their sacrifice, the president of the United States has today signed an executive order allowing the Agency to operate domestically in terrorism cases, and he has requested that the Congress, on an emergency basis, authorize a change to our charter to that effect.
    “Accordingly, the New York office is now the New York station, and Assistant Director Holly Barker is appointed station chief. I know you will all give her the help she needs.
    “Finally, since I’ve ordered that no one leave the building for lunch, I have directed that a chef be hired and that the cafeteria be remodeled into a proper restaurant. I’ve asked that it be up and running in a week. In the meantime, bring good things to eat to work.” Signed, Katharine Rule, Director.
    “Station chief,” Holly said aloud to herself. “I don’t believe it.”

Holly left the office at eight o’clock, to meet Stone at P.J. Clarke’s. By the time she got there the usual crowd at the bar had subsided, and Stone was leaning against it with a drink in his hand. He signaled the bartender for one more.
    “I saw everything on New York One,” he said, referring to the local cable news channel. “I’m sorry about the loss of your people.”
    Holly took a deep draft of her drink. “It’s the worst working day of my life,” she said. “I knew a couple of them, though not well. Tomorrow I have to write letters to their families, and I’m not looking forward to that.”
    “It’s Jasmine?”
    Holly nodded. “I damn near had her in my sights this afternoon, but she got away.”
    “That’s rough. I