THE SECRET PACT

SATISFIED, KENAN WALKED through the corridors to the oval office. After entering his office, as he settled into his seat, he had a brief moment of reverie, bringing to mind the general's words, but was interrupted by a sudden ringing on the phone. Peter, his top aide, had also entered the room and went to the receiver to answer it, but Kenan decided to do so and took his turn answering it.

A very deep and muffled voice said slowly:

— Do you know the risks of what you intend to do?

Kenan threatened to request a trace of the call, but remembered that the line was private, reserved for his personal conversations and did not give any access to third parties. His only option, and one he thought of very quickly, was to use the telephone itself to try to record the conversation. He tried to prolong the subject:

— Who are you?

The voice just continued, saying:

— Ask yourself this question, President. Who are you? Will they pay for your sins?

— You piece of shit...

— I know what you intend to do — interrupted the terrorist — do you want to take advantage of the context? Context is the root of sin. Don't forget me, Kenan, don't forget the people...

Before Kenan could say anything, the call ended. Exalted, he slammed the phone down hard and sighed in agony.

Only now did he realize the gravity of the situation, only then did he realize that he had a real adversary before him.

Context, the root of sin... Context, the root of...

He then remembered a phrase he had said during the meeting:

— The root of meaning is context...

It couldn't be!

Did he really attend the meeting?

Kenan was dumbfounded by his suspicion. This person wasn't just anyone, it wasn't just a hacker or some other kind of crazy person wanting to scare him, if he knew about the meeting, he could be someone with skills and principles much greater than he had imagined.

Had he really attended what was discussed?

Such thoughts caused him great fear.

— Sir, what was that? Who called? — Peter asked, confused by Kenan's expression throughout the conversation.

— Please get me Dr. Kenagan right away!

Peter immediately called Floyd Kenagan and handed the phone to Kenan.

— Yes, Mr. President — Kenagan said as he answered.

— Mr. Kenagan, we have a problem. — Kenan explained the situation to Kenagan, told him about the two calls and that he had recorded the last one.

He then replied:

— Please send me this recording, I will be investigating this closely from now on.

— Mr. Kenagan — Kenan said — from now on I believe we need to make a drastic change in the FBI's operations framework. I ask that you direct a team specifically to this case, we cannot let a crazy hacker jeopardize everything we are doing.

Floyd Kenagan thought for a moment and replied:

— I will be assigning personnel to this and I will send one of my best agents, particularly the one responsible for our breakthrough in the investigation into the marathon case.

— I want Gregory Evans on the team... It is essential that we take this measure. By the way, from what you said, I understood that he knew about the meeting we had this morning, and if that is true, we are running a great security risk. I need there to be an investigation into the meeting and how he could have access to it.

— Yes, sir.

— Mr. Kenagan, I trust your work.

— If he knew about the summit, someone helped him.

— We need to know who it could be, Floyd...

— It could be anyone present there.

— Yes, that is true. Floyd, from now on, everyone who was present here will be treated as a suspect. If this person followed the meeting floor, either he had some kind of wiretap or was present at the location.

— It is also necessary to investigate all personnel who have access to the rooms and the office. This way we will be alert to all types of suspicion.

It was the first time that the entire General Staff body had become suspected of some criminal action.

Kenan Vaine was now faced with a delicate situation, something that perhaps no ruler had ever experienced before him.

If the entire body under his leadership became suspicious, who would he trust?