Starting from South America, speeding through the world

Chapter 155 Factional Strife

Chapter 155 Factional Strife
8:05 a.m.

Washington.

JTTF Joint Counterterrorism Unit Office.

Morgan closed his notebook and rubbed his temples.

He had been working through several nights in a row, compiling the preliminary report brought back from the North Carolina camp.

Image analysis, thermal imaging reconstruction, gunpowder residue, ballistic direction, and explosion point path distribution.

He even had the technical team run two simulations of wind speed and temperature.

Unfortunately, the only conclusion reached was that it was an "attack without a source".

There were no weapons remnants, and no DNA samples.

No political slogans, group logos, or ideological graffiti were found at the scene.

All the evidence points to a firepower-driven seizure.

Morgan stood up, just about to make coffee, when he heard a "beep" from outside.

The person who arrived was dressed in casual clothes, with no expression on his face, and was holding a document in his right hand.

It's the team leader, Soms.

"Are you free?" he asked directly.

Morgan nodded and put the cup back on the table.

Soms glanced outside twice to make sure no one was watching before walking in and closing the door behind him.

"This was delivered from North Carolina yesterday afternoon," he said, handing over the documents.

Morgan picked it up and saw that it was a statement transcript.

Standard format, filed with the state police, three pages in total.

"Whose confession is this?" he asked, puzzled.

"David Sloan, National Guard Lieutenant."

"He was one of the few people in the camp who weren't there that night."

Upon hearing this, Morgan immediately lowered his head and quickly flipped through the contents.

Soms didn't rush him and waited patiently.

Finally, Morgan spoke:

"He said a reporter named Natalie Watts interviewed him at the camp last week?"

"Yes."

"Are the documents genuine?"

“Yes.” Soms’ tone was flat. “A CNN reporter and a freelance writer.”

"What is her connection to the camp attack?"

"There is no direct evidence at present, but the fact that she appeared at that time is enough to constitute a preliminary attribution."

"Attribution?" Morgan was a little confused. "This is at most a clue; it can't be used to directly accuse someone."

“Nobody told you to make charges now.” Soms stared intently at him.

"Under the FISA extended terms, we have the right to take restrictive measures when there are national security concerns."

“But this is still unreasonable.” Morgan scratched his head. “The local authorities, especially the state prosecutor, will definitely become suspicious.”

"You think this case is reasonable?" Soms asked rhetorically. "Fifty-six people dead, weapons missing."

"The only thing we found was a military vehicle, abandoned in the woods not far away."

"With this report you've prepared, who are you going to submit it to?"

Morgan fell silent.

Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Soms' attitude softened.

“You’re no novice, Morgan,” he said. “You know when to stop reasoning and start understanding politics.”

“Politics?” Morgan frowned. “There’s nothing special about the surname Watts, is there?”

Soms smiled slightly: "Natalie Watts is an alias."

"Of course, this statement is not entirely accurate."

"Specifically, she is the daughter of Senator Hollen."

"Hollen?! That Democrat Holen?"

Morgan finally realized what was happening and confirmed it in surprise.

Soms walked to the window, pulled up a corner of the blinds, and looked down at the street.

"Yes, Chairman of the Council on Foreign Relations."

"And guess what's even more interesting? This report was submitted by Blair's assistant right after her assassination."

"."

Morgan remained silent, clearly shocked.

After a long pause, he asked with difficulty, "Aren't Blair and Hollen both Democrats?"

“Yes, that’s why I said this is very interesting.” “Republicans, Democrats, today’s enemies, tomorrow’s friends.”

“Politics…it’s really fascinating,” Soms exclaimed.

Morgan swallowed hard. "This is a struggle."

Soms did not deny it.

He simply shrugged: "Welcome to Washington."

The room fell silent for a moment.

The sky outside the window is clear.

Morgan slowly sat back down at the computer and asked, "How would you like me to write this?"

"Simple, straightforward, and avoid excessive analysis."

"Only a factual description is needed, emphasizing her contact background and history of being an unidentified person."

As Soms spoke, he walked over to Morgan and patted him on the shoulder:

"The report will follow the direct authorization path of the NSC, and be affiliated with the JTTF to circumvent potential procedural obstacles for applications from the families of high-ranking officials."

Morgan stared at the woman in the photo and asked in a low voice, "So, even though she did nothing, she was convicted?"

“If we can get her to confess.” Soms’s expression was relaxed.

"This shouldn't be too difficult. After all, we have them in our hands. It's best to finish this quickly."

Morgan remained uneasy, but kept his face silent.

Seeing this, Soms said nothing more, picked up his ID card, and left the office.

The door closed gently.

He was left all alone in the house again.

Morgan took two deep breaths, reopened the file system, and pulled up Natalie's complete background information.

Surname change registration, whereabouts, interviews, school records, father's political resume
He stared at the photo for a long time.

The cursor is hovering over the top left corner of the page, blinking incessantly.

Morgan remained inactive for a long time.

Those grey-green eyes seemed to be looking at him through the screen.

There was no smile, no resentment, only complete calm.

Perhaps it's been too calm.

It turned into a deep weariness.

Morgan leaned back in his chair, stared at the ceiling, and let out a long sigh.

She is about to become the price, the answer.

But what about himself?
Hollen could not allow the FBI to act recklessly, pinning the blame on Natalie and potentially impacting the entire Democratic Party leadership.

With the election just around the corner, unexpected events have occurred.

Police department upheaval, military massacre, Blair's death, FBI investigation and partisan blame.

Each and every item is intertwined and superimposed.

What politicians want is an "explanation".

What the media wants is "symbolism".

What the higher-ups want is "controllability".

Wherever things go wrong, the consequences would be far beyond what a federal agent like him could afford.

Soms knew that too.

That's why I chose to submit the report myself.

If something goes wrong, he will become the price to quell the anger.

They were packaged up and given to the media, committees, and judicial investigators.

Damn, they probably won't even need to go through the handover process.