118 AMERICAN SPYlong track record of success, with no “flaps” or compromises. The network
was intentionally set up in such a way as to protect American interests
with minimal to no risk of exposure. I had tasked this unwitting team suc-
cessfully numerous times in the past, and the US government hand would
remain hidden. Guaranteed. It seemed like a no-brainer to me.
For reasons I never understood, headquarters rejected my plan and
ordered me to execute the “fake news” op directly, without involving
my network. Their reasoning seemed to be that they did not wish to risk
revealing this sensitive op to my vetted and proven network. I pointed out
that in the event I was caught in the act by the local security service, there
would be no way to plausibly deny that the US government was behind
the operation. This otherwise brilliant CA operation would be blown,
and it would trigger a serious diplomatic incident with the government of
Palmera. Worse, the flap would be made public, undermining other legiti-
mate American efforts to counter threats globally. On the other hand, if
we followed my recommended approach, the US government would not
be implicated and would have plausible deniability.
It was clear that the headquarters plan greatly increased the odds of
getting us into precisely the catastrophic situation we all wanted to avoid.
But headquarters always has the last word. My COS and I reluctantly
agreed to execute the plan one long Palmera night. We knew that if we
were caught, the resulting catastrophe would result in us and our families
being expelled from the country, and US-Palmera relations would suffer a
serious and unnecessary body blow.
We set out shortly after dark, in a sterile ops vehicle untraceable to the
station or official American interests. After ensuring we were free of sur-
veillance, we drove to Palmera’s bustling international airport, where the
first part of the operation would unfold. As I was exiting an airport rest-
room, I noticed an airport police officer watching me. He began to follow
me as I exited the airport arrivals area on foot. Our vehicle was parked
right outside the terminal in the drop-off lane, and my boss was in the pas-
senger’s seat. I hopped in the driver’s seat and sped off before the cop could
catch up with me.
As we drove back toward the capital city, incriminating evidence of our
“fake news” activity still in our vehicle, we approached an ad hoc police
checkpoint that was stopping each car. Two gringos in a car late at night