“Not yet, but I’ve got a name from the initial report taken from the complainant. Her name sounds American. I was going to search through the passport and immigration database and assuming I get a hit, follow up with a banking records search to narrow down where she is. Assuming the name we got is real and she went through one of our border crossings or ports of entry, I think I have a fairly good chance of finding her.”

“Fine. Do it. This whole thing stinks. Go ahead, track her down and bring her in for questioning. I’ll follow the other angles and we’ll meet in the middle on this. Keep me posted on your findings.”

Nate paused. “Sir… what if this is an op we’re not supposed to know about?”

“We’re all on the same team, Nate.”

“With the Germans?”

Binghamton grimaced. “God, I hope so. But… I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to make sure you have another agent with you. Watch each other’s backs.”

Chapter Nine

Kathy entered the conference center ten minutes after the talk was scheduled to start, just as a man was stepping up to the podium. She slipped into a seat as he began speaking, his deep voice broadcast from speakers all around the room.

“Since you’re here, I’m assuming many of you students are either interested in the field of genetics or have curiosity about the topic. As a genetics researcher and a medical doctor, I know what the media would have you believe about GMOs and how anyone working on such research is something akin to the spawn of Satan.”

“You bastards are giving us all cancer!” yelled someone from the back of the large room.

A handful of students stood behind the seats, holding up posters with anti-GMO slogans. “Say no to GMO,” they began chanting. The crowd buzzed with disapproval.

Kathy had always admired political activists, but in this case, she really just wanted them to shut up. She wanted to hear what the lecturer was saying.

Campus security quickly took charge. They forcefully removed the protestors from the room and shut the door behind them, but not before one last shout of “You’re just monopolist pigs bilking cash from all of us!”

When the doors finally slammed shut and the sound of the protests faded, the audience murmured with annoyance and turned their attention back to the lecturer.