PROJECT SPARTA

CHAPTER 33

Capitol Hill, DC

2016

Morning had dawned over Capitol Hill as an unassuming white paint van pulled up to the guard station. A Capitol policeman approached the driver side door while another took an extended mirror and swept the bottom of the van for explosives. The guard's hand rose and knocked on the window, while the other steadied a clipboard with the day's appointments. The window slowly cranked down, revealing a redheaded man with a big bushy mustache, wearing a thin skull cap despite the DC summer heat.

"Morning," the guard said with the drone tone of the morning.

"Top of the morning to ya!" A jovial Irish brogue startled the guard, who had not had his coffee.

"What company are you with?"

"Mickey's A/C Repair, 'The Coolest Cat in Town,'" Seamus repeated the company slogan like a used car salesman.

"And you must be..."

"Mickey O'Toole!" Seamus stuck his hand out of the window to shake the guard's hand. The guard, half startled, half bewildered shook the strange man's hand. Mickey O'Toole was one of Seamus's favorite covers. Tobias and Mac played the role of Mickey's associates as they sat next to him in the front of the van. Semaus had invested a great deal in the character of Mickey and often had fun with the outlandish behavior that the alias afforded him. Seamus even repaired A/C units around town to establish the cover. It was a legitimate business with all necessary business permits and even a tax return, making it much easier to infiltrate homes, offices or in this case, the Russell House Office Building on Capitol Hill.

The guard first scanned the other two men in the front seat and then looked back toward the bumper of the van with a habitual suspicion. The second guard had just finished his sweep of the van and gave a 'good-to-go' nod. The guard scrolled down his clipboard and located Mickey's A/C on the appointment sheet. What he did not know was that Charlie Dugard, the building's manager, did not call in the order. Mac cloned the caller ID and used his best smoker's voice to impersonate Mr. Dugard.

The guard eyed the bushy features of the driver and scanned over the van. Seamus's wide grin flashed down on the guard. He knew that random searches were often performed but hoped the guard would lack motivation to perform one this early in the morning. The guard stood a moment and allowed the suspicion in his gut to build.

"Alright, let's open the back up," he said slapping the side of the van. The bushy red head hopped out of the driver's seat and proceeded to the back of the van. Seamus looked at the guard.

"Are you sure that you want to do this?" The question caught the guard off and raised his alert level.

"Am I sure? Yes! I'm sure! Now open the van." A third guard approached with an M16. Seamus brushed his hair back with his hand and started laughing through a goofy smile. Together the three guards steadied themselves at the back door of the van. With a confirming nod to each other, he brought his hand up to the door handle and pulled.

The door swung open.

The opened door revealed the contents of the back of the van. Inside standard air conditioning supplies hung on a set of pegboards on the van's interior walls. Vacuum hoses, filters and basic repair tools were scattered about.

"I'm just playing with ya" Seamus cackled in character. The guard, confused and uncomfortable by Mickey's presence nodded him along with an attitude.