Preface-
I learned very quickly when I joined the FBI that real life is far more chaotic and crazy than anything ever devised by the minds of authors and scriptwriters who never experienced the world their works inhabit.
I was fortunate to join the FBI at a time when the world was changing. Among my caseload were white-collar crimes, crimes against children, and counterintelligence. I was also one of the first “cyber” agents focusing on international hackers and serving as one of the first online covert employees. That work and a series of unprecedented events thrust me into Counterterrorism work where again I served as an online covert employee communicating with radicals and others who would harm innocents around the world.
Don’t get me wrong, there were many others in my shoes. “One of the first” does not mean “the only.” But being one of the first has been categorized by some as being pioneers. Though “cyber Pioneer” is a very cool title it just means you, like every other pioneer, are the first to get arrows in your back. You are part of doing something new. Most don't like the “new”, in fact, they often violently oppose it, especially in the government. But others embrace it and their willingness to try something new has a way of changing the world.
To that point, the tale you are about to read is based on a true story. Most if not all of the events occurred to me personally though names, dates, and locations have been changed to protect the innocent and the not-so-innocent.
Please know, I am not Xavier Decklin. He is better than and worse than me in so many ways. Further, this is not a biography or a memoir, it is a work of fiction. Determining what parts are fiction and which are real, will undoubtedly cause some debate but in the end what you, as the reader, believe is your decision.
Chapter 1 New Handler
It was almost comical to watch the frustration build on the man’s face. For about 30 minutes he had been asking me questions and making assertions that I continued to deny.
“Special Agent Decklin" is what he would continuously call me.
I was a special agent with the FBI for 8 years but that was 14 years ago and as much as I appreciated the honorific, it's not who I am anymore. My name is Xavier Decklin and as I said I was an FBI agent specializing in Cybercrime, Counterterrorism, CounterIntelligence, and Fraud, among other things. I'm married with 3 nearly grown kids, meaning they are still teenagers. Since leaving the FBI, note I said leaving, I did not say retiring, I have been employed as a Cyber and Physical Security professional for several companies around the world.
The man asking the questions is Special Agent Steve Mahen. He did not tell me what agency he was within so Im not sure if he is FBI. He is joined in the room by Special Agent Christina Peterson and Special Agent Nathan Morph. Agent Peterson, Christina, I'm going to call her Christina from here out is FBI. She showed me her credentials when I arrived for the meeting. I think she is finding Mahen’s frustration as funny as I am.
We are sitting in an "offsite" associated with the FBI office in Los Angeles off Wilshire Boulevard near the I-405 freeway. It's a swanky office building all glass and steel. The conference room we sit in has a nice modern-looking table with really, really comfortable leather chairs. The chairs were the first indication that this was a meeting and not a questioning or interrogation. You don't use comfy chairs for interrogations. You use chairs that make the subject, what the FBI calls the targets of investigations, uncomfortable, sometimes with one leg shorter than the other. You do this to keep them unsettled.
Anyways, the office or conference room or meeting space, whatever they call it, is very nice. There is even a drink cart with all types of sodas, water, and coffee. They even have 2 types of sparkling water. I never got into that stuff it's always salty and having lived in Europe where they ask if you want water with or without gas always messed with me.
The tray also has some pastries, bagels, and snacks on it.
This is also a sign that this meeting is going to take a while and not just the 1 hour they requested when they emailed me asking to meet. Actually, I'm not sure if it was set for only an hour. I'll have to check later.
The meeting invite referenced an old case of mine with the Bureau. That's what FBI agents call the FBI. It's either the Bureau or the Bu, just like the CIA is the Agency and the Secret Service is the Service. Homeland Security kind of got screwed in the nicknames, they just go by Homeland.
Since I know the case is still active and there have been occasions when one agent or another will ask me about some old aspect of the case, I agreed to the meeting.
So here we are in this nice meeting room, with drinks and snacks and comfy chairs, and Agent Mahen slowly losing his cool.
“Agent Decklin, I am staring at a huge stack of files going back over 20 years which I have been told are yours," Mahen says. “These files detail intelligence and other operations around the world including AntCity and Cardkeeper. I have been told you are the case agent on all these files.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
“Agent Mahen with all due respect, I have been out of the FBI for 14 years. Those operations you reference were cases I worked on 14 years ago. Though I know Cardkeeper is still active, I'm not the case agent on any of them. I'm, not an FBI agent anymore. And if you are telling me I am, how do I go about getting back pay because the FBI owes me some serious money?”
“Are you saying you have nothing to do with these cases?” Mahen barked while turning to the other agents and says, "what are we doing here?"
Christina started to answer with "He needs the code…."
But Mahen cut her off saying we are done here and started packing up his paperwork and files.
With that, I start to leave but just then Christina called out, "What's your name?”
I turn and respond “Xavier Decklin, what’s your name?” Christina looks at the file in front of her reading something then responds "E.J."
E.J. huh? How do you spell that?
She responds “E 5 J but the 5 is silent” then looking back at her file and flipping a few pages she says, “This is Buford and we call him Parsnip” while pointing at Morph and then Mahen.
Being called parsnip seems to roil Mahen even more as he says, “What are you talking about? What’s all that BS? Who’s Buford and parsnip?”
But before anyone can answer, I walk back into the room extending my hand and reintroducing myself say "Xavier Decklin, Special Advisor to Cyber Command, pleasure to meet you all. Am I to assume from the use of the intro code phrase that Im being re-assigned? And if so why are we meeting like this? This is not standard protocol."
Mahen, looks dumbfounded. But Christina chimes up, “Sorry about all this. And no you are not being re-assigned. Didn’t you get the end notice? Operation AntCity is being terminated.”
She then turns to Mahen, “I tried to tell you there were protocols for calling him in. You think a guy who spends 10 years in deepcover is just going to walk in and start answering some questions for a bunch of people claiming they are with the government?"
Im seeing a new side of Christina. She reminds me of my daughter; spunky, smart, and direct. She also looks a little familiar. I'll have to ask her about that later.
“Maybe we should start again,” I say. “As I just stated Im Xavier Decklin, I work with the folks at Cyber Command. Who are all of you? No, wait I'll guess. “
“Christina, you are with the Intel Community Im betting and if you have this gig you're in Cyber and Intelligence. I’m guessing you are my new handler.”
“Agent Morph, Buford, you haven't said much since we met. You are one of those guys that just blend in to the surrounding and listen aren't you. But I bet when you cut loose look out. No belt or shoulder holster, no smart watch so no easy tracking, slight bulge at the ankle, guessing a Glock 26 or 27. Im declaring you part of the Intel community as well; the Department of National Intelligence liaison from the Agency.”
“Parsnip, I mean Agent Mahen. Im guessing you are not an agent for any branch of the government and you clearly have limited trade craft skills. By the way not smart talking about international operations for the USG without first confirming who you’re talking with and their level of access. Im betting DOJ lawyer, probably CCISPs.”
“Am I right?”
Mahen is enraged again. I laugh a little.
Morph jumps in, “Nathan Morph, DNI special advisor, sort of like you. Pleasure to properly meet you Idolin.”
I have to laugh at that because Idolin is my online handle but no one calls me that. And uniquely it's not a secret. I have given many presentations in the time since leaving the FBI where I have outed myself as Idolin. And when I say a number Im talking like 1000.
“Nice to meet you, Nathan. Is it ok if I call you Nathan or Nate or Buford? “
Nates fine. “What’s with the Buford?”
“Sorry, that's part of the identification code that must be stated before I let down my persona. As is the E5J and the parsnip. Challenge response type without me issuing a challenge. And honestly only a very select group knows about asking the name and rolling Buford and Parsnip into the next 2 sentences. It's a precaution. If Christina hadn't provided it correctly, I would have walked out and gone dark for 6 months.”
“But back to why I'm here. You’re finally pulling the plug on AntCity huh? Seems reasonable.”
“Didn’t you get the notification?” Christina asks
“Yes, I got the notice about my social media accounts having been under a national security letter as per the protocols but then nothing for several months. Also, I was contacted by some of the subjects of my assignments out of the blue after that so my guard went up.”
“We need to talk about that as well,” Christina said. “But before we can get there, the DoJ wants a deep dive into AntCity, what you have been doing, and who has been instructing you. Mr. Mahen is in fact with the DoJ Office of Inspector General. They are conducting the review. Nathan and I are here in part as your handlers, in part as scribes, and in part as observers. “
“And before you say it, I have read your full file.” She says while glancing at Mahen. “I know you and the OIG have a history but that was years ago and hopefully, we can move past it.”
“Before I answer any questions I have a few of mine own, mostly for Mahen, then Ill decide if I want to comply.”
Mahen snorts while saying, “You don’t have a choice of whether or not to comply”
“Ohhh yes I do,” I reply. “I have spent the last decade lying to almost everyone and Im real good at it. Even my wife and kids have no idea Idolin has been active or that this assignment has guided our life. You’d have no idea if I was telling the truth or blowing smoke. Plus what are you going to do, claim Im a criminal and have me arrested? Been there sir. Try it again and risk the wraith of everything being public.”
Also, comments like that make me not want to talk with you at all. Im still here because like I said it has been 10 years of lies. Im ready to get out if the circumstances are right. So here’s my first question
How long have you been with the DoJ and what offices did you work in?
Mahen looked to Nathan and Christina and with a sigh answered my questions.
He has been with the DoJ for 9 years. 7 years as an Assistant United States Attorney in Miami and Chicago before joining DoJ Main in DC.
He explained, he was with the Criminal division prosecuting fraud and internet scam cases but also handled some crimes against children cases. He has had at least 8 cases with cooperating witnesses and confidential informants. In one of those the CI jammed up the case a bit but he was still able to get a conviction. He too is a Dad and the son of a service man. He likes football over baseball and is a huge Olympics fan.
“Ok Steve, final question. Did you ever apply to the FBI?”
Mahen pauses and then responds “No”
“Why are you lying Steve? You lie and I go back to calling you Parsnip. And before you say anything, the pause in your response plus the eye roll up to the left says your lying, followed by the look up to the right tells even more.”
“You applied and didn’t get accepted did you?”
Mahen stares straight at me this time. “Yes I applied, no I didn’t get accepted.”
“Make or break time. Why didn’t you get accepted?” I ask
“My background check revealed a family issue I didn’t know about. By the time I appealed and got it cleared up, my wife and I decided being an AUSA was a better route especially with kids”
“So you did get accepted, you just decided not to join up. I can respect that completely.” I say.
“At least you’re not one of those failed FBI candidates who joined the OIG and get excited at the opportunity to take down an agent because you see them as some cool club you weren’t allowed to join.
Ok enough on the introductions. Lets get on with the debrief. It appears you have questions that are not answered by my file so what do you need to know.”