Above Top Secret

[Odinson]

It was in the later half of the year 2000 in Uppsala, Sweden. That evening the temperatures dipped down into the lower 50s and there was a cool, comfortable breeze throughout the ancient city. Downtown Uppsala was dominated by a large 15th century castle, and also Uppsala University which was at the heart of the city. The university was not only the oldest in Sweden but in all of Scandinavia - at 523 years old it had a longer continuous history than most countries did. Uppsala had the advantage of being its own city while not being far from the heart of Sweden, Stockholm. This, in part, made it convenient for Swedish government officials to visit when necessary. Tonight an event was being hosted by the university to discuss scientific innovations and technologies that would advance humanity and help lessen the strains that mankind put on the environment. One of the invited speakers was Michel Jakobsson, the "Under Secretary of Energy and the Environment for Development" for the Swedish government's Department of Energy and The Environment.

Caroline Eriksen was a 28 year old American woman from St. Cloud Minnesota. She was about five and a half feet tall, thin, had light blue eyes, long brunette hair, pale skin, and a light spatter of freckles on her face. That night, to fit with the formality of the event, she was wearing a dark blue dress. She walked across campus to the University Hall which was objectively an Architectual wonder. On the outside it was admirable, but on the inside it was like a palace. She briefly stopped when she walked in to admire the stone, columns, and archways before she remembered what she was doing. There were hundreds of other people in the building for the event that night. She scooted herself between well-dressed professors and graduate students until she made it to the main lecture hall where several professors and government officials spoke, including Under Secretary Jakobsson. She listened to him talk about the need for greater government funding of clean and renewable technologies and how Sweden had the potential to be a pioneer in the coming green revolution of the twenty-first century.

She was told that Under Secretary Jakobsson was married and had a family, but that he had a "soft spot" for young women. Caroline hoped that there wasn't any greater meaning to that description of him, but nevertheless she was going to try to use it to her advantage. She watched carefully as Jakobbson walked off of the stage and back down into the crowd. Another speaker from the government was introduced and started talking about the advances in wind turbines and solar energy. Caroline waited a few minutes and then got up from her seat. She walked to the back of the room and waited for the upcoming intermission. To her disdain, most of the professors and students stayed in the lecture hall. Many of them were trying to make small talk with some of the guest speakers, including Under Secretary Jakobsson. Caroline took in a deep breath, and small smile, and then exhaled. She walked down one of the isles of the massive lecture hall and approached one of the front rows where Jakobbson and some of the speakers had stepped down to appease the audience. A couple of the professors and bigger-name government officials were getting most of the limelight, but there were a few young men, probably graduate students, in suits talking to the Under Secretary in Swedish. He looked bored, which was perfect.

"Excuse me," Caroline said as she squeezed between two of the monstrously tall Swedish students. She moved a bit of brown hair out of her face and gave a warm smile to Jakobbson. "Hello, my name is Caroline Eriksen. I'm studying Earth Sciences here. The professor I'm working under is a specialist in hydrology and he's doing a research project on... well.." she looked at the male students on either side of her and then back at Jakobbson, "its not really something I'm suppose to talk about publicly, yet, but I thought I could pick your brain for a few minutes, until the speakers start again? We could walk outside to the promenade.. if that's okay?" Her Swedish was pretty good, but it was obvious that she wasn't a native speaker. It was pretty clear that she was probably either and American or a Canadian.

​

Outside of the main lecture hall, things were much more quiet. There were a few people milling about, but most of them seemed to be coming to and from the restroom. Caroline's bubbly personality and constant smiling was enough to make most men feel at ease, and to put their guard down. If Jakobbson agreed to go outside with her, she was walk with him onto the stone promenade and then lead him towards one of the back rooms that adjoined the lecture hall.

"I'm not actually doing undergraduate research right now," she said as they walked to a more secluded area. In this back room, which felt like a continuing liminal space of the promenade, she continued to talk. "Those guys seemed to really be talking your ear off and I thought you might want to take a break.. I am really interested in the Department of Energy and the Environment, though..."

Caroline held her hands in front of her innocently, "Is what you said during your talk true? Do you really think the government can help push forward technological innovations with clean energy and technologies? Sometimes it seems like people, even in the government, just want to keep things the way they are."

She kept her blue eyes fixed on Jakobbson's and seemed to be fascinated with ever pearl of wisdom that dripped from his lips. Meanwhile, she kept watching to make sure that they would stay alone.

Connor

 

[Connor]

Under Secretary Jakobsson would indeed be bored listening to the graduate students; as was often the case when the Under Secretary attended universities, guilds and organisations he would become hounded by senior students attempting to bag themselves some sort of career or perhaps even get their names known in the government arena... after all, the Department of Energy and the Environment was hardly making headline news on a daily basis but was almost certainly making real change to Sweden; something that would look great on their resume's. The Under Secretary himself was in a position where he sought to achieve bigger and better things within the government but found himself used as a scapegoat for these speeches and events he did not particularly care for, despite his passion for green energy and the environment. Nonetheless, throughout his passive engagement in conversation, his eyes would dart throughout the room and often ensuring he got a good look at the young females dotted through the event. Not so much to get caught, but enough to satisfy his curiosity.

Snapping him out of a semi-trance he would take a brief step back as Caroline battled her way between the grotesquely boring conversation, shaking his head almost to shake himself out of whatever daydream he were in. A blue-eyed brunette... he tried to control himself. Although realistically he expected Caroline to be the same as the rest of the students in the building, seeking a career within his department, he played along keen to see where he could drop the occasional flirty chat-up line into the conversation. "Ms. Erikson, a pleasure to meet you, of course please lead the way I'm happy to answer any questions you may have..." he replied inquisitively.

He'd noticed the slight accent to her voice but did not think much of it given the internationally accredited universities through Sweden often saw students from around the work; particularly at large events such as this.

"I certainly think the Department of Energy and the Environment is at the very forefront of technological innovation particularly in sciences which will see commodities we know and love change drastically over the next few years... and perhaps change the world in decades to come as the technologies develop even further than we could even imagine at the moment. We have a lot of work to do... and there's certainly hurdles to jump... but I am sure, one day, we will achieve some truly phenomenal things...- I am curious through, Ms. Eriksson, if you're not studying as you suggested earlier, why'd you ask?" he'd reply with the typical governmental response keen to keep the façade up through the event,

Odinson

 

[Odinson]

Caroline listened very carefully, perhaps almost intimately, as Under Secretary Jakobsson spoke. She listened to his question for a moment and said, "I'll tell you... But they aren't going to get started in there for another half hour.. I want to speak to you but maybe somewhere... more private?" she said as he looked into his eyes with a certain kind of feminine alure that can't really be described, but every man knows when he sees.

Caroline started walking back, past the marble pillars and deeper into the building. "This is the oldest building on campus, you know," she said as she guided him. She would occasionally be hidden by shadows as they get deeper into the building and encountered a greater lack of people until they were both certainly all alone. She led him into an old library. The door was locked, but she actually had a key to it. She unlocked and shoved it open - it gave a wicked creak. She turned on the lights, which were dim, and let the door close behind them.

"This is where the university keeps its historical records. Yearbooks, records of who has worked here and when, what students graduated what year and what they studied... I spent time here when I worked for an administrator. I spent a lot of time alone on here." She smiled and walked up to a large wooden table with a beautiful old finish on it. It faced right up against a bookshelf. She made a small jump backward and sat on the edge of the table, and suggestively crossed her legs in the most subtle way as she kept eye contact.

"There's something really special I discovered here... See that book up there? The big green one? It's some ancient tome on 18th century Swedish tax law in Lappland. Pull it out for me," she said. If he followed her instructions the book wouldn't come out of the wall. Instead, when he tried to pull it, it would come forward a certain amount and then stop. Something in the wall clicked, and the entire section of the bookcase swung inward into a dimly lit room with lightbulbs that looked like they came from the second world war.

Without saying anything she hopped off of the table and brushed the front of his body as she walked by him. She walked in through the secret entrance and then made a sharp turn left. Just before she made the turn, she looked back at him. Her eyes darted down to his feet and then back up to his eyes, and she made a small smile and kept walking out of his view. If he followed the bookshelf would immediately close behind him and there was no clear way to reopen it. Once he gave up with that and rounded the corner she would be standing there, holding a flashlight and shining it down the path ahead of them.

"Under Secretary Jakobsson, my name is Caroline Eriksen. I am an operative with the United States Central Intelligence Agency - you are not in any danger. The United States needs Sweden's help, we need your help, for a very urgent matter. It is so sensitive that we couldn't give your government this message through normal diplomatic channels - what my government wants our countries to work together on will change the world. I cannot tell you what it is - I have to take you to America and show it to you... We think that you're our only hope to convince your government. Please, come with me, and we'll have you returned home by Friday. If you don't want come, you can continue down this path and you'll find your way out...."

Caroline gently took one of his hands with both of hers and looked up at him, "Please, agree to come with me."

Connor

 

[Connor]

The Under Secretary was becoming increasing concerned by this almost unhinged personality presenting infant of him which was almost akin to that of some sort of schizophrenic breakdown or a representation of some sort of drug-induced hallucination. Despite his concerns, and his distinct lack of personal security, he followed Caroline deeper and deeper into the building as he become further intrigued by the subject of conversation. It wasn't often that the Under Secretary found himself involved in this kind of mysterious conversation within his somewhat mundane remit of professional responsibility.

As they walk through the building he would maintain a professional posture, despite his obvious interests in Caroline and her allure which only begged his eyes to follow her through the corridors. As she spoke about the architecture he desperately tried to remain focussed despite the fact that all these historical buildings merged into one within his mind, speeches upon speeches and visits upon visits often deafened and blinded him to what was beautiful on the sites he attended. "I do find this building rather magnificent, the older designs allow your eyes to follow the details for hours..." he said, attempting to display an ounce of concentration whilst he continued his anxiety driven march to the unknown. As they enter the old library he would glance around the reams of books and absorb the smell of old musty papers - the door closing behind him being the old sharp noise to grab his attention back to reality, darting his eyes backwards to observe where it had come from.

The Under Secretary kept his eyes on Caroline for a few seconds before reaching up to the green book, gripping it by the spine and peering back as he pulled "this one?" he muttered inquisitively as the shelving began to move. His gaze immediately diverted to observe Caroline walking into this dingy entryway.

"Central Intelligence Age...- what?" by this point his concerns were almost becoming a reality, how had he allowed himself to be lead by this stranger into this nightmare scenario where he felt as though he was being held hostage, despite the lack of restraint. "What do you mean Central Intelligence Agency? and what the hell brings you to me? How can I help the United States and Sweden work together?" he couldn't believe what he was hearing, considering himself a junior in the cabinet - an almost token piece to tick a party agenda. He looked Carline up and down, still utterly confused. "Do you have some sort of identification? I don't even know you let alone agree to go to America with you!". He took a brief pause to withdraw his phone from his suit jacket pocket, noting the time as well as the distinct lack of service. He couldn't contact anyone even if he wanted to.

Odinson

 

[Odinson]

Caroline let go of his hand and sighed. She opened her pearl-snap purse and forced open a false-cover on one of the sides, which revealed a plastic encased identity card. It had her picture as well as her name and a load of other information. At the top was the seal of the Department of State. "We don't carry around cards that say, 'I work for the CIA' when we're in other countries," she said as she showed it to him. She had chosen this location to tell him because he was a somewhat captive audience, though she did give him an option to leave, and also the walls were lined with thick stone.

"Mister Jakobsson, we couldn't go to the Secretary or the Deputy Secretary because of their security and how much attention it could cause for them to not be here for a few days. You have a low enough profile that you can do it. We're not asking you to do anything wrong, we're not asking you to betray your country or hurt your country or do something that will only help us. What we want you to do is to come see what we are working on, then we will take you back here and you can talk to Secretary Lövin about it if you approve... If it makes you feel better, if you come with me, I'll let you talk to someone from our embassy in Stockholm so you know I'm legitimate. Okay?"

She could see that what she was saying was not totally convincing to him. She was getting frustrated, so she started speaking English. "Do you want to keep giving fifteen-minute speeches at universities or do you actually want to help make a damn difference for your country, and the world?.... I can't tell you what it is, not here.... All I can say is... it has to do with hydrogen." She stopped herself and swallowed. She had just said too much. If this didn't work she could be kicked out of the agency, or worse she could imprisoned and possibly even given the death penalty for giving top secret information to a foreign government.

Connor

 

[Connor]

He stared intently at her identification card. Perhaps longer than usual as he reminded himself of his stupidity as she explains her lack of specific CIA identification, but nonetheless reassuring himself that she were in fact genuine - and her story slowly starting to relax the anxiety driven pressure he felt on his chest. He nods to give some external validation to Caroline. "Okay... I believe you. But yes, I would feel much better if I could speak to someone from your embassy. I've met a lot of weird people in my career, Ms. Erikson, and I've been in a lot of weird situations. But this takes the cake." by this point the Under Secretary would unbutton his jacket to allow some air circulation through to his body.

"I will got to the US with you, but I'm going to have to tell my family... and my assistant... or at least give them some sort of excuse why I am disappearing for a while." as he said this a reel of scenarios would run through his mind alongside an overwhelming number of excuses - some were excuses he had used previously when business meetings had ended in a cheap budget hotel somewhere in a distance city or town... often when too close with associates he had met on the evening. "I don't have my passport with me, or a change of clothes. How am I supposed to arrange all of this off the cuff?"

Despite the frantic appearance the Under Secretary promoted externally, he could not shake the feeling of being important... chosen. This could even be an opportunity for him to climb the ladder within the party.

Odinson

 

[Odinson]

"We have planned all of this out, Mister Under Secretary. All you have to do is stick with me and do what I say, and we will get you to America with no problem, okay?" she said. Even though she was about ten years younger than him she could see he probably had never done anything quite like this before. In reality, that was a good sign. It meant that he hadn't been corrupted by another government and that the CIA's intelligence that he had never worked for a Swedish agency or the military was correct. On the bright side it meant that he would be easy to handle, but on the dull side it meant that it might take a lot of hand holding to get him through this - that's part of the reason Caroline herself was chosen for this mission.

"First we have to get you out of here, then we'll start making phone calls. You were only scheduled for one speaking slot here, so the only person that will miss you tonight is your driver since you didn't come with security," she said. "Follow me."

There were multiple different hallways in the labyrinth that was down there, but she knew exactly where to go. These old halls had once served as a mix of utility corridors and purposely made hidden passages for VIPs to get through the building when large events would happen. Now they were long forgotten and only used by a secret society of students at the university - it was really just a drinking club with secret handshakes. As they walked through the narrow hallways they would occasionally pass a certain blue rune carved into the wall that was the symbol of the organization. When Caroline saw it again, she quickly turned right. They were now in a room with a comfortable sofa, a TV, a billiards table (it's not clear how this was even brought down here), a few bookshelves, some desks, and a few more pieces of lounge furniture.

Caroline knelt down next to one of the desks and reached under it. She pulled out a bag which contained a fedora and a long overcoat. "Give me your tie," she said. Before she gave him a chance to take it off she was standing right in front of him, untying it herself. She took it from him and put it in the bag, and then gave him the overcoat and hat. "Put this on, and then we can go."

After he complied she led him down a series of winding stairs. It connected to an old, damp, muggy stone tunnel. They walked a few hundred feet until they made it to a door. Caroline struggled a bit, but she was able to force it open, and then close it behind them. They were now in the basement of a building somewhere in downtown Uppsala. They walked upstairs and made their way into what use to be an apartment building. Now it was a temporary CIA safehouse. Waiting inside was a young man, early thirties, who was dressed like a businessman. He had a fair complexion and blonde hair. He stood up.

"Are we... good to go?" the young man said. He saw that neither of them looked like they had gotten in a fight, and Caroline didn't look like she had to bribe him with sex, so they appeared to be on the right track so far.
"Yes, we are... Under Secretary Jakobsson, this is Stephen Fischer. He also.... works for the State Department. Stephen, this is Under Secretary Jakobsson." Stephen offered to shake Jakobsson's hand and said, "That's the last time anyone will address you with that name, or that title, until we get to the United States. From this point forward, your name is Donald Becker. You're an American citizen, born in Willmar, Minnesota. You aren't married. You're here on business for the telecommunications company, AT&T," he said. Fischer continued to explain Jakobsson's new identity to him as he started handing him documents.

First, he gave him an American passport that had his new identity, as well as a Minnesota driver's license, a social security card, and a briefcase containing sales brochures and information about AT&T. Caroline took Jakobsson's real identification and explained to him that he couldn't have both on his person at the same time.

"We have a disguise for you to wear," Caroline said, "but first we need you to call your driver, then you need to call your wife. Unless you can think of a better excuse, we think that you should tell your driver that you're spending the night with a 'friend' and that you'll find your own way back to Stockholm in the morning. Tell your wife that something came up and you're going to be spending a few days here in Uppsala... Does that all sound believable to you?"

Caroline placed an American cellular phone in front of Jakobsson. The phone was spoofed so that if anyone tried to check the number that had called, it would look like it had come from the university.

Connor

 

[Connor]

The Under Secretary just nods whilst he was invested deeply in his inner thoughts of total panic; not only was he in one of the most absurd situations of his life, he wasn't sure whether he should be contacting the Prime Minister for advice or perhaps even the National Security Office - "Is this treason? Why me? Am I about to be a hostage-... killed?" play on repeat through his mind. Looking up at Caroline for a split second as he dug into the buttonhole to open the front of his blazer and he become unbearably hot in the stuffy corridor and without saying a word he follows her through to the labyrinth into the must cosier comfortable room where he found himself darting his eyes around the room. All the times the Under Secretary had been shuttled into buildings through fire exits, kitchens and secure routes, he had never found himself working his way through such a sophisticated maze nor did he even know such a thing existed. It made him feel important, despite the overwhelmingly intruding anxiety driven thoughts of imminent death. He was too scared to change his mind, not that he let that show.

As Caroline approached for the tie his chin would almost melt into his neck as he desperately tried to watch what she was doing whilst keeping his face from being too close to hers; not his most flattering angle but his appearance was the last of his concerns at the moment. "Okay..." he replied, as she shakes his arms free from the blazer he'd been wearing all night and unbuttoned the top of his shirt sequentially before pulling the overcoat over his shoulders, the hat atop of his head too. Again, the Under Secretary followed without even a word of questioning as they worked their way down the stairway into the tunnel and through to the apartment.

His concerns were met as the man came into full view - he wasn't even going to make it to the United States - being held hostage in Sweden was hardly an extravagant plan but perhaps he'd be found much faster if he were in his home country. Taking Stephens hand, he shakes it in a firm but hesitant manner, looking to Caroline for reassurance "You two work together... in the 'State Department'?"

It was happening, the Under Secretary felt as if he were part of some sort of blockbuster rather than this strange secret assignment he had found himself apart of. "Willmar, Minnesota, okay." he repeated before echoing "AT&T". He'd shuffle through the passport, driver's licence and social security card double checking they all matches one another, despite the obviousness of the Central Intelligence Agency having already done so. "But what about my accent? Won't it be obvious I'm not who I say I am?" the question spills from his mouth as Caroline begins talking afterwards, almost making his question irrelevant as the subject changed to his disguise and his family...- oh fuck, his family.

He nods as Caroline talks, using the phone to dial his drivers number.

"Elias, it's me Michel." ... "Yes, I'm going to stay up here for the evening and will travel back to Stockholm tomorrow, I'll meet you back at the office" ... "No, no there's no need, honestly, I'll see you at the office, I'll be alright - I've just met an old friend" ... "Alright, good night."

He'd hang the phone up, his hand now visibly shaking with nerves as he began to dial the home landline number and pushed the phone back to his ear.

After a few moments an audible beep would've been heard by both Caroline and Stephen as the Under Secretary had already listened to the answerphone introduction and had been prompted to leave a message: "Hello my love, I'm going to be a bit longer up here than I expected, there's some sort of conference over the next few days which I need to attend for the department. I'll be home as soon as I can... love you. Goodnight." he said before again ending the call.

His gaze returns back to the two agents, holding the phone out infant of him without a word leaving his lips... the adrenaline leaving his body through his verbal absence.

"Now what?" he asks abruptly.

Odinson