Agent of Influence — Marian Horton

Jonathan Schmidt and Alex Carmichael, through the Schmidt Foundation, conduct studies on evolutionary politics. In examining the issue of a rising Hispanic community, they stumble on evidence that Carl Peters, the senior aide of Democratic vice-presidential nominee Paul Montenegro may be a Russian imposter. Unwilling to disrupt the election, they initiate their own investigation. After reviewing Peters' personnel files, Alex begins a far-flung search into his background and becomes convinced the man is an illegal agent of long-standing.Alex and his colleague Nicole Granville follow various leads that steadily confirm their suspicions. Having decided Montenegro is not suspect and that the agenda of the agent is to establish soviet sympathizers in government positions that would enable them to influence policy, they decide not to inform the FBI until after the election. The Bureau chooses to continue the surveillance, allowing Peters to unwittingly pinpoint potential subversives.Confident their plans are well-designed, all parties involved in the undercover investigation are grievously stunned on Inauguration Day as they witness a deed of supreme perfidy, an indelible image that burdens them with a deep sense of guilt and fear that, in opting for containment, they could be held accountable for the unimagined consequences.