One thing that is very clear about Ben is that he doesn’t want to be involved in international espionage or domestic terrorism. He’s not employed by the CIA, FBI, or military and he doesn’t want to be. So, the premise was created based on what the situation would have to look like in order for him to get involved.
In The Hubley Case, Siebert was all over the map with regards to FBI and CIA jurisdiction. Can we expect more of the same in The Silent Cardinal?
Yes, in fact a bit more. In this story not only is there collaboration between the FBI and CIA, but when things turn very personal for Ben, he goes renegade for a while. This further blurs the lines because as the FBI tries to locate him, he is still in contact with his trusted CIA source to stop the threat.
