"Zea’s first job at eBay was intelligence operator. In a windowless room at corporate headquarters in San Jose, she watched closed-circuit cameras and helped people who were locked out of their offices."
"Zea (pronounced ZAY) was 23, with no special skills, but she worked hard. Soon she was promoted to #intelligence #analyst, charged with staying ahead of #geopolitical and individual threats."
"Her division, Global Security and Resiliency, consisted of dozens of people, including retired police captains and former security consultants. But it was surprisingly intimate. & #39;We’re a family,& #39; James Baugh, the boss, and Stephanie Popp, her immediate supervisor, would say..."
"Baugh was a stocky, middle-aged guy with thinning hair, who loved to talk and did not like to be questioned. He would often say he used to work for the #CIA. Sometimes he said his wife was working for the CIA right now..."
"Once, he found a knife on a barbecue grill on campus. A deranged person could have used it to hurt someone, he told the analysts, and proceeded to stab a chair. It was never removed, a warning for the timid. (Through his lawyer, Baugh declined to comment.)"
"[former #CIA] Baugh would bring the [ #Ebay] analysts into a conference room and show the scene from & #39; #AmericanGangster& #39; where Denzel Washington coolly executes a man in front of a crowd to make a point."
"Or [ #Ebay analysts would watch] a clip from & #39;The Wolf of Wall Street,& #39; where the feds are investigating shady deeds but none of the perpetrators can recall a thing. Or the bit from & #39;Meet the Fockers& #39; about a retired #CIA agent’s & #39; #circleoftrust.& #39;"
“& #39;No one is supposed to know this,& #39; [former #CIA turned #Ebay "analyst"] Baugh would tell the analysts about some piece of office gossip. & #39;We’ll keep it in the circle of trust.& #39;”
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