292 Ken FoIku
said. "If Paul and I weren't here, none of you would be in any danger-you
could just wait here until flights out resume. Maybe Paul and I should throw
ourselves on the mercy of the U. S. Embassy. I I
Simons said: "And what if you two get out, then Dadgar decides to take
other hostages?"
Anyway, Coburn thought, Simons won't let these two out of his sight now,
not until they're back in the U.S.A.
The bell at the street gate rang, and everybody froze.
"Move into the bedrooms, but quietly," Simons said.
Coburn went to the window. The landlady still thought there were only two
people living here, Coburn and Poch6---she had never seen Simons--and
neither she nor anyone else was supposed to know that there were now eleven
people in the house.
As Coburn watched, she walked across the courtyard and opened the gate. She
stood there for a few minutes, talking to someone Cobum could not see, then
closed the gate and carne back alone.
When he heard her door slam shut upstairs, he called: "False alarm. I I
They all prepared for the journey by looting the Dvoranchik place for warm
clothes. Paul thought: Toni Dvoranchik would die of ernbarTassment if she
knew about all these men going through her drawers. They ended up with a
peculiar assortment of ifl-fitting hats, coats, and sweaters.
After that they had nothing to do but wait: wait for Majid to find another
Range Rover, wait for Cathy to get better, and wait for Perot to get the
Turkish Rescue Team organized.
They watched some old football games on a Betamax video. Paul played gin
with Gayden. The dog got on everyone's nerves, but Cobum decided not to
slit its throat until the last minute, in cast there was a change of plan
and it could be saved. John Howell read The Deep by Peter Benchley: he had
seen part of the movie on the flight over and had missed the ending because
the
pi Ibe orevie finished, and he had never
figured
f
otn= I gCZ Z
d e ys and who were the bad guys. Simons said: "Those who wish to
drink can do so, but if we have to move fast we'll be much better
without any alcohol in our systems," but despite the waniing both
Gayden and Gallagher surreptitiously mixed Drambuie with their coffee.
The bell rang once more, and they all went through the same routine,
but again it was for the landlady.
ON WINGS OF EAGLES 293
They were all remarkably good-tempered, considering how many of them were
crammed into the living room and three bedrooms of the place. The only one
to get imtable was-predictably-Keane Taylor. He and Paul cooked a big
dinner for everyone, almost emptying the freezer; but by the time Taylor
came in from the kitchen, the others had eaten every scrap and there was
nothing for him. He cursed them all roundly for a bunch of greedy hogs, and
they all laughed, the way they always did when Taylor got mad.
During the night he got mad again. He was sleeping on the floor next to
Coburn, and Coburn snored. The noise was so awful that Taylor could not get
to sleep. He could not even wake Coburn to tell him to stop snoring, and
that made him even madder.
It was snowing in Washington that night. Ross Perot was tired and tense.
With Mitch Hart, he had spent most of the day in a last-ditch effort to
persuade the governinent to fly his people out of Tehran. He had seen
Undersecretary David Newsom at the State Department, Thomas V. Beard at the
White House, and Mark Ginsberg, a young Carter aide whose job was liaison
between the White House and the State Department. They were doing their
best to arrange to fly the remaining one thousand Americans out of Tehran,
and they were not about to make special plans fbr Ross Perot.
Resigned to going to Turkey, Perot went to a sporting-goods store and
bought himself cold-weather clothes. The leased 707 arrived from Dallas,
and Pat Sculley called from Dulles Airport to say that some mechanical
problems had surfaced dunng the flight: the transponder and the inertial
navigation system did not work properly, the Number I engine was using oil
at twice the normal rate, there was insufficient oxygen aboard for cabin
use, there were no spare tires, and the water-tank valves were ftozen
solid.
While mechanics worked on the plane, Perot sat in the Madison Hotel with
Mort Meyerson, a vice-president of EDS.
At EDS there was a special group of Perot associates, men such as T. J.
Marquez and Merv Stauffer, to whom he turned for help with matters that
were not part of the day-to-day business of computer software: schemes like
the prisoners-of-war campaign, the Texas War on Drugs, and the rescue of
Paul and Bill.
294 Ken Folleu
Although Meyerson did not get involved in Perot,s special projects, he was
fully informed about the rescue plan and had given it his blessing: he knew
Paul and Bill well, having worked alongside them in earlier years as a
systems engineer. For business matters he was Perot's top man, and he would
soon become president of EDS. (Perot would continue to be chairman of the
board.)
Now Perot and Meyerson talked business, reviewing each of EDS's current
projects and problems. Both knew, though neither said, that the reason for
the conference was that Perot might never come back from Turkey.
In some ways the two men were as different as chalk and cheese. Meyerson's
grandfather was a Russian Jew who had saved for two years to buy his rail
ticket from New York to Texas. Meyerson's interests ranged from athletics
to the arts: he played handball, was involved with the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra and was himself a good pianist. Making fun of Perot and his
"eagles, " Meyerson called hisown close colleagues "Meyerson's toads. " But
in many ways he was like Perot, a creative and daring businessman whose
bold ideas often scared more conventional executives in EDS. Perot had
given instructions that, if something were to happen to him during the
rescue, all his stock would be voted by Meyerson. EDS would continue to be
run by a leader, not a bureaucrat.
While Perot discussed business and worried about the plane and fumed
against the State Department, his deepest concern was for his mother. Lulu
May Perot was sinking fast, and Perot wanted to be with her. If she were to
die while he was in Turkey, he would never see her again, and that would
break his heart.
Meyerson knew what was on his mind. He broke off the business talk to say:
"Ross, why don't I go?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why don't I go to Turkey instead of you? You've done your share.-you went
to Iran. There's nothing you can do that I can't do in Turkey. And you want
to stay with your mother."
Perot was touched. Mort didn't have to say that, he thought. "If you're
willing. . . " He was tempted. "That's something I'd sure want to think
about. Let me think about it. "
He was not sure he had the right to let Meyerson do this instead of him.
"Let's see what the others think." He picked up
the phone, called Dallas,
and reached T. J. Marquez. "Mort's
ON WINGS OF EAGLES 295
offered to- go to Turkey instead of me," he told T.J. "'Arhatt 8 your
reaction to that?"
"It's the worst idea in the world," T.J. said. "You've been close to this
project from the start, and you couldn't possibly tell Mort everything he
needs to know in a few hours. You know Simons, you know how his mind
works-Mort doesn't. Plus, Simons doesn't know Mort--and you're aware of how
Simons feels about trusting people he doesn't know. Well, he won't trust
diem, that's how he feels."
"You're right," Perot said. "It's not for consideration."
He hung up. "Mort, I sure appreciate your offer, but I'm going to Turkey."
"Whatever you say."
A few minutes later Meyerson left, to return to Dallas in the chartered
Lear jet. Perot called EDS again and spoke to Merv Stauffer. "Now, I want
you guys to work in shifts and get some sleep," Perot said. "I don't want
to be talking to a bunch of zombies back there.
"Yes, sir!"
Perot took his own advice and got some sleep.
The phone woke him at two A.M. It was Pat Sculley, calling from the
airport: the plane's mechanical problems were fixed.
Perot got a cab to Dulles Airport. It was a hair-raising thirtymile ride on
icy roads.
The Turkish Rescue Team was now together: Perot; Pat Sculley and Jim
Schwebac"e deadly duo; young Ron Davis; the crew of the 707; and the two
extra pilots, Dick Douglas and Julian "Scratch" Kanauch. But the plane was
not mended. It needed a spare part that was not available in Washington.
Gary Femandes-the EDS manager who had worked on the leasing contract for
the plan"ad a friend who was in charge of ground support for one of the
airlines at New York's LaGuardia Airport: he called the friend, and the
friend got out of bed, found the part, and put it on a plane for
Washington. Meanwhile, Perot lay down on a bench in the terminal and slept
for a couple mom hours.
They boarded at Six A.M. Perot looked around the interior of the aircraft
in amazement. It had a bedroom with a king-size bed, three bars, a
sophisticated hi-fi system, a television, and an office with a phone. Them
were plush carpets, suede upholstery, and velvet walls. "It looks like a
Persian whorchouse," said Perot, although he had never seen a Persian
whorehouse.
296 Ken FoUett
The plane took off. Dick Douglas and Scratch Kanauch immediately curled up
and went to sleep. Perot tried to follow their example: he had sixteen
hours of nothing to do in front of him. As the plane headed out across the
Atlantic Ocean, he wondered again whether he was doing the right thing.
He might, after all, have left Paul and Bill to take their chances in
Tehran. Nobody would have blamed him: it was the government's job to rescue
diem. Indeed, the Embassy might even now be able to get them out unharmed.
On the other hand, Dadgar might pick them up and throw them in jail for
twenty years-and the Embassy, on past performance, might not protect them.
And what would the revolutionaries do if they got hold of Paul and Bill?
Lynch them?
No, Perot could not leave his men to take their chance"t was not his way.
Paul and Bill were his responsibility-he did not need his mother to tell
him that. The trouble was that he was now putting more men at risk. Instead
of having two people hiding in Tehran, he would now have eleven employees
on the run in the wilds of northwest Iran, and another four, plus two
pilots, searching for diem. If things went wrong-ff someone got kdkd-the
world would see this whole thing as a foolhardy adventure by a man who
thought he was still living in the Wild West. He could imagine the
newspaper headlines: NmuoNAIRE TEXWS HLAN RESCUE BID 13NDS IN DEATH ...
Suppose we lose Coburn, he thought; what would I tell his wife? Liz might
find it hard to understand why I staked the lives of seventeen men to gain
the freedom of two.
He had never broken the law in his life, and now he was involved in so many
major illegal activities he could not count diem.
He put all that out of his mind. The decision was made. If you go through
fife thinking about all the bad things that can happen, you soon talk
yourself into doing nothing at all. Concentrate on the problems that can be
solved. The chips are on the table and the wheel is in spin. The last game
has begun.
ON WINGS OF EAGLES 297
On Tuesday the U.S. Embassy announced that evacuation flights fbr all
Americans in Tehran would leave during the coming weekend.
Simons got Coburn and Pochd in one of the bedrooms of the Dvoranchik place
and closed the door. "This solves some of our problems," he said. "I want
to split them up at this point in the game. Some can take the Embassy
evacuation flight, leaving a manageable group for the overland trip."
Coburn and Pochd agreed.
"Obviously, Paul and Bill have to go overland," Simons said. "Two of us
three have to go with them: one to escort them across the mountains and the
other to cross the border legitimately and meet up with Boulware. We'll
need an Iranian driver for each of the two Range Rovers. That leaves us two
spare seats. Who takes them? Not Cathy--she'll be much better off on the
Embassy flight."
"Rich will want to go with her," said Coburn.
"And that fucking dog," Simons added.
Bufly's life is saved, Coburn thought. He was rather glad.
Simons said: "There's Keane Taylor, John Howell , Bob Yourig, and Bill
Gayden. Here's the problem: Dadgar might pick people up at the airport, and
we'll end up back where we started--with EDS men in jail. Who is at most
risk?"
"Gayden," said Cobm. "He's president of EDS World. As a hostage, he'd be
better than Paul and Bill. In fact, when Dadgar arrested Bill Gaylord, we
wondered whether it was a mistake, and he really wanted Bill Gayden, but
got confused becaose of the similarity of the names."
"Gayden comes out overland with Paul and Bill, then."
"John Howell is not even employed by EDS. And he's a lawyer. He should be
all right."
"Howell goes out by air."
"Bob Young is employed by EDS in Kuwait, not Iran. If Dadgar has a list of
EDS names, Young won't be on it."
"Young flies. Taylor drives. Now, one of us has to go on the evacuation
flight with the Clean Tearn. Joe, that's you. You've
298 Ken Folleu
kept a lower profile, than Jay. He's been on the streets, at meetings at the
Hyatt-whereas nobody knows you're here."
'Okay," said Poch6.
"So the Clean Team is the Gallaghers, Bob Young, and John Howell, led by
Joe. The Dirty Team is me, Jay, Keane Taylor, Bill Gayden, Paul, Bill, and
two Iranian drivers. Let's go tell em. I I
They went into the living room and everyone sat down. As Simons talked,
Coburn admired how he announced his decision in such a way that they all
thought they were being asked for their opinions rather than being told
what to do.
There was some discussion of who shou
ld be in which teamboth John Howell
and Bob Young would have preferred to be in the Dirty Team, feeling
themselves vulnerable to arrest by Dadgar--but in the end they all reached
the decision Simons had already made.
The Clean Team might as well move into the Embassy compound as soon as
possible, Simons said. Gayden and Joe Poch6 went off to find Lou Goelz, the
Consul General, and talk to him about it.
The Dirty Team would leave tomorrow morning.
Coburn had to organize the Iranian drivers. These were to have been Majid
and his cousin the professor, but the professor was in Rezaiyeh and could
not get to Tehran, so Coburn had to find a replacement.
He had already decided on Seyyed. Seyyed was a youtig Iranian systems.
engineer like Rashid and the Cycle Man, but from a much wealthier family:
relatives of his had been high in politics and the army under the Shah.
Seyyed had been educated in England and spoke with a British accent. His
great asset, from Coburn's point of view, was that he came from the
northwest, so he knew the territory and he spoke Turkish.
Coburn called Seyyed and they met at Seyyed's house. Coburn told him lies.
"I need to gather intelligence on the roads between here and Khoy," Coburn
said. "I'll need someone to drive me. Will you do it?"
"Sure," said Seyyed.
"Meet me at ten forty-five tonight at Argentine Square."
Seyyed agreed.
Simons had instructed Coburn to go through all this. Coburn trusted Seyyed,
but of course Simons did not; so Seyyed would not know where the team was
staying until he got there, and he
ON WINGS OF EAGLES 299
would not know about Paul and Bill until he saw them; and from that moment
on he would not be out of Simons's sight.
When Coburn returned to the Dvoranchik place, Gayden. and Poch6 were back
from seeing Lou Goelz. They had told Goelz that a few EDS men were staying
in Tehran to look for Paul and Bill, but the others wanted to leave on the
first evacuation flight, and stay at the Embassy in the meantime. Goelz had
said that the Embassy was full, but they could stay at his house.
They all thought that was pretty damn good of Goelz. Most of them had got
mad at him once or twice over the last two months, and had made it pretty
Follett, Ken - On Wings of Eagles.txt Page 39
