Clancy, Tom - Ballance of Power

by Balance of Power [lit]

  to tear down Amadori as payback for Martha

  Mackall-even though it was someone else who had

  planned and carried out her murder. It was

  all part of the same inhuman tableau.

  Eventually, though, it would all be over. Amadori

  would be dead or Spain would be Amadori's-in which

  case it was the world's problem and not his. Then Hood

  would leave here and go home to nothing. Nothing but a few

  private satisfactions, some awful regrets, and the

  prospect of more of the same for as long as he stayed

  at Op-Center.

  That wasn't enough.

  He would never get Sharon to see things his way. But

  as he sat there, his mind fuzzy and his emotions

  clear, he had to admit that he was no longer sure his

  way was right. Was it better to have big professional

  challenges and the respect of Mike Rodgers? Or

  was it better to have a less demanding job, one that left

  him time to enjoy the love of his wife and children and the

  small satisfactions they could all share?

  Why should I have to choose?

  he asked himself. But he knew the answer to that.

  Because the price of being one of the power elite in any

  field was time and industry. If he wanted his

  family back he was going to have to take back some of

  those things. He was going to have to join a university or

  a bank or a think tank-something that left him time for

  violin recitals and baseball games and

  snuggling in front of the boob tube.

  Hood raised his head and turned back to his corn

  BALANCE OF POWER 339

  puter. And as he waited for news from Spain, he

  typed:

  Mr. President:

  I herewith resign the office of Director of

  OpCenter.

  Sincerely, Paul Hood

  THIRTY-THREE

  Tuesday, 10:32 a.m. Madrid, Spain

  When Maria finally reached the corridor outside the

  Hall of the Halberdiers, she was no longer able

  to proceed cautiously. The room was located toward

  the near end of the long hallway. The corridor was

  crowded with groups of soldiers, who were methodically

  searching the palace rooms. She had no doubt that

  they were looking for her.

  It had been relatively easy getting this far.

  There were a number of interconnected rooms along the

  way and she'd been able to stay out of the corridor. The

  only stop she'd made was to try to telephone

  Luis to brief him. But the palace phones had

  been disconnected and she didn't want to risk

  trying to get a radio from one of the

  communications officers.

  Swallowing her pain, she marched ahead quickly,

  purposefully. Her arms swung stiffly at her

  sides, her cap was pulled low, and her eyes peered

  straight ahead.

  Look official,

  she kept reminding herself.

  Maria believed that in most cases an infiltration

  should be done quietly. The rules were enter in the

  dark, don't make noise, and blend in with the

  shadows. In the present situation she wouldn't be able

  to sneak

  BALANCE OF POWER 341

  through. The only approach to take was to act as though

  she belonged. Unfortunately, while there were women in

  the Spanish army, none of them were assigned to combat

  units. And as far as Maria could tell, none of them

  were here. Which is why she jogged toward the Hall of the

  Halberdiers. The cap hid her hair and the tunic

  hid her arms and chest. All she wanted to do was

  to get back to the room. If she could get inside,

  she had a plan that might get her through to the throne

  room.

  If she ran too fast, Maria knew that she'd

  attract attention. If she ran too

  slowly, she was afraid that someone would stop her and

  ask why she wasn't with her unit. Her heart

  seemed to be pounding in all directions at once.

  Her body ached from the beating and she was frightened for

  Spain. But the danger and hurt and most of all the

  responsibility made her feel alive. These

  moments were like the instant before pulling a parachute

  ripcord or stepping onstage. They were hyperintense

  and unlike anything else in life.

  A few heads turned to look at her but she was gone

  before anyone had a chance to see her face.

  As Maria was about to turn into the doorway of the Hall

  of the Halberdiers, a familiar figure strode out,

  nearly colliding with her. It was the captain who had

  had her beaten. The officer stopped and glowered at

  Maria as she saluted and sidled past him. She

  tried to hide her face with the salute and didn't

  look up. All she needed was a few more seconds.

  Maria saw Juan and Ferdinand ahead. They were

  sitting cross-legged along the near side of the

  crowd, looking down. The number of prisoners had

  thinned

  342 OP-CENTER

  somewhat since she was last here. The prisoners were also

  more restless. That was probably a result of

  concern over where the others had been taken and the fact that

  the ranks of guards also had thinned. Maria assumed

  the soldiers were out looking for her. None of the guards

  in the room looked at her as she made her way

  toward the two Ramirez

  familia

  members.

  "Wait!" the captain's voice broke loud and

  hard from the doorway behind her.

  Juan and Ferdinand looked up. Maria continued

  walking toward them.

  "I said

  you!"

  the captain bellowed into the room.

  caret Sergeant!

  Stop where you are!"

  Maria was about twenty paces from Juan. She

  wasn't going to make it before she had to deal with the

  captain. She swore silently and continued walking

  toward Juan. The prisoner was looking directly

  at her. It was frustrating that the captain may have

  recognized her but Juan didn't. The door to the

  throne room was about forty feet straight ahead, through

  the crowd. There were still guards on either side of the

  door. They were looking at her now, too.

  She had to get there and she wouldn't be able to do it

  alone.

  "Sir, I have a report for the general," she said

  angrily without stopping or turning.

  Right now, seconds mattered. She needed to get

  closer to Juan. She also wanted him to hear her

  voice and know who she was. The captain would know who

  she was too, for certain, but there was no way of

  avoiding that.

  "It

  is

  you!" the captain roared when Maria spoke. "Stop

  at once and raise your arms!"

  BALANCE OF POWER 343

  Maria slowed but she didn't stop. She needed to be

  in front of Juan.

  "I said stop!"

  the captain cried.

  Maria reached the edge of the crowd. She stopped.

  "Now," the captain said, "raise your arms slowly

  with your hands out. If you make any sudden motions you

&nbs
p; will be shot," the captain said.

  The young woman did as she'd been told. She

  watched Juan's eyes as they widened with surprised

  recognition. The soldiers stationed around the

  room still hadn't gone for their own weapons. She

  only had a few moments before they would be ordered to do

  so.

  "You," the captain barked. "Corporal."

  One of the noncommissioned officers standing beside the throne

  room door came to attention. "Sir?"

  "Take her weapon!" the captain ordered.

  "Yes, sir!"

  "My-my legs," Maria said. She stopped in

  front of Juan and started to wobble. "May I sit

  down?"

  "Stand where you are!" the captain snarled.

  "But they were hurt when I was beaten-was

  His

  'Silencio!""

  he yelled.

  Maria trembled for a moment more. The soldier had

  entered the crowd of prisoners on the opposite

  side and was making his way toward her. She couldn't

  wait any longer. She didn't think they would shoot

  her here, especially if she were down. That might start

  a riot. Moaning loudly, she dropped to her

  knees and fell forward against Juan.

  "Get up!" the captain yelled.

  Maria attempted to rise. As she

  pretended to strug-

  344 OP-CENTER

  gle back to her feet, she drew the guns from her

  waistband. 'She shoved them into Juan's hand.

  He took them clandestinely. Ferdinand had leaned

  over to help Maria. Juan slid a gun under his

  bent knee.

  "Amadori's in the throne room," Maria whispered

  as hands helped her to her knees.

  "We'll never make it-was Juan whispered back.

  "We must!" she hissed. "We're dead anyway!"

  Just then, the guard finished making his way through the

  crowd. He bent over Maria and yanked her up by the

  collar. She grunted as she stood and then pretended

  to stumble to one side. As soon as she was out of the way,

  Juan raised his gun, pointed at the soldier's

  thigh, and fired. The guard shrieked and staggered

  backward on a spray of blood. His gun

  dropped to the floor and one of the prisoners snatched

  it up. Regaining her balance, Maria unholstered

  her own weapon and turned toward the captain.

  But the captain had already drawn his own weapon. He

  fired two rounds, one of which struck Maria in the

  left side. She twisted in pain and her own shot

  went wide. She landed on the man who had

  picked up the gun. Her hat tumbled off and her

  hair spilled out.

  Juan rose as Maria fell. His

  "to Asesino!""

  Juan shouted. "Assassin!"

  Before he could fire, a bullet struck him in the

  left shoulder. He twisted as he fell, his arms

  flying outward. His gun went spinning along the

  floor toward the hallway. The captain picked it

  up as he stalked toward them. The man who had

  fired, the other soldier standing guard at the throne

  room, came forward.

  BALANCE OF POWER 345

  "Stay at your post!" the captain yelled. The

  crowd of prisoners began to murmur loudly and the

  guards unholstered their weapons. Suddenly, the

  throne room door opened. General Amadori's

  personal aide. Major General Antonio

  Aguirre, stepped out. He was holding a 9mm

  automatic, which looked only slightly less

  intimidating than his scowl. The tall, lean,

  broad shouldered man took a moment to look around the

  room.

  "Is there a problem. Captain Infiesta?" he

  asked. "No, sir," the captain

  replied. "Not any longer." "Who is he?"

  Aguirre asked, pointing the gun toward the man

  he'd shot.

  He pointed to Maria. "Her accomplice," he

  said. Aguirre's dark eyes settled on the

  woman. "Who is she?"

  "I believe she's a spy," the captain informed

  him. Maria stood unsteadily. "I am not... a

  spy. Major General,"" she insisted. She was

  clutching her side just below her ribs and leaning into the

  wound. It was bloody and it throbbed hotly. "I am

  Maria Comeja from Interpol. I came here with

  information for the general. Instead of listening to me, this man

  had me beaten." She raised a hand weakly and

  gestured toward the captain.

  "I will listen to you," said the major general.

  "Talk."

  "No," Maria said. "Not here-was "Here and now,"

  Aguirre said curtly. Maria shut her eyes for a

  moment. "I'm dizzy," she said truthfully. "Can

  I sit down somewhere?" "Certainly," Aguirre

  said. His scowl remained

  346 OP-CENTER

  fixed. " "Captain-take her and her

  accomplice outside. Let her talk and

  then conclude your business with her."

  "Yes, sir," the captain said.

  Maria turned. "Sir!" she shouted and started

  limping through the crowd, toward the major general. She

  was still thinking that if she could get into the throne room there

  might be something she could do-

  She felt herself yanked back by the hair.

  "You'll come outside as you've been ordered," the

  captain said as he tugged her from the crowd.

  Maria was too weak to argue. She stumbled and nearly

  fell as she was pulled toward the hallway door.

  "Bring him as well," the captain commanded, pointing

  to Juan.

  Two of the guards came forward and grabbed Juan under

  the armpits. The Ramirezstami7bba member

  grimaced with pain as they hoisted him to his feet and

  dragged him forward.

  Behind them, the major general returned quietly to the

  throne room. He shut the door.

  The click of the latch was the only sound in the

  otherwise silent hall. To Maria it was a noise

  as loud as the closing of a tomb door. It not only

  marked the end of her efforts to get inside the throne

  room, very possibly it marked the end of Spain itself.

  She was angry at herself for having blown the

  mission. For having gotten so damn close and

  screwing up.

  The captain turned Maria around. Still holding her

  by the hair, he walked her toward the door. She

  went painfully, each step sending a lance of pain up

  her left side from heel to jaw.

  BALANCE OF POWER 347

  "What-what are you going to do?" Maria demanded.

  "We're going to take you outside to see what you

  know."

  " "Why outside?"'" Maria asked.

  The captain didn't answer, and that in itself was an

  answer. They were being taken outside because that was where the

  plain, unadorned walls were.

  The walls which condemned prisoners were put against to be

  shot.

  THIRTY-FOUR

  Tuesday, 10:46 a.m. Madrid, Spain

  As soon as he heard gunshots inside the

  palace, Colonel August casually removed his

  cellular phone from his deep pants pocket. He

  punched in Luis's office number but kept his

  face turned toward the warm sun as
it crept over

  the buildings-soaking it up like any young vacationer.

  Behind him, except for Private

  Pupshaw, the other Strikers were pretending to study a

  tour book. Pupshaw was down the street, tying his

  shoe on the fender of a car. One of the aglets at the

  end of his shoelace contained a highly compressed

  irritant agent, primarily

  Chloroacetophenone-a mild but smoky form of tear

  gas. The other aglet contained a tiny heating coil

  that was activated when removed from the shoelace. It

  would cause the gas to be released two minutes after

  being placed inside the other aglet.

  "This is Slugger," August said. "We've just

  heard from three of the players in the stadium." That

  meant he'd heard three shots in the palace.

  "Sound like they're pretty close to the spot where we

  want to go."

  "Could be our teammate warming things up," Luis

  said. The line was quiet for a moment. Then Luis

  came

  BALANCE OF POWER 349

  back on. "Coach says to go to second base and

  put on your uniforms. He'll call the upper

  deck to see what they know."

  Second base was the dungeon directly below the

  Hall of Tapestries. The upper deck was the

  spotters.

  "Excellent," August said. "We're on our

  way." He turned the phone from ring to vibrate and

  returned it to his pocket. He told the other

  Strikers to follow him and then he raised his arm for

  Pupshaw to see. August crossed his second and

  third fingers.

  The young private extended two crossed fingers and

  waved back. The two crossed fingers meant to put

  the aglets together.

  August led his team quickly toward the sewer on the

  northwest corner of the Plaza de Oriente. They

  had videotaped the manhole cover when they'd first

  arrived and studied the playback as they stood around.

  Corporal Prementine and Privates David

  George and Jason Scott had their Walkman

  headsets in hand, ready to slide into the holes in the

  cover and lift it up. The headsets were actually

  made of titanium and would be able to handle the weight

  of the iron lid.

  August put his arm around Sondra DeVonne as

  though she were his traveling companion. The two laughed

  as they walked. But when August looked at her he

  was actually looking past her at the traffic. It was

  virtually nonexistent due to all the military

  activity in the area. When Sondra

  looked at August she was keeping an eye on

  pedestrians. Like the streets, the sidewalks were

  relatively deserted.