Long Road to Mercy

by David Baldacci

  “What in the hell are you saying? That sort of talk could cost you your shield, Pine.”

  “Why else would he have intervened and had you call me off this case, sir? Wasn’t that extraordinary on his part? I mean, what does the DD care about a dead mule?”

  Dobbs didn’t say anything for a long moment. Then: “What the hell are you involved in, Pine?”

  “Something bigger than I could have ever imagined, sir. That’s why I need your help and support. I can’t do it alone. And if the DD won’t do it, I need you to have my back, sir.”

  “And why do I need to bring reinforcements?” asked Dobbs after another few moments of silence.

  “Because I expect company here.”

  “Company? What do you mean, some criminals? A gang?”

  “Depends on how you define that, sir, but this company might actually be more dangerous.”

  “Look, Pine, this is beyond ridiculous. If you think—”

  She broke in, “Sir, I would not be asking this if it were not absolutely critical. Once you get here you will understand exactly what is going on. It’s a matter of national security. Not just for this country, but for the world.” She paused. “I’m trying to do my job, sir, as an FBI agent. I gave an oath. I intend to carry that oath out.”

  She once more listened to him breathing.

  “You’re really not joking, are you?”

  “I have never been more serious in my life.”

  “You haven’t been on vacation, have you?”

  “I would not call it a vacation, no, sir.”

  “Your career hangs in the balance on this, Pine.”

  “A lot more than my career hangs in the balance, sir.”

  There was a short pause. “I’ll be there in three and a half hours.”

  “And don’t forget the reinforcements I asked for.”

  Dobbs already had clicked off.

  Pine sighed.

  Well, here goes nothing.

  * * *

  Later, Pine and Blum waited in the Yazzies’ Suburban down the street from their office in Shattered Rock. It was important that they arrive at the same moment as Dobbs and his men.

  “Did you and Sam get the package into our office okay?” Pine asked.

  “No problem. We went in through the garage so no one could see us.” Blum paused. “Although, I have to say, it’s a little unsettling how easy it was to get a nuclear weapon into a building housing federal agents.”

  “Nobody stopped you?”

  “One ICE agent that I know did. I told him it was a new credenza for the office. He even helped us carry it in.”

  Pine stiffened as a black SUV drove past at speed down the empty street. It pulled to a stop in front of the office building and the doors opened.

  Clint Dobbs, around six feet tall and in his fifties with thinning gray hair, broad shoulders, a thick neck, and the beginnings of a paunch, got out of the truck’s rear passenger seat. He was followed by five other agents.

  “Shit, he didn’t bring enough guys,” said Pine. “No HRT. No long guns. Just suits and pistols. Why the hell don’t some people listen?”

  Pine put the SUV in gear and hit the gas.

  They shot forward and pulled to a stop with a screech against the curb.

  Pistols came out of holsters and were pointed at the SUV until Pine and Blum got out and showed themselves. Pine had grabbed a bag and slung it over her shoulder.

  Dobbs looked apoplectic. “What the hell are you doing?”

  Pine strode over to him. “Waiting for you to show, sir.” She looked at the other agents. “I asked for HRT, long guns, armor, sir. Why is this all you brought?”

  “I have five armed agents with me. What are you expecting? A war?”

  “Pretty much. But it is what it is now. No going back now. Let’s go.”

  Pine strode off toward the building.

  Dobbs looked incredulously at Pine and then his gaze shifted to Blum. A spark of recognition came over his features. “I know you, don’t I?”

  “Carol Blum. I was your secretary back in your Flagstaff days.”

  “That’s right.” He looked around. “Well, I’m sorry you ended up here working for what looks to me to be an agent unraveling.”

  “Oh, don’t feel sorry for me, Mr. Dobbs. Agent Pine is the sort of agent the FBI should be proud of. And when you find out what she’s done, you’ll see that she’s far from unraveling.”

  “Exactly what is she doing?”

  “Saving the world, more or less.”

  She hurried on after Pine, leaving Dobbs looking bewildered and a little put out. He motioned to his men. “Well, all right, let’s go.” He looked warily around but the quiet surroundings seemed to appease him.

  “War, my ass,” he muttered.

  Inside, Pine let them all into the office and turned off the alarm system.

  She closed the door behind the last agent and made sure it was secure.

  “All right,” said Dobbs. “Now you’re going to tell me what the hell is going on.”

  “If you would step into my office.”

  She led them into the inner space and closed the door.

  Pine walked over to the closet door of her office, opened it, and pointed to the bulky object set in the corner with a canvas cover over it.

  “What is that?” asked Dobbs.

  In answer Pine unzipped the canvas covering the object.

  Dobbs said, “What the hell is that?”

  “That is what is called a tactical nuclear weapon,” said Pine.

  Dobbs and his men took a collective step back. Dobbs barked, “What in the hell . . . A nuke!”

  “It was hidden in a cave at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.”

  “Hidden? Hidden by whom?” demanded Dobbs.

  “Ah, now that goes right to the heart of the matter, doesn’t it?” She closed the door.

  “And you will tell me right after I call Washington and tell them that we have a nuke in a damn FBI RA office.”

  “Sir.”

  He strode over and pointed a finger in her face. “Not another word. My God, Pine, of all the screwups I thought I had seen, this just—”

  “Oh, Clint, for God’s sake, can you just close your mouth for one minute and let her explain?” said Blum in exasperation. “This is important.”

  He glared at her. “Clint? You will address me as—”

  “I think I’m retiring, so I’ll just leave it at Clint.” She looked expectantly over at Pine. “Special Agent Pine?”

  Pine looked at Dobbs. “I take it that you saw the AED of the National Security Branch was on the email chain about the dead mule and missing person case.”

  Dobbs’s expression turned petulant. “I don’t read down the cc list.”

  Before Pine could respond, the sounds of boots hammered up the stairs and rolled like a tidal wave down the hall. A few moments later, the sounds of the front door being caved in by a hydraulic ram reached them.

  “What the hell is that?” exclaimed Dobbs as he and his men whirled toward the only remaining door between them and whatever was out there.

  Pine took out her pistol and pointed it at the door. She looked at the other agents and held up her gun. “Gentlemen?”

  They all looked at each other, drew their weapons, and stood next to Pine, their guns pointed at the door. Even Dobbs took out his weapon.

  “What the hell is coming, Pine?” hissed Dobbs.

  “That would be the war, sir,” she replied.

  CHAPTER

  61

  The inner door was hit so hard, it fell off its hinges. Into the breech charged a dozen heavily armored personnel with combat helmets and carrying either M4s or M16s.

  With his free hand Dobbs immediately held up his badge and barked, “Federal agents, weapons down.”

  Not a single combat weapon was lowered. The armored men formed a wall across the width of the room, shoulder to shoulder, their long guns pointed at the FBI contingent across fr
om them.

  “FBI!” barked Dobbs again. “I said weapons down.”

  Still, not a single weapon was lowered.

  “Who are you with?” demanded Dobbs as his men nervously fingered their pistols.

  Twelve auto assault rifles wielded by armored shooters against seven semiauto pistols held by agents in suits in a confined space would not be much of a fight.

  Suddenly, the middle of their ranks parted and a man in his fifties, dressed in a dark suit, white shirt, striped tie, and scuffed wingtips, stepped through this void.

  He appeared to be in charge of the assault team.

  Dobbs focused on him and barked, “We are the FBI, so unless you put your weapons down now, you’re going to be in a world of trouble.”

  The man said, “I was about to tell you the very same thing.”

  There was a commotion in the other room. The next moment, five ICE agents carrying AR-15s burst into the room and pointed their weapons at the armored men and the man in the suit.

  Half the armored men pointed their guns at the ICE agents while the other half-dozen kept their guns trained on Dobbs and his agents.

  “Federal agents,” cried out the ICE point man. “Weapons down. Now!”

  The three groups of armed people seemed to be in a standoff.

  Dobbs stared triumphantly at the man in the suit. “Okay, we’ve got you surrounded. So now you’re going to put your weapons down.”

  The man said calmly, “No, we’re not. We’re here to collect these two women.” He pointed at Pine and Blum.

  Dobbs said, “For what?”

  “Treason against the United States.”

  One of the ICE agents stepped forward and looked at Pine.

  “Bullshit. Atlee Pine is no traitor. Now who the hell are you?”

  The man drew out a phone, punched in a number, and spoke into it in a low voice.

  He held the phone out to the ICE agent. “Your director wants to speak to you.”

  The man blinked. “The director?”

  “Harold Sykes? Director of DHS? Yes, he’s on the line.”

  The agent took the phone. “Who is this?” He snapped to attention after no doubt recognizing the voice of the head of Homeland Security.

  “Yes, sir. What? No. I mean. But she’s an FBI agent. I know her. No, I’m not saying . . . But a traitor. I . . . no sir . . . Yes, sir, right away, sir.”

  Looking thoroughly beaten down, he handed the phone back to the man and looked over at Pine with a helpless expression. “I’m sorry, Atlee.”

  “It’s okay, Doug, we’ll get this figured out.”

  Doug slowly turned to his men. “Okay, let’s move out.”

  “Sir?” said one of them.

  “I said let’s move out!” barked Doug.

  In a few seconds, ICE had vacated the field of battle, leaving the men in armor and the FBI agents.

  The man in the suit turned to Dobbs.

  Dobbs pulled his phone from his jacket and said, “Okay, I’m calling my director right now, asshole.”

  The man smiled. “Better yet, how about I call his boss, the attorney general, and have him order you to turn these women over to us?”

  Dobbs glanced at Pine. “There is no way in hell that Pine or Blum are traitors.”

  “Your opinion on the subject is absolutely irrelevant.”

  Dobbs gathered his composure and began speaking in a calm tone. “Fine. You show me the appropriately signed off indictments issued by a U.S. attorney, and we’ll arrest them right here, read them their rights, take them to a federal holding cell, and then we can move forward through the court system.”

  The man had started shaking his head halfway through. “This is national security, not a court matter.”

  Dobbs exploded. “I don’t give a shit if it’s jaywalking.” He pointed to Pine and Blum. “These women are American citizens. Innocent until proven guilty. Right to due process. I’m sure these things are familiar to you, that is, if you are an American, which, frankly, I’m beginning to doubt.”

  “Okay, we’re done here. Lower your weapons.”

  “No!” barked Dobbs. “Go to hell.”

  “I can call the AG right now and he can order you to do it.”

  “You can call the fucking president and my answer would be the same.”

  “You’re way out of line,” barked the man.

  “I’m out of line?” exclaimed Dobbs. “We’re federal agents!”

  “I said we’re done here. Lower your weapons or they will open fire. Last chance.”

  The FBI agents were nervously glancing at each other. They knew, to a man, that this would be a slaughter. Yet they held their line and did not lower their weapons.

  “Very well,” said the man, shaking his head, as he stepped back behind the wall of armor. “You can’t say I didn’t give you the opportunity.”

  Now Pine stepped forward. “Okay, I think this testosterone show has gone on long enough. We need to begin the negotiations.”

  The man looked incredulous. “Negotiations? You have nothing to negotiate with.”

  In response, Pine walked over to the closet door and opened it, revealing the nuke. “I have this.”

  The man snapped, “How the hell did that get here?”

  “Some people decided to do the right thing.”

  The man gazed at her with contempt. “Who? David Roth?”

  “I won’t get into specifics.”

  “You’re all traitors,” barked the man.

  “Or patriots, at least from my point of view.”

  The man glanced at Dobbs. “Now do you understand why we need to take them? They’ve got a nuclear bomb.”

  “How did you know it was a nuclear bomb?” said Pine. “From here it looks like just a metal box.”

  The man blanched and glanced at Dobbs, who was staring at him grimly.

  “Yeah, how did you know it was a bomb? I didn’t until Pine told me it was a nuke.”

  “A Russian nuke,” said Pine.

  “Russian!” exclaimed Dobbs, glancing sharply at her before looking back at the man. “Are they Russians?”

  “No, they’re Americans working with the Russians. I actually knocked two Russians out who were snooping around Ben Priest’s home.” Pine gazed at the man in the suit. “And you guys got stung by Moscow. Really badly.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” exclaimed the man.

  Pine put the bag she’d brought with her on her desk and pulled out the surveillance devices and dropped them on the wood. “Your Russian friends included multiple cameras and listening devices inside the nuke.”

  A few moments of silence so profound passed that Pine thought she could hear every smack of her heart as well as those of the agents on either side of her.

  The man said, “How do I know you’re not lying?”

  Pine tossed him one of the devices. “You must have had blind faith in your Moscow buddies.” She also tossed him one of the panel pieces that Roth had cut out. “I bet old Putin is smiling somewhere right now.”

  The man took the device and the metal piece, walked over to the nuke, and placed the device inside a hole in the enclosure. Then he placed the piece of metal into the hole.

  A perfect fit.

  He looked at the other sides and noted the same holes in the metal.

  Pine thought she heard him say, “Fuck.”

  The man turned around. “So the Russians have proof we placed a nuclear weapon in the Canyon. Where does that leave us? Isn’t it game over?”

  “No, because our side hasn’t ‘discovered’ the nuke yet and made the case to go to war with North Korea.”

  “Why does that matter?” asked the man.

  “Not starting a war and killing millions of people on bogus evidence that you trumpeted to the world is a helluva lot better than actually doing so. And that also means the Russians’ blackmail scheme just got a lot weaker.”

  Blum stepped forward. “And it gives you the opportunity to
craft a plausible explanation.”

  The man stared skeptically at her. “Such as?”

  “Such as you placed a nonoperating nuclear device in a cave in a canyon because you were exploring alternative methods of storage and were checking environmental factors.”

  “Come again?” said the man.

  Blum continued, “I used to do that with my old pennies when I was a child. In holes I dug in my backyard. Come to think, it’s far more plausible than trusting the Russians with the goal of blowing up North Korea. I mean, who would believe we would actually be that stupid?”

  The man looked at her dully but said nothing.

  “Or you can claim all the evidence they had was fake,” added Blum. “That seems to be a pretty popular tactic these days.”

  The man shook his head. “No, that’s not going to work.” He looked pointedly at the armed men he had brought with him. “All of you are coming with us until we can sort this out. Now!”

  “There’s something else you need to know,” Pine said. “We have electronic documentation of everything you’ve said tonight.”

  The man flinched and looked around. “What?”

  “My office is wired for video and sound.”

  “And why do you have that feature in your office?” asked the man incredulously.

  “I put it in after some goon attacked me. After I kicked his ass, he said I attacked him. So it’s to make sure it doesn’t ever again come down to she-said-he-said. It’s already been uploaded to a secure cloud.”

  “How do I know you’re not bluffing?”

  “That’s the beauty of it. You don’t.”

  Blum stepped forward. “And just so you know, I’ve worked closely with Agent Pine for quite a while now. And never, not once, have I known her to bluff.”

  The man shifted his gaze from Blum to Pine. “And your point?”

  “If anything happens to me, Ms. Blum, David Roth, anyone connected to this case, or anyone else in this room, I’m talking everything from a hangnail to a job demotion to murder, your involvement in all of this will come out.”

  The man stared at her for several long moments. He looked down at the surveillance device he still held in his hand and then over at the bomb. Finally, he glanced up at Pine and his features took on a resigned look.

  Reading his expression, she added, “It’s the only way any of us get out of this. I think you’re plenty smart enough to see that.”