“Good to hear your voice. All hell’s broken loose. Where are you?”
Nicholas took a deep breath. “Why did you lie to me?”
“Not sure what the hell happened—”
“Dirk tried to kill me,” Nicholas said.
K groaned and swore.
“He killed Tyler, as far as I can tell.”
“Dirk’s dead,” K said. “The police said you flew off with Cesar and the journalist. Need you to tell me what’s going on. Why did you change the plan? Where’s Cesar?”
Nicholas looked over to where Cesar was sitting under a palm tree. “He died. Dirk shot him. He didn’t survive.”
“Guess he got his just punishment,” K said tonelessly. “Nick, we’ll work this out. Do you have the bonds?”
Nicholas felt like he’d been doused with cold water. “Is that what this mission was all about?” Running an operation to cover an $87 million margin call wasn’t inherently bad, but they should have told him and Tyler the truth. “I never planned to take the money. I don’t want your money,” he added.
“You have to trust me,” K said. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I’ll get to the bottom of it. Do you have the bonds?”
“Yes.”
“I need you to tell me where you are. We’ll tell The Order Dirk was responsible.”
“Was he?” Nicholas asked.
K didn’t answer.
“I’d never accuse you of anything, but I can’t trust anyone at this point.”
“Lay low until I get to the bottom of this, but I need the bonds right away. I’ll give you the name of a bank—”
“No,” Nicholas said. “After I know the truth. I’m tired of playing games.”
“I’m not playing games!” K said. “The police seized the cocaine. The Order will approve your membership. You have my word.”
Nicholas wanted to trust K, but the issue of membership was up in the air. His plan to expose Tyler’s murder would prove futile, and he’d seen enough of The Order’s machinations to know that joining them was tacit consent to conformity.
“Things aren’t what they seem,” K continued, his voice calmer. “Give me a day to figure things out. You’ll see I’m telling the truth. Nick,” he added after a short silence, “just promise me you’ll call tomorrow.”
Nicholas decided to respect K’s request. He had the upper hand—the bonds—so he had nothing to lose; and he owed K the chance to prove himself. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Nick,” K said. The line was silent.
Nicholas walked toward Cesar. His feet sank in the soft sand, until he reached the hard roots of the palm tree. “I told them you were dead,” he said.
“Cesar Gomez is dead,” he said and stood. “I’m a new man now.”
“Too bad,” Nicholas said. “I kind of liked the old Cesar.”
Cesar smiled and took a deep breath. “No more revolutions for me.” He shrugged and folded his arms with a smirk. “At least for now.”
“I was told my membership to The Order would be approved, but I’m not sure I want to join,” Nicholas said, angling for advice.
“I’ve said some bad things about The Order,” Cesar said, “but I was referring to the greedy bastards like Dirk. So join, but remember to always do the right thing.”
“I will,” Nicholas said, unsure he wanted to join, but moving in that direction. He felt too much pain to forgive The Order. They embraced with firm slaps on the back.
“Until we meet again,” Cesar said.
“Where will you go?” Nicholas asked.
“Away…from all of this,” he said with a broad gesture.
Nicholas, saddened but inspired, watched Cesar walk away along the beach. With a last wave, Nicholas turned and walked down the row of beachside bars and restaurants.
A television in one bar caught his attention. CNN Headline News was reporting from Panama that legendary drug kingpin Cesar Gomez had killed CIA agent Dylan Dirk during a top secret operation that resulted in the seizure of ten tons of cocaine. After a pause, the anchor added that a reliable source had just informed them that Cesar Gomez also died from a gun shot wound. Despite the tragic loss of a brave American, the White House hailed the operation a success and denied accusations it had been conducted without the approval of the Panamanian government. The story left out the most important detail: the $100 million in bearer bonds. In a related story, President Alex Mendoza narrowly lost a referendum to run for office a second term. The cameras switched to people waving Panamanian flags and partying in the streets.
Nicholas paused to consider the news. In the final analysis, the mission had failed—the U.S. wouldn’t maintain a military presence in Panama post-1999—but things would probably work out in the end.
He continued down the row of beachside bars and restaurants, filled with an eclectic mix of expatriates and tourists, and then made his way back a quaint hotel that had accepted cash without asking questions.
Inside the room, the bathroom door was closed and the faucet was running. Merengue was playing on the clock radio near the bed. Figuring that Lina was getting ready for dinner, he sat on the chair next to the bed and looked for the remote control, hoping to watch more news about the events in Panama.
After a quick search of the room, he spotted the remote control on top of the television. As he passed by the dresser, a reflection from something in Lina’s purse caught his attention. Reluctant but curious, he reached inside and removed a pearl necklace with a heart shaped locket. He opened the locket to reveal the inscription: “With Love, Tyler.”
His heart pounded as he read the words again. The bathroom door unlocked. He hastily dropped the necklace into his pocket and hustled back to the chair. Without thinking, he turned off the radio and tapped his foot nervously. Lina stepped out of the bathroom wearing a stunning black dress. He stood and walked over to her.
“You look amazing.”
She analyzed him. “Is something wrong?”
“No,” he said, then took a deep breath to calm his nerves and gestured to the two chairs. “But I would like to discuss something first.”
Lina looked at him quizzically and sat, concerned.
“I don’t want to pry,” Nicholas said, “but I’m curious about why Tyler gave you the documents before he died. I remember what you said in the car, but that probably wasn’t the whole story.”
Lina nodded. “You’re right. I didn’t tell you everything.” She looked up as if seeking advice. “After Helena died, Tyler and I, how do I say, started talking again.”
Nicholas shrugged confusedly. “Talking?”
Lina looked down. “I’m ashamed to admit it, but after Helena died, I took advantage of Tyler.” She looked up. “I called him every day, offering my support, but I was really trying to get back together with him.”
“What’s wrong with that?” Nicholas said, sensing trouble.
Lina shook her head. “I knew Tyler was vulnerable, but all I could think about was myself. It must have worked, though, because the night he stopped by with the documents, we talked about getting back together again.”
“What did he say?” he asked, intrigued.
Lina touched her heart. “He said he’d thought about it and decided to give us a try.” She looked at Nicholas with a smile, but tears were welling in her eyes. “He said he wanted to quit his job and open a business in Panama. I was going to continue writing for the newspaper. We were going to start a new life together. Can you believe it?” Her smile reversed. “However, for some reason he thought the people at the U.S. Embassy wouldn’t let him quit. He stole those documents as leverage, in case he had problems.”
Nicholas stared at her, assembling the pieces of the puzzle. Dirk hadn’t said anything about Tyler wanting to quit—nor had Tyler, for that matter.
“The two of you agreed to give it another try. Then what?”
Lina looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. “Then what? They killed him! He took a big risk
stealing those documents. Don’t you see? Tyler would be alive today if I hadn’t tried to get back together with him.” She rested her face in her hands and wept.
Nicholas slid his chair closer and consoled her. “You can’t blame yourself for that.” From what he could tell, Dirk killed Tyler because of what he did to Helena, not because he took the documents. “I can’t give you all the details, but I can say you weren’t responsible for his death.” She looked up. “None of this was your fault—Tyler, Helena, none of it.”
Lina covered her face again.
“What now?” Nicholas asked and wiped her tears.
Lina took a deep breath. “I…told Tyler.”
“Told Tyler what?” Nicholas said.
She closed her eyes. “I told Tyler that Helena would be at Cesar’s apartment that day.” She looked at Nicholas, more relaxed. “I overheard Helena telling one of her friends. I told Tyler to go see for himself, hoping he would break up with her as a result.”
Nicholas grimaced. “The day she died?”
Lina nodded. “He told me it was an accident, the result of a fight. I believed him, but the next day I was calling him on the phone like a fool. I didn’t stop for one moment to think about what he must have been going through.”
Nicholas consoled her with a hug. Her actions were questionable, but she wasn’t responsible, and he was relieved to hear that Helena’s death had been an accident, not a murder.
“The worst part was I was glad when she died,” Lina continued. “She could have had any man in Panama, but she took Tyler. She knew we were going out, but that didn’t stop her. Nothing ever stopped Helena, I know, but women aren’t supposed to do things like that to their friends, right?”
Nicholas touched her cheek. “You’ve been through a lot. It’ll take some time to get over this, but I want you to know I’m here for you. I have a few issues to resolve with my work as well, so it looks like we might be here for a few days.”
“Thank you,” Lina said. She leaned forward to stand but paused. “Did I tell you he bought the necklace for me?”
Nicholas shook his head, recalling the necklace that was burning a hole in his pocket.
“A month before he met Helena, I found it in his bedroom after, well, you know. I figured he was waiting for the right moment to give it to me. Seeing it got me thinking he wanted to get married.” She wiped her tears, embarrassed. “You know how women are, so you can imagine how I felt when I saw Helena wearing it.”
Nicholas leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. Tyler probably gave the necklace to Lina the same night he gave her the documents—perhaps to ask for forgiveness—but Nicholas had to wonder why Lina had rushed things with him during the past two weeks, or why Tyler had gone back to Lina so soon after Helena’s death. A part of him wanted to judge the whole ordeal as strange, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized he was just another foolish character in the same drama.
Treaty Violation Page 21
