Face of the Earth

by Doug Raber

  “Why is that, Bert?”

  “Because so much of it is coming from expats and opposition groups.”

  “I see. But let me play devil’s advocate. At State, our goal is to talk directly with people in a foreign government, but that’s been difficult for years in the case of Iran. It’s certainly the case with our intelligence agencies. So aren’t they forced to talk to the expatriates? Wouldn’t the expats be most knowledgeable about Iran? And wouldn’t the opposition groups have the best pipelines back into Iran? They might even have operatives in country.”

  “What you say is correct, Madam Secretary, but only to a point. The opposition groups have their own agendas. So do the expats. Their primary goal is not the well-being of the United States. For many of them, the overriding goal is regime change in Iran, and they would be delighted to have us do that for them—even if the justification were entirely fabricated.”

  “Are you suggesting that our intelligence has been falsified, Burt?” The question was from Juan Allesandro.

  “No, I’m not, Juan. At least not at the present time. On the other hand, there is a long history of … shall we say somewhat skewed information coming from a few of the leaders in the Iranian expat community. If you recall, back in 2001, a couple of Pentagon operatives bypassed all diplomatic channels and met in Rome with an expat who lied through his teeth. It caused a bit of a flap.”*

  “We shouldn’t judge our intelligence colleagues too harshly.”

  “Perhaps not, but the Pentagon should have known better. The CIA had flagged this man years earlier, saying that his information should not be trusted.”*

  Cunningham jumped in, incredulous. “Edwards is using information from this same guy to get us to endorse an attack on Iran now?”

  “I can’t be sure. So far, DIA won’t identify their sources. Either way, it illustrates my point. They’re using expats to get information that may be unreliable. I have examples of groups in the U.S. that may be carrying out a coordinated propaganda program.”*

  Calebresi signaled her agreement to the DNI and turned to the other two. “My intelligence people in State have come up with some similar findings, and I have the documentation here in my briefcase. Have either of you found anything similar? Something that you could use during the NSC meeting if the need arises?”

  When both Allesandro and Cunningham nodded in the affirmative, she continued, “Then let’s move on to our second topic. I have some curious information on the father of the deceased Navajo child. His name is Jack Redhouse. Have any of you located anything about him?”

  * * *

  Chapter 22

  Sarah and Jake

  Even inside the United States, authorities do not know the number and location of an expanding array of laboratories doing research with potentially dangerous viruses.

  —New York Times editorial, 2008‡

  Day 30: Reinforcements

  When Sarah mentioned “reinforcements,” Jake gave her a puzzled look. Then he saw Raymond, who was approaching their table. “Wait a minute. I recognize him. He was sitting next to us yesterday. Sarah, what the hell is going on?”

  “Take it easy, Jake. This is Raymond Morgan. You can trust him. We’re on the same team.” Awkwardly, the two men shook hands. “Raymond has been working with me. Jack Redhouse was his friend, and Raymond’s wife is related to Evelyn Redhouse.”

  “Oh, that’s just great.” Jake put his head into his hands. “I’m screwed. Even if I walked out of here now, nobody would believe me. I’ll never get a decent job again in my life, and I sure as hell won’t be able to work for the federal government again. They could even send me to prison for this. You too, Sarah.”

  Raymond spoke quietly as he sat down next to Sarah. “If we don’t do something, thousands of people may die because we weren’t strong enough to do what had to be done.”

  Jake’s face was deep red with a mix of embarrassment and anger. He said nothing. Then, slowly, he shook his head. “Sorry, that was really stupid of me. I just wasn’t ready for all this.”

  “Jake, we need to figure out what really happened,” Sarah said. “We have to get better evidence and then get that information to someone who can do something about it.”

  “Oh, brilliant. Why don’t I just go back to the military liaison and tell him to put me through to the White House, so I can explain all this to the President? That should save us a lot of effort.”

  When Jake saw Raymond’s look of disdain and the flash of anger on Sarah’s face, he stopped. “Give me a minute. I’ll get past this. Tell me more. I’ll just keep quiet and listen.”

  Raymond spoke first. “I want you to know that Jack was more than a friend to me. We served together in Kuwait, and he was no traitor. He fought for his country, and he was a hero. He didn’t like to talk about it. I’m not even sure his wife knows, but he came back with a Bronze Star. Three men in our unit wouldn’t have come home without his heroism.”

  “Then why do they think he was working with terrorists?”

  “I can’t say, Jake. It doesn’t make any sense.” Raymond was shaking his head from side to side, but suddenly, he stopped. His gaze went right through Jake for a moment, focused on something far into the distance. Then he closed his eyes as he took in a deep breath. “I think I know.”

  Sarah turned to Raymond. “What is it?”

  “It was during his Iraq deployment. Something happened when his unit was east of Baghdad, near the border with Iran. I remember Jack said a lot of the other troops were just out looking for someone to shoot at. But the Marines were trying to work with the civilian population. Jack was really proud of this. The Marines were trying to get food and medicine to the locals, and it was working. They didn’t need to keep their weapons trained on the civilians all the time. And the children were friendly, especially when Jack’s unit had enough candy bars.”

  “But something happened.” Jake couldn’t keep himself from interrupting.

  “There was one day that Jack was talking with some of the local kids, teenagers, I guess. Another unit came through, and an officer said something really nasty to Jack. Told him he should speak English instead of Iranian—I remember Jack saying Iranian. Jack said the kids had been teaching him some words in Arabic. All the guys in his unit had been encouraged to learn some Arabic as a way to show respect for the locals. Jack was doing it both ways. The kids were teaching him Arabic words, and he was teaching them how to say the same words in Navajo. He was real proud of that. Said they seemed to understand that he was in the minority just like they were. Those kids were on the wrong side of the Sunni-Shiite thing.”

  “That was all that happened?”

  “As far as I know. Jack was really pissed off—excuse me—he was mad that this officer had criticized him for doing something good. Maybe it all got written down somewhere, and Jack didn’t just didn’t know about it.”

  Sarah looked over at Jake. “There’s still the problem that this outbreak started with his son. So the real question is how did that happen? Did you learn anything?”

  “Not much. By the time we got here, Jack was gone. The security people didn’t like that, especially since his wife said he took a rifle with him. It was a military assault rifle. His wife was completely distraught. She works as a teacher’s aide at one of the local elementary schools, but nobody there was infected. So it’s all a dead end. Her father can’t get around too much, and Jack seems to be the only one who’s traveled outside the Four Corners for years.”

  Raymond raised a hand slightly. “Maybe I can help. Let’s go talk to Evie—that’s Evelyn Redhouse. Maybe she’ll respond better to me. Her mother and my wife’s mother were sisters. She might be able to remember some more details.”

  “She was one of the first people we vaccinated, because she was exposed to her son when he was contagious. It’s been almost three weeks, so she’s past the incubation period, and she didn’t get sick. But they’re still discouraging nonessential contact, and they’d stop us i
f we tried to see her. Plus, there’s only the one bridge over the river, and they’re certainly monitoring traffic.”

  “One of the things I’ve learned from being a Navajo my whole life is that sometimes we’re invisible. I think I can show you a way to get over there for a visit. But there’s something you should understand—depending on what we find, you may not be able to come back here again, either to your laboratory or to your motel room. Can you deal with that?”

  “If that’s what it takes. What was it you said before, Raymond? About being strong enough to do what has to be done? You were right, and we have to do this. There’s nothing of great personal value in either my room or at the lab. But I can’t leave without some of the data we’ve collected. I’ll need that for proof of what we’ve found.”

  Raymond took charge. “Then go back to the lab now. It’s past 4:30 now. Can you get it done in an hour?”

  “Probably. Almost everyone will have left for dinner by then.”

  “Here’s what I want you to do. Leave the lab at five o’clock. If anyone offers you a ride back to the motel, tell them you want to get some exercise. Leave the campus on College Boulevard, just like you were heading back to the motel. But turn right when you come to 30th street, and in about a hundred yards, you’ll come to Harvard Drive. It’s a short street, so just go toward the end.”

  Raymond stood up. “I’m going to introduce you to Anthony now. He’s another friend, and he’ll go outside and show you his truck. He’ll be waiting for you at the end of Harvard just after five o’clock. It’ll be getting pretty dark by then, so nobody will take much notice.”

  Jake stood and began to follow Raymond to the door. He turned halfway and looked at Sarah uncertainly.

  Sarah tried to smile and gave a thumbs-up sign.

  * * *

  Day 30: Across the River

  Sarah and Raymond were waiting at Anthony’s house when Anthony drove up with Jake just after 5:30. The four of them sat down with fresh coffee that Raymond had made, and they shared some cold tortillas that Anthony had brought from the cantina.

  “Raymond wouldn’t tell me the plan until you two got here, so maybe now we’ll find out what’s going to happen this evening.”

  “Okay,” Raymond said, “we’re going to the Dayzie house. That’s Alfreida Dayzie, Evie’s cousin. We have to do this without being seen by any of the security details watching the roads, so we’ll go in the back way. The house is on the reservation, just southwest of the airport.”

  Sarah interrupted. “But Jake said there’s only one bridge. How do we get across the river without using the bridge?”

  “We’ll go in a way that nobody expects. There’s an old bridge that goes from the south side of the river out to a small island. The water runs deep under the bridge, but the rest of the river is shallow, and there hasn’t been much rainfall. We only have to cross about 50 yards of shallow riverbed, and the ATVs should handle that.”

  “What if they can’t?” Jake asked.

  “We’ll deal with that later if we have to. Right now, let’s get moving. Sarah, you ride with me. Anthony knows this area, and Jake can ride with him. We’re only four days past the new moon, so there won’t be too much light. That’s good and bad at the same time. People are less likely to notice us, but we’ll need to be real careful crossing the river. We can’t afford to use headlights, but the moon won’t set until 9:00 or 9:30. So we should have just enough light.”

  They finished their coffee, went outside, and got onto the ATVs. They drove down the La Plata Highway for a couple of miles, riding wherever possible on dirt paths that ran parallel to the main road. After crossing West Main Street, they went between some homes and the San Juan River. In less than a mile they reached the crossing point.

  Sarah was glad she wasn’t driving. They had cut off the taillights, and she could barely see the other ATV in the darkness. The path was nearly invisible at times, especially when they drove through a small stand of trees. At the river’s edge, it seemed that she could feel the river, or maybe hear it. But she could sense that it was there.

  Raymond spoke to Sarah and Jake. “Keep your feet high. I don’t think the water will get up to the engine, but it will likely go above the footrests. No point in getting your feet wet, and the water’s cold this time of year.”

  “Go slow.” Sarah realized that her nerves were getting tight. That didn’t sound at all like the cautionary warning she had intended, but she was scared. This is no time for panic. She gritted her teeth and spoke quietly. “I’m ready.”

  Raymond signaled for them to follow, and he eased his machine into the shallow water. Somehow, he seemed to know the way, and despite the sounds of rushing water, their route stayed shallow. In less than a minute, they reached the small island and crossed the bridge.

  They had entered the reservation, and Raymond guided them slowly for about a mile along the dirt roads. In marked contrast to the city just across the river, they passed only a few houses. Finally, Raymond pulled off into some light brush. “We’ll leave the vehicles and walk from here. Let me and Anthony do all the talking for now. We’ll speak in Navajo, and in the dark all four of us will just seem like local residents. How did you make out with the water back there, Jake? Stay dry?”

  “Yeah, I was lucky. I had my hiking boots in the lab, and they’re waterproof.”

  They walked a few hundred yards into a small residential area. Raymond paused in front of a small house and spoke in a barely audible whisper. “I’ll go by myself. I need to find out if Evie’s heard about Jack.”

  He knocked softly, and a woman opened the door. Following a brief exchange that the others could not hear, the woman embraced Raymond. Sarah thought she caught the sound of a sob, but she couldn’t be sure. Raymond signaled the others to come inside. As they approached the doorway, he nodded somberly. “She knew.”

  Raymond introduced the visitors to Evelyn. She remembered Anthony and was polite but reserved toward Sarah and Jake. They all sat down in a small circle. Alfreida had gone to sit with Evelyn’s father, who was asleep in the bedroom. They tried to talk quietly. Raymond sat next to Evelyn and spoke gently. The others remained silent. “Evie, we’re trying to find out how the smallpox started. It’s really important, so I want you to remember everything, even though it’s painful. Did anyone come visit you—or Jack—before Jackson got sick?”

  “That’s what the federal people all wanted to know. ‘Who came to see Jack?’ That’s all they seemed to be interested in. At first, it was some doctors, and they were nice, and they asked other questions, too. But then it was just people in uniform, soldiers, and they acted like all this was Jack’s fault. ‘Where did he go? Who did he meet with? Why did he leave?’ And then it got even worse. ‘Why did he take his rifle? Did he say he was going to kill people?’ I told them I didn’t know. I said that he was probably just going hunting. Maybe I should have told them about the cabin.”

  She turned toward Jake and Sarah. “It was his father’s, and it’s where he’d go to hunt or sometimes just to get away when the pressure got real bad. But I was afraid they would hurt him, so I didn’t tell.”

  “Did anybody from outside come to visit your house, Evie? From someplace outside Farmington? Somebody who could have come in contact with Jackson? Maybe even at his school rather than at your house?”

  “I don’t think so, Raymond. Nobody came to the house, except our friends. The government people said they talked to the teacher from my school who came to visit, but she wasn’t any help. She didn’t know anything about it. She got sick too, but I heard she’s getting better now.”

  “Mrs. Redhouse,” said Sarah softly, “may I ask you a question?”

  “You can ask, but if you’re really here to help like Raymond says, you can’t call me Mrs. Redhouse. That’s what the government people called me. If you’re really my friend, I would like you to call me Evie.”

  “Okay, Evie. We think that whatever made your son sick was something old. W
as there anything really old at school or at your house? Maybe an old photo album or something from your grandparents?”

  “No, we don’t have any old family heirlooms. I wish we did, but we don’t.”

  Her voice caught. “I mean I don’t. There’s nothing like that. I’m sorry.”

  “That’s all right, Mrs. … Evie. We just need to keep trying to figure this out.”

  “There was something …” Evelyn turned toward Raymond. “But it wasn’t from our family. The stuff from eBay.”

  “What stuff was that Evie?” Raymond asked gently.

  “I’ve been reading a little now and then. Hoping that sometime I could take a course up at the college. Maybe get an Associate’s degree someday. One of the teachers at my school was helping me. Not the one who got sick, a different one, Jillian. She’s been really nice to me. And she said she’d teach me how to use a microscope to learn about water pollution.”

  She nodded her head at the small desk in the corner of the living room. “I was using the computer that Jack gave me for my birthday, and I saw this really nice collection on eBay. It had everything I wanted. All kinds of different specimens and slides. I put in a bid for just two dollars, and I got them. I was so excited. I didn’t even have to pay for the shipping, and that was five dollars. It was even more than the slides. As soon as I could save up enough money, I was going to buy a microscope.”

  When Sarah spoke again, her voice combined sympathy with urgency. “Where are the slides now, Evie?”

  “I haven’t seen them for a while. Since before Jackson got sick. About a week before. I forgot all about them. They’re over at the school, now. Apache Elementary School, where I work. I took them there after I found Jackson playing with them. He was putting them in his mouth, and I was afraid he would cut himself. So I put them over in the biology room to be safe. That was okay for me to do, wasn’t it?”