by Stuart Woods
“My orders were to find Teddy, report back and get the hell out,” Holly said.
Pepper shook his head. “Everything has changed, with Croft’s killing. We’re all going to be getting new orders.”
38
Hugh English knocked, then entered Kate Lee’s office. “Good morning, Director,” he said.
“Good morning, Hugh,” Kate replied. She thought he looked a little flushed and angry. “Let’s go straight in to lunch, shall we?”
“Of course.”
Kate led him into the small dining room off her office, where the round table was set for three and a bottle of Chardonnay was on ice. “Please take a seat.”
“Is someone joining us?”
“Yes, I’ve asked Lance to come a little later; first, though, I want us to talk.” She continued quickly, not giving him time to ask questions. “Hugh, first thing is I want to thank you again for stepping in after Dick Stone’s murder and holding things together.”
“I was happy to help.”
“I know you had to delay your retirement plans and that it may have been expensive for you to do that, so let me assure you, the Agency will make you whole in that regard.”
“Thank you, Director.”
“Secondly, I want to ask you to stay on just a little longer.”
“I suppose I can do that. Have you made any progress on choosing my replacement?”
“Yes, I’ve decided to promote Lance Cabot to the job. I realize, Hugh, that Lance would not have been your first choice, but I’m sure you know that I have my own priorities. I know you will agree that Lance has been a more than capable officer for us, winning good outcomes on a remarkable number of important efforts over the past few years.”
“Well, yes,” English said without enthusiasm. “I suppose you’ve already told Lance.”
“No, I wanted you to be here for that; it’s the purpose of our lunch. I also want to have a conversation among the three of us about the future of the operations directorate.”
“When is Lance’s appointment going to take effect?”
“Right after this luncheon,” Kate said. “What I’d like you to do is to gather your deputies and assistants this afternoon, tell them of the transition and ask them to assemble summaries of the various operations, both under way and contemplated. Tomorrow, or the next day, if they need the time, I’d like them to make full-blown presentations to Lance, so that he will have the greatest possible grasp of what’s happening everywhere. At your meeting this afternoon with your people, I’d like you to tell them to begin immediately to report to Lance on absolutely everything, and to cable all stations and all field agents to do so, as well. Instructions should go out before close of business today. It will be a bit of a cold shower for Lance, but I think it’s the fastest way to get him up to speed. I’ll make a written announcement to the building at half past four this afternoon.”
“Very well, I’ll get out of my office this afternoon.”
“That won’t be necessary, Hugh. Lance can continue to work from his temporary office until you feel the transition is as complete as you can make it. I know that Lance will want to consult with you on an hour-by-hour basis, until he has all the reins firmly in his hands. I know that moving out of an office you’ve occupied for as long as you have will take time; there’ll be a lot of files and mementos to go through, and I’ll appoint a screening committee to sift through everything as you send it home, to protect both you and the Agency from any inadvertent transfer of classified material.”
“All right.” English was looking a little deflated now.
“Also, Hugh, I know you’ll probably want to write your memoirs, and I’d like you to do that on a secure Agency computer, which we will install in whatever home you choose. Because of the sensitivity of your work here, I want to place a moratorium of one year from today on any contact with the press or publishers. You may instruct an agent to offer your book to publishers, if you wish, but of course, we’ll want to vet the proposal, which should be vague.
“I know, Hugh, that over the years you’ve established an outstanding network of contacts in Congress, and I hope that, at a series of lunches here at the Agency, you will introduce Lance to as many key people as you can, even though congressional approval is not required for his appointment, as it was not for yours. I must ask you, though, to refer any questions from Congress about any operations to your successor.”
“Of course. How much longer do you contemplate that you will need me in the building?”
“I should think at least a few days, perhaps longer, but that will be up to you and Lance. When you both feel that Lance is comfortable in the job, then we’ll send you on your way with all our best wishes.”
There was a knock at the door, and the director’s secretary stuck her head in. “Lance Cabot is here.”
“Would you ask him to wait just a moment, please?”
The woman left, and Kate turned back to Hugh English. “Hugh, is there anything you’d like to talk about before we invite Lance in?”
“Yes, Director; I have some questions about whatever it is that Lance is doing in St. Marks.”
“Hugh, I’m afraid that, in the circumstances, I can’t answer your questions, at least not yet. Lance is firmly in control of his very small operation there, and this afternoon, he’ll be talking with Jim Tiptree, Bill and Annie Pepper and the ambassador, just to get everybody on the same page.”
“Well, certainly everybody is not on the same page now.”
“I know, and I apologize for that being necessary in the circumstances. I know you felt left out of this business, but please be assured that that was not due to any lack of trust in you. It was necessary to compartmentalize, it was done on my authority, and I hope there will be no hard feelings for Lance on your part. If blame is to be assigned for anything, please assign it to me. Anything else?”
“No, Director, I think not.”
“Then I’ll ask Lance in,” she said, pressing a buzzer. “Please send Lance Cabot in.”
Lance knocked, then opened the door.
“Come in, Lance,” Kate said, “and have a seat.” She reached over, took the bottle of wine from the cooler and poured them each a glass. “I’d like to propose a toast,” she said, and they all stood. “To the Central Intelligence Agency’s new deputy director for operations.”
“Congratulations, Lance,” Hugh English said, mustering a trace of warmth. “I know you’ll do a great job.”
The director and English drank, while Lance looked stunned.
“I’m sorry if I’m speechless,” Lance said.
“Never happened before,” Kate said, and they all chuckled.
“Director, I want to thank you for your trust; Hugh, I want to thank you in advance for all the help I’ll need from you to get a grip on the job.” He raised his glass and drank.
They all sat down, and lunch was served.
39
They were eating dessert when a muffled ringing came from Holly’s handbag.
“That will be Lance,” Pepper said.
“It’s not our regular time,” Holly said, grabbing her handbag and coming up with the ringing satphone. She walked over to the window for better reception and punched on. “Hello?”
“Scramble,” Lance said.
Holly punched the button. “Scrambled.”
“Holly, first of all, I have news, then I have instructions.”
“I’m listening.”
“Less than an hour ago the director appointed me DDO, to succeed Hugh English, and with immediate effect.”
“I congratulate you, Lance.”
“Thank you. Where are you at the moment?”
“At Bill and Annie Pepper’s house.”
“Have you been discussing Agency business?”
“Yes, but Bill swept the house; it’s clean.”
“Can they hear you now?”
“Yes.”
“Go to another room.”
Holly lo
oked at the table. “Is that a bedroom?” she asked, pointing at a door.
“Yes,” Annie replied.
“May I use it for a few minutes?”
“Of course.”
Holly went into the bedroom, closed the door and stood by a window. “All right,” she said.
“It has become imperative that we identify and locate Teddy Fay immediately.”
“Bill has the photos downloaded from government computers on his laptop; it’s being delivered here sometime soon.”
“I want them e-mailed to me instantly as soon as you have them,” Lance said.
“I understand. Do you want me to tell Bill and Annie your news?”
“I’ll tell them myself, when we’re done. Have you heard anything about when the travel embargo might be lifted?”
“No, nothing.”
“I’m going to get you off that island if I have to send a submarine for you,” Lance said.
“You’re kidding.”
“Yes, I’m kidding, but getting you and the Peppers out is a top priority, right after identifying Teddy.”
“If we do identify him, what are my instructions then?”
“Your instructions are to wait for further instructions, and only directly from me.”
“What instructions are Bill and Annie likely to get from Hugh English?”
“None whatever; the director has effectively built a wall around Hugh, and he understands that there will be consequences if he breaches that wall. I want to know immediately if you hear that he has so much as spoken to anyone on the island.”
Holly was silent.
“Do you understand? This is critical.”
“I understand.”
“All right; now let me speak to Bill Pepper.”
Holly walked back into the living room and handed the phone to Pepper. “Lance wants to speak with you.”
Pepper took the phone and walked to the window. “Yes, Lance?” His expression changed as he listened. “Congratulations,” he said, then resumed listening. “Of course; I hope it will be here soon. Tiptree is having it delivered here. No, I won’t be going back to the office; I’ve already told them that a family emergency requires me to resign and return to the States. Well, I’ll look forward to that. Of course. And again, my congratulations.” Pepper punched off and returned to the table.
“We have a new boss,” he said to Annie.
“Lance?”
“Himself.”
“What are our instructions?”
“To get the photos to him ASAP and to render Holly and Stone any assistance we can in identifying Teddy Fay.”
“So it’s true?” she asked. “Teddy is still alive?”
“It seems Lance thinks so,” Pepper said.
“Did you ever meet Teddy?” Holly asked Annie.
“Once, in passing.”
“Do you think you could recognize him?”
“I doubt it, but anyway, I hear he uses a lot of disguises.”
“I hear that, too,” Holly said. She turned to Pepper. “Bill, do you have any opinion on who might replace Croft?”
Pepper shrugged. “Who knows? He has a Haitian assistant, but I don’t know if he has the weight to succeed his boss. His name is duBois.”
“What do you know about him?”
“He came from Haiti with Croft, so my assumption is that he is of the same stripe.”
“Do you think duBois is conducting the investigation into Croft’s murder?”
“Possibly; that will be up to Sir Winston Sutherland, of course, and I expect he’s pretty heavily involved in the investigation himself.”
“If you were running the investigation, who would be your initial suspects?”
“Well, there are people in Parliament and in the government who are opposed to Sir Winston, but they keep quiet about it. Certainly, there’s no violence-prone clandestine resistance that we know of, and I would doubt that any native of the island would be likely to lay his hands on the kind of weapon that must have been used-that is, high-powered and silenced. Nobody heard a gunshot.”
“So they’ll look at foreigners?”
“I expect so; visitors before residents, I should think.”
“So Robertson, Pemberton and Weatherby would not be among the first suspects?”
“I’m only guessing, of course, but probably not. What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking that I want us to get to them before duBois or some cop does.”
“You want to just go and knock on their doors?”
“Not yet, but if we get some sort of ID of one of the photos from Langley, yes.”
There was a crunch of tires on gravel from the driveway, and they heard a car door slam.
“Who would that be?” Holly asked.
“Either somebody from the embassy with my laptop or the police, take your pick.” Pepper got up, went to the front door and opened it.
Holly could see a young man hand Pepper something. Pepper closed the door, walked back to the dining table and set a very small laptop computer on it. “Let’s take a look at those photos,” he said, switching it on.
40
Sir Winston Sutherland sat at his desk, reviewing a stack of files. His phone buzzed.
“Yes?”
“Prime Minister,” his secretary said, “Major duBois is here, as per your request.”
Sutherland closed the file he had been studying.
A uniformed police officer of tall stature entered, came to attention and saluted. “Prime Minister, Major Marcel duBois reporting as ordered.”
“Ah, Major,” Sutherland said, looking him up and down. His uniform had obviously been cut to the man’s body, and he was the picture of military efficiency. “I expect you know why I have asked you here.”
“I would imagine it might have something to do with the death of Colonel Croft,” duBois replied.
“Quite,” Sutherland said. “I have been reading your file-especially your efficiency reports, as logged by Colonel Croft, and I am very impressed.”
“Thank you, Prime Minister.”
“I am promoting you as his replacement, with the rank of lieutenant colonel,” Sutherland said.
“Thank you, sir,” duBois replied, but a flicker of disappointment showed on his face.
“Ah,” Sutherland said, “I detect ambition.”
“Of course, Prime Minister.”
“You believe you should be given Croft’s rank, as well as his responsibilities.”
“I believe that responsibility and rank should go hand in hand.”
Sutherland beamed. “All right, full colonel.”
DuBois permitted himself a small smile. “Thank you, Prime Minister.” He was pleased; after all, he had a pair of Colonel Croft’s eagles in his tunic pocket.
The prime minister stood up and extended an open hand. “Allow me the pleasure of pinning on the emblems of your rank.”
DuBois felt a little abashed, but he produced the eagles and stood at attention while the PM pinned them on. He watched as Sutherland turned to his desk and returned with a framed certificate. “Your commission,” he said.
“Thank you, Prime Minister.” He noted that the commission was for colonel; the PM had been playing with him. “I shall be constantly devoted to following your every command.”
“You’d better be,” the PM said, smiling. “My first command is, find the man who shot Colonel Croft.”
“Yes, sir,” duBois said.”
“And how do you intend to go about it?” the PM asked.
“I have already taken the liberty of canceling all leaves and ordering each man to duty for the duration of the investigation, seven days a week.”
“It had better not take seven days,” the PM said. “What will be your first steps?”
“I shall order the immediate interrogation of every visitor to the island at their respective hotels, so as not to alarm the innocent; when that has been accomplished, I will start on the alien residents.”
“It shall be done, Prime Minister.”
Sutherland handed duBois the six files. “Are you acquainted with any of these men?”
DuBois quickly leafed through the files. “I know four of them; Colonel Croft dealt personally with Pemberton and Weatherby, the two Englishmen, so I have not met them.”
“Meet them now, and report back to me,” Sutherland said. “Henceforth, you will report only to me, as Colonel Croft did.”
DuBois saluted and left the office.
“Congratulations, Colonel,” Sutherland’s secretary said. She was a tall white woman with beautiful legs and breasts, and he knew that Croft had been fucking her. “Thank you, Hazel,” he said, giving her a little salute. “And I hope that when circumstances permit, you and I might find time to dine together.”
“It would be my pleasure,” she said, exhibiting no grief for the departed Colonel Croft.
DuBois gave her a big smile and exited the PM’s offices. Before leaving Government House he walked down a floor to the offices of the Home Secretary, and in the waiting room he spoke to the male secretary at the desk. “Please tell the home secretary that I wish to meet with him at once.”
The man’s small eyes flicked over duBois’s uniform, noting the eagles on his shoulders. He picked up a phone. “Sir: Colonel Marcel duBois requests an immediate conference. Yes, sir, he is here.” He hung up the phone. “Please go in, Colonel duBois.”
DuBois walked into the home secretary’s office, strode to his desk. “Good afternoon,” he said, placing the files in his hand on the desk. “I require search warrants and arrest warrants for these six men,” he said, “without delay. Please make a note of the names, as I shall be keeping the files.”
