Removal (3 page)

‘I guess so. But I’m one of those people who need people they know. I have a friend, an old friend from back home, Linda Samuels. I lean on her a lot. I don’t know what I would have done without her.’

Lazenby nodded.

‘So you feel you’re making progress?’

She sat back up in the chair.

‘I guess so. It took me the first two weeks just to stop shaking. The next two weeks, I couldn’t stop thinking about Joe and Tina, and I cried the whole time. Since then, I’ve tried to think about other things, I’ve tried to remember who I am and what I’m supposed to be doing, but …’

Lazenby stood, walked around his desk, and leaned against it, just in front of Kelly’s chair.

‘Kelly, I’ve read the reports on
Operation Shakedown,
and I’ve spoken to New York about it. They should never have let you do what you did. You were too inexperienced. I’ve made my views on that very clear to the agent in charge.’

‘I volunteered.’

‘I know. And I also know that what happened wasn’t your fault. But they should never have let you do it.’

They were silent for a while.

‘It was going fine at first,’ Kelly said eventually, almost to herself. ‘I got myself taken on at the factory.’

‘Yes.’

‘The whole place was just a front, a cover for the rackets the two Families were running in the Bronx. I was getting good information. My cover seemed to be secure, but something went wrong…’

‘There are no guarantees when you’re dealing with the Mob.’

‘No, Sir.’

‘There’s no point in reliving it. Especially the shoot-out.’

Kelly closed her eyes again.

‘I know I’ll never be able to forget that. I still get nightmares about it. It’s only been in the last week or two I’ve been able to sleep through the night.’

‘I understand.’

‘I don’t really know why I’m still alive,’ Kelly continued. ‘I have no right to be. If Joe and Tina hadn’t shown up, I would have been dead. That I do know. But the rest of it, well, it all happened so fast. Somehow, we were able to call for back-up. But we were outnumbered, and by the time they arrived…’

‘Joe and Tina were dead,’ Lazenby added quietly. ‘Yes, I know. And I’m sorry. They were good agents.’

‘They were my friends,’ Kelly whispered. She made a desperate effort to suppress the tears, but it was no use. ‘I keep thinking, there must have been something I could have done differently. I should have got out of there before they…’

‘No,’ Lazenby said. ‘You did your job, and you did it well.’

He waited for some time until she recovered her composure.

‘Look, Kelly, I didn’t ask you to interrupt your leave and come all the way from Cancun to bring back such painful memories,’ he said. ‘I’m sure you had quite enough of that when they debriefed you. I brought you here to make you a proposition.’

Kelly looked up.

Lazenby walked slowly back to his seat.

‘I don’t know how you’re feeling about the Bureau right now. It wouldn’t surprise me if you feel bitter about it. If that’s the case, I’m sorry. But I do know you’re a good agent, and I don’t want to lose you. I’ve looked at your service record. You were one of the best recruits we ever had at Quantico.’

He folded his hands in front of him on his desk.

‘Keep this under wraps for now, but I’m losing my personal assistant, Fred Keenan. He’s been seduced by the world of commerce. Better pay and regular hours. I can’t say I blame him. In fact, I’m feeling a little jealous. But the point is, Kelly, I need a replacement. It’s not an easy assignment. You’ll be on call twenty-four hours a day. There’s a lot of paperwork, and a lot of dealing with unreasonable people who don’t know what’s going on. That includes people at high levels of government, who damn well should know what’s going on. It can be exhausting and frustrating, and there will be days when it will drive you insane.’

He paused, and his voice softened.

‘But you’ll be here in Washington, Kelly, you’ll be out of the worst of the mayhem for a while, and maybe it will give you time to readjust. And if that happens, and we can keep you in the Bureau, it will be worth it. What do you say?’

Kelly was staring at Lazenby, her mouth open.

‘Director, I’m… I’m overwhelmed. This was the last thing I expected. I thought…’

‘You thought what? That we were going to let you go?’

Kelly nodded.

‘I didn’t know what else to think.’

Lazenby laughed.

‘Well, we’re not. Not without a fight. Your record speaks for itself. You’re smart, you’re courageous, you have initiative, and you want to make a difference. That’s an unusual combination in any organization, the Bureau included, and I want you on my side.’

‘I don’t know what to say.’

‘Well, how about ‘Yes’?’

Kelly took a deep breath and released it sharply.

‘Sir, are you sure about this? I’ve been around long enough to know that being your assistant is a senior assignment in the Bureau. Won’t there be people who resent…?’

‘That’s my problem,’ Lazenby replied firmly. ‘All I need to hear from you is yes, or no. Look, if you want, you can go right back to Cancun. No one will hold it against you. But, if you still want to make a difference, I’m offering you the chance to do it.’

Kelly looked at Lazenby for a few seconds, then got to her feet abruptly.

‘Actually, Director, I do need to go back to Cancun.’

‘Oh…?’

‘To collect the rest of my things.’

K
ELLY
WAS
LYING
on her back on the sofa in the living room of her apartment, wearing an oversized sweatshirt, jeans and socks, and nursing a Coke. At five feet, nine inches, her slim figure took up almost the full length of the sofa. She had bright blue eyes, and jet black hair, cut stylishly short.

She stopped laughing long enough to interrupt the stream of complaints coming at her over the phone.

‘But Linda, it’s an honor to guard the President.’

‘It is not an honor to hang around his hotel rooms and listen to him having orgasms,’ Linda Samuels insisted.

She paused.

‘Jesus, Kelly, I shouldn’t be saying this on the phone. You’re sure this line is secure, right?’

‘I’m sure,’ Kelly replied. ‘Anyway, what difference does it make? Everyone knows he sleeps around. It’s not exactly news.’

‘That wouldn’t help me if it leaked out because of me. I wouldn’t tell anyone except you. It’s all so demeaning, Kelly. And you ought to see this one. She’s so fucking superior. She makes me want to throw up.’

‘What’s she like?’

‘Foreign. Expensive clothes. Good-looking, I have to give her that. The Boss has good taste in that department. But she acts as if she owns him.’

‘How does he keep her from the First Lady?’

‘Oh, that’s easy enough, with our cooperation. If the President wants to see someone, we know exactly how to arrange it discreetly. It’s been part of our job since Kennedy’s day, longer according to some. Senior agents take you to one side and explain it to you when you’re first assigned to the Detail.’

‘My God, what a use of the tax-payers’ money,’ Kelly said.

‘Tell me about it.’

‘Well, it’s your own fault. You had to choose the Secret Service. You could have come with me to Quantico.’

‘I’d already spent most of my life with you. We went all the way through school and college together.’

‘So, you couldn’t stand me any more? I thought we were to be life-long friends.’

‘We are,’ Linda insisted. ‘You know how much you’ve always meant to me, Kelly. You remember me back in the old days, a kid from the wrong side of the tracks with alcoholics for parents. If it hadn’t been for you and your parents, God only knows what…’

Kelly sat up.

‘Don’t start on that, Linda,’ she said gently. ‘You got yourself out of that, you made a life for yourself, and you did a damn good job of it.’

‘I’m just saying you’ve been my friend. You stuck with me.’

‘And you stuck with me.’

Linda sighed.

‘Oh, I’m sorry, Kelly. I’m just upset, that’s all. I’ll get over it.’

‘I don’t blame you for being upset.’

‘Maybe I should have gone with you to Quantico. I just didn’t see myself as an FBI agent at the time. But maybe I’m having second thoughts. Maybe it’s not too late. What do you think?’

‘I think you had a bad day.’

‘The job sucks sometimes.’

‘Every job sucks sometimes.’

Linda laughed.

‘Yeah, you’re right, I know. Oh, the hell with it. We’re back in Washington tomorrow, and the First Lady is in residence. Perhaps he’ll give it a rest for a while. Let’s change the subject. How’s the love life?’

‘It’s fine when we have time,’ Kelly said. ‘It’s just that Frank and I have such different schedules. It’s getting harder and harder to spend enough time together.’

‘He’s still with Senator O’Brien, right?’

‘Yes. Frank’s Chief of Staff now. He’s thinking of running for office himself eventually. But the trouble is, he would have to start back in Minneapolis. I don’t relish the thought of a commuter relationship. How about you?’

‘No better.’

‘Have you heard from Bob?’

‘No.’

‘You still miss him?’

‘Yes, the bastard.’

Kelly sighed into the phone.

‘Some men don’t know when they’re well off,’ she said. In the silence, the phone beeped.

‘Damn,’ Kelly said. ‘That’s the call I’m expecting, Linda. Got to go. Call me tomorrow, OK?’

‘OK’

‘Love you.’

‘Love you,’ Linda said, hanging up.

Kelly clicked in the incoming call.

‘Phil?’

‘Kelly?’

‘Yes. Hey, there. How’s it going out there in Oregon?’

‘The Portland field office has never looked so beautiful,’ Agent Phil Hammond replied.

Kelly laughed.

‘Now, Phil, don’t be bitter. It’s just a temporary assignment.’

‘Easy for you to say.’

‘So what’s up?’

‘We’ve been keeping surveillance on Carlson and Rogers round the clock. They are the brains behind the Sons of the Flag, Kelly, no doubt about it. They’re both nasty pieces of work, too.’

‘I know. I saw their rap sheets.’

‘It goes a long way beyond that. At first, we had them down as your typical racist malcontents, preaching the usual gospel of reclaiming America for the White Man. But that’s pretty routine out here. I have a feeling this goes much farther.’

Kelly pulled herself back up into a sitting position.

‘Are they still holing up in that compound or whatever out in the country?’

‘Yeah, most of the time. We can’t get close to it. It’s fenced in, and they have guards with some impressive fire power. So we’re watching from a distance. Oh, and get this, Kelly. The last couple of days, they’ve had visitors in dark suits carrying briefcases. Definitely not your usual paramilitary types. Stood out a mile. And Carlson and Rogers seemed to be rolling out the red carpet for them.’

‘So, what do you think? Mob?’

‘I don’t think so.’

‘Why not?’

‘They don’t have that look. More like Wall Street. Anyway, I can’t see what angle the Mob would have with these guys.’

‘Who might show up at a paramilitary compound dressed for Wall Street?’

‘I don’t know. For some reason, I’m getting the impression that these people might not be Americans. We’re trying to get some decent pictures. We have satellite coverage 24/7, but they’re a bit camera-shy and we haven’t had much luck with close-ups as yet. If we do, I’ll send them to you. If you can’t identify them, could we ask the Agency?’

‘Sure. Are they using mobiles?’

‘Not a lot. These guys are very aware, very discreet, but we have our analysts ready in case they do break cover.’

Hammond paused.

‘What?’ Kelly asked.

‘I’m thinking, the only way to get to them may be to go in undercover.’

‘Jesus, Phil,’ Kelly said. ‘You need to think about that. It could be very dangerous. And you would need authorization from the top.’

‘I know. I have to report to the Director anyway. I’ll probably fly back for a couple of days on Friday. At least that way I can enjoy a weekend of civilization.’

‘You’re just an East Coast chauvinist. There’s nothing wrong with Portland.’

‘Come out and savor it with me.’

‘Gee, I wish I could, Phil,’ Kelly grinned. ‘I’m sick that my schedule’s so full here.’

‘Yeah, right. Look, I’ll call in tomorrow.’

‘OK. Take care, Phil.’

‘You too, Kelly.’

Kelly hung up. She was almost ready to go to bed for the night. But something was troubling her and, try as she might, she could not work out what it was. She lay back down on the sofa, switched on the television, and finally fell asleep where she lay, watching a late-night talk show.

C
ONGRESSMAN
G
EORGE
S
TANLEY
, his face an angry red, was pacing furiously around John Mason’s office. Stanley was short, and had trouble staying with the diets his wife continually planned for him.

‘I don’t know why we waste our money supporting this so-called think tank when you people can’t ever think of anything,’ he shouted.

Mason, sitting calmly behind his desk, was wearing a faint smile. In his mid-thirties, he had already built a successful legal career in Washington, representing the interests of the Party. For now, his reward was the directorship of the Wilson Foundation. Very few decisions at the highest Party levels were made without input from the Wilson Foundation, which meant that Mason was privy to most of the Party’s secrets. He also knew where most of the bodies were buried, which meant that some influential people had good reason to be grateful for his discretion. For now, he was content to enjoy his large office, substantial salary, and almost limitless expense account. Somewhere down the road, at a time of his own choosing, he would call in the favors he was owed and walk into elective office. Mason was tall and effortlessly self-assured, his gray-blue eyes piercing. He was well past the point of being intimidated by average congressmen such as George Stanley.

‘We do what we can, Congressman,’ he replied smoothly. ‘We are looking into every possible angle.’