Under the Color of Law (34 page)

Ingram fired off his own quick status report: assignment blown, nontarget police officer killed, field operative dead, containment teams en route, advise no further action. He ordered up an air force chopper, told the team to shut everything down, and hauled ass to the airport.

The Bronco had landed on its right side. The seat belt had kept Bobby Sloan's body from sliding down to the passenger window. Shards from the blown-out windshield glimmered in the dark blood pool that coated the glass. Weapons, flashlights, and equipment had broken loose from mounting racks and were strewn about the cab. Clipped to the windshield visor was a photograph of Bobby's wife, which he always carried with him as a good-luck charm.

Kerney reached through the windshield, pulled out Sloan's briefcase, and went through it with blood-sticky fingers. He found Bobby's surveillance log, tore it up, and watched as the wind scattered the pieces. He tossed the case back inside the vehicle and kept his eyes off Bobby's face as he yanked out the on-board laptop, stomped on it, and spun it into the trees out of sight.

"What are you doing?" Sara asked.

Heartsick, Kerney shook his head.

"I don't know." He felt deflated, angry, helpless. He kicked a piece of the shattered laptop away, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly.

"It's over. It ends right here."

He pulled out his cell phone.

"I'm calling it in. Bobby, Apple white, Perry-the whole stinking mess."

Sara stepped up to Kerney and gripped his arm to stop him.

"Lets think this through."

Kerney didn't want to hear it.

"We're outgunned, outmanned, and outmaneuvered."

"We've got company," Sara said.

He looked over his shoulder and tensed. Two men in camouflage fatigues came out of the woods carrying assault rifles. They crossed the road in a disciplined, perfect tandem, weapons at the ready.

Sara reached into her pocket and wrapped her hand around the 38.

Kerney judged the distance to the nearest cover, snaked his hand inside his jacket, and grasped the semiautomatic.

One of the men called out, "Chief Kerney, Colonel Brannon, step away from each other and put your hands in the air where we can see them.

Chief Kerney, slowly turn to face me. Do it now."

"What do you think?" Kerney whispered.

"We better do as they say," she whispered back.

"Do it now!" the man ordered.

"I'm sorry I got you into this," Kerney said as he turned and clasped his hands at the back of his neck.

Sara took her empty hands out of her pockets.

"Let's see what these gentlemen want before you start apologizing."

Ingram flew over the westbound convoy on the Interstate. A troop transport, two flatbeds, an ambulance, a container truck, and a big-rig tow-truck were moving in close formation, led by a Hummer with flashing lights.

Ingram waited for his orders to come in by encrypted radio relay. If the removal sanction remained in effect, could he do it? Instructions came through to contain and suppress if possible. Ingram looked out the cockpit window and smiled.

In his headset Ingram caught chopper traffic as the two Special Ops teams arrived at the scene and blocked the highway. He listened to pilots bark off-load orders as team members dropped into intercept positions at the few dirt roads that fed onto the highway.

On approach he had the pilot make a run down the five-mile containment area. They flew over the mountain pass roadblock, over Kerney and Sara Brannon under guard next to the Bronco, past the line of special-ops airmen guarding side roads, past Charlie Perry in the shot-up car, and on to the western roadblock.

Ingram ordered his chopper back to the Bronco. The pilot put the bird down on the highway. Ingram walked through deep snow to Kerney and Sara Brannon. Both were cuffed, hands at their backs. He had the cuffs removed and sent the guards out of earshot.

He looked at them for a long minute before speaking. Kerney's jaw muscles were torqued together. Sara Brannon's eyes questioned him, but she gave no sign of recognition.

"Shouldn't you be on your way back to Fort Leavenworth, Colonel?" Ingram asked.

"I was just leaving," Sara replied.

"That may still be possible," Ingram said. A cold wind blew against his neck. He turned up his collar.

"But first, tell me what you know."

"I know one of my officers has just been murdered," Kerney replied sharply.

"Make this easy on yourself, Chief," Ingram said wearily.

"I'll ask the questions. How did you ID me?"

Kerney stared hard at Ingram before replying.

"You were named as the source who confirmed that Applewhite'was FBI."

"Who passed on the information to you?"

"A friend of mine."

"Does he have a name?" Ingram asked sharply.

"Chief Baca of the state police."

"Did Chief Baca assist you in any other way?"

"No."

Ingram took in the answer without comment and glanced at the Bronco.

"Why did you put a tail on Agent Applewhite?"

"Last night I discovered who you and Applewhite really are," Kerney said.

"Once I knew she was operating covertly, I decided to have her watched."

"You suspected her?"

"Get real, Ingram," Kerney snapped.

"The woman just tried to murder us, and I've got a dead officer your people killed inside the Bronco. Of course I suspected her."

Ingram stuffed his cold hands into his coat pockets.

"Why did you visit Proctor Straley?"

"I wanted to find out if Applewhite had any connection to the Gatlin killing."

"And?" Ingram asked.

"Straley had no information. He accepts what he's been told."

"Who else besides Detective Sloan was helping you?"

Either Ingram didn't have a clue that he and Charlie Perry had also been under surveillance, or he was trying to give Kerney an out.

"Nobody," Kerney said.

Ingram nodded as though Kerney had given the right answer.

"Are you willing to walk away from this and not look back?"

"What will it take for us to do that?" Sara asked.

"All that you know about SWAMI can never be revealed, discussed, or made public.

The same applies to your investigation into the Terrell-Mitchell homicides. You will state this in writing and sign a binding, confidential document. Should you choose to go public on either of these matters, you will both be arrested and charged with the illegal possession of government secrets and obstructing a federal investigation. At the very least it will end both of your careers."

"What else?" Kerney asked.

"You must turn over all information gathered during your probe, and stop any further investigation into the death of Randall Stew art. You will acknowledge as accurate and conclusive the FBI findings of the Phyllis Terrell homicide investigation."

Kerney eyed the Bronco.

"How do you propose to make Bobby Sloan's murder go away?"

"Let's say that you asked Detective Sloan to meet with you in Ramah to participate in the Proctor Straley interview. Bad weather delayed his travel and an accident occurred involving a military munitions vehicle.

Unfortunately, the detective was killed in the collision."

"You can make that scenario happen?" Kerney asked.

"In a very short time it will happen."

"What about Applewhite and Perry?" Kerney asked.

"They were never here," Ingram replied.

"What if we don't agree to your terms?" Sara asked.

"The scenario regarding Detective Sloan's death is flexible, Colonel,"

Ingram said.

"Two more victims can easily be added, if necessary."

"Even if we walk now," Sara said, "what assurance do we have that your decision won't be overturned by a higher command authority?"

Ingram smiled thinly.

"I believe you've been given some cause to trust me in this matter, Colonel."

"I have," Sara said, "but it's not you I'm worried about."

"Any further contemplated action will be based on my debriefing. I doubt you'll have any reason to worry."

"That's good enough for me," Sara said.

Ingram gave Sara a brief smile and turned to Kerney.

"Do we have an agreement?"

Kerney nodded stiffly.

"Very well." Ingram switched his gaze back to Sara.

"A word of caution, Colonel.

When you return to Fort Leavenworth be very careful about what you do and say."

He motioned to the guards, who came forward and escorted Kerney and Sara to his helicopter. He heard the distant sound of the convoy on the road and walked to meet the lead vehicle. The Hummer stopped. He gave the officer his instructions, climbed into the chopper, and told the pilot to head for Santa Fe.

Kerney and Sara read and signed the binding agreement while Ingram looked on. At his cottage Kerney helped Ingram carry case material and evidence to his car. He watched Ingram arrange boxes neatly inside the trunk, and wondered why the rear license-plate lights were broken. He handed Ingram the last box filled with Father Mitchell's videotapes.

Ingram stuck it in the trunk and closed the lid.

"Tell me one thing," Kerney said.

"What started all the killing?"

Ingram hesitated and looked away.

"A floppy disk."

"Stolen?"

"I didn't say that," Ingram got behind the wheel.

"But think about your question, Kerney. Where did it all start?"

Kerney nodded.

"Who was the triggerman?"

Ingram gave Kerney a tight smile.

"Don't you mean trigger person?"

"I guess I do." Kerney smiled back.

"No more questions," Ingram said.

"When do I get my truck back?"

"Soon," Ingram said, cranking the engine.

After Ingram drove away, Kerney carefully checked cottage and grounds for wiretaps, bugs, and cameras. Everything apparently had been removed.

Unwilling to risk the possibility he'd overlooked something, Kerney took Sara to the hotel in his police vehicle. At the reception desk he upgraded from the junior suite to an executive suite and tipped a porter to fetch Sara's luggage.

He told Sara what Ingram had said after the porter left the room.

"Are you surprised?"

"That Ingram answered my question, yes. That it all leads back to Hamilton Terrell, not at all." Kerney checked his watch.

"I figure we've got an hour to talk freely before they catch on that we've changed rooms. Why do you think Ingram let us off the hook?"

Sara sank onto the couch in the large, elegant sitting room.

"He could have simply been following orders. It would've been stretching it to claim that a police chief, his wife, and a detective had all been killed in one traffic accident."

Kerney eased into an overstuffed chair.

"Why did he warn you?"

"To ease his conscience. No, more than that, I think. He never asked for the message he sent me last night, and he didn't seem eager to kill us."

"So, do we abide by the terms of the agreement?" Kerney asked.

"Is there a way not to?"

"Ingram didn't get everything. Andy Baca and Sal Molina have a lot of documentation, and they're not bound by any constraints."

"To be sent to Straley?" Sara asked.

Kerney nodded.

"I say offer him something-not a lot-if he renews his promise to use it with discretion, and tell him he'll get more if he doesn't blow it.

Just make sure you're not the one who puts it in Straley's hands."

"I think Andy would be willing to help out."

"So what's next?" Sara asked.

"When big brother stops watching us, we're going to live happily ever,"

Kerney said.

"That's a scary thought."

"Which part is scary?"

Sara laughed.

"I'll reserve comment. Will you stay on as chief?"

"For two reasons. I want to finish what I've started with the department and see Hamilton Terrell taken down a peg or two. Bobby Sloan and the other victims deserve that much. What about you?"

Sara smiled and rubbed her stomach.

"I'm having a baby. But before that I plan to graduate from the Command and General Staff College, preferably at the top of the class.

Then I'll see."

"Are you thinking of leaving the army?"

"It's something we need to talk about." She patted the cushion.

"Will you please come here and put your arms around me?"

Kerney moved to her. Sara turned so she could lean against his chest and snuggle in his arms.

Kerney kicked the sheets off and looked at the clock. He'd slept until eight.

The look of anguish he'd seen on Lucy Sloan's face last night remained frozen in his mind.

Sara had stayed with him throughout the afternoon and evening, as he met with Andy Baca, Sal Molina, and Larry Otero, and then paid a visit to Bobbys widow.

On the way to the airport last night they agreed to use e-mail sparingly, watch what they said on the telephone, and keep an eye out for anything suspicious.

The need to be paranoid felt like an invisible wedge thrust into their lives.

He thought about his meeting with Andy, Sal, and Larry. They all took the news of Bobby's death hard, but agreed to keep the truth buried.

Andy didn't have a problem with filtering information to Proctor Straley as long as Kerney set it up. They decided on what would be included in the first envelope. The taped hotel-room conversations between Applewhite and Perry, and Applewhite's phone calls to Terrell, would go out first. Andy would mail it if Kerney's contact with Straley result in a green light.