Forged in Honor (1995) (22 page)

General Faraday leaned forward in his chair. "But why would a friend turn-"

"Because he loved his country more," Josh said in a low voice. He lowered his head, remembering that day.

Grant closed her folder and spoke softly. "One last question, Colonel. When was the last time you saw Sergeant Major Dan Crow?"

Josh raised his chin and couldn't help but smile. "Hondo a sergeant major? No way; you got him mixed up with somebody else."

Grant smiled for the first time during the meeting. "According to the file, he accompanied you on the recon of northern Burma and was also forced to leave the country. He made sergeant major in 1990 and retired in '93. When did you see him last?"

Josh shook his head and smiled reflectively. "I'll be damned, that ole bastard beat the system.... I saw Hondo last during the action in Grenada. My Special Forces team linked up with a Delta Force detachment to secure the students. He was a master sergeant then, working as the detachment leader. Where the hell is he now?"

Grant motioned to the door. "He should be waiting outside. He's our other candidate."

Josh's eyes widened, and he began to push back his chair.

Just then, the door opened and the colonel who had been sent to get the coffee entered with a frown and empty hands. He motioned over his shoulder. "Sorry, but-"

"I want some goddamned answers! Who the hell is in charge?" a voice bellowed. A second later, a balding man wearing a sport jacket two sizes too big and a clip-on tie walked into the room. "Is this the place I get the damn answers?" he demanded.

Josh stood up and said, "You always did know how to make an entrance, Hondo."

The small, wiry man halted in his tracks. His eyes widened in recognition and his mouth dropped open in surprise. A moment passed before he yelled, "Hawk! You son of a bitch, ain't nobody called me Hondo in years."

The two men embraced. Then Josh pushed his friend away but held his shoulders. "Ya look like shit. You must not be getting any zu."

"Aw, hell, Hawk, the old lady made me swear off the booze a week after I retired. Ain't that a pisser? I'd been plannin' my retirement for years--sittin' back on the lake drinkin' zu and dyin' happy--but she ruined it for me. How 'bout you, is Jill still keepin' ya straight?"

Josh's smile dissolved. He put his arm around his friend's shoulder. "She died, Hondo. It was four years ago next week.

She went in for a normal checkup and they found a tumor.

She was gone a month later."

"Shit, Hawk, I'm sorry. I loved that gal."

The general cleared his throat to get their attention. "Gentlemen, we'll take a break for ten minutes so you two can get caught up." The officers all left except for Grant, who stayed in her seat.

She met Josh's stare and raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, I have to stay. I'm your escort. Just pretend I'm not here."

Crow grabbed Josh's arm, walked him to a corner of the room, and whispered, "What the hell is going on? I was fishin' yesterday afternoon when two MP officers show up outta nowhere and tell me I gotta go with them. Jesus, you shoulda heard my ole lady when I showed her the orders.

They gave me all of ten minutes to pack, then drove me to San Antonio and put me on a plane with a major for an escort"

Josh leaned closer. "I think it's got something to do with Zuland. These people are all from the DIA's Southeast Asia branch. After that bombing, I'd bet we're being brought in to advise and consult with the big boys."

Crow's drawn face brightened. "Shiiit, that ain't bad. Hell, with the money I make from this consulting stuff, I'll be able to build on that addition I wanted on my cabin. Hey, tell me about Stefne. How is she? I bet she's all grown up, huh?"

Josh reached for his wallet. "Wait till you see her picture.

She's ..."

Grant led the two men through the main entrance of the State Department. Two Ivy League types met them and motioned them toward an elevator. Crow looked at all the national flags of the world hanging in the huge glass lobby and poked Josh in the ribs. "I've had a beer and a piece of ass in almost every country they got a flag for. I think I'll pick me up a miniature set for the cabin to help me remember when I'm too old to think about poontang."

Josh stepped into the elevator and whispered to his friend, "You caught every strain of clap, too."

Grant looked away to hide her smile--despite their whispering, she'd heard the conversation.

Two minutes later Josh and Crow exchanged confident looks and walked through the just-opened doom of a VIP conference room.

Josh sipped coffee from real china as the men seated at the table were introduced. He was impressed; he had heard all the names before and had even seen the CIA director on the television news a few times. He glanced at Crow, seated beside him. The old soldier was sketching on a notepad. The drawing looked like the beginnings of an addition to a cabin.

Director Jennings sat down and leaned back in his chair.

"Our country is in a dilemma. We need information, and you two men have knowledge of Burma that we desperately need.

This committee is asking for your help. I'm going to have my assistant explain what has happened and bring you up to date on the current situation. When he's finished, I'll explain what services we need from you."

Two minutes into the briefing, Josh's face had turned to stone. At the conclusion ten minutes later, he felt as if he were going to explode.

Jennings shifted his eyes to the two men. "As you've just heard, we have serious problems and need answers. This committee needs your help."

Josh couldn't take it anymore and snarled, "He didn't brief the truth."

Taken aback by the unexpected response, Jennings uncharacteristically stammered. "Wha ... what are you talking about?"

Josh pointed at the briefer. "He conveniently left out the fact that your agency provided the rebels with guns and advisers to fight the government. He didn't mention that the United States condoned the growing of poppies so the rebels could make money from the opium to hire mountain tribesmen to fight the Burmese government. You, Mr. Director, you and the DIA and the State Department are partly the reason our country is having this problem."

Jennings glared back. "We helped the rebels in the sixties, Colonel Hawkins. We did what was necessary then to stop communism. The situation we face now is different."

"Bullshit," Josh retorted. "I saw weapons your agency provided for the rebels in '73. You established base camps and hired mercenaries for cross-border ops into China. I saw the whole thing."

General Summer had become red-faced. He stabbed his finger across the table. "You're out of line, Hawkins! Don't bring that up again."

Josh looked at the other members of the committee and shook his head in disgust. "In '72 soldiers in Vietnam were buying dope being brought into Saigon from Burma. You people knew it, but you looked the other way. You helped the rebels, who you knew were trafficking, and now you people are upset because their government is involved?"

Jennings slapped the table. "They killed our people! They can't do that and get away with it. Our policies of the past were based on the threat to this nation. I wish to God we had done things differently, but we didn't."

Sergeant Major Crow gave Josh an understanding pat on the arm before shifting his eyes to Jennings. "We understand the problem. We just wanted to make sure all the cards were on the table. You gotta understand Hawk; he likes the truth.

Now what exactly do you want from us?"

Jennings motioned for the lights. As soon as the room darkened, a satellite overhead of a mountainous area flashed up on the screen. The next picture was a close-up of an area Josh recognized immediately. The church mission where he went to school was situated in the lower right-hand corner, but there was something new, a road beside it that made its way north before ending at the small river where he and Stephen used to fish and swim.

Jennings stood and walked to the screen. "I understand that both of you know this particular area very well. Here you can see camouflage netting. This committee needs to know what is under those nets. That is the reason you both are here. We want you to go in and find out."

Crow sat back in his chair and cast an accusing glare at Josh. " 'Consultants' my ass," he muttered.

Josh closed his open mouth and looked at Jennings in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

General Summer spoke for the director. "We're very serious. The Agency has its operations planning group working up the details as we speak. We're asking you to help with the planning and to take a team in yourselves. Your mission won't be the only one-we're sending in four other teams from the Agency with the support of some elements from the Special Operations Command. The operation's execution phase begins in only twelve days. That will give us time to brief and rehearse the teams and make the necessary arrangements for infiltration assets to be flown into India. As you can see, time is critical."

Jennings locked a stare on Josh. "Are you in or out?"

Everything within Josh's being screamed "Out" except for a small inner voice that was whispering to him, "You are sworn to protect the people and the Ri." Josh lowered his eyes to the bracelet on his wrist and heard himself say, "In."

Crow shrugged. "I've been wantin' some good zu, anyway. I'm in."

Jennings stood and put out his hand. "This nation is indebted to you both."

Both men stood. Crow shook hands with Jennings, but Josh turned his back and walked for the door.

Seattle, Washington Captain Sing stood outside the restaurant with one of the Chinese Triad security men. A red Corvette Stingray swung to the curb and the driver hurriedly got out. Sing took a step forward to stop the impeccably dressed man from going in, out the Chinese guard stepped in front of him and bowed.

"They are waiting, San."

"I should hope so," the driver said as he strode past the two guards and entered the restaurant.

Stephen and Colonel Po sat at a table with two embarrassed Triad representatives who were still making apologies for the missing host. Stephen had expected older, more traditional men-not the young, polished barons before him. With their near-perfect American English, they obviously had been schooled and had lived in the United States. They spoke as if relaxed, but their eyes were like those of hungry wolves.

He felt sorry for the United States, for he knew now the Triad had planned well ahead before moving into its new territory. They had sent young wolf pups to live among the naive American sheep.

Quan Jie, the senior of the two, turned to Stephen. "I hope you are enjoying your sta-" Jie's eyes abruptly locked on the doorway and turned cold.

"A thousand pardons for my tardiness," said a voice behind the Burmese.

Stephen turned and his eyes widened in surprise. The man in the doorway moved forward after making his apology. He saw Stephen and froze for a moment, then stepped toward him and extended his hand. "I say, haven't we met?" he asked as his eyes instructed Stephen to play along. Then he continued, "Yes, I have it-you attended the University of Hong Kong. I never forget a face. How are you, old boy?"

Stephen smiled politely and replied, "Very well, thank you."

"I am Ke Ping. I was senior to you, I believe."

Stephen bowed his head. "Yes, I vaguely remember you, U

Ke. I believe you were in the Horse Club. I am Stephen Kang, deputy finance minister. It is an honor to see you again."

Ke nodded, turned, and broke into a friendly smile. He offered his hand and said, "So we meet again, Colonel Po. I'm quite sorry to be late, but I had difficulties breaking away from another meeting, you understand. Did you bring along this old school chum of mine to impress me?"

Po smiled as he shook hands. "It is a surprise to me that you know my assistant. But yes, U Ke, I did plan to impress you."

Ke took his seat and grinned mischievously. "Ah, yes, I believe you are referring to the very large shipments you are bringing in." Chuckling as Po's face paled, Ke raised an eyebrow. "Come, come, Colonel, did you actually think we wouldn't know? We've been monitoring your shipments with great interest for some time now. It has been rather exciting, I must say."

Po regained his composure and sighed with resignation. "I suppose it was childish to hope we could keep it a secret from the Triad."

"Yes ... but your reasons were pure, so no harm is done.

We've been quite impressed with your leader's mettle in attempting such a feat. Quite sporting, actually. I suppose you have a plan if the first shipment should fail inspection?"

"Yes, of course," Po said, almost as if offended.

"Right, well then, let's get down to it. When your shipment arrives we will conduct the handoff as per our agreement. The wholesale market price as of today is twenty-five point five per kilo. Would you like to lock that price in today or see what the market does in the next few days? I give you the option as a fair businessman."

Po appeared to be contemplating the decision, but inwardly he was rejoicing. The price per kilo was a full $1,500 more than he had expected. He let another moment pass before giving a short nod. "I believe it would be better if we locked in the price today."

"Done, then," said Ke. "Quan Jie will take care of the administrative details."