Solemn Duty (1997) (26 page)

Peter Wong stood. "A week is acceptable."

Jean Paul inclined his head slightly. "The servants will see you out, Peter."

Quan Train shook his head as soon as the lawyer departed.

"I cannot stomach his kind. They smell of flowers and have never toiled under the sun. He site here telling you not to complicate matters, and yet six months ago he thought nothing of asking us to eliminate the California scientist and his staff."

Devoe walked to the rail and once again looked out at the meandering river. "His kind have been very profitable to us, old friend. We who have been loyal and have been willing to soil our hands have achieved what we have always wanted the opportunity to see justice done." Jean Paul walked to Tram and helped him to his feet. "Come, it is time for you to teach suffering."

.

9:10 A. M. FBI Headquarters, Washington, D. C.

Eli sat beside Ashley at the far end of a large table filled with agents and staff. At the opposite end sat the deputy director, in a dark blue pinstripe suit. Short and bald, the Bureau's number two man looked to Eli like a well-dressed Yoda, of Star Wars.

Of course, he didn't have the funny ears, but otherwise he was a dead ringer. Seated to Yoda's left was Don Farrel, the Atlanta SAC. Eli had purposely avoided Farrel by arriving just before the meeting started. The one surprise at the table was Ramona Valez, who had flown in with the SAC and George Polous, alongside whom she was seated.

Eli had tuned out the agent who was briefing, but tuned in again as he asked for the next computer-generated slide, which was projected up to a wall screen.

". . and this, Deputy Director, is a summary list of on-going areas of investigation concerning the case. I point out the last one first. The bodies found in the ruins of the farmhouse, and the body of the suspect shot by the sniper, were all of Asian extraction, Chinese, to be exact, as was the apprehended suspect. Although the suspect has refused to speak, evidence found in the debris and on their persons indicate all the men are Cantonese Chinese.

"The Blazer at the farmhouse has been identified as a Hertz rental from the National Airport. The vehicle was rented in the name of a firm called the Jade Sun Company. It is a small computer software company whose main headquarters is in Hong Kong. They have two sales offices here in the United States, one in the Washington area, in Springfield, and one in Los Angeles. Agents have talked to the president of the Springfield office as well as the personnel manager. Both deny having any knowledge of the suspects, the Blazer, or the credit card used for renting the vehicle."

The deputy director shifted his eyes away from the screen.

"Have you identified any of the suspects?"

"No, sir. All had identification in their billfolds, driver's licenses, credit cards, etcetera, but we found them to be bogus.

We ran their fingerprints, but have come up with nothing so far. All we know for sure is that they are Cantonese Chinese and most likely from Hong Kong."

Running his hand over his bald head, the deputy leaned back in his chair and looked to Farrel. "What are you making of all this, Donny?"

Farrel signaled for the agent to go to the next slide. "Sir, it looks like this all must be tied to organized crime."

"Dead Chinese from Hong Kong says to me the Chinese syndicate," Yoda said.

Farrel nodded. "Yes sir, that's our theory based on the events of last night. There is a definite connection with the farmhouse and the killing of our agents and the Schwarks in Greenville. The gray van seen leaving the Greenville motel was found abandoned on a dirt road. The van was rented in Richmond at the airport in the name of the same Chinese firm, Jade Sun. The larger boat that burned in Charleston's Cooper River was rented to the same company. Agents have interviewed the car and boat rental employees, and we've come up with three who say the individuals who filled out the rental contracts were of Asian extraction. All used Virginia car or boat licenses and all used Visa credit cards. The license numbers have been checked and were bogus, but the Visa cards were real. Issued to the Jade Sun Company.

"Sir, the big question is why the Chinese syndicate is bent on eliminating a group of men who served together in the military. We're looking into the obvious connection, drugs, but so far haven't found evidence to support the theory. And the bad news, according to Colonel Anderson-who talked to our agents last night-is that he believes there are still other targets yet unidentified that this group is going after.

"Unfortunately, the colonel was in a great deal of pain due to a gunshot wound he received during his escape. After the colonel directed agents to the house, the attending doctor gave him drugs to reduce the pain and allow him to sleep. Agents took the precaution of sending him to the Army hospital at Belvoir, but have not been able to get more information from him. Dr. Valez, the case behavioral scientist, talked to the attending doctors on the phone this morning, and they assure her the effects of the drugs will have dissipated enough for him to be lucid later this morning. Dr. Valez will be talking to the colonel, trying to ID probable targets and obtain more information on the specific group within the Chinese syndicate. In the meantime we're working full speed with your organized crime experts and hoping forensics gives us something. We'll turn something up, I'm sure of it. Nobody is that good in covering their tracks."

The deputy leaned forward in his chair. "What can I do to help you, Donny?"

"Sir, keep the press off my back. Your staff has been providing everything and all the experts we've asked for, but the press needs to be handled by your staff, not mine. The demands are too big for my people. It's time your people dealt with them."

"Right. I agree, we'll take that one off you. Well, I don't see any need to keep you all from your business. However, I do want to commend Agent Tanner. Is he here?"

Eli cringed as he raised his hand. "I'm Agent Tanner, sir."

The deputy smiled as he looked down the long table. "I've read the report and been briefed on last night's operation. I commend you on you taking charge of the situation and going in. I also had a chance to talk to Dr. Valez before the meeting, and she tells me it was you who first connected the victims.

Excellent work, Agent Tanner, excellent." The deputy's eyes shifted to Farrel. "You must be proud of your agent, Donny."

Farrel's face turned beet red, but he managed a nod. "Yes, sir."

Keeping his smile, the deputy rose, signaling everyone to stand. He went straight to Ramona Valez, offered his arm and walked her toward the door. "Dr. Valez, how can I convince you to come to Washington and work for . . ."

Ashley leaned over and whispered, "The SAC is coming up behind you."

Eli winced and waited.

"Tanner."

Eli turned. "Yes sir?"

Farrel stepped closer and lowered his voice to a hiss.

"You're the luckiest son of a bitch alive. I wanted your ass on a silver platter for taking the lead and representing my office without my authority. You managed somehow to pull it off, but don't think I'll forget. You listen to me--you pull a stunt like that again and I'll have you drawn and quartered, you understand?"

"Perfectly, sir," Eli said, standing motionless, not showing a trace of emotion.

"Good. I don't like it, but you've placed me in an awkward position. I'm stuck with you representing our office here in Washington. Ramona is staying here to interview Colonel Anderson and the suspect you apprehended. I don't have a choice in this, but I can't have her running around loose up here when she's supposed to be working for me. You're it, Tanner. You're my lead up here, and Ramona will come under you. Just remember who's really running this damn case.

George thinks he is, but you damn well know it's me that's under the gun. You report everything to me first. You get Ramona on board and make sure she understands that if she tries to one-up me on this, I'll make her life miserable for the rest of her short career. If anything breaks in this case, it will come out of my office and come from me, you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Eli answered softly.

"Good. Now that that's settled, you can go on and talk to Ramona and get her squared away on the facts of life. Agent Sutton here will be returning with me. She'll be going back to Columbus."

Eli raised an eyebrow. "Sir, Agent Sutton and I are a team. I would like her to stay and assist me."

"Don't push this, Tanner," Farrel said with a glare. "She goes back to Columbus. The office has to be manned."

"Sir, I realize that, but temporary help will do until the case is closed. I need Agent Sutton's assistance if you want Ramona watched. Agent Sutton and Ramona seem to have hit it off Ramona might not be as likely to try and pull an end run around her."

Farrel closed his eyes a moment and shook his head in obvious frustration. "Christ! Women. Ramona is the smartest damn woman I know, but I don't trust her as far as I can throw her. Point taken, Sutton stays."

Farrel turned and shook his finger in Ashley's face. "Watch her, damnit. She's a press hound and will do anything to make herself look good. It will be an all-Ramona show if she happens to break something. She doesn't understand the team concept. Make her understand. It will be my office, not Ramona Valez, who breaks any good news concerning this case. You understand?'

Ashley mimicked Eli's handling of the SAC, by standing still without showing any emotion. She dipped her chin and said quietly, "Perfectly, sir."

Farrel kept a hard look on Ashley, then shifted the same look to Eli. "Go on, both of you. And remember, either of you screw up and I'll have you both reassigned to embassy duty in Greenland."

Farrel marched away and Eli wrinkled his brow at Ashley.

"Do we have an embassy in Greenland?"

Ashley sank into her chair. 'Whatever possessed you to tell him you needed me? I would have been happy to go back to Columbus."

"I was being honest. I do need you to watch Ramona. Come on, let's find her and get started."

Ashley pinned him with a stare. "This case has become personal to you, hasn't it? I saw it last night in your eyes."

Eli slowly lowered his head. "When I saw Robert Anderson in that hospital bed yesterday, I saw me. I had thought of him before then as that young captain in the team photo, smiling and radiating confidence. That picture of him reminded me of me in 1972. I was young and confident just like him. And like him, I was confident because I knew I had good people around me who would lay their lives on the line for me. I cared for my men more than anything in this world, Agent Sutton. That picture told me Robert Anderson cared for his team the same way I cared for my squad. When he told us about having to sit in that cell and listen to some asshole tell him the men he had loved and respected were being murdered, I knew exactly what he'd felt. So yes, it's personal, very personal. . . . Those murdered men were fellow veterans . . . brothers of mine."

Ashley picked up her briefcase and stood. "Let's find Ramona and get started."

Eli finished telling Ramona Valez he would be the lead in Washington, and she immediately headed for the door, talking over her shoulder. "Come along, you two, we have interviews of Colonel Anderson and of the suspect to conduct." In the hallway, she waited, then stepped between Eli and Ashley, taking their arms in hers, and began walking them down the hall.

"Don told you both to keep your eye on me, didn't he?

That's okay. I know Donny, he's worried I'll take too much credit when we break this. He's right, of course, I will, but he deserves that because of his archaic thinking. He's a dinosaur who doesn't appreciate or understand the cyberspace revolution. To him the Internet is something you catch fish indoors with. Now, don't worry, you two. I'll be good, for your benefit.

However, there are rules. First, you may have been placed in charge of me, Eli Tanner, but 'charge' doesn't mean anything more than I report to you."

"Mona, I wouldn't dare think I could possibly be in charge of you. We're a team."

"Not exactly, Eli, and that brings us to rule two. I call the plays and decide game strategy. You carry the ball when I say."

"Okay, Mona, we're not a team, you're the coach, trainer, and quarterback. Agent Sutton and I are waterboys, or water people, or whatever."

"Yes, that's better. Now that we understand each other, I have to ask why in hell you two are so formal with each other.

It drives me nuts-`Agent Tanner' this and 'Agent Sutton' that. What is it with you two?'

"That's the way I like it," Ashley said defensively.

Ramona gave her a sidelong glance. "Okay, for now we won't worry about the formal thing. Other than that, we'll all get along just fine. Oh, one more thing. I drive."

Eli rolled his eyes. 'Why did I already know that?'

Ramona elbowed him. "I'm the psychologist here, Eli.

Don't conclude that I'm a control freak just because I want to drive. I admit, I do like controlling my environment, but I'm driving because I've seen you drive. Remember?'

"Is he really that bad?' Ashley asked.

Ramona lowered her chin. "You're asking tells me you haven't ever ridden with him when he's behind the wheel. Do white knuckles and cold sweats convey a message to you? Oh, here we are, we're picking up a new member of our team in this office. He should be ready to go with us."