Solemn Duty (1997) (34 page)

Jean Paul patted Yos Sovan's shoulder. "He speaks and understands English very well, as do all my men, so say nothing that will disturb him. I will leave you ladies now. We will talk again soon."

.

11:30 P. M. Fort Belvoir.

The hospital front-entrance waiting area had been turned into the temporary command post. The furniture was stacked along the lobby wall to make mom for folding tables and chairs where three agents and an MP colonel manned portable phones. Street maps for all of Washington and its outlying communities were taped to the windows and the walls.

Brad Brewer, the designated AIC, walked up to a man seated in the middle of the mom and handed him a cup of coffee. "You've had it, Eli. Why don't you go to your hotel and we'll call you if something comes up."

Eli accepted the cup and shook his head. "Thanks, Brad, but I wouldn't be able to sleep. I'd as soon stay."

Brewer pulled up a folding chair and sat down. "I just got word the wounded assailant died on the operating table. The good news is the nurse looks like she's going to pull through.

Bullet collapsed both lungs, but the surgery went well. If she'd been hit anywhere but the hospital, she would be history."

Eli took a sip of coffee and lowered his head. "Someone said they found blood in the canteen and there was blood in the stairwell." Eli raised his eyes to the agent "Do the lab boys think it was from one of the women?"

Brewer slowly nodded. "I didn't want to tell you till we knew something for sure. I'm sorry, Eli, but it appears that Sutton is the one who's injured. Based on what you told us, the crime scene tech says if she was the second one carried down the stairs, the blood was most likely hers. If she was first, then more drops on the steps would have been stepped on. They also found a piece of material snagged on the bottom of the Coke machine. You said she was wearing a blue suit, right?'

Eli closed his eyes and lowered his head again. Brewer leaned forward and patted Tanner's leg. "She's a tough little gal, Eli, she'll make it. Let me have a doc give you something, and I'll have one of the guys drive you to the hotel."

Eli began to shake his head but heard a familiar voice. "Eli!

Thank God!" Ramona Valez blurted as she strode into the room. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Charlie and I were worried sick when we heard. I'm so sorry about Ashley . . . but don't you worry, we'll find her. Come on, we have to talk."

Eli shook his head. "Mona, this is where I'm going to hear something first, and I-"

Charlie Lee walked up and took his arm. "Mona is right, Eli, we have to talk now. Come on outside and let me bring you up to date." He leaned closer and whispered in Eli's ear, "The Cambodians did more than make an attempt on Anderson tonight"

Eli stood and gave the Chinese American agent a questioning glare. "What are you talking about?"

"Outside," Ramona said, taking his ann.

Once in the parking lot, Eli spun around and faced Lee.

"What's with all the secrecy, Charlie?'

Lee stepped closer and lowered his voice to just above a whisper. "'Too many people in there, Eli. This can't get out to the press or they'll describe it as a ring of international terrorists on the loose. Look, Ramona and I just left Triad's headquarters. It was bombed about an hour ago. Over fifty night shift workers are believed to be dead, and that number could rise: You see, there is a twelve-hour difference in time zones between here and Hong Kong. The night shift was primarily made up of Chinese who sent reports and conducted business with the home office. So far there's been no survivors found"

Eli shook his head. "Charlie, all five of them were here. It couldn't have been."

"There are more of them than we thought," Ramona said "There was an explosion in Woodbridge this evening. One body was found and the ID on him makes him Jamaican. Four more bodies were in the house but they're beyond identification. A station wagon found fifty yards from the house was registered to a Jamaican who is a known small-time leader of a group that contracts hits. So far four Mac 10s have been found in the debris, and boxes of ammunition and spare magazines were found in the car. Eli, this is too much of a coincidence.

The Cambodians have to be responsible for all the action tonight"

"Jesus, what have we got ourselves into?" Eli said.

Charlie exchanged looks with Ramona and patted Eli's shoulder. "We're in a war, Eli-and right now the Cambodians are winning."

Agent Brewer yelled from the front door, "Eli, chopper just spotted the Ford van!"

Eli jogged inside and stopped by Brewer, who pointed at a map. "They've got it spotted here, in the sailboat marina just off the George Washington Parkway."

Ramona stepped up behind the two men and spoke in a monotone. "It matches the M. O. of the hit on the two generals.

They changed vehicles."

Chapter 18.

6:00 A. M. Washington, D. C.

Ashley felt her shoulder being shaken. She opened her eyes.

Jean Paul set a steaming cup of coffee down on the small nightstand. "You look much better this morning, Agent Sutton. I would get up slowly if I were you. I am sure the wound will begin throbbing again. I have left aspirins for you there beside your cup."

Ashley lay still, looking up at him. "Where is Sandy?"

"She is having breakfast in the other room with Mr. Sovan.

She is not as upset as she was last night. Please sit up, Agent Sutton; we must talk while she is occupied. Easy . . . yes, that is better. Now please tell me the name of the agent who was in the room with Anderson?"

"You can go to hell," Ashley hissed.

"No, Agent Sutton, we Buddhists don't believe in your Christian concept of hell. Please, no more dramatics. We both do not have the time. In a while I'm going to allow you to call the agent you called Eli. I must know if he is a man who can be trusted."

Ashley's glare diminished. "You're going to let me call him?"

"Yes, Agent Sutton. I want to demonstrate I am an honorable man, but I am also a man who has a duty to fulfill. I am going to make your Agent Eli a proposal for a trade. You and Mrs. Anderson for Robert. Now you understand why I am not talking to you in the presence of Mrs. Anderson. She would become distraught and perhaps hysterical if she knew of my proposal. I ask you not to tell her for both our sakes. Now please, answer the question. . . . What is the agent's full name?"

Ashley shook her head. "Mr. Devoe, you are wasting your time if you think Eli or any agent will deal with you. It is standard policy not to deal with people like yourself."

Jean Paul nodded without expression. "I understand your policies, Agent Sutton. Agent Eli will act only as a messenger to pass on my proposal to your superiors. And I can assure you they will accept. Is your Agent Eli like yourself . . . is he forthright

@s

@s

@s

" Lowering her head, Ashley spoke in a whisper. "Yes, Mr.

Devoe. No man is more forthright than Eli Tanner."

Jean Paul backed away from her bed and motioned to the nightstand. "Drink your coffee, Agent Sutton, and please take the aspirin. I will be coming for you soon to talk to Agent Tanner." He turned and walked toward the door when Ashley spoke, almost in a whisper.

"You are the one they called Frenchy, aren't you?"

Jean Paul stopped and faced her. "How do you know of my old name?"

"I went through the pictures of Sergeants Hoffman and Rhodes. I saw your picture many times, Mr. Devoe. They both sent pictures of you to their wives and spoke of you in their letters. You were just a little-"

"I was a soldier, Agent Sutton. You were going to say 'boy,' but I assure you I was not. The war allowed no children their youth in my village. In your country boys play baseball and video games. In my village boys were made scouts and we patrolled the countryside. In your country mothers and their daughters go shopping in malls. In my village they loaded bullets into magazines and rolled bandages. We were all soldiers, Agent Sutton, because your country and Robert Anderson and his team made us into soldiers. The soldiers of my village are now only memories. . . . I am the last survivor. You asked me why, Agent Sutton? Do you dream? I do. Every night I see the faces of my people and I hear their anguished pleas for justice.

I am still a soldier, Agent Sutton, and it is my duty to end those pleas. My people must rest in peace."

Ashley looked into Jean Paul's eyes, searching for a hint of remorse, but found only determination. She held his gaze as she spoke. "We won't rest until you are brought to justice, Mr.

Devoe."

Jean Paul picked up the coffee cup and handed it to her.

"Then, Agent Sutton, we are not so different, you and I. Your feelings about me are the same feelings I have carried for many years. . . . Yes, one day, perhaps, you will find your justice, and then you, too, will be able to sleep without the memories of the dead."

J. W. Marriott Hotel, Washington, D. C.

Fully clothed, Eli lay asleep across his bed. On the other bed, Charlie Lee opened his eyes and suddenly sat up, seeing Ramona sitting on the edge of the bed. She heard his movement, looked over her shoulder and winked. "You were wonderful, Charlie."

Lee's eyes began widening and she smiled. "Relax, I just sat down to put on my shoes. What time did you finally get Eli to leave Belvoir?"

Charlie looked at his watch and let out a tired sigh. "Three hours ago when they closed down the C. P. At the deputy's suggestion, they're running the show from headquarters."

Ramona stood and motioned to a tray on the dresser. "I had coffee and rolls brought up for you two. Looks like it's going to be another long day. The confirmed toll of the bombing is at thirty-two, and many more bodies are being recovered. They expect upward of sixty. Our Cambodians didn't mess around about signaling their distress at being put on contract, did they?"

Charlie stretched, then slowly rose from the bed. "I guess I'd better get over to the scene and see if anything of use has been found in the debris."

Ramona lowered her voice to a whisper. "How was Eli doing when you left the hospital? When I had to leave, he wasn't dealing all that well with it."

Charlie glanced at the sleeping agent. "He was doing better after the escape vehicle was found to be empty. I believe he expected Agent Sutton's body to be in it. I think he cares for her quite a lot, and not just in the professional sense."

Ramona slowly shook her head. "Knowing him, I bet he never told her. . . . Have some coffee and rolls before you go, Charlie. You're going to need-"

A phone beeped and Eli was instantly awake. He sat up, pulling the cell phone from his wrinkled blazer. "Agent Tanner . . . My God, Ashley, are you all right? Where are you?"

Charlie and Ramona hurried to him and he held the phone out slightly from his ear so they could hear. " . . . fine, Eli, and so is Mrs. Anderson. I have someone here with me who wants to talk to you."

"Hello, Agent Tanner. My name is Mr. Devoe. I want first to assure you the ladies will not be harmed. Agent Sutton suffered a slight injury to her forehead, but as you heard for yourself, she is doing quite well. Agent Tanner, I wish you to be the person I talk to from now on when I call. I want no trained hostage-rescue agents wasting my time. I have a proposal for you to pass on to your superiors. I desire to trade the two women for Anderson. I realize you are in no position to make such a deal, so I wish you to go to your superiors and I will call again in exactly one hour. Please inform them not to waste their energy in trying to trace the call. I believe you are aware I am not a fool. Agent Sutton assures me you are a man who can be trusted. Do not disappoint me. This matter is extremely important to me and I will not tolerate foolish games. I will now let you talk to your fellow agent to show you her earlier words were not taped. Please understand this is to demonstrate to you I do not play games, Agent Tanner. What I say, I mean."

"Eli, it's me again. I believe Mr. Devoe is telling you the truth about not playing games."

Eli spoke quickly. "Ashley, cooperate fully with him.

You're sure Mrs. Anderson is okay?"

"Yes, Eli, she's in the next room. Mr. Devoe does not want her to know about the proposal. I have to go now. Good-bye."

Eli slowly lowered the phone and snapped his eyes to Ramona. "Did she sound all right to you?'

"Under the circumstances, yes. Mr. Devoe sounds like a very cool customer. I would have thought he'd have sounded more tense. I want us all to write down what we heard, word for word, and we'll compare notes on the way to headquarters."

Eli began pressing the phone keys. Ramona gave him a questioning stare. "What are you doing?"

"Calling the ops center. I've got to tell them what happened and have them make sure the deputy will see us when we get there."

Forty minutes after receiving the call, Eli, Charlie, and Ramona sat in the deputy director's office along with the division chiefs and the Bureau legal adviser. The deputy read aloud the phone conversation Ramona had written down, and when finished, he looked at the legal counsel. "Eric, I know we don't negotiate a man's life away, but are we bound by law to tell Anderson of this proposal?"

The lawyer shook his head. "No, sir. Federal law allows us to restrict access to any or all information to family members while the case is active. We can safely consider the proposal as information. Colonel Anderson does not need to be informed."