The Evening News (26 page)

The FBI man nodded
.”
I guessed that, so two of my colleagues will view
tapes of your broadcasts, working backward through the past two years
,
to see if ideas suggest themselves. How about antagonistic mail? You must
get some
.”

"I never see it. People in network news are shielded from the mail. It's
a management decision
.”

Havelock's eyebrows went up as Sloane continued, "Everything we broadcast
generates a phenomenal amount of mail. Reading all those letters would
take too much time. Then we'd probably want to respond, which would take
more time still. Something else management believes is that we're better
able to keep our sense of perspective and fairness if protected from
individual reactions to the news
.”

Sloane shrugged
.”
Some may disagree
,
but that's the way it is
.”

"So what happens to the mail
?
”

"It's handled by a department called Audience Services. All letters are
answered and anything judged important is sent to the News Division
president
.”

"I presume all incoming mail is kept
.”

"I believe so,"

Havelock made a note
.”
We'll assign people to go through that too
.”

During a pause, Chuck Insen knocked on the office door and came in
.”
If I can interrupt As the other two nodded, the executive producer said
,
"Crawf, you know we all want to do the best we can-for you, for Jessica
,
Nicky
Sloane acknowledged, "Yes, I know
.”

"We feel you shouldn't do the news tonight. For one thing, it will be
heavily about you. For another, even if you anchored the remainder, it
would look too much like business as usual, almost as if the network
wasn't caring, which of course isn't true
.”

Sloane considered, then said thoughtfully, "I suppose you're right
.”

"What we're wondering is if you'd feel up to being interviewed-live
.”

"Do you think I should
?
”

"Now that the story's out
,”
Insen said, "I think the wider attention it
gets, the better. There's always a chance that someone watching might
come through with information
.”

"Then I'll do it
.”

Insen nodded, then continued, "You know the other networks and the press
want to interview you. How do you feel about a press conference this
afternoon
?
”

Sloane made a gesture of helplessness, then conceded, "All right, yes
.”

Insen asked, "When you're through here, Crawf, can you join Les and me
in my office? We'd like your views about some other plans
.”

Havelock intedected, "As much as possible, I'd like Mr. Sloane to stay
in his office and be close to this telephone
.”

"I'll be close to it anyway
,”
Sloane assured him.

Leslie
Chippingham
had already telephoned Rita Abrams in Minnesota with
the unhappy news that their planned lovers' weekend would have to be
abandoned. There was no way, he
plained, that in the midst of this breaking story he could leave New York
.
Rita, while disappointed, was understanding. People in TV news were used
to unexpected events disrupting their lives, even their illicit affairs
.
She had asked, "Do you need me on the story
?
”

He told her, "If we do, you'll hear soon enough
.”

It appeared that Special Agent Havelock, having attached himself to
Crawford Sloane, intended to follow the anchorman into the meeting in
Insen's office. But Insen blocked his way
.”
We're going to discuss some private network business. You can have Mr
.
Sloane again as soon as we've finished. In the meantime, if there's
anything urgent, feel free to barge in
.”

"If it's all the same to you
,”
Havelock said, "I'll barge in now and see
where Mr. Sloane will be
.”

He eased determinedly past Insen and surveyed
the room inside
.
Behind Insen's desk were two doors. Havelock opened both. One was to a
supplies closet; after looking inside, he closed it. Another opened onto
a toilet and washroom. The FBI man stepped inside, looked around, then
came out
.”
Just wanted to be sure
,”
he told Insen, "that there was no other way in
or out of here
.”

"I could have told you there wasn't
,”
Insen said
.
Havelock smiled thinly
.”
Some things I prefer to check myself
.”

He left
the office and found himself a chair outside
.
Leslie Chippingham was already seated in the office when the FBI agent
made his inspection. Now, as Sloane and Insen joined him, he said
,
"Chuck, you spell it out for Crawf
.”

"The fact is
,”
Insen said, looking at Sloane directly, "we do not have
confidence in government agencies and their ability to handle this
situation. Now, Les and I don't want to depress you, but we all remember
how long it took the FBI to find Patricia Hearst-more than a year and a
half. And there's something else
.”

Insen reached among the papers on his desk and produced what Sloane
recognized as a copy of his own book, The Camera and the Truth. Insen
opened it at a page with a bookmark.

"You wrote, yourself, Crawf: 'We who live in the United States will not
remain free from terrorism in our own backyard much longer. But neither
mentally nor in other ways are we prepared for this pervasive, ruthless
kind of warfare.'
“
Insen closed the book
.”
Les and I agree with that
.
Totally
.”

A silence followed. The reminder of his own words startled and shocked
Sloane. In the privacy of his mind he had begun to wonder if some
terrorist motive, perhaps relating to himself, could be behind the
seizure of Jessica, Nicky and his father. Or was the idea too
preposterous even to consider? Seemingly not, as the thinking of the
other experienced newsmen was obviously moving in that direction
.
At length he said, "Do you seriously think that terrorists . .
.”

Insen responded, "It's a possibility, isn't it
?
”

"Yes
.”

Sloane nodded slowly in agreement
.”
I've begun wondering too
.”

"Remember
,”
Chippingham put in, "that at this point we've no idea who the
people are who have taken your family, or what they want. It could turn
out to be a conventional kidnapping with demands for ransom money and
,
god knows, that's bad enough. But we're also considering-because of who
and what you are--other long-shot options
.”

Insen picked up the thread of what had been said earlier
.”
We mentioned
the FBI. Again, we don't want to worry you, but if Jessica and the others
are spirited out of this country in some way, which is a possibility, I'm
afraid, then what government has to fall back on is the CIA. Well, in all
the years that U.S. nationals have been prisoners in Lebanon, the CIA
,
with all its power and resources, spy sat
ellites, intelligence and infil
tration, has never been able to discover where a semiliterate, ragtag
band of terrorists was holding them. And that in a tiny country only
slightly larger than the state of Delaware. So who can say if the same
old CIA would do any better in other parts of the world
?
”

It was the news president who offered a conclusion
.”
So that's what we mean, Crawf
,”
Chippingham said, "by saying we don't
have confidence in the government agencies.

B
ut what we do believe is that we ourselves-an experienced news organization accustomed to investigative reporting-have a better than average chance to discover where your family has been taken
.”

For the first time that day, Sloane's spirits rose
.
Chip
pingham
continued, "So what we've decided is to set up our own CBA
News investigative task force. Our effort will be nationwide at first
,
then, if necessary, worldwide. We'll use all our resources plus
investigative techniques that have worked in the past. As for people
,
we'll throw in the best talent we have, starting now
,”
Sloane felt a surge of gratitude and relief. He started to say, "Les
.
. . Chuck . .
.”

Chippingham stopped him with a gesture
.”
Don't say it. There's no need
.
Of course, some of this is because of you, but also it's our business
.”

Insen leaned forward
.”
There's one thing we want to ask you at this
point, Crawf. The task force needs to be headed by an experienced
correspondent or producer, someone who can take charge, who's good at
investigative reporting and in whom you have confidence. Is there anyone
you'd like to name
?
”

Crawford Sloane hesitated for the briefest moment, weighing his personal
feelings against what was at stake. Then he said firmly, "I want Harry
Partridge
.”

The kidnappers, like foxes returning to a hidden burrow, had gone to ground in their temporary headquarters, the rented property south of Hackensack, New Jersey
.
It was a collection of old, decaying structure&-a main house and three
outbuildings-which had been unused for several years until Miguel, after
studying alternative locations and real estate advertisements, signed a
one-year lease with full payment in advance. A year was the shortest rental period suggested by the agents. Miguel, not wishing to reveal that the place would be used for little more than a month, agreed to the terms without question
.
The type of property and its location-a thinly occupied, run-down
neighborhood-were ideal in numerous ways. The house was large, could
accommodate all seven members of the Colombian gang, and its state of
disrepair didn't matter. The outbuildings made it possible to keep six
vehicles under cover and out of sight. No other occupied properties were
close by, and privacy was aided by surrounding trees and other foliage
.
A further advantage was the nearness of Teterboro Airport, not much more
than a mile away. Teterboro, used mainly by private aircraft, figured
largely in the kidnappers' plans
.
From the beginning of the conspiracy, Miguel foresaw that immediately
after the victims' seizure a hue and cry would follow, with police
roadblocks and intensive searches. He therefore decided that any
immediate attempt to travel a long distance would be unsafe. On the other
hand, there must be a temporary hideaway, well clear of the Larchmont
area
.
The Hackensack property was roughly twenty-five road miles from where the
kidnapping had occurred. The ease with which they had returned here and
the absence of pursuit proved that Miguel's planning had been
effective-so far
.
The three prisoners-Jessica, Nicholas and Angus Sloanewere now in the
main house. Still drugged and unconscious, they had been carried to a
large room on the second floor. Unlike other rooms in the dilapidated
,
mildewed house, this one had been thoroughly cleaned and repainted in
white. Additional electric outlets and overhead fluorescent lights had
been installed. There was new pale-green linoleum on the floor. The
ex-doctor, Baudelio, had specified and overseen the changes which were
carried out by the group's handyman-mechanic, Rafael
.
Two hospital cots with side restraining rails now stood in the center of
the room. Jessica was on one, the boy, Nicholas, on the other. Their arms
and legs were secured by straps-a
precaution against their regaining consciousness, though for the time being that was not intended
.
While anesthesiology was seldom an exact science, Baudelio was confident
that his "patients"-as he now thought of them -would remain sedated for
another half hour, perhaps longer
.
Alongside the two cots was a narrow metal bed and mattress which had been
hastily brought in and set up to accommodate Angus, whose presence had
not been expected. As part of the improvisation, his limbs were secured
with lengths of rope instead of straps. Even now, Miguel, watching from
across the room, was unsure about what to do with the old man. Should he
be killed and his body buried outside after dark? Or should he somehow
be included in the original plan? A decision had to be made soon
.
Baudelio was working around the three recumbent forms, setting up
intravenous stands, putting fluid bags in place. On a table covered with
a green cotton cloth he had laid out instruments, drug packages and
trays. Although intravenous catheters for entering veins through the skin
were all that was likely to be needed, Baudelio had a long-established
habit of having other equipment available for use in difficulty or
emergencies. Assisting him was Socorro, the woman with ties to both the
Medellin cartel and Sendero Luminoso; during her several undercover years
in the United States she had qualified as a nursing aide
.
With raven-dark hair twisted into a bun behind her head, Socorro had a
shm, lithe body, olive skin, and features that might have been beautiful
had she not worn a permanently sour expression. Although she did whatever
was required of her and expected no favors because of her sex, Socorro
seldom spoke and never revealed what went on within her mind. She had
also rejected, with blunt profanity, sexual overtures from some of the
men
.
For these reasons Miguel had labeled Socorro mentally "the inscrutable
one
.”