One thing I gotta ask. How did you feel about guiding those bombs in?

How did you feel about shooting people, back when you did it?

Jack nodded. SorryI had that coming.

I joined up as a Navy SEAL. Lot of time in Southeast Asia. I got orders to go and kill people, and I went and killed em. That wasnt a declared war either, was it? You dont go around braggin about it, but its the job. Since I joined the Agency I havent done very much of thatthere have been times when I wished I could have done more of it, cause it might have saved a few lives in the long run. I had the head of Abu Nidal in my gunsights, but I never got permission to take the fucker out. Same story with two other people just as bad. It would have been deniable, clean, everything you want, but the lace-panty section at Langley couldnt make up their minds. They told me to see if it was possible, and its just as dangerous to do that as it is to pull the trigger, but I never got the green light to complete the mission. From where I sit, its a good mission. Those bastards are the enemies of our country, they kill our citizenstaken out a couple Agency people, too, and not real pretty how they did itbut we dont do anything about it. Tell me that makes sense. But I follow orders like Im supposed to. Never violated one since I joined up.

How do you feel about talking to the FBI?

You gotta be kidding. Even if I felt like it, which I dont, my main concern is those kids up in the hills. You hold me up on that, Jack, and some of them might get killed. Ritter called me earlier this evening and asked if I was willing to go back. I leave eight-forty tomorrow morning for Panama, and I stage from there back into Colombia.

You know how to get in touch with me?

That might be a good idea, Clark agreed.

The rest had done everyone good. Aches had eased, and all hoped that the remaining stiffness would be worked out by the first few hours of movement. Captain Ramirez assembled his men and explained the new situation to them. Hed called in via his satellite link and requested extraction. The announcement was met with general approval. Unfortunately, he went on, the request had to be booted upstairswith a favorable endorsement, VARIABLE had told himand in any case the helicopter was down for an engine change. Theyd be in-country at least one more night, possibly two. Until then, their mission was to evade contact and head for a suitable extraction point. These were already identified, and Ramirez had indicated the one he was heading for. It was fifteen kilometers away to the south. So the job for tonight was to skirt past the group that had been hunting for them. That would be tricky, but once past them it should be clear sailing through an area already swept. Theyd try to cover eight or nine klicks tonight and the rest the following night. In any case the mission was over and they were pulling out. The recent arrivals from Team BANNER would form a third fire-team, augmenting KNIFES already formidable firepower. Everyone still had at least two-thirds of his original ammo load-out. Food was running short, but they had enough for two days if nobody minded a few stomach rumbles. Ramirez ended his briefing on a confident note. It hadnt been cheap, and it hadnt been easy, but they had accomplished their mission and put a real hurtin on the druggies. Now everybody had to keep it together for the trip out. The squad members exchanged nods and prepared to leave.

Chavez led off twenty minutes later. The idea was to keep as high on the mountain as they could. The opposition had shown a tendency to camp out lower down, and this way they stood the best chance of keeping clear. As always he was to avoid anything that looked like habitation. That meant giving a wide berth to the coffee plantations and associated villages, but that was what they had been doing anyway. They also had to move as fast as caution allowed, which meant that caution was downgraded. It was something often done in exercises, always with confidence. Dings confidence in that sort of thing had also been downgraded by his experience in the field. The good news, as far as he was concerned, was that Ramirez was acting like an officer again. Probably hed just been tired, too.

One nice thing about being close to the coffee plantations was that the cover wasnt so thick. People went into the woods to get fuel for their fires, and that thinned things out quite a bit. What effects it had on erosion wasnt Chavezs concern. That helped him to go faster, and he was covering nearly two kilometers per hour, which was far faster than hed expected. By midnight his legs were telling him about every meter. Fatigue, he was learning again, was a cumulative factor. It took more than one days rest to slough off all of its effects, no matter what sort of shape you were in. He wondered if the altitude wasnt also to blame. In any case he was still fighting to keep up the pace, to keep alert, to remember the path he was supposed to follow. Infantry operations are far more demanding intellectually than most people realize, and intellect is ever the first victim of fatigue.

He remembered a small village on the map, about half a klick from where he was at the moment, downhill. Hed taken the right turn at a landmark a klick backhed rechecked it at the rally point where theyd rested forty minutes earlier. He could hear noise from that direction. It seemed odd. The local peasants worked hard on the coffee plantations, hed been told. They should have been asleep by now. Ding missed the obvious signal. He didnt miss the screammore of a pant, really, the sort of sound made when He switched on his night scope and saw a figure running toward him. He couldnt tellthen he could. It was a girl, moving with considerable skill through the cover. Behind her was the noise of someone running after her with less skill. Chavez tapped the danger signal on his radio. Behind him everyone stopped and waited for his all-clear.

There wouldnt be one. The girl tripped and changed directions. A few seconds later she tripped again and landed right at Chavezs feet.

The sergeant clamped his left hand across her mouth. His other hand put a finger to his lips in the universal sign to be quiet. Her eyes went wide and white as she saw himor more properly, didnt see him, just a melange of camouflage paint that looked like something from a horror movie.

Seorita, you have nothing to fear from me. I am a soldier. I do not molest women. Who is chasing you? He removed his hand and hoped that she wouldnt scream.

But she couldnt even if she had wanted to, instead gasping out her reply. Shed run too far too fast. One of their soldiers, the men with guns. I His hand went back on her mouth as the crashing sound came closer.

Where are you? the voice crooned.

Shit!

Run that way, Chavez told her, pointing. Do not stop and do not look back. Go!

The girl took off and the man made for the noise. He ran right past Ding Chavez and precisely one foot farther. The sergeant clasped his hand across the mans face and took him down, pulling the head back as he did so. Just as both men hit the ground, Dings combat knife made a single lateral cut. He was surprised by the noise. Escaping air from the windpipe combined with the spurting blood to make a gurgling sound that made him cringe. The man struggled for a few futile seconds, then went limp. The victim had a knife of his own, and Chavez set it in the wound. He hoped the girl wouldnt be blamed for it, but hed done all that he could as far as she was concerned. Captain Ramirez showed up a minute later and was not very pleased.

Didnt have much choice, sir, Chavez said in his own defense. Actually he felt rather proud of himself. After all, protecting the weak was the job of the soldier, wasnt it?

Move your ass outa here!

The squad moved especially fast to clear the area, but if anyone came looking for the amorous sleepwalker, no one heard anything to suggest it. It was the last incident of the night. They arrived at the preplanned stopover point just before dawn. Ramirez set up his radio and called in.

Roger, KNIFE, we copy your position and your objective. We do not as yet have confirmation for the extraction. Please call back around eighteen hundred Lima. We ought to have things set up by then. Over.

Roger, will call back at eighteen hundred. KNIFE out.

Shame about BANNER, one communicator said to the other.

These things do happen.

Your name Johns?

Thats right, the colonel said without turning at once. Hed just come back from a test flight. The newactually rebuilt five-year-oldengine worked just fine. The Pave Low III was back in business. Colonel Johns turned to see to whom he was talking.

Do you recognize me? Admiral Cutter asked curtly. He was wearing his full uniform for a change. He hadnt done that in months, but the three stars on each braided shoulder board gleamed in the morning sun, along with his ribbons and surface-warfare officers badge. In fact, the general effect of the undress-white uniform was quite overpowering, right down to the white buck shoes. Just as he had planned.

Yes, sir, I do. Please excuse me, sir.

Your orders have been changed, Colonel. You are to return to your stateside base as soon as possible. That means today, Cutter emphasized.

But what about That will be taken care of through other means. Do I have to tell you whose authority I speak with?

No, sir, you do not.

You will not discuss this matter with anyone. That means nobody, anywhere, ever. Do you require any further instructions, Colonel?

No, sir, your orders are quite clear.

Very well. Cutter turned and walked back to the staff car, which drove off at once. His next stop was a hilltop near the Gaillard Cut. There was a communications van there. Cutter walked right past the armed guardhe wore a Marine uniform but was a civilianand into the van, where he made a similar speech. Cutter was surprised to learn that moving the van would be difficult and would require a helicopter, since the van was too large to be pulled down the little service road. He was, however, able to order them to shut down, and hed see about getting a helicopter to lift the van out. Until then they would stay put and not do anything. Their security was blown, he explained, and further transmissions would only further endanger the people with whom they communicated. He got agreement on that, too, and left. He boarded his aircraft at eleven in the morning. Hed be home in Washington for supper.

Mark Bright was there just after lunch. He handed his film cassettes over to a lab expert and proceeded to Dan Murrays busy office, where he reported what he had seen.

I dont know who he met with, but maybe youll recognize the face. How about the Amex number?

Its a CIA account that hes had access to for the past two years. This is the first time hes used it, though. The local guy faxed us a copy so we could run the signature. Forensics has already given us a handwriting match, Murray said. You look a little tuckered.

I dont know whyhell, I must have slept three hours in the past day and a half. Ive done my D.C. time. Mobile was supposed to be a nice vacation.

Murray grinned. Welcome back to the unreal world of Washington.

I had to get some help to pull this off, Bright said next.

Like what? Murray wasnt smiling anymore.

Air Force personnel, intel and CID types. I told em this was code-word material, and, hell, even if I had told them everything I know, which I didnt, I dont know what the story is myself. I take responsibility, of course, but if I hadnt done it, I probably wouldnt have gotten the shots.

Sounds to me like you did the right thing, Murray said. I dont suppose you had much choice in the matter. It happens like that sometimes.

Bright acknowledged the official forgiveness. Thanks.

They had to wait five more minutes for the photographs. Decks had been cleared for this case, but even priority cases took time, much to the annoyance of everyone. The technicianactually a section chiefarrived with the moist prints.

I figured youd want these babies in a hurry.

You figured right, MarvHoly Christ! Murray exclaimed. Marv, this is code-word.

You already told me, Dan. Lips are zipped. We can enhance them some, but thatll take another hour. Want me to get that started?

Fast as you can. Murray nodded, and the technician left. Christ, Murray said again when he reexamined the photos. Mark, you take a mean picture.

So who the hell is it?

Flix Cortez.

Whos that?

Used to be a DGI colonel. We missed him by a whisker when we bagged Filiberto Ojeda.

The Macheteros case? That didnt make any sense.

No, not exactly. Murray shook his head. He spoke almost reverently, thought for a minute, and called for Bill Shaw to come down. The acting Director was there within a minute. Agent Bright was still in the dark when Murray pointed his boss to the photographs. Bill, you aint going to believe this one.

So who the hell is Flix Cortez? Bright asked.

Shaw answered the question. After he skipped out of Puerto Rico, he went to work for the Cartel. He had a piece of Emils murder, how much we dont know, but he sure as hell was involved. And here he is, sitting with the Presidents National Security Adviser. Now what do you suppose they had to talk about?

Its not with this batch, but I got a picture of them shaking hands, the junior agent announced.

Shaw and Murray just stared at him when he said that. Then at each other. The Presidents head national-security guy shook hands with somebody who works for the drug Cartel . . . ?

Dan, Shaw said, what the hell is going on? Has the whole world just gone crazy?

Sure looks that way, doesnt it?

Put a call in to your friend Ryan. Tell him . . . Tell his secretary that theres a terrorism thingno, we cant risk that. Pick him up on the way home?

Hes got a driver.

Thats a big help.

I got it. Murray lifted his phone and dialed a Baltimore number. Cathy? Dan Murray. Yeah, were fine, thanks. What time does Jacks driver usually get him home? Oh, he didnt? Okay, I need you to do something, and its important, Cathy. Tell Jack to stop off at Dannys on the way home to, uh, to pick the books up. Just like that, Cathy. This isnt a joke. Can you do that? Thanks, doc. He replaced the phone. Isnt that conspiratorial?

Whos Ryanisnt he CIA?

Thats right, Shaw answered. Hes also the guy who dumped this case in our laps. Unfortunately, Mark, you are not cleared for it.

I understand, sir.

Why dont you see how quick you can fly home and find out how much that new babys grown. Damned nice work you did here. I wont forget, the acting Director promised him.

Pat ODay, a newly promoted inspector working out of FBI Headquarters, watched from the parking lot as a subordinate stood on the flight line in the soiled uniform of an Air Force technical sergeant. It was a clear, hot day at Andrews Air Force Base, and a D.C. Air National Guard F-4C landed right ahead of the VC-20A. The converted executive jet taxied to the 89ths terminal on the west side of the complex. The stairs dropped and Cutter walked out wearing civilian clothes. By this timethrough Air Force intelligence personnelthe Bureau knew that hed visited a helicopter crew and a communications van in the morning. So far no one had approached either of them to find out why, because headquarters was still trying to figure things out, and, ODay thought, failing miserablybut that was headquarters for you. He wanted to go back out to the field where the real cops were, though this case did have its special charm. Cutter walked across to where his personal car was parked, tossed his bag in the back seat, and drove off, with ODay and his driver in visual pursuit. The National Security Adviser got onto Suitland Parkway heading toward D.C., then, after entering the city, onto I-395. They expected him to get off at the Maine Avenue exit, possibly heading toward the White House, but instead the man just kept going to his official residence at Fort Myer, Virginia. A discreet surveillance didnt get more routine than that.

Cortez? I know that name. Cutter met with a former DGI guy? Ryan asked.

Heres the photo. Murray handed it over. The lab troops had run it through their computerized enhancement process. One of the blackest of the Bureaus many forensic arts, it had converted a grainy photographic frame to glossy perfection. Moira Wolfe had again verified Cortezs identity, just to make everyone sure. Heres another. The second one showed them shaking hands.

Thisll look good in court, Ryan observed as he handed the frames back.

Its not evidence, Murray replied.

Huh?

Shaw explained. High government officials meet with . . . with strange people all the time. Remember the time when Kissinger made the secret flight to China?

But that was Ryan stopped when he realized how dumb his objection sounded. He remembered a clandestine meeting with the Soviet Party chairman that he couldnt tell the FBI about. How would that look to some people?

It isnt evidence of a crime, or even a conspiracy, unless we know that what they talked about was illegal, Murray told Jack. His lawyer will argue, probably successfully, that his meeting with Cortez, while appearing to be irregular, was aimed at the execution of sensitive but proper government policy.

Bullshit, Jack observed.

The attorney would object to your choice of words, and the judge would have it stricken from the record, instruct the jury to disregard it, and admonish you about your language in court, Dr. Ryan, Shaw pointed out. What we have here is a piece of interesting information, but it is not evidence of a crime until we know that a crime is being committed. Of course, it is bullshit.

Well, I met with the guy who guided the car bombs into the targets.

Where is he? Murray asked at once.

Probably back in Colombia by now. Ryan explained on for a few minutes.

Christ, who is this guy? Murray asked.

Lets leave his name out of it for a while, okay?

I really think we should talk to him, Shaw said.

Hes not interested in talking to you. He doesnt want to go to jail.

He wont. Shaw rose and paced around the room. In case I never told you, Im a lawyer, too. In fact, I have a J.D. If we were to attempt to try him, his lawyer would throw Martinez-Barker at us. You know what that is? A little-known result of the Watergate case. Martinez and Barker were Watergate conspirators, right? Their defense, probably an honest one, was that they thought the burglary was sanctioned by properly constituted authority as part of a national-security investigation. In a rather wordy majority opinion, the appeals court ruled that there had been no criminal intent, the defendants had acted in good faith throughout, and therefore no actual crime had been committed. Your friend will say on the stand that once hed heard the clear and present danger pronouncement from his superiors, and been told that authorization came from way up the chain of command, he was merely following orders given by people who had sufficient constitutional authority to do so. I suppose Dan already told you, there really isnt any law in a case like this. Hell, the majority of my agents would probably like to buy your guy a beer for avenging Emils death.

What I can tell you about this guy is that hes a serious combat vet, and as far as I could tell, hes a very straight guy.

I dont doubt it. As far as the killing is concernedweve had lawyers say that the actions of police snipers come awfully close to cold-blooded murder. Drawing a distinction between police work and combat action isnt always as easy as we would like. In this case, how do you draw the line between murder and a legitimate counterterrorist operation? What itll come down tohell, it will mainly reflect the political beliefs of the judges who try the case, and the appeal, and every other part of the proceeding. Politics. You know, Shaw said, it was a hell of a lot easier chasing bank robbers. At least then you knew what the score was.

Theres the key to it right there, Ryan said. How much you want to bet that this whole thing started because it was an election year?

Murrays phone rang. Yeah? Okay, thanks. He hung up. Cutter just got in his car. Hes heading up the G.W. Parkway. Anybody want to guess where hes going?

Instruments of State INSPECTOR ODAY THANKED his lucky starshe was an Irishman and believed in such thingsthat Cutter was such an idiot. Like previous National Security Advisers hed opted against having a Secret Service detail, and the man clearly didnt know the first thing about countersurveillance techniques. The subject drove right onto the George Washington Parkway and headed north in the firm belief that nobody would notice. No doubling back, no diversion into a one-way street, nothing that one could learn from watching a TV cop show or better yet, reading a Philip Marlowe mystery, which was how Patrick ODay amused himself. Even on surveillances, hed play Chandler tapes. He had more problems figuring those cases out than the real ones, but that was merely proof that Marlowe would have made one hell of a G-Man. This sort of case didnt require that much talent. Cutter might have been a Navy three-star, but he was a babe in the woods as far as conspiracy went. His personal car didnt even change lanes, and took the exit for CIA unless, ODay thought, he had an unusual interest in the Federal Highway Administrations Fairbanks Highway Research Station, which was probably closed in any case. About the only bad news was that picking Cutter up when he left would be tough to do. There wasnt a good place to hide a car hereCIA security was pretty good. ODay dropped his companion off to keep watch in the woods by the side of the road and whistled up another car to assist. He fully expected that Cutter would reappear shortly and drive right home.

The National Security Adviser never noticed the tail and parked in a VIP slot. As usual, someone held open the door and escorted him to Ritters office on the seventh floor. The Admiral took his seat without a friendly word.

Your operation is really coming apart, he told the DDO harshly.

What do you mean?

I mean I met with Flix Cortez last night. He knows about the troops. He knows about the recon on the airfields. He knows about the bombs, and he knows about the helicopter weve been using to support SHOWBOAT. Im shutting everything down. Ive already had the helicopter fly back to Eglin, and I ordered the communications people at VARIABLE to terminate operations.