The code name Condor in Brussels was next on Wade’s agenda, but he wasn’t going to find anything at the library except references to the near-extinct bird of the same name. Wade racked his brain, for anyone he knew in the Agency old enough to know operatives in Brussels.
In one of his international legal classes, Wade met Bob Hollings, an older European CIA operative taking the refresher course. They had exchanged contact information during the class. It was a long shot, but why not give old Bob a call? Perhaps Bob recalled something about the name Condor that didn’t refer to a bird. Wade checked the time differences in Europe and called when he thought Bob might just be home relaxing.
“Hi, Bob, it’s Wade Hanna. We took the international legal class together a few months back.”
“Yes, I remember. How are you doing?”
“Doing great. Almost done with my coursework and ready to graduate. I’ll be glad when it’s all over.”
“I bet you will. What can I do for you?”
“I came across a name in Brussels I’m trying to research, and just thought you might know an operative who goes by the code name Condor.”
“Yes, I know that name, but I haven’t heard it in many years. I think he might be an old timer like me. There was an operative by that name who decided to leave the company about eight years ago to retire and go independent.”
He paused while trying to summon up old memories.
“Last I remember was a few years ago, when the company would give him a little low-level contract work now and then. He used to operate out of Brussels, I believe. But I haven’t heard of him doing any contract work in the last three or four years. I assume he’s long retired by now.”
“Did you know anything about him? Like what kind of operations he ran or what his real name was?”
“Let me think. He did some black ops stuff in the old days, but his real forte was making good connections with higher-ranking foreign offices in the European intelligence community right after the war. I can’t remember which countries. We used him to broker information when things were politically sensitive, as I recall.”
“Do you remember if one of those countries was Spain?”
“Come to think of it, Spain was one of the main countries he focused on.”
“Do you remember what his real name was?”
“I can’t think of his last name, but I think his first name was Myles. I can probably get that last name for you by making a few calls.”
Wade realized he had a connection to Condor and didn’t want further links getting back to the man. He thought it best to cut this part of the conversation off immediately. He would explore other sources on his own if he needed more information.
“No. That’s okay for now. You’ve been very helpful.”
“Sounds like you’re working on an interesting project.”
“You know how research goes. A lot of twists and turns, with a few crumbs along the way. I’ve just been asked to pin down some of these old records.”
“Let me know if you need anything else.”
“Thanks for your help. I sure will.”
Chapter 14
When Wade picked up the phone, he could hear excitement in Yari’s voice.
“Hey, I think I have something.”
“I can’t wait.”
“Our boy Mashburn is extracting from Spain. Condor seems to be calling all the shots. There’s been no communication with CID. In fact, I think Army Intelligence is out of the picture.”
“Did they say where Mashburn is extracting to? They can’t be bringing him back to the U.S., because Morrison has a warrant out for his arrest in the Lockhart matter.”
“He’s on his way to British Honduras. I mean Belize. I keep forgetting they just changed their name.”
“Interesting. Why Belize?”
“It seems Condor is setting up a meeting there. He’s made calls to Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Cuban operatives. There’s talk about a U.K. war game exercise off the coast of Belize.”
“What’s the date of the meeting?”
“They haven’t said. No travel dates yet. Condor has Mashburn going from Spain to Panama, then on to Belize. He’s supposed to call Condor for his next instructions when he arrives in Panama.”
Wade thought about the set-up before responding. “He’s on a ‘need-to-know’ basis. They may be concerned he could be picked up between Spain and Panama. Any information on the operatives involved?”
“No. Condor isn’t giving Mashburn any details, except where to go on the next leg.”
“Are you able to monitor other calls Condor is making?”
“I’m recording all his calls from the one landline in Brussels.”
“If it’s any help, Condor’s first name is Myles. He’s a former CIA operative who became an independent contractor about seven years ago. He ran black ops for U.S. and U.K. Intelligence for about three years after he left the agency. They also used him to broker sensitive information between difficult European countries. For the last few years I hear he’s been retired from intelligence work.”
“That will give me something to go on.”
“If we need to, I can probably get a last name for Condor. I just don’t want to raise any suspicions with my contact source.”
Yari’s voice sounded more than a little eager when he responded. “Let me work on what you’ve given me so far from my end.”
Wade, on the other hand, saw his target coming closer to his neck of the woods. “I think I want to pay a visit to Mr. Mashburn when he arrives in Central America. Keep me posted.”
“You got it.”
Wade relished the thought of Mashburn coming closer. His mind started whirling, devising ways to get to Central America. His suspicions grew more each day about the Agency’s involvement in the Lockhart killing and the drug activities of Spencer in Vietnam. He couldn’t put his finger on exactly how his Agency was involved, but it was clear that Army Intelligence, Mashburn, and Spencer were all acting under orders. He just didn’t know yet who was pulling the strings - or why.
His mind raced, thinking about how much the Agency already knew about the Lockhart murder. He thought it unlikely that Megan’s penetrating questions were mere curiosity. As much as Wade wanted Megan’s help to glean more details about the Agency, he couldn’t put her or himself at more risk. Feeling he had no other options, Wade resolved to live with Megan’s uncertain role in the Agency’s involvement in the Lockhart matter. That was just the way things had to be for now.
Morrison had been on Wade’s mind; it was time he got up to speed on the Lockhart investigation. But he would only make that call after taking precautions to be sure he was on a secure line.
“Morrison here.”
“Mr. Morrison, this is Wade Hanna. We haven’t spoken in a while, and I thought I might call to get you up to speed on the Lockhart case.”
“Good idea. I just received the toxicology report. As suspected, one of the drugs in Lockhart’s body was similar to a rare substance derived from the skin of an Amazonian frog that paralyzes the muscles.”
“Sounds pretty exotic.”
“It’s a synthesized version of what jungle Indians use on their arrows and darts to paralyze prey. The substance comes from a mixture of several skin secretions of certain poisonous frogs, which you only find in remote locations of the Amazon, Malaysia, and India. The drugs were mixed with modern binding agents. After a few days, these drugs dissipate in the body, making them almost undetectable.”
“That’s why the Army wanted to prevent a full autopsy as long as possible.”
“That certainly sounds like the motive. I still don’t think the base knew much until the jurisdictional issue was brought up. They may have been instructed to fight for jurisdiction without knowing the reason why.”
Wade snapped his fingers, suddenly remembering to ask a very important question. “Did you ever get the base’s forensic footprint results?”
“Yes, and those were Lock
hart’s footprint impressions you found in the soil. There was a slight defect in the sole of his left boot, which showed up perfectly in the impressions. He was your man, all right.” Morrison paused. “Have you found out anything on your end?”
Wade thought for a moment before he replied. “Yes, from what I’ve been able to learn, the killer, or at least a major participant in the death squad, was David Mashburn. I don’t think he’ll be coming back to this country anytime soon. He’s on some clandestine covert mission for the U.S. Military.”
Morrison replied, “That’s a convenient assignment. What about the people who gave him the orders?”
“I don’t have any names yet - still working on that angle. What I found out is that Mashburn is no longer reporting to Army Intelligence in the U.S. on the new assignment. He’s being handled by an offshore operative out of Brussels.”
Morrison was eager to pursue that lead. “That’s another convenient twist. I’d like to find out who Mashburn reported to here, the one who was giving him orders in the U.S. That’s who I want to go after.”
“I’m still working on that angle. I did find out something on your money theory.”
“What’s that?” Morrison asked.
“There was a military investigation on drug deals that went on in Vietnam involving Army Intelligence and CIA operatives. Mashburn was initially part of that group, although I think he was primarily a delivery boy. The CIA operative involved was a guy by the name of Daniel Spencer, who was the subject of a secret government drug investigation.”
“After the investigation, Spencer left the agency and the military. He was killed by a hit-and-run driver in South Carolina shortly after returning to the States. They never found the driver or solved that case. Other than a few memos referencing the investigation, Spencer’s records have also gone cold or disappeared. There’s a Spencer file at the Pentagon which is sealed, classified as Top Secret.”
Morrison’s instincts told him not to buy the coincidence. “Spencer’s death sounds like it may have been a hit. I’ve worked with some detectives in North Carolina, so I can follow that thread with them. Do you have the names of any of the military offices involved in the drug deal?”
“Haven’t gotten any yet. I’ll keep you posted on what I find. What are the next steps on your end?”
“I’ve turned up the heat on Fort Benning. I’ve asked the court to force the Army to produce the psychological records on Lockhart. I want to ask Dr. Jarvis some questions when I finally have those records in my hands.”
Morrison had a call coming in on another line. “If anything turns up on my end, I’ll let you know.”
“Sounds like a plan. Thanks.”
Wade hung up, thinking about Mashburn’s Spain connection. Was it a legitimate assignment, or did they just want to get him out of the U.S. when the Lockhart matter heated up? A trip to Belize was certain to be in Wade’s future. He couldn’t wait to come face-to-face with Mashburn and interrogate him on his black ops history. Wade knew his mission would have to go unsanctioned, under the radar. He had to slip in and out of the country without the Agency, the government, or law enforcement knowing he was there. He tried putting a positive spin on the idea. Belize is supposed to be a beautiful place with great fishing – I’ve always wanted to go fishing down there.
Even though he considered his mission “company business,” Wade felt the Agency wouldn’t see his involvement that way. The next problem Wade faced was expenses for the Belize trip. He needed a plan that would let him use military and intelligence transportation assets to get him to the tropics without attracting unwanted attention.
Wade couldn’t get Megan’s help on transportation because of his continuing Agency suspicions. He had to find another way to get to Belize on the government’s nickel. The military contacts he’d made during training sessions should be useful in some way.
Wade made a list of his transportation contacts. Surely one of those contacts could help him slip in and out of Belize without notice. He decided to call the people he knew best at military bases near him, hoping to find an unofficial ride to the tropics.
“Fort Rucker Army base, may I help you?”
“This is Wade Hanna. I’d like to speak with Master Sergeant Chris Cassel, please.”
“Cassel here.”
“Hi, Chris, Wade Hanna. I’d like to pick your brain, if I could.”
“Sure.”
“I’m trying to hitch a ride to Belize and back. You got anything going that way?”
“Let me check our upcoming flight schedules.”
After a few moments Chris was back on the line. “Sorry, nothing headed in that direction. However, I think there are some war games being planned between the U.K. and Belize. You might try Ellington in Texas. I think that base has lots of flights going to Central America.”
“I don’t know anyone at that base. Can you help me out?”
The sergeant replied quickly. “You do too know someone at Ellington. Don’t you remember Ramon? He used to work with me here at Rucker. He now lives in Texas and works as an independent contractor for Ellington.”
“I do remember Ramon. Do you have a number for him?”
Chris was silent as he looked up the number and gave it to Wade. As he thanked him, Chris replied with a question. “How are you getting to Texas?”
“I guess I’m driving.”
“You don’t have to do that. I can get you to Ellington.”
“Great. What are the flight options to Ellington over the next week?”
“There are lots of options. We have almost daily flights from Rucker to Houston.”
Wade’s next call was to Ramon, with whom he quickly renewed his relationship. The Ellington Air Transport Wing supported regular flights to Belize and other Central American countries. The regular flights to Belize usually ran twice a month but would soon increase due to the upcoming war games. With Ramon’s help and a few more calls, Wade nailed down flight details and a primary contact to schedule his trip.
His next call was to his cousin Frank, who lived in Houston. During the longer-than- necessary call Frank offered to set up dinner invitations, parties, a fishing trip, a barbecue or visits with friends, all of which Wade politely declined.
He explained to Frank that he was on official business. The term “official business” meant little to Frank. He just wanted to celebrate. It took some time, but Wade finally convinced him that “official business” meant government undercover work. In the end, Frank reluctantly acknowledged the connection and backed off the robust party agenda.
“I keep forgetting you’re with the government, where you do clandestine missions and all.”
Wade responded, trying to curb more unwanted attention to his mission. “Yeah, this trip is official business. I’ll just be in Houston for one night. We can go to dinner that night, but I can’t plan anything else. Don’t worry, cuz. I’ll be making other trips in the future that aren’t so tightly scheduled.”
“Okay, I’ll make the reservations at Ciprio’s for dinner. You can stay at the house and use the spare car.”
“I appreciate that. We’ll party next time I visit, I promise.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep – spy man.”
Weapons and tactics were on Wade’s mind as he planned his trip. He assembled maps of Belize and in-country transportation systems, weapons, and disguises. Wade thought it best to keep his schedule flexible until he discovered Mashburn’s location. There were lots of moving parts and unknowns about Mashburn and his reasons for being in Belize. Yari’s monitored calls were Wade’s only source for more information about Mashburn.
The payphone near Wade’s apartment was convenient and more secure than the phone in his apartment. He dialed Yari’s secure number.
Without preamble Wade asked, “Any new developments?”
“Condor has Mashburn taking trains and public buses to the airport in Spain for his extraction. They talked about changing passports. Appa
rently Mashburn is using the name Ramos on his current passport, and for some reason I don’t get, there seems to be some concern about getting out of Spain.”
“What kind of concern?”
“Condor told Mashburn that once they got the passport issue straightened out, he wanted to break off all communication with him until he arrived in Panama. Condor suspects their communications are being monitored.”
“Well, aren’t you monitoring them?”
“Yes, I am, but he’s not referring to my monitoring– there’s someone else. He seems to be worried about the Spanish government.”
“Could he be worried about CIA monitoring?”
“No, I don’t think so. I have a handle on that situation.”
Wade wondered if Mashburn was in Spain hiding from U.S. investigators or if he was on another mission. What plans did CID or the CIA have for him in Belize? Wade wondered if he had any intention of slipping back into the U.S., because of its relative proximity to Belize.
“Does Mashburn have any family in the U.S.?”
“I’ll have to check records, but he’s not trying to make any calls to the U.S.”
There was a pause before Yari continued. “I’ve been thinking. Are you going on this mission alone?”
Wade had the thought that Yari might want to join him. “That’s what I’m thinking about. Why do you ask?”
“Well, it turns out that our old friend Max from Fort Benning might be available. He was wounded in the leg in Vietnam and is finishing a couple of months of rehab before he ships back.”
Wade briefly thought about Yari’s suggestion, but he wasn’t keen on the idea, because he didn’t know what he would find in Belize. “Let me think about it. Where’s Max living these days?”
“He’s living in Texas.”
“Interesting.”
“He says he’d really like to finish the job you guys started at Fort Benning.”
Lethal Authority (Wade Hanna Series Book 2) Page 12