Without a word or a glance back, Tessa passed into the world of knowledge. She took no more than three steps when she halted. It looked like a lab and beyond that she could see shelves of artifacts. Moving forward, she couldn’t resist a smile at smelling the age of time that comes with old things. The hum of environmental controls and the quiet voices of people working reached her ears. She turned back to see if Dr. Wu strolled behind her with his smug, evaluating gaze. He imparted a feeling of standing naked before an audience of one, but he had vanished.
With nerves on end, Tessa turned around several times to see where he’d disappeared to. Aware she’d been left alone, behind the scenes of the Museum of Natural History, her imagination kicked into overdrive.
Maybe someone would now force her into submission with a coma inducing drug so that they could turn her into a mummy.
Or perhaps she’d accidently, on purpose, get bitten by some exotic beetle from a tropical rainforest.
Just as she thought about the poisonous bite of a Black Mamba she heard her name.
“Tessa! There you are!” came the jolly yet familiar voice of Dr. Frances Ervin. “Think you were lost?” He chuckled as he rushed up with his lab coat flapping. “I see Dr. Wu has just abandoned you. He likes to think of himself as a ghost, I think.” His smile reminded Tessa of a patient father. “I texted you last night but you were a no show, as they say.”
She blinked in confusion while eyeing the professor. So the message had come from him?
“You have the USS Liberty as your screen saver. Why?” Her brain tried to sort this new turn of events into place.
He puffed out a sigh but continued to look jolly at her direct approach. “After the conference I’m due to speak at a hearing on the USS Liberty. Quite extraordinary really.” He smiled as he swiped a handkerchief across his forehead. “My oldest brother was killed on that ship. My mother was never the same after she got the news. I didn’t understand it all at the time because of my age. But in recent years I got curious and did a little digging.”
The tension began to ebb away as the professor looked at her with bewilderment. “My uncle was on that ship.” She tried to sound nonchalant.
“Yes, of course. He’s rather a loose cannon, I hear. Got Enigma and those Secret Service boys all in a twist. You have my card. Have him give me a call. I’m putting a book together for the families. I’d love to take a few pictures and get his story. They tried to get me to visit them at a reunion in Arizona last year, but I was in Jordan doing some work at Petra.”
“Dr. Ervin?” Tessa couldn’t resist showing surprise as her words spilled out in a stutter. “Why are you here?” She looked around her, wide eyed.
“To give you a behind the scenes tour, of course.” He smiled handing her a crisp white lab coat. “You’ll need to wear one of these.”
No Black Mamba bite, no tropical beetle or sarcophagus to lay her wrapped body? “I don’t understand.” He took back the coat and held it out for her to slip into, which she did slowly. “You knew I was coming?”
The professor jammed his hands into the pockets of his coat. “Yes, of course. The director set it up last night. Didn’t he tell you? I happily agreed to be your escort while things are getting sorted out.”
Her head shook in confusion. “Wait a minute. You know the director?” Maybe this was a trap to find out if she withheld information from Enigma. That whole mummy thing could still happen.
“Come this way, Tessa. I’m working on some things I brought back from Petra. I could use a hand. We’re a little short staffed. So many people out in the field or helping with the conference this week. Understandable. I don’t mind.” He started to walk away then stopped when she didn’t follow. Walking back, he smiled and lowered his voice. “Yes. Director Clark calls upon me from time to time to assist Enigma. I’m a Biblical Archeologist that can come and go throughout the Middle East without much suspicion. Who would suspect a musty old man, like me, of being a spy? Chase calls it a ‘get out of jail free card’.” He shook his head and chuckled. “That boy has had me use it for him a time or two. Why just last year…”
Tessa grabbed his arm. “Are you telling me you work for Enigma?” She watched the jolly expression on his face turn cold and hard. “The truth.”
“Yes. Not full time. Getting too old for that sort of thing and Martha would put her foot down.”
“Does Martha know about your work?”
“Certainly.” He began to move down the narrow aisle of tables and shelving units as he motioned for her to follow. “She too, is on the payroll.”
Tessa was intrigued that someone actually had a spouse and knew of the secrets kept at Enigma. “What does she do?”
“Whatever is needed.” He pulled her forward as the room opened up. “Enough about all that…”
“Did you know who I was on the plane?”
“Yes.”
“Did you really need my help with the computer last night?”
“No.”
“You wanted me to see the picture of the USS Liberty?”
“Yes. I thought maybe your uncle had contacted you and I would find out.”
“So you lied and played me?”
“Yes. I’m afraid so. I’m not nearly as helpless as I appear.” He looked sheepishly at her and tried to smile. “I ask your forgiveness. I wanted to see how things played out. The director is a stickler for following his wishes. Now we have a lot to see and even more to do.”
Walking beside him, she eyed the surroundings for a hint of trouble. “Your opinion of Dr. Wu?”
“A mind bender, but an excellent therapist. He’s helped me on a number of occasions as I’m sure you’ll find out.”
“I don’t need a therapist,” she said confidently.
“You will, my dear. You will.”
~~~
Their first meeting at the White House the day before had been in secret. It had lasted less than two hours. The aides did most of the talking and planning. The president and the prime minister chose to stroll the vegetable garden the first lady had planted with their children. A few words about Iran and Syria passed between them only to be interrupted by Secret Service calling them back inside because of weather concerns.
Now on the second day with the luncheon concluded and the photo op with the press behind them, President Austin and Prime Minister Levi strolled back to the Oval Office for a meeting without aides, secretaries or advisors. Each had a security detail nearby, but not inside the walls of the most coveted space in the world. Both men selected a tightly upholstered chair in blue and gold with a small table between them. A coffee service rested on a serving cart near the leaders who sat down heavily.
Earlier they had joked openly with each other for the cameras and the small talk at lunch flowed easily as if all were right with the world. Two of the president’s children escaped their Secret Service agents and ran into the dining room to hide underneath the table.
“Children? What children?” Gilad openly lied to the agents about the whereabouts of the children with his own devious smirk. The giggle of small children will always give away a good hiding place and they were soon led from the room.
Now dead silence hung like the August humidity between them. All pretenses evaporated and both men seemed to ponder their agenda carefully before speaking.
With a light tap at the door before it opened, the president’s aide announced Director Clark from Enigma had arrived. The president nodded and held up a finger before waving him away.
“Your brother is concerned I’m going to get killed.”
Gilad crossed his legs and picked at a piece of lent from his pant leg. “As am I, Mr. President. There is always a risk.”
“It’s just us, Gilad so ‘Buck’ will be fine.” Gilad nodded and squared his shoulders. “This whole USS Liberty thing is going to be a problem. LBJ should have taken care of it when this whole thing started.”
“It was a different world then, Buck. Israel was so young and
brash that we often tried to take two steps forward before anyone could knock us four steps back. The Holocaust was still so bitter in our mouths. We’d learned to be ruthless from the best. The Cold War raged between Russia and your country. Even though both countries promised to stay out of the Six Day War we feared the Egyptians would secure help from the Russians. I’m not sure we could have survived that.”
Gilad stood and reached for the coffee. He pointed at a second cup and the president declined with a nod. Sitting back down, Gilad took a sip and smiled. “I see my brother has tipped you off to the kind of coffee I enjoy.”
The president narrowed his eyes when he tried to smile. “Your brother is very devoted to me and this country.”
Gilad took another sip. “But you wonder if it came down to me or you would Benjamin be so loyal?”
The president leaned back in his chair, which he noticed was uncomfortable, and made a mental note to get rid of it. “No, I wonder if you could handle it if he took you to task and spanked your sorry ass for holding an American citizen hostage in your embassy.”
Gilad looked dangerously over the rim of his cup at the president. “A hostage, I might add, that has promised to kill both of us in revenge for the attack on the USS Liberty.”
“So what are you going to do? Just make him disappear and expect the problem to go away? There are others just as determined to see this issue resolved.”
“Compensation was made several years after the fact. We thought that would be enough. Americans are very greedy.”
“And Israelis are as ruthless as we are greedy. What made you think this was about money? That pittance you gave the U.S. wouldn’t cover the cost of the paint and repairs made to the Liberty.”
“LBJ’s grandmother was Jewish. Did you know that? He saved many of our people during World War II. He knew our potential and wanted to keep us as allies in the years to come.” His tone had become sharp.
“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer,” the president quipped.
“Israel is not your enemy, Buck. I love this country and the last administration nearly destroyed any layer of protection you had for the U.S., not to mention for Israel. The Six Day War turned Israel into a country to be reckoned with in spite of our lies and deception. Do you think Americans would have had any sympathy if they knew it was actually Israel that started that war? No. This country loves an underdog and will stand up and cheer every time someone like us is picked on.”
“That doesn’t excuse the cover up and dishonoring of those men on the Liberty. They were patriots for heaven’s sakes. That Jake fella was whisked away to Germany, sleep deprived and interrogated like an enemy combatant. And for what?” Before Gilad could speak the president continued, “So his recollection of the story would grow fuzzy, disjointed and unbelievable. By the time we got finished with him and the others their story was leaking like the bombed out Liberty.” The president took a deep breath. “We need to own up, Gilad. These men, what’s left of them, deserve that.”
“Agreed.” Gilad sat his cup down with a frown. “The Egyptians are in it now. I’m sure the Muslim Brotherhood wants their own kind of revenge in this matter. Israel admits wrong doing and all hell could break loose on our borders. They’re waiting for a reason to invade. This time it will be their fault and we’ll finish what we started in 1967.”
“But if we’re both dead, chaos will plunge the world in such darkness that Egypt could easily take matters into their own hands.” The president’s frown deepened.
“The Egyptians will simply exploit the world’s outrage and capture what was once theirs. With me incapacitated…”
“Or dead,” the president smiled ruefully.
“Yes. Dead. The Palestinians would take advantage of the chaos and begin a bombardment of missiles into Israel. Since they possess little regard for human life they will ignore the real possibility that Israel holds the ultimate reason to finally wipe their miserable existence from the map. A definite upside to the whole scenario.”
Another light tap at the door came followed by the director of Enigma as he pushed into the room, with a hard look etched on his hawkish face. He seemed to unconsciously pull back his shoulders in the dark blue suit he wore when his eyes fell on his brother then the president.
“Mr. President.” The director outstretched his hand as Buck Austin stood. The two men grasped hands in a friendly manner, both aware of the other’s strength.
“Has the prime minister been playing the part of the bully again, Mr. President?”
The president looked over his shoulder at his guest with a smirk. “Actually he’s been whining like a little girl. Very undignified for someone in his position.” He motioned for Ben to take a seat on the sofa across from them. “What have you got, Ben?”
The director opened his black leather notebook to retrieve several typed pages for each man. He waited for them to skim the contents before proceeding. “I’ve given copies to the FBI director, but held off on anyone else.”
The president raised his eyes sternly. “Are you aware your brother is holding Mr. Wakefield against his will at the embassy?” He watched Ben’s eyes shift to his brother and narrow with fury. “The question arises why you didn’t find him first? All those brains and muscle you claim to have at Enigma couldn’t find one hillbilly roaming the streets of Washington?” The president’s voice cut through the director’s calm.
“I assure you, Mr. President, we were aware of that. My brother’s gorillas were allowed to take him.”
The prime minister burst into a fake laugh. “Fat chance, little brother. You didn’t know until this very moment he was my guest.” He examined his finger nails as he spoke. “He’s a rather likeable fellow. A bit on the crude side, but I think that is all a ruse. After all he did work for the NSA and can speak fluent Russian. Why the hell would a hillbilly learn Russian? I’ll tell you why, because he was one of your decoders. The man likes to put on the ‘ah shucks’ façade but the eyes never lie. I’ve looked into those eyes and I see a very clever old man who is determined to get what he wants, even if that means throwing in with the Egyptians.”
“Agent Cordova will escort him out immediately.” Ben wanted to threaten his brother and would have if the President of the United States hadn’t been glaring at him.
With an insulting smirk, Gilad continued. “I meant to inform Samantha, sorry, I mean Agent Cordova last night when you called to check on me.” He smiled as if remembering the beautiful Enigma agent that had shared his bed. “I’ll have to be more conscious of my responsibilities next time. She can be,” his eyes shifted to the president with amusement, “very distracting.”
“What are you running at Enigma anyway, Ben? A dating service?” The president wasn’t happy. “Gilad doesn’t need our resources to protect him.”
“If I might add, sir, that with Agent Cordova in the embassy we managed to keep a close eye on Gilad’s activities.” His eyes locked with his brother’s. “We figured he’d try something idiotic like this if given the chance.”
Gilad clicked his tongue impatiently. “And here I thought Samantha liked me for my witty conversation.” He’d left the beautiful agent with David to go over the plans for the evening events with the Geographic Convention. He planned on attending with Samantha as his escort. If all went well they could return to the embassy together. On the other hand if things went south then he’d probably be dead and it wouldn’t matter.
“I’m pulling her from your protection detail. I wouldn’t want you to have the burden of undue distraction,” Ben offered sarcastically.
He took out his phone to call Samantha. “Sam?” Ben listened for a few seconds then disconnected. “You really are out of your mind, Gilad.”
The president’s bewildered look forced Ben to continue.
“The prime minister released Jake Wakefield several hours ago.”
Chapter 12
“Hurricane Candace is now barreling toward the east coast at sustained wind
s of 110 miles per hour. Rain bands have inundated the D.C. area since around noon.” There was a television giving the latest report in a room where security went about preparing for the evening visits of two heads of state.
Chase watched the guests arriving in the ballroom from his position, in a tucked away security command post set up by the Secret Service. They worked for several weeks prior to the conference to make sure the president’s visit, providing he didn’t have a national emergency, would go without incident. Everyone remained on high alert, given the hurricane and threats against the president. He was the keynote speaker for the convention. His aides encouraged him to go since having educators, corporate kings and science gurus at his disposal translated into votes at the ballot box.
Adding on the visit of the Prime Minister of Israel, who volunteered to speak briefly to what he hoped, would be future support for his country, tacked on another layer of concern and security issues. Gilad’s people continued with meticulous preparations, working like a methodical machine with little small talk toward the Secret Service. They volunteered no information and offered no advice unless specifically asked a question. Their presence grated on the Secret Service. The Israelis aired themselves as superior to the Americans.
Taking all of the territorial issues in stride between the two protection details, gave Chase an opportunity to look for her. Sticking a finger between his white collar and neck, he pulled slightly as if doing so would make the black tie more comfortable. Yet his eyes never left the camera scenes. They would go from monitor to monitor searching the halls, then the ballroom, before clicking on other areas of interest. Once a Secret Service agent frowned at him before locking in observation points and remained at his side to make sure they remained fixed.
Chase’s silence deepened as his relentless scan continued until he found Tessa Scott.
That hammering pain in his chest caught him by surprise when he dropped his hands to his side. Clenching his fists as if to start his circulation, he watched her enter with her friends. They occasionally stopped and spoke to others. She would wait falling into a kind of measured patience. Smiling after an introduction, she then stepped back to scan the room, with what he knew to be unbelievable blue eyes. Who was she looking for? Her uncle?
Winds of Deception (Enigma Series Book 2) Page 12