Zoric didn’t answer, not really knowing how badly his fried was hurt. He chose to lock eyes with her instead. She turned and strode away with Carter at her heels.
Director Clark fell into giving orders to his team, FBI and Secret Service that had assisted. The Liberty crew went to the hospital for observation while measures were taken to secure the prisoners.
Agent Martin of the FBI put out a notice that the Speaker of the House might make an appearance. He was to be filled in on the condition of the president immediately as well as the vice president. Questioning of the prisoners and Speaker Gault, if he showed up, would take place as soon as possible. They wanted to know who was involved before more mayhem ensued. The quicker they rounded up the terrorists the sooner Wall Street, NATO and NORAD could go back to a boring existence. Knowing now of the speaker’s involvement, they wanted to keep their plans close to the vest.
~~~
Montgomery and Cooper watched from their parked car as the dark sedan let out a tall, muscular man at Union Station. Cooper got out and followed.
The next stop was near the capital building. Speaker Jim Gault got out then bent down to say something to the driver. After slamming the door he flipped off whoever drove away before punching in some numbers on the cell phone. The soldier watched him lift a phone to his ear, then look up at the sky streaked with morning light. His tapping foot displayed impatience, not fear.
Montgomery pulled away from his location, determined to find the third man in the car. He’d driven only a mile when an explosion caught his attention. Hitting the brakes he saw the sedan in front of the Smithsonian’s American History Museum. Pulling his weapon, he ran to the dark sedan engulfed with flames. He didn’t wait. No one could have survived. He backed toward his car at the sound of more sirens. He did not want to be caught in this precarious position. If he was caught on camera he would have some explaining to do.
~~~
Ari drove through the empty streets of Washington D.C. after returning the prime minister to the Israeli Embassy. He had switched cars three times before applying a dark sticky film to the windshield and side windows of the white rental car. The black ski mask barely fit his large head. The leather gloves were hot as was the black turtleneck tee shirt that covered his chest.
He’d covered the plates with a car dealer’s decal. For good measure he fixed a bumper sticker to both sides on the car. One read If it can’t be grown it has to be mined. The second had a coiled snake and the slogan Don’t Tread on Me. He didn’t really understand the significance nor did he care. With the added touch of an American flag on the back window and some cartoon character kneeling at the Jesus cross, Ari felt confident that if any cameras were still working, the farce would be enough to conceal his identity.
The car pulled into the underground parking lot of the Air and Space Museum. There was a great deal of standing water preventing him from going down. Ari came to a stop and let the car idle. The passenger door swung open and a man jumped inside panting. With a quick look into the rearview mirror, Ari backed out of the garage as if he’d taken a wrong turn.
“Are you Ari?”
Ari turned his covered head toward his passenger. “Do not speak to me.”
“You think you are better than me because you are Israeli?”
The acceleration of the car suddenly stopped, throwing the passenger forward against the dashboard. “I am better because you are Egyptian, Amon. Keep your mouth shut and do what I tell you. I thought throwing you into the Potomac River was a much better idea than this. But I suppose holding you under in the Jordon River will be just as good. Imagine dying in the land of the Israelis, Amon.”
Amon fastened his seatbelt and stared out the windshield for the rest of the trip.
~~~
“You are insane bringing that Egyptian here.” David handed the prime minister a cup of coffee. He was the only person who could survive such an insult.
The prime minister shrugged. “What is the saying? ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies closer?’ I am but following that advice. Besides we are guaranteed he gets out of the country this way. He flies home on our aircraft, then we smuggle him across the border. Simple.”
“Nothing is simple about this. Amon was playing both sides. When it blew up in his face he tucked his yellow tail and claimed to be trying to get us information.” David snorted in disgust.
“Yes. That is regrettable. We were not able to protect the president after all. Jake Wakefield tried but failed. At least the Liberty crew survived.”
“And they will get their fifteen minutes of fame shaming Israel for what we did decades ago.”
Gilad Levi took a gulp of coffee and smiled. “Very true. But the real story is who tried to kill the president. The news media will salivate over that one for weeks. No one cares about these Liberty men. It will be a ninety second flash in the pan on the news networks and then back to the hunt for the vice president’s wife murderer. That’s a much more interesting story. Americans love drama.” The prime minister frowned. “I rather liked her. She was a good woman. Her killer needs to be punished.”
“When?” David refilled the prime minister’s cup.
“Soon.”
“And Amon?”
“I owed him a debt.”
David leaned against the buffet and looked up at the ceiling before rubbing his eyes in frustration. “Yes. But he will continue to taunt you about his sister and the child she bore you. If she had not died in childbirth do you think she would have given you the baby?”
Gilad waved him off. “We shall never know. As long as I have breath, my son will be protected. Amon’s days are numbered.”
~~~
Tessa looked in on her uncle. Doctors said he would make a full recovery. His shoulder sustained a serious gunshot wound. The broken arm would enable him to predict the weather in the future. He slept soundly as she placed a kiss on his forehead, satisfied he would heal.
The Director of Enigma wanted her to hold off on contacting her parents about the events landing him in the hospital. Dr. Wu suggested she needed time to process a story to feed everyone before running into press and friends. The director agreed and delivered a severe warning to Tessa if she did not comply. He had already made sure her two friends from home were being fed a line of misinformation concerning her whereabouts to keep them satisfied as to her whereabouts.
Tessa’s husband was not as easily swayed. With numerous frantic calls and threats to go to the police, the director stood by while she called home to reassure him she was more than okay.
“Chase was awake earlier, Mrs. Scott.” Dr. Wu walked her toward his room. His calm demeanor reminded her of a thoughtful Buddhist monk. It was only the pistol bump under his loose Asian style jacket that kept her from running down the hall like a silly school girl. “Do not stay long. You have a lot to do at Enigma. I will wait outside the room until you have finished. I too, must speak to the captain.”
Nodding, she pushed the door open to Chase’s room. Propped up against several pillows he appeared to be sleeping. Except for a sheet half draped across his abdomen he was bare chested. There was a bandage over his nose and left eye. A saline drip was attached to his arm and for the first time, Tessa could easily see the tattoo on his right arm. She needed to remember to ask him what the Chinese characters meant, but decided she’d copy them and find out for herself.
She couldn’t help but watch him. He was beautiful; dark skin, taunt muscles and angular features that spoke of his Cherokee heritage. Although his black hair was cut short, she wondered what it would feel like beneath her fingertips. Would it be as coarse as his manner or would it be soft like the way he sometimes looked at her?
The dim lights drew her to stand next to him. The realization Chase was alive and would live to fight another day made her hand fly to her throat to stop a sob. Looking down at his chest she reached out to touch several long scars, then stopped. There were no fresh gunshot wounds. Why had he been covered in
blood? She started to snatch her hand back when Chase reached out and grabbed her wrist and jerked her forward.
Tessa caught her breath as he forced her closer. “Where are your wounds?” She was pulled over his chest now.
Chase cleared his throat. His voice was hoarse. “Disappointed?” Even having been close to death did not seem to vanquish that wolfish grin that now played at the corners of his mouth.
“You were covered in blood. I saw that man shoot you more than once.” There was no keeping the confusion from her voice. He released her wrist forcing her cool hands against his skin.
~~~
He sucked in his breath at her touch. “Damn, woman. Your hands are like ice.” When she started to step away he took her hand and gently tugged her back. “I had on a bullet proof vest.” He chuckled. “Did you think I was some kind of superhero?” Tessa’s eyes began a rapid blink indicating she was slipping into panic mode. “Your uncle was bleeding badly. Anyway, those shots hurt like hell. Took the wind right out of me. I planned to get your uncle and follow you out. The lightning had other plans. I went out the back and took cover. Some debris hit us knocking me out. When I rallied I…. Well you know the rest.”
There was no sense in stating the obvious. Besides, the way Tessa was looking at him made his chest hurt in a different way. Those blue eyes of hers swallowed any attempt at hiding his feelings. He met her gaze and dared touch her tosseled hair. She needed a shower and some clean clothes. Someone had given her an oversized FBI jacket and she’d zipped it to the top. In his head Chase somehow remembered how she’d looked in the black dress. He imagined her a goddess, toying with any self-respect at hiding his feelings.
“Thank you for saving Uncle Jake,” she whispered laying her hand on top of his.
Chase could feel his body stirring and knew he was going to make an ass out of himself if he didn’t take charge of the situation. “I’m not sure I want that old hillbilly in my debt.” Tessa started to smile. “You on the other hand made me a promise, as I remember.”
Tessa stood up so straight it looked like a broom stick had been shoved down her back. Her lips parted, but words froze on her tongue. Chase could feel her hand trying to free itself so he tightened his grip.
“Promise?”
Chase arched an eyebrow and narrowed his almond shaped eyes. “When you thought I was dying. You bent down and said…”
“I know what I said,” she stuttered. “I’m not sure what you heard but...”
Chase rolled his eyes upward in disbelief, feeling her fingers trying to slip away. “Let me think.” He dropped his amused look back to her. “Something about if I’d just stay alive you would…”
Dr. Wu walked in the room. “Mrs. Scott, there’s a car waiting for you. The director wants you back at Enigma.” His eyes went to Chase’s hand holding Tessa’s. She managed to jerk away and hurried to the door. Dr. Wu stared at the rosy blush creeping up her face. The doctor watched her leave the room before turning his eyes back to Chase. “Problem?”
Chase burst out laughing causing a confused look to appear on the doctor’s face. “You might say that. A problem I have every intention of solving.”
Chapter 30
President Buck Austin smiled when his wife kissed him on the cheek. He was pale, but his heart beat strong. He finally told the Secret Service if his wife didn’t stop fussing over him he was going to insist they remove her. When she leveled a dangerous glare at them, they held up their hands and admitted he was safer with her at his bedside.
The team of doctors led by Dr. Kelley had successfully removed one bullet, but decided the one near his neck would have to stay. He admitted the thought of a souvenir of his ordeal made him feel not only invincible, but lucky as hell. Although weak, his spirits were high and his temperament normal. His children were kept home from school just in case the threat against the first family was ongoing and not allowed at Walter Reed Hospital.
When Vice President McCall arrived at the president’s bedside, Mrs. Austin hugged him and started crying. She and Peggy were friends. They shared a partnership with their husbands that few women could understand or accept. At least they had each other in times of loneliness and fear. Now her friend was gone. She tried to comfort the vice president, knowing that it was useless. It wasn’t until the Prime Minister of Israel appeared that Mrs. Austin took her leave.
The three leaders remained silent as the Secret Service left them alone. The sound of the machines monitoring the president’s vital signs and distant sirens on the street below filled the room. Gilad put his hand on the vice president’s back and shook his head. A loss for words was new to him. The vice president nodded a grateful acceptance of the gesture before turning to the president.
“Is it true Jim Gault was behind all of this?”
The president nodded then shifted his eyes to Gilad to continue the story. “My informant told me weeks ago about someone in your government making a power play. I immediately informed the president. The investigation indicated the crew of the USS Liberty might be involved.”
“The Liberty? Wasn’t that the ship you guys tried to sink in ’67?” The vice president’s tone was far from friendly.
“Yes. But these men were being set up. Israel was to be made the scapegoat as well. The speaker threw in with an Egyptian terrorist group everyone thought dead years ago. He promised if they’d help him become president then he’d make sure Egypt never lost any of the gravy money you send them every year. With Israel looking like the culprits in the assassination attempts, our funding would be cut off. The USS Liberty hearings set the stage to expose Israel of our shameful behavior in 1967. The president and I decided to go forward with the hearings, admit wrong doing once and for all.”
The president fidgeted and tried to push himself up. Gilad reached down and raised the bed for him. “Those men will get their medals. The hell with the hearings. We’re doing it this week before Gilad goes back to Israel.”
“But Mr. President…” Gilad started.
“I’ve decided.” His snappy tone made the prime minister smile. “You must be feeling better considering your temper is showing.”
“Now what about that snake in congress?” The snarl on the president’s face was evidence he wanted to get down to business.
“Do you plan to use the Liberty crew as witnesses?” It was the vice president.
The president shook his head. “They’ve suffered enough and so has this great country. Gault doesn’t even know they’re still alive.”
Gilad cleared his throat. “We don’t have much time, Buck.” He lapsed into being familiar. He sounded almost friendly. “What do you want to do?”
The president looked at his vice president and saw a mixture of suffering, loss and fury. “Give the ‘go ahead,’ Gilad. Don’t screw it up.”
The prime minister nodded and took out his phone. “Your NSA still trying to tap into my cell?”
“Humph.” The president took the glass of water his vice president handed him. “You’re paranoid, Gilad.”
Gilad punched one button on his phone. “I’m Israeli. Being paranoid is in our DNA. That’s why we’ve survived.” Lifting the cell phone to his ear, he spoke into the mouth piece. “Do it.”
~~~
Jim Gault surveyed the destruction left by the hurricane as a new Secret Service agent drove him home. Several side streets were completely closed off because of debris left by flooding. The smell of sewage and garbage couldn’t be escaped as they sped through the D.C. area. He gave the driver several curt directives on how to drive and the best way to get him safely home.
He was anxious to get a hot shower. The FBI made it a point to bring the speaker a plate of hot food and coffee after he’d arrived at their headquarters. With a smug smile, he remembered the treatment he’d received; like a lost prince now found. Do you need anything, Mr. Speaker? Are you hurt, Mr. Speaker? This chair is more comfortable. Let me do that for you, sir.
The head of the Secret S
ervice was present during his brief questioning. He finally complained he was just too tired to continue and wanted to return home for a few hours of rest. They complied without objection. Why would they? The blame game was in full swing and he preferred to just let them duke it out in private.
The speaker spoke harshly to Corbin Watts, head of the Secret Service about his incompetence to protect him and the president, not to mention the vice president’s lovely wife, Peggy. He was going to demand an investigation ASAP. In the meantime he’d better be thinking about what kind of career move would be appropriate. He suggested dog catcher.
Now he was nearly back where he started twenty four hours ago. Things didn’t go as planned, but at least the media would be trying to get his story. That could be a good thing if he played his cards right.
“Who is that outside my door?” The speaker leaned forward as the car pulled to the curb. “Another new guy?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Hopefully these agents won’t be the screw ups the last ones were.” The driver nodded grimly. “I’ll need the car around four this afternoon. Swing back then. In the meantime stay across the street.”
“I think we should post at your back door and front, Sir. You’ve had a close call.” The agent was firm.
“Yes, I have, thanks to your inept agency. That will be fine,” he snorted, opening the door as another agent appeared to escort him up the steps of his Brownstone. “Park the car then stand at the backdoor.”
“Thank you. I’ll only be a minute.” The driver pulled away from the curb and disappeared into a garage across the street.
“Mr. Speaker, you have a guest inside.”
The speaker froze thinking of several possibilities, none of which gave him comfort. “Who?”
“The young woman you met several times earlier in the week. We checked her out and she was on your list of approved visitors. Would you prefer I removed her?” The agent opened the door with ease.
Winds of Deception (Enigma Series Book 2) Page 31