Hunting Savage
Page 31
Colson held up a finger. “Agent Elizondo, may I read the agreement signed by Mr. Duss?”
Elizondo held it out, and Colson read through quickly. “Ah, here it is. It says that Mr. Duss is granted immunity by the Attorney General of the United States from prosecution for all federal charges.”
The attorney’s eyes widened as realization dawned on him. “But the agents only mentioned federal charges—”
“That is correct,” Markley said. “You do understand that the FBI has limited jurisdiction that does not extend to local policing.”
“Which brings me to the point,” Detective Colson said. “Claude Duss, you are under arrest—”
“You can’t arrest me!” he shouted and lunged forward. Both FBI agents grabbed his shoulders and roughly shoved him back into his chair.
“You are charged with accessory to commit murder after the fact.” Duss’ eyes were wide and his teeth clenched.
Colson turned to the attorney. “You should expect more charges against your client as the investigation progresses.”
Duss faced Peter, veins on his temples bulging, his face flushed. “I’ll kill you!”
Peter stood. He’d seen enough. Duss was slippery, but with a pile of serious charges coming, it would take a miracle for him to walk. Peter paused at the doorway and turned his head toward Duss. “Like I said before: you tried that already, and it didn’t go so well for you.”
Chapter 52
Bend, Oregon
April 27
Peter left the offices of the Bend Bulletin about 30 minutes after his arrival. The meeting was necessarily brief. He had nothing to say “on the record” and insisted his identity be kept secret. Upon meeting the reporter, he retrieved the second memory stick from the knife sheath inside his boot, having left the folding blade in his truck prior to entering the police station. The reporter accepted the data storage device with an inquisitive expression. He estimated she was in her mid-thirties, and based on what he found online she had a decent resume. Probably the most seasoned reporter he would find in Central Oregon.
She listened carefully, taking notes and asking a few questions. Peter retold the events that transpired in the mountains west of Bend, culminating in the Air National Guard shooting down the United Armaments attack helicopter. He knew she would quickly confirm the events and glean other critical facts from an interview of the base Public Affairs Officer. Then he walked her through the kidnapping and confrontation with Claude Duss at the test range in Eastern Oregon.
“Crook County Sheriff?” she had asked, just to be sure.
Finally, Peter handed over the memory stick. “The secret files—it’s all there. You need to draw your own conclusions, but this is Pulitzer material.”
Without looking up from her notepad, she asked, “How do I tie Speaker Schuman to this conspiracy?”
“Call Special Agents Markley and Elizondo, FBI, Portland office. I believe they are preparing a press release on the plea bargain struck between the Department of Justice and Claude Duss. I’m confident they’ll be happy to talk to you—on the record.”
“You know,” she said, “Schuman has scheduled a vote in 10 days to override the President’s veto of the Israeli Security Act.”
“Sounds to me like you’ve got a tight deadline.” Peter stood. “You’ll want to go to press at least several days before that vote.”
“How can I reach you if I have follow-up questions?”
“You can’t.” He walked away, but stopped and turned to face the reporter. “One more thing. You might want to talk to Detectives Colson and Nakano.”
The reporter tilted her head. “Bend Police?”
“Yep,” he said as he walked out the door.
He was running late and hoped that Kate wouldn’t be disappointed. Peter parked at his home and walked the short distance to Anthony’s restaurant. He entered the lobby and spotted her immediately. She was standing with her arms folded, scrolling through her phone.
“I didn’t message you, and I’m sorry I’m late.”
She looked up, her face radiant. She was wearing a yellow summer dress with a knitted shawl draped over her shoulders.
“You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.” She smiled and Peter felt like a young man again, a feeling that had been absent for so long, it was hard to recognize at first.
The hostess led them to a quiet table near the large windows looking out toward the Cascade Mountains. The Deschutes River flowed lazily only 50 yards away.
“I phoned you several times over the past week. Where have you been?”
Peter sighed. “It’s a long story.”
Kate looked back into his eyes. “And you think I don’t deserve to know the truth?”
Peter let the question hang until the cocktail waiter arrived. He ordered a bottle of Pinot Gris from Erath vineyard in Northwestern Oregon.
Kate raised her eyebrows. “Well?”
“I was up there.” He pointed out the window at the mountains. “And then I was kidnapped, but I escaped.”
She twisted her mouth into a crooked grin. “I see. So you don’t want to tell me what’s going on.”
The wine arrived, and Peter had the waiter pour two glasses. “It began when your roommate was murdered and ended up being a case of national security. What I said was true. Mercenaries tried to kill me, and I fled to the mountains so no one here would get hurt.”
“Like what almost happened to me?”
Peter nodded. “And what did happen to those people at Pinnacle.”
“I was worried. The stories on the news said you were wanted for murder.”
“It’s cleared up now.”
“Is that why you asked me to have dinner? So you could set the record straight?”
Peter met her gaze and felt his pulse quickening. “No.” He reached across the table and found her hand. It was soft and warm. “No, I asked you to dinner because I wanted to see you again. I wanted to tell you that the danger is over. And, if you’d like, maybe we could have dinner again.”
Kate rubbed her thumb across the back of Peter’s hand. For reasons she couldn’t explain, even though she hardly knew the man, she felt comfortable and safe in his presence.
She looked at the face across from her. When she’d seen it before, it was usually hard, the eyes cold. But not now, not tonight. The steel grey eyes flashed a hint of blue and glowed with warmth.
Kate smiled. “I’d like that.”
Author’s Post Script
The USS Liberty incident is, to most Americans, a little-known historical event. I became aware of this tragic affair by a documentary aired by Al Jazeera in 2014 titled “The Day Israel Attacked America.” Here is the link where you can download the video: http://bit.ly/USliberty.
In addition, there are many books retelling of the incident, along with this website that purports to be the official memorial site for the Liberty: http://www.ussliberty.org/index2.html.
As you know by now, the Liberty was a U.S. Navy surveillance vessel stationed in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Egypt in June of 1967. The attack in broad daylight, deliberate and ruthless, should have been a low point in U.S.-Israeli relations. Except that’s not how it played out. The facts of the attack, as retold in Hunting Savage, are true—I did not embellish them. Based on recently declassified documents and voice recordings of Israeli pilots engaged in the action, it is crystal clear that the military forces of Israel knew from the beginning they were attacking a U.S. Naval vessel. Exactly why, remains a mystery to this day.
It is equally disturbing that American aircraft were within range of the Liberty, capable of lending assistance and likely saving the lives of many seamen. Those aircraft were launched multiple times from the carriers America and Saratoga, only to be quickly recalled by the Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara. Historians generally agree that the order to recall those planes originated with President Lyndon Johnson. The only explanation put forward for Johnson’s decision i
s that he did not want to embarrass an ally of the United States.
That explanation insults the memory of the seamen serving aboard the Liberty, as well as all veterans.
The prolonged nature of the attack, utilizing resources of both the Israeli air force and navy, is consistent with a determined effort to sink the surveillance ship. Given that the ship’s inflatable life rafts were machine-gunned, the orders must have been to make every effort to ensure none of the seamen survived. At the time, the Israeli government claimed their actions were a mistake, and inexplicably the Johnson Administration and Congress were willing to accept that explanation at face value. However, the facts of the incident, supported by voice recordings of Israeli pilots and air controllers, are not even remotely consistent with the action being accidental.
Without a doubt, the USS Liberty should have sunk. It is a miracle and testament to the heroic actions of her Captain and crew that she remained afloat. The surviving crew and immediate families were sworn to secrecy by the U.S. government under penalty of a long prison sentence. Reporters were kept away from the stricken ship, and within a few months the incident was mostly swept under the carpet. The Israeli government issued an apology and eventually paid minimal damages to the U.S. government for loss of property and to the families of the deceased.
Yet 50 years after this tragedy, the central question—why?—has not been fully and satisfactorily answered. Many historians have speculated that the Liberty and her crew intercepted radio traffic concerning the imminent invasion of the Golan Heights, and that this information could not be allowed to reach Washington for fear President Johnson would pressure the Israeli government to cease hostilities aimed at expanding the conflict. But this explanation falls short of explaining why U.S. aid to the stricken ship was repeatedly recalled, and why the Johnson administration did not insist on prompt and meaningful compensation from Israel.
With a lack of transparency, conspiracy theories abound—trust in our government is eroded. The explanation offered in Hunting Savage is of my own imagination, but it seems to explain the facts better than any official explanation put forward over the past 50 years. The American public, as well as the survivors of the USS Liberty and their families, deserve to know the complete truth; there can be no legitimate reason for failing to come clean on this.
Guarding Savage
Coming Soon
Book Five of the Peter Savage novels
Order Guarding Savage Now
Order Guarding Savage Now
About the Author
Dave Edlund is the author of the best-selling, award-winning Peter Savage series and a graduate of the University of Oregon with a doctoral degree in chemistry. He resides in Bend, Oregon, with his wife, son, and four dogs (Lucy Liu, Murphy, Tenshi, and Diesel). Raised in the California Central Valley, he completed his undergraduate studies at California State University Sacramento. In addition to authoring several technical articles and books on alternative energy, he is an inventor on 97 U.S. patents. An avid outdoorsman and shooter, Edlund has hunted North America for big game ranging from wild boar to moose to bear. He has traveled extensively throughout China, Japan, Europe, and North America.
The Peter Savage Series
by DAVE EDLUND
Crossing Savage
Book 1
Relentless Savage
Book 2
Deadly Savage
Book 3
Guarding Savage
Book 5
More to come!
Follow Dave Edlund at www.PeterSavageNovels.com, tweet a message to @DaveEdlund, or leave a comment or fascinating link at the author’s official Facebook Page:
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