The Aquaintaine Progession

by Ludlum, Robert

  "Who’d you have in mind?” asked Wellfleet sharply.

  " The President first, obviously. Then, becausewe’re dealing with half a dozen other countries, theSecretary of State. A maximum-security screeningprocess would be set up immediately oneundoubtedly using those chemicals you didn’t speakof until we had unblemished personnel, men andwomen we were certain beyond doubt had noconnections to this Aquitaine. We create cells,command posts here and abroad. Incidentally, there’sa man who can help us immeasurably in this, a mannamed Belamy in Britain’s M.1.6. I’ve worked withhim and he’s the best knows the best and he’sdone this sort of thing before. Once our cells are inplace and in deep cover, we then pull in Washburnand at least two others we know of by description inBonn. Prudhomme can furnish us with the names ofthose in the Surete who approve transfers, and whofurnished evidence against Converse when it didn’texist. And as you know from my own affidavit, we’vegot the island of Scharhdrn under surveillancenow we think it’s a nerve confer or acommunications relay. With the proper equipmentwe could tap in. The whole point is we widen thecircles of information. Once you know a strategy, youcan mount a counterstrategy without setting offalarms.” Stone paused and looked at both men. “Mr.Justice, Mr. Simon. I was station chief in five vitalposts in Great Britain and the Continent. I know itcan be done.”

  “I don’t doubt you,” said Nathan Simon. “Howlong would it take?”

  “If Justice Wellfleet can get me the cooperationand the equipment I need, with the people Iselect here and abroad Derek Belamy and I canmount a crash program. We’d be operational in eightto ten days.”

  Simon looked at the Supreme Court justice thenback at Stone. “We don’t have eight or ten days,” hesaid. “We have three less than three days now.”

  Peter Stone stared at the tall, portly attorney withthe

  sad, penetrating eyes. He could feel the blooddraining from his face.

  The cry of the cat was muted in fury. GeneralCeorge Marcus Delavane slowly replaced thetelephone on the console. His half-body waspropped into the wheelchair, his waist strapped tothe steel poles, his arms as heavy as his breath wasshort, the veins in his neck distended. He broughthis hands together, entwining his fingers andpressing the knuckles against each other until thesurrounding flesh was white. He raised his largehead, his cold, angry eyes narrowing as he lookedup at the uniformed aide standing in front of thedesk.

  “They’ve disappeared,” he said, his high-pitchedvoice icily controlled. “Leifhelm was taken from arestaurant in Bonn. They say there was anambulance that raced away, no one knows where.Abrahms’guards were drugged. Others took theirplaces. He was driven offin his own staffcar, pickedup in front of a synagogue. Bertholdier did notcome down from his apartment on the Montaigne,so the driver went up to discreetly remind him ofthe time. The woman was bound naked on the bed,the word "whore’ written in lipstick across herbreasts. She said two men took him away atgunpoint. There was talk of a plane, she said.”

  “What about Van Headmer?” asked the aide.

  “Nothing. Our charming and oblivious Afrikanerdines at the Johannesburg Military Club and says hewill put himself under extra guard. He’s not part ofthe orbit; he’s too far away to matter.”

  “What do you mean, General? What happened?”

  “What happened? This Converse happened! Wecreated our own most accomplished enemy,Colonel and I can’t say we weren’t warned. Chaimsaid it, our man in the Mossad made it clear. TheNorth Vietnamese created a hellhound theMossad’s words and we created a monster. Heshould have been killed in Paris, certainly in Bonn.”

  “You couldn t have ordered it then,” said theaide, shaking his head. “You had to know where hecame from, and if you couldn’t find out, you had toisolate him, make him what was it.P_a pariah, sono one would come forth to claim him. It was soundstrategy, General. It still remains sound. No one’scome forth no one’s coming forth. You held themback, and now it’s too late.”

  Delavane’s eyes widened as he appraised thecalonel’s

  face. “You’ve always been the best of adjutants, Paul.You tactfully remind a superior that regardless ofperiodic setbacks, his decisions were based on soundreasons, and that those reasons will prevail.”

  “I’ve disagreed when I thought it was necessary,General, because whatever I learned I learned fromyou, so l merely reminded you of yourself. Rightnow, at this moment, I’m right. You were right.”

  “Yes, I was I am. Nothing matters now.Everything’s set in motion and nothing can stop it.This Converse this bold, resourceful enemy wasalso held in check by having to keep running. Andnow he’s too late. In any event, the men he’s takenare merely symbols, magnets to attract others. That’sthe beauty of clean strategy, Colonel. Once it’s set inmotion, it rolls like the ocean wave. The powerunderneath is unseen, but it is relentless. Events willdictate the only acceptable solutions. It’s my legacy,Colonel.”

  Nathan Simon had nearly finished hisexplanation. It had taken less than three minutes,during which time Peter Stone remained motionless,his eyes riveted on the older man, his face ashen, thetaste in his mouth unbearable.

  “You can see the pattern, can’t you?” concludedthe attorney. “The protests begin in the Middle Eastand follow the sun and the time zones across theMediterranean, up through Europe, and over theAtlantic, culminating in Canada and the UnitedStates. They start with the Peace Now movement inJerusalem, then Beirut, Rome, Paris, Bonn, London,Toronto, Washington, New York, Chicago, et cetera.Gigantic rallies in the major cities and capitals,covering every nation and government Delavane andhis people have infiltrated. Confrontationsoccur the initial unrest growing into major disrup-tions with the infusion of terrorist units. Bombswired into cars, or under the streets in sewers, orsimply rolled into the crowds the second wave ofgreater violence all leading to the mass confusionand disorder they require to put their leading playersin position. Or more precisely, once in position toexercise their assignments.”

  " The final assaults,” said Stone quietly. Selectedassassinations.”

  Chaos,” agreed Simon. "World leaders suddenlydead, the descending mantles of authority unclear,too many men

  protesting, one another, screaming that they are incharge. Total chaos.”

  “Scharhorn!” said the former intelligence officer." We have no other choice now. We have to go in!May I use your telephone, Mr. Justice?” Withoutwaning for a reply, Stone walked to Wellfleet’s deskas he removed his billfold and pulled out the smallpiece of paper with a number in Cuxhaven, WestGermany, written on it. He turned the phonearound under the harsh gaze of the Supreme Courtjustice, picked it up and dialed. The sequence oftransatlantic relays was intolerable. It rang.

  “Rebel?”

  The explosive invective over the line from halfa world away could be heard even by Simon andWellfleet. Stone broke it off. “Stop it, Johnny! Ihaven’t been near the hotel in hours and I haven’ttime for this! . . . You what?” The CIA manlistened, holding his breath, his eyes growing wide.He covered the mouthpiece and turned to NathanSimon. “My God, there’s a breakthrough!” hewhispered. “Photographs. Infrared, taken last nightand developed this morning all clear. Ninety-sevenmen from Scharhorn getting off a boat, heading forthe airport and train station. He thinks they’re thehit teams.”

  “Get those photographs to Brussels and flown toWashington on the fastest goddamned militarytransport you can find!” ordered the veneratedjustice of the Supreme Court.

  “Preposterous!” shouted General Jacques-LouisBertholdier from the brocaded wing chair in thespacious study of the Alpine chateau. “I don’tbelieve you for a minute’”

  “That’s a favorite word of yours, isn’t it?” saidConverse, standing by the open cathedral windowacross the room, the mountain fields beyond. Hewas dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and aregimental tie, all purchased in Chamonix. “Theword "preposterous,’ I mean,” he continued. “Youused it at least twice when we spoke in Paris, Ithink. It’s as though

  whatever information you don’t lik
e ispreposterous absurd, unwarranted not only theinformation itself but also the person who gives youthe information. Is that the way you look at peoplewho don’t accommodate you?”

  “Certainly not! It is the way I treat liars.” Thelegend of France began to rise. "And I see noreason “

  “Stay in that chair!” Joel commanded. “Or onlyyour corpse will get back to Paris,” he added simply,without hostility. “I told you, all I wanted was thisconversation with you. It won’t take long, and thenyou’ll be free to go. That’s more charity than any ofyou showed me.”

  “You were expendable. I apologise for being soblunt, but it is the truth.’

  “If I was so expendable, why didn’t you just killme? Why the elaborate buildup, all that trouble tomake me a killer, an assassin, a man hunted all overEurope.”

  “The Jew gave us that.”

  “The Jew? Chaim Abrahms?”

  “It makes no difference now,” said Bertholdier.“Our man in the Mossad incidentally, a brilliantanalyst made it clear that if we could not find outwhere you came from, if you yourself did not know,then we had to put you in’forbidden territory’ Ibelieve that was the expression. And that was notpreposterous. No one claims you. You were youare indeed, untouchable.”

  “Why doesn’t it make any difference now thefact that you’ve told me what you presume I alreadyknow?”

  “You’ve lost, Monsieur Converse.”

  “I have?”

  “Yes, and if you have delusions about druggingme as we drugged you let me spare you and methe discomfort of such procedures. I do not have theinformation. Actually, no one does. Only a machinethat is set in motion and issues commands.”

  “To other machines?”

  “Of course not. To men men who will do whatthey have been trained to do, who believe in whatthey’re doing. I have no idea who they are.”

  “That’s the killing, isn’t it? They’re the killers.”

  “All war is reduced to killing, young man. Andmake no mistake. This is war. The world has hadenough. We will put it to rights, as the English say.You will see; we will not be opposed. We are notonly needed, we are wanted.”

  “"Accumulation, rapid acceleration,’ those werethe words, weren’t they?”

  "The Jew was precipitate. He talks too much.

  “He says you re the pompous asshole of creation.He told me that he and Van Headmer were goingto put you in a glass room with little boys and girlsand watch you screw yourself into a coronary.

  “His conversations were always tasteless. . . Butno, I don’t believe you.

  “So we re back to my original statement.” Joelwalked away from the window and sat down in anarmchair diagonally opposite Bertholdier. “Why doyou find it so difficult to believe? Because you didnt think of it?”

  “No, monsieur. Because it s unthinkable.’

  Converse pointed to a telephone on the desk.“You know their private numbers, he said. “Callthem. Call Leifhelm in Bonn and Abrahms in TelAviv. Also Van Headmer, if you like, although I’mtold he s in the States, probably California.”

  “California?”

  “Ask each of them if he came to see me at thatlittle stone house on Leifhelm s property. Ask themwhat we talked about. Go on, the phone s right overthere.”

  Bertholdier looked sharply at the telephone asJoel held his breath. Then the soldier turned back toConverse, reluctance winning out over inclination.“What are you trying to do? What sort of trick isthis?”

  “What trick? There s the phone. I can’t rig it, Ican’t make it dial numbers or hire people hundredsor thousands of miles away to impersonate thosemen.”

  The Frenchman looked again at the telephone.“What could I say?” he asked quietly, the questiondirected more at himself than at Joel.

  “Try the truth. You’re very big on the truth asyou see it, as it pertains to large global concepts,and this is only a small matter of several minoromissions. They’re omitting to tell you that each oneof them came to see me. Or perhaps the omissionsweren’t so minor.”

  “How would I know they came to see you?’

  “You weren’t listening to me. I said "Try thetruth. I had you kidnapped, no one else. I did itbecause I didn t understand, and if push comes toshove, I want to save my life. There’s a huge worldout there, General. Large parts of it you’ll leaveintact, and I could live very nicely as long as I

  didn’t have to worry about someone coming out ofa doorway to blow my head off.”

  " You’re not the man I thought you were wethought you were.”

  “We’re all what circumstances make us. I’ve hadmy share of sweat. I’m bowing out of the crusadingbusiness, or the lid-blowing business, or whateveryou want to call it. Would you like to know why?”

  “Very much so,” said Bertholdier, staring at Joel,confusion and curiosity fighting each other in hiseyes.

  “Because I listened to you in Bonn. Maybe you’reright, or maybe I just don’t care anymore because Iwas left way out in the cold. Maybe the world reallydoes need you arrogant bastards right now.”

  “It does! There’s no other way!”

  “It’s the year of the generals then, isn’t it?”

  “No, not simply the generals! We are theconsolidators, the symbols of strength and disciplineand lawful order. Surely what follows in theaggregate in the international marketplaces, in jointforeign policies, and yes, in the legal processesthemselves will reflect our leadership, our example,and out of it all will come what is most lacking intoday’s world. Stability, Monsieur Converse! Nomore madmen like the senile Khomeini or thehollow braggardQaddafi, or the insane Palestinians.Such men and such nations and would-be nationswill be pincered by truly international forces, crushedby the overwhelming might of like-mindedgovernments. Retribution will be swift and total. Iam a military strategist of some reputation, so let meassure you the Russians will stand aside, appalled,not daring to interfere knowing at last that theycannot divide us any longer. They cannot rattle theirsabers, frightening one segment while appeasingothers, for we are all one!”

  “Aquitaine,” said Joel softly.

  “An adequate code name, yes,” agreed Bertholdier.

  “You’re as convincing as you were in Bonn,”added Converse. “And maybe it could all work, butnot this way, not with you people.”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “Nobody has to divide you you’re alreadyoceans apart.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Place those calls, General. Make it easy on yourself.

  Reach Leifhelm first. Tell him you just heard fromAbrahms in Tel Aviv and you’re appalled. SayAbrahms wants to meet with you because he hasinformation about me, that he admitted he and VanHeadmer came to see me alone in Bonn. You couldadd that I told Abrahms he and his Afrikaner friendwere my second and third visitors. Leifhelm was thefirst. "

  "Why would I tell him this?”

  “Because you’re angry as hell. No one told youabout these separate meetings with me and youconsider them highly improper which, if you don’tyou damn well should. A little while ago you said Iwas expendable. Well, you’re in for a shock,General. "

  “Explain that!”

  “No. Use the phone. Listen to what he says howhe reacts, how they all react. You’ll know. See if I’mtelling you the truth. “

  Bertholdier placed both his hands on the armsof the brocaded chair and started to rise, his eyeson the telephone. Converse sat motionless, watchingthe Frenchman closely barely breathing, his pulseracing. Suddenly the general pushed himselfviolently back into the chair and gripped its arms“AII right!” he shouted. “What was said ? What didthey say?

  “I think you should use that phone first.’

  “Pointless!” snapped Bertholdier. “As you say,you cannot make it dial other numbers well, Isuppose you could, but to what end? Impostors?Ridiculous! I could ask any of several hundredquestions and know they were merely playactors.”

  “All the more reason to call them,” said Joelcalmly. “You’d know I was telling
the truth.”

  “And give an advantage where none was shown tome. “

  Converse breathed normally again. “It’s up toyou, General. I’m just looking for a safe way out.”

  “Then tell me what was said to you.”

  “Each asked me the obvious as if he didn’ttrust the drugs or the one who adminstered them oreach other. Whom did I really represent?”Joelpaused; he was about to fish with a witness, butknew he had to pull back instantly if the pond wasbarren. “I guess I mentioned Beale on Mykonos,’heoffered hesitantly.

  “You did,” confirmed the general. “He wasreached several months ago, but our contact neverreturned. You expla”ned that also.”

  "You thought he might be one of you, didn’t you?’

  “We thought he threw away a brilliant militarycareer out of disgust. Apparently it was a differentdisgust, the very weakness we abhorred. But theseare not the things I want to hear. You madereference to some aspect of expendability That iswhat I want to hear. Now.”

  "You want it straight? Without the frills?’

  “No frills, monsieur.”

  “LeifLelm said you’ll be out in a matter ofmonths, if not sooner. You give too many orders; theothers are sick of them and you want too much forFrance.”

  “Leifhelm? The hypocritical weasel who sold hisvery soul to deny everything he espoused? Whobetrayed his leaders in the dock at Nuremberg,furnishing the court with all manner of evidence soas to worm his way into the Allies’ bowels!Everywhere, whatever our commitments, we cringed!He brought dishonoron the most honorableprofession in this world. Let me tell you, monsieur,it is not I who will be out, it is he!”

  “Abrahms said you were a sexualembarrassment,” con .inued Converse, as thoughBertholdier’s response was irrelevant. “That was thephrase he used, “a sexual embarrassment. Hementioned the fact that there was a record one heobtained, in fact that spelled out a string of rapes,female and male, that were covered up by theFrench Army because you were damned good atwhat you did. But then he asked the question. Coulda bisexual opportunist, one who ravaged women atwill and who sodomised young men and boys, whocorrupted the word ”interrogations’ as well as wholesections of the officer corps, be truly considered theFrench leader of code-name Aquitaine. He also saidyou wanted too many controls cantered in your owngovernment. But by the time there were suchcontrols, you’d be gone.”