Stabenow, Dana - Blindfold Game (v1

by Blindfold Game(lit)

  He was cold, too, having only the lightweight jacket he started out with in Washington three days before. Four days? Or was it five, with the delay in finding a plane going in the right direction? Hed lost track, and besides he was going back over the date line again. Even if he was right about how long hed been on the road, he was going to be wrong about what day it was when he got there.

  This wasnt what hed signed up for. Hed signed up for a silver Aston Martin, a Walther PPK and a vodka martini, shaken, not stirred. Not to mention Halle Berry in a bikini. Not barely endurable trips in flying warehouses. Not making end runs around a boss too motivated by politics and patronage to be effective. And most especially not duct-taping people to chairs and beating on them with claw hammers.

  He stumbled down the stairs the ground crew brought to the forward door and almost ran into Frank Clifton, captain of the aircraft.

  “Whoa there, Frank said, steadying him.

  “Sorry, Frank, Hugh said. Frank looked cheerful and well rested. Hugh hated him. He mustered up what shreds of civility he had left and managed a smile. “I appreciate the ride.

  Frank shrugged. “My pleasure. Lucky I was on my way back from Manila when you called the office.

  “I know.

  Hugh had inherited Frank from the previous holder of his job. Frank Clifton had flown cargo for Flying Tigers and now flew DC-10s for FedEx. Agents and case managers became very adept at finding pilots who would turn a blind eye at an extra body riding in the back of their jets. It was a useful option in intelligence gathering in that cargo jets went everywhere, including places passenger jets would never dream of landing, and it was very cost effective, usually entailing a bottle of Glen-morangie, paid for out of petty cash. Management probably knew all about it but turned a blind eye, because you never knew when helping out your government was going to translate into another federal subsidy, which couldnt hurt the golden parachute waiting for the CEO to don and bail.

  The pilot regarded him quizzically. “So, whats the big emergency, buddy boy? He reflected. “Well, not that a ride in last class on a commercial liner is much better these days.

  “I cant say, Hugh said. “Not yet, anyway. Its important though, Frank. I cant tell you how much I appreciate it. He managed another smile. “I gotta go.

  “Need a ride?

  Hugh blinked at him, and then around at the spread-out, much-added -to package-sorting warehouse, the huge hangar built to annual DC-10s, the sevenhe countedother DC-10s lined up in a proud row on the tarmac outside. It was dark, with stars and a hint of pale green aurora on the northern horizon. The cold seared the insides of his nostrils and he hunched his shoulders inside his sport jacket and tried not to let his teeth chatter. January in Alaska. Hed forgotten. “What time is it, anyway?

  Frank consulted an enormous silver watch the size of a horses hoof, bristling with accessory rings and function knobs. It looked like it could jam the Internet all by itself. “Five thirty-seven.

  “What day is it here?

  Frank looked at him with a sapient eye. “January ninth. Do you need a ride or not? Ive got my truck in the lot.

  Hugh forced his tired mind to think. “Let me make a phone call first, okay? He fumbled for his cell phone.

  “Sure, but no point in making it in the cold. Frank led the way to a door leading into a small room in the main office building. It was furnished with some shabby couches and a couple of beat-up coffee tables. A counter held a sink and a coffeepot and a miniature refrigerator, and copies of Northern Pilot and Aviation Week and Penthouse littered every available surface. It was warm, that was the main thing, and the warmth made Hugh realize just how cold he had been. His hands shook as he punched in an autodial number on his cell phone, and it was only by clenching his teeth together that he kept them from chattering.

  The number answered on the third ring. A warm contralto voice said drowsily, “Hello?

  “Lilah? Its Hugh.

  “Hugh? What are you What time is it? There were rustling sounds. “Hugh Rincon, its not even six a.m.!

  “I know, Im sorry. Is Kyle there?

  “Who is it, honey? he heard Kyles voice say.

  “Its Hugh, she told him.

  “Hugh? Kyle said into the phone. “Where the hell are you? And what the hell are you doing calling at the crack of dawn? Kyles voice sharpened. “Whats wrong? Sara? Your folks?

  “No, nothing like that. I have to talk to you, Kyle, right away.

  “Are you in Anchorage?

  “Yes. Ill meet you at your office.

  “For crissake, just come to the house.

  “No, Hugh said. “The office. Im grabbing a ride, Ill meet you there.

  “Hugh

  “Fifteen minutes. Hugh hung up, and followed Frank outside to a brand-new Dodge Ram Power Wagon. Frank was believer in conspicuous consumption. The truck seemed to ride at least ten feet above the ground. Hugh struggled in, muttered, “FBI headquarters, Sixth and A, and passed out before the truck had warmed up enough for Frank to judge it safe to be put into drive.

  Hugh had spent the hours prior to departure from Tokyo on the phone with the director in Langley, who stubbornly refused to connect the dots, the same dots Hugh had spent the last two months painstakingly tracing in a trail that led from the bombing in Pattaya Beach, the sighting of Fang and Noortman there, to Peter the Wolf in Odessa, to Harvey Motts report, to Hughs shakedown of Noortman in Hong Kong, who in his terror had confirmed much of this continuing story and who had added a whole new chapter that Hugh had utterly failed to sell to his boss. At this point Hugh was frantic to find a true believer.

  “If it was Egypt, Hugh, my boy, or Iran, the director had said in benevolent tones, “why, that kind of rumor I could see, that I could generate interest in.

  In the White House, Hugh correctly deduced, but by then he was angry enough to be indiscreet. “Sir, this isnt a rumor. We have confirmed reports of Korean terrorists training in al-Qaida camps

  “Do you have proof of al-Qaida involvement in this particular operation? the director said sharply.

  Hugh set his teeth. “No, sir.

  The director lost interest. “Hugh, I think its time for you to come home. Let us debrief you, get all the facts laid out on the table

  “With respect, sir, Hugh had said, “there isnt time. According to my informant, their plan is already in motion. We have to act. We must act. Now.

  There was a momentary silence. The director was probably surprised that the worm had finally turned. “Hugh, my boy, he had said slowly, “I understand your concerns, and I appreciate the hard work youve put into this operation, but like I said, you come on home now. Im not even going to slap your wrist for hightailing it out of here without permission. I tell you what, well put some people on it, some good people, well investigate these reports and track this celium of yours down.

  “Cesium, sir, Hugh said, biting off the words. “Cesium-137. Ive got a lead on its whereabouts and I want to pursue that lead. Sir.

  The directors voice cooled. “You said you were in Tokyo, did you not? There is a Northwest flight out of Narita thatll put you into Dulles at eight-oh-five tomorrow evening. There was a forced chuckle. “Seems odd to think of flying almost seventeen hours and getting in the same day you leave, dont it? He became very brisk. “Ill have a ticket waiting for you at the counter, Hugh. Well see you in the shop tomorrow. Good night, my boy.

  “Yes, sir, Hugh said, hung up, and started calling all the pilots listed on his cell phone directory. His fifth try produced Frank, who himself happened to be on the ground in Manila, loading a shipment of semiconductors just prior to taking off for Tokyo to pick up a shipment of Sony digital cameras, en route to Memphis with a stop in Anchorage for refueling and crew change, a piece of luck second only to being able to pick up Noortman in the restaurant. Well. Maybe third, after recruiting Arlene.

  Arlene, to whom he had said before going through Hong Kong security to the gate to board his plane, “This never happened. You
were never here. Write no reports, no memos, submit travel expenses only by hand and only to me. If Im fired before you make it into the office, you might get stuck with them.

  She shrugged. “I was there. I heard him talk. You had to do this.

  He nodded, grateful that here at least was one person he didnt have to convince of anything. “Ill handle the charge for the Hong Kong ticket on your credit card. Leave. Now.

  She had nodded, asking no questions, and the last hed seen of her was the bottle-green back of her blazer as she left the terminal. Watching the sliding electric door whisk out of her way, he thought that he was going to have to find some way to show his appreciation of her professionalism. Always supposing his own head wasnt served up on a platter when he got back to Langley.

  Franks 747 wouldnt be in for hours, so he hunted up a cybercafe that served coffee and checked his e-mail, hoping Peter would have been sighted, Fang apprehended, the two Koreans identified, anything he could take to the director as proof. There was nothing. Nor had Sara replied to the e-mail he had sent from DC before he left. When his cell phone rang and it was Frank, wanting to know where the hell he was, hed been genuinely surprised at the passage of time.

  “Hugh, Frank said.

  “Huh?

  “Wake up. Frank shook his arm. “Were here.

  Hugh blinked blearily through the windshield and saw the immense brown brick shoebox squatting ten feet away. A figure stood on the corner, huddled into a parka. It stepped forward into range of the streetlight and Hugh saw Kyles face peering out from the wolf ruff around the hood. “Thanks, Frank, he said, opening the door and stepping gingerly onto the ice.

  “Youre gonna tell me what this was all about someday, right? Frank said.

  “If I can, Hugh said, and shut the trucks door firmly behind him. Frank demonstrated his displeasure by kicking up a little snow when he pulled out of the parking lot, but Hugh wasnt paying attention.

  “Hugh, Kyle said, pulling Hugh into a bear hug and whacking him on the back hard enough to make him slip and almost fall. Icy parking lots. Something else he didnt miss about home. “What the hells going on? Hughs teeth had begun to chatter again and Kyle said, “never mind. Come on, lets get in out of the cold.

  KYLE CHASES OFFICE WAS on the third floor, a square box with a desk, a chair, and a couple of bookshelves. Every horizontal space was piled high with paperwork, magazines, and books. Kyle removed a stack of newspapers and a box of nine-millimeter ammunition from what was revealed as a second chair. “Sit down before you fall down. He busied himself at a coffeepot on a table.

  He was almost as tall as Hugh and had almost as much hair, although his was black. His eyes were blue and his smile was quick and wicked. He was almost as smart as he thought he was, and he, like Sara and Hugh, was a rabid overachiever, which meant he was a rising star with the FBI. Hed had to ask to be posted to Alaska, but hed always wanted to come home, and in spite of much headshaking on the part of his superiors, who freely prophesied that he was killing his career, he had prevailed. “There must have been something in the water in Seldovia, Hugh said.

  “Huh?

  “Never mind. Thinking out loud.

  The coffee finished brewing and Kyle poured two mugs full, not neglecting creamer and a huge hit of sugar for Hugh. “Terrible Trio, Hugh said, raising his mug in the traditional toast.

  Kyle smiled. “Terrible Trio, he said and clinked mugs with Hugh. He sat down behind his desk.

  Hugh drank. Strong enough to melt the bowl off a spoon and sweet enough to send him into a diabetic coma, the coffee had a reviving effect. “Is Lilah as beautiful as ever?

  “You know she is, you just saw her in October.

  “Kids good?

  “As good as the little monsters ever are, replied their loving father. “Come on, Hugh. You look like hell. Whats going on? Are you sure Sara is okay?

  “Shes fine, Hugh said. “So far as I know.

  “Oh. Ah. Well. Whats going on, then? These arent my usual office hours. Its gotta be good to get me in here this early. Or a friend, he added pointedly.

  “The FBI still regard Alaska as one of four states on a short list where the threat of domestic terrorism is regarded as real?

  Kyle stared at him, puzzled. “Are you awake yet? You know we do, along with Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho. Its why our manpowers been so beefed up here over the last five years.

  Hugh had had a long flight during which he had marshaled his arguments and worked out a way to phrase them that would make his case without tempting Kyle to have him committed. “Have you considered the possibility of an attack from an international source?

  Kyle set his mug down with a thud. “What the hells going on, Hugh? His eyes narrowed. “Does the CIA have information to that effect? And if it does, why havent we been notified?

  “Let me talk it through, Hugh said.

  Kyle looked at him for a long moment. Hugh Rincon was tall and blond and brown-eyed without being in the least bit pretty. His ease of manner belied his intellect, both of which were obvious without being offensive. He was, in short, the kind of man other men liked and all women loved. He always had been, Kyle thought ruefully. Kyle was lucky hed seen Lilah first. Not that Hugh had ever given anyone but Sara a second look.

  Across the desk Hugh shook off his fatigue and turned a mental switch. He spoke as if he were giving this briefing for the first time, a little tentatively, as if Kyle was the first focus group for this particular presentation. His speech was deliberate without being pedantic, but even if he had turned into the worlds worst teacher his subject would have guaranteed Kyles interest. “Given Alaskas strategic location on the Pacific Rim, and given the great circle route reality of international commerce, I dont think its unrealistic that intelligence agencies in Alaska hold a watching brief for terrorist traffic coming in the opposite direction from Asia.

  Kyle thought. “What would be the target if, as you suggest, we did have terrorist traffic coming at us from Asia?

  “In Alaska, the first target we think of is, of course, the terminal in Valdez, Hugh said. “Fourteen percent of the nations annual supply of oil travels through that port in very large crude carriers.

  “Given the regularity and efficiency of USAF patrols

  “Understood. I consider that threat remote. However, speaking of the air force, there are two large military bases in the state with nuclear weapons on site. Theyre attractive targets, and they have the added advantage of being perceived as too far off the national radar to worry about.

  “Location, location, location, Kyle said, expecting at least a smile. He didnt get one.

  “As for targets beyond Alaska, try every shipping port, oil refinery, and military base on the West Coast of the U.S. All theyd have to do is put a bomb on a VLCC and sail it into any harbor with a refinery from Bremerton to San Diego. Very big boom.

  Kyle relaxed a little. “Is that realistic?

  “You tell me, Kyle, Hugh said, his voice hard. “Was Oklahoma City realistic? Was 9/11 realistic? No, they wont try that exact MO again, but who knows what else theyve got up their sleeves? We have information that Bin Ladin has his own personal fleet of oceangoing vessels. Some sources number it at as high as twenty vessels total. Where are they? Where are they going? Who, and, even more importantly, what are they bringing with them? You know the story of Container Bob, right?

  Kyle shook his head.

  “The Italians stumbled across an Egyptian-born Canadian named Amid Farid Rizk inside a container en route from Port Said to Rotterdam, changing ships in Gioia Tauro. He never would have been caught if he hadnt decided to drill more holes for air and the Italian police hadnt heard him. The container came equipped with all the modern conveniences, including a heater, a toilet, and a bed. Not to mention the satellite phone, the laptop, and the Canadian A&P certificate.

  “Jesus, Kyle said, shaken in spite of himself. “He was an airplane mechanic?

  “You bet. We checked. He did the work. The certi
ficate was valid.

  “So it was a test run?

  Hugh shrugged. “We dont know. The containers final destination was listed as Halifax, Nova Scotia.

  “What did this Rizk say?

  “He didnt say anything. He got himself a smart lawyer who got him bail. He was in the wind by November.

  “What was his lawyers name? Kyle said. “Just in case I ever decide to rob a bank in Italy.

  “Thats not the point, Kyle.

  “What is the point then, Hugh? Kyle said, mimicking his tone.

  “My point is, theyve been practicing traveling in container ships, Hugh said.

  “Okay, Kyle said, putting his mug down and placing both hands flat on his desk. “What the hells this about, Hugh? You hitch a ride from Tokyo on a cargo jet, you get me out of bed to come down here, and so far all Im getting is a lecture on terrorism. A lecture Ive already heard.

  Hugh held up a hand. “Bear with me, okay, Kyle? Please?

  Kyle took a deep breath, exhaled. “All right. Go ahead.

  “I dont know about you, and I admit, maybe it has something to do with where I was born and where a lot of people I love still live, but Ive never been as concerned over terrorists in the Middle East as I have been terrorists in Asia.

  “Like North Korea, Kyle said. “Its why you took your masters in Asian studies. I know all this, Hugh.

  “What do you know about North Korea?

  Hugh hadnt meant it to sound like a challenge, but Kyle responded as if it were. “Since the end of World War II, the Korean peninsula has been split into two, with the north under Chinese domination and the south under Western, uh, influence. South Korea has a stable government, a booming economy, and a well-armed and well-trained military. North Korea? North Korea is starving to death, mostly because instead of figuring out how to feed their people theyve concentrated fifty years of gross national product on the development of long-range missiles and research into weapons, including chemical, biological, and, yes, nuclear.