Dead Edge

by Jack Ford

  Teddy, who’d joined Woods in devouring the oatmeal cookies, but was having less luck with keeping the crumbs off the floor, said, ‘I try not to think too hard about it, mainly because what other alternative is there? It’s a country endowed with massive reserves of gas and oil, and has one of the world’s biggest sovereign wealth funds, so they have the ability to exert enormous influence.’

  Trying not to transfer his anger towards Shaheen onto Teddy, Woods rolled his tongue around his mouth before taking a stick of gum – which Jackson had given him earlier – out of his pants pocket. Bent it in two, then two again, before firmly pushing it into his mouth.

  ‘But what the hell has that got to do with having to compromise integrity?’

  ‘Jesus, John. It’s got everything to do with it. And the last time integrity was synonymous with politics was when I was a freshman and you know that.’

  Woods exploded. ‘And you don’t hate that?’

  ‘Of course I do. But since we were in the Ivy League you’ve always been much more idealistic than I was.’

  ‘You make out that’s a bad thing.’

  ‘Not bad. Misguided. And that’s why it hits you so hard. There’s nothing idealistic about this situation. Turning your back on a snake that strikes is never a good thing, so we align with the lesser evil, though that in itself comes with its own pitfalls. And there are dangers of not working with them, as well you know, Mr President. You’ve got to admit that their association with terrorist organizations like the Taliban and Hamas and, to a point, Al-Qaeda, have made them a valuable go-between in the region.’

  ‘And a pretty capricious ally,’ Woods said.

  ‘It’s a new dawn,’ Teddy said.

  Woods cut a hard stare. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

  ‘They give us what we want and we give them what they want.’

  ‘At a price. But let me tell you it certainly won’t include Abdul-Aziz bin Hamad. Al-Qaeda has been comparatively quiet since Osama bin Laden was killed back in 2011. But just because the dragon sleeps, it doesn’t mean it’s stopped being a dragon. We know that Al-Qaeda is slowly regrouping itself, and actively recruiting, as well as trying to replenish their bank accounts in preparation for their next phase. So I don’t trust the reasons why Qatar are so keen to have Bin Hamad released or transferred. I suspect, from the discussions I’ve had with not only the Security Council but also central intelligence, that groups masquerading as Qatari Charities, similar to the ones who were Bin Laden’s major source of funding, are pushing for it… God, it’s a mess. I’m telling you guys, over the next couple of years this administration needs to really reassess our relationship with certain countries.’

  ‘And in the meantime?’ asked Lyndon.

  Woods, looking like a defeated man, replied, ‘In the meantime, Lyndon, we continue to listen to Qatar telling the world they do not fund terrorists, and we continue to sell weapons to them, knowing some of them will be shipped unchecked with our blessing to enemies of this nation, and our military will continue to fight to defend this country and for global stability, whilst being attacked with the same weapons we sold. And then as the cherry on the Goddamn cake, Lyndon, we’ll watch and condemn the actions of the rest of the Middle East from our high tech military base ivory tower in Qatar, as they top up the Pentagon funds with their billions… Hey, and there’s me thinking we’re hypocrites.’

  COLORADO, USA

  59

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  Ellie.

  That’s all Cooper could think of as he lay on his back, drunk and counting stars by one of the streams on his ranch, which looked across to the seemingly endless mountain range sitting under the Colorado night sky.

  Without moving from his position, Cooper stretched his arm across to one of the bottles of beer lying in the grass next to him. Attempted to drink the remainder whilst still lying down.

  ‘Shit!’

  Spluttering, he sat up. Quickly. As the alcohol spilt and drained over and off his face, trickling into his ears and seemingly down his nose.

  Hurling the bottle away, Cooper rested his head on his knees.

  Dizzy.

  Ill.

  He fumbled to the side of him, feeling the cool of the earth and the grass on his hand. And then his fingers touched it. The steel. The cold metal of his gun. Smooth like silk. Inviting. Alluring. Urging him to soothe away his pain… His guilt.

  Dragging it towards him like a heavy weight, his index finger hooked around the trigger, Cooper, with his head still down, neglected to look at the 44 S&W Special, almost as if he was trying to sneak the gun up on himself.

  Pushed the barrel hard against his head, against his mop of thick hair, hearing his own muffled cry. ‘Come back to me, Ellie. Don’t leave me like this. Please don’t leave me on my own, baby. I can’t do it without you.’

  Lifting his head up, his eyes closed, his face wet with beer and tears, he opened his mouth. Slowly he slid the gun in, hearing the steel clatter against and past his teeth as he pushed it towards the back of his throat. Tasting the steel on his tongue. Feeling the conflict of the hard steel against the soft palate of the roof of his mouth.

  Pulling the chrome hammer back with his thumb, he was vaguely aware of his body juddering. Shuddering. Jerking with emotion. Anticipation… Fear.

  Pull the trigger; that’s all he had to do. That’s all it’d take. One pull. One shot. Then it’d be over. Everything. Gone. No more pain… Well, not for him anyway… But it wasn’t just him, was it? What about Cora? What about her? Would she spend her life wondering? Hating him? Hating herself? Questioning why he’d left her? Shit… No. He wasn’t going to think like that. Couldn’t. Wouldn’t. He needed to finish this. End it. Period.

  Determined, he pushed harder. Jammed the gun further back into his mouth, inadvertently instigating a pharyngeal reflex, causing the beer which sat at the bottom of his stomach like a well to be retched up and flood over and past the gun in his mouth and pour out either side of it and drip down onto his chin, covering his hands with sweet, sticky vomit.

  His thumbs shook, hovering over the trigger. Why couldn’t he do it?

  Why?

  God help him, why? Just pull the trigger. Pull it. Pull it.

  The image of Cora – of Ellie – of Jackson – of Levi – of Dorothy – of Beau – of John – of Maddie – came into his mind. And right then, right there he ripped the gun out of his mouth, smashing his teeth on the way out. And then fired it into the air. Over and over and over. Into the darkness. Into the bright. Lighting up the starry sky.

  60

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  ‘Remember that old boyfriend of mine, Tom?’

  Cooper washed his face in the large, stone outdoor sink, part of the open-air kitchen which he’d built for, and in honor of, Levi’s love of cook-outs.

  The cold water refreshed his skin. His body. But not his mind. And if the water wouldn’t work, a mouthful of beer might.

  He reached over to finish off the Busch beer, which sat next to the loaded 44 S&W Special and his cell, resting on the whitewashed fence post with Maddie on speakerphone.

  He felt rough. Dog tired. He’d slept outside all night and woken up to the Colorado morning sun and to the mother of all hangovers. And now most of all he was angry as hell with what seemed – what was – the entire world. ‘Which one? Jesus, Maddie, I lose count. Good job they use abacuses in school to teach math to first graders, rather than the number of boyfriends you’ve had, otherwise, hell knows, poor babies would lose count.’

  A pause. And Cooper could visualize Maddie chewing on her lip. Contemplating whether or not to react. Part of him wanted her to. God knows he could do with a fight. Give him a good excuse, rather than just a regular one, to drown his sorrows… again.

  Not biting, Maddie asked, ‘Have you finished now? Feel better now you’ve been a jackass? Because I don’t have to bother, you know? Down to you.’

  A long sigh. A draw on his cigarette and a struggle to put the thou
ghts of Ellie and the events of last night away. Cooper, feeling genuinely ashamed of himself, meekly said, ‘Sorry. I was completely out of line there. You didn’t deserve that.’

  ‘You okay, Tom? Has something happened?’

  Oh, hell yeah. God, had it just. It had spun and turned and moved and blown and torn his world upside down. He felt as if the accident had just happened that very day, and he didn’t know what to do, and he didn’t know how to feel, and he didn’t know how to breathe, and God how he wished he could share it with Maddie, but instead he mused, ‘Just tired, that’s all. Was up with one of the horses last night. I think there’s something wrong with her front right tendon. I’m going to call Ace to come and look at it.’

  ‘Do you want me to call him, I could…’

  He cut her off. Briskly. ‘It’s fine, I can sort it. What is it you want anyway? Sorry, that came out wrong. I just…’

  She cut in as fast and as briskly as Cooper had done. ‘Don’t bother, I don’t want to hear it. I was just calling to let you know I’m off to see Joshua Bradley at fifteen hundred hours, which will give you enough time to fly over here. He’s the guy who works for the NATO Allied Maritime Command. I thought it might be interesting to talk to him. Who knows, maybe he’ll be able to tell us a little bit more about Ismet and his boats. I’ll text you the address… If you turn up you turn up, and if you don’t… whatever.’

  The line went dead and Cooper stood staring for a good few moments at his cell. Letting the feeling of frustration and anger and pain and hurt rush right through him and over him. Then slowly, real carefully, he reached to put the gun away. Afraid to make any sudden movements, in case that sudden movement might trigger an urge to put a bullet right in his head.

  61

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  In the Breckenridge, Colorado, Maddie stared at Cooper. ‘Wasn’t sure if you’d show, Tom.’

  Dark shades on to protect his eyes from what felt like an apocalyptic sun, unshaven, a headache sent from hell itself, and Maddie waiting by the gate with her hands on her hips and a tight look on her face. This was going to be some afternoon. ‘Hoping I wouldn’t, so you guys can go over old times? Tell me, Maddison, how come I didn’t know about this guy?’

  ‘Seriously, Tom, you’re really starting to annoy me. Whatever the hell it is you’re talking about… don’t.’

  Not backing down, thinking about Rosedale, Cooper asked, ‘Where’s lover boy?’

  Cutting her eye at him as she knocked on the door, Maddie said, ‘Which one?’

  Before Cooper could combust into a ball of fury, the door was flung open. Wide.

  ‘Hey, Maddison! God it’s been a while but damn you still looking good. What’s your secret?’

  Joshua Bradley – six-foot-tall and movie star looks – gave Maddie a hug. A squeeze. Real tight. Hands real low. Too low for Cooper’s liking.

  ‘Sorry, my manners.’ Bradley reached out his hand to Cooper, who stared at it. Didn’t bother taking it. Leaving Bradley hanging in the air until he wiped his hand self-consciously on his trousers.

  ‘Well it’s good to meet you, Thomas.’

  A single begrudging nod. A single word. ‘Cooper.’

  ‘Cooper. Sorry…’

  Relieved to have Maddie to bridge the awkwardness gap, Bradley led them both inside. Gestured towards the large, tan leather couch.

  ‘So, I know you couldn’t talk fully on the phone but I got your gist… Sorry, can I offer either of you a drink?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘No.’

  Grinning, Bradley pushed warmly. ‘Cooper, are you sure I can’t get you anything?’

  ‘What am I, a three year old?’

  ‘Josh, can I apologize for Tom’s rudeness? We really appreciate you giving up your time like this. And don’t worry about my drink, I’m fine.’

  Deciding it was probably best not to ask Maddie if she was sure, Joshua Bradley sat down opposite, trying his hardest to ignore Cooper’s hostile stare.

  ‘Can I ask why you’re so interested in this ship? Or shouldn’t I ask that?’ Joshua said.

  ‘Only because we want to tread very carefully, and to tell you the truth, Josh, we’re not quite sure where we’re heading with it really. It’s nothing to do with trust though.’

  Josh smiled warmly at Maddie. Winked. Left Cooper more pissed than he already was.

  ‘I know you trust me, but I appreciate you saying that, and I’m sure you’ll appreciate I can only divulge so much, and even that’s too much… I shouldn’t really be doing this, but I know you wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t really important to you. And hey, I’ve never been able to say no to you.’

  Ruminating on the end seat of the couch, Cooper, knowing his behavior wasn’t something he was proud of, and working out how he was going to make it up to Maddie later, said nothing. But the awkwardness sat, hung and loitered in the air until Maddie, simmering with fury, spoke. ‘I know you’re a busy man, Josh, so can I ask you a few questions then we’ll leave you to get on?’

  ‘Sure.’

  ‘What we don’t understand is why Ismet’s ship wasn’t on the marine traffic reports. Or on the shipping position data. Or even on the API or AIS. Nothing. There’s no record of it. Not when it was sailing. Not the history of it doing so. I understand that it has stealth technology, but that’s purely for being less visible on radar. There has to be some official record.’

  ‘Nope.’

  ‘But there does, maritime law states…’

  Bradley cut in. ‘Not when it comes to these particular ships.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘It’s a Qatari ship, right?’

  ‘Yeah, so? That exempt it from having to follow maritime protocol,’ Maddie said.

  Bradley, rooting and staring into the family size Lay’s spicy ketchup potato chip bag, in the hope of procuring the last remains from the bottom, shook his head, flicking off the bits of chips from his fingers before noisily sucking each one clean.

  ‘Not usually, but then the people behind this aren’t usual.’

  Maddie looked puzzled. ‘I’m not following you.’

  ‘Now it’s my turn to know if I can trust you. What I’m going to tell you can’t go past these walls. And whatever happens, Maddie, you didn’t hear this from me. Right?’

  ‘Absolutely. And I can speak for Tom on this when I say you can trust us unequivocally.’

  Josh’s eyes flicked across to Cooper who nodded in agreement. ‘Okay, well, the people behind those boats – and I don’t exactly know who they are – but they have a deal with the US government to be able to sail around the Med and Africa unhindered. With their blessing. NATO and the Combined Task Force 150 have no choice but to go along with it.’

  ‘And the reason?’

  ‘It’s to do with the American weapons they’ve bought from our government, which are sold to Qatar, who in turn sell or give them to their allies, who aren’t always our allies, and there’s nothing we can do to regulate or keep check on who and where these shipments of arms are going.’

  Maddie pulled a face. One that spelt disbelief with a capital D. ‘So you just let them ship arms about with no checks? And all off record? That is asking for trouble.’

  ‘It’s not quite me letting them but yes, it’s part of an arrangement between America and Qatar. You must know all about this, Maddie?’

  ‘Of course, but when I was a serving naval officer there were slightly more regulations, plus an entirely different military and political climate.’

  ‘I hear you on that one. And to go back to what you said about them being off record, yes they are, but we kind of track them anyway. Ironically, we know and are told about the ships, because for us to not stop or check them, and to pretend not to know about them, we have to be told about the ship’s course in the first place. It’s crazy. When they use stealth ships, it does make it harder to know where their heading, but not impossible. Of course, we’re not supposed to be interested, but human nature being what it is, being to
ld not to be interested in something only makes us more curious.’

  Thoughtfully, Maddie wondered aloud, ‘So you never stop them? Ever?’

  ‘Well, here’s the rub: we can’t intercept them, and we can’t check their cargo even if we suspect something’s not right. Which on a side point, after you called me, Mads, I did some asking around and apparently the guys who came to rescue that young boy off the Qatari ship you were on, they got in a hell of a lot of trouble. Big time. If I said it’d caused somewhat of a diplomatic incident, I wouldn’t be exaggerating.’

  Cooper, who’d sat listening, trying real hard to put his instant dislike for Bradley to one side, and his hatred of John and his administration policies to the other side, eventually spoke. ‘Christ, Bradley, are you telling me that the powers that be would rather you guys hadn’t come to help the kid?’

  ‘That’s exactly what I’m saying. Strictly off limits. No matter what. Thank the President and the Pentagon for that one.’

  Quietly, through gritted teeth and with tightened fists, Cooper uttered, ‘Oh I will. Believe me, Bradley, I will.’

  ‘It sticks in a lot of military guys’ – and women’s, sorry – throats that this is how it is. And I know for a fact that these weapons being shipped around, and given to different rogue states by Qatar and other Middle Eastern countries, have been used against the US Army out in the field, as well as innocent civilians. In actual fact, the shipping of arms is a huge problem and governments often turn a blind eye, as well as getting NATO to be discreet for the sake of international relations. And there’s no repercussions. I’ve been a Democrat all my life, but I tell you I’m heading across to the other side the next time Presidential elections come around. Woods can kiss my South Dakota ass.’