Daredevil Riders

30

Herbert looked from her to Birdman. “Do we know the timeline with the tree? Where it came from? Who was involved on that end?”

“Running that down as we speak. The thing is, I don’t see how a tree gets from that point to Lafayette without it being checked for a damn bomb. I mean, at the very least you’d think they’d let a canine take a sniff when it got to the staging area. That tree was big. As you saw on the video, they had to crane the sucker in.”

Herbert said, “Well, is there a record of a dog going over it for explosives?”

“Not that I can find. And none of the installation crew recalls that happening.”

“Another big hole in security if that’s true,” said Anthony.

“Yeah, but a bomb in a root ball?” said Birdman. “Who’d figure that one?”

“Yeah, like jumbo jets flying into skyscrapers,” said Herbert. “Or explosives in underwear or shoes. We have to start being ahead of that curve or more innocent people will die.”

Birdman took another swallow of his coffee, his brow a mass of wrinkles.

“Something else?” prompted Herbert, who was studying the man carefully.

When Birdman spoke he lowered his voice to a level where Herbert and Anthony had to lean forward to hear. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think our side is watching us. Screwing with us, I mean. That’s why I asked to meet you two here.”

Anthony said, “Our side? Why do you think that?”

Birdman looked at Herbert warily. “I know you’re with NSC, and frankly I’ve pulled too many years to blow my career, but I’m also not going to sit pat and pretend everything is fine either.”

Herbert leaned forward more. “My loyalties run to the people at this table. Now tell me why you suspect that your own side is against you.”

Birdman looked irritated and sheepish at the same time. “I think my damn phone is being bugged, for one thing. At my office and my house. And it’s like when I ask questions, there’re more fingerprints down the line than there should be.” He eyed Herbert and then Anthony. “Tell me something. And I’d like the truth.”

“All right,” said Anthony quickly, but Herbert remained silent, waiting.

“The video feed from the night of the explosion? I mean after the detonation took place? I gotta tell you I’m not buying the company line that the blast screwed the cameras permanently. Like the Secret Service said today, there are lots of eyeballs on that park. But they all don’t share.” He stopped speaking and eyed them. “So is there more?”

Anthony shot Herbert a glance.

Birdman frowned. “Yeah, I thought so. So you guys are screwing with me too. How the hell can I run an investigation with both hands tied behind my back? You know what? The only person I trust right now is my wife. And that’s the God’s honest truth.”

“I can understand that.”

“And why the hell were you two privy to the full video and I wasn’t?” He scowled at Anthony. “Hell, you’re not even an American.”

“There’s no good reason why you were kept out of the loop,” admitted Herbert. He looked at Anthony. “Your laptop in the car?”

She nodded.

“Go get it.”

A minute later she was back and fired her computer up. Seconds later they were looking at the video feed. The full video feed.

After they finished Birdman sat back, apparently mollified. “Okay, I’m still pissed that I got the rug pulled out from under me, but I didn’t see anything on there that deserved to make it off-limits to the FBI.”

That was true, thought Herbert. But in light of what he had learned, was there something there he just wasn’t seeing?

He said to Anthony, “Run it again from the point where everyone starts walking off from the park. And do it in slow motion.”

She did as he asked. After a minute Herbert said, “Freeze it there.” He stared at the motionless video. He was angry for not having seen it before, particularly after what he had learned today.

“Can you enlarge the frame?”

She clicked some keys and the picture morphed larger in front of them.

“Can you swing the frame to the left?”

Anthony manipulated the built-in mouse and the image moved to the left.

Herbert put his finger on one spot on the screen. “Do you see it?”

Birdman and Anthony looked closer.

“What?” they both said together.

“That car’s headlights flicked against the window there. You can see a face clearly reflected in the darkened glass.”

The other two leaned closer. “Okay,” said Anthony, “I can see it now.”

Birdman nodded. “But who is it?”

“It’s the man in the suit. That’s why you didn’t get this part of the feed.”

“Wait a minute,” said Birdman. “How do you know it’s the guy in the suit?”

“Because I met him today.”

Birdman’s face turned red and he stood. “You know where he is? Son of a b***h. You guys keep holding s**t back from me. Maybe you’re the ones bugging my phones.”

Herbert stared up at him. “Agent Birdman, keep your voice and your temper in check. And sit down. Now.”

There was something in Herbert’s manner that made the federal agent obey. He sat, though his expression was still angry.

Herbert continued, “The man in the suit was in the park that night to meet with someone about a very high-priority mission for this country.”

“And how do you know that?”

“I’m telling you what I was told earlier today from a source that I trust. As I said, I met the man whose face is reflected in that window. His mission involves tracking down someone who is the enemy of this country. Perhaps its greatest enemy,” Herbert added.

Realization slowly spread over Birdman’s features. He said, “Damn, do you mean…?”