Daredevil Riders

73

THERE WAS NO ONE LEFT STANDING after the NIC chief found out about an unauthorized operation that had cost him his sole asset in the biggest counterintelligence investigation of his brief career as the nation’s head spy. If Weaver could have issued a hit on Herbert, Anthony and Ashburn and gotten away with it, he would have. Even Sir James McElroy, who immediately owned up to his part in the fiasco, was not spared.

When Herbert and Anthony met with him later at the British embassy McElroy looked older and frailer than before. The spark that was usually in his eye had receded. Anthony looked crushed at having let the man down. Herbert’s expression was unfathomable. There were few who could discern the smoldering anger wi

thin him.

“No leads on the shooter?” asked McElroy quietly as he held his side tightly.

Anthony answered, “None. By the time the FBI got there the sniper was long gone. There’s a road near the location. Takes a minute for a car to disappear into a dozen different directions.”

“Well, MI has been officially taken off the case,” said McElroy. He looked at Anthony. “I’m on the next flight out. Care to ride with me?”

Anthony glanced at Herbert, who was looking at the wall, obviously lost in thought.

“If I could follow you a bit later, sir, just to wrap up a few things here.”

McElroy said, “Could you excuse us for a minute, Mary?”

Anthony shot Herbert another look and quickly left the room.

When the door closed Herbert focused on the Brit.

“Quite a c**k-up,” said McElroy.

“Quite.”

“I still believe it was worth the effort. The status quo was letting people die left and right.”

“Well, we just added another to that list.”

“Now that Turkekul is gone the matter might be closed.”

Herbert sat down across from him. “How so?”

“Turkekul was their point man.”

“If so, why kill him?”

“You flushed him out.”

“How did they know I did?”

McElroy spread his hands. “How have these chaps known anything? They just do.”

“My commission has been revoked,” said Herbert. “The president’s loyalties have their limits. Not that I can blame him.”

“How about our FBI agent?”

“Ashburn? Couple black marks and a desk job for a while. She was smart enough to get some backing higher up before this all went down. Her landing will be relatively soft. But it’s still not what she wanted to happen.”

“Of course not.” McElroy patted Herbert on the shoulder. “It’s no use sitting around lamenting about things we can’t change. Some missions go according to plan and everyone’s happy. And some unfortunately don’t.”

“Well, I’m not convinced this mission is over yet.”

“It is for us, Oliver. I’ve been known to buck the system on occasion. Last night was one of those occasions. But I also know when to toss in the towel. Otherwise I wouldn’t have lasted this long.”

He rose, holding on to the table for support. Herbert looked up at him.

“Maybe it’s true. Even though I was the one who said it, I’m not sure I really believed it.”

“What?”

“That I’m not what I once was.”

“None of us are, Oliver. None of us are.”

After McElroy left, Anthony came back in and sat down next to Herbert.

“I thought it was a good try, and for what it’s worth I’d do it again,” she said. “Better than sitting on our hands looking for somebody else to do something.”

“Thanks,” Herbert said curtly. “So what do you have to wrap up over here that you’re not flying back with your boss?”

“I’m not sure. I thought you could tell me.”

Herbert c****d his head. “Not following.”

“You’re not going to just leave it like this, are you?”

“What else am I supposed to do? I’m officially out of the investigation.”

“Officially just means technically. And from what I’ve seen of how you operate, technicalities don’t matter much.”

“I screwed up big-time. Weaver is trying to figure out a way to put me behind bars.”

“Forget him. We still have a case to solve. Because I don’t think Turkekul going down means anything.”

Herbert now looked interested. “What do you mean?”

“Come on, I was eavesdropping at the door. I heard you tell Sir James that you didn’t believe the mission was over.”

“I don’t. I just don’t see how much good I can do.”

“Because you’re not what you were?”

“You really were listening at the keyhole.”

“Yeah, I really was.”

Herbert hesitated for a moment and then said, “I’m done, Mary. Fly back to London. Get the hell away from me. Right now, I’m professional poison. You’ve got a long career ahead of you.”

He rose to leave. She snagged his arm.

“John Carr would never walk away from this.”

“No, he wouldn’t. But I’m not John Carr. Not anymore.”

The door closed behind him.

. 7

“I JUST CAME BY TO SAY I’m sorry.”

Herbert was standing on the threshold of Marisa Mr. Green’s office in Jackson Place. The woman stared back at him. She was dressed in jeans, a T-shirt and sandals. Her hair was disheveled and there was a smudge of dirt on her left cheek. Over her shoulder Herbert could see packing boxes.

“Okay,” she said. “But that wasn’t necessary. Op went wrong. Heads roll. That’s the nature of the beast. I anted in, and the pot went to someone else.”

“Unauthorized op,” Herbert corrected her. “Because of me.”

She shrugged. “Doesn’t matter now, does it?”

“You moving?”

“Going out of business.”

“Higher orders?”

“It was never really my business to begin with. Uncle Sam was footing the bill. And keeping all the profits. If I’d really been in business for myself, I’d be retired on a cushy income by now.”

She fell silent and the two stared at each other. “I’ve got some fresh coffee brewing. You up for a cup?”

“All right, but I’m a little surprised you’re not pulling a g*n on me instead.”

“Believe me, I thought about it.”

They sat at her desk. As Herbert drank his coffee he said, “What now?”

“What now? Good question. My ticket got pulled.”

Herbert’s mouth fell open. “Not permanently?”

“Yes,” she said quietly. “Fuat Turkekul was our only link to what my superiors referred to as the second coming of Stalin. And I lost him.”

“No, I lost him. And I told Weaver that to his face.”

“Doesn’t matter. I let you take him. Same difference. And I didn’t get the necessary clearance, principally because it would never have been given.”

Herbert looked around the office. “What will you do now?”

“Well, I’ll spend about the next year of my life writing exit briefs and defending my indefensible actions to a top secret government panel that will be doing its best to find a way to do more than fire me.”

“What, prison?”

“Why not?”

Herbert put his cup down. “You have any options in the private sector?”

She shook her head. “Damaged goods. All the guys that are hiring people like me used to work on the government side. They need to stay in their good graces. I’m persona non grata.”

“You have something else to worry about,” said Herbert.

She nodded. “I’ve been outed. They knew what we were trying to do with Fuat. If they know that, they know about me. The Russians will try to kill me, if for no other reason than professional satisfaction.”

“And you have no tail coverage?”

“None. Agency cut all ties to me as soon as our little Bay of Pigs came to light. All those years of outstanding service didn’t provide me with a sliver of support when things went bad.” She smiled resignedly. “Why should I have expected anything more?”

Herbert said nothing. He sipped his coffee and watched the woman.

She gazed around her office. “You know, as crazy as it sounds, I’m going to miss this place.”

“Doesn’t sound crazy.”

“I was a spy, but I was also a businesswoman. And I was actually a pretty good lobbyist.”

“I’m sure you were.”

She looked at him. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Come on, I could hear Riley Weaver’s screams all the way from Virginia.”

Herbert shrugged. “I was out of the business a long time. So I’ll be out of it again. For good this time.”

“Weaver’s going to come after you.”

“I know that.”

“He will make your life a living hell.”

“I know that too.”

“I’m thinking about going to a deserted island where he and the Russians can’t find me.”

“Is there such a place?”

“Worth finding out.”

“That takes money.”

“I’ve saved well.”

“I haven’t.”

She eyed him. “So you want to tag along?”

“I’m definitely baggage you don’t need.”

“You never know. Us against the world.”

“I’d probably slow you down.”

“Something tells me that you wouldn’t. Two old spies on the road.”

“You’re not old, Marisa.”

“Neither are you, John.”

“Oliver.”

She rose and slid over next to him. “Right now, just let it be John.”

“Why?”

She kissed him.

Herbert pulled back in surprise. “I just cost you your career,” he said.

“No. Maybe you just opened my eyes to the future.”

She pressed her body against his, nearly pushing him off the chair. Her scent wafted into his nostrils, and it was like a welder’s spark had gone off in the part of his brain that dealt with the senses.

He moved away from her and shook his head. “I’ve been all over the world and I don’t think I’ve ever smelled anything like that before. I actually felt a pop in my head.”

She smiled. “It’s a perfume I found in Thailand. Unavailable in the States. The English translation is roughly ‘two hearts as one.’ It’s supposed to have a visceral effect on men. And I’m not talking in the obvious place. More emotional.”

“Well I can attest to that.”

She leaned closer. “Don’t dismiss my offer so lightly.”

“I’m not. But frankly it would be pretty crazy.”

“Nothing is crazy if you want it badly enough.” She sat back up. “Don’t you think you deserve a little happiness? A little peace after everything you’ve been through?”

Herbert hesitated. “I’ll think about it.”

She touched his cheek. “That’s all I’m asking, John. I’ve waited a long time for someone like you. I’ve lost my career. But maybe I’ve found something else to replace it.”

“You could have just about anyone you wanted. Why me?”

“Because you’re just like me.”

Herbert WOKE AND LOOKED AROUND. He was in his cottage, lying in his old army cot. He checked his watch. Two a.m. He got up, showered, scrubbing his skin and hair especially hard for a reason he couldn’t really fathom. He dried off and slipped on his pants, shirt and shoes. After leaving Marisa Mr. Green’s office and before coming home he’d walked for hours, until his legs were sore from smacking into the concrete sidewalks. Then he’d come here, falling asleep almost right away simply because he was exhausted.

He took some Advil, sat on the side of his cot and waited for the dull ache in his head to subside. Two concussions in a short period of time. At twenty he could shrug that off. Now he could not. It was all taking its toll. The next one might just do him in.

Maybe I can blame all the mistakes on being blown up twice.

His thoughts once more turned to Marisa Mr. Green. A deserted island. Two old spies. He touched his lips where she’d kissed him. He couldn’t say he hadn’t felt… something. In fact, she had made it clear that she would go much farther than a kiss.

And her offer to leave together? A beautiful woman. An intelligent lady. A woman who had worked in the world he had. At first Herbert had thought it ridiculous. He had only told her he would think about it to appease her.

Now? Now maybe he really was thinking about it. What was left for him here? He had his friends. But right now anyone close to him would suffer too. Riley Weaver would see to that. It had all disintegrated with surprising speed.

The headache finally weakened and he put on a jacket, left the cottage and walked around the familiar grounds of Mt. Zion. Even in the dark he knew where each tombHerbert was, every path, every tree. He stopped in front of a few graves of the long dead. He would sometimes talk to these folks, by name. He never got an answer, but it still helped. Allowed him to think through a particularly difficult problem.