Smooth Operator (Teddy Fay) (18 page)

T
eddy, Holly, and Mille conferred in Holly’s office while Kevin traced the call.

“Okay,” Teddy said. “The vote’s scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. We’ve got to make sure it happens, and we’ve got to find Karen Blaine by then. Once the vote is over, they have no reason to keep her alive any longer no matter what the result.”

“Then we have to tell the CIA,” Holly said.

“That’s the other way we get her killed. Then they won’t wait till tomorrow afternoon. If it were as easy as telling the CIA, I wouldn’t be here and the President would have done so at the start.”

“Well, we can’t just wait around for them to kill her.”

“Got it!” Kevin called.

They trooped into the other room.

“Well?” Teddy demanded.

“Much better,” Kevin said. “The Speaker kept him on the phone. I was able to narrow the search, particularly as it’s the same area as before.” He clicked the mouse, brought up the map with a ten-mile radius circle. “We were able to narrow the area down from this . . . to this.” He clicked the mouse, and a smaller circle appeared. The center was somewhat west of the center of the larger circle.

“It moved,” Holly said.

“It didn’t move. It’s just more accurate. We had a ten-mile radius. Now we have a radius of three-point-five being generated from a nucleus four-tenths of a mile west and two-tenths of a mile south of what we originally predicted.”

“And this one is accurate and the other one isn’t?”

“They’re both accurate. This is
more
accurate.”

“So we’re talking about an area seven miles wide.”

“That’s right.”

“You have a map of it?”

“Partial.”

“What do you mean ‘partial’?”

“Not all roads are named or mapped. There are three or four hundred homes listed, and there will be more cabins that aren’t.”

“Okay,” Teddy said. “That’s doable. I can eliminate most of these houses on sight. We’re talking a primitive cabin here. I’ll drive around and check them out.”

“All night?” Holly said.

“No. You can’t disguise your headlights on a dead-end dirt
road. I can eliminate the houses on the main drag, but what we’re looking for will take daylight.”

“You’ll never do it in time,” Holly said. “Not unless you luck onto the kidnappers first thing. By the time you get up there you’ll only have a couple of hours of daylight left. You’re better off driving up before dawn. If the vote’s tomorrow afternoon, you’re really racing the clock. If the vote’s not tomorrow afternoon . . .”

“That’s up to you. Get the President not to suspend Congress and not to postpone the vote.”

“How do I do that?”

“Any way you can. You’re the national security advisor. Tell her it’s in the interests of national security.”

“That’s a tough sell.”

“Get Stone Barrington to help you. He has the ear of the President, and I imagine Speaker Blaine will be making a pitch of his own.”

“Let them handle the President, then,” Holly said. “I’ll go with you.”

“You can’t.”

“You need help.”

“I’ll go,” Millie Martindale said.

“You can’t go,” Holly said.

“Why not?”

“These guys play rough.”

Millie stuck out her chin. “So do I.”

“Do you have a gun?” Teddy said.

“Not on me.”

“That’s not a problem,” Teddy said. “What about a permit?”

“I have one at home. I can get it.”

“No need. If I could borrow Holly’s computer.”

“Could we try to limit the number of felonies perpetrated on national security equipment?” Holly said.

Teddy reached into his jacket and took out one of the guns he’d requisitioned from the CIA. He turned it around, offered the butt to Mille. “Can you use this?”

Millie took the gun, popped the safety on and off, slid out the magazine, made sure it was loaded. She chambered a round, looked at it critically. “It’ll do.”

“Okay,” Teddy said. “We’ll start at four in the morning, separate cars, burner phones. You take the east, I’ll take the west. We’ll move in from the south, and check out every cabin it could possibly be.”

“Check out how?”

“Knock on the door and go in.”

“If they refuse?”

“Don’t take no for an answer. Flash your ID. You’re CIA, aren’t you?”

“I thought we weren’t involving the CIA.”

“Not officially. I’m talking about us. If it’s pay dirt it won’t matter. If it’s not, you’ll have moved on before the word gets around.”

“What if no one’s home?”

“Break a window and go in.”

“I don’t like it,” Holly said.

“I hate it like hell, but there we are,” Teddy said.

“No, I don’t like her going alone.”

“I’ll go,” Kevin said. He looked scared out of his mind, had obviously made the offer because it seemed the gentlemanly thing to do.

“We need you here in case there’s another call. To narrow the search.” Teddy thought a moment, looked at Millie. “Your FBI boyfriend.”

“Quentin?”

“You trust him?”

“Yes, I trust him. You should use him.”

“If we do, it will be on a very limited basis. He’ll be brought in for one specific assignment. And I won’t brief him. He won’t meet me at all.”

“So, when you say trust . . .” Millie said ironically.

“Don’t get snippy. Your feelings aren’t the issue here.” Teddy clapped his hands together. “Okay, we’ve all got our marching orders. Holly, line up Stone Barrington. Millie, line up your young man, but not here. Keep him away from this office.”

“I’ll see him in my apartment. He’ll be more pliable.”

“Excellent.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Instruct Kevin on the maps we need and make plans.”

Teddy said it with complete assurance.

He wished it were so simple.

S
tone, it’s Holly Barker.”

“Holly. How are you?”

“I’ve had two congressmen killed on my watch, how do you think?”

“It’s not your job to stop assassinations.”

“No, it’s my job to advise the President. She just declared a national emergency, and that doesn’t make my advice look very good.”

“Do I really need to point out the flaws in that logic?”

“No, but I need your help.”

“Name it.”

“I’m afraid the President’s going to shut down Congress, in spite of the fact the kidnappers threatened to kill the girl. I need you to talk her out of it.”

“She won’t listen to you?”

“I’m dealing with her at arm’s length. I think you know why. You, on the other hand, can broach certain subjects.”

Stone’s phone beeped. “Hang on. I got another call.” He put Holly on hold, pressed the button to answer.

“Stone. It’s Ann Keaton, calling for the President.”

“Ann. I thought you’d be taking time off.”

“It’s a national emergency, I’m on the job. Can you come?”

“When?”

“Now. Come right over.”

“Be right there.” Stone switched back to Holly Barker. “We’re in luck. The President wants to see me.”

“That isn’t just luck, is it?”

“No.”

Stone hung up on Holly and called his hotel’s front desk. “It’s Stone Barrington. I need a limo to the White House.”

“Yes, sir. When do you need it?”

“Five minutes.”

The limo was waiting when Stone came out the door. It whisked him to the White House. His name had not only been left at security, but a Secret Service agent was waiting to escort him to the Oval Office.

Speaker Blaine was already there. His struggled to his feet, clung to Stone as if to a lifeline.

Kate made a helpless gesture behind Blaine’s back.

“Stone, thank goodness you’re here,” Blaine said. “We need your help. I’ve heard from the kidnappers.”

“What do they say?”

“They say if we postpone the vote, they’ll kill my daughter.”

“That’s out of your control.”

“I tried to tell them that, but they don’t care. They put Karen on the phone. She screamed.” The Speaker dissolved into tears and sank down on the couch.

“I’ve already addressed the American people,” Kate said. “Congress has recessed for the day. Everyone expects it to be suspended tomorrow. I’d have to go on TV and make a case why it shouldn’t be.”

“Do it! Do it!” the Speaker cried in anguish.

“What’s your opinion at this point? Are they bluffing or would they really kill her?” Kate said.

“The only way to find out is a curt refusal.”

“No!” Blaine wailed.

“Personally, I don’t think they will,” Stone said. “They’ve got too much invested.”

“You think I should postpone?”

“No, I don’t. These people are unpredictable and may decide keeping a hostage isn’t worth it if the vote doesn’t move forward on schedule.”

The Speaker looked up at Stone with watery eyes. “Thank you.”

“Go home. Wait for another call.”

“What if I get one?”

“Let us know.”

“No, what do I tell them?”

“Tell them it’s all right, you’ve talked to the President.”

“It’s all right?”

“However you want to phrase it. You’ve talked to the President, it’s taken care of. Sit tight and wait for the vote. Go on, now. Get back home.”

The Speaker went out.

As soon as he was gone, Kate said, “Is that really your opinion?”

“It is. Not that I trust it. There’s been something wrong with this thing from the word go. It’s a kidnapping
and
a terrorist attack. Now you have three separate things. A kidnapping and a shooting and a bombing.”

“But you think I should urge Congress to vote?”

“Don’t go by just me,” Stone said. “You should get as many opinions as possible.”

“I know. There aren’t that many people I can ask.”

“I know.”

“I’d like to talk to Holly,” Kate said. Her eyes sought his. “I wish it were possible.”

Stone betrayed nothing. “It must be very frustrating.”

“You have no idea.”

“You still haven’t told Will?”

Kate made a face. “You know I can’t. For Karen Blaine’s safety I’ve had to keep this close to the chest.”

Stone took a breath. “Madam President, you’re doing the right thing. What’s important at this point is to give the Speaker’s daughter as much time as we can, and let the kidnappers know it. If you’re not going to suspend Congress, go on TV and say so.”

“What do I do then?”

“Trust that other people have your back.”

M
y fellow Americans. I know it seems like I just addressed you, but I have an important update, and I want you to hear it now.

“We have never bowed to terrorism. We do not negotiate with terrorists. We do not allow terrorists to dictate what we can and cannot do.

“Many believe Congress will be suspended tomorrow. I have considered the idea of shutting it down out of respect for the congressmen who have died. But if we do that, the terrorists win. They will have taken control of our government. They will be dictating what our Congress may or may not do.

“Congress will be in session tomorrow, proudly defiant in the face of adversity, a glowing beacon of democracy. I am certain in my heart that is what Congressman Drexel and
Congressman Foster would have wanted, instead of the hollow gesture of shutting down the very institution they so dearly loved.

“I am therefore directing Congress to resume session tomorrow and proceed with all usual business.”

Q
uentin Phillips smiled and kissed Millie Martindale when she let him into her apartment. Millie had invited him to dinner, and he was looking forward to food, sex, and a chance to pump her for information.

He looked around and frowned quizzically. “You’re not cooking?”

“No, I thought we’d order something.”

Quentin put his arms around her waist, pulled her to him.

There was a knock on the door.

“Damn,” Quentin said. “Whoever that is, get rid of them. Unless it’s the food.”

“I haven’t ordered yet.”

Millie went to the door.

Holly Barker came in.

Quentin’s expression was priceless. Holly was the last
person he expected to see, and someone he couldn’t throw out. He had worked with Holly before, and been instrumental in aiding in the capture of the sultan’s twin sons.

“Ah, good, you’re already here,” Holly said. “Has Millie told you anything?”

“No. Why?”

“Quentin, I need you for a special assignment.”

“I’m not CIA.”

“It’s not a CIA operation. It’s classified, and you can’t tell anyone about it, including the FBI.”

“I’d have to get clearance from my immediate superior.”

“Then you’re out,” Holly said. She turned to go.

“Don’t be obtuse,” Millie said. “This is probably the most important assignment you’ve ever been offered. You’re going to turn it down?”

“What is it?”

“I can’t tell you unless you’re in,” Holly said. “Which is why you’re out. I need you to commit to it sight unseen.”

“He’s your man,” Millie said. “Let me work on him.”

“We don’t have that kind of time. Quentin, the only reason I’m not out that door is there isn’t time to dig up someone else. You worked with me on the sleeper cells. Do you think I’d steer you wrong?”

“All right, I’m in. What have we got?”

“A girl’s been kidnapped. We’ve pinned down the location where she’s being held to this area.”

Holly unfolded a map and slapped it down on the kitchen
table. Kevin had mocked it up just for Quentin. A black line divided the search area into what appeared to be two equal halves but was actually two of three thirds. The western third, which was Teddy’s search area, didn’t appear on this map.

“Wait a minute,” Quentin said. “This isn’t about the terrorist attack?”

“No.”

“Is that why you wanted me to agree to it first? Because you thought I’d turn it down?”

“Let her tell you what it is,” Millie said impatiently.

Holly pointed to the map. “The cabin where she’s being held is in this area. We need to find her, and fast. By tomorrow she will probably be dead.”

“Why?”

“They’ll kill her,” Millie said. “That’s why I need help. I can’t cover the whole area myself. If you help me, we cut the time in half.”

“If time’s so urgent, why just the two of us?”

Millie started to flare up again, but Holly said, “That’s a legitimate question. The kidnappers will kill the girl if there’s any official involvement. That’s why I can’t use the CIA.”

“You don’t think the CIA can be discreet?”

“The kidnappers would know. I don’t know how they’d know, but they’d know. I’ve been told not to take a chance.”

“By the President?”

“Now you are
really
in need-to-know territory.” Holly pointed to the map. “This area’s woods. There are lakes, campgrounds,
plenty of cabins. I’m going to show you a picture of the one we want. It’s an interior shot, but it’ll give you some idea of what the exterior might look like. But don’t eliminate a cabin just because it doesn’t seem to fit.

“If you see a cabin, knock on the door, show your credentials, feed them a bullshit story. You know the drill. Tell them anything but the truth.

“The area you’re searching is about seventy-five miles northwest of here. Set out from here at four in the morning so you can start searching by daybreak.”

Holly reached in her pocket and pulled out a printout of the cell phone picture. “This is the girl you’re looking for.”

Quentin started at the sight. “Jesus. What happened to her hand?”

“They cut off her finger.”

“Who is she?”

“Her name is Karen Blaine.”

“Blaine? Why is the name familiar?”

“She’s Congressman Blaine’s daughter.”

Quentin digested that news. “I’m in.”

“You already were.”