The Inca Prophecy (26 page)

‘Be that as it may, Senator,’ Murkowski persisted, ‘Dr Weizman’s relationship with your son could be construed as a conflict of interest?’ Murkowski smiled demurely at the senator and it had the desired effect, enraging him even more.

‘My son’s marriage to Weizman, which, I might add, lasted less than eighteen months,’ the senator snarled, ‘has absolutely nothing to do with this inquiry.’ To the accompaniment of a barrage of camera flashes, Senator Crosier turned on his heel and stormed into the Capitol building, leaving the print journalists scribbling furiously.

The large room set aside for the hearing into what had become known as Mayagate was packed to capacity with journalists, lawyers and staffers. Howard Wiley, a look of thunder on his face, sat with his counsel at the polished wooden witness table. All fifteen members of the committee were seated at the two-tiered mahogany benches at one end of the room. Twenty or more photographers sat cross-legged on the floor in front of them, some of the lenses on their cameras nearly half a metre long.

The majority leader and chair of the committee, Democrat Mary Wheeler, her blonde hair elegantly coiffured, leaned towards her voice-activated microphone. ‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ she began, ‘the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence will come to order.’ She paused, waiting for the hubbub to die down.

‘Affixed to the wall behind me is the Seal of the United States Senate.’ All eyes were drawn to the red, white and blue shield of stars and stripes inscribed with
E pluribus unum
– out of many, one.

‘You will notice there is an olive branch on the left, symbolising peace, while the oak branch on the right symbolises strength. At the top is a liberty cap, and the crossed fasces at the bottom represent freedom and authority. Our founding fathers intended that out of many states we would become one nation – a nation of peace, strength, and freedom. The authority that is vested in the House and the Senate is part of the system of checks and balances that are enshrined in our constitution. No one branch or agency of government can operate independently from the rest. No agency can operate outside the law.’ She paused to look directly at Wiley. ‘The charges that the Central Intelligence Agency has been involved in an assassination attempt against one of its former agents and
a Guatemalan national are serious, and it will be the task of this select committee to determine the veracity of those allegations. The first witness called to give evidence is Mr Howard Wiley, the Deputy Director of Operations for the Central Intelligence Agency. Mr Wiley, would you please rise in order to take the oath.’

Wiley stood and raised his right hand, his thin lips compressed more than usual as the clerk read the oath.

‘Do you solemnly swear or affirm that the testimony you are about to give this committee is the truth, and the whole truth?’

‘I do,’ Wiley responded.

‘You may be seated,’ the clerk said.

‘Mr Wiley, you’ve been a loyal officer of the CIA for how many years?’ Senator Crosier began.

‘Coming up to forty this fall, Senator.’ Wiley smiled for the photographers.

‘And in that time, have you ever personally been involved in an assassination?’

‘Never.’

‘Have any of your colleagues?’

‘Not to my knowledge, Senator. No, sir.’

Senator Wheeler looked on with barely disguised contempt as her Republican opposite number kept serving up home runs on a platter, but when it came to her turn, she went for the jugular.

‘Mr Wiley, has the CIA ever had a manual of assassination amongst its training manuals?’

‘No, ma’am.’

‘So the instructional guide on assassination that the CIA employed during Operation PBSuccess, the operation President
Eisenhower endorsed to overthrow the democratically elected president of Guatemala – that’s just a figment of the media’s imagination, is it?’ A volley of camera shutters accompanied her question. ‘You haven’t seen the secret files on Guatemala the CIA was forced to declassify under Freedom of Information?’

‘Well, that wasn’t a manual as such. Just a few typewritten pages.’ Wiley smiled. ‘Ma’am,’ he added condescendingly.

‘Just a few typewritten pages. Do you remember what was in those pages?’

‘That was well before my time, I’m afraid.’

‘I see. Let me refresh your memory, Mr Wiley,’ Senator Wheeler remarked acidly, turning the flagged pages in a heavy folder, ‘I quote: “The simplest tools are often the most efficient … a hammer, an axe, wrench, kitchen knife, lamp stand, or anything hard and heavy will suffice, but puncture wounds of the body may not be reliable unless the heart is reached … Absolute reliability is obtained by severing the spinal cord in the cervical region.” That instruction booklet goes on to advise that to provide plausible denial, no assassination instructions should ever be written down or recorded. Do you recall how many names were on the CIA’s assassination list for Operation PBSuccess, Mr Wiley?’

‘Again, well before my time, I’m afraid.’ Wiley’s face was beginning to match his hair.

‘For someone who was chief of station in Guatemala, Mr Wiley, you have a remarkably short memory of our involvement in that country. There were fifty-eight names – and that was just the CIA’s “A List”.’ Senator Wheeler gave Wiley a withering glare. ‘I have in front of me another memo, Mr Wiley, from the head of the CIA
division that organised the coup in Guatemala, asking personnel to initial any names within the Arbenz government they thought ought to be included on the CIA’s final list. You weren’t aware the CIA counted assassination as an instrument of foreign policy?’

Senator Crosier sighed deeply and audibly. ‘Madam Chair, are we going to spend much more time on ancient history?’

‘It may have escaped both your and Mr Wiley’s attention, Senator, but after Operation PBSuccess forced President Arbenz from power, the CIA helped install Colonel Castillo Armas, a small-town thug who would do as he was told. With our help and training, he formed the first of the death squads that were ultimately responsible for the torture and massacre of 200 000 Guatemalan people.’ Senator Wheeler gave her opposite number another glare and turned her attention back to Wiley.

‘For political assassinations, what guidelines does the CIA follow, Mr Wiley?’

Wiley shrugged condescendingly. ‘If you’re not carrying out assassinations, Senator, then you don’t need guidelines.’

‘Precisely,’ Senator Crosier snorted.

‘So you’re not aware of any that have taken place?’

‘No,’ Wiley replied.

‘You’re either incompetent or possessed of a very poor memory or both, and I’m warning you that if you continue to provide evasive answers to my questions, I’ll cite you for contempt of this committee.’

‘That’s an outlandish slur on a good man’s character,’ Senator Crosier growled.

‘Let me remind you of the precise nature of those guidelines,
Mr Wiley,’ Senator Wheeler continued, ignoring the outburst on her left. ‘In 1976 President Ford issued an executive order banning political assassinations. President Carter strengthened this, banning any indirect involvement and in 1981, President Reagan issued Executive Order 12333.’

‘Which has severely limited the CIA’s ability to protect this country!’ Senator Crosier interjected, his bull neck red with anger.

‘And just in case you or anyone else in the CIA are in any doubt, Mr Wiley, I’ll quote this order for you: “No person employed by or acting on behalf of the United States Government shall engage in, or conspire to engage in, assassination.” Did you, or any of your staff, put out an order for Agent Curtis O’Connor to assassinate Dr Aleta Weizman? I’ll remind you that you’re under oath.’

‘Absolutely not,’ Wiley replied.

‘And what was Agent O’Connor’s view on assassination?’

‘O’Connor was a gutless traitor,’ Wiley growled, ‘and is a clear and present danger to the United States.’

‘So when he refused to follow your order to assassinate Weizman, that’s when you put out another order – to assassinate O’Connor?’

‘That’s an outrageous suggestion!’ Senator Crosier thundered.

‘Please answer the question, Mr Wiley. I would remind you again that you’re under oath. The penalties for lying to Congress are custodial, and there will be other witnesses called, including Agent Ellen Rodriguez.’

‘I absolutely deny the accusation,’ Wiley snarled.

Chapter 31

The assassin remained motionless in his car as a distinguished-looking man took his leave on Rodriguez’s front porch and drove off in a Jaguar. Was his target having a liaison with an older man? He smiled to himself. If she was, they’d just had their last rendezvous. He waited, but the lights in the house remained on. He considered his options. It would be safer to kill Rodriguez in bed, but it was more pleasurable to get his victims when they were awake. To see the fear in their eyes as they had to face their final moment. He checked the street behind and in front of him and quietly locked the car. Using the trees for cover, he crept up the driveway of the house.

He’d memorised the plans that had been provided and had decided to enter through the back, where there was less chance of being seen from the street. He stood quietly in the back garden, pulled on his leather gloves and listened. The shower was running
in the bathroom. Excellent, he thought, and he chose one of two doors on the back verandah leading straight into the kitchen. Not surprisingly for a safe house, the lock proved obstinate. He chose another pick from his tool kit and eventually it yielded.

The assassin moved soundlessly across the black-and-white linoleum tiles, down the carpeted corridor, and stopped at the master bedroom door. The entrance to the ensuite bathroom was reflected in a large mirror above the dresser, and the assassin could make out Rodriguez’s naked form through the steamy shower screen. It would be risky to get her in the shower, but
Psycho
was one of his favourite movies, and now he was poised to re-enact the famous scene. He locked the blade of his KA-BAR Hawkbill Tanto knife into place and moved noiselessly past the bed to the ensuite. The bathroom was filled with steam, but through it, the assassin could see Rodriguez was facing away from him, soaping her breasts.

In two steps, he crossed the ensuite floor, flung open the shower screen and jammed his right elbow into Rodriguez’s neck, choking off her scream and smashing her back against the tiled corner of the shower recess. For a second, the assassin savoured the look of terror in his target’s green eyes. She frantically clawed at him as he thrust the knife deep under her rib cage again and again. Bright red blood gushed from her wounds and he stepped back out of the recess to let her body crumple to the floor. The assassin calmly wiped his knife on Rodriguez’s towel, snapped it shut and made his way out through the back door and to his car.

Chapter 32

Cardinal Felici responded to the beep on his iPhone and opened the text from Monsignor Jennings:

O’Connor and Weizman identified at Convento de San Francisco in Lima. Brother Gonzáles briefed them on crystal skull removed by Holy Alliance. Will keep you informed.

Felici was confident O’Connor would never trace the missing skull, but as a precaution he reached for his private line and dialled the head of security at Villa Felici. The call was picked up immediately.

‘
Pronto
, Eminence.’

‘I have received information that there may be a threat to the villa. Go to high alert, and double the security detachments until further notice.’

‘
Certamente
, Eminence. Of course.’

Felici put down the phone, deep in thought. The villa was already one of the most heavily guarded on Lake Como. With security patrols doubled, it would be impossible for O’Connor or anyone else to get near the place. The crystal skull and the documents would be safe.

At the soft knock on the heavy oak doors to his office, Felici looked up from the file marked
Possible Origins of the Crystal Skulls
.

‘
Si.
’

Father Cordona entered and closed the doors behind him. ‘Dr Rossi has asked if you’re free, Eminence. He said it’s urgent.’

Felici looked at his gold Rolex. ‘Postpone my next appointment and tell him to come across.’

It took the physician only minutes to walk from the papal apartments on the opposite side of the Piazza San Pietro.

‘Doctor, please, have a seat,’ Felici said, gesturing towards one of two blue velvet couches. ‘You said it was urgent?’

Dr Rossi nodded, his face grim. ‘As you’re aware, Eminence, the pontiff has been in remission for a number of years, but I’m afraid the cancer has now returned. The lab reports last week showed all three cytology tests were positive. I didn’t wish to alarm you, Eminence, until I was certain, but I’ve operated to remove two more tumours, or as much as I could.’

‘As much as you could?’ Felici queried, masking his irritation over not being informed earlier.

‘One growth was quite large and there is every indication it’s penetrated beyond the bladder wall.’

‘You’re certain of that?’ Felici demanded.