'That could be,' Herbert agreed.
'I'm still not ready to declare them innocent. Maybe someone in the group betrayed them and rigged the extra explosions. But let's assume for the moment you're right, that the SFF organized the bombing to advance an agenda. What is that agenda?'
'My Black Cat partner believes it's a holy war,' Friday said.
'Possibly a nuclear holy war.'
'A preemptive strike,' Hank Lewis said.
Again, Herbert was encouraged by the fact that Ron Friday and the Indian Black Cat officer reached the same conclusions that he and Rodgers had. It meant there might be some truth to their concerns. But he was also discouraged for the same reason.
'We think the SFF forces used gas against the Pakistani stronghold,' Herbert said.
'Which would mean they wanted to try and capture them alive.'
'A perp walk and confessions,' Friday said.
'Probably. But I've got to believe the main reason the cell is running is not to save their own lives,' Herbert said.
'Even if they get back to Pakistan no one in India is going to take their word that they're innocent.'
'They need the girl.' Friday said.
'Exactly,' Herbert said.
'If she worked with the SFF to stage the attack, they need to get a complete public statement from her. One that doesn't look or sound like it's a forced confession.'
'I'm missing something here,' Lewis said.
'If we suspect that this is going on, why don't we just confront the SFF or someone in the Indian government? Get them involved.'
'Because we don't know who may already be involved in this operation and how high up it goes,' Herbert said.
'Talking to New Delhi may just accelerate the process.' 'Accelerate it?' Lewis said.
'How much faster can it possibly go?'
'In a crisis like this days can become hours if you're not careful,' Herbert said.
'We don't want to panic the people in charge. If we're right, the SFF will still try to capture the cell.' 'Or at least Nanda,' Friday said.
'Maybe she's the one they're really after. Think about a teary-eyed Hindu woman going on television and telling the public how the FKM plotted to blow up the temple, not caring how many Hindu men, women, and children they killed.'
'Good point,' Herbert said.
'What about the girl's grandfather?
If the cell is alive and we can find them before the SFF does, do you think he'd be willing to talk to her? To convince her to tell the public what she knows?'
'I'll make sure he's willing to talk to her,' Friday said.
As they spoke the satellite camera stopped on what looked like it might be several footprints. Viens began zooming in.
'What are you thinking of doing. Bob?' Hank Lewis asked.
'We've already got two men on the ground and a field force on the way,' Herbert said.
'If I can get Paul to sign off on it, I'm going to ask General Rodgers to try and intercept the cell.' 'And do what?' Lewis demanded.
'Help avowed terrorists make it home safely?' 'Why not?' Friday said.
'That might win us allies in the Muslim world. We can use them.'
'America doesn't 'win' allies in the Muslim world. If we're lucky we earn their forbearance,' Herbert said.
'A smart man knows how to work that too,' Friday said.
'Maybe you'll get to show us how it's done,' Herbert replied.
'Maybe,' Friday replied.
The intelligence chief had worked with hundreds of field ops over the years. He had been one himself. They were a tough, thorny, independent breed. But this man was more than that. Herbert could hear it in his voice, the edge to his words and the confidence of his statements. Usually, men who sounded like Friday were what spy leaders called HOWs--hungry old wolves. Working on their own year after year they began to feel invisible to the host government and beyond the reach of their own government. They'd been out in the cold so long that they tended to bite anyone who came near them.
But Friday had not spent a lot of time on his own. He had come from an embassy post. That suggested something else to Herbert: an I-spy. The espionage game's equivalent of a bad cop, someone who was in this for themselves. Whatever Striker ended up doing in the field, if it involved Ron Friday Herbert would tell Mike Rodgers to watch him very, very closely.
'Bob?' Viens said on the speakerphone.
