'I didn't mean to suggest that,' Coffey said. 'Only if it comes down to that, she can communicate with them.'
'Yes,' Rodgers said. 'Communicate. Not collaborate.' He looked at Hood. 'Are we on the same page about that?'
'Unless I'm mistaken, it's your call,' Hood said.
Herbert made a face. 'I have a couple cents to put in, too, Mike. Darrell's not going to like this, but safety aside, they are our only resource in the region.'
'For intelligence,' McCaskey reminded him.
'Yes, but only if we exclude the one objective we have not discussed,' Herbert said.
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'Which is?' Hood asked.
'Whether our people can prevent bloodshed,' Herbert said. 'We aren't just there for the greater glory of Op- Center. I believe that part of our mission is to try to save lives.'
'Starting with the lives of our team,' McCaskey said. 'You heard Kline. He wants them to lead his soldiers to Dhamballa.'
'That doesn't necessarily mean 'For a bloodbath,' ' Herbert said. 'Our people can be a moderating force. And for that matter, the Spanish soldiers can help to protect them.'
'Like they protected the bishop?' McCaskey asked.
Hood held up his hands. 'People, these are all good points. But I'm thinking that maybe we can do both.'
'Do both what?' McCaskey asked.
'Keep the peace and free Father Bradbury,' Hood said.
'How?' McCaskey asked.
'Aideen and David will be intercepting Maria before long,' Hood said. 'Suppose they tell her and Seronga what is coming. If they can persuade him that the cause is in serious jeopardy, they may convince him to split up. One or two of our people go with Seronga to free the priest. The other one or two lead the Spanish soldiers off-trail. Meanwhile, we work with Kline to convince Gaborone that the Brush Vipers were not responsible for the killing of Bishop Max.'
The Tank was silent for a moment.
'Not bad,' Herbert said.
'What if Seronga is not as reasonable as you think?' Rodgers asked. 'He's a soldier. If he decides to fight, we could be leading the Spanish soldiers and our own people into an ambush.'
'Seronga cannot want that kind of a showdown,' Hood said. 'Especially if Maria can convince him that we're on the trail of whoever it was that really did kill Bishop Max.'
'It's not risk-free, but it's solid,' Herbert said as his wheelchair phone beeped. 'I like that better than cutting bait and running.' He picked up the phone and wheeled himself from the table.
Hood turned to Rodgers. 'Mike?'
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Rodgers thought for a moment. 'There are still a lot of variables,' he said.
'When are there not?' Hood asked.
'True, but the biggest is what three men will do-Seronga, Dhamballa, and Beaudin, if he has any influence in this. Religious zealots are not known for rational behavior. Even when it comes to survival. And industrialists are not known to give up plans for mega-expansion, if that's what he has in mind.'
'Nothing's guaranteed,' Hood agreed.
'And of course, it's not our asses on the line out there,' Coffey added.
'No, but we're going to get them through this,' Hood said as Herbert wheeled back over. 'Bob, you want to get Kline back on the phone?'
'In a minute,' Herbert said. He tapped the photo of the airplane. 'That was my guy at Air Force Intelligence. He tracked the identification number on the airplane and located the registration.'
'And?' Hood asked.
'It was rented from a local company named SafAiris' Herbert said. 'The plane landed in a field and was abandoned.'
'Who rented it?' Rodgers asked.
'The name they gave was Don Mahoney of Gaborone,' Herbert said. 'I'm willing to bet there's no such person.'
'Fingerprints?' Rodgers asked.
'If there are, we may not be able to get to them before the plane is impounded by the Botswana military,' Herbert said. 'Police in the region have already spotted the aircraft. Anyway, it probably wouldn't tell us much. People this thorough don't forget to wear gloves.'
