'Because it isn't a question of my own security,' Battat snapped. 'We're in this deeper than we were ever supposed to be. We don't have the approval of the Congressional Intelligence Oversight Committee. Or the president. We're cornpletely exposed, and the repercussions for Op-Center could be disastrous. Especially if we're caught helping rebels.'
'You are right,' Maria replied. 'But this work, our work, is about risk. I don't mean just physical danger but political fallout. The United States will survive whatever we do. My
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primary concern is about the people who may not survive if we abandon them.'
'That's why I'm going with you,' Battat said. 'If I'm going to do the wrong thing, I want to do it for the right reasons.'
Aideen was not sure she agreed this was wrong. But she did not have time to think about it.
A moment later, Mike Rodgers was on the line.
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Washington, D.C. Friday, 3:13 P.M.
Not long after Bob Herbert got off the phone with Hotchkiss at the Vatican mission bookstore, Edgar Kline called Paul Hood. Kline did so not because Bob Herbert had effectively threatened to kill him. He did it, he said, because he did not want to do what Hood and Herbert had done. Edgar Kline said that he wanted to tell the truth.
Mike Rodgers, Bob Herbert, and Paul Hood had remained in Hood's office after contacting the Vatican mission. They were seated around the desk when the call came through. The Op-Center director put Kline on speakerphone.
'Edgar-it's Paul,' Hood said. 'Bob and Mike are here as well.'
'I got your message, Bob,' Kline said.
'Good, you prick.'
'Edgar, we all seem to be pressed for time,' Hood said. 'What's going on?'
'I'm sorry, but I was not at liberty to reveal what was happening,' he said. 'We did not want it to get back to Seronga. Someone there might have told one of your field personnel-'
'My feelings aren't hurt, and explanations don't matter now,' Hood said. 'Just tell me where we are.'
'Father Bradbury managed to get a cell phone and call the archdiocese in Cape Town,' he said. 'During the brief call, Bradbury described the general direction and duration of their trip, as well as descriptions of the site itself. There was enough detail to give the Botswana military a good idea where Dhamballa is located. He was afraid to stay on the phone any longer for fear that Dhamballa would notice the phone was missing
or see the on light on the console. The decision to go in after him was that of the Botswanans, not ours,' Kline added.
'What if Dhamballa was not responsible for the death of the bishop?' Hood asked.
'Dhamballa cannot prove he wasn't involved in that,' Kline said.
'Buy us the time to check,' Hood suggested.
'Paul, I wish I could,' Kline said. 'If it were up to us, we would let the Unidod Especial handle this. All we want from this is the safe return of Father Bradbury and a restoration of order in Botswana.'
'Edgar,' Herbert interjected, 'while you're busy coming clean, where are the Spanish soldiers?'
'I can't tell you that,' Kline said.
'So much for trust,' Herbert said.
'I'm being truthful,' Kline said. 'But that doesn't mean I'm at liberty to reveal everything.'
'Do you know where they are?' Hood pressed.
'Yes,' Kline replied. 'But under the circumstances, I cannot share that information. In fact, that is part of why I did not call to tell you about Father Bradbury's message. I did not want information reaching Leon Seronga, either by accident or design.'
'That would not have happened,' Hood said. 'We have had the same goal from the start. We sent our people in there to help you.'
'Well, things change quickly in our world,' Kline said.
'Not loyalties,' Rodgers said. 'Not ours.'
'The only thing that changed is our agents went from being spies to being targets in the middle of a shit storm,' Herbert said.
'Then withdraw them,' Kline said.
'We may,' Herbert said.
'Gentlemen, let's stay on issue,' Hood said. 'The point of this conversation is that we all want to rescue the priest and get our people out safely. We also should be trying to save lives. Is there some way we can keep the air force from hammering the Brush Vipers?' '*
