Rodgers glanced over at NRO image on the computer. 'Radar still has them moving north,' he said.
'I'm glad to hear that,' Aideen said. 'We'll reach Maun well before the sun is up. Once we do that, we'll be in the clear.'
'Aideen,' Rodgers said, 'we're all pulling for you. You've all done an amazing job over there, all of you. Thanks.'
'We're kind of happy right now,' she admitted.
•Tell Maria I love her,' McCaskey said softly.
'Aideen? Is Maria available?' Rodgers asked.
'Yes, she is.'
'Tell Maria her husband would like to speak with her,' Rodgers said. He looked at his watch. He and Aideen had been on the phone just over a minute. Rodgers shot McCaskey a look. 'He would like to speak with her for thirty seconds, tops,' Rodgers added.
MISSION OF HONOR
397
McCaskey got up quickly, and Rodgers tossed him the cell phone. McCaskey took it into the hall.
'That was nice,' Hood said. 'Thanks.'
Herbert was visibly impatient. He was not usually sentimental. He was less so during a crisis. 'Mike, what's happening out there?'
As Rodgers briefed the others, McCaskey returned. He lay a hand on Rodgers's shoulder and gently squeezed as he walked past. For a moment, all seemed right with the world.
Suddenly, Herbert glanced at the computer screen.
'Shit. They're changing course,' the intelligence chief said.
The others gathered around Herbert's computer.
'See these two?' Herbert said. He pointed at a pair of blips. 'They're moving southwest. That's the direction our people are headed.'
'It could be just an exploratory thing,' Coffey said.
'We could also have had the line open a little too long,' Herbert said. 'They may have triangulated the call.'
It was possible. They had gotten sloppy and complacent. McCaskey might have stayed on just a few seconds too long.
'There aren't a lot of vehicles out there at night,' Herbert said. 'And our guys don't have a big head start.'
Rodgers took the phone from McCaskey.
'Ideas, anyone?' Hood asked.
'If the military catches our people with Dhamballa, they're going to be screwed,' Coffey said. 'Abetting a revolutionary is not going to play well in a Botswana court.'
'They can't be caught,' McCaskey said.
'They won't be,' Rodgers said. He called Aideen.
'What are you thinking?' Hood asked.
'I'm thinking we can get this to work in our favor,' Rodgers replied.
SIXTY-TWO
Makgadikgadi Pan, Botswana Saturday, 1:56 A.M.
Aideen Marley was sitting between Father Bradbury and Dhamballa in the backseat of the Jeep. Battat was behind the wheel, and Maria was beside him. They were thumping across the terrain at a rapid pace. They had stopped just once, briefly, to fill the tank from the gas can in the back.
The fog lamps threw wide, bright circles of light across the immediate landscape to the front and forward sides. The brilliant lights blanched the dirt and shrubs. They looked almost like black-and-white photographs.
Aideen was surprised when the cell phone beeped again. She prayed that nothing was wrong. The last call had run a little longer than the others. Not long enough for it to be triangulated, she hoped.
'Hello!' she said.
'We think you've been spotted,' Mike Rodgers said.
Aideen covered her open ear with her palm. The Jeep was making a lot of noise as it slammed across the uneven terrain. She wanted to make sure she heard that correctly.
'Repeat?' she said.
'Several choppers are headed in your direction,' Rodgers said.
'Intent?' she asked.
'Unknown but unlikely to be moderate,' Rodgers replied. 'I think I have a solution.'
'Go ahead!' Aideen shouted.
