street.
Seronga was about five meters away. Maria waited until he had halved that distance. Now she was going to get him to do what she wanted. She was going to get him to walk her safely into that side street.
'I know that you did not kill the bishop,' she said.
Seronga stopped. 'Who did?' he asked.
'I don't know,' she replied. She did not want to tell him about the photographs she took. Not yet.
'Are you one of the Spanish soldiers?' Seronga asked.
'No,' Maria replied.
'Then who are you?' he asked. 'Why did you follow us?'
'I want to help you,' she stated.
'Why?' Seronga demanded. He was growing tense, impatient.
'Because I believe in what you're doing,' she lied.
Seronga hesitated. Maria did not want to say much more. Yet she needed him to be curious enough to take her with him. She needed for him to trust her.
'I want to help, even though you tried to get me to follow your partner into that dark side street,' she said. 'Even though you are holding a weapon behind your back.'
'Are you unarmed?' he challenged.
She opened her palm. 'A purely defensive tool,' she said. She raised her arms. 'Go ahead and check. I have nothing else.'
Seronga glanced toward the alley. 'All right,' he said. 'Walk ahead of me, and do as you're told.'
Maria acknowledged with a nod. Then she walked toward the alley.
The nod had not been for Leon Seronga.
r
FORTY-FOUR
Washington, D.C. Friday, 11:18 A.M.
Maria Comeja had told Mike Rodgers that she would get in touch with him as soon as she knew where Leon Seronga was going. According to the map on Rodgers's computer, Maria should have reached the city by now. He tried not to worry. She was a professional. Unfortunately, she was still a professional who was pretty much on her own.
Since Maria had telephoned, Rodgers had conferred with McCaskey and Herbert. Lowell Coffey joined them as well. He wanted to be able to alert them to any possible infractions of international law.
The men discussed getting help in the area from FBI, Interpol, or CIA sources. The only help available was ELINT from the CIA. The agency could provide electronic intelligence by monitoring wireless communications in the region. Rodgers asked Herbert to request the surveillance. It would be handled by listening posts at the United States embassies in Gaborone and in Cape Town, South Africa. Though these were one-person operations, it was possible that something might turn up.
Even though Rodgers was in charge of the new HUMINT division at Op-Center, he asked Herbert to make those calls.
'You're better at finessing those drop-everything requests than I am,' Rodgers said.
'It's easy,' Herbert said. 'All you have to do is grovel with a little steel in your voice.'
'Amazing what is in Bob's incomparable diplomatic arsenal,' Coffey remarked.
'Lowell, that is my diplomatic arsenal,' Herbert replied.
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'That and threatening to go on The Dugout and name the bastards who are looking for votes and appointments instead of looking after their constituents.'
'The Dugout?' Coffey snickered. 'Stuttering Matt Christopher doesn't let his guests get in more than three words before cutting them off.'
'Three words are all I need,' Herbert said. ' 'Barbara Fox, bureaucrat.' That's my targeted diplomatic arsenal. Plant the idea and it takes root on its own. It's like when an attorney says something in a courtroom and the judge tells the jury to ignore it. Like they do, right? All people have to do is hear my calm voice before Matt starts blathering.'
Coffey laughed.
Rodgers had never considered himself much of a diplomat. He was a tactician and a commander. Right now, he was not feeling competent in those areas, either.
What concerned Rodgers most was that Maria still had no support on the ground. Aideen Marley and David Battat had landed in Gaborone. But Aideen had called to inform him that they were driving to Maun. The trip would take serveral hours.
Rodgers also feared that Aideen and Battat would end up being in the wrong place. Everyone was assuming that Leon Seronga was headed to Maun. What if he were not?
Shortly after the meeting ended, Rodgers finally received a call from Botswana. It came through on Maria's
