'Hey, come on, Congressman.' Swann leaned over his empty glass. 'You think it's the first time?'
'What?'
'Two people in a hairy situation, a man and a woman, neither one knowing whether he or she'll see another day or another week. So they get together, it's natural. So what?'
'That's offensive as hell, Frank. She meant something to me.'
'All right, I'll be blunt. I don't think you meant anything to her. She's a professional who's gone through a few black wars in her AOO.'
'Her what? Will you please speak English, or Arabic, if you like, but something that makes sense.'
'Area of Operations—'
'They used that in the newspapers.'
'Not my fault. If it was up to me, I'd neutralize every bastard who wrote those articles.'
'Please don't tell me what “neutralize” means.'
'I won't. I'm only telling you that in the field we all slip now and then when we're exhausted, or just plain scared. We take a few hours of secure pleasure and write it off as a long overdue bonus. Would you believe we even have lectures on the subject for people we send out?'
'I believe it now. To be honest with you—the circumstances crossed my mind at the time.'
'Good. Write her off. She's strictly Mediterranean and hasn't anything to do with the local scene. For starters, you'd probably have to fly to North Africa to find her.'
'So all I've got is a man named Crawford in Langley and a station chief in Bahrain.'
'No. You've got a blond man with a Middle-European accent operating here in Washington. Operating very deep. He got information somewhere and not from me, not from OHIO-Four-Zero. Find him.'
Swarm gave Evan the standard private numbers at both his office and his apartment and rushed out of the dark, seedy bar as if he needed air. Kendrick ordered a rye from the heavy black waitress with the flaming red hair and asked her where the pay telephone was, if it existed. She told him.
'If you slam it twice on the lower left corner, you'll get your quarter back,' offered the woman.
'If I do, I'll give it to you, okay?' said Evan.
'Give it to your friend,' replied the woman. 'Crumbs in suits never leave no tips, white or black, makes no difference.'
Kendrick got up from the booth and walked cautiously to the dark wall and the phone. It was time to call his office. He could not put any more pressure on Mrs. Ann Mulcahy O'Reilly. Squinting, he inserted the coin and dialled.
'Congressman Kendrick's—'
'It's me, Annie,' broke in Evan.
'My God, where are you? It's after five and this place is still a madhouse!'
'That's why I'm not there.'
'Before I forget!' cried Mrs. Mulcahy breathlessly, 'Manny called a while ago and was very emphatic but not loud—which I think means he's as serious as he can be.'
'What did he say?'
'That you're not to reach him on the Colorado line.'
'What?'
'He told me to say “allcott massghoul”, whatever the hell that is.'
'It's very clear, Annie.' Weingrass had said alkhatt mash-ghool, Arabic for 'the line is engaged', a simple euphemism for tampered with, or tapped. If Manny was right, a trace could be lasered out and the origin of any incoming call identified in a matter of moments. 'I won't make any calls to Colorado,' added Evan.
'He said to tell you that when things calm down, he'll drive to Mesa Verde and call me here and give me a number where you can
