'Because everything's so confusing for us, so consuming for him—and now tonight, so horrible. I don't think either of us could handle personal complications.'
'Thank heavens we're on a scrambler. Follow your instincts, Field Agent Rashad. They've served us well in Special Projects… I'll call you in the morning with instructions. Good hunting, dear niece.'
Khalehla returned to her seat and Evan's anxious stare. 'Other worlds go on and they're just as deadly, I'm afraid,' she said, buckling her seat belt. 'That was the station chief in Cairo. Two of our contacts disappeared in the Sidi Barrani district—it's a Libyan connection. I told him what to look for and whom to go after… How are you feeling?'
'All right,' he answered, studying her face.
'Our distinguished passengers and our not too shabby crew,' came the general's deep loud voice over the intercom from the flight deck. 'It seems we're destined to repeat ourselves, Dr Axelrod. Remember that “southern island”?' The pilot went on to explain that in order to avoid the excitement—and publicity—of an 'AF bird' dropping in at the airport of Durango or Cortez, they were instructed to head directly into the one at Mesa Verde. The runway was deemed officially adequate 'but our touchdown could be a mite rocky so when I give the word, belt 'em up tight. We're starting our descent from the satellites; arrival estimated in forty-five minutes—if I can find the damn place… Remember, Doctor?'
As the general had predicted with considerable understatement, the landing shook the aircraft with a series of massive vibrations, the blasting eruptions of the braking jets filling the fuselage. Outside on the ground, thanks were expressed, goodbyes said, and the brigadier delivered his special cargo to a field officer of the Central Intelligence Agency. Khalehla and Evan were ushered quickly to an armour-plated vehicle flown down from Denver, their motorcycle escort an armed six-man contingent from the State Police, oblivious as to why the governor's office had ordered them to the backcountry 'millionaires' airport' near the Mesa Verde National Park.
'Let me get you current, Congressman,' said the CIA man, sitting, as had his colleague in the Bahamas, in the front seat beside the driver. 'There are five of us here, but two will fly back to Virginia with the prisoner and the three dead bodies… I'm spelling things out because I was told I can speak in front of the lady, that you were official, miss.'
'Thank you for your confidence,' said the unrecognized agent for Special Projects.
'Yes, ma'am… We've contracted half a dozen forest rangers from the park for the night, each backgrounded, each a combat veteran, to guard your house and grounds. Tomorrow a unit from Langley will arrive to take up their posts.'
'Christ, what if there's another Fairfax?’ whispered Evan.
Khalehla pressed her elbow into Kendrick's side, coughing as she did so.
'I beg your pardon?'
'Nothing. Sorry. Go ahead.'
'A couple of points—and I don't mind telling you that old Jewish guy should be put in someone's hall of fame, if somebody else doesn't put him in a padded cell—but you both have to know the facts, the cover. Weingrass worked it out before we got there—wow, he's a pistol!'
'Noted and accepted,' said Kendrick. 'What are the facts?'
'The nurses know very little; they think there was only one terrorist, a hallucinating fanatic at that. The three bodies were hidden in the woods until the police left, then carried by your Mexican friend, Gonzalez, back to the garage without the nurses seeing him. They were on the other side of the house, on the porch with Manny—Jesus, how did he get me to call him “Manny”? Anyway, Gonzalez locked the doors to the garage and drove back to his restaurant. Mr. Weingrass guarantees us he'll keep quiet.'
'Mr. Weingrass is right,' confirmed Evan.
'We don't like the arrangement, but I guess you three go back a long time.'
'We go back a long time,' said Kendrick.
'So the Congressman shouldn't make any references to the magnitude of the assault,' broke in Khalehla. 'Is that what you're saying?'
'That's exactly what I'm saying. Everything's
