“I asked MI5 to cooperate with them,” Overholt said. “In some ways, that gives the Corporation sanction.”
The president thought before answering. “The prime minister didn’t mention the stray nuke specifically,” he said slowly. “He was more concerned about the events in Scotland.”
“Yes, sir,” Overholt said.
“So tell them to continue the search,” the president said finally. “If they
“I think I understand what you’re saying, Mr. President.”
“Tread lightly,” the president said, “and have them move quietly.”
“You have my word, Mr. President,” Overholt said as the phone went dead.
ADAMS FLEW ABOVE and to the rear of the number twenty-seven train. He was edging forward to drop Cabrillo on the roof when Hanley reached the men on the radio.
“We’ve been ordered off,” Hanley said. “The British are planning to intercept the train in a remote area along the coast near Middlesbrough.”
“We’re right there, Max,” Cabrillo argued, “another five minutes or so and I’ll be inside the train and searching for the meteorite.”
“It came directly from the president, Juan,” Hanley said. “We defy a presidential order and I have a feeling there won’t be any more work coming our way from the Oval Office. I’m sorry, but from a company standpoint it’s just not worth it right now.”
Adams heard the conversation and started slowing the Robinson. He stayed close to the tracks in case Cabrillo wanted to go ahead. Looking over at Cabrillo, he shrugged his shoulders.
“Back away, George,” Cabrillo said over the headset.
Adams moved the cyclic to the right and the helicopter moved away from the railroad tracks and over some farmland. Pulling back, Adams started climbing to reach a safe altitude.
“All right,” Cabrillo said wearily, “you’re right. I guess we should get your location so Adams can fly us back to the ship.”
“We’re passing offshore of Edinburgh and traveling south at full speed,” Hanley said, “but if I were you, I’d have Adams drop you in London. I have Meadows and Seng on their way there and they’ve turned up some interesting leads pertaining to the missing nuclear bomb.”
“We’re still a go on that?” Cabrillo asked.
“Until we’re told otherwise,” Hanley said.
“So the Corporation recovers the bomb,” Cabrillo said slowly, “and we let the Brits handle our meteorite. Seems backward.”
“Backward is all we have right now,” Hanley said.
ON THE RAIN-SOAKED deck of the ferry boat sailing from Goteborg, Sweden, to Newcastle upon Tyne, Roger Lassiter was speaking into a satellite telephone. Lassiter had worked for the CIA before being terminated a number of years before, after it had been discovered that vast amounts of funds had gone missing from accounts in the Philippines. The money was intended to be used for payoffs to the locals for information on Muslim terrorist groups operating in the southern provinces. Lassiter had lost the money gambling in a Hong Kong casino.
Once he had been fired, the CIA uncovered a few more facts. Lassiter was not above using unauthorized torture, misappropriating U.S. resources for his profit, or outright deceit and deception. Lassiter had operated in areas with little Langley control—and he had abused his privileges to the limits and beyond. There was also talk of him being a double agent for China, but once he had been fired, nothing was done.
Lassiter now resided in Switzerland, but he hired out to the highest bidder.
In Sweden, he’d stolen blueprints from a marine manufacturer who’d designed a revolutionary drive system. The party that had hired him for the theft was Malaysian. The drop was to take place in London.
“Yes,” Lassiter said, “I remember talking to you. You weren’t sure you’d need my services.”
The Hawker 800XP was just reaching New Jersey, where it would be refueled for the trip across the Atlantic Ocean. Hickman was making plans as he went.
“Turns out I do,” Hickman said.
“What’s the job?” Lassiter said as he glared at a tourist who walked past on the deck. The man headed back inside.
“Pick up a package and take it to London for me.”
“That’s a long ways out of my way,” Lassiter lied.
“Not according to the man I had following you in Sweden,” Hickman said. “He mentioned you got on board the ferry bound for the east coast of Britain quite a few hours ago. Was that someone else?”
Lassiter didn’t bother to answer. When two liars are speaking, brevity is critical.
“Where’s the package?” he asked.
“You’ll need to pick it up at the train station,” Hickman said. “It’ll be in a locker.”
“You want me to fly it down,” Lassiter asked, “or drive?”
“Drive,” Hickman said.
“Then it’s something that won’t stand up under an X-ray,” Lassiter said. “That raises the risk.”
“Fifty thousand,” Hickman said, “on delivery.”
