“He’s been expecting your call, Captain. I’ll put you right through.”
After a great deal of persuasion, Reyes agreed not to cuff Dugan upon landing. However, the big Panamanian kept Dugan close as the pair trailed Ward across the tarmac to Lou Chesterton and Harry Albright. The Panamanian’s introduction to the Brits was perfunctory — both men were staring at Dugan.
“Bloody hell, Yank,” Harry said. “You hit by a lorry?”
Dugan glanced at Reyes, who remained expressionless.
“You OK, mate?” Lou asked.
“I’m fine,” Dugan said. “What’s the plan?”
Lou looked at Ward. “A bloke from your embassy called and urged us to detain you. I patiently explained to him that MI5 is intelligence, not law enforcement, and without arrest powers. He then suggested that I convey you, and particularly Dugan here, to the US embassy for ‘debriefing.’”
Ward shook his head. “Mr. Dugan is in the custody of Lieutenant Reyes. He will not be going to the embassy, though perhaps the lieutenant and I should go to the embassy and explain the situation while you take Dugan to Anna’s building.”
“Go where you will, Agent Ward,” Reyes said. “I stay with Dugan.”
Ward sighed. “All right. Lou, can you take me to the embassy while Harry drives these two to Anna’s?”
“My God, Tom,” Anna said, “are you all right?”
Dugan’s smile faded. “I can’t tell you what a confidence builder that was. I’m beginning to feel like the Elephant Man.”
“There’s a resemblance, mate,” Harry said, “but he was quite intelligent.”
Reyes smiled, and Dugan laughed, his pain made tolerable by the pills he’d taken on landing.
“They didn’t beat the cheekiness out of you I see,” Anna said, then turned to Reyes.
“But I’m forgetting my manners. May I offer you something to drink, Lieutenant Reyes?”
“Coffee, if it would not be too much trouble,” Reyes said.
“No trouble at all,” Anna said. “Tom? Harry?”
Both men nodded and followed Anna into the small kitchen and watched her prepare the coffee. When it was ready, they all moved to the living room.
“Cassie OK?” Dugan asked.
Anna nodded. “Well covered. Two men at all times.”
“And Braun?” Dugan asked.
“Quiet. But up to something,” she said. “That’s my gut anyway.”
“Mine as well,” Harry agreed.
“Then it’s unanimous,” Dugan said. “But damned if I can figure his next move.”
They fell into frustrated silence, but soon Anna smiled.
“I’ve seen that look,” Harry said. “What are you on to, Anna?”
“We can assume the next attack will be by a Phoenix-owned or — chartered tanker, right?”
“So what?” Dugan said. “We can’t check them all without alerting Braun.”
“Bear with me,” Anna said. “Targets?”
Dugan shrugged. “Suez, the straits of Hormuz and the Bosphorus, maybe the Cape of Good Ho—” He stopped and looked at her.
“Exactly,” she said.
Harry and Reyes looked confused.
“Would you two mind sharing?” Harry asked.
“We concentrate on tankers near choke points,” Anna said. “That’s the short list.”
“Braun will only manipulate communications for attack ships,” Dugan added. “It’d be noticed if he tried that for every ship in the fleet.”
“Tom can call the short-listed ships on a pretext,” Anna continued. “Alex can’t do it because Braun is watching him closely, and a call from me would seem strange. The captains might call back to see what’s going on and alert Braun in the process. But no one in the fleet knows Tom’s not in the office.”
“And if Tom senses something amiss,” Harry finished, understanding, “that’s the ship. Bloody brilliant.”
“One problem,” Anna said. “My computer crashed again, as did Tom’s. And Sutton was his usual helpful self. I can’t access the position report. Tom, you have a hard copy?”
“Not a current one,” Dugan said. “Get word to Alex. He can slip it to you somehow. By the way, does he know I’m here?”
“He thinks you’re in custody in Panama. And let’s keep it that way. He’s reacting as Braun would anticipate. Knowing you’re here could change his demeanor and alert Braun.”
“But he—”
“You have to trust me on this, Tom,” Anna said, ending discussion of the issue.
“Now,” she continued, “I have to see him out of the office. I’ll call and say I’m worried about Tom and want to talk. I’ll suggest we meet tomorrow morning for coffee.”
“Wrong motive,” Harry said. “Braun thinks you’re a tart. Come on to Kairouz — imply you’re worried about your position with Dugan gone. Offer to discuss ‘serving his needs.’”
“Won’t that shock him?”
“He’ll get it,” Dugan said. “And if he’s initially shocked, so much the better.”
Anna nodded and called. As predicted, Alex played along and agreed to meet Anna at eight thirty the next morning.
She snapped the phone shut. “My reputation as a slut is secure. Now what?”
Harry yawned. “I’ll update Lou and Ward and piss off home to the little woman.”
“Do that,” Anna said. “Let’s all get some sleep.”
Harry stood up. “I’ll let myself out,” he said.
Reyes kept his seat, and Anna shot Harry a surprised look.
Harry shrugged. “Lieutenant Reyes is quite diligent in his custodial duties,” Harry said and moved to the door.
The door clicked shut behind Harry, followed by a few seconds of awkward silence.
“Well then,” Anna said. “I guess I’ll just pop off to bed.”
She gave Dugan a rueful look and moved through the kitchen and out the back door to her own apartment.
Dugan glared at Reyes.
“Looks like you’re my new roommate, so let’s get something straight. There’s only one bed, and it’s mine. You got the sofa.”
Twenty minutes later, Dugan stepped out of the bathroom in his boxer shorts, showered and ready for bed. Reyes waited in the bedroom with handcuffs.
“I’m not into that, Reyes,” Dugan said, “and you’re not really my type.”
The Panamanian controlled his temper. “I intend to cuff you to the bed.”
“Seriously?” Dugan asked.
“Your colleagues’ faith in you is touching, Señor Dugan, but I am not a believer just yet. Do you think I would risk waking with my own gun in my face?”
“What if there’s a fire?” Dugan asked.
“Unlikely,” Reyes said.
“What if I have to piss?”
Reyes shrugged. “Then you will be uncomfortable.”
“What if—”
“What if you shut up and extend your hand before I am forced to become unpleasant?”
Just before dawn, Reyes rose from the lumpy sofa and moved to a chair by the window. Sleep had been a disjointed series of catnaps, separated mostly by hours of thoughts of Maria and the boys. When he could bear the pain no longer, he had forced his thoughts to the situation at hand.
That was equally troubling. He could hardly contain his disdain for the methods being employed. He had learned enough to be convinced this Braun was key, and yet the hijo de puta was being handled with kid gloves while Ward and the Walsh woman’s team gathered “hard evidence.”
Where, he wondered, were the secret CIA planes standing by to whisk this Braun to some accommodating country where he could be questioned “aggressively”? Perhaps he should offer the services of his agency? He was sure that after a few hours in the Hole, El Señor Braun would be most cooperative.