Chapter Sixteen
The list of people who Bob Herbert trusted was short. The list of people he trusted absolutely was shorter still.
Edgar Kline was never on the very short list. Now, Herbert was not sure he was on the short list. Kline also had selfinterests to protect. The well-being of the Vatican and its inner circle was his top priority. Herbert understood and respected that. But Herbert also had interests to look after. That was why he called one of his freelancers, April Wright.
April was a professional watcher, one of the hundreds who walked the streets of the nation's capital every day. Some were hired by American agencies to spy on rival agencies. Others were hired by Americans to spy on foreigners and vice versa. They were dressed as delivery people, tourists, souvenir salesmen, or joggers. A few watchers worked in teams and pretended to be TV reporters or college kids making a student film. Some carried handbags that contained changes of clothes. If the watchers had to watch an area with a security camera, they did not want to stay in the same outfit all day.
April used to be an actress. She worked mostly in regional theater, so her face was not well known. She had been a close friend of Herbert's wife. Now the woman was married to a pilot and had a young daughter. During the course of a day, she went from posing as a nanny to being a mother out for a walk to being a homeless woman with a child. In all of her disguises, she carried a digital camera. When she was "homeless," she kept it hidden in the bottom of a brown paper bag. Whenever she needed to take a picture, she took a drink. April was good at what she did, and she loved it. It was also a secret only Herbert shared. April was only available when her husband was out of town.
Herbert asked April to keep an eye on the Watergate. He wanted to know where Kline went and who came to see him. She signed in at ten P. M. then came downstairs in her nanny guise and found a spot near the house phones. She rocked her baby until two A. M. and then became homeless, watching Kline's window from the outside. Shortly after dawn, she was an early-rising mom out for a few turns around the lobby. She always made sure she was near the phone when anyone used it. If Kline had left the hotel, she would have followed him. The driver that had brought her there waited for that purpose.
Herbert had arranged for Kline to come to Op-Center at eight A. M. and brief Hood. At two A. M., April made an interim report. At seven forty-five, she made her final report. Herbert thanked her and told her to go home. In the meantime, he had asked Matt Stoll's computer group to check the flights from Spain to Botswana. There was something he needed to know.
Kline arrived in a taxi. Herbert greeted his old friend at the main level and took him directly to Hood's office. Kline sat in the armchair in front of Hood's desk. Herbert parked his wheelchair inside the door. Hood had also asked his political liaison, Ron Plummer, to attend the meeting. The former CIA intelligence analyst for Western Europe arrived just a minute after Herbert. He shut the door and leaned against it, crossing his arms tightly. Plummer was a short man with thinning brown hair and wide eyes. He wore thick, black-framed glasses atop a large, hooked nose. He was an intensely focused man, which was fortunate. His work on the delicate situation in Kashmir had been the key to keeping it from exploding.
Herbert asked how Kline's evening had gone. The Vatican security officer said that it went well. He had met with Cardinal Zavala before Mass this morning. Kline said that when he was finished here, he was going directly to New York to meet with Cardinal Murrieta.
"Did you get what you wanted from the cardinal?" Herbert asked.
"I did," Kline told him. "We arranged to have Bishop Victor Max go to Botswana. He's flying to New York to meet me."
"Max is a big human rights advocate, isn't he?" Herbert asked.
"He is," Kline said. "The bishop is going to take Father Bradbury's place in a show of support. He will fly to Gaborone and then take a shuttle to Maun. We have asked two of the deacons not to leave but to meet him there."
"That could be dangerous for the bishop and the deacons, you understand that," Herbert said. "They understand that."
"Of course."
"Is there going to be press coverage?" Hood asked.
"We absolutely will not solicit coverage, but we will make an announcement," Kline said. "We want Dhamballa to know he cannot scare us away. We're sure some press will be in Gaborone, but there will be no additional statements, no press conferences. The Church has a narrow line to walk between supporting its mission and defying the will of a native faction."
"What kind of precautions are you arranging for the bishop's security?" Hood asked.
"We're working with local authorities," Kline said.
"Is that all?" Herbert asked.
Kline regarded the intelligence chief. "We have other options open to us," he replied. "The bishop will be safe."
"I have no doubt," Herbert said.
"Why is that?" Kline asked.
"Because, Edgar, I'm betting you've invoked the Madrid Accords," Herbert replied.
It was the first time Herbert had ever seen Edgar Kline seem surprised. "You've been busy," Kline said.
"We both have," Herbert replied.
"Back up," Hood said. "I'm not familiar with the accords."
"Three years ago, the Vatican signed a secret agreement with the Ministerio de Defensa de Espana," Herbert said. "In exchange for aggressive support from the Vatican, tha, prince promised to provide ground troops in the event of action undertaken against the Church in any developing country."
Kline waved his hand dismissively. "The Madrid Accords are not a secret," he said.
"Not if you happen to read the Fraternal Vatican Minutes, which is not available on-line or outside the Hall of Records in Rome. Or you might have read about it if you had access to the Spanish Alliance file at the Defense Ministry in Madrid," Herbert pointed out. "/ only know about the arrangement because at two-fifteen this morning, I called one of our people in Spain. I asked her to look into the existence of any such agreements."
"What prompted you to do that?" Kline asked.
"A visit you had from Deputy Chief of Ministry Rodriguez very early this morning," Herbert replied.
Kline's pleasant features darkened. "You had me watched."
"That's right."
"I'm very disappointed, Bob."
"So am I," Herbert replied evenly. "You asked for my help, but you didn't tell me everything."
"There wasn't much to tell," Kline replied.
"There was enough for you to withhold it," Herbert pointed out.
"We have security issues that I did not wish to discuss or disclose," Kline replied. "The ramifications of another nation lending that kind of support go beyond the current crisis."
"Gentlemen, now I'm the only one who's confused," Hood said. "Bob, would you tell me what's going on?"
"I've pretty much told you all I know for certain, Paul," Herbert said. "Edgar wanted our help locating Father Bradbury. I brought Mike aboard, set things in motion, then found out that there are other players. That this situation may be bigger than we were led to believe."
Herbert did not want to say anything to Kline about the call from Shigeo Fujima. For all he knew, there might not be a connection. If there were a connection, he wanted to keep that contact to himself.
Hood looked over at Kline. "Mr. Kline?"
"The involvement of the Spanish military is a very delicate aspect of this 'situation,' as Bob describes it," Kline said. "The Vatican does have a defense arrangement with the Spanish military. The agreement does not affect the main body of the military. It is only with the Grupo del Cuartel General, Unidad Especial del Despliegue."