George had been there for several hours. He had not approached Mohsen for a couple of reasons. First, he wanted to make sure they weren’t being followed. Second, he wanted to observe Mohsen and his reactions. He had never really had a chance to examine the officer before, in person or on paper. It was imperative to know as much about Mohsen’s mannerisms as he could to ensure a desirable outcome to this adventure. He watched and waited and noticed Mohsen getting irritated, which gave him a flash of satisfaction. He grew confident that somewhere along the line the operation would be botched — or foiled by the United States. Then home.
George had brought along his own set of handcuffs. To make sure that he was going to be involved in the plan, he had decided to be the one to carry the money. Only as one of the pilots came through the door to tell Mohsen they were prepared to fly did George approach Mohsen. “I see we are ready.”
Mohsen turned in surprise. There was a sense of relief on his face. There was also a bit of disgust. “Do you always take your time getting to an airplane?”
“I unfortunately have to make a slight change in plans.” George liked having the upper hand. Throughout his career, he had always had to kowtow. It felt good to be assertive. “I will secure the luggage.” He produced his handcuffs and snapped one end to his wrist.
Mohsen would have exploded had they not been boarding their plane. There was no time to argue. He unclasped the case and handed it to George. Then he grabbed George by the arm and led him out to the aircraft. “You may carry it, but I will not let you out of my sight.”
George smiled. He was actually having some fun.
“He what?” screamed Levi over the phone. It was a secure line so he spoke liberally with his informant at the other end. “I can’t believe that son of a bitch told Mohsen he knew everything about the sub. What was going through his fucking head?” He listened some more as the person at the other end gave the report. “Where did you see him last? What was he doing?” Again, he flew into a tirade. “He actually got on the plane with him? Carrying the money? Holy fucking shit.” He slammed the phone down. This is Dan’s fault. He must have gotten hold of Bluebird, he fumed. He still must be in contact with him.
He rolled his index cards to his daughter’s number. He was going to call Sharon and pressure her for more information, but Beth informed him that Dan had given her a few days off. He also knew that she had told Dan everything. He was losing his grip on Sharon, which meant he was losing his grip on his competition for the promotion and on his daughter. She had to know something. Dan wasn’t going to do an end-around without him finding out.
The phone rang several times before it was picked up. It was Sharon. She had a mouthful of sandwich and was not ready for the call. “Hello.”
“Sharon. It’s Levi Carp.”
The name sent a chill up her spine, and she almost choked on her food. “How did you get my number?”
“My God, Sharon, you work for the CIA.”
Sharon didn’t reply.
“Is Dan still in contact with George?”
Since Sharon didn’t have the answer to the question she felt relatively safe. “I couldn’t tell you. He fully expected to see George when he returned, so I don’t think he has spoken with him.”
“About that trip. Did he ever say where he went?”
“No.” Her mind fluttered back to the last conversation she had with Dan. She remembered what he had said about being in a deep op and not wanting to leave anything to chance. That even meant cutting her out. She almost let that go, but she decided to sit on the fence and answer only his specific questions.
Levi paused before he spoke again. “Sharon, people get hurt in these situations.”
“I don’t want Dan to get hurt.”
“I may not be speaking about him.”
Again, Sharon said nothing as bile rose in her throat.
“If I am not in control of everything, I cannot guarantee anyone’s safety.”
Sharon was dumbfounded by the brazen statement. Her blood went cold. “Is that a threat?”
“No. Just laying out the facts.”
“But I don’t know anything.”
“What’s he doing next?”
“I don’t know. He didn’t say.”
Levi waited before he spoke. “You do have a clear understanding of the consequences, right?”
“Crystal.” Though Sharon was trembling, she knew she had to put her faith in Dan.
Levi hung up the phone. Now she knows how the game is played. She’ll learn. Real fast.
The drunkenness of the night before still hung with Dan. He was to meet the admiral at a little steak and egg place located in a poorer part of town. It was known only as the Kitchen. Dan had his doubts about getting there, but his cab driver didn’t. The beat-up old box skirted through the streets until it came to a stop in front of the restaurant.
“Fifteen bucks, Mac,” the cabby said.
Dan paid and got out. He recognized a military-issue Hummer H3 sitting in the parking lot, indicating that Sukudo was inside. The streets were barren and dirty. Bums slept on the corner, mumbling to themselves as they tried to forget their lives.
The inside of the restaurant contrasted with its location. It was filled with blue-collar workingmen. Waitresses hustled about carrying food and screaming orders in code that only the chef could understand. It was almost a joyous atmosphere. In a booth in the corner sat Sukudo. He didn’t look much better than Dan as he slowly sipped on a Bloody Mary.
He waved Dan over. “You look as bad as I feel,” he grumbled.
“No, Admiral. You look pretty shitty.” Dan was beginning to enjoy the relationship he was establishing with Sukudo. “How the hell do you find places like this?”
“I’ve been around a long time. Fuck. This street used to thrive with commerce. It was my favorite place to visit when I was just an ensign. The women down here at that time… oh, boy!”
A waitress approached, flopped two menus on the table, and walked off.
“I can see that the service is not a problem,” said Dan.
“Down here there’s no room for bullshit, Dan. I like that. These people are the ones who make our world go ’round. They live here every day, slogging it out. We get the government paycheck and all the perks when we retire. Most of these people will die broke the way this economy is going.”
The comments gave Dan more insight into the admiral. He loved his country and the people in it. He strongly believed in a military that operated in the people’s best interest. Not for special interest groups. Quite admirable. He smiled at the play on words that ran through his head. “My hangover is in full swing.”
“Good. I’ll get you a Bloody Mary and steak and eggs.” Sukudo raised his hand, catching the eye of the waitress, and yelled out the order. “Now, let’s talk about what happens next.”
Dan shrugged. “That’s a question I’ve been asking myself for days. I don’t know what else we can do or where to go until I know more.”