The security policeman grabbed the phone, turned his back to the crowd, and spoke quietly.
“Bruce?”
“Yes, sir?” Bruce stood and became instantly alert.
Simone stood at the door, holding on to the handle. “Come on in.” Bruce walked briskly past the other officers.
Pompano sat in a chair at the far end of the office. Major Hendhold was on the phone, talking quietly with her back turned to them.
Simone looked irritable. “Let me make this quick. I’ve assured Mr. Sicat that no attribution will take place if he helps us locate the vice president. So that leaves us with one final issue to settle. And frankly, I’m not happy with it — Mr. Sicat refuses to budge.”
Bruce set his mouth.
“The upshot is this: Mr. Sicat does not want any harm to come to his daughter. He refuses to allow anyone to help him rescue her. He’s afraid that this Cervante character, or whoever the hell masterminded this act, will kill her at the first sign of a raid. Going in there to rescue his daughter and the vice president is non-negotiable. Am I correct?” Simone looked down at Pompano. The old man nodded stiffly.
Bruce looked puzzled. “I don’t get it, sir. What do I have to do with this?”
Pompano stood. He blinked but otherwise looked impassive; he spoke in halting English. “You are responsible for Cervante kidnapping Yolanda.”
“Hey, wait one damn minute.…”
Simone held up a hand. “Hear him out, Lieutenant.”
Pompano’s nostril’s flared slightly. “Yolanda would not have been kidnapped if you had kept away from her. Cervante has taken her to a well-hidden place. There are too many safeguards; no one can get close to it without being detected. There are … sensors … mines.” Pompano shook his head. “It is too dangerous. If only you had left her alone.…”
Simone persisted. “But if you tell us where it is, we could help you.”
“No.” Pompano stared back at the feisty general. Bruce almost thought that they were going to go at it, toe-to-toe.
Major Hendhold interrupted, her hand over the phone. “General, there’s an urgent message for you.”
Simone waved her away. “Later, Stephanie.”
“General …”
“Dammit, Major. What the—”
“Now, General! Tech Sergeant. Merkowitz is in the foyer. It has to do with the vice president.” Hendhold spoke quickly into the receiver. “Send him in.”
Simone growled to himself and headed for the door. Tech Sergeant Merkowitz entered and snapped a salute. Simone bore into him.
“All right. What ‘cha got?”
“It’s for you, General. Some Filipino kid delivered it to the gate, not ten minutes ago. I thought it was a joke … until I looked in the envelope.”
Simone glanced at a handwritten note taped to the manila envelope. He read through it before he looked up. “Well, your information corroborates with this Cervante character, Mr. Sicat. He claims to have the vice president.” He handed the note back to the security policeman. He opened the envelope.
He stared hard and drew in a breath. “Oh, my God.” He reached in carefully and withdrew a small plastic card.
He turned it over in his hand and read from it. “It’s Adleman all right.” He glanced back inside the envelope and set his mouth. “And they’ve got him.”
Bruce took an uncertain step to Simone. “Sir, you still don’t have proof.”
Simone ignored him and spoke instead to Merkowitz. “Who else knows about this?”
“You’re it, sir. I thought I’d better get over here right away.”
“Good, man. Keep it quiet — tell no one.” He nodded to the door. “And keep up the good work.”
“Thank you, sir. Afternoon, General.” Merkowitz started to bring his hand up in a salute but seemed to think better of it, and instead just backed out of the office.
His head down, Simone walked slowly to the podium.
Bruce cleared his throat. “Sir, I was just pointing out that—”
Simone looked up and stopped Bruce with a bland stare. “Lieutenant, take a look.” He shoved the envelope under Bruce’s nose.
Bruce’s stomach flipped at the site of a severed finger. Blood covered the bottom of the envelope. Thick, brown stains were smeared across the finger.
Simone threw the envelope on the table. The finger rolled out. “There you go, Mr. Sicat. There’s your answer. Do you really think that someone who could do this to the vice president of the United States would hesitate to harm your daughter? And for what reason — because I don’t reply fast enough to his demands?”
Simone shook the handwritten sheet of paper. “What do you think is going to happen when I get this to Washington? That they will trust some damned crazy fool hiding God-knows-where in the jungle to keep the vice president alive? And in exchange, move the entire American military presence out of the Philippines? In one day? Well? What the hell do you think, Mr. Sicat? Come on! Do you really think that this Cervante bastard is going to sit by and let your daughter live?!”
Simone breathed deeply. He now stood a mere six inches from Pompano’s face. The Filipino stood rigidly, unblinking. He seemed to take in all of Simone’s ire.
As Simone continued to stare down at the old man, Pompano’s eyes flickered away from the general. He lowered his gaze. Bruce watched the old man steal a glance at the table, then finally rest his sight on the severed finger.
Simone cocked an eye at Pompano. “Well?”
“The place … it is too well defended. And Cervante has probably deployed the HPM.”
“But you’ve got to let us try!”
Pompano shook his head. His eyes started to fill with tears. “My daughter.…”
“She’s dead if you don’t help us.”
“No,” whispered Pompano. “I … can’t.”
Simone stared at Pompano. “Get him the hell out of here and have him interrogated. It’s time to stop screwing around.”
Bruce nudged Pompano. “Come on.” He felt a sudden stab of sympathy for the old man. He didn’t know why he felt that way but then again, he had never had a child, never been in this situation. He didn’t know what he would do if it were his daughter.
As Bruce was leaving, the phone rang. Hendhold answered it. “General, it’s Pacific Air Command.”
Simone didn’t look up from the maps. He growled, “Take a damn message.”
Hendhold spoke quietly, then looked up. “Sir … President Longmire died at eight-twelve in the morning, Washington time. And until the vice president is found, they can’t officially swear in a new President.” Hendhold hesitated. “They want him found. Now. No more excuses.”
Simone glanced up at Bruce and Pompano. His face was gaunt and drawn tight, so that his ebony features stood out. “Well?”
“Your … President … is dead?” Simone simply nodded. “And if the vice president is rescued … he would become.…”
“Our President, Mr. Sicat. That’s the way we work.”
“If Cervante found this out, he would never give up the vice president.” Pompano wet his lips. He seemed to be thinking something over. He stepped back and glanced at Bruce. “Too many people would be noticed. Cervante would kill both Yolanda and your vice president if he had any warning. Yet …”
Simone approached them. His interest was clearly piqued by Pompano’s suddenly willingness to at least communicate. “What are you thinking?”
“I know where the sensors are located. I can get through the jungle.”
“A small special operations team can accompany you — stay behind you,” Simone interjected. “We’ve got SEALs at Subic who can help.”
“No. Too many people.”
“What the hell do you want?” exploded Simone. “Name it! How many — who? When?”