Алистер Маклин - Time of the Assassins

‘So what are you going to do now?’ Graham asked Laidlaw.

Laidlaw shrugged. ‘I guess I’ll go back to Beirut and take stock of the situation. After that, who knows? I might go back to the States again.’

Sabrina held out a hand towards him. ‘Good luck, Russell, whatever you decide to do.’

‘Thanks,’ Laidlaw replied, shaking her hand.

‘Mike, I’ll see you at the plane,’ she said then picked up her holdall and left the room.

‘She’s a good kid, Mike,’ Laidlaw said, staring at the door.

‘Kid? She’s twenty-eight, Russ.’

‘You know what I mean.’ Laidlaw’s face became serious. ‘I’d still be feeling sorry for myself in some Beirut bar if you hadn’t brought me out here. You gave me back my dignity, Mike. I can never repay you for that.’

‘You can cut the schmaltz for a start,’ Graham replied. ‘I didn’t do anything. You pulled the trigger, not me. And just as well you did.’

Laidlaw shook Graham’s hand. ‘You take care of yourself, buddy.’

‘And you. I got to go, Russ.’

Laidlaw watched Graham leave and smiled sadly to himself. He knew he’d never see Graham again. He represented the past that Graham so desperately wanted to forget. But he had the memories, and that was enough.

Whitlock pressed the combination into the bellpush then opened the door and entered. He was surprised to find Kolchinsky sitting behind Sarah’s desk. Kolchinsky indicated that he should close the door behind him.

‘What’s this all about, Sergei?’ Whitlock asked, stifling a yawn. ‘It’s seven thirty in the morning.’

‘Sit down, C.W.,’ Kolchinsky said, gesturing to the burgundy-coloured couch against the wall.

‘Why here? What’s wrong with the office?’

‘It’s bugged,’ Kolchinsky replied.

‘Bugged?’ Whitlock said in amazement. ‘But that’s impossible. Dave Forsythe checks these rooms every morning for bugs.’

‘Which means he’s the only person who could have planted it.’

‘Dave? Come on, Sergei, he’s one of the most senior technicians in the command centre.’

‘I read through his personnel file before you got here.’ Kolchinsky held up a sheet of computer paper.

‘This is the print-out. You probably know we recruited him from the CIA.’

‘Yes, I know he came over from Langley,’ Whitlock replied.

‘Do you know who he was working for when he resigned?’

Whitlock’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. ‘I’ve got a horrible feeling you’re going to say Robert Bailey.’

‘The same. He’d been Bailey’s electronic guru for seven years.’

Whitlock slumped back on the couch. ‘So Bailey’s known everything that’s been said in the office. Did you find any other bugs?’

‘No, I personally checked all the rooms this morning. They’re clean.’

‘I’m surprised he didn’t bug the telephones as well.’

‘Too dangerous,’ Kolchinsky replied. ‘He knows the Colonel and I regularly check the phones ourselves. And anyway, if Sabrina called me I always briefed you on what she said.’

‘Where is the bug?’

‘Under the coffee table.’

‘What are you going to do?’ Whitlock asked.

‘Nothing, yet. I don’t want to alert Bailey. Let’s get the President safely on his plane first. I’ll confront Dave in the morning. But until then act as if nothing’s wrong.’

Whitlock nodded. ‘This certainly supports the theory that Bailey’s behind this whole operation. Why else would he want the office bugged? This way he could pass everything on to Bernard to ensure he’s always kept one step ahead of Mike.’

‘Yes, Bailey has to be behind it,’ Kolchinsky replied. ‘But how to prove it is going to be another matter altogether. We’re talking about the Deputy Director of the CIA. He’s already being tipped as a future American President. And that means he’s got a lot of influential friends across the board. We can’t make any accusations without the proof to back them up. And right now we don’t have that proof. Even if Dave Forsythe confesses to bugging the office for Bailey, it’s not enough to prove involvement in a conspiracy to kill a foreign head of state.’

‘Whatever happens, we’re going to be left with egg on our faces,’ Whitlock said grimly. ‘It’s been a serious breach of security for an organization that supposedly doesn’t exist.’

‘What if the bug has been planted for a newspaper?’

‘Then you’ll be spending Christmas standing in a food queue in some Moscow street and I’ll be on the first plane back to Kenya.’ Whitlock got to his feet and winced as he tried to adjust the sling supporting his injured arm. ‘It’s not a newspaper. It has to be Bailey. It’s too much of a coincidence for it not to be.’

Kolchinsky sighed deeply then pointed to Whitlock’s arm. ‘How is it?’

‘A bit stiff,’ Whitlock replied with a dismissive shrug.

‘I assume you haven’t heard anything from Sabrina in the last twenty-four hours?’

The question caught Whitlock by surprise but he was quick to regain his composure. ‘No,’ he lied, shaking his head. ‘Nothing at all. Hasn’t she contacted you?’

‘The last time I spoke to her was yesterday morning after the attempt on her life. She was thinking then about going down to Kondese to spring Remy Mobuto from jail. I told her to get on the next flight back here. The last thing we need is for UNACO to get involved in a civil war. Since then nothing. I’m worried about her, C.W. It’s not like her to disobey an order. I’ve made enquiries through the American embassy but she hasn’t been admitted to any hospitals out there. She just seems to have disappeared.’

‘She’s probably on her way back now,’ Whitlock replied, hating himself for his deceit. But he had given her his word to keep silent.

‘I hope so,’ Kolchinsky said then got to his feet and moved round to the front of the desk.

‘She can look after herself, Sergei,” Whitlock said, noticing the concern on Kolchinsky’s face.

‘It’s not that,’ Kolchinsky replied, shaking his head. ‘The lab boys came back with positive ID on a set of prints from that newspaper you lifted from the flat last night.’

‘And?’ Whitlock asked, his voice suddenly anxious.

‘They’re Bernard’s.’

‘Oh, my God,’ Whitlock said despairingly. ‘When did you find this out?’

‘Last night.’

‘Why didn’t you call me?’ Whitlock demanded.

‘It wouldn’t have done any good. You’d have just lain awake all night worrying about it.’

‘I was awake most of the night with this arm anyway. You’re right, though, there’s nothing I could have done.’ Whitlock sat down again then looked up at Kolchinsky. ‘Bailey must have tipped Bernard off about Rosie. How else could Bernard have found out who Rosie was and where to find her?’

‘I think it would be better if you stayed away from the Trade Center today, C.W. I don’t want any confrontations with Bailey until the President’s out of American airspace.’

‘Bailey’s going to be at the Trade Center this afternoon?’

‘Yes, he arrived in New York last night.’

‘There won’t be any confrontations, that I promise you. I’m not Mike. I can keep my emotions in check.’

‘I still don’t see why you want to be there. You’ve already made the security arrangements with the NYPD. Let them handle it. And I’ll be there to keep an eye on things.’

‘So will I,’ Whitlock said. ‘Mobuto may be a pain in the arse at times but I’m still in charge of his security. I’d never forgive myself if anything were to happen to him while I was swanning about at home.’

‘OK,’ Kolchinsky replied.