Дэвид Балдаччи - The Escape

Puller shook his head. “Way above my pay grade. It’s why I’m just a grunt toting a rifle.”

“Give yourself a little more credit than that, Puller,” said Knox.

“But it does come back to Aust,” said Robert. “If they need him, then it certainly narrows our search considerably.”

Knox interjected, “But what if he’s doing so willingly? You said Reynolds seduced him. That it’s all about sex on his part and business on hers. But what if he’s in on it?”

“And his motivation?” asked Robert.

Knox turned to Puller. “Tell him what you told me before.”

“He was the loudest voice that Iraq didn’t have WMDs,” Puller said. “And we went to war anyway. What if he wants to teach the world a lesson? Particularly America?”

“By helping someone like Reynolds? By perhaps leading her to a cache of WMDs to use against us?” Robert shook his head. “I don’t think that’s plausible, John, I really don’t.”

“Well, if it’s not then the real answer must be something totally off the wall, because nothing else I can think of makes sense.”

Knox said, “We do have one tactical advantage. I’ve been listening to the news. The authorities are all over that apartment where Schindler was. It was totally destroyed. Apartments above and below were damaged as well. Fortunately, there didn’t seem to be collateral casualties. They haven’t released Schindler’s name yet. They may not have identified him yet. But Reynolds probably thinks we’re dead too, our bodies blown to bits in that rubble. If she thinks she’s free and clear of us I believe she’s going to go ahead with her mission.”

“And she might relax her guard a bit,” noted Puller.

“Exactly.”

“Then we might just have a chance,” said Robert.

Puller suddenly stood, a look of intense concentration on his face.

“What is it?” asked Robert and Knox together.

“We need to go somewhere, right now.”

“Where?” asked Knox.

“Reynolds’s office at DTRA.”

“Why?”

“Because I just remembered there was something in her office that might just blow the lid off this whole thing.”

IT WAS A country house situated between Middleburg and Purcellville, Virginia, originally a horse farm. There were no equines left. It had been purchased for five million dollars, in cash, and was used approximately four weeks out of the year. The rest of the time its owner was traveling the world.

The Range Rover was parked out on the cobblestone motor court directly in front of the double arched front doors. There was a staff to care for the house during the day and a cook at night if needed, but tonight he was not needed and thus the house had only one occupant.

Malcolm Aust was dressed in jeans, a loose-fitting white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and a pair of black Ferragamos without socks. He wore his wealth easily because he had possessed it all his life. He had not earned a penny of it himself, but he felt his potentially dangerous work as a WMD inspector justified his living in luxury. He was fifty-four years old, but looked younger because he had the money to take care of himself. He exercised, ate only organic, and had his meals prepared by people who knew what they were doing. His mind was nimble and filled with important facts, invaluable confidences, and a sophisticated world strategy that he was dutiful in carrying out.

He walked around the small table that had been set up in the library. It was a wood-paneled room with three walls of books and cabinetry and windows looking out over the garden. Aust liked to be surrounded by weighty tomes, and had written several himself. To his credit, unlike some people with beautiful libraries, he had read nearly all the books on the shelves.

The table had two place settings. The meals themselves were on a side table and under cover to keep them warm. There were two wineglasses on the table. He checked his watch and then uncorked a bottle from his personal stock. This bottle was especially good, and tonight he wanted especially good.

He heard the car drive up. It stopped and he could hear a car door open and then the click-clack of heels on cobblestones.

Aust poured two glasses of wine. Then he turned and walked down the hall toward the front doors. Seconds later he opened the door and there she was.

She was dressed as seductively as she had been at their dinner. Well, perhaps even more seductively.

Susan Reynolds’s smile was warm and coy and intriguingly suggestive. And despite himself, Aust felt a trickle of delight reach from his neck to the base of his spine.

They kissed. She let her lips linger over his. His hand slipped a bit past her waist and gripped her where the flesh was soft. Through the fabric of her dress his fingers slid across the top of her thong underwear.

Apparently the woman was ready to go to the next level tonight.

“Dinner seems a long time ago,” said Aust as he pulled away from her and closed the door.

“Much too long,” she agreed. “I missed you the moment you left.”

He led her down the hall to the library.

When she saw the table set up she exclaimed, “How lovely, Mal.”

He took her hand and kissed it. “Matches my guest. Lovely.”

She beamed. “If you keep that up I’ll think you have intentions.”

“Well, let me clear that right up. I do have intentions.”

“I thought you would be exhausted after all your recent travels. I was surprised you even had time for dinner last night. I was stunned when you called and asked to see me tonight. Stunned, but delighted,” she amended.

“All I do is travel. I’m used to it. But this last trip was particularly arduous, I will admit that. I’ve been back for weeks, but I’m still exhausted.”

“Zaire is not an easy place to get into or out of,” she noted.

“It is certainly not. But the mission was too important.”

“Perhaps one of your most important, Mal, and that is saying something.”

“Shall we sit? I’ve poured out your favorite wine.”

Reynolds glanced at the bottle and smiled. “That symbolizes many happy memories for me.”

“Then let’s hope we add to that list tonight.”

They sat at the table.

“DTRA, I know, must be in a terrible state right now,” said Aust somberly. “Donovan was a good man. Good at his job.”

“It was awful. We’re in total disarray.”

“And now there is this bombing at an apartment building in D.C.”

“I know. I heard about that too. They don’t know the cause. There are casualties, but they haven’t released any names yet. But I can’t think that it’s connected to Donovan’s death.”

“And the work at the WMD Center?”

She spread her hands. “As you just said, the mission is too important. Even if our leader is dead, we have to carry on.”

“Of course,” said Aust.

“Despite its remoteness, Zaire must have seemed a bit quaint after the violence of Syria.”

Aust shrugged. “I’ve confronted many dictators like Assad. He gets away with as much as he possibly can. He will lie, cheat, and hide.”

“So how many chemical weapons does he have in reserve?”

“Susan,” he said in a gently admonishing tone.”

“I know you like to keep things close to the vest, but no clues?” she asked sweetly.

“Not even for you, my dear. But when the report is officially released you’ll get to read every word.” He picked up his wineglass and indicated that she should do the same with hers.

They clinked glasses and drank their wine.

Aust wiped his mouth slowly with his napkin. “I must applaud you for drawing the potentially calamitous situation in Africa to my attention.”