W. Griffin - By Order of the President

"Yes, sir," Britton said.

"And we might as well start on getting a judge to authorize wiretaps on the mosque and every phone that looks promising. That'll take some time, but we should do it."

"Commissioner, we-Homeland Security and the Secret Service-have blanket authority to tap in a terrorist situation like this. All we have to do is report it to a federal judge later."

"I didn't know that," Kellogg said, surprised. "You can authorize that?"

"As a supervisory special agent, sure."

"If you were to ask for the help of the Philadelphia Department to help you put in your taps, I'd be happy to oblige."

"Thank you, sir."

Kellogg studied Castillo. "So you're a Green Beret major."

"Yes, sir, I am."

"And a supervisory special agent of the Secret Service? You told me you had the credentials, but:"

"It's on the up-and-up," Castillo said. "I was sworn in."

"How do you keep who you really are straight?"

"With difficulty, sir," Castillo said and glanced at Betty Schneider.

She shook her head.

"When I talked to Matt Hall earlier, Castillo," Commissioner Kellogg said, "he said he was going to come as quietly as he can. What did he mean by that?"

"Usually, Commissioner, when he goes to a city where the Secret Service has an office they'll send people-usually four to six, in a couple of GMC Yukon XLs-to back up his personal security detail. That attracts a lot of attention. If he said he's coming quietly, he doesn't want that attention. I don't know this, but what I think is that they called the Philadelphia office and told them to send a car-not a Yukon-to meet the plane. They may not have told-probably didn't tell-Philadelphia that the secretary is coming."

"What's his personal detail?"

"Two Secret Service guys. This morning, I know it will be Joel Isaacson-who is more than a bodyguard and who is usually with the secretary. And almost certainly his partner, Tom McGuire, who is also more than a bodyguard."

"Are you going to the airport to meet him? With Sergeant Schneider?"

"No, sir. I'm just about through here. I'm going to Fort Bragg. As I said before, Secretary Hall wants me to be in on the planning to neutralize the airplane."

"Miller, where are you going to connect with Secretary Hall?"

"I don't know, sir," Miller said and looked at Castillo for guidance.

"I think you should meet him at the airport," Castillo said. "Even better would be you and Sergeant Schneider."

"Nobody's had much sleep. Will you be okay with that, Schneider?" Kellogg asked.

"Yes, sir. I'll be all right."

"Okay, then, that's done," Commissioner Kellogg said. "Miller and Schneider can bring him up to speed on the way in from the airport. You're going to the airport right now, Castillo?"

"Just as soon as my sergeant gets here from the arsenal. He may already be here."

"Okay, let's get started on hauling in these lunatics and putting in the taps. We may get lucky, despite what Britton thinks. I sure as hell hope so."

[SIX]

In the unmarked car on the way to the airport, Castillo called Secretary Hall again.

"Sir, I regret the hour but you said I should keep you in the loop."

"What's going on, Charley?"

"The commo gear here has been set up and linked with the one in your office and Bragg, so you'll have it when you get here. Dick Miller and Sergeant Schneider, who know what's going on here, will meet your plane and be available while you're here. There's nothing else I can do here, so I'm headed back for Bragg to meet General McNab. I'm on my way to the airport now."

"How are you doing with the FBI?"

"The FBI here has sent the photographs and the names of the two Somalians who were here over their net to the FBI office in Tulsa. The SAC tells me they will run them past the people at Spartan right away. They-Tulsa-told him they know the Spartan director of security; he's retired FBI. So it shouldn't take much time to confirm these are the guys we're looking for. It may already have been done. I'll bet my last two bucks that it's our guys."

"We're betting a lot more than your last two bucks," Hall said.

"The commissioner decided to bring in the mullahs from the temple to see if we can learn something," Charley said to change the subject. "He also wanted to tap their phones and was going to start getting the necessary warrants from a judge. I told him we had blanket authority to tap without a warrant. Do we?"

"Christ, you told him that and didn't know?"

"Joel told me the Secret Service did. Or I got that impression. I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have been. I'll take the heat, sir. I thought the taps-as soon as they can be installed-were important."

"We have a ten-day authority, starting when we tell a federal judge. But we're required to tell a federal judge first. If we can justify the tap-reasonable cause to believe-to the judge within the ten days, we can keep the tap. Otherwise, we can't use anything we intercept. You might want to write that down, Charley."

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir."

"Joel's on his way over here now. I'll have him call a judge."

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

"What the hell were you thinking, Charley?"

"That we're running out of time, sir."

"Well, I can't argue with that. Call me as soon as you've talked with General McNab."

"Yes, sir."

As Betty drove the unmarked Crown Victoria up to the Lear, Castillo said, "You guys get on the plane." He looked at Miller. "And you take a walk, Dick. I need a private word with Sergeant Schneider."

When Charley and Betty were alone in the car, she looked at him and then away.

"You wanted to know about Karl Gossinger," he said.

"It's not important," she said.

"I was born in Germany. My mother's name was Gossinger. My father was an American officer who was killed in Vietnam. They weren't married, he never knew about me, and I never knew about him until my mother was about to die. When they heard about me, my father's family brought me to this country and I took his name. Not even Dick knows that story. Fernando does, but hardly anybody else. But I'm considered a German by the Germans and got a passport, etcetera. It's useful in my line of work."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I don't want to go back to Sergeant Schneider and Major Castillo."

"Charley, I don't even remember the last time I had any sleep. I can't deal with this now. And I probably won't be able to-won't want to-deal with it when all this is over. You're just too much for me. You don't know who you are, how am I supposed to? Get on the airplane."

"Do I get kissed again?"

"No, you don't!"

"Okay. I had to give it a shot," Charley said. "I won't bother you again."

He got out of the Crown Victoria and was halfway to the Lear when she called, "Charley!"

He turned.

"You forgot your phone."

"Shit," he said and trotted toward the car.

I must have missed my goddamned pocket when I put it away.

He patted his shirt pocket. The phone was in it.

Betty hadn't gotten out of the Crown Victoria but she had pushed the passenger door open.

He slid onto the seat.

She touched his face with her hand and then kissed him as she had the first time. Not passionately, not coldly: tenderly.

Then she put her hand on his chest and pushed.

"Now get on the goddamned airplane," she said, "and, for Christ's sake, be careful!"

Miller was standing by the door of the Lear.

"Can I go back to the car now? Your private tete-a-tete with the lady over?"

"Not one more fucking word, Dick!" Castillo said and then went up the steps of the Lear.

[ONE]

Aboard Lear 4SX NS075L

Over Cambridge, Maryland