Stuart Woods - Iron Orchid

“Jim,” Harding said, “why don’t you tell us about it?”

“It’s the trainee Harry One,” Willis said. “I believe her to be unsuited to be in this program.”

Lance leaned forward. “Willis, I would be very interested to know specifically why you consider her unsuitable.”

Willis shrugged. “Background, experience, temperament.” He paused for effect. “And she attacked one of my instructors this morning.”

That caused a stir in the room, though no one said anything.

“I won’t put up with that from any trainee,” Willis said.

“Circumstances?” Lance asked.

“The circumstances don’t matter,” Willis said. “It’s a rule, and a hard and fast one.”

“All right, then, Jim,” Lance said, “You mentioned her background, experience, and temperament. Tell us what you find deficient in those areas.”

“She was an army MP, for Christ’s sake,” Willis said, his voice full of scorn. “The lowest kind of cop, in my opinion.”

“She commanded a company of MPs and finished as a deputy regimental commander,” Lance said. “She excelled at everything she did in the army, and she went through two very tough FBI courses at Quantico. Excelled in those, too.”

“Then she was a small-town cop,” Willis said, as if Lance had not spoken. “Traffic stops, that sort of thing.”

“She was chief of a force of three dozen officers and, on two occasions, broke cases the FBI said were of national importance.”

“That’s open to question,” Willis said.

“And temperament?” Lance asked. “What flaws have you detected in her temperament?”

“She doesn’t know how to follow orders,” Willis said. “Then there’s that fucking dog; she won’t go anywhere without it. It’s disruptive.”

Lance sat back. “She got through twenty years as a regular army officer with outstanding fitness reports and with no apparent problem following orders. And I wasn’t aware the dog was fucking anybody,” he drawled.

Laughs were stifled around the table.

“Then there was the incident of this morning.”

“Tell us about that, Jim,” Lance said.

Harding spoke up. “That won’t be necessary,” he said.

“Why not?” Willis demanded.

“Because I was there,” Harding said. “And because we have the incident on videotape.”

“We do?” Willis asked, nonplussed.

“We do.” Harding picked up a remote control. “I’ve had some adjustments made in the lighting, and the audio has been enhanced.” He started the tape.

Lance watched the incident, which ran little more than a minute. Every word was crisply reproduced. When Holly made contact with her instructor’s nose, there was a collective groan of sympathy around the table.

Harding looked at Lance. “She’s yours, Lance; defend her.”

“Happy to,” Lance replied, resting his elbows on the table.

“She’s an army brat; her father has a distinguished record of service in war and peace; she enlisted on graduation from high school and got her degree while in the service. She was promoted quickly, for a woman in the army, holding increasingly responsible posts.”

“She accused her superior of attempted rape,” Willis said. “It’s all in the record.”

“Not quite all of it,” Lance said. “The record doesn’t mention that the charges were true. I investigated them thoroughly, and it’s a disgrace that the man’s buddies acquitted him in the court-martial. He resigned from the service less than six months later.”

“She ruined a good man’s career,” Willis said.

“He was a lousy man, and she did her country a service by exposing a long pattern of behavior unbecoming to an officer and a gentleman.”

“That tape is an example of her insubordination,” Willis said.

“On the contrary,” Lance said. “The tape shows that she acted correctly in every respect and kept her temper. Well, perhaps pulling rank on Whitey wasn’t a good idea, but we all heard him invite her to hit him. No, order her to hit him.”

Hugh English spoke up for the first time. “She broke Whitey Thompson’s nose; that can’t be a bad thing.”

Everybody laughed but Willis.

“How do you expect him to continue instructing trainees?” Willis asked. “Word of the incident has already spread throughout the Farm. Whitey is now a laughingstock.”

“I don’t expect Whitey to continue,” Harding said. “I fired him twenty minutes ago.”

“Without consulting me?” Willis asked.

“Indeed, yes,” Harding said. “I was a witness to the incident, as we now all are. I don’t believe you would have had anything to add.”

“You fired one of my people without consulting me,” Willis said. “I should resign.”

Harding said nothing, just looked at the man. The room had grown very quiet. “Well, Jim?” Harding said at last.

“It’ll be on your desk in half an hour,” Willis said. He stood up and stalked out of the room.

Nobody said anything for a long moment, then Hugh English spoke up. “I thought that went rather well,” he said. He turned to Lance. “As far as I can see, you’re lucky to have the woman.”

“Thank you, Hugh,” Lance replied.

“See that you hang on to her,” English said.

“I’ll do that,” Lance replied.

TEDDY LEFT NW YORK CITY in a rented car after midnight and drove south. At six a.m. he arrived at a diner not far from McLean, Virginia, where he waited for half an hour in the parking lot until she drove in and parked her SUV near the front door. He gave her a minute to be seated before following her in.

Irene Forster was sitting alone in the same two-seater booth she had occupied for breakfast for at least fifteen years, perhaps longer, certainly during all the time she and Teddy had been sleeping together, sometimes in the motel next door. Teddy slid into the booth opposite her. She looked up at him, preparing to tell him to get lost. “Good morning, Irene,” he said.

She stared at the man in the tweed cap with the gray hair and beard, and slowly comprehension came into her face. “Teddy?” she said under her breath.

“Ah, you didn’t think you were rid of me, did you?”

“My God,” she said, “I thought the planet was rid of you.”

“Not quite yet. You’re looking very beautiful.” He wasn’t just flattering her. In her late forties, she had ripened perfectly. Her ex-husband was a fool.

“Why aren’t you dead?”

“I thought I’d avoid that as long as possible.”

“But the announcement from the president and the FBI…”

“Somewhat exaggerated. I’m sure they know by now that I’m alive, but they’re keeping that quiet.” He looked appreciatively at her breasts under the sweater. “You’re as beautiful as ever.”

She managed a nervous smile. “Good Lord, I’m wet,” she said. “I didn’t think that could still happen.”

“I’m flattered. And I’m hard.” He extended his leg until their ankles touched.

“This is very dangerous for you,” she said.

“Not unless you’re dangerous to me.”

She shook her head slowly. “Not in the least I cheered everything you did.”

The waitress appeared at their table with a coffee pot and filled both their cups. “What’ll it be, Irene?”

“The usual,” she said.

“The same for me,” Teddy said.

The waitress went away.

“I’m relieved to hear you say that,” Teddy said. “I must say, I thought you might approve.”

“You always knew me better than anybody else.”

“And you, me.”

She smiled. “Nobody knows you, Teddy, not down deep.”