Don Pendleton - Diplomacy Directive

“In other words, I never existed.”

“Right.”

Bolan could hear the grimness and regret in Brognola’s tone, and decided to go easy on the guy. “It’s water under the bridge, Hal. I’d concentrate on finding out who made the query and not worry about my cover. I’d have to guess after my little run-in with some hostiles earlier today my cover doesn’t mean much now anyway.”

“Sorry, Striker,” Brognola said.

“Don’t be.”

“What about you? Everything okay?”

“Peachy if I can just figure out what’s really going on here.”

“Anything we can do to help?”

“I’d like Bear to dig a bit deeper into the staff in Governor Hernandez’s office, particularly Alvaro Fonseca.”

Bolan then elaborated on his encounter with Fonseca’s men and his meeting with Veda.

“That doesn’t make sense,” the Stony Man chief said when Bolan had finished. “Governor Hernandez requested this intervention and in complete agreement with the president. Why would Fonseca try to undermine that?”

“I don’t know, but I need you to give me something more,” Bolan said. “Preferably something I can use for leverage if the need arises.”

“We’ll get on it right away.”

“I’ll reconnect for it when I can.”

“Be careful, Striker.”

“Roger. Out.”

Bolan now reconsidered his conversation with the Stony Man chief as he and Grimaldi walked from the chopper to the small office east of the runway. They needed some wheels and spotted a row of cars, identical makes of American Chevy Aveos, aligned against one side of the makeshift tower and airport office.

Grimaldi jabbed his chin at them. “Wonder if any of those are for rent.”

“Guess we’ll find out,” Bolan said.

“I imagine anything’s for rent or sale here at the right price,” the Stony Man pilot replied.

They stepped into the comparative coolness of the office that was divided into a few spacious cubicles against one wall, a row of offices opposite that and a long service counter just inside the double-door foyer. The furnishings were modern and the rooms spacious. There were also a few private areas where travelers could hook up to the Internet or make a phone call by credit card.

“Gentlemen, good evening!” the proprietor said. “How may I help you?”

Bolan held the man with an expression that implied he didn’t have time for any nonsense. “Those cars out there for rent?”

“Of course, sure,” the guy answered, rubbing his hands. “How long will you need one?”

“Not sure,” Bolan replied. “Not more than a couple of days.”

The man perfunctorily reached beneath the counter and brought out a few forms. It took only ten minutes to fill in the forms, pay the rental fee by cash and load the weapons bags from the chopper into the trunk. The rain began to let up as they headed toward Las Mareas, a mere five minutes away.

“So what’s the plan?” Grimaldi asked after a few minutes of riding shotgun in silence.

Bolan’s reply seemed a bit grim. “Truthfully, I don’t have one yet. Veda didn’t give me any indication as to who or what to look for, but I got the impression from the way he said it we wouldn’t have to look hard.”

“You think one of his people will make contact,” Grimaldi said.

“Yeah.”

“Can we trust Veda?”

Bolan shook his head. “No. But then again, who can we trust? The fact someone in Hernandez’s office might be involved in this supports one of two theories. Either the local government here is planning a coup or Veda’s lying to throw me off his trail.”

“What’s your gut tell you?”

“That theory two’s the most plausible,” Bolan replied. “But then my run-in with two of Fonseca’s goons gave me pause to wonder. Now I have to at least consider the possibility Veda’s on the level and there’s an internal conspiracy at work here.”

“Well, Veda does seem pretty well-informed, Sarge. He managed to know you were involved from practically the moment we arrived here.”

“A guy like Veda has far-reaching contacts. His information could have come from anywhere.”

“Yeah, except for the fact that only a few people outside of Stony Man even knew about your mission here, and all of them were inside Hernandez’s office.”

Bolan nodded. “Yeah, I thought about that, too. That’s why what Veda told me makes so much sense.”

“You think La Costa will be okay?”

“If Fonseca gets my message and backs off her, she’ll probably be better off than we will.”

They rode the remainder of the trip in silence. When they reached the town, the two men could see why the dinky airport didn’t have much business. Las Mareas couldn’t have been comprised of more than five or ten streets. As a barrio in Guayama—a municipality of less than fifty thousand—only one of those streets even sported a commercial section. Bolan almost drove past the half-lit sign that boasted “—OTEL” and swung precariously in the damp breeze. He slowed and gently pulled over, careful to pump the brakes so he didn’t skid the vehicle into the high curb. The sharp, jagged edges that protruded from years of disrepair would have torn those cheap, economy tires to shreds like cat claws through tissue paper.

Grimaldi gave the place a once-over, peered at the sidewalk and then grinned at Bolan. “Think I’ll wait here.”

Bolan nodded and left the car. The rain had stopped, but the mock flagstone steps leading up to the narrow house were still slick with water. Bolan ascended them carefully and rapped on a screen door that had metal bars mounted to it. He didn’t get any response, then noticed a thick piece of twine dangling to his right he hadn’t seen before in the gloom. He gave it a yank and somewhere inside a bell jangled. Two minutes passed before Bolan signaled again and just about that time the inner door opened and a heavyset, middle-aged Hispanic woman stepped onto the porch.

“I’m coming. What you want?”

“I’m looking for someone,” Bolan said, not even sure he knew why he was doing this. Something just told him it was right.

“You no want room?”

“No.”

“Then go on, I don’t want know your business.”

As she started to turn and go inside, Bolan called, “Miguel Veda sent me.”

The woman froze in her tracks. So, he’d been right about Veda—the guy had connections everywhere. She’d obviously been told to expect him; either that or he had a name the poor and disheartened of the country knew all too well. Whatever the case, she turned and cocked her head. She had an entirely different expression, a smile, and in one sense it almost creeped Bolan out.

At least she hadn’t slammed the door in his face. “You come inside. It’s wet out there.” As she opened the door to admit Bolan, she nodded at Grimaldi, who she obviously noticed still sat in the car. “What about you friend? He come inside, no?”

As he followed the woman inside, Bolan shook his head. “He’s kind of shy.”

The woman led Bolan through a cramped hall littered with tables of knickknacks and other cheap junk. It took some flexibility and catlike grace to avoid knocking over something on at least one of the tables. After negotiating the obstacle course they made it into an equally cramped kitchen, where Bolan discovered a young, fair-skinned male sitting at a two-seat table in the corner. The man didn’t even look at Bolan, but was satisfied to grunt and wave Bolan to the unoccupied chair.

As he sat, Bolan glanced at the woman, who didn’t meet his gaze. Instead, she turned her attention to whatever she was cooking on the stove. The young guy looked like a first-rate hood, between the tattoos adorning both arms from the knuckles to the shoulders, and the gold tooth that glinted through slightly parted lips. A two-inch-wide line of hair ran Mohawk-style from front to back on an otherwise bald head. He wore baggy jeans and a white muscle shirt that was yellowed and tattered with age.