Tom Clancy's Op-center_ Sea Of Fire Part 39

The team said farewell to Leyland and Spider, both of whom had earned the respect of Bob Herbert.

Leyland waved off the suggestion that he and Spider had acted heroically. "You told us where to go and what to do."

"b.u.g.g.e.r, all we did was pull the trigger," Spider said.

"Of a b.l.o.o.d.y hose," hose," Leyland added. "It's not like that's going to put someone's eye out or anything." Leyland added. "It's not like that's going to put someone's eye out or anything."

"You ran down a jet," Herbert told them. "That took guts. You prevented Darling from taking off and finis.h.i.+ng the operation he started. That's a hero by my yardstick."

Leyland shrugged. "We really didn't have much choice, did we?"

"Sure you did," Jelbart said.

"No, I mean I don't think Mr. Darling would have believed it if we said we needed to get a koala out of the engine."

Herbert smiled. He had not known this man very long, but he was going to miss him. Maybe the intelligence chief would stop by and see him when he came back to visit Monica Loh, which he absolutely intended to do.

"Paul, I've got just one more question for you," Herbert said.

"Ask it," Leyland said.

"Why'd you hire the only female firefighter in the district?"

Coffey rolled his eyes.

Leyland smiled. "The truth is, she was the best firefighter in the district."

Herbert scowled. Coffey smiled.

"That hair on your chest cost you a prime rib," Coffey said to the intelligence chief.

Leyland leaned toward Coffey. "And frankly, I like watching her climb the ladder."

Herbert smiled. "Dutch," he said to Coffey.

Coffey nodded.

When the pilot said they were good to go, Lowell Coffey took the seat formerly occupied by John Hawke. The flight back was quiet and introspective. Everyone was tired. More than that, they were oddly dissatisfied. Herbert could see it in their faces. No one could call this a Pyrrhic victory. "The good guys," as he had described the team to Loh, had not suffered any physical losses. But there was a spiritual loss. Business and government had always been closely related. Business and crime regularly crossed paths in money laundering, intelligence gathering, and other activities. Business had even encouraged wars to increase productivity and profits. But this was the first time to Herbert's knowledge that a small band of businessmen had planned to use nuclear material to change the balance of power. The thought was as sickening as it was disquieting. They would never know if they had nabbed everyone who was part of the operation. Or every pellet of enriched uranium, or whatever substance they were s.h.i.+pping.

"Bob, I want to ask you something," Monica Loh said after nearly a half hour.

"Sure."

"Were you really going to let Hawke go before?"

"You mean on the way to Cairns, when I was asking him to rat out his boss?" Herbert asked.

"Yes," Loh said.

Herbert's answer was precise, if not articulate. He snickered.

"Now you tell me something," Jelbart said from the front seat. "I try to stay on top of local laws and such, but I've never heard of the Singaporean Nuclear Emergency Response Act of 2002. Is there such a thing?"

For the first time since Herbert had known FNO Loh, she smiled. It was not quite a snicker, but then she was probably not as jaded as Herbert was.

"I thought not," Jelbart said. "Well played," he added.

"Now I'd like to ask all of you a question," Herbert said. "What do you think Darling was trying to do back there?"

"You mean take off or take his life?" Jelbart asked.

Herbert nodded.

"I've been wondering that myself," Jelbart said. "He sent his daughter away. That suggests he did not expect to survive."

"He was moving her out of danger," Coffey said. "That doesn't mean anything. He could have sent for her later. His priority was to get out of the country and wage a legal war. He'll probably do that anyway. This thing smells of a plea bargain."

"Do you think that's inevitable?" Jelbart asked.

Coffey nodded. "We won't be able to prove everything that we suspect, and Darling won't be able to duck every blow that's thrown. That will demand a compromise. Besides, everybody will want this over as soon as possible. Darling because he will suffer less damage, the government because there's always the risk that Darling or Jessica-Ann could be perceived as victims."

"Not to mention the fact that it will cost a bomb to try," Jelbart said.

Coffey looked at Herbert. "What do you think?"

"About Darling trying to off himself?" Herbert asked. He shook his head. "When you strip him of the financial armor, he's a coward. Cowards don't kill themselves."

"I disagree," Loh said. "I would think most individuals who take their lives do so because they are afraid to face adversity."

"I wonder if the statistics support that," Herbert said dubiously.

"I don't know," Loh admitted.

"When it comes down to it, sucking on a gun barrel is not for the faint-hearted."

"Life is not for the faint of heart," Loh replied. "Surrendering that life is, I believe, an act of the gravest cowardice."

"I think you're both wrong," Coffey said. "In law school they teach us that most crimes of pa.s.sion are conceived and executed in a s.p.a.ce of five minutes. Suicide included. I don't think the brain or backbone play a part in it. Suicide is usually an act of despair."

"And a rather comfortless topic as well," Jelbart added.

The cabin fell silent again. Herbert and Loh looked at each other with challenging eyes. Like Herbert, she was obviously a woman who did not like to let things sit. Monica Loh could fight, interrogate, debate, and she looked d.a.m.n fine. Herbert wondered where the flaws were.

Oh yeah, he thought. he thought. She lives in Singapore. She lives in Singapore.

Also, he had no idea what she thought of him. He wondered if he were better off not knowing.

Shortly before landing, Jelbart received a call from Brian Ellsworth. News of what had happened at the Cairns airstrip traveled a lot faster than the Bell 204. International media were waiting for them. So was Ellsworth. He greeted the team at the helicopter. Police kept the reporters away. Ellsworth congratulated them for the job they did, then cautioned the team to ignore the questions being shouted by the press.

"Whatever you say will be reported and distorted, both pro and contra Mr. Darling," Ellsworth said. "That can only help his case."

"Prejudice the judicial process," Coffey said. "Make it look like the government has prejudged Darling."

"Precisely. One thing I must ask you," Ellsworth said as he slipped his cell phone from inside his jacket. "The prime minister is waiting to hear from me about the missing cargo. He wants to know what the chances are of getting those materials back."

"That depends," Herbert said. "First we have to find the people who distributed the stuff. Then we have to get them to talk."

"We also have to hope the materials haven't already been pa.s.sed around," Jelbart added.

"I wouldn't worry about that," Herbert said. "These guys work like diamond and art thieves. The neighborhood is too hot to try transferring it now. We've got a week or two to find out who they are. Everything depends on how you handle Darling, Hawke, and the other members of the crew."

"You may have to cut them deals you aren't going to like," Coffey said.

"I'm not going to like anything that doesn't have them hanging by their feet over a pit of rattlesnakes," Herbert said.

"Well, Mr. Coffey, we are sure to be engaged in various dances with Mr. Darling's legal lancers," Ellsworth said. "I actually worry about them nearly as much as I worry about the smugglers."

Herbert understood that. He resisted shooting a nasty look at Lowell Coffey. Ever since an attorney in Lebanon had helped free one of the men responsible for the Beirut emba.s.sy bombing, attorneys had been one step above terrorists on Herbert's favorite-people list.

"With a little forethought, we should be able to find the nuclear material," Loh promised.

"How can you be sure?" Ellsworth asked.

"Did you ever play volleyball, Mr. Ellsworth?" she asked.

"In school. Why?"

"There are times when you rally for position, and there are times when you spike," she said. "This is a time to spike. We need to follow the trail while it still exists."

"How?"

"Give me one of the sailors," Loh said. "Any one of them, though I suggest a less hardened member of the crew. We will find that trail and the missing materials. We may not even have to take him to Singapore. Just the idea of it seems to make people talkative."

Ellsworth thought for a moment. "Officer Loh, your vessel has the crew now. You might want to decide which of those men actually fired at your sampan. That would make a strong case for Singapore having the right to arrest and try those individuals."

"Thank you, Mr. Ellsworth," she said. "I will communicate that to the lieutenant in charge."

Ellsworth turned his back on the reporters as he made the call to the prime minister. Loh went to use the telephone in one of the waiting sedans. While they did that, Herbert excused himself. He wanted to have a minute with the pilot. He wheeled himself over to the helicopter c.o.c.kpit. The pilot jumped out. The man seemed glad to see Herbert.

"I just wanted to thank you for all your help," Herbert said, extending his hand.

"Thank you for the adventure, sir," the pilot said.

"You know, I'm ashamed to admit this, but I don't even know your name," Herbert admitted.

The pilot grinned. The grin stayed there for several seconds. Herbert was puzzled.

"Did I miss something?" Herbert asked.

"No, sir," the pilot said. "Actually, my name is Bob Herbert."

The intelligence chief grinned. "You're joking."

"Swear on the Bishop Barker. Only my family p.r.o.nounces it Erbert," Erbert," the pilot told him. "I may have to change that, though," he added as he saluted Herbert. "It's been a rare honor, sir." the pilot told him. "I may have to change that, though," he added as he saluted Herbert. "It's been a rare honor, sir."

Herbert returned the salute, then shook his head with disbelief. He turned to rejoin the others.

Civilization might be in jeopardy, and rats like Darling helped make the world a h.e.l.l. But that exchange made Herbert feel as though he could fix those problems single-handedly. Men like Pilot Bob Herbert gave him a reason to keep slugging. They also gave him hope.

By G.o.d, this war is far from lost, Herbert thought, as he made his way to the waiting sedan. Herbert thought, as he made his way to the waiting sedan.

SEVENTY-EIGHT.

Darwin, Australia Sunday, 7:13 A.M.

Herbert and his team were shuttled to Jelbart's office, where more reporters were waiting. The three sedans entered the building through an underground garage. They rode a freight elevator to Jelbart's floor. Loh had the feeling, for a moment, that she was on an aircraft carrier. She felt at home and in charge. It was nice. Herbert was such a dynamic character. He had taken command of this mission and not let go. At first Loh thought it was the same kind of male arrogance she had always encountered among soldiers and intelligence personnel. Then she discovered that ego and testosterone had nothing to do with it. Herbert took charge for one reason only.

He knew what he was doing.

There was something exciting and refres.h.i.+ng about that. For that reason alone she was sorry to see this brief operation end.

Upon reaching Jelbart's office, Loh contacted her patrol boat. It had remained at the site of the sinking. Lieutenant k.u.mar said he had wanted to secure the yacht before it was swept away by currents or evidence was degraded by the salt water. At the same time, he took the initiative and interrogated the individuals they pulled from the Coral Sea. Faced with the prospect of being taken to Singapore for questioning, Marcus Darling would probably choose to reveal a great deal about the operation. He also spoke expansively about his uncle's involvement in it. Hearing from k.u.mar, Loh wondered if Mr. Coffey might be wrong. It did not sound as though Jervis Darling would be in a position to bargain for leniency.

Loh told k.u.mar that she would be arriving early the next morning. Jelbart wanted to revisit the site with his own s.h.i.+p. He said he would ferry her out there. They would be leaving in about two hours. Loh would clean up and rest on the s.h.i.+p. She had something else she wanted to do before she left. She went to Jelbart's office to arrange it. Then she headed toward the elevator.

Herbert and Coffey had been on the phone with their superior in Was.h.i.+ngton. She walked past the conference room they were using. Herbert saw her go. He excused himself and went after her. The intelligence chief wheeled alongside the officer as she walked down the hall.

"Are you leaving now?" he asked.

"At ten o'clock," she told him. She pressed the elevator b.u.t.ton.

"Jelbart sent out for coffee and doughnuts. Do you want to wait with us?"

"There is something else I must do," she replied.

"By yourself?"

She looked at him. "I would prefer to."

"Oh."

"But I was wondering about something," Loh went on. "I have three weeks' leave in two months. I have never been to America. I was thinking I might like to fly to Was.h.i.+ngton."