Font Size:  

Warch looked uncomfortable for a moment and then said, “His wife cornered me just a few minutes ago. She wanted to know where Mitch is.”

“And?” asked Kennedy.

/>

The elevator stopped and the door opened. “I told her I have no idea.”

Kennedy stepped into the hall first. “Do you have any idea?”

Warch frowned. “No.”

“Good,” said Kennedy with a curt nod.

They both walked across the wide hallway that was more like a living room and stopped outside the door to the president’s study. “Irene,” the agent said in a concerned voice, “I think someone needs to have a talk with Anna.”

“How so?”

“I just think you should talk to her.”

“And tell her about what covert operations the CIA is running?” asked Kennedy in a sarcastic tone.

“No.” Warch’s face twisted in disagreement. “Of course not. But someone needs to tell her to stop asking all these questions.”

“She’s a reporter. That’s what she does for a living.”

“I know, but it’s her husband, for Christ’s sake, so it’s only going to get worse. I think a little reassurance from you would go a long way.”

Kennedy thought about what she might say. “She’s here tonight?”

“Yep.”

On second thought, with Mitch out of town this might be the perfect opportunity for her to set a few things straight with his wife. There had been a noticeable chill between the two of them and since both would be involved in Rapp’s life for some time, maybe now was a good time for them to talk. “All right, I’ll try to have a talk with her later.”

Warch knocked on the door to the study, waited for a second, and then turned the old brass knob and opened the door. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the commander in chief were sitting by the fireplace playing a game of cards. General Flood had a glass half-filled with a brown liquid that Kennedy guessed to be Knob Creek bourbon. As for what the president had in his glass she had no idea. He was a social drinker with no particular favorite. She’d seen him drink wine, both red and white, beer, vodka, scotch and bourbon, but she’d never seen him exhibit a single sign of inebriation other than a tendency to get a little more vociferous than normal.

Both gentlemen stood and complimented the director of the CIA on how nice she looked. Kennedy reciprocated and took a seat on the couch while the president poured her a vodka on the rocks. Kennedy had learned that it was better to accept the drink and nurse it rather than decline and have to reaffirm that she didn’t want a drink five more times.

The president settled back into his chair and picked up his hand. Looking over the top of the cards he asked, “Whose turn is it?”

“It’s yours,” replied the general.

Hayes started to pluck a card and then decided to put it back. “So, Irene, what’s on your mind?”

“We have a situation, sir, that I think you need to be aware of.” Kennedy looked briefly at General Flood to see if he’d told the president of their earlier conversation. He gave her no sign that he had.

Kennedy looked back to the president, who had finally decided on a card to get rid of. “Several hours before dawn in the Philippines we inserted a team into the jungle of Dinagat Island to take care of the situation with General Moro. While en route to their primary objective, the team stumbled across hostile forces that they identified as a column of Abu Sayyaf guerrillas.”

Hayes set his cards down. He did not like the way this sounded. The last thing he needed right now were more U.S. forces killed in the Philippines. “Please tell me there wasn’t another ambush?”

“No, sir, there wasn’t. The team was not sighted by the opposing force. They allowed the column to pass, and then went on to complete their primary objective.”

Hayes looked a little confused. “Then what’s the problem?”

“Well”—Kennedy thought about it for a second—“I’d say it’s more of an opportunity, sir, than a problem.”

The president looked intrigued. “Let’s hear it.”

“The enemy column was transporting the Anderson family, all five of them.”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
Articles you may like