Executive orders - Tom Clancy [518]
Well, that's just great!
Deal with it, Jeff. I don't have time for this, she told her subordinate crossly.
Sure. He hung up.
That was odd, Andrea thought. Jeff was always one of the cool ones. But who was cool at the moment?
* * *
52 - SOMETHING OF VALUE
EVER BEEN HERE BEFORE John? Chavez asked as their aircraft descended to meet its shadow on the runway.
Passed through once. Didn't see much more than the terminal. Clark slipped off his belt and stretched. Sunset was descending here, too, and with it not the end of a very long day for the two intelligence officers. Most of what I know comes from books by a guy named Ruark, hunting and stuff.
You don't hunt-not animals, anyway, Ding added.
Used to. I still like reading about it. Nice to hunt things that don't shoot back. John turned with part of a smile.
Not as exciting. Safer, maybe, the junior agent allowed. How dangerous could a lion really be? he wondered.
The rollout took them to the military terminal. Kenya had a small air force, though what it did was a mystery to the visiting CIA/Air Force officers, and seemed likely to remain so. The aircraft was met, again, by an embassy official, this one the Defense attaché, a black Army officer with the rank of colonel, and a Combat Infantryman's Badge that marked him as a veteran of the Persian Gulf War.
Colonel Clark, Major Chavez. Then his voice stopped. Chavez, do I know you?
Ninja! Ding grinned. You were brigade staff then, First of the Seventh.
Cold Steel! You're one of the guys who got lost. I guess they found you. Relax, gentlemen, I know where you're from, but our hosts do not, the officer warned.
Where's the CIB from, Colonel? the former staff sergeant asked on the walk over to where the cars were.
I had a battalion of the Big Red One in Iraq. We kicked a few and took a few. Then his mood changed. So how are things at home?
Scary, Ding replied.
Something to remember, bio-war is mainly a psychological weapon, like the threat of gas was against us back in '91.
Maybe so, Clark responded. It sure as hell's got my attention, Colonel.
Got mine, too, the Defense attaché admitted. I got family in Atlanta. CNN says there's cases there.
Read fast. John handed over the last data sent to them on the airplane. This ought to be better than what's on TV. Not that better was the right word, he thought.
The colonel rated a driver, it seemed. He took the front seat in the embassy car and flipped through the pages.
No official greeting this time? Chavez asked.
Not here. We'll have a cop where we're going. I asked my friends in the ministry to low-profile this one. I have some pretty good contacts around town.
Good call, Clark said as the car started moving. Getting there only took ten minutes.
The animal dealer had his place of business on the outskirts of the city, conveniently located to the airport and the main highway west into the bush, but not too close to much else. The CIA officers soon discovered why.
Christ, Chavez observed, getting out of the car.
Yeah, they're noisy, aren't they? I was here earlier today. He's getting a shipment of greens ready for Atlanta. He opened a briefcase and handed something over. Here, you'll need this.
Right. Clark slid the envelope into his clipboard.
Hello! the dealer said, coming out of his office. He was a big man and, judging by his gut, knew his way around a case of beer. With him was a uniformed police officer, evidently a senior one. The attaché went to speak with him, and move him aside. The cop didn't seem to object. This infantry colonel, Clark saw, knew how the game was played.
Howdy, John said, taking his hand. I'm Colonel Clark. This is Major Chavez.
You are American Air Force?
That's right, sir, Ding replied.
I love airplanes. What do you fly?
All sorts of things, Clark answered. The local businessman was already half in the bag. We have a few questions, if you don't mind.
About monkeys? Why are you interested in monkeys? The chief constable didn't explain.
Is it