State of Siege - Tom Clancy [84]
All was quiet. Hood could imagine the depth of the secretary-general's frustration.
August shook his head. "The troops ought to go back in now, hit them fast when they don't expect it."
"We ought to go in," Hood said.
"They said they'll release poison gas," Ani told them. "But they didn't during the first assault," August said. "Hostage-takers want to live. That's why they've got hostages. They won't give up that advantage." Rodgers turned from the phone. "It wasn't Harleigh who was shot," he said. "The girl's name is Barbara Mathis."
Everything was relative. Harleigh was still a prisoner, and one of her ensemble mates was injured. Yet relief washed over Hood from the inside out.
Despite the fact that Harleigh was still in there, Hood had to agree with August. The men in the Security Council chambers were not suicide bombers or political terrorists. They were pirates, here for plunder. They wanted to get out alive. After a moment, Chatterjee informed the lieutenant that she was going to the infirmary. She wanted to talk to the captured terrorist. There was no further audio after the secretary-general left.
"She's out of range of the bug," Ani said. Rodgers looked at his watch. "We've got less than seven minutes," he said sharply. "What can we do to stop them?" "There isn't enough time to go to the Security Council and get inside," August said.
"You've been listening to this for nearly five hours," Rodgers said to Ani. "What do you think?"
"I don't know," she said. "Guess," Rodgers pressed. "They're leaderless," she said. "There's no telling what they might do now."
"How do you know that?" Hood asked. She looked at him. "That they're leaderless?" he said.
"Who else would have gone out to talk for them?" she asked.
The phone rang, and Ani picked up. It was Darrell McCaskey for Rodgers. Am passed him the phone. Something else passed between Rodgers and the woman as well. A disapproving look. Or was it doubt?
The conversation was short. Rodgers stood there saying very little as Darrell McCaskey briefed him. When he was finished, he handed the receiver back to Ani. She turned and lay it in the cradle. "UN Security fingerprinted the captured terrorist," Rodgers said. "Darrell just got the intel." Rodgers looked back at Ani. He leaned over her chair, his hands on the armrests. "Talk to me, Ms. Hampton."
"What?" she said.
"Mike, what is it?" Hood asked.
"The terrorist's name is Colonel Ivan Georgiev," Rodgers said. He was still looking down at Ani. "He served with UNTAC in Cambodia. He also worked with the CIA in Bulgaria. Did you ever hear of him?" "Me?" Ani asked. "Y."
"No," she said.
"But you know something about this that we don't," Rodgers said. less-than 'ationo
"You're lying," Rodgers said.
"Mike, what's going on?" Hood asked.
"She came to the office before the attack," Rodgers said. He moved closer to Ani. "To work, you said." "That's right."
"You're not dressed for work," Rodgers said. "I was stood up," she said. "That's.why I came here. I had reservations at Chez Eugenie, you can check. Hey, I don't know why I have to defend myself to"
"Because you're lying," Rodgers said. "Did you know this was going to happen?"
"Of course not!" she said.
"But you knew something was going to happen," Rodgers said. "You served in Cambodia. Colonel Mott was killed by a pair of Cambodians posing as delegates to the United Nations. Did they think they were shooting Ivan Georgiev?"
"How the hell should I know?" Ani cried.
Rodgers shoved the chair back. It rolled across the tile floor and slammed into a filing cabinet. Ani started to rise, and Rodgers pushed her back down.
"Mike!" Hood shouted.
"We don't have time for this bullshit, Paul," Rodgers said. "Your daughter could be the next one they kill!" He glared down at Ani. "Your TACSAT is on. Who were you calling?" "My superior in Moscow-"Call him now," Rodgers said. She hesitated.
"Call him now!" Rodgers yelled. Ani didn't move. "Who's on the other end of that line?" Rodgers demanded. "Was it the Cambodians, or is it the terrorists?"