Tom Clancy's Op-center Balance of Power - Tom Clancy [25]
On the other hand, Herbert thought, when patriotism isn't enough to drive you to do your best, ambition is a workable substitute. As long as the job got done, Herbert wasn't one to throw stones.
Herbert's cynicism burned off quickly, though, as he crossed the threshold into Hood's small, wood-paneled office. "Pope" Paul had that effect on people. Hood believed in the goodness of humankind and his conviction as well as his even temper could be contagious.
Hood finished pouring himself a glass of tap water from a carafe on his desk. Then he rose and walked toward the door. Herbert had been the first to arrive, and Hood greeted him with a handshake and tight-lipped solemnity. Herbert wasn't surprised to see the director's dark eyes lacking their usual spirit and vigor. It was one thing to get bad news about an operative on a covert mission. Reports like that were statistical inevitabilities and a part of you was always braced for that kind of loss. Each time the private phone or fax line beeped, you half-expected a coded communique with a heart-stopping phrase like "The stock market is down one" or "Lost a charge card-cancel account."
But to hear about the death of a team member who was on a quiet diplomatic mission to a friendly nation during peacetime-that was another matter. It was disturbing regardless of what you thought about the person.
Hood sat on the edge of his desk and folded his arms. "What's the latest from Spain?"
"You read my e-mail about the explosion off the coast of San Sebastián, up north?"
Hood nodded.
"That's the last thing I have," Herbert replied. "The local police are still pulling body parts and pieces of yacht from the bay and trying to ID the people. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. We're also monitoring commercial and private broadcasts in case the perps have something to say."
"You wrote that the yacht blew up midship," Hood said.
"That's what two eyewitnesses onshore said," Herbert replied. "There hasn't been any official word yet."
"And there isn't likely to be," Hood said. "Spain doesn't like to share its internal matters. Does the midship location mean anything?"
Herbert nodded. "The blast was nowhere near the engines, which means we're almost certainly looking at sabotage. The timing may also be significant. The explosion occurred soon after Martha was shot."
"So the two events could be related," Hood said.
"We're looking into it," Herbert replied.
"Starting where?"
Hood was pushing more than usual, but that wasn't surprising. Herbert had felt that way after Beirut. Apart from wanting the killer found and punished, it was important to keep one's mind active. The only other option was to stop, mourn, and have to deal with the guilt.
"The attack on Martha does adhere to the modus operandi of the Homeland and Freedom group," Herbert said. "In February of 1997 they killed a Spanish Supreme Court judge, Justice Emperador. Shot him in the head at the front door of his building."
"How does that tie in to Martha?"
"Judge Emperador heard labor law cases," Herbert said. "He had nothing to do with terrorists or political activism."
"I don't follow."
Herbert folded his hands on his waist and answered patiently. "In Spain, as in many countries, judges involved in terrorist matters are given bodyguards. Real bodyguards, not just for show. So Homeland and Freedom typically goes after friends and associates in order to make a point to the principals. That's been their pattern in a half-dozen shootings since 1995, when they tried to murder King Juan Carlos, Crown Prince Pelipe, and Prime Minister Aznar. The failure of that operation had a chilling effect."
"No more direct frontal assaults," Hood