DISCLAIMER: The AGENCY and all the usual suspects of it and of the King-Stetson family aren't mine; I borrowed them with love from Warner Brothers and from Shoot the Moon and thank them kindly for the years of enjoyment I've received from them. Everything else is a product of my overactive imagination; please don't use the ideas or characters without asking me first.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As with all things fictional, I'm taking liberties, making sundown a little later than it would be in January for the purposes of the story. And I promise not to make you wait too long for the next chapter or two – and the conclusion.
Chapter 7 * Jerusalem, Israel – Mossad Headquarters * 7:00 a.m. (GMT+2)
Ariel Steinmetz hated the fact that he had a job to do. He didn't hate his job – no, in fact, he enjoyed it very much and was extremely good at it. What he despised was the fact that his country had so many enemies that his job as Chief of Internal Counterintelligence was crucial to its continued existence. This morning was no exception.
A little less than seventy-two hours after his Tel Aviv network got wind of the possible biochemical attack during Purim, he had precisely no more information. It was as though someone had stuck a lot more than a finger into the crack in the dam, thereby shutting down the leak in the terrorists' information reservoir and leaving him high and dry – when he most needed to be practically drowning in facts.
he spat toward his desk in total aggravation, I need to stop thinking in similes and metaphors. The phone rang at his elbow. He listened intently for several long minutes as his section chief on the West Bank ran down his newest leads, none of which, Steinmetz thought, helped him in the least with the Tel Aviv situation. Okay, thanks. Keep your ears open and the minute you hear anything that might remotely connect in with this thing in Tel Aviv, let me know.
Great, he thought, staring at the silent phone, now we're getting ready for another uprising among the Palestinians. Peace, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the human race... Then the phone rang again, and a smile creased his craggy face as he recognized the voice of his Tel Aviv section chief.
News? Do you have news? The smile faded; one promising lead overnight led nowhere and beyond that, nothing. An interesting fact, though: helium balloons seemed to be the big party item this year, and two new companies were doing very well in the business of tank rentals.
Who started that trend?
There was an article several weeks ago in the local paper about new ways to decorate and celebrate the holidays. My wife has two tanks at home and is planning a balloon per person. We're all going to pop them when we get to the part in the Megillah where Haman hangs.
Well, my friend, you'd better have supplemental oxygen handy with all that helium being released at once, Steinmetz laughed. Every hour I want a report. Hearing the affirmative, he hung up the phone and pulled out a scratch pad to draft a report to Washington. As an afterthought, he appended the idea about the balloons to the report, knowing that the man who served as his primary contact at the CIA had children who would celebrate Purim.
Langley, Virginia/CIA Headquarters * 1:05 a.m. EST (GMT-5)
Incoming flash traffic from Jerusalem, Leo, the watch duty officer said to the semi-comatose figure stretched out on the long couch in a cramped office on the 7th floor.
Uh... okay, thanks, Jack. Groggily, Leo Barlevitz sat up and wiped at his eyes. He checked his watch; these should be the morning reports, he thought anxiously. Suddenly wide awake, he sprang up from the sofa and sprinted down the hall toward the elevator, waited impatiently for the doors to open and more impatiently for the interminable trip to the fourth subterranean level and the watch communications room.
All the recognition codes checked; Barlevitz listened attentively as Ariel Steinmetz's German accented Hebrew shot information out at breakneck speed. Barlevitz laughed about the helium balloons; he debated whether to include that or not in his update to the Agency, then decided to go ahead. Might as well give them a few laughs, since there's nothing else in there, he thought as he finished the official interagency communique a half hour later. He would look back on that decision later with great pride.
The Agency * 1:45 a.m. EST (GMT-5)
Billy had gone to the safe house with Jeannie to keep Dotty and the boys company, taking Francine with him both because she needed the rest and because he wanted to play matchmaker again. Lee and Amanda took over his office off the Bullpen at 11:00, studying the bits and pieces of information coming in now from the Virginia State Police and several city police forces, as well as more signals intelligence (SIGINT) from the NSA and relays from the FAA updating the status of the three Gulfstream jets that left Dulles for international destinations.
Lee, we're putting together a jigsaw puzzle and we don't know how many pieces there are or what it's supposed to look like when we're done, Amanda had complained at one point when information overload hit. Other than I get my son back.
he remembered saying, taking her into his arms and hugging her tightly. OUR son will be fine. Joanna is a professional – she'll take good care of him, whatever happens. And besides, she's a mother herself. Mama bears tend to be protective of all the cubs they have to protect.
Amanda had laughed, and relaxed against him for all too brief a moment before the next wave of information hit. That was less than three hours ago; since then, they'd each been able to grab a half hour of fitful sleep alone on Billy's couch and an hour of good sleep together on the same couch, spooning as they usually did in their own bed at home.
When the update from Barlevitz at CIA came in, Lee held it while Amanda read it with him over his shoulder. he summarized. Not a blessed thing.
Instead of agreeing, Amanda took the two page summary from her husband and reread it carefully. She seemed to concentrate on the second page, especially the last couple of paragraphs.
What is it, Amanda? he finally asked, knowing that she was thinking about something big.
Lee, do you remember what Andy said in his briefing on Friday? About all the suspected weapons being capable of delivery as aerosols?
Vaguely. He kind of lost me on that part, to be honest.
Okay, here's the important parts. Tabun and VX-2 can both be delivered as aerosols – like hairspray or cooking spray. That means that basically, the contaminants form droplets that spread the poison. Botulinum A can also be spread that way. So what's to prevent someone from putting one of these agents into a helium tank and spreading the terror that way?
Lee stared at her until she looked up at him with her quizzical smile.
Well, Scarecrow?
Amanda, you're brilliant! Let's get Andy in here to tell us whether this makes sense.
Amanda shook her head. I think we can do this over a secure line. The man does have a briefing in seven hours, after all.
You're right. Let's go. He caught her as she swept by and kissed her lingeringly. When this is all over...
She smiled at him, only a trace of her worry about Jamie evident in her eyes. Yeah, when it's all over...
The Agency Safe House/outside Silver Spring, MD * 2:00 a.m. EST (GMT-5)
Amanda, I think you've just found the key to this all, Andy confirmed when he heard her thoughts on the helium and balloons. Latex would hold up long enough for the problem to go unnoticed until the popping started, and once it did, then there would be far too much pandemonium for anyone to make sense of things for quite a while.
So what do we do about it? Lee asked from the Agency communications center.
Billy could visualize the hand going through the thick brown hair as Lee spoke; it made him smile grimly in the safe house. We get on line with the Mossad and give them every ounce of help we can.
It's less than 9 hours to sundown and the start of Purim in Israel, Billy, Francine yawned. What about the ones they don't find, if Amanda is even right?
I think we go to plan B. Andy Forest's voice was hard but hollow. I need to be in Israel as soon as I can get there, and my team needs to come with me. There's a chartered Concorde waiting at Dulles and we can be airborne from Walter Reed in 60 minutes and on the ground in Haifa 5 hours from takeoff.
Who gives you the authorization? Billy asked, knowing that the doctor was right.
National Command Authority. The President.
I'll get Dr. Smyth to okay the request to Mr. Bush. Meanwhile, Lee, get on with what's his name, Steinmetz, at Mossad HQ and let him know what we've come up with, and conference in the CIA so they can't say we kept them in the dark. Ian, I presume you go with Dr. Forest? Billy looked across the kitchen table at the tousled officer who still looked to be asleep even though he was furiously scribbling notes of the meeting.
Yes, sir. Where he goes, I go, until Jo relieves me. He left the rest of that thought unspoken. Jo would be back to relieve him.
I'm sending Francine with you. There was no protest, only a relieved exchange of glances between his agent and the Colonel. Lee, Amanda – we'll get permission to go to airborne command status, so be prepared to get yourselves to Andrews. Keep me posted.
As quietly as they could, the two men and one woman leaving for Israel packed up their few belongings and readied themselves for the supersonic journey while Billy did the one thing he despised most about his job that didn't involve the death of an agent: waking Dr. Smyth up. Surprisingly, Joanna's overgrown penguin didn't bite his head off; he was actually almost friendly as he gave Billy permission to contact NCA with Dr. Forest. It didn't last, of course. Get my niece back, Melrose, and her daughter, too, or you'll wish you were Haman when the hangman's noose tightens.
An airfield somewhere on the Mediterranean * 11:50 a.m. (GMT+2)
Joanna Marley blinked as she stepped out into the bright light of a Middle Eastern winter day. The wind was dry and raw coming off a nearby desert, but she could tell by the greenery around that they were reasonably close to a source of water. Only when she could see the hangar off in the distance did she confirm that their captors had actually brought them to the Middle East – a brave move, she thought.
Tariq Agazi pushed her from behind and she stumbled down a couple of steps before she found her balance again. Marlena cried out in her arms, afraid of falling. She heard Jamie behind her coming down the stairs slowly; she was very proud of him for holding out, not giving the Iraqi any information beyond his first name when it would have been so easy for the boy to tell everything he knew or suspected about his mother and stepfather. Now that they were on solid ground, though, and likely to be turned over to more seasoned professionals, she worried for the young man. He was so vulnerable – not that she herself wasn't, but at least she was trained and had some psychological weapons of her own to use if torture ever came into play.
Two men came out of the hangar toward the small group; both were armed with the Israeli contribution to mankind's ability to kill each other, the Uzi. And unlike their host on the plane, both of these men looked like detached professionals to Joanna's trained eyes. That was both good and bad – good in the sense that there was a reasonable chance they as captives would be well treated, but bad because there would be little chance of manufacturing an escape.
Both men trained their guns on Joanna, Marlena, and Jamie as they came to stand at the base of the stairs; their conversation in Farsi with the Iraqi was short but heated and at the end, the diplomat boarded the plane again and pulled up the stairs. Herding their new charges along, the men moved the group into a small, warm room at the back of the hangar as the Gulfstream took off overhead.
the older one commanded, pointing to two arm chairs. We bring food and water soon. You do what we want, we not hurt you. The English wasn't perfect, but the directions and intent were clear. They left again, locking and bolting the door behind them.
Where are we? Jamie whispered from the chair next to her. Marlena had climbed into his lap and was burrowed in against his chest. It was hard for Joanna to know just who was gaining strength from whom.
I think we're in Israel, or maybe Lebanon. Probably Lebanon, come to think of it. It would fit with the rest of this whole stupid scenario.
A smile touched the haggard teen's eyes as he replied, You mean the one you can't tell me about because then you'd have to kill me?
She laughed. Amanda Stetson was one lucky woman to have a son like this. Well, under the circumstances, I could probably get away with taking your firstborn son as insurance.
What's gonna happen next?
I don't know, Jamie. They may have figured out who you are by now, but if they keep asking, you may have to give in. I want you to worry about staying alive and unhurt. Don't hold out to be brave – I already know how brave you are. And if they threaten Marlena, you and I will both give in, hear me? He nodded. If, on the other hand, they come after me, you keep your lips sealed and Marlena from seeing as much as you can.
You're a lot tougher than you look? he asked with a grin.
You might say that. And you need to eat whatever they bring – no picky eaters allowed. That goes for you too, Miss Marlena Randolph Marley.
Yes, Mommy, the little girl murmured against Jamie's shirt, nearly asleep.
Even the green beans?
You're more likely to get olives, Jamie, but yes, even the green beans if that's what you get.
He sighed. They were silent until after their new guards returned with a meal of bread, olives, cheese and oranges, along with several bottles of water. Surprisingly, they were left alone again. JoJo split the food into portions, giving Jamie the largest share. She wasn't displeased at all with what either child ate; in fact, she gave Marlena some of her own portion when the girl said she was still hungry.
They settled more comfortably in their chairs, content to a small degree once fed and hydrated. Marlena drifted off to sleep, now in her mother's lap again. The room hummed with the noise of an efficient heater in the corner, with only the rhythmic breathing of three tired people breaking the monotony.
Miss Marley? A weak, exhausted question.
Yeah, Jamie? The reply, also a question, also weak and exhausted.
I'm terrified.
So am I, sweetie. So am I.
Over the Western Mediterranean * 11:45 a.m. GMT
Andy's EDIN team had been airborne in forty minutes from NCA approval to go, which was three minutes after Billy called the White House. They had been in the air for three hours and five minutes flying as fast as the Concorde could go; a little less than half an hour ago their only scheduled refueling stop in Aviano, Italy, had been all of 10 minutes from touchdown to wheels up. Andy had never seen so many fuel trucks in one place before, never mind so many working at once.
He had decided to brief the team first, since the rush to get the team to Dulles from their hotel had awakened them to the point that sleep wouldn't have come immediately. They were professionals, every one of them, culled from the very best of the military and civilian research institutions as well as the Army Corps of Engineers, the SeaBees, and a few other prime disaster relief and mitigation specialist services. All of them knew the risks entailed in their assignment, and all of them were volunteers. Andy was very happy to tell them that he had, indeed, found a better protective agent than the one in use in the military CBW protocols. In the pit of his stomach, he knew that, even if Amanda Stetson's incredible intuitive leap turned out to be the right one, people were going to die in Israel tonight. He didn't want that at all; if he could keep his men from being among them, he would settle for that small measure of relief.
He worried about Ian and Francine. Both were obviously very good at their jobs, but their jobs did not include dealing with weapons of mass destruction on an intimate level. And if anything happened to Francine, well, he didn't want to think about Ian's wrath, or that of Billy Melrose or the Stetsons, either. Something happening to Ian was unthinkable; Jo would...
JO! He thought miserably. Somebody got you to get to me, and because of me, Marlena and little Jamie King are mixed up in this, too.
Ian noticed the disheartened expression on the doctor's face and carefully extricated himself from Francine's sleeping form, moved across the aisle to talk to him. Hey, Doc, he said gently, clasping the frazzled man on the shoulder.
Colonel Marlowe, Andy replied, still a little dazed at the thought of his girls in the hands of unknown men.
Ian, if you don't mind, he reminded the other man with a small, sad smile.
Andy returned the sad smile. Ian. Please, have a seat.
Ian sat down in the luxurious seat beside Andy and stretched his legs out. You were thinking about Jo and Marlena, weren't you?
Andy nodded. And Jamie, too, but mostly Jo and Marlena. It's my fault, you know.
What do you mean? Never mind that Ian half believed the man.
I've been so stubborn in not having a personal guard, saying that I'm invulnerable now because everyone knows that I've got good security. Do you know why I really won't have a bodyguard under normal circumstances, Ian? The Marine shook his head; the scientist continued. Because there's a woman with a small child somewhere in America who is a widow because her husband gave his life to save mine. Do you know the kind of guilt I carry with me everyday?
Forest doesn't know! Ian's mind screamed. He doesn't know that the man who died in Toronto was Joanna's husband and Marlena's father. Why doesn't he know? Why didn't you go to the funeral?
Oh, please – I tried! But SPSA decided that I was much too vulnerable and exposed just then. They put me under what amounted to house arrest for the next six months and on a very tight leash after that until Jo came along and made them slack the reigns a bit. The best I could do was a bouquet and a card that said In deepest sympathy for the Randolph family'. SPSA is incredibly tightlipped about its operatives' private lives.
Ian thought back to the day before John and Joanna's wedding, when the head of the SPSA informed the couple that, although their marriage was just fine with all concerned, it was felt by the coordinating committee that Joanna should continue to be Joanna Marley for public consumption. The news made precisely three times Ian could remember that Joanna didn't get her way after both a rational, heated debate and a temper tantrum that would have done any two year old proud. The fourth and last was a couple of days before Marlena was born, when the same man informed the couple that their as-yet-unborn and unnamed child could bear its mother's name, not its father's. There were only three people alive in the world who knew that Marlena's baptismal certificate didn't read Marlena Randolph Marley as was said by the minister at the christening – Joanna, Ian, and the minister. With a sigh, he acknowledged the doctor's words. You're right. I don't mean to be judging you, Andy. And I think I can safely say that Jo and Marlena and Jamie are just fine under the circumstances. Jo's a lot tougher than she looks.
Andy Forest's face almost relaxed into his usual easy grin. Yeah, I know. The head of security for our lab tried to prove a point to her one day about walking alone late at night. He was in the hospital for a week.
That's my fault. A piece of advice for you: NEVER tell Jo there's something she cannot do, because she'll find a way to do it to spite you.
You earned a black belt in Karate and told her she'd never be that good?
Tai Kwan Do. She did it in half the time.
Forest laughed, a real heartening sound against the stress of their mission and the happenings of the past 12 hours. You really have been her big brother. You know, I honestly thought the two of you would get married after your visit last summer.
Nah. We've been family too long. Marlowe looked at the other man seriously. When you see her the next time, you tell her how you feel. No more waiting. It's not worth it.
I know. I promise.
And, Andy...
It's not your fault.
Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland * 5:00 a.m. (GMT-5)
Command Eagle One, you are cleared for takeoff on runway 3 Right, destination Haifa, Israel. Good luck. Tower out.
Amanda had always been unnerved to hear the chatter of the cockpit and tower when she flew; today, it didn't faze her at all. She was too wrapped up in the what ifs of kidnapping and terrorism to notice. Neither she nor Lee had slept, but when Billy arrived at Andrews from the safe house, he said he'd actually had about 3 hours of sleep – most of it in the car.
Dr. Smyth had given very willing permission for them to go airborne. 'Be off, kiddies, and stay out of trouble,' Billy had mimicked to Lee and Amanda as he stumbled up the steps into the command 747. He was already asleep again in the plush seat across the wide aisle from her.
Lee slipped into the seat beside his wife, red-eyed and groggy. I talked with Joe. He agrees with Billy that Philip should stay at the safe house until we know who has Jamie. He said they'd had a quiet night after Dotty finally stopped rambling about this, that, and the other thing trying to keep everyone from thinking about the predicament.
That's my mother, Amanda replied with a yawn. I'm surprised that no one slipped her a Mickey.
Lee smiled at his wife. Joe hinted strongly that someone might have done just that. And Carrie said to tell you that she's praying for all of us.
You talked with Carrie? The boys' stepparents hadn't really interacted much, although Lee and Joe were getting to be pretty good friends after some initial jealousy, and she really did like Carrie.
She answered the phone. And when this is all over, we're all invited to their new house for a party. ALL of us.
She liked Carrie even more, suddenly. That's wonderful. Any word from the Mossad?
Lee shook his head, closed his tired hazel eyes tight, wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders. Nothing conclusive yet. They checked out the two companies that did the most business with the helium balloons and tanks, and both of them seem to be legitimate. Apparently there's some debate in the Cabinet as to whether or not to alert the public.
Amanda's eyes widened, but she didn't reply. Her husband couldn't change the minds of the Israeli leaders, and neither could she. She reminded him to fasten his seat belt, then relaxed as best she could into his arms to sleep for a while before the nightmare took its next awful turn.
Somewhere in the Middle East * 3:00 p.m. (GMT+2)
Jamie, I can't believe you managed to save Bugs. Can I tell you how happy that makes me?
Aw, Miss Marley, it's okay. I just thought Marlena might feel a little less scared with him than without him. Jamie, refreshed a little after lunch and a nap with Marlena curled up in his lap, was pacing the small room while the still sleeping girl lay draped across her mother.
It never even crossed my mind.
He smiled shyly, but the smile fled quickly as voices came closer to their cell.
The older of their captors unlocked the door and stepped inside, holding his Uzi in front of him at the ready but pointed slightly away from them. To Joanna, it was a big change. We take you away from here now to clean up. We will make tape for America to say what we want for you. Come.
Jamie and Joanna exchanged shrugs as he helped her stand up with Marlena. He picked up the bunny when it fell and followed the mother and daughter out, carefully avoiding the automatic rifle that now tracked the small group. The younger man led them to a dirty beige van and ushered them in, slamming the side door with unnecessary force.
No talking, the older man ordered as he climbed into the driver's side.
The Americans obeyed, unwilling to antagonize the men who thus far had been reasonably humane. For nearly half an hour, they rode through rolling pasture land populated sparsely with flocks of sheep and goats; the very few signs along the road proved Joanna's supposition correct – they were indeed in Lebanon. The van finally stopped in a small village, in front of the largest building, apparently the home of the village elder.
Joanna was highly surprised a few minutes later to find that the house was equipped with a full American style bathroom – including a regular bathtub and shower with hot water that she was told she could use much of water to clean, no run out. And there were clean, Western clothes for them, as well.
Jamie laughed and volunteered to go first. I'll use less hot water, he added sagely.
Joanna knew he was right; it took him only 10 minutes to come out looking like a normal American teenager, albeit a frightened one. On the other hand, with Marlena to bathe and dress, it took her almost 45 minutes to emerge from the bathroom. She french braided Marlena's hair and rope braided her own long, wet hair swiftly as she listened to the older man giving them instructions.
You tell them what is on card only, he said to Joanna. Boy can speak for half minute to parents. Hold little one up but she not say to say anything. No tricks.
Amazingly, he left them alone in a bedroom after that.
Miss Marley, what do I say to Mom and Lee and Dad and Carrie that will help us? Jamie asked in an urgent whisper.
Joanna was impressed all over again with the young man before her. Before she could reply, Marlena gave him an answer of her own. Love them, she declared. See sheep.
Jamie turned his head sharply toward the girl. Marlena, that's brilliant! he breathed. The all-county orchestra is playing Beethoven's Pastorale Symphony at its concert next month. I've been driving everybody crazy practicing the cello part. His mind whirled – Joanna could see the wheels turning as he crafted his message. Lee and Philip teased me not too long ago about it sounding like gently rolling hills. But how do we get Lebanon into it?
Your mom was an English major, right?
Jamie nodded.
It's not as true now as it used to be, but most Literature majors used to have to take a few courses in Biblical literature because – well, because. It's a long shot, but can you work the word cedar' into your message? Better yet,
The wheels turned again. Uh, how about something like I really want to picnic down by the old cedars in the park'?
Joanna smiled. Perfect. Like I said, it's a long shot, but it's worth a try. Let's hear it.
Jamie returned her smile, calmed by her presence and liking her immensely for helping him stay focused through his unending terror. He repeated his message five times, each time more confidently.
Okay, now add some of the fear back into it.
He did; Joanna told him to do it for the camera just like that.
Jus' like dat, Marlena repeated, earning herself a hug from both the teen and the adult.