orhis c a r.
He a te a t t his M c Don a l d’ s oft e n. Not ma n y C I A p e ople a te lunch a t Mc D o n a l d ’ s. Heh a d to pass two c loserloc a t i o ns to r e ac h th i s on e . H egot h i s f a voriteme a l, ad o uble qu a rt e r po u n d e r with ch ee se c ombo, sup e r - si z e d withaDiet Cok e .Hequiet l yloo k e d a rou n d to m a kesurehe didn’t r ec o g ni z e a n y one. W h e n he w a s finish e d, h ew a lked to t he p a ypho n ein t hep a rki n glot b y the str ee t. Hed i a led alo n gdis t a n c enumber a nd e n te re d RonMa c k ’ s c r e dit ca rd n u mb e r.
“ An c ho ra g eHolid a y I nnAirp o r t , how ca nIdir e c t y o ur ca l l ? ”
“Tom m yCh a n ’ sroom ple a s e. ”
“ H e l l o.”
“ H a nk ? ”
“ Y ea h .”
“ L is t e n. I ’m p re t t ysu r e P a t t y ’s a l i ve a nd w a i t ing f orus to c onta c t he r . ”
“ You su r e a bout t h a t ? ”
“ No, but i t ’s a llwe g ot. S o h e r e ’swh a tI w a nt y outo do. This isthe phonenumber a nd a ddr e ss of theAn c ho ra g e F B Iof f i c e . Theman in c h a r g eis M ike T u r n e r. Write it down.”
“ Hold on.”The c onv e r s a t i on p a usedwhileH a nkgot a p e n c il a nd p a p e r. “ O k a y ,wh a t’s that a ddr e ss ? ”Tom g a vehimthe a ddr e ss.
“ L e t B ob b ykn o w w h a t’sh a pp e ni n g ,”T e llhimto cont ac t h i s pe o ple. T e llhim y ou’ll d e l i v e r Pat t y L a w r e n c e a roundnoon to m o r ro w . T hink y ou c a n do i t ? ”
“ DoIh a v ea c ho i ce ? ”
“ No.”Tom p a u s e d am o ment. “ H a nk, be ca r e ful a roundthe Chin e s e . O k a y ,bud d y ?”
“ Y ea h, t h a nks.Iwil l . I sthat a l l ? ”
“ Onemoreth i n g , theo w n e r ofth i s lodge is n a m e d J i m M i tch e l l . H e ’s af o rm e r n a v y S E A L .Ifi g u re h e ’s t r y i n gto h i de P a t t y f rom the a uthorities. Theshe r if f ’s n a me is B i l l K e l l e r, e x - A r m y S p ec i a l F o r ce s.Hem a ybeinon th i s too. W a tch th e se g u y s . T h e y c ould be d a n g e rous. T r yto ca tch Pat t y a lone. I fth e ydon ’ t know w h a t ’ s g oi n go n , I ’d just as s o on k ee p itthat w a y . I ’ll b e a t t his W hi t e B ea rlod g e b yto m o r r o w a ft er noon. Good lu c k, H a nk.”
“ Th a nks. I ’ll n e e d i t ”
Th e y h a n gup withouts a y i n g g ood b y e ,for r ea so n s neitherw a nted to th i nk a bout. Tom h e ld onto t he re c e ive r . H e looked a t h i s w a tch a ndsawthatitw a s 12:45. H edial e d the numb e r to the A n c horage F B Iof f i c e, hopingT u rn e rwould bei n . L is t e ni n gto t heph o ne r ing Tom thou g ht t i m i ng f orthe n e x t f e w d a y swould be e v e r y th i ng, t i m ing a nd al i t t le lu c k.
“ This i s Dir ec tor S t a nl e y , ”Tom said. “ P ut m ethrou g h to Mr. T u r n e r . ”
“This i s M i keTu r n e r.”
“ Tu r n e r, this i s Dir e c tor S tanl e y . Do y our e c o g ni z e m yvoi c e ? ”
“Y e s, sir,” h ew a s obvio u s l ypl a y i n gitsa fe .
“ You know a n y th i n g a b o ut t heC a ss i oppi p l a ne c r a sh ? ”
“ W e g ot a bulletin on i t j ust t his m o r nin g . I ’ve a s s i g n e daman to the inv e s t i g a t i on but with t hestorm and a llweh a v e n ’ t hada c h a n c eto – ”
“ Good. S top wh a tev e r y o u ’r edoi n gon th i s c a s e . I ’ m assi g ni n gasp e c ial C IA a g e nt t o the ca s e . H e ’ll beusi n g a n F BI c o v e r. H is na m eis Tom W a lke r . H e ’ll be c on t a c t i ng y ou tod a y . You a nd y o u r o f fi c e mustbeput at his c omp l e te disposal. W h a tev e r he n ee ds, y ou do itwithout qu e st i on. I s that c l ea r? W i t hout questio n .”
“ Y e s, sir.”
“ I ’ll besen d i n g y ou a c o n f irmation of this b y e - mail i n a fe w minu t e s. Re memb e r , W a lkerwillbein complete c h a r geof this i nv e st i g a t i on. You a nd y our e nt ir eof
He a te a t t his M c Don a l d’ s oft e n. Not ma n y C I A p e ople a te lunch a t Mc D o n a l d ’ s. Heh a d to pass two c loserloc a t i o ns to r e ac h th i s on e . H egot h i s f a voriteme a l, ad o uble qu a rt e r po u n d e r with ch ee se c ombo, sup e r - si z e d withaDiet Cok e .Hequiet l yloo k e d a rou n d to m a kesurehe didn’t r ec o g ni z e a n y one. W h e n he w a s finish e d, h ew a lked to t he p a ypho n ein t hep a rki n glot b y the str ee t. Hed i a led alo n gdis t a n c enumber a nd e n te re d RonMa c k ’ s c r e dit ca rd n u mb e r.
“ An c ho ra g eHolid a y I nnAirp o r t , how ca nIdir e c t y o ur ca l l ? ”
“Tom m yCh a n ’ sroom ple a s e. ”
“ H e l l o.”
“ H a nk ? ”
“ Y ea h .”
“ L is t e n. I ’m p re t t ysu r e P a t t y ’s a l i ve a nd w a i t ing f orus to c onta c t he r . ”
“ You su r e a bout t h a t ? ”
“ No, but i t ’s a llwe g ot. S o h e r e ’swh a tI w a nt y outo do. This isthe phonenumber a nd a ddr e ss of theAn c ho ra g e F B Iof f i c e . Theman in c h a r g eis M ike T u r n e r. Write it down.”
“ Hold on.”The c onv e r s a t i on p a usedwhileH a nkgot a p e n c il a nd p a p e r. “ O k a y ,wh a t’s that a ddr e ss ? ”Tom g a vehimthe a ddr e ss.
“ L e t B ob b ykn o w w h a t’sh a pp e ni n g ,”T e llhimto cont ac t h i s pe o ple. T e llhim y ou’ll d e l i v e r Pat t y L a w r e n c e a roundnoon to m o r ro w . T hink y ou c a n do i t ? ”
“ DoIh a v ea c ho i ce ? ”
“ No.”Tom p a u s e d am o ment. “ H a nk, be ca r e ful a roundthe Chin e s e . O k a y ,bud d y ?”
“ Y ea h, t h a nks.Iwil l . I sthat a l l ? ”
“ Onemoreth i n g , theo w n e r ofth i s lodge is n a m e d J i m M i tch e l l . H e ’s af o rm e r n a v y S E A L .Ifi g u re h e ’s t r y i n gto h i de P a t t y f rom the a uthorities. Theshe r if f ’s n a me is B i l l K e l l e r, e x - A r m y S p ec i a l F o r ce s.Hem a ybeinon th i s too. W a tch th e se g u y s . T h e y c ould be d a n g e rous. T r yto ca tch Pat t y a lone. I fth e ydon ’ t know w h a t ’ s g oi n go n , I ’d just as s o on k ee p itthat w a y . I ’ll b e a t t his W hi t e B ea rlod g e b yto m o r r o w a ft er noon. Good lu c k, H a nk.”
“ Th a nks. I ’ll n e e d i t ”
Th e y h a n gup withouts a y i n g g ood b y e ,for r ea so n s neitherw a nted to th i nk a bout. Tom h e ld onto t he re c e ive r . H e looked a t h i s w a tch a ndsawthatitw a s 12:45. H edial e d the numb e r to the A n c horage F B Iof f i c e, hopingT u rn e rwould bei n . L is t e ni n gto t heph o ne r ing Tom thou g ht t i m i ng f orthe n e x t f e w d a y swould be e v e r y th i ng, t i m ing a nd al i t t le lu c k.
“ This i s Dir ec tor S t a nl e y , ”Tom said. “ P ut m ethrou g h to Mr. T u r n e r . ”
“This i s M i keTu r n e r.”
“ Tu r n e r, this i s Dir e c tor S tanl e y . Do y our e c o g ni z e m yvoi c e ? ”
“Y e s, sir,” h ew a s obvio u s l ypl a y i n gitsa fe .
“ You know a n y th i n g a b o ut t heC a ss i oppi p l a ne c r a sh ? ”
“ W e g ot a bulletin on i t j ust t his m o r nin g . I ’ve a s s i g n e daman to the inv e s t i g a t i on but with t hestorm and a llweh a v e n ’ t hada c h a n c eto – ”
“ Good. S top wh a tev e r y o u ’r edoi n gon th i s c a s e . I ’ m assi g ni n gasp e c ial C IA a g e nt t o the ca s e . H e ’ll beusi n g a n F BI c o v e r. H is na m eis Tom W a lke r . H e ’ll be c on t a c t i ng y ou tod a y . You a nd y o u r o f fi c e mustbeput at his c omp l e te disposal. W h a tev e r he n ee ds, y ou do itwithout qu e st i on. I s that c l ea r? W i t hout questio n .”
“ Y e s, sir.”
“ I ’ll besen d i n g y ou a c o n f irmation of this b y e - mail i n a fe w minu t e s. Re memb e r , W a lkerwillbein complete c h a r geof this i nv e st i g a t i on. You a nd y our e nt ir eof
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