“We should meet with the secretary of state and White House counsel within the hour. They’re going to need most of the night to prepare for tomorrow’s fun,” Remy said, closing the link to the satellite picture.
“Let’s call them in, though I’d be surprised if tomorrow held much drama for us. I predict that the Russians will quietly sweep this under the rug. Bioweapons are an ugly business.”
“So is invading another country,” Remy said.
“Agreed, which is why we’re going to politely hold the rug up for them. The sooner this goes away, the better,” the president said.
Chapter 71
Karl Berg shut down his computer and locked his KSV-21 Crypto Card in his desk. He stood up and removed the sport coat draped over the back of his chair, eyeing the small carry-on bag next to his open office door. He needed to be on a non-stop flight to Burlington, Vermont, that left Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport at 10:10 PM. He’d rent a car and check into the closest hotel, hopefully settling in by one in the morning. He’d wake up early and drive to the Mountain Glen Retirement Facility, where he would personally put an end to the last twisted legacy of the Russian bioweapons program.
Thomas Manning appeared in the doorway before he could turn off the brass-finished banker’s light on his desk. Shit. He had really hoped to avoid Manning tonight. Based on the NCS director’s last transmission to the CIA operations center, Berg got the sense that Manning’s career had just suffered a severe setback. The fact that Director Copley handled all communications from that point forward further reinforced the hypothesis. Whatever happened between Manning and the president triggered a series of events that brought the surviving members of Farrington’s team home. If Manning was willing to torpedo his own career to do the right thing, Berg had no intention of making excuses for the drone stunt. Shit rolled downhill, and Audra had made it clear that she would no longer protect him from the avalanches of shit he called down on himself. He’d take whatever Manning came here to deliver, standing up like a man.
“Karl, do you have a minute?” Manning asked.
“Of course, Thomas. I have a 10:10 flight to Burlington, but I can’t envision the drive taking me more than thirty minutes on a Sunday night. Interesting day, huh?”
Manning stepped into the office and gently closed the door. “That’s one way of describing it. We did some good today.”
“We certainly did. It’s been a long few months since I received the first tip that the Russians were looking for Reznikov. I’ll be glad to put this whole thing to rest tomorrow,” Berg said.
“You did an unbelievable job with this, Karl, which is why I’m willing to overlook the fact that you hijacked a twenty-million-dollar drone from Afghanistan and declared war on Russia’s 21st Motor Rifle Division.”
“And one helicopter,” Berg added.
“I was wondering. Why not both helicopters?”
“We used one of the Hellfires to create a diversionary explosion in Slavgorod. If we’d saved that missile, the end wouldn’t have been so dramatic,” Berg said.
“Sanderson’s men are in stable condition at the FARP,” Manning said. “SOCOM will fly the whole package back to Manas after nightfall.”
“He seemed pleased with the outcome. I think he expected to lose more of the team.”
“I think he expected to lose all of them,” Manning said. “This was always a one-way trip in my mind, which is why I didn’t hold back when they broke through Slavgorod. I knew what was going on as soon as the satellite feed died, and I wasn’t about to let the president and his weasel-faced chief break their promise to those men.”
“I told Sanderson what you did. He owes you one.”
“No. Once again, we owe him. Keep your eyes and ears open, Karl. Not that you have any friends in the White House. Jacob Remy will throw Sanderson to the wolves if the opportunity arises. The least we can do is run interference.”
“You’d be surprised who I know and who Sanderson knows,” Berg said.
“Good. Between you, me and Audra, we should be able to make good on that debt.”
“I don’t think Audra and I are on speaking terms any longer.”
“She’ll get over it. I’m transferring you to the Special Activities Division’s Special Operations Group as the new acting deputy director. Jeffrey McConnell is slated to take over the entire division by the first of next year, which should give you more than enough time to familiarize yourself with his job.”
“His job as director of SOG?”
“I could really use someone with your planning ability and instincts over there,” Manning said.
“Isn’t this technically a demotion?” he said jokingly.
“Considering the fact that I basically created your current position under Bauer out of thin air? No. This is a promotion. Actually, it was Bauer’s idea,” Manning said.
“Wow. She really is pissed at me,” Berg said.
“I don’t think that had anything to do with her recommendation. She submitted your name two weeks ago,” he said, pausing for a moment. “I’ll let you get going. Good luck tomorrow.”
“I shouldn’t need any luck,” Berg said, “hopefully.”
“There’s nothing easy about killing someone. That’s why we usually have other people do it for us. They can take care of Reznikov’s ‘retirement’ you know.”
“I know,” Berg said, turning off his desk lamp.
Chapter 72
The SUV slowed to a stop, and Berg heard the vehicle’s front doors slam shut. They had arrived at the compound. Moments later, the right passenger door opened, exposing him to the same drizzly, overcast day he had experienced on the entire drive from Burlington. Berg gripped his black nylon briefcase and nodded to the serious-looking man holding his door. The security agent escorted him to the colonial-style structure, where Gary Sheffield waited.
“You’re turning into a regular up here,” Sheffield said, shaking his hand.
“This should be my last trip for quite some time. Running across someone like Reznikov is pretty rare in my experience,” Berg said, stepping inside the hallway foyer.
“I’m glad to hear that because he’s by far the creepiest inmate we’ve ever had the displeasure of housing. I don’t particularly care for any of the guests, but I’ll be extremely glad to see him go. Something about him is really off.”
“That’s truly an understatement in his case. I can think of a lot of people that share your sentiment, which is why I’m back so soon.”
“Can I get you some coffee or breakfast?” Sheffield said.
“Maybe after I’m done.”
“I’ll put something together. Shall we?” Sheffield said, motioning toward the end of the hardwood hallway.
The compound’s quaint façade ended several steps into the house. Through the door leading left out of the front hallway, he saw wall-to-wall flat-screen monitors organized around a half-dozen workstations. Security personnel monitored the sensors and cameras installed in the residences and public buildings from here. The doorway to the right was closed, but he knew from previous visits that Sheffield’s people kept an eye on the external sensors and communications from that room. Sheffield walked past these rooms and approached a metal door flanked by a biometric fingerprint scanner. He pressed his thumb down first, then his ring finger, holding it there until the door clicked and opened a few inches.