“I’m still on overload, but other than breaking about sixteen federal laws, I think you did the right thing with Mashburn.”
Jake’s mind was turning as fast as Wade’s now. There was a pause while they both processed alternative options. Before Jake could respond again, Wade changed the subject.
“There’s something else I forgot to mention.”
“I can’t wait.”
“Before I interrogated Mashburn, I followed him to the cemetery in Belmopan, where he dropped two hard black plastic cases in the shrubbery next to a mausoleum gravesite, for future pick-up. Mashburn claimed he didn’t know what was inside the cases — he was just following instructions for the drop. I examined the cases, and they had a very weird locking mechanism and a welded T-Handle that went into the case. I’ve never seen that before. I think they might well be explosives.”
“Were the black cases still there when you left?”
“They were there the day before I interrogated Mashburn. I think they were left for Stephan and the other operatives.”
Jake paused, still processing the information, before he looked up and spoke. “I’m trying to figure out a time line here. Stephan is arriving in a day or two, but doesn’t know Mashburn is missing. The other operatives are supposed to arrive in a week or two. The war game ceremonies are supposed to start in three weeks.”
“That’s right. Oh, and there’s one other thing I forgot to mention.”
“Spit it out.”
“Here we go again.”
“Sorry, but I can’t help but feel suspicious that my agency is somehow involved in the Lockhart matter. The guy heading the illegal drugs in Vietnam was CIA. After the investigation, he was released, and died shortly afterward in a mysterious hit-and-run accident that was never solved. I don’t know who I can trust there about Lockhart because of his direct ties to the Vietnam drugs. I just have that nagging feeling you’re always talking about.”
Jake paused before summarizing Wade’s options.
“Let’s break all this down. For now, I would just turn over all the Lockhart evidence to Morrison and let him run with it. I wouldn’t spend any more time on it if I were you. And I wouldn’t worry any more about Mashburn. It seems to me you need help at several levels on the Belize threat. One is military. The others are diplomatic and probably intelligence.”
Jake looked up at the ceiling, quietly running through a list of government contacts. “I know a top guy in the state department who might be able to help. I would probably go to him first. If the threat isn’t foreign, it doesn’t fall under him, but I think he’ll know the right people to contact. I want to think on this tonight. There’s a lot here to process.”
Wade had some concerns about involving someone in the government. “One other thing I forgot to mention is I have pictures of the black cases. Haven’t had time to get the film developed, though.”
“I can have my lab do those tonight.”
“Great. I’ll go get the film from my car.”
After the meeting ended, Wade headed for his father’s condo, hoping to spend some time with him before returning to Houston. His father greeted him with a smile and a hug. His sun-tanned face and lively step showed Wade he was adjusting well to his new single life.
His father was quick to tell Wade he had taken up golf and was spending a lot of time with new friends. Wade saw a sparkle in his eyes for the first time since his mother died.
“I thought retirement would be a bore, but I’m having more fun than I ever thought possible.”
“You look great, Dad.”
“I thought we could go to the driving range this afternoon. You can share my clubs, or they’ll have others you can use at the range.”
Wade wasn’t a big fan of golf, but he wasn’t about to turn down an opportunity to be with his father.
“That would be fun, Dad. Let’s do it.”
They talked about the condo and his father’s move.
“Do you miss our old house?”
“I thought I would miss it because of all the memories there. But once I got settled and met new friends, I was able to move on with my life. I haven’t given the place a second thought or even driven past it since I moved. I’m very happy here.”
They studied each other for a long moment. A lot of water had passed under the bridge between them that didn’t need to be discussed. An unspoken message was felt rather than spoken between them. It was clear that they were truly grateful to be able to spend time together.
His father spoke first. “Now tell me, what have you been up to?”
“Nothing very exciting. Tell me more about your golf game. What scores have you been shooting?”
As his father began describing details of the last nine holes of each of his last two games, Wade’s mind wandered a bit. What am I going to say to Megan when we speak tonight?
“Do we still have the camp?”
“Of course we do. You may want to take a few days while you’re here to go check on it.”
“Unfortunately, Dad, I’m on a quick turnaround this trip. I’ll spend the night, but I have to leave in the morning. Maybe I’ll have more time on my next trip.”
After hitting balls at the driving range, his father went to bed early. Wade thought about what he wanted to say before making his call to Megan. He felt almost relieved when he got her answering machine and left a cordial message.
The next day the sun came over the condo balcony, lighting the dining room table as the two shared an early breakfast. Wade’s father brought in the Times Picayune and threw it on the table in front of Wade.
“Look at those headlines. After killing all those people, that tyrant Francisco Franco of Spain finally died in a hospital from some mysterious illness. His second-in-command is now taking over running the country. I wonder if anything will really change there.”
Wade was nibbling a piece of toast when he grabbed the paper with interest and starting reading the article to see if he could find a link to Mashburn.
Wade had plenty to think about during his trip back to Houston. The timing of Franco’s death and Mashburn’s last assignment was all too coincidental. Reading between the lines of that Franco article, Wade put the pieces together, convinced that Mashburn was responsible for Franco’s death. He couldn’t help wondering where Mashburn might be hiding now.
After returning to Houston, Wade made a call to Yari. “Any new developments?”
“I picked up one call between Stephan and Condor. Stephan’s plane is delayed in Panama. Engine problems.”
There was a pause on Wade’s end. He wondered if the plane delay was real. He hoped Mashburn had somehow managed to avoid Stephan at the airport in Panama. Wade wondered if Stephan’s delay was because the mission to Belize had been called off. He made some quick calculations of flight times in his head.
“Did Mashburn use his ticket back to Panama?”
“Yep.”
“That means both men crossed paths at the terminal?”
“Looks like that’s a possibility, although Stephan’s flight from Germany was also delayed.”
“I’d like you to calculate the actual arrival and departure times for both their flights, so we can see if they missed each other or were in the airport at the same time.”
“Got it. I’ll do the math and let you know.”
“What about calls from the real estate woman in Belize?”
“There was a call from the real estate office to the Belize police to report the robbery, but I haven’t seen a police report issued yet. Everything I see tells me it’s been swept under the rug there.”