"Half an hour. General Chatterjee is on an inspection trip at one of the launch sites. We're going to pay him a visit. Get moving." Rao broke off the call.
He thought about Lakshmi and Arjuna, his wife and son. Karma that he'd met her, karma that Arjuna had been born, karma that they'd died. Karma was unavoidable. Whatever karmic debt he incurred because of what he was going to do, it meant nothing compared to avenging their deaths.
It wasn't far now to the airfield where Ijay would be waiting.
Lakshmi, my love, Rao thought, soon I'll make them pay.
CHAPTER 57
Rao's call to Khanna was captured by Stephanie's program. When Rao was done talking, Elizabeth called Nick.
"Cobra's been on his phone," she said. "Put Selena on."
Selena listened to the conversations. "In the first call, Cobra's talking to a man at RAW headquarters named Prakash," she said. "Prakash told him security is waiting to arrest him if he shows up. The second call was to Ijay. Cobra is meeting him back in Srinagar and he wants to fly to a missile site. He said General Chatterjee would be there on an inspection tour."
"Chatterjee is in charge of India's nuclear missile forces," Elizabeth said. "Why would Rao go to a missile site? I don't like the sound of that."
"He can't do much without the launch codes," Nick said.
"Chatterjee has those," Elizabeth said, "but only the prime minister can authorize a launch."
Nick laughed. It sounded harsh over the comm link. "In a perfect world, sure. It's bullshit. What happens if the prime minister is dead?"
"Then Chatterjee could launch."
Elizabeth shivered and her skin got little bumps. Her father used to say it happened when a goose walked over your grave.
"You see where this is going," Nick said. "Cobra has set up a war. We know he hates Pakistan. He knows he's blown. He's going to amp things up and launch a missile before they shut him down."
"He'd need Chatterjee to do it."
"He'll have Ijay there with his men. He can force Chatterjee to cooperate. Why else would he suddenly want to go to a missile site?"
Elizabeth's left eye twitched. She could feel a headache lurking. Her intuition began sounding alarms.
"You may be right. You have to intercept him," she said.
In India, Nick slowed for a bored looking white cow with long ears standing in the road. No one seemed to pay attention to a cow in the middle of traffic. They just detoured around it. Nick did the same. The cow looked at them as they went by.
"We don't know where he's going," Nick said.
"I can track Cobra's phone," Elizabeth said. "You've got to get a helicopter and go after them."
Nick thought of Akron, Langley's aging agent with the cowboy hat. "Langley's guy here has a chopper. Get Hood to light a fire under him and have him fueled up and ready to go."
"I'm going to warn the president," Elizabeth said, "but I don't think there's much he can do. If you're right and Cobra is going to try and launch, there isn't a lot of time. You're all we've got. You have to stop him."
"Yeah, sure. Out." Nick broke off the connection. "You all heard that," he said.
"Just another day at the office," Lamont said. "Where's our cowboy friend got his bird?"
"I don't know," Nick said. "Selena, call him. Find out where he's got the chopper stashed. If he hasn't heard from Hood, he will. He's number 3 on speed dial."
He handed her his phone. She called. Akron picked up.
"Yeah."
"This is Selena. We met the other day. Remember me?"
"Darlin', how could I forget? What can I do for you, Sweet Pea?"
Selena had the phone on speaker.
"Sweet Pea?" Lamont said. "Is this guy for real?"
"I heard that," Akron said. "What do you want?"
"Sounds like you haven't talked to the DCI yet," Selena said. Her voice was flat.
"Why would I? He doesn't talk to peons like me."
"You're about to get a call from him," Selena said. "Get your ass in gear and get your helicopter ready for us, now. We need to know where it is. We'll meet you there."
Nick smiled. Selena didn't get called Sweet Pea every day. He suspected it was a first. "Darlin'" would have been enough to piss her off.
"Whoa, don't get riled up," Akron said. Lamont shook his head. "Hold on, I got another call. Call me back in five." He disconnected.
"That will be Hood," Nick said, "Sweet Pea."
"Don't start," she said.
Nick pulled over. "No point in going farther into the city until we know where he's got his chopper."
His phone signaled a call.
"Carter."
"Guess you got some clout," Akron said. "Sorry I pissed off the lady."
"Lady?" Selena said.
"Don't make it worse," Nick said. "Where's the field?"
Akron gave directions. "Where are we going?" he said.
"I don't know yet. Just get the engine warmed up."
"We going in hot?"
"You could say that," Nick said.
CHAPTER 58
Akron's directions took them to a grassy field outside the city surrounded by a rusted chain link fence. A metal hangar with a white roof was the only building. A weathered wooden tower with an orange windsock stood at the far end of the field. A large sign next to the gate advertised sightseeing tours and special excursions. It listed a phone number. The helicopter was parked on a concrete pad in front of the hangar.
"Where the hell did he get that?" Nick asked. "An Army-Navy surplus store?"
"That bird's gotta be fifty years old," Lamont said.
"What are you talking about?" Selena asked.
"That's a Huey," Nick said. "An old one. You can see where the U.S. markings are painted out."
"I'll bet it's left over from Vietnam," Lamont said. "Be about right for this guy. It's what he flew over there."
The Huey was painted olive drab and had seen better days. The big side cargo doors were open. A row of seats had been fitted inside for sightseers but they didn't appear comfortable or like they belonged there. The bird still had the military look. The only things missing were M60s mounted at the doors.
Akron came out of the hangar. His cowboy hat was gone. In its place was an olive green radio helmet. He wore faded green fatigues with his name stenciled in black on the breast pocket, combat boots and aviator style sunglasses. Nick hadn't seen that style of uniform for years.
"You sure about this?" Lamont said. "He looks like he thinks it's 1968."
"We don't have a choice," Nick said. "We need him."
"Afternoon," Akron said. "Nice day for a tour."
"You really get sightseers?" Nick asked, pointing at the sign.
"Oh, yeah. Not many, but some. Enough to pay for gas."
"How come they let you run a business here?"
"It's a long story. A couple of people owed me favors. A little grease from the Agency didn't hurt either."
"The Indians know you're an agent?" Selena asked.
"Nope. They think I'm a crazy ex-pat with money. Long as I don't make trouble, they leave me alone. It's a pretty tolerant place here, or at least it used to be. That's changing, though. I'm thinking of getting out, going back to the States. Do some hunting and fishing."
While they were talking, they'd drifted over to the helicopter.
"What did you fly in Vietnam?" Nick said.
"Hueys, just like this. Sharks."
"Sharks?" Selena looked confused.
"What we called the gunships," Akron said. "The transports were Dolphins."
He patted the side of the craft. "She's a good bird. Where are we going?"
"I don't know yet," Nick said. "Let me make a call."
Harker answered. "Great minds, Nick. I was about to call you."
"You know where we're going yet?"
"Cobra took off ten minutes ago. We're tracking him now. There's only one site in Kashmir, near a place called Pahalgam."