The news director put on a pair of khaki trousers and carried his sneakers and a sportshirt downstairs. He looked at the kitchen clock: twenty minutes to seven. The children wouldn’t be up for at least an hour and a half. Ali, with luck, would sleep until nine-thirty or ten.
Tanner wondered how many men were outside. Fassett had said there was an army, but what good would an army be if Omega wanted him dead? What good had an army been for the government man in the woods at three-thirty in the morning? There were too many possibilities. Too many opportunities. Fassett had to understand that now. It had gone too far. If the preposterous were real, if the Ostermans, the Cardones or the Tremaynes really were a part of Omega, he couldn’t simply greet them at his door as if nothing had happened. It was absurd!
He went to the kitchen door and quietly let himself out. He’d go towards the woods until he saw someone. He’d reach Fassett.
«Good morning.» It was Jenkins, dark circles of weariness under his eyes. He was sitting on the ground just beyond the edge of the woods. He couldn’t be seen from the house or even the pool.
«Hello. Aren’t you going to get any sleep?»
«I’m relieved at eight. I don’t mind. What about you? You’re exhausted.»
«Look, I want to see Fassett. I’ve got to see him before he makes any more plans.»
The patrolman looked at his wristwatch. «He was going to call you after we gave him the word you were up. I don’t think he expected it’d be so early. That may be good though. Wait a sec.» Jenkins walked a few feet into the woods and returned with a canvas-pack radio. «Let’s go. We’ll drive over.»
«Why can’t he come here?»
«Relax. Nobody could get near your house. Come on. You’ll see.»
Jenkins picked up the radio by its shoulder strap and led Tanner through a newly created path in the woods surrounding his property. Every thirty to forty feet were men, kneeling, sitting, lying on their stomachs facing the house, unseen but seeing. As Jenkins and Tanner approached each man, weapons were drawn. Jenkins gave the radio to the patrol on the east flank.
«Call Fassett. Tell him we’re on our way over,» he said.
«That agent was killed last night because the killer knew he’d been recognized. One part of Omega was identified and that was unacceptable.» Fassett sipped coffee, facing Tanner. «It was also another sort of warning, but that doesn’t concern you.»
«He was murdered fifty yards from my house, from my family! Everything concerns me!»
«All right!… Try to understand. We can assume the information on you has been returned; remember, you’re just Tanner the newsman, nothing else. They’re circling like hawks now, wary of each other. None knowing whether the others have accomplices, scouts of their own… The killer—one tentacle of Omega—ran a private surveillance. He collided with the agent; he had no choice but to kill. He didn’t know him, he’d never seen him before. The only thing he could be sure of was that whoever posted the man would become concerned when he didn’t report. Whoever was responsible for that man in the woods would come and find him. That was the warning; his death.»
«You can’t be sure of that.»
«We’re not dealing with amateurs. The killer knew the body would be removed before daylight. I told you in Washington, Omega’s fanatic. A decapitated body fifty yards from your house is the kind of mistake that would call for an NKVD execution. If Omega was responsible. If not …»
«How do you know they’re not working together? If the Ostermans or the Cardones or the Tremaynes are any part of it, they could have planned it together.»
«Impossible. They haven’t been in contact since the harassment began. We’ve fed them all—each of them—contradictory stories, illogical suppositions, half truths. We’ve had cables routed through Zurich, telephone calls from Lisbon, messages delivered by strangers in dead-end streets. Each couple is in the dark. None know what the others are doing.»
The agent named Cole looked up at Fassett from the chair by the motel window. He knew that Fassett could not be absolutely sure of his last statement. They’d lost the Ostermans for nearly twelve hours. There was a surveillance lapse of three and three-and-a-half hours, respectively, with Tremayne and Cardone. Still, thought Cole, Fassett was right to say what he did.
«Where are the Ostermans? You said last night—this morning—that you didn’t know where they were.»
«We found them. In a New York hotel. From what we’ve learned, it’s doubtful Osterman was in the area last night.»
«But, again, you’re not sure.»
«I said doubtful. Not beyond doubt.»
«And you’re convinced it had to be one of them?»
«We think so. The killer was male almost certainly. It … took enormous strength… He knew the grounds around your property better than we did. And you should know we’ve studied your place for weeks.»
«For God’s sake then, stop them! Confront them! You can’t let it go on!»
«Which one?» Fassett asked quietly.
«All of them! A man was killed!»
Fassett put his coffee cup down.
«If we do as you suggest, which, I admit, is tempting—it was my man who was killed, remember—we not only wash out any chance we have to expose Omega, but we also take a risk with you and your family that I can’t justify.»
«We couldn’t be taking any greater risk and you know it.»
«You’re in no danger. Not as long as you continue to act in a normal manner. If we walk in now we’re admitting the weekend is a trap. That trap couldn’t have been set without your assistance… We’d be signing your death warrants.»
«I don’t understand that.»
«Then take my word for it,» said Fassett sharply. «Omega must come to us. There’s no other way.»
Tanner paused, watching Fassett carefully. «That’s not entirely true, is it? What you’re saying is … it’s too late.»
«You’re very perceptive.»
Fassett picked up his cup and went to the table where there was a thermos of coffee. «There’s only one more day. At the most two. Some part of Omega will break by then. All we need is one. One defection and it’s over.»
«And one stick of dynamite in my house blows us to hell.»
«There’ll be nothing like that. No violence. Not directed at you. Put simply, you’re not important. Not any longer. They’ll only be concerned about each other.»
«What about yesterday afternoon?»
«We’ve put out a police-blotter story. A robbery. Bizarre to be sure, but a robbery nevertheless. Just what your wife thinks happened, the way she thinks it happened. You don’t have to deny anything.»
«They’ll know it’s a lie. They’ll call it.»
Fassett looked calmly up from the thermos. «Then we’ll have Omega, won’t we? We’ll know which one it is.»
«What am I supposed to do? Pick up a telephone and call you? They may have other ideas …»
«We’ll hear every word said in your house starting with your first guest tomorrow afternoon. Later this morning two television repairmen will come to fix the sets damaged in the robbery. While tracing antenna wiring they’ll also install miniaturized pick-ups throughout your home. Starting with the first arrival tomorrow, they’ll be activated.»
«Are you trying to tell me you won’t activate them until then?»
Cole interrupted. «No, we won’t. We’re not interested in your privacy, only your safety.»
«You’d bettor get back,» said Fassett. «Jenkins will drop you off at the south end of your property. You couldn’t sleep so you went for a walk.»