«Why do I conjure up the image of a winking Crazie Frazie, his captain’s hat lopsided and drinking from a champagne bottle probably filled with seltzer?» said Sam. «But then I’ve never seen anyone drive a boat like that even in the movies.»
And then, as if evoked by the mention of motion pictures, the telephone rang, answered quickly by Colonel Cyrus, who was standing next to the antique white table. «Yes?» said the mercenary softly.
«We roll, soldier,» said the voice of MacKenzie Hawkins from New York. «We’ve scratched Plan A—it’s too risky now—going with Plan B as we discussed an hour ago. Any news about Lieutenant Devereaux?»
«He’s here, General,» replied Cyrus quietly, cupping the phone as the others excitedly discussed Sam’s seagoing revels with Secret Agent Geoffrey Frazier. «He just arrived a few minutes ago and he’s a mess. Do you want to talk to him?»
«Christ, no! I know that phase he’s in; I call it Righteous Rabbit. What’s the damage?»
«None that we can tell; no one believed him. Apparently the tape was destroyed.»
«Thank Hannibal for favors, big and small, but I knew he’d show up; he never does that sort of thing right … Then you haven’t gone over either of the plans with him yet?»
«I haven’t gone over them with anybody; no time. Mr. Pinkus has been on the phone with the Boston police ever since the Coast Guard radioed that they’d spotted the boat Sam was on.»
«A boat? The Coast Guard?»
«We gather it was a hell of a chase and the sight of your lieutenant confirms it, wet clothes, one shoe, and all.»
«Switzerland again, goddamnit!»
«We gathered that, too, at least his girlfriend did. She’s all over him like he was Johnny-come-marching-home with one leg—probably because of his one shoe.»
«Good! Work on the filly when you explain the plan, Colonel. She’ll convince him if you convince her. I know that boy when he’s got the hots, all my wives told me.»
«I’m not following you, General.»
«It’s not important. Just remember, our enemies are desperate, and the only way they can short-circuit us is to stop us from getting into the Supreme Court. That’s where Sam can climb up on his pulpit and say whatever he wants to say, expose whomever he wants to expose, yell as loud as he likes. But only there, Colonel. He wouldn’t get to first base with anyone else in Dizzy City. They protect their turfs, and they’d blow him out of the Beltway if only because he makes too much noise.»
«Since I can personally vouch for that Washington reaction, it won’t be difficult to be convincing,» said Cyrus. «But how come Plan B? I thought you and I agreed that A was perfectly feasible.»
«I don’t know who the inside contact is but my informant, the one I told you about—»
«The government honcho everyone thinks is dead,» interrupted the mercenary.
«That’s the one, and let me tell you, he’s out for blood. Speaking of which, he made it goddamned clear that we’re facing termination with extreme prejudice—and I mean real extreme, Colonel.»
«My God, they’d go that far?»
«They haven’t got a choice, soldier. Through mergers and megabuyouts, that whole crowd owns seventy percent of the defense industries and is so many billions in debt it would take World War Three to bail ’em out, if it lasted that long, which it wouldn’t.»
«How do you read the strategy, General?»
«I don’t have to read it, I know it! They’ve hired the scum of the earth to stop us: head-bashing gunslingers, union busters for hire, probably mercs like you looking for bucks.»
«It’s a free economy,» said Cyrus, now whispering as he glanced over at Aaron, Jenny, and Sam, who, in turn, were glancing over at him. «And there’s a lot of economics involved… I can’t talk much longer. Did your supposedly deceased informant tell you when and how all those nasty people will get in place?»
«They’ll be everywhere! In the crowds, among the Court guards, even up into the outer chambers!»
«That’s a rough call, General.»
«Plan B creates the diversion we need, Colonel. Nobody’s happy about it, especially the Wopotamis, but it’s in place. They’re all ready to do their thing.»
«How’s that fruitcake Sutton taking all this?» asked Cyrus. «That son of a bitch isn’t my favorite person, but I’ll grant you he’s a hell of an actor.»
«What can I tell you? He says he’ll give the greatest performance of his life!»
«If he lives to read the reviews… Over and out, General, see you in the morning.»
«What about our Desis and Roman Z?» broke in Hawkins suddenly. «What with my Suicidal Six business, I hadn’t factored them into the scenario.»
«If you think I’m leaving them out, you should be cleaning latrines, General.»
«I like your response, Colonel!»
«Out.»
A shell-shocked R. Cookson Frazier returned to Louisburg Square in his limousine, and at the beachhouse a stunned sextet faced Cyrus, who stood in front of the white antique table. Jennifer Redwing sat between Aaron Pinkus and Sam Devereaux on the couch, while Desis One and Two stood behind them, flanking their new friend, Roman Z. All mouths were agape, all eyes riveted on the field-commissioned colonel.
«That’s the scenario, everybody,» said the imposing black mercenary, «and speaking as the liaison to the general, if any of you wish to back out, you may. However, I should tell you as someone who’s been exposed to a great many infiltration strategies that they don’t come much better than this. General Hawkins didn’t become a legend because of press releases—he’s the real thing and he’s damn good and I don’t say that lightly.»
«Hey, like Miss Erin say, he talk real good for a black brother, yeah, D-One?»
«Shaddup, D-Two.»
«Thank you for the gratulatory comment, Desi.»
«See wad I mean?»
«If I may,» said Aaron Pinkus, inching forward on the couch, «this highly complicated charade, as ingenious as it may be, strikes me as being—well, too complicated, too theatrical, as it were. Is it really necessary?»
«To answer your questions in generic terms, Mr. Pinkus, complicated theatrics are the best diversion.»
«We can understand that, Cyrus,» said Jennifer, her left hand gripping Devereaux’s right. «But, as Mr. Pinkus says, is it really necessary? I think Sam’s idea of simply getting off the plane and taking a taxi to the Supreme Court—no limousine, no calling attention to ourselves—would be quite sufficient.»
«Under normal circumstances it would be, but these are not normal circumstances. You have powerful and very capable enemies. Very capable, the kind your friend Sam wants to expel from the government, even at the risk of his life, as we all witnessed today.»
«He was wonderful!» cried Jennifer, pressing her lips into Devereaux’s left cheek. «Swimming all those miles in a storm—»
«It was nothing,» said Sam. «Only six or seven, maybe eight… If I understand you, Cyrus, you’re saying this ‘diversion,’ as you call it, is necessary because these very capable enemies of ours intend to physically intercept us before we can get into the building, is that right?»
«Basically, yes.»
«Basically? What else is there?»
«With ramifications,» answered the mercenary curtly.
«I won’t pretend to understand that, but if we have reason to believe a threat exists, we can request police protection. Coupled with you fellas—if you guys are with us—what else could we possibly need?»