'I called Bailey that night to find out what had gone wrong. That's when he told me what had really happened. He had found out that a Delta unit was in the area, under your command, but he couldn't risk telling your commanding officer that I was a CIA asset without compromising my position. He knew it was your first operation as a unit leader and, understandably, he thought you might crack, given the right pressure. Your wife and son were kidnapped on his orders to force you to give the order to pull back. I know several eyewitnesses claimed that three Arabs, all wearing balaclavas, were involved in the kidnapping because they were sure the men had been speaking a language similar to Arabic. It was Arabic but they weren't Arabs. They were Americans speaking Arabic: Bailey's men — Paul Brett, Jack Rogers and a third man called Kennedy, Rick Kennedy. He was killed in a light plane crash a few months ago.
'Your wife and son were brought here, to this safe house. That's why I came here after I was forced to leave the apartment in Murray Hill. It's the only other CIA safe house that I know of in the United States. I don't know whether Bailey ever intended to let them go but it seems your wife went for one of the men after he'd manhandled your son and in the ensuing struggle she managed to unmask him. They couldn't let either of them go after that. Both were shot that same day and their bodies buried at the back of the house. I don't know exactly where but it was somewhere close to the house. That's what happened, Graham. I don't expect you to take my word for it. There's a file in Bailey's computer entitled "Operation Delta". It's all there. I'm sure your Colonel Philpott will be given access to it by the CIA.
'You must be wondering right now why I made this tape for you. Well, I can answer that in one word — respect. Like me, you're a field man, and one of the best by all accounts. Bailey's a desk man who manipulates the lives of the people around him. He may have been my controller, but that didn't mean I had to respect him. How could I? You, though, gained my respect the moment you gave the order to attack. You believed in your principles enough to sacrifice your own family for them. That's the mark of a true soldier.
'But having said that, the past can never be undone. We both have to live with what happened that day. Each of us has our own guilt to bear. And no matter what happens, we'll have to carry that guilt to our graves. Assalam alaikum.'
Graham sat back in the chair and rubbed his hands slowly over his face. He knew the anger would come, in time. But at that moment all he felt was relief, relief that the last pieces of the jigsaw had finally slotted into place. At last, he knew the truth. The pain and the anguish of the past two years were at an end. But most importantly of all, Carrie and Mikey could now be laid to rest in sacred ground. Carrie had always been the religious one of the family, and he knew she would have wanted it, not only for herself, but for Mikey as well — together, side by side for ever.
He switched off the tape deck, pocketed the cassette, then picked up his cup and went through to the kitchen. Sabrina was sitting at the pine table.
'Are you OK?' she asked softly.
'Yeah,' he replied then went on to quickly outline the gist of what Bernard had said on the cassette.
'I'm sorry, Mike,' she said softly when he'd finished speaking.
'I always knew they were dead. I can't explain why, though. I guess it's just a feeling you have when you're as close as I was to them. What's always preyed on my mind these last couple of years was the fact that they'd never had a proper burial. But now I can rectify that. Then I can visit the graves every week and be with them again.' He shrugged uncomfortably. 'I know that sounds kind of corny…'
'Only to you. You've never allowed your feelings to surface since they disappeared, have you? You've always made yourself out to be the hard, uncaring maverick. Well, that's the image you wanted to portray, and it's worked with most people. It even worked with me, at first. But not now. I've seen the other side of Mike Graham. And he's not as hard as he likes the world to believe.'
'Yeah?' he said then put the cup down on the table. 'It's late. I'd better be going.'
'There's a spare room. It's only ever used when my parents come up from Miami.'
'No, I want to get back to the hotel. But thanks anyway.'
'OK. I'll get my keys.'
Til get a cab. You need your beauty sleep.'
'Don't be silly — '
'I'm taking a cab.' Graham indicated the cup on the table. 'Thanks for the hot chocolate.'
She nodded then got up and walked him to the front door. 'Are you sure I can't give you a lift? It's no trouble.'
'I'm sure.' He opened the door then looked back at her. 'See you this afternoon.'
She kissed him lightly on the cheek. 'Night, Mike.'
'Yeah,' he muttered and closed the door behind him.
EPILOGUE
'Hello, Mike,' Sarah said as Graham entered the room.
'Hi,' he replied, closing the door behind him. 'Are C.W. and Sabrina here yet?'
'They've already gone through,' Sarah replied then switched on the intercom and announced Graham's arrival.
'Send him in, Sarah,' Philpott replied.
The door slid open and Graham walked into Philpott's office. He greeted Philpott then nodded to Sabrina and Whitlock who were sitting on one of the black sofas.
'I'm not late, am I, sir?' Graham said, looking at his watch. 'You did say nine.'
'You're not late. Sit down.'
Graham sat on the second sofa. 'Is there any news from the safe house yet?'
'Yes, word came through about an hour ago. The police have found something. Sergei's over there now. I'm waiting for his call.'
'Something, sir?'
Philpott turned his empty pipe around slowly in his fingers then pushed it away from him. 'Human remains. I've arranged to have you driven out there as soon as we're through here.'
'Thank you, sir.'
Philpott tapped the folder in front of him. 'These are the findings of the internal investigation. It's highly critical of C.W. and Sabrina for withholding information from Sergei during the course of the assignment, especially you, Sabrina. You became involved in the politics of a foreign power, a point the Secretary-General raised on several occasions. I know it's easy to fall into that trap when an assignment verges on the political, but you have to know where to draw the line. That's what the Charter's there for, to clarify those boundaries. And if you're still not sure, you ask. We have enough enemies at the UN as it is without further aggravating the situation by blatantly taking sides as you did in Zimbala. What if it hadn't turned out the way it did? What if Ngune had seized power? We would have been branded mercenaries. There are already whispers to that effect amongst some of the more radical African and Asian countries as it is. Why give them the ammunition they want to shoot us down? You're here because you're regarded as the best in the business. Let's act that way, shall we?'
'Yes, sir,' Sabrina muttered guiltily.
Philpott's eyes shifted to Graham and he shook he head slowly. 'I don't even know where to start with you. I'm not going to go through all the rules you've broken in these past few days, you know what they are already. And that's what makes it all the more serious — your blatant disregard for your colleagues and for UN AGO in general. And even when Sabrina went out to Beirut to bring you back you gave her an ultimatum that put her in an impossible position. She had no option but to go along with your plan. And that's what got her into trouble in the first place.'