Assumed Identity

15

The colonel frowned and set down the phone. In the safe-site apartment five blocks north of the Washington Post, Alan-who’d been watching the colonel while listening on an extension-set down his phone as well.

The only sound was the faint drone of a car that went by outside.

“Do you want my advice?” Alan asked.

“No.” The colonel’s narrow face looked haggard from strain and fatigue.

“Well, I’ll give it to you anyhow.” Alan’s portly cheeks were emphasized by whisker shadow. “Buchanan’s waving you off. He’s asking for a truce. Agree to it. You’ve got nothing to win and everything to lose.”

“That’s your opinion, is it?” the colonel asked dryly. “I’m not used to taking advice from civilians, especially when they don’t understand the serious nature of Buchanan’s offense. A soldier can’t be allowed just to walk away from his unit, certainly not Buchanan. He knows too much. I told you before, his behavior makes him a security risk. We’re talking about chaos.”

“And gun battles in the street aren’t chaos? This has nothing to do with principle or security. It’s about pride. I was afraid of what would happen when the military became involved in civilian intelligence operations. You don’t like taking advice from civilians? Well, maybe you ought to read the Constitution. Because taking advice is exactly what you’re supposed to do. Without the Agency’s oversight on this, you’d be autonomous. You’d love that, wouldn’t you? Your own private army to do with as you want. Your own private wars.”

“Get out of here,” the colonel said. “You’re always grumbling about never seeing your wife and kids. Go home.”

“And give you control? No damned way. I’m staying with you until this issue is resolved,” Alan said.

“Then you’re in for a long, hard ride.”

“It doesn’t need to be. All you have to do is leave Buchanan alone.”

“I can’t! Not as long as he’s with that reporter.”

“But Buchanan says that his business with the reporter has nothing to do with you.”

“And you believe that?”

“He’s not a fool. I was talking about gains and losses. He has nothing to gain if he turns against you, and everything to lose. But if you hunt him, he’ll turn against you out of spite, and frankly, Colonel, he’s the last person I’d want to be my enemy.”