Dark Zone

73

Rubens stepped away from the Art Room consoles, walking to the side where a fresh pot of coffee was being brewed in the machine. He poured himself a cup, not so much because he wanted it but because he wanted to do something that would force him to pause, to physically step away from the situation.

Nothing was going on at the Eiffel Tower. Had that been a blind to divert attention from the plot to kill Ponclare?

If so, Deep Black had played an unfortunate role.

Surely not. A random pattern, unconnected.

Air Force One was just touching down at Charles de Gaulle Airport with the President and national security adviser aboard. Rubens had already told Hadash and President Marcke about Ponclare’s murder and that they were following a possible suspect.

With an emphasis on “possible.” Dean had acted on a hunch; so far the man hadn’t gone anywhere they could see him. Even so, the President had decided to inform the French President personally. Marcke would suggest that the French have the man arrested as a material witness, or whatever the equivalent was in France.

A hunch, just a hunch. But Rubens did trust Dean’s judgment.

A large clock sat on the wall above the coffee machine. It was going on 10:00 a.m. The judge in the General’s competency case had called McGovern to tell her he would hold a hearing at eleven and announce his verdict shortly thereafter.

“I told you he was quick. One of a kind,” she’d said on the voice-mail message.

She hadn’t used the word verdict, actually, but it felt like one.

Rubens wanted to be there. Rebecca surely would.

“Boss, the man Dean and Lia have been following is in Gare du Nord, the train station,” said Rockman.

As he walked to the runner’s console with his coffee, Rubens pushed the General out of his mind. He had to concentrate on the here and now — he needed to watch out for his people. That was his priority. The General would have used those exact words.

“Where do the trains go?” Rubens asked.

“All over. There’s a metro stop, commuter trains, high-speed, uh, what do they call them, TVG, I think — those bullet trains that go all over the place. They also have Eurostar there, the train that takes the Chunnel to London.”

Dean had seen the man in London.

“Get the Eurostar passenger list right away,” said Rubens. “Where are Dean and Lia?”

“Just going in.”

“We’re breaking into their video surveillance system,” said Telach, coming over. “It’ll be a few seconds. Listen, Johnny Bib is demanding to talk to you. He says he has new information.”

“He can wait.”

“He says it’s about the Eiffel Tower. Something they just discovered.”

“Very well,” said Rubens. “Have Dean and Lia follow their man wherever he goes. Hopefully it will be someplace easy, like the Eurostar. Which line is Johnny Bib on?”