Sniper Elite: One-Way Trip

CHAPTER 11

Deputy Director of Operations Cletus Webb was eating lunch in the CIA cafeteria with two of his assistants when he spotted Director Shroyer coming toward the table. He made eye contact, and the director stopped short, jerking his head back in the other direction as a signal for Webb to follow. Webb caught up to him at the elevator, and they stepped aboard, standing shoulder to shoulder as the doors closed.

“Breaking bread with the little people, are we?” Shroyer inquired dryly.

“They invited me,” Webb replied. “I didn’t have plans, and it felt rude not to accept.”

Shroyer grunted, inspecting his freshly manicured fingers. “The president’s ordered us to pay the ransom for Sandra Brux. Twenty-five million. I trust our people in Kabul have made the appropriate preparations?”

“Considering the players involved, this was anticipated, yes.”

“Good. Be sure our people log the serial numbers so we can track the bills,” Shroyer admonished. “We don’t need to be accused of playing Fast and Furious with twenty-five million dollars.”

Webb rolled his eyes. “It’s being done.”

Shroyer adjusted his trousers. “I’ve got Bob Pope waiting up in my office.” The director of the Special Activities Division of the CIA. “Due to the rumors we’re hearing, I want to make sure it’s understood that SOG is not to make any unilateral decisions over there should the enemy fail to deliver after we’ve paid Sandra’s ransom. It will be your job to keep SAD’s people on a short leash in the coming days.”

“And you expect me to accomplish this how exactly?” Webb wanted to know.

The elevator doors opened, and Shroyer turned to face him, his expression flat. “By making sure that Pope reminds his people as often as necessary exactly who the fuck they work for. Is that clear?”

“Oh, it’s certainly clear,” Webb replied. “I’m not so sure that SOG’s forgetfulness is likely to be the problem, but it’s certainly clear.”

Shroyer started to say something but, thinking better of it, stepped from the elevator and made his way toward his office with Webb in tow. They strolled one behind the other past Shroyer’s secretary and into the office where the SAD director sat waiting.

“Bob, you remember Cletus.”

Pope stood from the chair, offering his hand. “Of course. How are you, Cletus?” He was tall and slender with a head of thick, gray hair. His blue eyes were very intelligent looking behind his glasses, and he had a disarming, boyish kind of smile. He was the sort of man who always seemed to be half thinking of something else, no matter who was speaking to him or what their title.

“I’m good, thanks.” Webb took the chair beside Pope as Shroyer slipped in behind the desk.

“Sorry again for the delay, Bob,” Shroyer said, smoothing his tie. “Cletus’s secretary couldn’t find him because he was downstairs in the cafeteria… eating with the help.” All cellular calls were blocked within the building for security purposes.

Pope chuckled dutifully, and Webb smiled as benignly as he could.

“So,” Shroyer continued, “just to make sure we’re all on the same page here, Bob. The ransom for Sandra Brux is to be paid within the next twelve hours. Our people in Kabul are setting up the payment through an intermediary in President Karzai’s office. As you know, we need to help Karzai maintain his alliances within his government, a number of which are extremely fragile. I’m sure you’re aware of the recent parliamentary gains by both of the Hezb-e Islami factions in recent months.”

“Yes, I am. As a matter of fact, I sent you a brief ten months ago forecasting the vast majority of those parliamentary gains.”

Shroyer’s face froze. “So you did,” he said shortly, having forgotten about the brief entirely until just that moment. “In any event, Warrant Officer Brux’s abduction seems to have completely eluded the media for the time being. So, all things being equal, I think we can count ourselves relatively lucky. Her husband is being flown to the ATO [Afghan Theater of Operations] as we speak, and if all goes according to plan, we should have her back in our care within the next twenty-four to thirty-six hours.”

Pope sat nodding, an almost robotic smile plastered to his face as he absentmindedly scratched the back of his hand.

Shroyer sat watching him for a moment, finally realizing that Pope was someplace else. “Bob?”

Pope jerked his head. “Yes?”

“Your thoughts?”

“Oh, I was just wondering.”

“Wondering? Wondering what?”

Pope crossed his legs, pushing his glasses up onto the bridge of his nose and laughing a dry, thoughtful laugh. “Well, George, I’m wondering how many of us in this room actually believe that’s going to happen.” He looked between the two other men, half raising his hand. “Show of hands?”

Webb dropped his gaze to the floor. He knew that Pope was borderline brilliant, so if he was seeing a flaw in the wiring somewhere, there was probably at least a 50 percent chance of a short circuit.

Shroyer, on the other hand, held no appreciation for Pope’s intellect, so all he saw was a wiseguy. He steepled his fingers, lips tightly pursed. He appeared to be counting to ten before finally sucking his teeth and asking, “Is this your way of saying you know something we don’t, Robert?”

Again the dry laugh. “Oh, well, I have all the same information as you do, George. Maybe I just have more time for interpretation.”

“That is what you get paid for, is it not?”

“All of our latest intelligence indicates that we’re dealing with some kind of a cursory alliance between the Taliban and Hezb-e Islami Khalis. These two groups were mortal enemies until six or seven months ago, as I’m sure you remember. And now they’re working together to collect a ridiculous sum of money?” Pope shook his head. “Not likely.”

“Why not likely?” Shroyer rapped. “Are you suggesting we not pay the ransom?”

“We don’t even have proof of life, George.”

“You’ve seen the damn video, Bob!”

“That’s proof of rape, not life. What if they executed her immediately afterward?”

“An execution is precisely what we’re acting to prevent.”

“I appreciate that,” Pope assured, Shroyer’s aggravation touching him not at all. “And I understand we’ve paid ransoms before without real-time proof of life, but the size of this ransom is reckless. Something’s wrong. I don’t know what, but something. It feels like amateur night to me, and if it’s amateurs, well…” He laughed. “There’s no limit to how many different ways this could go wrong.”

Shroyer stared across at Webb. “What do you have to add to this?”

Webb cleared his throat. “Well, the president has made a decision. I don’t think he’s going to change his mind a third time, and I certainly don’t think it’s a good idea to suggest that he does. The Speaker of the House is sitting up there on the Hill with her finger on the media button. All we can do now is follow the numbers and hope that Bob’s intuition is wrong on this one. What do you think, Bob?”

Pope’s mind had already begun to drift. “Oh, well I wasn’t suggesting we could do anything differently by this point. I just don’t want anyone being shocked if we end up giving away twenty-five million dollars for nothing… not that we don’t do that anyway… but… well, you take my point.”

Shroyer looked at Webb, a look of semi-exasperation plastered to his face. “Cletus, I understand you had something you wanted to bring up with Bob concerning SOG operations.”

Webb chose his words tactfully. “In the event, Bob, that your concerns prove to be valid, and Sandra isn’t returned, it will be extremely important for SAD to impress upon the SOG community — namely DEVGRU and SOAR — that no unilateral action is to be taken in an attempt to find her. We’ve heard the rumors, and we understand that emotions are running very high over there as a result of the treatment she’s been forced to endure. So we need you to make sure our special ops people understand that we are doing everything we can to bring their sister soldier back home alive, and that we require not only their readiness to act, but their patience as well.”

Pope reached out, briefly touching Webb on the arm. “You have my solemn word that no one within SOG will act before it is appropriate to do so.”

Webb was about to ask for a clarification on that, but Shroyer cut him off.

“Very well then,” the director said, rising from his chair. “Everyone’s on the same page. Thank you for coming over, Bob. It’s always a pleasure.” He offered his hand and Pope stood up to shake it.

Webb sat in his chair watching Pope’s face as the two men shook hands, awash in a sudden awareness that there was absolutely no guile in the man. Pope had given them his word that neither DEVGRU nor SOAR would take any action unless and until it was appropriate to do so, and Webb understood, unequivocally, that what Pope had truly meant was — just as sure as God made little green crocodiles — that DEVGRU would make the final decision as to when and what action would become appropriate in the event that the Taliban and their new best friends the Hezb-e Islami Khalis failed to honor their end of the bargain.