The Lance

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

It was breaking dawn outside. Streaks of vermillion and gold and yellow illuminated a shotgun sky filled with rows of puffy gray clouds. Stephanie sat in the Director's chair. It was strange to see anyone else sitting there. Harker's silver pen lay silent on the desk. Nick half expected Stephanie to pick it up.

"Elizabeth is out of surgery," Stephanie said. "The bullet bounced off the orbital ridge above her left eye and lodged alongside the skull. She was lucky it was only a .22. If the shooter had used something bigger it would have blown the top of her head off. They got the bullet out and she's in an induced coma while they wait and see if there's going to be any further insult to the brain — hemorrhaging, fluid build up. It's too soon to evaluate her neural functioning, if she's lost any capacity. The doctors are hopeful."

"What about the son of a bitch who shot her?" Ronnie kneaded his knuckles.

"No information yet. No ID. He was dressed in clothes of European manufacture. We're running his picture and prints through Interpol and everyone else. If he's ever been picked up, we'll find out who he was."

"She got off three shots after taking a bullet in her head?" It was Lamont.

Stephanie nodded. Lamont let out a sigh.

"I want to tell you about a dream I had," Nick said, "and a conversation with Herzog in Israel."

When he was done, everyone was silent.

"It feels like everything is coming to a head," he said, "but I'm damned if I know what it is. The thing outside my building — they must have wanted Selena and me alive, at least until I started shooting. Then, going after the Director like that. They're trying to stop us and they've turned up the pressure. It must be something set to happen soon."

Stephanie shifted in Harker's chair.

"We'll continue as planned. Get into Greenwood's house and see if we can find anything linking him to this conspiracy." She turned to Ronnie. "Are we set with the logistics?"

"We are. I got us a phone truck, uniforms, tools, all that stuff, plus some nifty little bugs we can scatter around. We'll be able to hear everything that happens in there after that."

"I pulled up Greenwood's schedule. He's in meetings all day. His wife is back in his home state. The maids don't come today and it's the gardener's day off. If you go in this morning it should be fine."

Stephanie picked up the pen, quickly set it down. She was showing the stress. "What I can't figure out is how these people know so much. We stopped Dysart. That should have been enough. It's like they know everything we're thinking about."

She turned to Nick. "I notified the President about the attack. He wants you at the White House this morning. It looks like a photo op to give you a medal for your actions in Jerusalem. It's a cover for a private meeting."

"What time?"

"At ten. You go in the front way, where the press can see you. The ceremony is in the Rose Garden. After the award, he'll invite you inside for a private chat. No one will think anything of it." She looked around. "Any other thoughts? No? Then we'll meet after Selena and Lamont get back from Greenwood's."

Stephanie stood up and Harker's wheeled executive chair slipped out from under her. She grabbed for the desk and her hand sent the picture of the Twin Towers skittering lengthwise along the polished surface. It flew off the desk and landed at Nick's feet. He reached down and picked it up.

A tiny, black rectangle was stuck on the bottom of the picture frame. Carter swore to himself. He held up his hand at the others, touched his lips and held the picture high where they could see it, pointed at the bug.

He said, "We've got a long day ahead of us. Anyone up for breakfast? I'm buying."

"I'll go with you," said Selena. "Come on guys. Let's all go."

Nick set the picture back on the desk. They left the room. No one said anything in the elevator or out in the parking lot. They drove to a restaurant down the road. The place was slow. They took a corner table where they could see the entrance.

The waitress brought the order. Nick mashed toast into his eggs and thought about the listening device on that picture.

"No wonder they know what we're thinking. They've heard every word, all along."

"The sweeps didn't pick it up," said Stephanie. "It's got to be something new. High tech. How did they get it past all the security?"

"We'll find out." He put more sugar in his coffee.

"Whoever is listening knows we're going after Greenwood." Ronnie talked between bites. "If he's part of this, he's going to try and stop us. What if we found something in his house that could pin him down? He couldn't risk that."

Everyone nodded. The team was on the same page. Nick looked at Selena and she smiled at him, just a little.

"If Greenwood is dirty," Lamont said, "he'll be waiting for us. He's got no reason to think we'd be looking for an ambush. If I were him, I'd have people waiting outside and inside. We should be able to spot them outside. Then we'd know he's part of this for sure."

Ronnie munched on a piece of bacon. "That would tell us he's one of the bad guys, It wouldn't get us inside his house."

"How about this," Nick said. "If he wants to play rough, he's got to do it out of sight, inside the house. You go out there like we planned. You check things out. You spot someone, plant a bug in his phone box outside, but don't go inside. Then drive away. He thinks you did what you came to do. Then we come back when he's not expecting us."

"That could work." Stephanie pushed her half eaten eggs aside. She made up her mind. "Lamont and Selena, you go as planned. We'll leave the bug in place in Elizabeth's office. We've got an advantage, now. They don't know that we know they're listening"

Carter looked at his watch. "I have to get ready to meet Rice. Steph, as soon as I'm out of there I'll call you."

"Elizabeth briefed the President on those emails we found on Dysart's computer. What I don't know is how he thinks it should be handled. Find out, Nick."