The Solomon Scroll

CHAPTER 9

DCI Clarence Hood shook hands with his new Director of Clandestine Operations.

"Congratulations, Lucas."

The official Langley photographer snapped a few quick pictures. It wasn't every day that one of the four major directorates at Langley got a new boss. The DCO oversaw all of the secretive operations carried out by Langley's vast intelligence apparatus.

At first glance there was nothing in particular about Lucas Monroe to draw attention. He was of medium height, with skin the color of dark chocolate. It was his eyes that hinted at something best left undisturbed. There were hard lines around them, as if they'd seen more than they wanted to. He wore a gray jacket and dark slacks. The jacket concealed a pistol in a shoulder holster under his left arm.

It was an old habit to keep it with him, even though he no longer had as much need for it. Lucas had been a field agent for years, his exploits already the stuff of legend at Langley. He'd earned his new job the hard way, with smart decisions and a large helping of balls. He was the first black man to hold down one of the major directorates.

"That will do it, Clark."

"Yes, sir." The photographer left the room.

Hood gestured at a pair of leather armchairs in the corner of his office.

"Care for a drink? You've earned it. Come to think of it, so have I."

Hood's voice was mellow, touched with the soft accent of his southern birth. He was a tall man, almost cadaverous. The bones of his face stood out under pale skin lined with more than thirty years of service as a spy. He'd been appointed Director of Central Intelligence by President Rice after the apparent suicide of his predecessor.

"This is a special cask reserve from Kentucky," Hood said. "Best damn bourbon I ever had."

Hood poured two generous shots from a cut crystal decanter and handed one to Lucas.

"Confusion to our enemies," Hood said. They drank.

The two men sat down. Hood's office took up one corner of the seventh floor in the old headquarters building. From where they sat, they could look out over the rolling hills of Virginia, where the remnants of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia had retreated before Grant's forces in the final days of the Civil War.

"You're starting with a full plate," Hood said.

"It's always a full plate. At least it has been as long as I've been here."

"Now that you're DCO, you'll find there are some who resent your promotion. Some because they're jealous, some because of the color of your skin."

"That won't be anything new," Lucas said. "Thanks for the heads up. I can handle it."

"I know that. One thing you've got going for you is your reputation as an agent. The experienced operatives respect that and they'll respect you. The problems are going to come from people who haven't been through the fire like you have. I'm not telling you anything you don't already know."

"I can handle it," Lucas said again. He changed the subject. "There are several ongoing operations I've been tracking. I don't see any immediate problems. I'm more concerned with new developments, especially that scroll that turned up in France."

"Yes, that could be a problem." Hood sipped his drink.

"I'm making it a priority," Lucas said. "I've seen the x-rays and translation. The word is spreading fast. If what's on that scroll is true, it could trigger a war over there. The Israelis, the Saudis and every cutthroat in the Middle East will be after that treasure. It's bound to lead to confrontations. We need to find out who took it. I have a lead but I need more information."

"You've identified who is behind it?" Hood asked.

"We traced the chemical signature of the Semtex used to blow up the train. It came from a lot that went missing during the Bosnian war. We tracked that to a black-market arms dealer in Lebanon. I think we should have a conversation with him."

"What do you intend to do?"

"That's something I want to talk to you about. I'm concerned about leaks. Someone here has been talking to the media when they shouldn't. The last thing we need is the press thinking we have anything to do with that train wreck. I have an idea that might bypass that particular problem."

"Yes?"

"I'd like to use Harker's group, instead of our people. Until I can find and plug the leak, I want to keep this under wraps."

Hood raised an eyebrow. "I can see how it might be an advantage to take it out of house but you're engaged to Harker's deputy. You don't think it's a conflict of interest?"

"Stephanie's clearance is as high as mine. She understands the game. It's not like I'm going to be telling her or Harker what to do. That wouldn't work out well."

Hood laughed. "No, I don't think it would. Harker doesn't like people telling her what to do."

"Neither does Stephanie. We'll need the president's authorization to do it that way. You're on good terms with him. I thought I'd talk to Harker and perhaps you could handle the White House."

"Now I see why you're the right choice for the job," Hood said.