The Target

Chapter 16

Robie woke first. There were no windows in the room so he had no idea what time it was. Their watches had been taken from them up on arrival. He slowly sat up and rubbed his aching head. He leaned over from the top bunk and saw Reel still sleeping in the lower berth.

Robie swallowed with difficulty and cringed when he tasted the remnants of the vomit still in his mouth and throat.

“Sucks, doesn’t it?”

He looked down again to see Reel staring up at him.

“Not something I’d want to go through every day.”

He swung his legs over the edge, dropped to the floor, and sat down on her bunk. She curled up her legs to give him room.

“To what purpose?” she asked. “They couldn’t really believe we’d sign a confession.”

Robie looked up at the listening device, but Reel shook her head. “I don’t care if they hear.” She sat up and said in a loud voice, “Not confessing to jack shit!”

She looked back at Robie, who was smiling.

“What?” she demanded.

“Nothing. Well, I just like your subtle style, Jessica.”

She started to snap something back, but then stopped. And laughed.

He joined in for a few seconds.

And then they both grew quiet as footsteps approached.

The door opened and both of them immediately drew back, balled tight, hands up, reflexes ready. Taking them again would require a fight.

However, only Evan Tucker stood there.

Robie shot Reel a glance. Her look was so ferocious that he was afraid she was about to attack the DCI. He was actually putting out his arm to forestall this when she said, “Good morning, Director. Did you have a nice sleep last night? We did. Best in years.”

Tucker managed a tight smile at this comment and then sat down in the chair opposite them. His suit was wrinkled and the collar of his shirt was slightly grimy, as though his journey here had not exactly been at first-class levels.

“I know what happened to you last night. I ordered it.”

“Good to know,” said Robie. “So is that a confession? Because I thought the use of waterboarding was illegal.”

“It is illegal for purposes of interrogation on detainees. Neither of you are detainees and it was not done for interrogation purposes.”

“We were asked to sign confessions,” Reel pointed out.

“A subterfuge only. There were no confessions for you to sign.”

“That’s not what the guy said last night. And the terms of the confession he recited were pretty specific,” noted Robie.

“He had his script and he stuck to it. But there was no confession.”

“So what was the point of the thing, then?” demanded Reel.

“To see if you two can still cut it. The mission you’re to be deployed on entails the risk of being caught. And the enemy is known to use waterboarding among other interrogation tools to break prisoners. It’s not all about being able to shoot straight.”

“And so this had nothing to do with the hard-on you have for me, Director?” said Reel. “You really expect us to believe that?”

“I don’t care what you believe or don’t believe. I’ve made my position on you very clear. You murdered two of my people and got off scot free. I think that stinks. I think you should be in jail, but it’s not my call. I still have my job to do and so do you. My job is to keep this country safe against outside threats. You two are tools that I have at my disposal. I will deploy you as necessary. If I think it wise to push your butts to the wall and then through it, I will do so. If you feel you can’t cut it, then you can tell me right now and we cut out all this bullshit.”

He stopped talking and looked at them expectantly.

“And if we want out?” said Robie.

“Then that can be made to happen. But chances are very good that your partner will be prosecuted for murder. And you as an accessory.”

“So if we stay in and maybe get killed, either by the other side or our own people, we don’t end up in court?” said Reel.

“Did you really expect anything more generous than that?” said Tucker skeptically. “You want to begin to wipe the slate clean of what you did, then suck it up, finish up here, and successfully execute the upcoming mission. If you want to cut and run, then that’s a whole other ball game. Your choice. But make it now. I don’t have time to waste.”

“Is that why you’re here?” asked Robie. “To deliver the ultimatum?”

“No, I’m here to finally lay to rest any misconception you two might have about my motives. You were not sent here to be killed. I’m far too busy to even have time to think about something like that. The fact is, in the grand scheme of things none of us is that important. Now, we have an opportunity to do something that will make the world a far better, far safer place. I need to know that you’re with me on this one thousand percent, or I have no use for you at all. Again, your decision. And again, I need it now.”

He once more quieted and looked at them.

Robie was the first to speak. “I’m in.”

Reel nodded. “Me too.”

“Glad to hear it.” Tucker rose, opened the door, and was gone.

Before Reel and Robie could even say a word they heard the sounds of someone else approaching.

A few moments later an orderly wheeled a cart in. It was loaded with breakfast foods and a carafe of coffee. Another orderly brought in two foldable chairs. They set up the table, laid out the food and coffee, and departed.

Reel and Robie had not moved the entire time. Finally, they looked at each other.

“You think there’s cyanide in it?” he asked.

“I don’t care. I’m starving.”

They rose, sat down in the chairs, and attacked the food and drank down the hot coffee. They said nothing as they devoured the meal.

Then they sat back looking both satisfied and energized.

Reel said, “You can never overestimate the effect of a good meal on one’s spirits.”

“Yeah, but maybe it’s just that they’re fattening the calf before leading it to slaughter.”

“So that was our last meal before execution?”

“Wish I could tell you one way or another,” Robie replied. “Before Tucker showed up, I was pretty sure we were done for. Now I’m not so sure.”

“Strange he came all this way to tell us something we already knew.”

“You think he was sincere?”

“Give me a break. He was lying his ass off.”

“For what reason?” asked Robie.

“Spies lie. And he’s probably covering his butt on the waterboarding thing.”

“Did he need to? It’s not like we belong to a union and can file a grievance.”

Footsteps sounded again, and each of them instinctively gripped the knives next to their plates. However, it was merely the orderly retrieving the table. Another escort was with him. He led them to the showers, where they cleaned up and changed into fresh clothes.

As they were walked back to their room Reel whispered into Robie’s ear, “This is freaking me out more than the waterboarding. Why are they being nice to us?”

Robie whispered back, “Maybe Tucker gave the word.”

“Like I believe that.”

Four hours passed before someone came for them again. They were told to change into running gear. Then they were taken by Jeep to a remote part of the facility, deep within the forest, and dropped off.

The weather wasn’t bad. In the forties, a little overcast, but the sun was high in the sky and warming. Robie calculated it was about two o’clock in the afternoon.

After the vehicle drove off, someone stepped onto the path from behind some trees. They turned to see who it was.

Amanda Marks stood there wearing a running suit and Nikes.

“I trust you’re well fed and rested?” she said.

“And clean,” said Reel. “Let’s not forget that.”

“Then let’s take a run, shall we?” Without waiting for their answer, Marks turned and jogged off.

Robie and Reel glanced confusedly at one another before joining her, he on the right, she on the left.

“So did you know Tucker was coming down today?” asked Reel.

“At the last minute. What did he want to talk to you about?”

“You mean he didn’t tell you?” asked Robie.

“If he had I wouldn’t be asking you.”

“He wanted to let us know our being here was not part of a personal vendetta. He said we were waterboarded not in order to facilitate a confession, because there was no such thing, but rather to make sure we could withstand it in case we were captured.”

“And did you believe him?” asked Marks.

“Would you?” Reel shot back.

“I don’t know. I really don’t. He’s a more complicated person than I initially thought.”

“I don’t trust him,” said Reel.

“If I were in your position, I wouldn’t trust him either,” replied Marks.

Reel said, “I take it the food and rest and showers were your doing?”

“Well, they certainly weren’t the DCI’s, or Andrew Viola’s initiative.”

“Viola,” said a surprised Reel. “He’s involved in this?”

“I thought you would have recognized his voice at the little waterboarding session. You two overlapped here, right? And I know you were in the field with him on a couple of missions.”

“That’s right, but I didn’t recognize the voice.”

“Probably had your mind on other things,” said Marks dryly. She looked at Robie. “Do you know Viola?”

“Only by reputation. He’s really good.”

“Rock-solid warrior who never wavers from the playbook,” replied Marks.

Reel and Robie exchanged a quick glance. Reel said, “Is that why we’re out here jogging in the middle of the forest? So we can talk candidly?”

“Let me put it this way. I already ran ten miles this morning. So from a physical fitness point of view there’s no reason for me to be out here.”

“So Viola is a team player,” said Robie.

“And you’re not?” added Reel.

“Didn’t say that,” replied Marks. “I am a team player.”

“And the little near-drowning session last night?” noted Reel.

“Not my call. And I wasn’t picked to run it. That’s where Viola stepped in.”

“Surprised I hadn’t seen him at the facility before,” said Reel inquiringly.

“He was just called back in from temp duty elsewhere,” answered Marks.

“By Evan Tucker?” asked Robie, swinging his arms loosely and popping his neck as they ran along at a comfortable pace.

“Don’t know for sure, but I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if that were the case. Viola is a high-level asset. He wouldn’t be called in by a midlevel grunt. And I certainly didn’t do it as the DD.”

“So why wouldn’t Tucker rely on you to do the dirty work?” Robie wanted to know.

Reel added, “Did you refuse to waterboard us?”

Marks ran along for another thirty feet before answering. “He never asked me to.”

“And if he had?” Reel persisted. “What would you have done?”

“I never agreed with torturing bad guys, much less our own agents.”

“Well, undoubtedly Tucker was aware of that,” said Robie. “And didn’t bother to ask you to do it. Obviously, Viola had no issue with doing it.”

“No, he didn’t. He would never decline to execute a direct order. He’s not wired that way.”

“But how could Tucker ever expect us to sign a confession?” said Reel. “Even if we were tortured?”

“He’s not really CIA,” answered Robie. “He was never in the intelligence field. His appointment to head up CIA was a political payback. He probably thought waterboarding works on everyone.”

“As if a coerced confession is valid,” noted Reel. “And he wanted us to sign it, despite the bullshit he tried to feed us back there.”

“I don’t think he was going to use it in a court of law,” said Marks.

Reel shot her a glance. “What, then?”

Robie answered. “Probably proof to the president that we were bad guys.”

Marks added, “And maybe the president signs off on your official termination. Not the kind where you clear out your desk and are escorted to the exit.”

“If Tucker thought that was going to happen and he’s running CIA, America is in a world of trouble,” observed Reel.

“I don’t know,” said Robie. “Maybe he just wanted to kill us.”

“He might just want us to feel the pain,” said Reel.

“Mission accomplished there,” said Robie.

Reel stopped running and the others pulled up and looked at her.

“Which brings us back to the question of why you’re doing what you’re doing, Deputy Director,” she said.

Marks jogged in place, keeping her body warm and loose. “I’m a team player, Reel, make no mistake about that.”

“But?”

“But I draw the line at certain things. Waterboarding our own is one of those things.”

“Anything else?”

“Tucker said he wanted me to push you right to your limit and then beyond. He really wanted to see if you were fit for duty and redeployment. Either you could cut it or not. I assumed that was his goal. To find that out.”

“And now?”

“And now I don’t know. His instructions had undertones that maybe he didn’t want you to see the outside of this place again.”

“And you chose to, what, ignore them?” said Reel.

“I chose to think he couldn’t mean that,” said Marks.

“Or convinced yourself that he couldn’t,” said Robie.

Marks started to run again and the pair followed her.

“So where does all this leave us?” asked Reel.

“I don’t know,” admitted Marks. “But I can tell you that from now on I will train with you.”

“Why?” asked Robie.

“To be our guardian?” suggested Reel.

“I’m just going to train with you.”

“This is not your problem or your fight, DD,” said Robie. “Don’t hang your career on this. You don’t deserve the possible fallout.”

“I’m the DD, as you pointed out, Robie. And the DD is responsible for her assets in the field. Well, you two are part of those assets and it’s my responsibility to look out for you.”

“So you’re setting yourself up for a pissing contest with Evan Tucker over this?” exclaimed Reel. “Number one against two has a predetermined outcome.”

“Maybe,” replied Marks cryptically. “But then number twos tend to try harder.”

Reel said, “You looking to make an enemy of Tucker?”

“I’m not intentionally making an enemy of anyone. What I’m trying to do is my job.”

“I thought your job was to follow orders,” said Robie.

“My job is to perform my duties as a DD to the best of my abilities. I intend to do just that.”

She picked up her pace, leaving the pair of them behind by about ten yards. This seemed to be intentional to allow them to discuss what she had just said.

“You think she’s on the up-and-up, or is she pretending to be our friend for some ulterior reason?” said Reel.

“I don’t know. She seems sincere. And why the need to be our friend? She’s got us here. She can do what she wants with us.”

“And it’s not like she’s asked us to do anything,” said Reel thoughtfully.

“Not yet,” corrected Robie.

“So what do we do?”

“We let it play out. I think that’s all we can do.”

“And if she is on the up-and-up?”

“Then I hope she doesn’t end up being collateral damage. Because I don’t think Evan Tucker cares who gets in the way or who gets hurt.”

Reel slowed down and then stopped.

He came back to her. “What is it?”

“Robie, I’m putting everyone in danger. You, her, Julie, anyone associated with me.”

“Don’t be stupid.”

“You just said it! Anyone who gets in his way. In his way to get to me. Because, let’s face it, I’m the one he really wants.”

“So what?”

“So I need to go this alone, Robie.”

“Go it alone? Against the CIA?”

“I’m not putting you or anyone else in danger. Any more danger. I’ve nearly gotten you killed more times than I can count.”

“Do you remember what I told you while we were standing in the rain, Jessica?”

“I know that, but—”

“I’ve never said that to anyone else. Ever.”

At his words Reel’s eyes glimmered, and she seemed taken aback, but quickly regrouped.

“But this is not survivable, Robie. They waterboarded us last night. What’s next? A firing squad?”

“Whatever it is, we’ll take it on together. That way we double our chances of survival.”

“No, we just double the potential number of casualties.”

“Let’s go. Marks gets too far ahead she might hold back dessert tonight as punishment.”

Robie ran off. Reel waited a few more seconds and then shook her head and ran hard to catch up. But the worried look in her eyes remained.