CHAPTER 77
THERE WAS NO ONE LEFT STANDING after the NIC chief found out about an unauthorized operation that had cost him his sole asset in the biggest counterintelligence investigation of his brief career as the nation’s head spy. If Weaver could have issued a hit on Stone, Chapman and Ashburn and gotten away with it, he would have. Even Sir James McElroy, who immediately owned up to his part in the fiasco, was not spared.
When Stone and Chapman met with him later at the British embassy McElroy looked older and frailer than before. The spark that was usually in his eye had receded. Chapman looked crushed at having let the man down. Stone’s expression was unfathomable. There were few who could discern the smoldering anger wi
thin him.
“No leads on the shooter?” asked McElroy quietly as he held his side tightly.
Chapman answered, “None. By the time the FBI got there the sniper was long gone. There’s a road near the location. Takes a minute for a car to disappear into a dozen different directions.”
“Well, MI6 has been officially taken off the case,” said McElroy. He looked at Chapman. “I’m on the next flight out. Care to ride with me?”
Chapman glanced at Stone, who was looking at the wall, obviously lost in thought.
“If I could follow you a bit later, sir, just to wrap up a few things here.”
McElroy said, “Could you excuse us for a minute, Mary?”
Chapman shot Stone another look and quickly left the room.
When the door closed Stone focused on the Brit.
“Quite a cock-up,” said McElroy.
“Quite.”
“I still believe it was worth the effort. The status quo was letting people die left and right.”
“Well, we just added another to that list.”
“Now that Turkekul is gone the matter might be closed.”
Stone sat down across from him. “How so?”
“Turkekul was their point man.”
“If so, why kill him?”
“You flushed him out.”
“How did they know I did?”
McElroy spread his hands. “How have these chaps known anything? They just do.”
“My commission has been revoked,” said Stone. “The president’s loyalties have their limits. Not that I can blame him.”
“How about our FBI agent?”
“Ashburn? Couple black marks and a desk job for a while. She was smart enough to get some backing higher up before this all went down. Her landing will be relatively soft. But it’s still not what she wanted to happen.”
“Of course not.” McElroy patted Stone on the shoulder. “It’s no use sitting around lamenting about things we can’t change. Some missions go according to plan and everyone’s happy. And some unfortunately don’t.”
“Well, I’m not convinced this mission is over yet.”
“It is for us, Oliver. I’ve been known to buck the system on occasion. Last night was one of those occasions. But I also know when to toss in the towel. Otherwise I wouldn’t have lasted this long.”
He rose, holding on to the table for support. Stone looked up at him.
“Maybe it’s true. Even though I was the one who said it, I’m not sure I really believed it.”
“What?”
“That I’m not what I once was.”
“None of us are, Oliver. None of us are.”
After McElroy left, Chapman came back in and sat down next to Stone.
“I thought it was a good try, and for what it’s worth I’d do it again,” she said. “Better than sitting on our hands looking for somebody else to do something.”
“Thanks,” Stone said curtly. “So what do you have to wrap up over here that you’re not flying back with your boss?”
“I’m not sure. I thought you could tell me.”
Stone cocked his head. “Not following.”
“You’re not going to just leave it like this, are you?”
“What else am I supposed to do? I’m officially out of the investigation.”
“Officially just means technically. And from what I’ve seen of how you operate, technicalities don’t matter much.”
“I screwed up big-time. Weaver is trying to figure out a way to put me behind bars.”
“Forget him. We still have a case to solve. Because I don’t think Turkekul going down means anything.”
Stone now looked interested. “What do you mean?”
“Come on, I was eavesdropping at the door. I heard you tell Sir James that you didn’t believe the mission was over.”
“I don’t. I just don’t see how much good I can do.”
“Because you’re not what you were?”
“You really were listening at the keyhole.”
“Yeah, I really was.”
Stone hesitated for a moment and then said, “I’m done, Mary. Fly back to London. Get the hell away from me. Right now, I’m professional poison. You’ve got a long career ahead of you.”
He rose to leave. She snagged his arm.
“John Carr would never walk away from this.”
“No, he wouldn’t. But I’m not John Carr. Not anymore.”
The door closed behind him.
CHAPTER 78
“I JUST CAME BY TO SAY I’m sorry.”
Stone was standing on the threshold of Marisa Friedman’s office in Jackson Place. The woman stared back at him. She was dressed in jeans, a T-shirt and sandals. Her hair was disheveled and there was a smudge of dirt on her left cheek. Over her shoulder Stone could see packing boxes.
“Okay,” she said. “But that wasn’t necessary. Op went wrong. Heads roll. That’s the nature of the beast. I anted in, and the pot went to someone else.”
“Unauthorized op,” Stone corrected her. “Because of me.”
She shrugged. “Doesn’t matter now, does it?”
“You moving?”
“Going out of business.”
“Higher orders?”
“It was never really my business to begin with. Uncle Sam was footing the bill. And keeping all the profits. If I’d really been in business for myself, I’d be retired on a cushy income by now.”
She fell silent and the two stared at each other. “I’ve got some fresh coffee brewing. You up for a cup?”
“All right, but I’m a little surprised you’re not pulling a gun on me instead.”
“Believe me, I thought about it.”
They sat at her desk. As Stone drank his coffee he said, “What now?”
“What now? Good question. My ticket got pulled.”
Stone’s mouth fell open. “Not permanently?”