Blue Gold

Chapter 23

CIA director Erwin LeGrand beamed proudly as his fourteen-year-old daughter, Katherine, trotted over on the back of her chestnut gelding. She slipped out of the saddle and presented her father with the trophy for first place, English style.

"This is for your office, Dad," she said with excitement in her cornflower-blue eyes. "It's for being the best father in the world. You're the one who bought me Val and paid for all those expensive riding lessons."

LeGrand took the trophy and put his arm around his daughter's shoulders, thinking how much she looked like her mother. "Thank you, Katie, but I wasn't the one who worked so hard to show Valiant who's boss." He smiled. "I'll only take it on the condition that it's on loan. As soon as I've bragged to everyone at the agency, it's going back in your trophy case with the others."

LeGrand's pride was mixed with guilt. True, he had sup ported his daughter's love for riding financially, but this was the first event he had attended in years. The country club photographer came over, and LeGrand posed with his daughter and her horse, wishing as he did that his wife were still alive to make the picture complete.

Katie led Val back to the stable, and LeGrand ambled across the field, chatting with his assistant, a plain but extremely intelligent woman named Hester Leonard. LeGrand was sometimes likened in press reports to a beardless Lincoln, a comparison based on his reputation for honesty and his resemblance to the sixteenth president. He was tall and homely, but there was no mistaking the character etched into his large features. He had earned a reputation for integrity in running the world's largest intelligence-gathering organization, and in another age with no TV and sound bites, he would have been considered seriously as a candidate for president.

Leonard's cell phone buzzed, and she put it to her ear. "Sir," she said hesitantly, "call for you from Langley."

LeGrand scowled, muttering under his breath about no peace for the wicked. He made no motion to take the phone. "Didn't I ask that I not be disturbed for two hours while I was in McLean unless it was extremely urgent?"

"It's John Rowland, and he says it is of utmost importance."

"Rowland? Well, in that case. . . " He took the phone and stuck it in his ear. "Hello, John," he said, frown changing to a smile. "No apology needed. You're just in time to hear the good news. Katie won first place in English riding at the country club…. Thank you. Now, what's so important that it interrupts possibly the most important moment of Katie's life?"

LeGrand's brow furrowed. "No, I've never heard of it . . . yes, of course . . . wait for me in my office."

He handed the phone to his aide, looked at the trophy, and shook his head. "Tell the car to come around and pick me up immediately at the stable. We've got to get back to Langley immediately. Then put a call in to my office and tell them to render any assistance that John Rowland asks for. I've got to say my good-byes and make amends. Hell, this will probably cost me another horse." He loped off to offer his apologies to his daughter.

Twenty minutes later the black limo squealed to a halt in front of CIA headquarters. LeGrand got out, striding through the lobby on his long legs. An assistant met him inside the door. He snatched the folder from his aide's hand and scanned the material in the elevator. Moments later he stepped into his office. John Rowland was waiting with a nervous young man he introduced as a fellow analyst named Browning.

Rowland and the director shook hands like the old friends they were. Years before, both were at the same level in the agency. But LeGrand had political ambition and the drive to climb to the top of the ladder. Rowland was content to stay in his post where he was known as a mentor for the young analysts coming through the ranks. LeGrand put unquestioning faith in Rowland, who on more than one occasion had saved his boss from stepping into a cow flap.

"I just read the material you got off the database. What's your take on it?"

Rowland lost no time outlining his analysis.

"This thing can't be stopped?" LeGrand said.

"The protocol has been activated. The sanction will be carried out to the end."

"Damn! Heads are going to roll when I'm through. Who's the target?"

Rowland handed him a sheet of paper. LeGrand read the name on it, and the color drained from his face.

"Call the Secret Service. Tell them we've learned of an assassination plot against the speaker of the House. He needs protection immediately. Dear God," he said. "Can anyone tell me how something like this happens?"

"We're going to have to do some digging to get all the de tails," Rowland said. "We only know that the protocol was triggered by simultaneous queries to the intelligence-gathering community that came from the National Underwater amp; Marine Agency."

"NUMA?" The air over LeGrand's head crackled blue as he gave an impressive demonstration of his renowned skill for inventive expletive. He slammed his big hand down on the desk with enough force to topple the pen from its holder and yelled at the nearest assistant. "Get James Sandecker on the phone."