Part 4 (1/2)
”Fine. I'm sure you'll have no objection when I leave with Mr. Daniels's briefcase.”
”Actually, I'll mind a lot.”
”Aha.”
She looked annoyed. ”Let me remind you, Colonel, Clifford Daniels was a Pentagon employee. The contents inside his briefcase are possibly military property. It's my responsibility and my duty to secure it.”
”No, the contents are U.S. government property. The Supreme Court decided this issue long ago.”
”What are you talking about?”
”Big Dog vs. Small Dog. Famous precedent. I'm surprised you're unfamiliar with it.” She looked clueless, so I offered her a brief technical summary of the decision. ”When the big dog p.i.s.ses on a tree, the little dog gets lost.” Famous precedent. I'm surprised you're unfamiliar with it.” She looked clueless, so I offered her a brief technical summary of the decision. ”When the big dog p.i.s.ses on a tree, the little dog gets lost.”
She did not find this amusing. In fact, her eyes sort of narrowed and she said, ”I'm a law enforcement officer; you're not. That briefcase will will leave with me.” leave with me.”
”Not outside a military gate you're not, Major. Out here, you're just a lady who doesn't get the dress code.”
She cleared her throat. ”You're putting me on the spot.”
”You put yourself on the spot.”
”Don't get carried away by that civilian suit, Colonel,” she said with a hard stare. ”You're still a military officer. It would be a bad idea to get your loyalties twisted.”
”What does that mean?”
”Think about it.”
I leaned my b.u.t.t against the railing and thought about it. Though her face communicated other emotions, I sensed she was under considerable duress to bring home that briefcase. Like me, she might not have been told why, and also like me, she might only be guessing it was something important; I suspected otherwise, though. I said, ”I'll pretend you didn't say that.”
”Pretend what you like.”
I asked, ”Do you have reason to suspect there's sensitive or compromising material in Cliff Daniels's possession?”
”How would I know?”
”That's not the right answer, Major.”
She hesitated, probably tempted to say f.u.c.k you, but instead she suggested, ”Colonel, let's keep this friendly. Okay?”
”You made it unfriendly.” made it unfriendly.”
”I realize that. And that was a big mistake on my part.” She smiled warmly. ”Hey, I'm woman enough to admit it.” She stuck out her hand. ”I apologize. Come on--let's start over.”
”I'm enjoying where we're at right now.” I ignored her hand.
”Well . . . I'm not. I'm sure we can come to an accommodation. Just lose the att.i.tude. I don't respond well to overbearing men.”
”What do you respond to?”
”The same things you you should respond to. Duty, honor, country . . . the higher needs of the society we're both sworn to protect.” should respond to. Duty, honor, country . . . the higher needs of the society we're both sworn to protect.”
”No . . . seriously.”
She laughed. And I, too, laughed.
Indeed, this was an intriguing lady. Of course, it never pays to underestimate the compet.i.tion. Clearly Bian Tran was a fascinating and surprisingly complex woman--self-confident, forceful, spirited, and, I thought on a more contradictory note, sly, brazen, bawdy, and slightly cynical. Beneath that cool intelligence and soldierly veneer, I sensed, was a woman of considerable pa.s.sion, of suppressed spontaneity, of independent motives--qualities any smart female in the military keeps in check, if not repressed, if she wants a successful career.
It's a little strange. Here was this physically exotic Asian woman, and you expect her to exhibit the manners of the old country, to be inscrutable, demure, subservient to males, and all the rest of that misogynistic c.r.a.p the occidental male typically a.s.sociates with oriental ladies. This is why in the great and immutable melting pot of America, stereotypes are such dangerous stuff; they narrow your your frame of mind, and shape frame of mind, and shape your your reference and behavior. The object of that stereotype can stuff it up your b.u.t.t. reference and behavior. The object of that stereotype can stuff it up your b.u.t.t.
At any rate, this seemed like the right moment to put everything on the table. I informed her, ”Cliff Daniels was under watch by the FBI and CIA.”
She stared at me blankly.
I wasn't buying that and said, ”I think you already know this.”
”How would I know that?”
”You tell me.”
She looked annoyed. ”Maybe this conversation would move faster if you enlighten me.”
”Maybe it would, but I wasn't informed.”
”You weren't . . . You must have an idea?”
”I have better than an idea. Think of the one thing that brings these two brotherly agencies together.”
”Oh . . .” She did appear genuinely startled by this news, then said, ”Seriously, I had no idea.”
”Now you do. And as a cop, you're aware that espionage takes it out of the hands of the Defense Department and into the pockets of the FBI and CIA. That briefcase is leaving with me.”
She took a short moment and mentally explored her options. She had no options, but took a stab anyway and said, ”On one condition.”
”Did I give you the idea I'm asking for permission?”
”Just hear me out. Okay? Let's work out an arrangement.”
”I neither need, nor do I want . . . an arrangement.”
”Oh . . . yes, you do. We leave together with the briefcase, and we'll search it together.” She put a hand on my arm. ”This is a good deal for you. I'm both a military police officer and I'm a.s.signed to the Office of Special Investigations. Suppose we do find something inside that case. I can get to the bottom of it faster than you can.”
After a long moment, during which I made no response, she added, ”My office reports directly to the Secretary of Defense, and we play for keeps. When we ask, people answer.”
”Sounds like the Gestapo.”
She looked me in the eye. ”We're not that nice.” After a moment she handed me her cell phone. ”Call your boss. Tell him to cancel that call to the Pentagon.”
”Her.” I took her cell phone. ”Give me a moment. She's going to throw a fit.”
”Sounds like a tough woman.” She gave me a sympathetic look and added, ”I'll say it again . . . I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get you in hot water.”