Part 24 (2/2)
”Here's a no-risk solution. Drop a bomb down his chimney. No more bin Pacha and and we'll all be alive to talk about it. What's not to like?” we'll all be alive to talk about it. What's not to like?”
Bian said, ”Why are we debating this? Temporarily interrupting Zarqawi's supply of funds accomplishes nothing. He'll replace bin Pacha, who, anyway, surely has an understudy or backup. These are not stupid people--they do not run a sloppy operation. I know. I was there.”
”But--”
”But if we capture bin Pacha, who knows what he can reveal?” She looked at me. ”You don't understand the nature of this war. It's not about cities captured or terrain held. It's different. It's about people, important people who are key to the enemy's operation. The moneymen, the chief planners, the bomb makers. Take them out of commission, find out what they know, and you strike a crippling blow to the insurgency.”
She looked at me to be sure I understood. She said, ”Neither his money sources nor Zarqawi will be located if he's dead. That's what we want to accomplish, isn't it? Get Zarqawi. Find out who's providing the funds and terminate their support.”
”How about if we're we're terminated?” terminated?”
She replied, ”That's not your problem. You're not going.”
”Good point.”
She looked at Phyllis and suggested in a tone I found insultingly dismissive, ”We don't need him anymore. I can handle this.”
Phyllis avoided my eyes. ”You're right. Sean, show yourself out. Everything we discuss from here on is need-to-know only.” She added, ”Needless to say--”
”If word leaks, you'll mount my b.a.l.l.s on your wall.”
She pointed at a spot on the wall and said, ”Right there. Only three of us are in the know. You understand--a leak of any type would be ridiculously easy to narrow down to its source.”
”I know my responsibility, Phyllis, and I do it.”
I stood. My eyes s.h.i.+fted from Phyllis, who was being her typically inscrutable self, then to Bian, who refused to make eye contact.
Somebody had to say something, and after an awkward pause, Bian said, ”It was nice working with you, Sean. If I ever . . .” She smiled weakly. ”Well, if I ever need a lawyer, I hope you would agree to represent me.”
”Follow through with this, and you will will need a lawyer.” need a lawyer.”
She did not reply.
I took two steps toward the door and stopped. I didn't like the way this was ending. I knew they wouldn't listen, but I needed to make one more try. I mean, I understood why Phyllis thought this was a good idea; conspiracy, double crosses, and deception are like oxygen to these people. But Bian? What was she thinking?
I spun around and told Bian, ”Waterbury isn't going to let you do this. You know that.”
Phyllis informed us, ”Leave Waterbury to me. I'm sure I can persuade him it's in his, and in the Pentagon's, best interest to loan us Bian.”
”You'll blackmail him.”
”Whatever.”
I said to Bian, ”Is this about Mark?”
”What?”
”You heard me.”
”Leave him out of this.”
We stared at each other a moment. She was giving me that look women give when they wake up beside a complete stranger. ”I'm right,” I told her. ”You believe you owe this to Mark.”
”You have no idea what you're talking about.”
”You did your tour, Bian. It's his turn in the box. Were he here, I'm sure he'd tell you the same thing.”
”How do you know what he would tell me?”
”Because if he's half the man I think he is . . .” Actually, even I couldn't complete that hackneyed cliche. I leaned across the table and got about two inches from her face. ”You've already done your part.”
”I didn't know there was a limit to how much duty you owe your country.”
”Duty, no. Stupidity, yes.” I pointed at Phyllis. ”She's manipulating you.”
”I know what's happening here.”
”I don't think you do.”
”I . . . yes, I do. Better than you.”
”Then you would know there are other ways to handle this. And you know what? Some even make sense.”
”That's not even an option,” Bian replied. ”If Daniels's stupidity is exposed to the public, it will blow the lid off the war. We'll be the laughingstock of the world. The entire coalition will run from Iraq. All those lives wasted . . . I won't let that be on my conscience.”
Phyllis stood and approached me. She tapped a finger on her watch and said, ”You've had your say. There's a great deal to get done, and not much time to do it. Please see yourself out.”
I turned around and headed toward the door. No way was I going to become involved with this. I had had my say, and my conscience was clean. My actions would look good in front of the eventual in quest that would inevitably result from this stupid idea, too.
I turned around again and I sat.
Bian studied me a moment. ”I don't need your chivalry.”
”How about my idiocy?”
”I mean it, Sean. I'm not some helpless damsel in need of some misguided white knight.”
”This isn't about you.”
”Then--”
I pointed at Phyllis. ”I'm going to keep an eye on her.”
Phyllis smiled. I knew she had expected this outcome; I hate being so predictable, and I decided not to give her the satisfaction of knowing how much that p.i.s.sed me off. I smiled back.
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