Part 10 (1/2)
1:53:46 P.M. EDT.
Newark General Hospital Tony Almeida folded his arms as the doctor briefed him. The physician was young, barely out of residency, but from his att.i.tude, Tony sensed the man had already seen it all. While he spoke, the diminutive Asian American peered through the door, at the woman stretched out on the hospital bed.
”Ms. Foy's car was broadsided by a pickup truck,” Dr. Lei said. ”A stolen pickup truck, according to the police. She has seven st.i.tches above her hairline to close a gash in her head. I've just checked the X-rays and there's no sign of a fracture, so at worst she's suffering from a concussion. That's the extent of her injuries, except for a few bruised ribs.
”She was fortunate, Mr. Almeida. Very fortunate. The air bag saved her life. I'm keeping her here overnight, for observation, but I'll most likely sign her release papers in the morning.”
Tony nodded. ”I need to speak with her immediately.”
Dr. Lei shrugged. ”She's on pain management, but otherwise she's alert. Just try not to get her too excited.”
”Got it, doc,” Tony replied. Dr. Lei moved on to his next patient.
Tony signaled Rachel Delgado, who was waiting at the nurses' station. They entered the room together.
Judith Foy appeared small and pale and frail on the huge hospital bed. Her head was propped, and an IV tube ran from a bottle into her arm. Her s.h.a.ggy red hair stuck out from under the bandages wound around her head. Tony noticed some swelling around her nose and eyes - probably the results of the air bag deployment.
”Deputy Director Foy. I need to speak with you,” Tony began.
The woman's eyes narrowed. ”Who the h.e.l.l are you?” she demanded in a surprisingly strong voice.
”My name's Almeida. I'm from CTU.”
”Then why haven't I ever seen you before?”
”I'm from Los Angeles Headquarters.”
”Oh, right. The consultants from the West Coast.” The woman's deep azure eyes drifted to Rachel Delgado. ”I've seen you before.”
Rachel nodded. ”At the orientation meeting a few weeks ago, Deputy Director. That was during our first tour of the new facility.”
”Delgado, right? You're in Security.”
Rachel nodded.
”I need to speak with you,” Tony said. ”About the ongoing operation that you and Director Holman are involved in. The rogue rogue operation.” operation.”
The woman s.h.i.+fted in her bed. ”I don't know what you're talking about,” she said evenly.
”We know that it involves the New Jersey settlement called Kurmastan,” Tony continued. 'We know at least two agents from another government agency are involved - illegally involved.”
Judith Foy's eyes s.h.i.+fted like a trapped animal. Then she faced Tony. ”I'll talk,” she said. ”But only to you. Agent Delgado has to go.”
”Agent Delgado is a security agent from your own division.”
”She's out, now, now, or you both can leave and I'll do my talking to a lawyer. It's up to you.” Judith Foy crossed her arms and turned her head, to stare out the window. or you both can leave and I'll do my talking to a lawyer. It's up to you.” Judith Foy crossed her arms and turned her head, to stare out the window.
”I'll be at the nurses' station,” Rachel said.
When she was gone, Tony closed the door behind her and returned to the side of the bed. Deputy Director Foy looked up. Tony could see the pain and trauma etched on her face.
”I'm sorry I had to do that, but I'm taking orders directly from Brice Holman,” Judith Foy began. ”Holman told me not to trust anyone at CTU New York. He said there were several security breaches at our temporary offices in Battery Park. And then last week, when Holman transferred his files to the new mainframe, there was an attempt to raid his personal database and crack his private surveillance files.”
She touched her head, winced. ”After that, Brice added many levels of additional locks to thwart more attacks.”
”That's all you know?” Tony asked suspiciously.
”There have been other leaks...”
Her voice trailed off when she saw the doubt on Tony's face. ”You don't believe me,” she said.
”Who are the agents you're working with?”
Judith Foy seemed to ponder Tony's question, then nodded as if she'd made up her mind about something.
”Their names are Jason Emmerick and Douglas Leight. They both work out of the New York office of the FBI.”
”Where are they now?”
”I have no idea.”
Tony frowned. ”Where is Brice Holman?”
She shook her head. ”I couldn't tell you.”
”Why were you in Newark today?”
Judith Foy told Tony about the two men who arrived on the flight out of Montreal, how she and the FBI agents followed the men when they split up - she on the tail of one car, Emmerick and Leight on the other.
”How did you know these men were coming to the United States in the first place?” Tony asked.
”The FBI picked up some chatter between Ibrahim Noor and a guy named Fars.h.i.+d Amadani, a.k.a. the Hawk. Amadani is a known terrorist and a paramilitary instructor. Lately he's been acting as sort of go-between for the Warriors of G.o.d. The big guys, Ibrahim Noor and al Sallifi himself, never leave the compound. It was Special Agent Emmerick who pa.s.sed the intelligence on to Brice and me.”
”Do you know the names of the two men who got off the airplane?” Tony asked.
”One was Amadani himself, whom - surprise, surprise - we didn't even know was coming back to the country. The other man was traveling under the name Faoud S. Mubajii, supposedly from Quebec. But that ident.i.ty could be a phony. I didn't have time to run a check on him.”
Tony sensed anger and frustration in the woman's voice; he also believed she was telling the truth, though it wasn't his call to make.
”Can you describe him?” Tony asked.
”I can do better than that,” she replied. ”I shot pictures - even some close-ups - at the airport this morning. The digital camera is in my purse, which was in my car...”
”Then it's in the hospital property room,” Tony said.
”Get it, Agent Almeida. Before someone else does.”