Edge of Tomorrow (19 page)

“Like I said, we have unusual equipment at
our disposal. I’ll show some of it to you later,” answered Sara,
“if Hatch approves.”

“I see your point about politics now. When
countries can’t do the right thing because of international
political considerations, Lincoln’s Liberators—who don’t exist, of
course—can step in and make things right without starting a war,”
Syd said. “We in MOSSAD sure cheered the demise of those assholes,
even though we were never able to find out who did it, or how.”

“We would like to keep it that way. What was
done did not have any nation’s sanction, but if it were known that
Americans were involved, the U.S. would be blamed even though the
U.S. Government doesn’t know anything either,” said Hatch. “That’s
why mission success and secrecy is paramount. Officially, we know
nothing about the incident in Syria—or any others you might think
of if you tried.”

Several unexplained, unsolved incidents
flashed through Syd’s mind. She began to understand Hatch’s
reasoning about secret, apolitical action. If the incidents she was
thinking of were carried out by Lincoln’s Liberators, they were
very, very professional. She looked at Hatch and Sara in awe. Such
power they wielded! Now she understood why they didn’t want the FBI
involved in
The Blue Grotto
incident. They were
really
equipped to handle it themselves! Those poor Iranian fools
were over-matched against these people.

“I haven’t heard a word—officially,” promised
Syd.

“Now that you know some of our capabilities,
maybe you should call your sister and set things in motion. Sara,
would you please call Bruno and tell him our plan? I want 24-hour
surveillance on Karen, her house, and the San Francisco Airport,”
said Hatch.

Sara plucked her Blue Phone from her beach
bag and walked a few feet away to talk to Bruno. Hatch handed his
Blue Phone to Syd.

“Just push the
Dial
button and you will get a dial tone. Then
you can dial Karen.”

Sara returned to the table while Syd was
having an animated chat with her sister. She and Hatch munched on
finger food and drank in silence as Syd talked. Hatch noticed again
how radiant her smile was, and how gorgeous she looked.

Syd handed the phone back to Hatch.

“Well, she sounds great. She obviously
doesn’t suspect anything,” said Syd.

“Good,” said Hatch. “Now we wait. If you
don’t mind, Sara, you could get one of the vans and take Syd to her
place so she can pick up some of her things. You will accept our
hospitality for a while, won’t you, Syd?”

“If you don’t mind. I think I should stay low
until this is over,” responded Syd. “Also, I would like to see some
of your high-tech ‘equipment,’ if I’m allowed.”

“Sara and I can show you the ‘North Forty’
tomorrow. Sara, look the area over while you are at Syd’s place. I
want you familiar with the layout in case they show up here. It
will be your call on the take-down. Set it up with Bruno’s
team.”

“Gotcha. Let’s go change and head over
to your condo, Syd,” said Sara, rising. “Maybe you will get a
chance to actually
use
the
pool tomorrow.”

“See you both at dinner,” said Hatch. “I
think I’ll take a swim.”

Klaus Haus, Florida

Wednesday, August 1, 2001

6:00 P.M.

When Sara and Syd returned with a load of
personal things, clothes, and shoes from Syd’s condo, Maria the
maid helped them carry everything up to Syd’s suite and stow them
in the proper places. It was 6:00 P.M. by then.

“Dinner is at 7:00 P.M. You have time to
shower or soak in the tub if you want,” Sara informed Syd.

“What should I wear? It’s not formal, I
hope,” said Syd.

“No. Not unless we have a dignitary of some
sort. Mrs. C. frowns on shorts, however. You will gain points with
her if you wear one of the dresses she bought you,” answered Sara.
“Let’s see what she got for you.”

“Do I want to gain points?”

“It’s a good idea. She runs the house,
decides on the menus for meals, so if she likes you, you can get
special treatment if you need it. Better a friend than an
enemy.”

They went to the closet and found two dresses
that Mrs. Chamberlain had purchased. One was a peach color, the
other was black. They were not exactly cocktail dresses, but close.
Syd also had brought some of her good dresses from her condo.

“I suppose I can try them on and see how they
look on me. Otherwise, I have some that should do quite well. Thank
God we went and got my shoes. Although, those black heels she got
me look great! OK, I think I’ll go get cleaned up. Swing by and
pick me up on your way down. I’m not sure I could find the dining
room in this mansion,” Syd said.

“Right. See you in about fifty minutes.”

• • •

When Sara and Syd reached the open double
doors which led to a large dining room, Syd hesitated and looked
around the room. Sara went on in and joined Hatch and Bruno, who
were talking to a man Syd had not met. He had salt and pepper hair
with gray at the temples, and was about six feet tall. He took
Sara’s hand and greeted her like a long lost friend. Mrs.
Chamberlain was talking to a man in a chef’s hat and to Eddie, who,
like the chef, was dressed all in white. Syd imagined a symphony
conductor coordinating the string section with the brass. Mrs.
Chamberlain was dressed and coifed to the nines, the hem of her
long, dark-gray dress reaching the ankles of her polished black
boots.

Wow! That woman is something else! I think
the queen would be intimidated in her presence. I wonder if I’m
dressed all right. I must be; she picked the dress and shoes I’m
wearing!

Syd had chosen the black dress with spaghetti
straps. It came just below mid-thigh and the top showed a hint of
cleavage. She also wore the black heels that Mrs. Chamberlain had
chosen to go with the dress. The men in the room wore linen suits,
but none wore ties. She concluded that she was dressed
adequately.

A long table was set for six people and
looked as if Martha Stewart had dropped by. Syd took a big breath
and entered the room. All conversation stopped as they all looked
in her direction. She didn’t know whether to feel like a movie star
working a room, or a leper. The silence was over in a fleeting
second, and Hatch smiled at her and motioned her over to where his
group was.

“You look stunning, Syd! I want you to meet
Fred ‘Smitty’ Smith—no relation to Sara—who is our Chief Pilot at
LRD. That’s Lincoln Research and Development, in case you forgot.
Smitty, this lovely lady is Sydney Steppe. She’s a house guest for
awhile,” said a beaming Hatch, hoping he could keep her around for
a few days. Not only was he entranced by her, but his regular
“female companion” was an airline stewardess who lived in Miami,
and she was out of town for the next ten days. Hatch was in sore
need of a replacement.

Smitty took Syd’s hand and put it to his lips
as he did a small bow.

“I am absolutely charmed, Syd—if I may call
you that,” drawled Smitty in his Texan accent. “Where have you been
hiding this sweet thing, Hatch?”

“Calm down, Smitty! Remember, after dinner
you have to go home to your wife,” laughed Hatch.

“I’m very pleased to meet you, Smitty,”
replied Syd with an exaggerated curtsy while he still held her
hand.

Bruno chimed in, “Hi, Syd. You sure look a
lot better this evening.”

Syd was glowing inside. She was not used to
this kind of flattery from strangers. They were all making her feel
right at home. All she had to do now was pass muster with Mrs.
Chamberlain. At that point, Mrs. Chamberlain rang a small dinner
bell.

“All right everyone, Philippe has a delicious
meal prepared for us tonight. Shall we eat it before it gets cold?
We are honored to have guests this evening. Smitty, you must eat
with us more often. Next time, bring Annabelle. She must be tired
of cooking for you every night. And Syd, it is a delight to have
you share our meal with us. Please, come sit next to me so we may
get better acquainted.”

Mrs. Chamberlain was at one end of the table,
Hatch at the other. She indicated the chair on her left for Syd and
the one on her right for Smitty. Sara sat next to Smitty, Bruno
next to Syd.

“What’s on the menu tonight?” asked
Hatch.

“Philippe has prepared a prime rib in honor
of Smitty. We know how he loves his beef,” chortled Mrs.
Chamberlain. “You also have a choice of lemon chicken or sole
meuniere; baked potato or rice; and a selection of fresh
vegetables. And, of course, French fries for Smitty.”

They all laughed at that. Philippe had a
large serving cart on wheels, and he went from person to person
carving meat, serving chicken or fish, and other victuals as
selected by each diner. Syd had the fish, a baked potato, and fresh
steamed broccoli. A large, made-from-scratch Caesar salad was also
available. Eddie went around pouring wine, of which there were
several excellent selections. Syd opted for a very good Chardonnay.
The food and wine were definitely five star. There was subdued
conversation around the table as everyone began eating.

Hatch finally said, “Listen up people. Syd
has been briefed on LRD and the HRTs, and although there are a lot
of things I haven’t told her, you may discuss things in front of
her. I don’t want to hear any more discussion of the weather!”

With that announcement, the conversation
became livelier, although they all thought it was strange that a
non-employee had such clearance. It had never happened before.

Mrs. Chamberlain turned to Syd and said, “I’m
glad you wore that dress, dear. I was trying to picture it on you.
You look simply divine! I hear you will be staying with us for
awhile. Please tell me if there is anything I can do to make your
stay as pleasant as possible.”

Sara was right! Wearing this dress gained me
some brownie points with her.

“Why thank you, Mrs. C. You look absolutely
elegant yourself. Maybe you can give me a few pointers on fashion
sometime. I’ve been in the Middle East for so long, I admit that
I’m a little behind the times in what’s in and what’s not,” said
Syd, smiling sweetly.

“I would be delighted to, dear!” answered
Mrs. Chamberlain, beaming.

Smitty looked up from his slab of prime rib
and mound of French fries and said, “Hatch was telling me about the
little hoe-down you and he had this afternoon, Syd. Sounds like I
want you on my side in a bar fight.”

“It was an exciting 15 seconds. I’m certainly
glad Hatch showed up when he did. He’s the one you want around in a
bar fight,” laughed Syd. “I thought you were a pilot. What are you
doing fighting in bars?”

“I guess for the same reasons a college
professor does,” drawled Smitty with a twinkle in his eye. “I hear
you’re going to tour the North Forty tomorrow. I’ll be tickled pink
to show you some of the stuff I fly.”

He put some more horseradish on his meat and
carved off a piece. Syd was on her second glass of wine and was
feeling mellow. Good food, good wine, and people she felt
comfortable with. She had not felt this relaxed since she left
Israel. She had forgotten for the moment that she had killed
someone earlier today, and still was in great danger.

She chatted with Bruno for a while about
surveillance equipment. He explained some of the cutting edge
devices he had at his disposal. She was amazed, since it far
surpassed anything she had been trained to use. She had never even
heard of some of the devices.

While the dessert tray was being wheeled
around the table, Hatch felt his pager vibrate. He excused himself
and left the dining room. After about five minutes, he returned and
took his seat.

“I just heard from our San Francisco team,”
he said, causing all conversations around the table to cease. “They
have spotted two people who could be our prey at the San Francisco
Airport. They are scheduled to leave there on American Airlines at
6:00 P.M. San Francisco time—in about 45 minutes—and arrive in
Miami at 2:15 A.M. local time. We can’t be sure these are the right
guys unless they go to Syd’s place, so, Bruno, alert your team at
the Miami Airport. San Francisco got their pictures and has posted
them on the database. Get copies for your people.”

“Right after I finish this chocolate cake,
boss,” laughed Bruno.

Syd felt tension fill her body. She signaled
to Eddie to give her another glass of wine. Hatch’s plan seemed to
be working—and quickly. She began worrying about how the two would
be captured without a noisy confrontation which might get the
police involved—or get someone hurt, or killed. She had never had
to capture anyone alive before. She knew now that she had a lot to
learn from these people. They didn’t seem nervous at all.

Bruno left the room after finishing his
dessert. Everyone else went back to chatting as if nothing had
happened. Syd felt as if someone had tightened her strapless bra a
notch; she took a large gulp of her wine.

Why am I so nervous? I’m really not involved
physically in this. That’s the problem! I’m never tense when I’m on
the job—at least, not like this. Others are taking the risks while
I sit here comfy and cozy. This must be how a pilot feels when
someone else is flying the plane.

“Relax, dearie,” said Mrs. Chamberlain,
patting Syd’s hand. “Everything will go smoothly. It always
does.”

“It’s just that I’m not used to other people
doing my job,” said Syd in a whisper.

“That’s Dr. Zorrina talking—someone used to
working alone, relying only on her own wits. We believe in the team
approach here. It never hurts to have someone watching your
back—like at lunch today. Remember that,” smiled Mrs.
Chamberlain.