Mission Liberty (39 page)

W
hen DeLuca called LeDoux’s office to give a preliminary report, Captain Martin asked him to hold and then put LeDoux on the
phone. DeLuca described what he’d seen, sparing only the more gruesome details.

“I’m flying to Boston tonight,” LeDoux said. “I’d like to get together and talk about this if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind,” DeLuca said. “You want to meet first thing tomorrow?”

“Tonight,” LeDoux said. DeLuca was going to see a movie with Bonnie that night at the Burlington Mall. Outside of the military,
someone might have said, “Unless you have other plans,” but General LeDoux didn’t have to make any such accommodations, and
DeLuca understood. “They’re giving us a room at Hanscom. Ten o’clock?”

“I’ll be there,” DeLuca said. “Can you give me anything? Big picture? Al Qaeda or somebody else?”

“Too soon to say,” LeDoux said. “It’s Web-based. I’ll fill you in when I see you. In the meantime, I have another favor to
ask. It’s going to be tough, but we need somebody to brief Joe Quinn. Just tell him what you know, from today. We’ll give
him the rest. There’s a chaplain there now, but you knew Quinn personally.”

“I can do it,” DeLuca said. “I wish I didn’t have to, but I agree with you.”

“We might want Quinn with us tonight,” LeDoux said. “You can tell him if you want. Captain Martin will give you the details.”