The Evening News (93 page)

"I know
,”
Partridge admitted
.”
But I see no other way
.”

It was early afternoon. For the past few minutes, Sergio had been fidgeting
with a paper on his desk. Now he asked, "Before you came here, Harry, had
you received any bad news? I mean today
.”

Partridge shook his head
.”
Then I'm sorry to give you some
.”

Picking up the paper, Sergio passed it
across
.”
This came in shortly before you arrived
.”

"This
”
was a Reuters news dispatch describing the receipt of Nicholas
Sloane's fingers at CBA, New York, and his father's broken-hearted grief
.”
Oh, Christ
!”

Partridge
was suddenly overwhelmed by an
guish and self-reproach. Why, he grieved, had his own planned action not been undertaken sooner?
"I know what you are thinking
,”
Sergio said
.”
But there is no way you could
have prevented this. Not with limited time and the little information that
you had
.”

Which was true, Partridge acknowledged mentally. But he knew that questions
about his own pace of progress would haunt him for a long time
.”
While you are here, Harry
,”
Sergio was saying, "there's something else
.
Isn't your company, CBA, owned by Globanic Industries
?
”

"Yes, it is
.”

The broadcaster slid a desk drawer open and from it removed several clipped
sheets
.”
I obtain my information from many sources and it may surprise you
that one is Sendero Luminoso. They hate me, but use me. Sendero has
sympathizers and informers in many places and one of them sent this
recently, hoping I would broadcast it
.”

Partridge accepted the sheets and began reading
.”
As you can see
,”
Sergio said, "it purports to be an agreement between
Globanic Financial Services-another subsidiary of Globanic: Industries-and
the Peruvian Government. The agreement is what's known financially as a
debt-to-equity swap
.”

Partridge shook his head
.”
Not my specialty, I'm afraid
.”

"But not all that complicated either. As part of the agreement, Globanic
will receive enormous amounts of land, including two major resort
locations, for what can only be called a giveaway price. In return, some
of Peru's international debt, which has been 'securitized' by Globanic will
be reduced
.”

"Is it all honest and legal
?
”

Sergio shrugged
.”
Let's say it's borderline, though probably legal. More
significant is that it's an exceedingly rich deal for Globanic, a very poor
one for the people of Peru
.”

"If you feel that way
,”
Partridge asked, "why haven't you broadcast it
?
”

"So far, two reasons. I never accept anything from Sendero at face value
,
and wanted to check how accurate the information is. I have, and it's okay. Another thing: For Globanic to get anything as super-sweet as this, someone in government has been paid off handsomely, or will be. I'm working on that and intend to do a broadcast next week
.”

Partridge touched the pages he was holding
.”
Any chance I can have a
copy
?
”

"Keep that one. I have another
.”

During the next day, Friday, Partridge decided one other matter needed
checking before Saturday's departure. Had anyone else received the
telephone number which had led the CBA group to the Huancavelica Street
apartment, formerly occupied by the ex-doctor known as Baudelio, and now
by Dolores? If so, it would mean that someone else could know the
significance of Nueva Esperanza
.
As Don Kettering had explained by phone on Wednesday evening, the FBI had
access to the Hackensack cellular telephones immediately after their
discovery by CBA News. Therefore it seemed likely the FBI would check the
calls made on those phones and learn of the Lima number Kettering had
given Partridge. From that point, it was possible the FBI had passed the
information to the CIA-though not certain, because rivalry between the
two agencies was notorious. Alternatively, the FBI might have asked a
Peruvian Government department to have the number checked
.
At Partridge's request,
Fernandez
paid a second visit to Dolores on
Friday afternoon. He found her drunk, but coherent enough to assure him
that no one else had been to the apartment making inquiries. So, for
whatever reason, the subject of the phone number had not been pursued by
anyone but CBA
.
Finally, that same afternoon, through Peruvian radio, they learned the
grim and tragic news of Angus Sloane's death and discovery of his severed
head at the American Embassy in Lima
.
Once the news was known, Partridge was quickly on the scene with Minh Van
Canh and sent a report via satellite for the National Evening News that
evening. By that time, too, other
network crews and print-press reporters had arrived, but Partridge managed to avoid conversation with them
.
The fact was, the horrible demise of Crawf's father weighed heavily on
his conscience, as had Nicky's severed fingers. To the extent that he had
come to Peru hoping to save all three hostages, he had already failed
,
Partridge told himself
.
Later, after doing what was needed, he went back to Cesar's Hotel and
spent the evening lying on his bed, awake, lonely and dejected
.
Next morning, he was up more than an hour before dawn, his intention to
complete two tasks. One was to compose a simple, handwritten will, the
other to draft a telegram. Soon after, on the way to the airport in the
rented station wagon, he had Rita witness the will and left it with her
.
He also asked her to send the telegram, which was addressed to Oakland
,
California
.
They also discussed the Globanic-Peru debt-to-equity agreement Partridge
had learned about from Sergio Hurtado. He told Rita, "When you've read
it, I suppose we should let Les
Chippingham
see this copy. But it has
nothing to do with why we're here and I don't plan to use the
information, even though Sergio will next week
.”

He smiled, "I suppose
that's the least we can do for Globanic since they butter our bread
.”

The Cheyenne II
aircraft took off from Lima in the still, pre-dawn air
without incident. Seventy minutes later the plane reached the portion of
jungle highway where Partridge, Minh, O'Hara and Fern4ndez were to
disembark
.
By now there was ample light to see the ground below. The highway was
deserted: no cars, trucks or any other sign of human activity. On either
side stretched miles of jungle covering the land like a vast green quilt
.
Turning briefly away from the controls, the pilot, Oswaldo Zileri, called
back to his passengers, "We're going in. Be ready to get out fast. I
don't want to stay on the ground for a second longer than necessary
.”

Then, with a steep, fast-descending turn, he lined up over the highway
,
touched down on its wider portion, and stopped after a surprisingly
short. landing run. As quickly as they could,
the four passengers tumbled out, taking their backpacks and equipment and, moments later, the Cheyenne II taxied into position and took off
.
”
Let's get under cover fast
!”

Partridge urged the others, and they
headed for the jungle trail.

Unknown to Harry Partridge during his crowded day on Friday, a crisis concerning him erupted in New York
.
While breakfasting at home on Friday morning, Margot Lloyd-Mason received
a telephone message that Theodore Elliott wished to see her "immediately
”
at Globanic Industries' Pleasantville headquarters. After inquiry
,
"immediately
”
translated to a 10 A.m. appointment. It would be the Globanic
chairman's first of the day, a secretary at Pleasantville informed Margot
.
Margot then called one of her own two secretaries at home and gave
instructions to cancel or reschedule all her morning appointments
.
She had no idea what Theo Elliott wanted
.
At Globanic headquarters, Margot was kept waiting several minutes in the
senior executives' elegant outer lounge where, unknowingly, she occupied
the same chair used only four days earlier by the Baltimore Star reporter
Glen Dawson
.
When Margot entered the chairman's office, Elliott wasted no time with
preliminaries, but demanded, "Why the hell aren't you keeping better
control of your goddamned news people in Peru
?
”

Startled, Margot asked, "What kind of control? We've been getting
compliments about our coverage there. And ratings are-
”

“
I'm talking about dismal, depressing, downbeat reports
.”

Elliott slammed
a hand heavily on his desk
.”
Last night I received a call direct from President Castafieda in Lima. He claims everything CBA has been putting out about Peru is negative and damaging. He's mad as hel
l with your network, and so am I”
Margot said reasonably, "The other networks and the New York Times have
been taking much the same line we have, Theo
.”

"Don't tell me about others! I'm talking about usl Besides, President
Castafieda seems to think what's happening right now is that CBA sets the
pace and others are following. He told me so
.”

They were both standing. Elliott, glowering, had not asked Margot to sit
down. She asked, "Is there anything specific
?
”

"You're damn right there is
!”

The Globanic chairman pointed to a half-dozen
videocassettes on his desk
.”
After the President's call last night I sent
one of my people to get tapes of your evening news programs for this week
.
Now I've seen them all, I can see what Castafieda means; they're full of
doom and gloom-how bad things are in Peru. Nothing positive! Nothing saying
Peru has a great future ahead, or that it's a wonderful place to go for a
vacation, or that those lousy Shining Path rebels will be beaten very
soon
!”

"There's a strong consensus they won't be, Theo
.”

Elliott stormed on as if he had not heard
.”
I can understand why President
Castafieda is furious-something that Globanic can't afford to have happen
,
and you know why. I warned you about that, but you obviously weren't
listening. Another thing -Fossie Xenos is fuming too. He even thinks you
may be jeopardizing, deliberately, his big debt-to-equity deal
.”

"That's nonsense, and I'm sure you know it. But perhaps we can do something
to improve what's happening
.”

Margot was thinking quickly, realizing the
situation was more serious than she had thought at first. Her own future in
Globanic, she realized, could easily be at stake
.”
I'll tell you exactly what you'll do
.”

Elliott's voice had become steely
.”
I want that meddling reporter-Partridge is his name-brought back on the
next airplane and fired
.”