Chapter 36
Everyone forgot about the satellite image and focused on Veep. Knuckles said, “Viper’s triggered in all rooms?”
“No. Just the one with the trash and the toothpaste in the sink.”
I said, “Okay, okay, get back over there immediately. Try to get the camera in place before the others arrive.”
They left in a rush, piling out and racing back to the hotel, leaving an awkward silence to grow in its place. I glanced at
Shoshana and said, “Anything else to add about the follow today?”
“No. Only that you should take down whoever is in that room. He’s in the group, and this group is bad. I could see it all
day today, like a fire surrounding them.”
Here we go.
I said, “Shoshana, I’m not smacking some unknown in the head just because you have one of your feelings.”
That ticked her off. She said, “You follow your masters like a puppy. Why do you want the Ghost? Because he embarrassed you
by escaping, or because he’s a danger?”
“It’s not as clear-cut as that. I have rules. If we get PID on the Ghost, I’ll take him down. If not, I can’t start swinging
a bat, hitting everyone who gives you the willies.”
For some reason, that really set her off. I saw her eyes narrow, and her fist clench like a vise. I could feel the heat coming
off her. She said, “What do you mean by ‘willies’? Is that some Israeli slur?”
What the hell is she talking about?
Jennifer chuckled and broke the tension, saying, “It’s not a slur. It’s just American slang. You feel the willies when you’re
spooked. Like sliding your hand towards a light switch in the dark and running it through something wet, or stepping on a
snake with bare feet. Get it?”
She went from me to Jennifer, then back to me, finally deciding that Jennifer was telling the truth. Mollified, she said,
“Well, they did give me the willies, but not in the way you mean.”
I said, “Well, your willies notwithstanding, my team’s only going to hit that room if it’s the Ghost. Sorry, but that’s just the way it is.”
Shoshana shook her head and said, “You Americans are so convinced that nothing bad will ever happen to you. That you’re always
going to win, so when you’re told to stay within your mission, you do so. If something wicked happens because you followed
the rules, it’s not your fault, even if action would have stopped it. Someone else can clean up the mess.”
Jennifer said, “Shoshana, we can’t. We can’t even take down the Ghost tonight until we get approval.”
Huh? I whipped my head to her, saying, “If we got PID of the Ghost, I’m hitting that room tonight.”
Shoshana said, “You don’t need positive identification of the Ghost. Any of them will do.”
Jennifer locked eyes with me and said, “The Oversight Council ordered Alpha only. Remember? We have to go back for Omega.
Alexander Palmer stressed that, and the president didn’t counter his statement.”
I said, “I’m going to use in extremis authority. We always have that for a fleeting opportunity. We’re allowed to flex if
we meet the mission intent.”
She said, “Pike, in extremis authority for a fleeting target means we see him on the side of a deserted road with a flat tire,
not planting bugs and pre-mission planning for a hit in a resort hotel.”
Shoshana rolled her eyes, saying, “This is exactly what I mean.”
I said, “Wait, wait, Shoshana, be quiet. Jennifer, this is the definition of fleeting target. If we don’t take him tonight,
we might lose him.”
“Fleeting target means you don’t have time to call. We’re still developing this target. It’s not fleeting. At least call Wolffe. If this goes to hell, we’ll want his backing.”
She had a point about that. It would be hard to explain emplacing Pit Vipers a full twelve hours before hit time and calling
it fleeting.
I said, “Okay, okay, I’ll call Wolffe, but I really don’t want to wait on the Oversight Council to quit biting their nails
long enough to give us Omega.”
Shoshana shook her head, saying, “Get Omega for whoever is breathing over there. Not just the Ghost.”
I ignored her, saying to Jennifer, “Get an update from the team. I’ll call Wolffe.”
She went to her task and Shoshana eyed me. I said, “Aaron, can you get her far enough away from the phone so Wolffe doesn’t
hear her frothing at the mouth?”
He grinned and Shoshana glowered, but she allowed him to pull her into another room. I dialed my phone, mentally running through
what I was going to say. I hated begging—and really preferred asking for forgiveness instead of permission—but Jennifer, as
usual, had a good point.
I heard Wolffe answer with a little bit of trepidation in his voice, wondering if I was about to hand him a shit sandwich.
“Pike? What’s up?”
“Hey, sir, I’m just calling because I’ve got a handle on the Ghost, and I need authority to take him down.”
“You’re actually calling me first? That’s a record.”
“Well, thank Jennifer. I’d have taken him off the board and brought him to you in a bow, but she remembered what that limp
dick Palmer said, so I’m calling.”
I gave him everything we had, to include teaming up with the Israelis and their PID of the Ghost, ending with the plan we
had in place.
He said, “So you’ve got positive identification? Your team saw the Ghost?”
“Well, no. The Israelis got eyes on him, but they’re solid.”
“But you know he’s in the hotel? You know the room?”
“Not yet, but we will.”
He said nothing for a moment, and I felt the mission approval slipping away. I said, “Sir, we’re closer than we’ve ever been here, and the Israelis think the Ghost is on the warpath. It’s no longer just rolling him up to keep the egg off our face.”
“What’s that mean?”
I exhaled, wondering if bringing in Shoshana was more harm than good. I said, “The Israelis are here following a threat vector
from Iran and Hezbollah. I just mean it’s no coincidence that the Ghost escaped and ran down here. He needs to be stopped.”
He said nothing for a moment, and I let his wheels turn. Finally, he came back, saying, “I’ll take this to the Council tomorrow.
Give me a complete roll-up before then. If you can get him tonight, go ahead and do so, but only if you have PID from your
team.”
I said, “Roger that, sir.”
He said, “I mean it, Pike. Don’t hit anything on Israeli intelligence. It’s your team, or no mission.”
“Sir, I got it. I understand.”
He said, “Nothing against them, but I don’t know their agenda. If they’re working with you, that’s fine, but if they’re using
you, back off.”
I hung up the phone and Shoshana came back into the room. She said, “You got permission to hit the Iranians?”
At the words, I wondered if Wolffe himself didn’t share some abilities with Shoshana, because he sure as shit got the willies
whenever she was around.