with
the CIA. Ann doesn’t know that the word on that probably went to the grave with Locsin. Whoever else was in on it will keep
their traps shut or they’ll get the same thing Javier gave the colonel.
“A kid in that space might do anything. If she does try something, it’ll take her to some of these people we’re after sooner
or later. Keep the lid on the Jeffers angle, but pass what you can along to the Filipino government about what we may be on
to.”
Simmons stood at the door, briefcase in hand, his other hand on the doorknob, sizing Cody up from across the room, or trying
to. “The word I got was that your were after terrorists.”
We are, General, and sometimes we go after terrorists who wrap themselves in millions of bucks worth of protection, and power,
like Arturo Javier. Sometimes we go after terrorists who hide behind political shit, like this Vincente Valera.
“There’s more to it than that.” Simmons said. “More than that, more than the girl. You won’t find that kid, you know. Out
there it’s a jungle, like the saying goes, only this one is real, fella, and I’m talking about the islands, and I’m talking
about downtown fucking Manila.”
“Hey, General,” grunted Hawkeye from where the Texan sat sideways in his chair with both long legs cocked over one of the
chair arms. “Try this one on for size. It’s just like Nam, you got that, all over again. This one’s the last domino. Maybe
we’ve been handed a chance to keep it from falling, all by our lonesome, before too many more people get killed.”
Simmons started to reply, then professional soldier eyes pinned each man around that table, and he said to Cody, without a
hint of sarcasm, “Maybe you can at that.”
The general left them alone.
Caine chuckled at Hawkins.
“A real diplomatic sort of chap, that’s what you are, Tex, so bleeding polite all the time.”
“The general’s on our side,” Murphy reasoned. “Can’t blame him for being a mite confused. I’m a little confused myself.”
“What about it, Sarge?” Hawkeye asked. “This ‘something big’ we’re talking about. Okay, I’ll buy that. We all buy it. That
nasty shit I said a while back about the Jeffers kid, hell, I was just pissing off steam. We’ve got to find that kid before
she gets in worse trouble.”
“I know that,” Cody assured him. “Ann Jeffers is still Priority Number One, but the general’s right, there’s more to it than
the reasons we gave him for going after Valera.”
“We
can’t
walk away from this one. It is the same thing Nam was about. The ones who think they need to tear society down instead of
weeding out the bad apples and letting the machinery work. They never get their way, not for long, but that doesn’t stop them
from trying. Sometimes they win, sometimes we win. They won in Nam. This one’s up for grabs. We can’t walk away from it.”
“And we won’t,” Hawkeye assured him. “So we’re going nightcrawlin’ tonight, eh?”
“The Gilded Peacock.” Caine shivered. “Dreadful name. Dreadful enough to be a great place, one can only hope.”
“Nightclubbin’ in the middle of the day.” Murphy’s gleam of a smile creased his lower face from ear to ear. “Well, all
right
.
Cody saw beneath the surface of this easy flow of conversation between fighting men who knew this fight was not over, not
yet begun, in the true, bigger sense—if the picture added up the way Cody figured, and Cody knew it did.
A murderous, all-powerful warlord.
The mountain guerillas of the New People’s Army.
And a rotten apple named Vincente Valera who needed serious weeding out.
And, bottom line, yeah, a mixed-up, abused, confused, on-the-loose kid named Ann Jeffers who had already been through enough
hell for three times her short lifetime.
“Let’s get to it,” Cody growled.
He led his team out of there, back into the world, to take on the devil.
The most difficult thing Ann
the CIA. Ann doesn’t know that the word on that probably went to the grave with Locsin. Whoever else was in on it will keep
their traps shut or they’ll get the same thing Javier gave the colonel.
“A kid in that space might do anything. If she does try something, it’ll take her to some of these people we’re after sooner
or later. Keep the lid on the Jeffers angle, but pass what you can along to the Filipino government about what we may be on
to.”
Simmons stood at the door, briefcase in hand, his other hand on the doorknob, sizing Cody up from across the room, or trying
to. “The word I got was that your were after terrorists.”
We are, General, and sometimes we go after terrorists who wrap themselves in millions of bucks worth of protection, and power,
like Arturo Javier. Sometimes we go after terrorists who hide behind political shit, like this Vincente Valera.
“There’s more to it than that.” Simmons said. “More than that, more than the girl. You won’t find that kid, you know. Out
there it’s a jungle, like the saying goes, only this one is real, fella, and I’m talking about the islands, and I’m talking
about downtown fucking Manila.”
“Hey, General,” grunted Hawkeye from where the Texan sat sideways in his chair with both long legs cocked over one of the
chair arms. “Try this one on for size. It’s just like Nam, you got that, all over again. This one’s the last domino. Maybe
we’ve been handed a chance to keep it from falling, all by our lonesome, before too many more people get killed.”
Simmons started to reply, then professional soldier eyes pinned each man around that table, and he said to Cody, without a
hint of sarcasm, “Maybe you can at that.”
The general left them alone.
Caine chuckled at Hawkins.
“A real diplomatic sort of chap, that’s what you are, Tex, so bleeding polite all the time.”
“The general’s on our side,” Murphy reasoned. “Can’t blame him for being a mite confused. I’m a little confused myself.”
“What about it, Sarge?” Hawkeye asked. “This ‘something big’ we’re talking about. Okay, I’ll buy that. We all buy it. That
nasty shit I said a while back about the Jeffers kid, hell, I was just pissing off steam. We’ve got to find that kid before
she gets in worse trouble.”
“I know that,” Cody assured him. “Ann Jeffers is still Priority Number One, but the general’s right, there’s more to it than
the reasons we gave him for going after Valera.”
“We
can’t
walk away from this one. It is the same thing Nam was about. The ones who think they need to tear society down instead of
weeding out the bad apples and letting the machinery work. They never get their way, not for long, but that doesn’t stop them
from trying. Sometimes they win, sometimes we win. They won in Nam. This one’s up for grabs. We can’t walk away from it.”
“And we won’t,” Hawkeye assured him. “So we’re going nightcrawlin’ tonight, eh?”
“The Gilded Peacock.” Caine shivered. “Dreadful name. Dreadful enough to be a great place, one can only hope.”
“Nightclubbin’ in the middle of the day.” Murphy’s gleam of a smile creased his lower face from ear to ear. “Well, all
right
.
Cody saw beneath the surface of this easy flow of conversation between fighting men who knew this fight was not over, not
yet begun, in the true, bigger sense—if the picture added up the way Cody figured, and Cody knew it did.
A murderous, all-powerful warlord.
The mountain guerillas of the New People’s Army.
And a rotten apple named Vincente Valera who needed serious weeding out.
And, bottom line, yeah, a mixed-up, abused, confused, on-the-loose kid named Ann Jeffers who had already been through enough
hell for three times her short lifetime.
“Let’s get to it,” Cody growled.
He led his team out of there, back into the world, to take on the devil.
The most difficult thing Ann
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