Page 98 of Nobody's Hero

‘The target doesn’t make sense either,’ Carlyle said. ‘Naval Base San Diego doesn’t meet the objectives of the Acacia Avenue Protocol.’

‘Again, he thinks it does,’ Draper said. ‘HMSQueen Elizabeth, the Royal Navy’s aircraft carrier, has just docked there. It’s undertaking interoperability training with a Marine Corps F-35 squadron. Smerconish thinks it’s the British ship that’s the target, not one of ours. He says destroying the flagship of a major ally won’t only damage our reputation, it’ll impact on our military capability.’

Koenig looked at Carlyle. ‘Bess?’

‘Not being able to protect our allies’ ships during peacetimewouldbe a major embarrassment,’ she said. ‘But it doesn’t meet the objectives of the Acacia Avenue Protocol.’

‘And blowing up an aircraft carrier doesn’t need a bunch of mercenaries,’ Koenig said. ‘It doesn’t need Margaret getting close to Bess. And what about the people Hobbs and Nash killed? And Carlyle’s missing academics? How does all that fit? All a naval base attack needs is a man in a canoe with an oil drum full of fertiliser and a death wish. But that’s why Smerconish isn’t worried. Naval bases have more protection than people realise. Alotmore. Tas wouldn’t be able to paddle alongside theQueen Elizabethunnoticed. That would be foolhardy, and I don’t think Tas is foolhardy.’

‘He’s hardly a genius, though,’ Draper said. ‘If he were, we wouldn’t have been able to track him to San Diego.’

‘If that’s what really happened.’

Draper didn’t respond.

‘Think about it,’ Koenig continued. ‘Tas was in constant contact with Margaret, so he knew we were on to him. But instead of getting rid of his cell phone in the middle of nowhere, he’s observed throwing it into the sea. Why was that?’

‘You said he’d made a mistake.’

‘And now I don’t think he did. I think that was somewhere for us to start. The first breadcrumb. A trail that would lead to three dead bodies in an old paint warehouse in San Diego. And HMSQueen Elizabeth’s visit isn’t a secret.’

‘It’s misdirection?’

‘I think that’s exactly what this is. I think he wants us putting our resources into bulking up security at the naval base. And while we do, he’ll be somewhere else with a boat that’s rigged with something a lot more exotic than C-4.’

‘What, though?’

‘I have no idea.’

‘Bess?’ Draper said.

Carlyle shrugged. ‘I don’t know what he’s up to, but I agree with Ben; the naval base is misdirection.’

‘And you still won’t tell us what this master plan of yours is?’

‘If I thought it would help, I would. But I don’t, so I won’t.’

Draper shook her head in frustration. ‘Got to say, Bess, I’m getting mighty fucking tired of that answer.’

‘I won’t compromise national security to assuage your curiosity,’ she said, calm as a toad in the sun.

‘Tell him then!’ Draper snapped, pointing at Koenig. ‘I don’t like not being trusted, but I’ll accept the compromise.’

‘How is that different?’

‘Because you’re right. Iwouldbe a risk. I’ve completed my resistance to interrogation training, and I know my limits. I would hold out for as long as I could, but I would talk eventually. I wouldn’t be able to help myself; my pain would overrule my patriotism. I’ve watched zealots being tortured, men and women who would have happily died for their cause, and not one of them held out indefinitely. They all talked in the end. Everyone does.’ She paused a beat, then pointed at Koenig. ‘He won’t, though,’ she said. ‘I don’t think there are any circumstances in which Koenig would talk.’

‘He’s not invincible, Miss Draper,’ Carlyle said.

‘He’s better,’ Draper said. ‘He’s stubborn.’

‘Stubbornness isn’t a substitute for—’

‘Do you want to know how he’s able to do all that stupid shit? Walking towards men in body armour like he’s invincible. Throwing bodies down oily stairs like he’s at a bowling alley. Taking out a bunch of corrupt cops with a credit card. A hundred other things you don’t know about?’

‘I assumed he—’

‘It’s because the asshole can’t feel fear, Bess!’ Draper cut in. ‘And I don’t mean in a heroic, overcoming-what-you’rescared-of way. I mean, he literally can’t feel fear. His brain’s all fucked up. The bit that regulates his fight-or-flight response has calcified harder than a dinosaur turd.’

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