Page 109 of Enemy Within
“General, the president called you here because you are one of five people, outside of Lieutenant Cooper’s team, who knew about their assignment. Who knew where Lieutenant Cooper and his men had been detailed.”
Bell stared, his gaze hard. “Even if thatweretrue,” he said flatly, “I couldn’t confirm it. I don’t know who the hell you people are.”
“Call us true patriots.” Pete’s hand hit the table. A smack cracked through the room.
Levi spoke again. “President Wall has put me in charge of investigating a traitor. A mole. General. Madigan still has his people inside us. Like a cancer.”
“There are lots of moles.” Bell snorted. “You don’t get to Madigan’s rank without building a cult following. He’s got a thousand men who will die for him. Nearly everyone under his command. He served for many years. Led our forces in combat. He’s built loyalty the hard way, with blood, sweat, and tears.”
“Are you one of those men, General?” Welby finally spoke again.
Bell took his time answering. His face twisted, like he was disgusted with the question. “No,” he finally growled. “I may have my issues with the government, but I believe in this nation. In her soul. I believe she’s still alive. Madigan’s already written her off, and he appointed himself judge, jury, and executioner.”
Levi let out a breath. “Glad to hear that, General. ‘Cause I’m asking for your help.”
Bell’s eyebrows launched straight up, almost to his tightly buzzed gray hair.
“One of Lieutenant Cooper’s men was murdered right before everything went to hell. Before theVinogradovsinking. Before the coup in Russia. It caused the team to go to ghost protocol. Because of that, they were scattered and couldn’t track Madigan, which let him slip away from Somalia and into Russia, and then help Moroshkin with his coup.” Levi squeezed the head of the chair, almost bursting the stuffing from the seams. “That team was one of our best weapons against Madigan. They tracked him around the globe and pinned him to his base in Somalia and the Middle East. But that all went to shit when one of their guys was murdered in his apartment, with Madigan’s calling card left at the scene.”
As he spoke, General Bell stiffened, straightening almost fast enough to snap his spine. His expression, disgust mixed with snobbish disdain, melted, and his face hardened to stone. Levi watched him carefully.
“Who was killed?” Bell finally asked. His voice was softer than it had been and had lost its edge.
“Corporal Chad Fitz.”
Bell blinked. He said nothing.
“Someone knew who these men were, General. Someone knew Lieutenant Cooper was working for Ethan. Working with the White House. We need to find out who knew and how. Find out how they were able to take out a member of a Top Secret black team.”
“You’re forgetting one thing.”
“What’s that?” Levi propped his hands on his hips and fought not to sneer. He remembered their last meeting, when he’d wanted to wipe the floor with Bell, smack his smug attitude right off his face.
“Lieutenant Cooper’s team also knew about themselves. That’s eight more people who knew. Seven, with Corporal Fitz deceased. Seven more potential breaches.”
He exhaled. “I had considered the possibility. We’re not strangers to betrayal here.”
Bell made a noise, something between a grunt and a snort. “What do you propose?”
“These men served under your command, General. You may not have liked Lieutenant Cooper, but he was one of yours. Youknowthese men, and you know the military. Agent Welby and I run the White House Secret Service. We know the White House.” He headed for Bell, stopping in front of the older man. “Let’s work together. Dive deep into the files, into the backgrounds of everyone. Who knew what, when, and why.”
The lines around Bell’s eyes were deep, furrows that had built up over years and years of service to the United States. Levi held his narrowed gaze, watching the general work something out within himself. Shadows of emotions played in the depths of his eyes, and his weathered face twitched.
“If you want to do this now, as we’re squaring off with the Russians in Canada,” General Bell said carefully, his voice low and gravelly. “Then theremustbe a reason. Lieutenant Cooper was a shit show, but he had the makings of a decent officer. If he and his team were truly as effective as you say—” Bell shook his head. He looked Levi dead in the eyes. “You haven’t said what happened after Cooper and his men went ghost.”
Levi stared back, silent.
“They’re back in action. And something else.” Bell stepped forward. “Something that has you scared.”
“Will you help us or not?” They were standing so close that his breath, his words, brushed over Bell’s face.
Something shifted in Bell’s eyes. “I don’t leave my men behind. Never. And I don’t let anyone get away with their murder.” He pulled out a chair and sat down, his back stiff and straight, hands laced together on the tabletop. “Where do we begin?”
HOURS PASSED. THE WALLS of the Roosevelt Room filled up, covered with papers tacked to the wainscoting and taped over glass frames and oil canvases. Profiles of personnel in the White House, senior staffers who had access to the West Wing and Air Force One. The list of individuals who traveled to Russia for Evgeni Konnikov’s funeral. Stacks of Secret Service files.
On the opposite wall, Lieutenant Cooper’s team. Pictures of each man were tacked in a line. Sticky notes littered the wallpaper beneath each. Information from their files. Bad habits. Foreign contacts. Any possible connection to Madigan.
Beneath Lieutenant Cooper’s picture, the top sticky note readFaisal al-Saud???The name had been circled, over and over again. Doc had two demotions under his belt, and a string of nights spent in the brig for recklessness. He had bad attitude written all over his file. Coleman was divorced, his bank account almost empty. Most of his money went to his ex-wife and three kids living in California. Ruiz had come into the Marines with a Green Card, served for his citizenship, and then tried out for special operations. He still had family in South America. Almost all of them. Wright had served five tours in the Middle East, volunteering for one after the other. Park was three college courses away from his bachelor’s degree.
