esley Sorenson listened as Latham spoke over the phone from Bonn; the director's eyes were steady, w.intense, as beads of sweat formed at his white hairline.
"The 'water reserves," the reservoirs," he said, barely audible with fear.
"It's the province of the Army Corps of Engineers."
"It's the province of everyone at the Pentagon, Langley, the FBI, and the police around every water supply source in Washington, Wcs!"
"They're fenced, guarded-"
"Double, triple, and quadruple all the patrols," insisted Drew.
"This maniac wouldn't have promised what he did unless he thought he could deliver, not with that crowd. I'm betting there was more money in there than in half of Europe. They're hungry for power, salivating for it, and I suspect he's got unlimited resources to pay the Nazi god. Jesus, barely two days!"
"How are the identities of that crowd going?"
"How the hell do I know? You're the first call I've made. We're wiring the tapes-the President of Germany gave us carte blanche through satellite feeds at the government studios-to French, British, and American Intelligence, in our case all questions and releases to be directed to YOU."
"There can't be any public releases! The climate here and across the country is poisonous; it could get worse than the McCarthy period. There've been several riots, and a march on the state capital in Trenton. The crowds began shouting Nazi at the mention of politicians, bureaucrats, union leaders, and corporate executives INStantly associated with those openly being investigated. And this is only the beginning."
"Wait a minute," said Latham's voice over the line, fit wait a minute! Hundreds of those initial names were brought out of the Briiderschaft valley by Harry, weren't they?"
"Of course."
"And according to the MI-Six transcripts, my brother made it clear that not only should the names be examined but everyone around them."
"Naturally, it's standard."
"And then after those names were circulated, the order to kill Harry came from the Nazi high command, right?"
"Obviously."
"Why? .. . Why, Wcs? They've hunted me like a starving wolf pack in search of a sheep."
"I've never understood that."
"Maybe I'm beginning to. It pains me to say it, but suppose Harry was fed false names. Purposely, to create the very climate you just described."
"What I know of your brother, I don't think he'd buy them."
"Suppose he didn't have a choice?"
"He didn't lose his mind. Of course he had a choice."
"Suppose he did-lose his mind, I mean. Gerhardt Kroeger is a brain surgeon, and he risked his life in Paris to kill Harry. In one scenario he-l-was to be decapitated; in another, a coup de grace was to be administered that would blow his head away .. . the left side of his head."
"I'd say an autopsy is called for," said the director of Consular Operations, then added, "when it's feasible. At the moment, we'd all better move as fast as we can to stop whatever it is that's going to kill hundreds of thousands of people in Paris, London, and Washington."
"JAger spelled it out, Wcs. Toxicity in the reservoirs."
"I'm no expertl in waterworks, but I know something about them.
Good Lord, at one time or another we've all considered them in terms of tactical sabotage, and, conversely, we all rejected them .
"The task is simply too massive. To have any effect on the water of large cities would entail a supply line of heavy-duty trucks at least three or four miles long, a sight that could hardly be concealed. Then there's the obstacle of entry into the reservoirs, which for such a number of vehicles is virtually impossible. Those fences are like prison barricades, they're equipped with lateral sectional alarms; if penetration is made, a signal is sent to the water tower7s security and immediate inspections are made."
"I'd say you were quite an expert, Mr. Director."
"Rubbish, that information could be and probably is learned by the Boy Scouts, and certainly by any civil engineer on a government payroll."
"So you've ruled out the ground, what about the air?"
"Just as impossible. There'd have to be at least two squadrons of low-flying cargo aircraft, pinpoint-targeting their materials nearest the water towers for sluice entry. In all likelihood they'd crash into one another, and even if they didn't, they'd be like prolonged deafening thunder across the area, not to mention being tracked by radar."
"Wow, you really did consider this kind of sabotage, didn't you?"
"You know as well as I do, Drew, various options are basic to the games we play."
"This isn't a game, Wcs. That bastard meant what he said. He's figured out