didn’t kill Talal and he decides to find out who I was and then to come after me. When Elizabeth Van Beuren talked Talal saw a way to involve me in all of it. My handler orders the hit on Jane Wind and I’m off and running from one orchestrated event to another.”
Connors said, “It was a win-win for them. If you killed Wind and her son and later found out she was innocent they probably figured that would screw you up. And if you didn’t pull the trigger on a mother and son, that’s why they had the backup shooter. They’d learned of your exit plan on the bus. And they made sure Julie would be there too.”
Robie said, “And they probably figured whether I pulled the trigger or not I’d most likely get on the bus with Julie after I figured out who Jane Wind really was.”
Blue Man added, “But when they learned Julie came up with the idea of questioning other squad members, the game suddenly became too risky. That could lead to Van Beuren. They would kill Julie, and you too if necessary. Nothing could jeopardize the assassination attempt.”
“Guess it all makes sense,” said Robie slowly.
Blue Man said, “And Annie Lambert was an even earlier plant. After Talal escaped the attempt in Tangier and found out you were the shooter, he had her move into your building. This was before any of Elizabeth Van Beuren’s old squad members found out what her husband was up to. Talal evidently had certain plans for the two of you,” he added quietly.
Robie looked down at his hands. He had not brought himself to think about Lambert since the night he had killed her. “She was better than me,” he said at last. “Faster, steadier. Never seen anyone that calm in a situtation like that.”
“She was also drugged,” Blue Man pointed out. “Have you ever drugged yourself to carry out a mission?”
“No, but I’ve never gone into a mission where I absolutely knew I was going to die either,” Robie countered.
More uneasy silence followed until Connors asked, “How does an Ivy League–educated young woman from Connecticut end up being a traitor willing to die?”
Blue Man said, “We’ve done a lot of digging on that and the Saudis were able to get some information from Talal. Her adoptive father was English, the mother Iranian. They had emigrated to Iran while the shah was still in power. Apparently they were brutalized by members of the shah’s regime and even lost family members during the course of it. They appealed to their home government and to our government for help but apparentely were turned down. Back then the shah could do no wrong. As you know, we helped keep him in power. After the revolution in the late seventies, the shah was deposed and we lost all of our influence in that country. The Lamberts hated the West, obviously, and apparently America in particular. They returned to England, adopted Annie, moved to America, and raised her as their daughter.”
“But they were brainwashing her, programming her the whole time?” said Connors. “For something like this?”
“Apparently for all of her life. There was no guarantee, of course, that she would get a position at the White House. But one can attempt to kill the president in other places as well. Her parents were wealthy and politically active. She was a brilliant student and she was clearly a superb actress. We haven’t interviewed one person who had any inkling she was a ticking time bomb. Not one. She led the perfect life. Was able to interact socially, perform outstandingly at work. There was no flaw, no warning sign. It was as though she was two different people residing in the same body.”
She was, thought Robie. She had to be.
Blue Man paused and looked over at Robie. “She fooled the best we had,” he continued. “She was the most remarkable cell plant in my experience. Sort of a true-life Manchurian candidate, only better.”
Robie asked, “And where are her parents now?”
“Talal didn’t know. Perhaps back in Iran. If so, we can’t touch them.”
“There’s no place we can’t touch,” said Robie sharply. “And there’s a Russian and a Palestinian out there who need to be addressed as well. They were the ones who brought this thing to Talal.”
“I know. We’re working on that.”
The three men fell silent as Robie brooded, Blue Man looked equally pensive, and Connors merely seemed curious.
“There are many ways to hurt people, Robie,” said Blue