Termination Orders(107)

The next day, they let Conley talk to him under heavy supervision.

“Jenny and Alex are together, and they’re okay,” said Conley. “From what they told me, which, granted, was not a whole damn lot, they’ll let you out once they determine that the recordings on Natasha’s chip are legit. What I do know is that there’s a hell of a lot on it. More than we could have hoped—a heck of a lot more than the memory card we started with. I think we’re going to nail Acevedo good. Hang in there, Morgan. You’ll be out soon.”

It was another day before they called him out of confinement again, and this time he sat down at a table with Julia Carr, who looked both weary and hardened by the recent events.

“Cobra, we need to know that we can count on your help in this time of crisis,” she said. “There’s a lot of turmoil in the agency at the moment, and we are hoping to be able to deal with it . . . in-house.”

“I see,” said Morgan. “So you’re here to negotiate my silence—is that it?”

“We were hoping we could appeal to your loyalty and patriotism in the matter,” she said. Then, with a thin smile, she added, “Or, failing that, your self-interest.”

He didn’t smile back. “There are two things I’m going to need from you,” he said. “First, my file is purged. I walk out of here accused of no crime, and the CIA never bothers me or my family again. Is that clear?”

She nodded. “That can be arranged. And the other?”

“I need to know that Nickerson and Acevedo are going down. Keep secret what you have to keep secret, but they do not get away with what they did. Deal?”

“We have no interest in protecting Acevedo,” said Carr. “They will suffer a very thorough, very public investigation. We will do everything in our power to air out the extent of their crimes. You have my personal guarantee about that,” she said. On that point, Morgan remained doubtful. But there was one more important matter.

“And Nickerson?” he asked.

“They didn’t tell you?” she said, with a smile.

“Tell me what?”

“It seems,” she replied, “that someone has already taken care of that for us. His private jet crashed this morning, and he was confirmed dead just hours ago. Senator Nickerson will no longer be a problem.”

They made him sign about two dozen nondisclosure agreements and then let him go. He walked out to find Conley waiting for him.

“I brought your car,” he said, holding up the keys to the GTO.

As they drove away together, Morgan behind the wheel, Conley told him everything that he had gleaned from the CIA. “Apparently Nickerson was using the drug money to create a whole web of influence. It wasn’t just assassinations but also a wide campaign of bribery, blackmail, and intimidation. Boyle was feeding him information and also gave him access to some of the CIA’s operatives. Like Natasha.”

“What about Acevedo?” asked Morgan, looking forward as he drove.

“A marriage of convenience. Nickerson could offer protection, and they had money, lots of money. Enough to fund Nickerson’s wild power trips. Looking over this stuff, I’m just glad we stopped him before it got any worse.”

“And what are you going to do now?” asked Morgan.

Conley sighed. “I’m going to do what I’ve always done.”

“Back to work for the CIA? After all that’s happened?”

“It’s the life for me,” said Conley. “I’ve known it for a long time. I think you understand what I’m talking about. I think you feel it, too.”

“I quit, remember?”

“I know, Morgan. But part of you never did, the part of you that loved this job. It never really went away, did it? A part that loves danger and excitement and being a part of something great. It’s like Cobra still exists in there, inside you, and all this time was just waiting to come out. I know it’s not all you are. You’re also Dan Morgan, family man, who would do anything for his wife and daughter. Hey, maybe you can be just Dan Morgan for the rest of your life. But I’m not so sure that you can. Maybe you need this. Maybe you need to let Cobra out now and then.”

They arrived at the hotel, where Conley had left his Sebring.

Morgan embraced his old friend. “Take care of yourself, Cougar.”

Jenny and Alex were waiting for him in the lobby. As soon as he walked in through the revolving doors, they ran to him, Alex exclaiming, “Dad!” The three of them hugged, and Morgan couldn’t help the tears that streamed down his cheeks.

They returned to Massachusetts that very night to find Neika lying on the mat at their front door. Her fur was matted with dirt and blood, but she leapt up as soon as she saw them, prancing around them, if a little stiffly, in a state of pure joy. Morgan laughed as she jumped on them to lick their faces, leaving dirty brown paw prints everywhere. Jenny and Alex, dirt all over the front of their clothes, laughed along.