Chapter XV

AL BEARDEN WENT DOWNSTAIRS for a smoke five minutes before midnight. He tapped out a cigarette and lit it before scanning the street for his appointment. Two minutes later, a man appeared around the corner.

“You’re late,” Bearden said. He blew a plume of smoke upward.

Malcolm Poindexter, who went by Dex within the agency, stood in front of Bearden, clad in a trench coat and a fedora. “I lost track of time while I was packing.”

“I hope you didn’t lose track of your assignment,” Bearden said.

“He gave me the slip once, but I caught back up with him.”

“How does that happen?” Bearden asked. “I swear, Dex, there are days I think you’re the greatest field agent the CIA has ever seen. And then there are days I’m genuinely stunned that you can even feed and clothe yourself.”

“Isn’t that how it is for everybody?”

Bearden’s cheeks sucked inward as his lips wrapped around the cigarette. He pulled it out and studied it for a moment before blowing smoke out of the corner of his mouth.

“That’s a question for everybody else, not me,” Bearden finally said. “What I really want to know is what happened tonight with Maddux. I’m assuming something went down or else you wouldn’t have arranged this meeting.”

“After he gave me the slip, I decided to backtrack because that’s what I would’ve done if I had been in the same situation,” Dex began. “So, I cut through one of the alleys and found him looping back around. I made sure he didn’t see me again, but I happened to see him get accosted in the alleyway.”

“A mugging?”

Dex shook his head. “No, it was something else. However, I’m not sure exactly who or what it was about.”

“Surely you heard something.”

“Yeah, but nothing that gave away any clues surrounding their meeting. Just a vague comment from a large man who warned that Maddux was getting dangerously close to something and he’d regret it if he kept it up.”

“Those were his words? Dangerously close?”

“That’s what it sounded like to me. I was standing around the corner, using a gutter pipe for cover, but I would swear that’s the exact phrasing he used.”

“Well, I knew he was up to something in Belgrade. Then he lied to me about it. Damn, I hate these civilian assets.”

Dex shrugged. “Without these civilian assets, we’d be in a heap of trouble.”

“Perhaps, but they don’t think like a spy all the time. Sometimes I wonder how much worse off we’d really be without them.”

“Well, they’re never gonna go away, so you can file away that pipe dream. They’re here to stay, and we need to learn to work with them and trust them.”

“Who’s side are you on anyway? His or mine?” Bearden demanded.

“I’m on my country’s side, and I don’t care to get pulled into a pissing war between you and one of our best assets. Is that clear enough for you?”

“Oh, Dex, today is definitely one of those days I hate you.”

Dex grinned and patted Bearden on the back. “Well, tomorrow you’ll love me, so there’s that.”

“That remains to be seen. Think you and ad man can bring back Pritchett safely?”

“I sure as hell hope so. You never know what you’re going to get once you cross that Yugoslav border.”

“Well, be safe and bring Pritchett back alive. We need him for the uphill battle we’re facing with these KGB assassins running rampant all over Europe.”

“Roger that,” Dex said. “We’ll do our best.” He turned to leave.

“And Dex,” Pritchett called.

Dex spun on his heel and spun around. “Yes?”

“Make sure you keep an eye on Maddux. I don’t want him pulling one over on us.”

“Tomorrow will be one of those days where you’ll think I’m the greatest field agent you’ve ever seen. I promise.”

Bearden grunted and flicked the cigarette into the street. “I hope you’re right.”