The Escape (John Puller, #3)(33)

“That’s all I have on that. They weren’t military. I don’t know who they are. Yet.”

“Al Jordan said they ‘outranked’ him. That sounds military.”

“I checked with him. It was just a figure of speech. Guys were in suits.”

“No creds shown?”

“He said they were very intimidating.”

“Uh-huh,” said a clearly skeptical Puller. “By the way, technical question, do you treat INSCOM as military or not?”

She gazed sternly at him. “What exactly are you implying?”

“I’m not implying anything. I’m just asking a question.”

“INSCOM is most definitely military. It’s based at Fort Belvoir. That’s an Army installation, in case you didn’t know.”

“Know it well. My CID group used to be there before we got shipped to Quantico.”

“Well then?” she said, almost daring him to make another provocative comment.

He decided to take up the dare. Maybe it was the Jack Daniel’s rub on the ribs, or the little green things masquerading as veggies, which were now simmering uncomfortably in his gut.

“I made a few calls tonight too.”

“Calls to who?” she said stonily.

“I’ve been in the Army long enough to have a pretty deep Rolodex. INSCOM was formed in 1977 at Arlington Hall Station in Virginia. Intelligence, security, electronic warfare all at the level above corps, pretty big footprint.”

“Yes, it is.”

“You’re divided into eight brigades and various intelligence, operations, and support groups and companies, with a CO who’s a two-star, same rank as the guy currently heading up CID.”

“I know the breakdown of my command, Puller. Feel free to skip the military history lesson.”

“Oh, and you have one more function.” He paused. “The Central Security Service.”

She blinked but otherwise continued to look blankly at him.

“Central Security Service,” he said again. “That’s what they call INSCOM and its counterparts in the Navy and Air Force within NSA. Because the National Security Agency is also part of INSCOM, or INSCOM is part of NSA, however you want to look at it. Funny, you neglected to mention that you were with Central Security.”

“I would find it very hard to believe that anyone in your ‘Rolodex’ would know whether I am or not.”

“Are you?”

“Am I what?”

“NSA?”

She held out her lanyard with her creds on it. “It says INSCOM right here, Puller.”

“I know what it says,” he replied, and then said nothing else.

She let the lanyard drop and sat back. “And why would it matter to you where I’m actually attached? NSA, INSCOM, United States Army?” She shrugged. “We’re all Americans, Puller. All on the same side.”

He said nothing. He just sat there staring at her with an expression that finally made her look away again.

He dropped some bills on the table for the meal and rose.

She said, “Walking out on me again? It’s starting to get embarrassing. People will surely talk,” she quipped, but her look was bordering on panic.

“Take care of yourself, Knox.”

“Puller, the last time we parted like this, you found a dead body in your room.”

“Are you saying you’re involved in that?”

“No, of course not. But I have been assigned to work with you on this case.”

“Well, I wasn’t assigned to work with you. Now, I can’t stop you from showing up, I guess. But here’s where the partnership ends. At least on my side.”

“You really need to rethink this.”

“And you need to rethink whether dishonesty is really the best policy.”

“I wasn’t dishonest with you,” she said sharply.

“But you weren’t honest, so what would you call it?”

She folded her arms and looked away. This appeared to be an idiosyncrasy of hers, he noted, though he didn’t know if she was truly not conscious of it, or used it to gain an advantage somehow while she thought of another lie.

She glanced up at him. “Can we talk about this in a less public place?”

“Not if you’re just going to keep running in circles. I don’t have time for that.”

“I will be as frank as I can be. How does that sound?”

“I guess we’ll find out.” He turned and walked off.

She jumped up, dropped a twenty-dollar bill on the table, and hurried after him.

Outside he was already standing at the side door of his car. “I’ll drive, you can talk,” he said.

She assented to this by opening the passenger door and climbing in.

Puller hung a left at the next intersection and then headed away from town. Leavenworth wasn’t that big and they were soon out of the downtown business district and passing residential streets where houses dotted the dark landscape.

She said, “I need to know if I was positively identified by anyone you talked to as being with CSS.”

“Why?”

“Why do you think? It’s not like I advertise my position.”

“So you are with Central Security?”