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〃Go on；〃 Jake prompted when the admiral fell silent。
The admiral turned to face him。 〃You're asking too damn much； Jake。〃
〃I'm not asking for anything other than what I need to know to do my job。〃
〃Like shit。〃
〃Would you let yourself be led along by the nose if you were me？ Jesus Christ； Admiral； my predecessor was murdered！ I got a wife over there〃…he pointed back toward his house…〃who would like to have me alive for…〃
〃What do you want to know？〃
〃Why was Strong killed？ What did you tell those people in West Virginia？ Why the silence on a murder？ Who and what are you investigating？〃 He looked at Camacho。 〃Who the hell are you？〃
Camacho spoke first； 〃I'm special agent in charge of the Washington…area FBI group that handles counterespionage。 That's why the locals in West Virginia cooperated。 That's why Trooper Keadle called me when you left his office Thursday。 That's why he called me when mander Judy showed up that afternoon to search Harold Strong's cabin。〃 He turned and started down the beach； still talking。 Admiral Henry and Jake Grafton trailed along。 〃Why was Strong killed？ If we knew that we would be almost there。 It wasn't personal or domestic。 No way。 It was a hit； a contract。 He got taken out by someone who knew precisely what they were doing； a cool customer。 So the hypothesis that seems most likely is that he knew something he shouldn't。 That leads us to his job…the ATA program。〃
〃That sea story about a Minotaur…that was true？〃
〃Yeah； that's the code name。 But we don't know if it's one guy or several；〃 the agent said； with a glance at Tyler Henry； who picked that moment to look out to sea。
〃I thought；〃 Jake said； 〃that these spy things usually get broken when you get somebody to talk。〃
〃That's the history。 It'd be nice if we knew who to put the screws to to clean up this little mess。 But we don't。 So right now we're busy doing it the hard way。〃 He led the two naval officers along the beach as he talked and answered questions。 When Jake remembered to glance out to sea； the containership was no longer in sight。
〃Let's transfer Smoke Judy；〃 Jake suggested to the admiral。
Henry just stared at him。
〃Dunedin said if I got goosey； I could get rid of him。〃
〃I'd rather you left him in place；〃 Camacho said。 〃I've already made that request to Admiral Henry and now I'll make it to you。〃
〃Going to be real tough to pretend I don't know anything。〃
〃You don't know anything；〃 Henry growled。 He jerked his thumb at Camacho。 〃If he talked to you for a week； you still wouldn't know anything。 I sure as hell don't。〃
An hour later； as they came single file through the dune trail； Henry said； 〃Now you know as much as I do； which is precious little。 On Monday you tell that chief in officer personnel to tear up your retirement papers。〃
〃Yessir。〃
〃Don't ever pull that stunt on me again； Grafton。〃
〃Or。。？〃
〃Don't you abandon ship and leave me and Dunedin up to our necks alone in this sack of shit。〃
After the two men had departed in the admiral's car； Jake went back into the house。 Callie was sitting on the couch reading a book。 〃David got your plane fixed； but his mother called and he went home for lunch。 He said he would e back later and help you fly it。〃
Jake nodded and poured a cup of coffee。
〃Want to tell me about it？〃
〃Huh？〃
〃Jake。。。〃 Her voice had that time…to…e…clean； no…more…nonsense tone。 That tone in her voice always got his attention； perhaps because his mother had used it so effectively some years ago。
〃Admiral Henry's my boss's boss。 Camacho's a civilian。 They drove over here to talk about a problem at the office。 A classified problem。 That's all I can say。 You want coffee？〃
She nodded yes。 When he handed it to her she said； 〃So you are working on the ATA program？〃
〃Callie； for Christ's sake。 I told you I was。 I don't lie to you。〃
She sipped her coffee for a bit。 〃David likes you；〃 she said。
It made him nervous when she shifted subjects like that 〃He's a great kid；〃 he said nonmittally。 〃Honest； Callie。 I tell you the truth。 If something's classified and I can't talk about it； I just say so。 You know that！ You know me！〃
She nodded her agreement and picked up the book。 He waited a moment； slightly baffled； then wandered outside with his coffee cup in his hand。 Women！ Any man who thinks he's got them figured out should be declared inpetent and incarcerated to protect himself。
The cursors were running all over the scope when it occurred to Toad to check the velocities in the inertial。 They were all gone to hell。 〃Hold this heading；〃 he growled at Rita as he consulted his kneeboard cards。 He pushed the buttons to take the inertial out of the system； then typed in a wind he thought would work。
〃Okay；〃 he told her。 〃This run； no inertial and no radar。 puter dead reckoning and the IR…that's all we'll use。 We'll even leave the laser off。 Go in at a hundred feet and let's see if we can hit anything。〃 Below two hundred feet system deliveries in the A…6 were degraded； probably； Toad suspected； due to the trigonometry of low grazing angles。
She lowered the left wing and let the nose sag down into the turn。 When she leveled the wings they were on the run…in line at a hundred feet； throttles against the stops； bouncing moderately in the turbulence as the engines moaned through their helmets。
He got the reticle； or cross hair； on the IR display onto the tower。 The cross hairs started drifting。 The wind he typed into the puter was wrong。 He pushed the velocity correct switch； then held the cross hairs on the tower bulls…eye。
〃Master Arm on； in attack； and in range。〃
〃I'm mitted；〃 she said。 This meant she had squeezed the mit trigger on the stick； authorizing the puter to release the weapon。
Toad glanced out his side window。 The desert was right there； close enough to touch； racing by beneath them。 He came back to the IR scope。 All okay。 If Moravia got distracted and let the nose fall just a smidgen； they would be a fireball rolling across the desert so quickly they would never even know what happened。 〃Release ing；〃 he advised。 The cursors started to drift in close and he held them on the base of the tower。
When the release came she eased back on the stick and Toad felt the G press him down even as he watched the tower on the IR scope…now going inverted…for the hit。 Pop。 There it was。 Almost dead…on。
That was the last bomb。 He glanced at the panel in front of her。 They were climbing and heading north for Yakima。 He flipped the radar to transmit and began to adjust the picture。
〃Your hit forty feet at seven…thirty。〃
〃Boardman； thanks a lot。 We're switching to Center。〃
〃Have a safe flight。〃
〃Yo。〃 Toad dialed in the Seattle Center frequency。
〃Pretty good bombing for a fighter puke；〃 Moravia said。
〃Yep。 It was that；〃 he agreed smugly； relishing the role and willing today to play it to the hut。 Moravia had had her fun last night。 His head was still thumping like a toothache。 〃Ain't anybody better than the ol' Horny Toad。〃
〃Or anyone more humble。〃
〃Humble is for folks that can't；〃 he shot back。 〃I can。〃
Rita called Center and asked for a clearance to the military operating area over Okanogan。 She level