Chapter 9
"It's perfect!" Sergio Mora exclaimed.
"I'll have to admit that the timing and detail are perfect," Jaime Cardini responded as he placed his copy of the assassination plan on Mora's desk. "This Hawk seems to be quite thorough."
"One of the best in the business," Mora said, standing to look out the picture window at the end of his office. "We flew a courier to Bariloche this morning with a complete timetable of Peron's visit and the Hawk worked out this plan within half an hour."
"The part about laying the assassination on an American, an embassy official, is genius. But will it work?" Cardini asked seriously. As president of one of Argentina's largest industrial companies, Cardini had joined Mora with some reluctance. "We have a lot at stake, Sergio."
"I know, I know," Sergio responded nervously. "Look, Jaime, I'm as conservative as you are. I don't take chances. But this will work. I'm convinced of it. The Hawk has this man's wife prisoner. He wants one of our men to take photos of her in bed with him, and he'll use those to lure Peter Martin to the proper place at the percise moment. We think Martin is a super-agent called the Wolf, but regardless of who he is he won't fail to respond to his new bride's plea to be rescued. And look at how the Hawk plans to hit Peron! The one moment he will be completely exposed is when he climbs the steps to the monument in the plaza to unveil the plaque. One of our offices already occupies the perfect position in a building on the plaza, and it has a separate entrance with a private staircase at the back of the building. The Hawk will be gone before they even realize Peron has been hit."
"You're certain of this?" Jaime asked.
"Positive! I've used that office myself. It's perfect."
"Don't misunderstand, Sergio," Jaime said, walking over to the gray-haired executive and clasping his hand on his shoulder. "It looks good to me. I'm just looking for any possible flaws."
"We'll need precise timing," Sergio admitted, "but the Hawk is famous for that. This plan proves to me the man knows what he is doing."
"What about the girl, Sergio? Isn't she a possible weak link in all of this?"
"I think so, but the Hawk assures me he can handle her. I'm still responsible for all of this, though, and the ransom part of his plan is something we may not act upon."
"It has the advantage of reducing our financial burden in all of this," Jaime continued.
"I know, but it could also be our undoing. I'm making some plans of my own. In any event, you'll advise the others of our progress?"
"This afternoon," Jaime responded, shaking Sergio's hand as he moved slowly toward the door. "And you can rest assured that none of us will be anywhere near Bariloche next week. The riots will begin that same night."
"That will force the General to act," Sergio replied with a broad grin. "Keep in touch, Jaime."
Jaime Cardini turned his face to avoid recognition as he passed a strange man in the corridor on his way to the private elevator.
David Foster waited until the heavy set, well-dressed man had turned the comer at the end of the hall, then quickly disappeared into one of the offices. He hoped that the man didn't stop to wonder what David had been doing in the corridor. David had barely had enough time to get away from the door to Mora's office where he had been trying to listen to the conversation.
David was becoming frustrated. Through several chance remarks on the part of some of the lower men in the Tuyo group, he knew that the kidnapping had been successful and that the Hawk now held the Martin girl prisoner in a mountain retreat near Bariloche. And from the fragments of Mora's conversation with Cardini he had been able to pick up, David had a general idea of the plan to assassinate Peron. He needed their proposed timetable, and he needed to be in Bariloche.
His chief's words echoed in his ears, Your task is to keep that old son of a bitch alive, and we don't care how you do it! David knew that he could do that only if he was on the scene when the Hawk made his move, but if he went to Bariloche now he would tip his hand to Mora and his group. Somehow, Mora had to send him to Bariloche! And David was certain that Mora wouldn't do that until he had cleared David-if David's cover held up.
David had managed to lose Peter Martin late the night before and he decided to use that to see if he could force Mora's hand. He walked to Mora's office and knocked on the closed door.
"Ah, yes," Mora said with a sigh when David walked in. "What can I do for you?"
"That's my question, Senor Mora," David responded with a smile. "I supervised the delivery of the incendiary bombs last night. It was a clean trip all the way. But this morning I picked up a tail-an American."
"An American is following you?" Mora asked quickly.
"Was. I gave him the slip before I came up here. I could have eliminated him easily, but I thought I'd better clear anything like that with you first," David commented, standing by Mora's antique desk.
"Good thinking! By no means should you take action against an American agent at this moment," Mora said slowly. "I don't understand why they're tailing you. Did you recognize the man?"
"No, sir," David replied, casting a quick glance at an open page of a report on Mora's desk. "I've never seen the man before in my life."
"And you're positive he was tailing you?"
"Positive," David responded.
"I think, then, that perhaps you'd better stay out of circulation for a while. At least until we can find out exactly what is going on."
"He picked me up at the Aurora," David remarked, naming the hotel where he had been sent that morning after leaving the Sheraton.
"Then stay away from the Aurora," Mora said.
"We may have an internal leak. If so, I'll have to close it immediately."
""Want me to pick my own place?" David asked. "No one here will know where I am, and I'll call you directly to check in."
"Good!" Mora agreed. "Call me this afternoon, but make sure you are not being followed. I'll try to straighten this out before the sun sets today. Thank you for keeping me advised," he added, standing to indicate that the meeting was concluded.
David smiled to himself as he left the building. Mora had taken the bait better than David had expected. He glanced at his watch and realized that he would have to hurry to catch the next plane to Bariloche.