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‘And sending in two panies of air…mobile troops isn‘t？‘
‘I‘ve always said you were smart； James；‘ Maxwell said。 ‘You know； this is right where my son was shot down。 That SEAL went in and recovered him right about here；‘ the Admiral said； tapping the map。
‘Somebody who knows the area from ground level？‘ Greer asked。 ‘That‘s help。 Where is he？‘
‘Hi； Sarah。‘ Kelly waved her to the chair。 She looked older； he thought。
‘This is my third time； John。 You were asleep the other two。‘
‘I‘ve been doing a lot of that。 It‘s okay；‘ he assured her。 ‘Sam‘s in here a couple times a day。‘ He was already unfortable。 The hardest part was facing friends； Kelly told himself。
‘Well； we‘ve been busy in the lab。‘ Sarah spoke rapidly。 ‘John； I needed to tell you how sorry I am that I asked you to e into town。 I could have sent you somewhere else。 She didn‘t need to see Madge。 There‘s a guy I know in Annapolis； perfectly good practitioner 。。。‘ Her voice stumbled on。 。
So much guilt； Kelly thought。 ‘None of this was your fault； Sarah；‘ he said when she stopped talking。 ‘You were a good friend to Pam。 If her mom had been like you； maybe … ‘
It was almost as though she hadn‘t heard him。 ‘I should have given you a later date。 If the timing had been a little different…‘
She was right on that part； Kelly thought。 The variables。 What if？ What if he‘d selected a different block to be parked on？ What if Billy had never spotted him？ What if I hadn‘t moved at all and let the bastard just go on his way？ A different day； a different week？ What if a lot of things。 The past happened because a hundred little random things had to fall exactly into place in exactly the right way； in exactly the proper sequence； and while it was easy to accept the good results； one could only rage at the bad ones。 What if he‘d taken a different route from the food warehouse？ What if he‘d not spotted Pam at the side of the road and never picked her up？ What if he‘d never spotted the pills？ What if he hadn‘t cared； or what if he‘d been so outraged that he had abandoned her？ Would she be alive now？ If her father had been a little more understanding； and she‘d never run away； they would never have met。 Was that good or bad？
And if all that were true； then what did matter？ Was everything a random accident？ The problem was that you couldn‘t tell。 Maybe if he were God looking down on everything from above； maybe then it would fit some pattern； but from the inside it merely was； Kelly thought； and you did the best you could； and tried to learn from your mistakes for when the next random event happened to you。 But did that make sense？ Hell； did anything really make sense？ That was far too plex a question for a former Navy chief lying in a hospital bed。
‘Sarah； none of this is your fault。 You helped her in the best way you could。 How could you change that？‘
‘Damn it； Kelly； we had her saved！‘
‘I know。 And I brought her here； and I got careless； not you。 Sarah； everyone tells me it‘s not my fault； and then you e in here and tell me it‘s yours。‘ The grimace was almost a smile。 ‘This can be very confusing； except for one thing。‘
‘It wasn‘t an accident； was it？‘ Sarah noted。
‘No； it wasn‘t。‘
‘There he is；‘ Oreza said quietly； keeping his binoculars on the distant speck。 ‘Just like you said。‘
‘e to papa；‘ the policeman breathed in the darkness。
It was just a happy coincidence； the officer told himself。 The people in question owned a corn farm in Dorchester County； but between the corn…rows were marijuana plants。 Simple； as the saying went； but effective。 With a farm came barns and outbuildings； and privacy。 Being clever people； they didn‘t want to drive their product across the Bay Bridge in their pickup truck； where the summer traffic was unpredictably interrupted； and besides； a sharp…eyed toll taker had helped the State Police make a bust only a month before。 They were careful enough to bee a potential threat to his friend。 That had to be stopped。
So they used a boat。 This heaven…sent coincidence gave the Coast Guard the chance to participate in a bust and thus to raise his stature in their eyes。 It couldn‘t hurt； after he‘d used them as the stalking horse to help get Angelo Vorano killed； Lieutenant Charon thought； smiling in the wheelhouse。
‘Take ‘em now？‘ Oreza asked。
‘Yes。 The people they‘re delivering to are under our control。 Don‘t tell anybody that；‘ he added。 ‘We don‘t want to promise them。‘
‘You got it。‘ The quartermaster advanced his throttles and turned the wheel to starboard。 ‘Let‘s wake up； people；‘ he told his crew。
The forty…one…boat squatted at the stem with the increased power。 The rumble of the diesels was intoxicating to the boat‘s mander。 The small steel wheel vibrated in his hands as he steadied up on his new course。 The funny part was that it would e as a surprise to them。 Although the Coast Guard was the principal law…enforcement agency on the water； their main activity had always been search and rescue； and the word hadn‘t quite gotten out yet。 Which； Oreza told himself； was just too goddamned bad。 He‘d found a few coastguardsmen smoking pot in the past couple of years； and his wrath was something still talked about by those who‘d seen it。
The target was easily seen now； a thirty…foot Bay…built fishing boat of the sort that dotted the Chesapeake； probably with an old Chevy engine； and that meant she couldn‘t possibly outrun his cutter。 It was a perfectly good thing to have a good disguise； Oreza thought with a smile； but not so clever to bet your life and your freedom on one card； however good it might be。
‘Just let everything look normal；‘ the policeman said quietly。
‘Look around； sir；‘ the quartermaster replied。 The boat crew was alert but not obviously so； and their weapons were holstered。 The boat‘s course was almost a direct one toward their Thomas Point station； and if the other boat even took note of them … and nobody was looking aft at the moment … they could easily assume that the forty…one…footer was just heading back to the barn。 Five hundred yards now。 Oreza jammed the throttles to the stops to get the extra knot or two of overtake speed。
‘