Under Siege by Stephen Coonts Read Free Book Online Page B

science.” The academic’s eyes flicked nervously over the crowd of people, who were chattering in the usual cocktail-party hubbub.
    “Tell me, Professor, what do you make of the latest moves in the Soviet Politburo?”
    The professor comturned to face Yocke squarely. As he did Jake Grafton lightly touched Yocke’s arm, then slid away from the wall and moved toward the snacks.
    “They’re abandoning the faith. They’re abandoning their friends, those who have believed and sustained them.”
    “Then, in your opinion, communism hasn’t failed?” The professor’s lips quivered. “It’s a great tragedy for the human race. The communists have become greedy, sold their souls for dollars, sold their dream to the American financial swashbucklers and defrauders who have enslaved working people…… He ranted on, becoming more and more embittered.
    When he paused for breath, Yocke asked, “What if they’re right and you’re wrong?”
    “I’m not wrong! We were never wrong!” Conroy’s voice rose into a high quaver. ‘7m not wrong!” He backed away from Yocke, his arms rigid at his sides. His empty glass fell unnoticed to the carpet. “We had a chance to change mankind for the better. We had a chance to build a true community where all men would be brothers, a world of workers free from exploitation by the strong, the greedy, the lazy, those who inherit wealth, those …”
    All eyes were on him now. Other conversations had stopped. Conroy didn’t notice. He was in full cry: “…the exploiters have triumphed! This is mankind’s most shameful hour.” His voice grew hoarse and spittle flew from his lips. “The communists have surrendered to the rich and powerftd. They have sold us into bondage, into slavery!”
    Then Callie Grafton was there, her hand on his shoulder,
    whispering in his ear. Wilson Conroy’s eyes closed and his shoulders sagged. She led him gently from the silent room and the startled eyes. Subdued conversations began again.
    Jack Yocke stood there isolated, all eyes avoiding him. Tish Samuels was nowhere in sight. Suddenly he was desperately thirsty. He headed for the kitchen.
    He was standing there by the sink working on a bourbon and water when Jake Grafton came in. “What’d you say your name was?”
    “Jack Yocke, Captain. Look, I owe you and your wife an apology. I didn’t mean to set Conroy off.”
    “Umm.” Jake opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of beer. He twisted off the cap and took a sip. “What kind of work do you do?”
    “I’m a reporter. Washington Post. Grafton nodded once and drank beer. “Your wife is a fine teacher. I really enjoyed her course.”
    “She likes teaching.”
    “That comes through in the classroom.”
    “Heard anything this afternoon about that Colombian druggie, Aldana? Where is he going to end upO”
    “Here in Washington. Justice announced it three or four hours ago.” Jake Grafton sighed. “Think there’ll be trouble?”
    “Wouldn’t surprise me,” Yocke’s host said. “Seems every age has at least one Caligula, an absolute despot absolutely corrupted. Ours are criminal psychopaths, and we seem to have a lot more than one. I hear Chano Aldana has a net worth of four billion dollars. Awesome, isn’t it?”
    “Is the American government ready to endure the problems the Colombian government is having?” Jake Grafton snorted. “My crystal ball is sorta cloudy just now. Why’d you take a Spanish class, anyway, Jack?”
    “Thought it would help me on the job.” That was true enough, as far as it went. Jack Yocke had taken the course so he could get bargaining chips to talk his way onto the foreign desk where reporters fluent in foreign languages had a leg up. he wasn’t about to pass up an opportunity to meet who might help him later in his career, so he had come to the end-of-semester party to meet Jake Grafton. “Maybe I can get a jail-cell interview with Aldana.” That comment made Grafton shrug.
    “I understand