d close and said, "Yes, I
know. I was watching you. Those doors are only made of wood, you know."
Not particularly surprised that Mandi could see through things, Cade nodded
his understanding, finished signing the forms, and stood up to take them to
another desk.
When they arrived in Cade's room, Mandi headed for the fridge as she said,
"There were no Atlanta police in the lower lobby, Cade. Not in uniform or out."
Nodding, he said, "I noticed that, too."
Opening a soda, she asked, "Why?"
Cade watched her sip the drink for a moment as he decided how to handle her
question, then said, "Likely because they were asked not to be there."
After meeting his gaze for a moment, Mandi said, "A man was shot. Killed.
Rightfully so, under the circumstances, but isn't that a matter for the local
cops?"
"I'm not going to worry about it, Mandi. If you feel that something's not
right, you'll have to talk to John."
She shook her head and said, "No, what I meant was; how is it the Atlanta
cops weren't involved?"
Reaching for a soda of his own, Cade said, "Mandi, I think some
long-standing rules are being bent. The terrorists are operating as small cells.
They can scatter like cockroaches and pop up again anywhere, anytime, with
explosives. We need more and better info about them, and I think Hassan's going
to tell whatever he knows before the legal system gets him."
"A secret interrogation?"
Nodding, Cade said, "Very likely. Drugs, not torture. They're quicker, more
effective, and they don't leave marks."
"And you're okay with that?"
"In Hassan's case, yes. He was caught with a backpack full of plastic
explosive in a downtown Atlanta hotel and he was trying to get into a crowded
ballroom to set it off. I flatly don't give a rat's ass how they get the info
out of him. I also don't care whether the legal system gets him or not."
"What about Constitutional rights?"
Snorting a laugh, Cade said, "He was going to blow himself up, ma'am. His
rights would have ended anyway. This way we may find out where he got the
plastique, who funded the operation, who directed it, and more. If we turn him
over to the legal system before we question him, we can only be sure we'll get
his lawyer's name."
Mandi parked her butt against the fridge and said, "I see. So the
Constitution no longer applies to all?"
"It should definitely apply to those who live by it. I'm person