All Necessary Force

Kurt paused, then said, “I think it’s a moot point right now. We don’t have anything to go on, so there’s not anywhere we can ‘run riot’ anyway.” He locked eyes with Secretary Brookings as he finished.

President Warren said, “But you think it’s coming?”

“Yes. I do. In my mind, the question isn’t whether it’s coming, but how big it will be. All of the groups talking about it have subordinate affiliations with al Qaeda. That indicates they’re cooperating, which is something we haven’t seen on this scale. Cooperating with AQ, yes, but not horizontally with each other for a single attack. They do unilateral acts, then claim it was done on behalf of AQ.”

“Does that help us in any way?”

“Maybe. With that much chatter, we should have some leaks somewhere, which is what really concerns me. How can all of these groups be talking about it, yet we never get anything we can sink our teeth into? Whoever’s the head honcho is very, very good. Compartmentalizing everything.”

“Or,” said Secretary Brookings, “there isn’t an attack on the way.”

President Warren ignored him. “What did you get out of the Indonesia Op?”

Kurt said, “The guy’s a facilitator, no doubt about it, but he’s pretty small-time. His travel company has some airframes that I’m sure have been used for bad reasons, and he’s got offices in Prague and Bangkok, along with a ton of financial information we’ve turned over to the FBI, but nothing related to this.”

The secretary of defense said, “What about rolling him up? The team’s still there, right? We do an Omega operation and then wring him out. If he’s a terrorist facilitator, he needs to be gone anyway.”

“Johnny’s team’s there, but he’s not. He’s in Cairo at some international trade fair. If you guys give me Omega authority, I can lay the groundwork for when he returns.”

Secretary Brookings said, “Cairo? We’ve got a congressional delegation there right now.” He looked at President Warren. “Attending an international trade fair.”

The DCI said, “Shit. Maybe that’s the target.”

Kurt said, “Wait. Noordin’s not a big player. He’s certainly not a hitter.”

“But he could be facilitating someone else who is.”

President Warren said, “Can you shift Johnny’s team in Indonesia to Cairo? At least keep an eye on this guy?”

“Not without a large amount of risk. They’re supposedly contracted to an Indonesian company for cellular phone infrastructure. If they get investigated in any way while in Egypt, starting with customs, they’ll last about twenty minutes.”

President Warren said, “Maybe we lean on the Egyptians if that happens. Get a little something for all of the money we give them.”

Kurt smiled. He knew that Egypt receiving more U.S. monetary aid for defense than any other country on earth, including Israel, grated on President Warren. Especially after the fall of Mubarak. “I have a better idea. Pike’s company deals with archeological work. I can get him to Egypt with little trouble. There’s no better place to look at old shit.”

“Pike?” said Secretary Brookings. “Isn’t he the one who just caused the incident in Indonesia?”

“Uh… no,” Kurt said. “He’s the one who prevented an incident in Indonesia.”

Twenty minutes later the meeting wrapped up, with Kurt jotting down some final notes for the movement of Pike’s team. President Warren stopped by him before leaving.

“How did it work out with the Cambodian Embassy? Did you get your father’s things?”

Kurt grimaced. “Yes, sir, but believe it or not, someone broke into Pike’s hotel room in Indonesia and took the camera.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope. I appreciate the pull you used, but I guess I should have just let nature take its course.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. I know how much those articles meant to you.”

“It’s not all bad. The camera had some film in it, which is more than I would have hoped. Pike’s mailing it to me. With any luck, there’ll be something interesting on it from my father.”

19

Congressman Ellis laughed politely at the banter of his congressional brethren as they stood in a circle waiting for their transportation. Glancing across the lobby of the Conrad Hotel, he visibly blanched. Walking purposely across the floor was a man who looked remarkably like the passport photo of the guy from Cambodia.

He watched the man all the way to the elevator, only pulling his eyes away when he felt someone tugging on his sleeve. “Hey, you all right?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m okay. Sorry. I thought I saw someone I knew.”

“Well, you have any input on where we go for dinner? Jack here wants to go to some belly-dancing place the consulate recommended.”

Ellis felt queasy, wanting to run. “That sounds fine. Could you hold the limo? I left something in my room.”

Before the man could answer, Ellis began swiftly walking toward the elevators. He exited at his floor and moved straight to the house phone on a table. If that was the man, a phone call would confirm it. There was no way two people would have the same name.

“Yes, could I get the room of Nephilim Logan, please?”

After spelling it for the hotel operator, he waited, praying to hear that nobody by that name was registered. Instead, he heard the phone start ringing. He swiftly hung up before anyone could answer.

He leaned against the table, feeling faint. The man was clearly here because of him. But how? Where had he gone wrong? There was no way the guy could know about the transfer of equipment, and Han had told him the camera had no film. But maybe it did. Maybe the man had it. Then why not just confront him? What’s staying at the same hotel going to get him? Maybe the pictures didn’t come out clear enough to finger me. Maybe it’s just enough to raise suspicions, and he’s waiting on me to hang myself. Ellis ran-walked to his room, the sweat on his neck feeling clammy in the over-air-conditioned hallway.

Snatching up the pay-as-you-go cell phone, he anxiously waited for Han to answer.

“Hello,” Han said. “I’m assuming this is my twenty-four-hour call?”

“Han, no. The deal’s off. I think someone’s on to us.”

Ellis heard nothing but breathing for a moment.

“Congressman Ellis, the deal is not off. You have been paid handsomely up front and we have worked too hard to make this occur.”

“Listen to me! The guy from Cambodia is here. In Cairo. In my fucking hotel! He knows. Or he at least suspects. No way am I going to do the transfer. I’ll be playing right into his hands.”

Han said, “The man from Cambodia is a nobody. We checked him out. His company has no history because it’s brand-new, but he did find a lost Mayan temple last year. He spent his time in Indonesia looking at old fossils. He is what he says he is.”

“That’s what he wants you to think! Jesus, you guys shouldn’t be fooled that easily. I used to do this shit for a living, and I’m telling you he’s on to me. We need to postpone.”

“Listen to me closely. We will not postpone. You will bring the equipment here in the next four days, or we will out you ourselves. So you have a choice; maybe get caught by this phantom because of the transfer, or definitely get caught by not doing the transfer.”

Congressman Ellis couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Two absolutely impossible choices. Clearly, the Chinese felt he was of no more use. They must be looking at my poll numbers. Ellis was in trouble for reelection and was considering simply not running again after learning how much money he could make on this score. But he had never considered the second-order effect, that the Chinese would throw him away.

He squeezed his eyes shut, running through options.

“Okay, okay. I’ll do the transfer if you take care of the man. Get rid of him.”