After months and months of talk, Cindy told Garaar that if he didn’t come over and meet her—because if he was that rich, what could stop him, she said—she was going to move on. She expressed his desire to connect in person and see if a future was possible. Then Garaar said he’d meet her on his yacht once he was able to work out the details.
She gave him a month at the time and extended it two weeks when Garaar asked for it. When he asked again, she refused and gave him the ultimatum. Garaar wasn’t sure he could pull it off, but when the opportunity to make a ton of money by selling the sarin to the Al Hasib, he began to believe it was possible. That’s when he started talking up his wealth more than he should have. He swallowed hard with every new lie that he told. Instead of tamping down the lies, he ramped them up, justifying it all by convincing himself that it would all be true once he sold the Sarin.
Almost there.
Garaar smiled as he scrolled through the list of yachts for sale on a used boat website. He’d already picked out the one he wanted and contacted the owner. In a few short days, he’d be standing on the dock in the picture and waiting for Cindy to join him on board.
He logged into the dating website where he’d connected with Cindy and noticed he had a message from her.
I’m starting to think you’re making this all up. I want to see you ASAP.
He stared at the computer screen for a moment and took a deep breath.
Saturday can’t get here soon enough. But maybe it doesn’t have to.
Garaar dialed the number of Rashid Qureshi, the Al Hasib agent who was supposed to collect the Sarin.
“It’s not a good idea to be calling me,” Qureshi said.
“I know, but I was wondering if you wanted to accelerate our timetable by one day,” Garaar said.
“Is there a problem?”
“I just thought—”
“Is there a problem?”
“No, but I just—”
“I’ll see you at the time and place we originally scheduled. Do not contact me again under any circumstances. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Garaar mumbled as he hung up.
With just under sixty hours until the exchange was scheduled to go down, Garaar wondered if he could last that long. He wanted to lock himself into a room and come out when it was time to make the deal.
Garaar hoped Cindy would understand.
CHAPTER 14
HAWK HAD SLEPT IN WORSE CONDITIONS, but he didn’t expect to be confined to such rudimentary lodging for so long. The attack on McGinn’s compound forced them underground and understandably so. McGinn lost several men in the attack, while the ones who survived had mostly fled into hiding. It was anybody’s guess if or when Al-Shabaab might strike again, and considering the damage their initial assault inflicted, nobody wanted to be around for a second one.
The threadbare blanket Hawk pulled tight against his body provided little protection from the constant draft in the basement. If it hadn’t been against mission protocol, he would’ve considered inviting Alex to join him; yet with McGinn in the room, it would’ve made an awkward sleeping arrangement even more so. The first rays of sunlight trickled through the cracks in the wooden floor above them and signaled to Hawk that it was time to get up.
He rolled off the cot and pressed his feet firmly against the cold floor. He shivered and wrapped a blanket around his shoulders.
“Chilly in the basement, ain’t it, cowboy?” McGinn said.
Hawk glanced in the direction of McGinn and nodded.
“In about an hour, you’ll probably be able to fry an egg on the concrete,” McGinn said. “But down here? It’ll make you question that you’re in one of the warmest cities in the world.”
Hawk shook his head. “Is there an air conditioner that I’m not aware of?”
“You’re funny. You know that? This is Somalia. As far as these people know, air conditioning hasn’t even been invented yet.”
Hawk sniffed the air and then zeroed in on the cup in McGinn’s hand.
“Where’d you get that?” Hawk asked.
McGinn grinned. “Coffee isn’t easy to come by this early in the morning, but I slipped out and got some equipment for Alex to make sure she’ll have everything she needs for Saturday night. And while I did, I grabbed some coffee too. Want some?”
Hawk nodded.
“Too bad,” McGinn said, laughing. “I didn’t have enough hands to carry more than one cup.”
Alex sat up and pushed the hair out of her eyes. “You’re an asshole, McGinn.”
“And good morning to you too, buttercup,” McGinn shot back. “I come bearing gifts that would make Santa Claus blush in shame, yet the first words out of your mouth are disparaging toward me. What gives?”
“I’m gonna give you a piece of my mind if you continue your pretentious act,” she said. “I want my equipment and a cup of coffee.”
“Will it make you behave more civilly?”
Alex glared at McGinn.
He threw his hands in the air. “Okay, okay. You win. I brought cups of coffee for both of you.” He distributed a cup each to Hawk and Alex. “You could be a little nicer, you know?”
Alex glared at McGinn and took a swig of the coffee. She immediately doubled over, pretending as if she was about to vomit.
“What’d you use to filter this with? A dirty sock that had been tucked away in a locker for years?”
McGinn smiled. “Must’ve finally switched out that filter.” He put his hand up to the side of his face as if he
