A hint of a smile appeared on Blunt’s face. “Well, I have to admire a man who can fake his own death.”
“It’s the staying dead part that’s most important,” Hawk said. “And I don’t know if it was either his ego or Petrov’s offer that brought him back from the grave, but either way it sounds like he’s ready to return to wreaking havoc.”
Blunt shrugged. “As best as I can tell, we still hold the upper hand.”
“How do you figure?” Samuels asked.
“Fazil doesn’t know that we know he’s still alive,” Blunt said as he uncrossed his arms and leaned forward. “He probably thinks his greatest weapon is surprise, but that will be muted when we meet him at his point of attack.”
“Yeah, about that,” Hawk said. “Hitting Verge is like throwing a rock in the ocean—you can’t miss. There are so many vulnerable points along their vast pipeline, not to mention all the places they could target at the refinery. If Al Hasib manages to penetrate the perimeter, it could be raining oil for days over Kuwait City.”
“It’s not like the pipeline is unguarded,” Blunt countered.
Alex nodded. “True, but Verge doesn’t have enough personal contractors to withstand a siege like the kind Al Hasib is capable of bringing.”
“The pipeline is a concern,” Hawk explained. “Depending on where they attack and how damaged it is, Verge could have trouble shutting it down. However, it won’t spill into the desert forever. At some point, it’s going to run dry.”
Blunt raised his eyebrows. “So, I take it you’re more concerned about the refinery?”
Hawk nodded. “That seems to be the most vulnerable location and the place that would result in the greatest damage. Three quarters of a million barrels of oil per day would either be spilled or unable to be processed.”
“But why now?” Alex asked. “Why does the attack seem so likely to happen in the next few days?”
“I know you probably haven’t paid attention to the markets lately,” Blunt began, “but they’re tanking. After Petrov screwed us over and had you take out the leaders of Germany’s financial sector, putting everything into a chaotic state, she sees this as her window of opportunity to gain control of the world markets.”
“And how exactly is she going to do that?” Samuels asked.
“The same way she does everything else—bribes, blackmail, bullets, and bombs,” Blunt answered. “There’s little she can’t accomplish without that combination. For whatever reason, she’s chosen to escalate things now. Unfortunately, we have to act now.”
“It’d be much easier if some Seals or other special ops unit went in on this program,” Hawk said. “They could kick ass and be out of there before anyone knew what happened.”
Blunt inspected the thick outer wrapping on the smoldering cigar for a moment. “I agree with you, but that’s not going to happen in this political environment. The mood of the country is that we need to butt out of the Middle East, not to mention the fact that this is an overseas operation—and all of those have been temporarily suspended until this mess with Michaels gets sorted out.”
“What about the Kuwaiti Guard?” Hawk asked. “Couldn’t they at least provide some support?”
Blunt shrugged. “Perhaps, but they don’t like to be shown up. They’re also not very fond of having us rooting around in their backyard.”
“They owe us,” Hawk said.
“I think they’ve repaid that favor hundreds of times over,” Blunt said. “But I’ll make sure the message is passed along to them that we have evidence of a credible threat. I’ll just fail to mention you’re there.”
“Gee, thanks,” Samuels said. “Sounds like we’re on our own.”
Blunt nodded. “I can’t exactly tell them we’re sending you when you’re supposed to be wanted by both the FBI and Interpol.”
Hawk slapped Samuels on the back. “Welcome to the world of being expendable.”
“This isn’t what I signed up for,” Samuels said.
“Take it up with Young,” Blunt said. “For now, this is what you get. Now, I suggest you formulate a plan to stop the attack on the Verge refinery and figure out a way to survive.”
Hawk shoved a clip into his gun and gave Samuels a wry grin. “Taking down terrorists is exactly what I signed up for.”
“And it’s time to get to it,” Blunt said. “I’m getting a plane ready for you at Hyde Field. Everything you’ll need for the mission will be there. Wheels up in four hours.”
CHAPTER 13
Paris, France
KATARINA PETROV SLOWLY CIRCLED the table packed with financial leaders from countries all across Europe and the Middle East. With the way the banking system had been constructed, each leader had the power to make their currency rise or fall with the stroke of a pen. One investment here, one interest rate there—the moment the media took hold of the story capturing what move had been made, chaos ensued. The frenzied economic activity could be positive or negative. Petrov cared little which direction the indicators pointed in each country as long as everyone unwittingly ceded their power to Petrov.
“Gentlemen, what I want is a new currency, one that every country can fully support and trade,” she said. “Look how well it went for Europe. The Euro maintains one of the strongest exchange rates on the open market, something that couldn’t be said for many European countries before the move. Their currency was weakened, subject to the whims of the various decision makers. In some ways, the Euro has fool-proofed itself against the fluctuating market.”
Hans Nilsson, the head of the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority, lifted his hand. “You raise a good point, but certainly not the kind that will sway those in the European Union. If their currency is so strong on its own, why would they want to merge with you?”
“An interesting question from a man whose own country has refused to incorporate the Euro, a decision you no doubt regret,” she said. “However, I understand what you’re saying. And to such protests I say, ‘Don’t
