Sword of God

Payne cut the cords off her hands and legs and eased her to her feet. She was unsteady for several seconds, leaning against him as she filled them in on everything. The tunnel. The robbery of her site. And her boss: Omar Abdul-Khaliq.

'Is he in Mecca?' Jones wondered.

'I don't know where he is. I've never met the man. We do everything by phone. The last time we talked was two days ago, when he hired new guards to protect this place. There was a murder and-'

Payne interrupted her. 'A murder?'

She nodded. 'A delivery guy dropped off a package and was killed on his way out.'

'What kind of package?'

'An envelope for Omar. He asked me to keep it on me at all times. He seemed pretty worried about it.'

'Do you still have it?'

'I should.' She reached through the flap of her abaya and pulled out a hajj belt (an oversized pouch for pilgrims) filled with money, keys, and her travel papers. She handed the envelope to Payne. 'It's still sealed. He told me not to open it.'

'And when did-' Payne stopped in midsentence as a voice chirped in his ear. Team two was sending him a message. He raised his index finger and told her to wait.

'Team one, we found another tunnel. Repeat, another tunnel. Permission to access?'

He glanced at Jones, who heard the same transmission. 'Go check it out.'

Jones nodded and ran off.

Payne responded. 'Team two, permission denied. Repeat, denied. Team one will be joining you for entry. Talk us to a rendezvous.'

Voices chattered in his earpiece as he returned his attention to Shari. She was bloodied and battered but quite resilient. 'How long have you been working down here?'

'Probably a few days too long.'

Payne smiled, impressed by her toughness. 'Considering what's happened, I'm sure you'd like to get out of here. However, before you leave, I'd like to ask you a small favor. Would you mind giving me a tour?'

'A tour?'

He nodded as they walked toward the gate. 'I'm searching for an old friend who might've passed through here. The more I know about this place, the better.'

'One friend or several?'

'Why do you ask?'

'Because I heard people working in the tunnel. One of them spotted me and wanted to make sure I was dead, but the other said I'd be dead soon enough.'

Payne nodded. It sure sounded like them. 'How long ago?'

Shari thought for a moment. 'Less than an hour. They were doing something on the other end of the tunnel. Near the maintenance shaft.'

'Maintenance for what?'

'That complex up the road. They had to build their own water facility in the middle of the desert just to handle the water demand. Their pipes ran past here, and our tunnel connects with theirs.'

'You mean the mosque?'

She shook her head. 'Abraj Al Bait Towers. They're being built next to the mosque. When they're done, it's going to be the biggest building in the world.'

'And it's across from the mosque?'

She nodded. 'Which seems sacrilegious to some people. Especially considering the owner.'

'Who's the owner?'

'The Bin Laden Group.'

Payne winced. It wasn't a name he was expecting. 'As in Osama bin Laden?'

'It's his family's business. His father, Mohammed, started the company himself.'

Despite their infamous surname, the bin Ladens share a close relationship with the Saudi royal family, thanks to the construction work they did at the royal palace in Jeddah. King Abdul Aziz was so impressed with their craftsmanship that he gave them exclusive rights to all religious construction in Mecca and Medina, Saudi Arabia's two holiest cities, and even asked them to renovate the Great Mosque itself. Since that time, the bin Ladens have expanded their empire, building tunnels, dams, and thousands of miles of Saudi roads while branching into several diverse areas.

They include power, chemicals, manufacturing, telecom, and real estate.

However, their latest development will be their most significant yet.

Once completed, the Abraj Al Bait Towers will be the largest building in the world. Not the tallest-its main tower will reach 1,591 feet, which will be 80 feet shorter than the Taipei Financial Center in Taiwan-yet the biggest in overall mass, a combined floor space of 16 million square feet. The complex will consist of 7 interconnected buildings, including a 5-star hotel, a business conference center, a prayer hall for 3,800 people, a 4-story mall built to resemble an outdoor Arab market, 2 heliports, a 1,000-car parking garage, a self-contained transportation system, and several residential towers. More than 65,000 people will be able to stay there at one time.

The estimated cost is $1.5 billion.

Nevertheless, economic analysts expect the project to be a financial bonanza, capitalizing on the millions of Muslims who visit the Great Mosque throughout the year. Visitors from around the world will be able to look out their hotel windows and stare down at the Kaaba, the holiest shrine in Islam. They will be able to hear the muezzin's call to prayer while in the air-conditioned comfort of their rooms. They will be able to walk across the street, day or night, and kiss the Black Stone. It will be a pilgrim's dream come true.

Unless, of course, Trevor Schmidt got to it first.

Payne met Jones near the entrance to the maintenance shaft. A large sealed door, which looked like it belonged in a submarine, had been wedged open before their arrival. Shari guessed it was the noise she'd heard in the tunnel, because the hatch was normally locked.

'Where's it go?' Jones asked.

'To the perfect target,' Payne answered. He explained what was being built, and more importantly, who was building it. 'Osama was shunned by his family a long time ago, but that won't make a difference to Schmidt. He'll remember all the family members who were killed in the hospital bombing and focus on the bin Laden name. In one attack, he can avenge his unit's death and nine-eleven, kill thousands of Muslims, and destroy their most sacred site.'

'Makes sense to me.'

'The only question is how.'

Jones glanced at Shari. 'Have you been inside the complex?'

'No one has. It's nowhere near done. They won't be finished for two more years.'

'So it'll be empty except for the builders?'

'Actually, it should be empty, period. Today's a religious holiday. No one will be working.'

'Any security? Cameras? Alarms?'

'I have no idea,' she admitted. 'I've spent all my time down here, not outside. Other than the maintenance tunnel, my knowledge about the towers is strictly based on rumors. The bin Ladens are notorious for keeping their designs under wraps. Other than the architects and a few government officials, no one has access to their plans.'

Back in 1979, the bin Ladens were working on a number of religious projects throughout Mecca, exercising the exclusive rights that had been granted to them by the royal family. Because of this special relationship, bin Laden trucks were able to come and go without being inspected, a fact that was taken advantage of by Islamic rebels, who used the trucks-without the bin Ladens' knowledge-to smuggle hundreds of weapons into the city, including those that were used during ,the insurrection that ended with the seizure of the Great Mosque.

Ironically, since the bin Ladens were in charge of citywide renovations, including those at the mosque, they were the only ones who possessed maps of Mecca's underground tunnel system. That