France has its interests and I have mine. Time is running out for France if you don't want to lose the discovery of the century. Perhaps we should talk about our mutual interests.
Maybe there were times when one made a deal with the Devil. It was shocking that Benoit had communicated so easily and that Gaudet obviously believed her. There seemed to be no end to this woman's intrigue.
It was late in the afternoon, so he locked up early and left the building. With Benoit's instructions committed to mem ory he proceeded to a computer where he could not be traced. According to Benoit, he could send the e- mail on any day within five minutes of four o'clock in the afternoon. Walking down Boulevard Mortier and then turning onto Cros, he went for a few more blocks until he came to an Internet cafe. There were a series of work stations, at least twenty in all, and each one tied into the Internet. After paying the fee of ten Euros, he sat down and logged on to a free e-mail Web site. With little effort he opened an account under the name Sailorsea. Using that account, he drafted an e-mail to Jvaljean@wanadoo. fr. net.
It seems we have some issues. How do I know that you are Devan Gaudet? How do I know that you can help me? Why would you want to?
He sent it at precisely 4:01 p.m., then sat and watched the in box for his account. At 4:14 p.m. he received this reply:
You have the confidence of Benoit Moreau or you would not be writing me. If I am not Gaudet, I am at least someone in her confidence. Yes? So do you be lieve her or not? Only a government-size entity can af ford what the technology is worth. Because of Benoit, I am willing to work with the French. Call me at 212- 555-2729 U.S.
Baptiste went and purchased a card with one hundred minutes of long-distance talk time. He then walked his route through the Belleville church and nodded at the priest as he walked down the side of the main sanctuary. Once out of the church, and certain he wasn't being followed, he went down a back alley and took a different route than usual to the small cafe where he had previously used the phone. Unusually concerned, he passed this phone, went down the street a block and into a video place, where he browsed around before asking his daughter's friend, who worked there, if he might use the phone. As he hoped, he was shown to the back office, where he closed the door. He punched in the number on the card and then the pin number and then the overseas code for the United States followed by the number. He assumed he was calling a recently rented cell phone.
'This is Jean-Baptiste Sourriaux,' he said when a man answered.
'I am 'Traveler' and I will relay your conversation with Mr. Gaudet.' The man had no discernible accent and he spoke quickly, as if from a script.
'He doesn't want voiceprints, I take it.'
'That is right.'
'I want a meeting.'
'We anticipated that. However, it will occur on our terms.'
'What are those terms?'
'It will take place in an airplane. You will bring your U.S. double agent. The one working with Sam. We will tell you where to go and you will board a jet and we will leave you off at a place of our choosing. Details through Benoit.'
'That will be acceptable if I can be sure of my safe re turn.'
'That will not be possible. You will have to trust in our greed and determine that we will be richer by bringing you back safely. After all, a French security officer is of no use to us.'
Chapter 12
The Great Spirit gives the flowering plants to teach the lesser spirits the festival of new beginnings.
The prospects of female companionship in the Arab state of Quatram were abysmal, so Gaudet imported women. He paid them fairly and found replacements readily for those he hurt more than they wanted to be hurt. Killing the biggest complainers was a program that ensured good referrals and easy replacements. None was as good as Benoit Moreau had been, and that wouldn't change. But Gaudet still sought tall and supple women who reminded him of Benoit.
New York City was another matter entirely. But he could not afford to distract himself even for a few minutes now, which was a pity because there were plenty of women.
Trotsky wore some stubble, which was unusual, and kept quiet, which was normal, waiting for Gaudet to speak.
Gaudet sipped an unsweetened double espresso.
'When all this is over, I'll need a new place. Somewhere they will never expect me-a civilized part of the world. I've had my fill of Quatram.'
'Maybe a nice neighborhood in Middle America.'
'I'm not into potlucks.'
The phone rang and Trotsky took it.
'They want to know if they can buy more art in Spain. They are obviously tired of the smuggling business.'
'The store makes money?'
'Seems to.'
'Let them, but control it. And put that business on the 'keep' list.'
Two or three more calls came in during the next twenty minutes.
'You are growing a small empire,' Trotsky said.
'I started with nothing but my bare fists, working for shit.' Gaudet took his feet off the hotel coffee table. 'Let's call them.'
In seconds Trotsky had the Quatram office on the line.
'Get me 'Big Mohammed,' ' Gaudet said, referring to the chief of the computer men. Big Mohammed was a short, balding man named Wilbur Hogan. With a noticeable paunch, Hogan was the type who liked big silver belt buckles on his blue jeans. He was divorced and couldn't find a girlfriend in Texas, so Gaudet had hired him one. Although the first and second girls didn't take, the third seemed to be sticking around and Big Mohammed seemed content living in Quatram, for the moment.
Gaudet sipped his espresso while the chief went to find Big Mohammed. It took five minutes.
'Our clients are pushing the timetable.'
'Everything seems to be pushing the timetable,' Big Mohammed drawled in his dreadful Texas accent.
'Do you have the time from release to complete invasion?'
'About two hours-maybe one. Fifty million Windows- based computers and a few million VN-based computers.'
'How about the FAA?'
'We will get on the network, but not through the Internet. You know the old slogan: 'Crispy on the outside, but a gooey, soft center on the inside.' Cordyceps will overload the system and bring it to a halt.'
'You don't know how long?'
'If it hits the hardware like I think it will, we're talking weeks, maybe months. Weeks for sure.'
'Electrical utilities?'
'Some. Rolling blackouts all over the place.'
'I'm counting on the phones. Especially long-distance infrastructure.'
'Again I'll predict a significant impact. It will not all be down. But Americans will be writing plenty of letters. A crimp in the e-mail.'
'Railroads?'
'Down by thirty-five percent. Just a guess.'
'Pipelines?'
