The resulting labyrinthine construction of shell companies made it exceedingly difficult for revenue agencies and authorities to track down their real owners. Fortunately, Vector and the intel community had access to tools—and ways to bypass pesky regulations and laws—that those authorities could not so easily utilize.
“I’ve looked at a few different pathways leading from Nanovations,” Kasim said. “There are a handful of anonymous angel investors that put money into the company. All hidden behind their own shell companies. Most of those paths end in more nonexistent companies or people.”
Morris pointed to a specific line on the screen representing paper trails between the companies. “How about this one?”
“This is where it seems to get interesting,” Kasim said, indicating one of the larger companies in the pool of suspects surrounding Nanovations. “Some of the payments appeared to have come from Gadriel Defense Systems based out of Tromsø, Norway.”
“Gadriel?” Morris asked. “They’re a small-time producer of drones and surveillance tech. I’m assuming they aren’t interested in anticancer technologies.”
“It’s all about the crowd control methods Smadi alluded to in that email you found, I’m sure,” Kasim said. “If this is true, I want you to access Gadriel’s servers. See if you can find any correspondence with Smadi. If this company is breaking international law by manufacturing, selling, or distributing the Ring of Solomon, we need to bring them down.”
Morris raised his brows over his thick-framed glasses. “You want me to break into a defense company? You do know those are precisely the type of people that really, really don’t want guys like me sneaking around in their servers. We get caught, you can be sure they’ll bring the hammer down on us.”
“You think you’ll get caught?” Kasim asked. He knew Morris would never back down from a challenge.
“Absolutely frickin’ not,” Morris said, his lips curling into a slight grin.
-24-
Frederick, MD
“I found it,” Morris said.
“What?” Kasim asked.
“Everything.”
Morris took his laptop over to the conference table where Kasim had been rereading his files on Nanovations and Gadriel Defense Systems for the fourth or fifth time.
“First off, I found direct emails from Gadriel to Smadi requesting updates on his nanoparticle manufacturing techniques.” Morris pointed at a couple of emails on his screen. “Nothing incriminating by itself. There’s no mention of the Ring of Solomon or even that his particles could be used for crowd control.”
“But you’ve got more.”
“I’ve got a library of contracts that Gadriel made with other companies and organizations known to broker arms deals for terrorist organizations. Guess who’s on there?”
“I don’t like guessing games.”
“No fun,” Morris said. “It’s our friends from Archon.”
Kasim could hardly believe it. The mysterious group had provided mercenary support to Russians developing bioweapons in Vector’s last mission. And now they were involved in yet another threat to the world.
“Are they the ones behind it?” Kasim asked, wondering just how deep Archon was threaded into the dark underworld of military contractors and international crime syndicates.
“It doesn’t look like it,” Morris said. “From what I can tell, they’re just one of the many groups interested in buying Ring of Solomon tech. Most of the potential buyers came from Syria and Iraq. There were a few from Palestine and Lebanon too.”
“Good work,” Kasim said, and for a moment, the cocky grin on Morris’s face softened into something more genuine. After a moment, it was back with a vengeance.
“It gets better. Or worse, depending on your perspective.” The analyst took a deep breath. “Most of these contacts seem to be associated with small-time terrorist cells. Nothing big.”
“Explain what you mean by ‘nothing big.’”
“No government actors.” Morris scratched at his goatee as he examined his laptop screen. “But that changed just a couple weeks ago, not long after Ballard’s disappearance—and shortly before Smadi decided to take his vacation.”
Kasim felt like they had been hacking their way through a jungle, and Morris had just stumbled on the first hint of sparkling gold that would lead them to El Dorado.
“I found out that Gadriel was actively pursuing deals with Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria,” he said. “I’m talking actual government officials. There were a few other offers in the wings too.”
“Who?”
“Gadriel had plans to market that tech to Turkey, China, and Russia, just to start. It seems like once Gadriel threw some chum in the water, they were drawing in all the sharks.”
“What’s the chum?” Kasim asked.
Morris adjusted his glasses. “I couldn’t find out what they were actually selling. I mean, I’m assuming it’s the Ring of Solomon nanoparticles. Maybe if I spent a few more days delving into their records, I could find confirmation. But my guess is a lot of these meetings were done in person so someone like me couldn’t track them down.”
“I don’t think we have more than a few days. Rahel told me that they’re expecting something to go down in Beirut in about three days.”
“That’s bad timing,” Morris said.
“I don’t think there’s ever good timing for a chemical weapon attack.”
“That’s not what I mean. About the time that Gadriel started brokering agreements with other countries, I found this from Smadi.”
A click on his laptop and an email appeared:
I can no longer participate in this venture in my current circumstances. There are eyes on my involvement. I fear I may be in danger if we do not alter the nature of our agreement.
-Nadel Smadi
“What’s this about?” Kasim asked.
“I’m not exactly sure,” Morris said. “But this was the last email I found from Smadi. Shortly after, he disappeared on his alleged vacation after making a sizable withdrawal from his bank account.”
“Maybe he realized Ballard was following him.”
“Could be,” Morris said. “Then, when Smadi sent this warning, someone from Gadriel went after Ballard. But Smadi probably feared his cover was already blown and tried to escape.”
“A plausible story,” Kasim said. “Still, I want to keep our minds open.”
“Me too,” Morris said. “And I know one person who can straighten this out for us.”
Morris pulled up a few grainy images on his laptop screen. They showed a crush of people on a fishing boat. So many people Kasim was surprised the boat was even floating.
“This is a group of refugees escaping Syria to Greece,” Morris said. “This image shows them arriving at a port in Lesvos. These people are fleeing for their lives, leaving everything behind. Their money, cell phones, IDs. All gone.”
Kasim was familiar with the tragic situation. He didn’t need Morris’s recap. But he understood where the analyst was going with this story.
“Let me guess,” Kasim said. “Smadi was using the cover of the refugee situation to escape Jordan. But who was he running from?”
“I know one way to find out.” Morris tapped on the computer again. The image zoomed in until it centered on a familiar face. A balding man with round features, wire-framed glasses, and a thick gray mustache. “We can ask Smadi ourselves.”
Eilat, Israel
Facing the warm light of day once again, Alex and Skylar met with Arnon and Friedman in a café on the outskirts of Eilat. They were far from the bustling tourist center of megahotels and resorts on the banks of the Red Sea. Palm trees lined the patio where they sat nursing coffees and tea. Alex could still hear the call of gulls and smell the salt carried on the breeze.
He was glad to be out of the cramped confines of the jail cell and the corridors of the hospital, finally allowed to see the outside world—with the permission of his Mossad hosts.
Any sens
e of relief he felt was burdened with an overwhelming sense of wariness. Kasim might trust Arnon. But her warning still rang in Alex’s mind.
Mossad would do anything to protect their country. He knew that if he and Skylar were perceived as even a passing threat to Israel, Arnon wouldn’t hesitate to rid herself of them. They were only alive because she thought they could contribute to her country’s security.
Arnon took a long sip of her cappuccino. “We have received intelligence from your team in the States.”
“Oh?” Alex asked, trying not to appear too eager. He didn’t want Rahel to have any leverage over him.
Skylar, on the other hand, leaned across the table, forgetting about her Americano with unbridled eagerness. “Is this about Beirut?”
“No,” Arnon said, “but they did come up with some interesting information regarding this Dr. Smadi.”
Friedman told them about the companies connected to Gadriel Defense Systems, their apparent dealings with foreign governments, and the circumstances of Smadi’s disappearance.
“If this is true, then we need to intercept Smadi immediately,” Alex said.
“If?” Arnon asked, parroting him. “Do you doubt your own intel?”
“It isn’t my intel,” Alex said. “And as much as I trust our team, I have no evidence that the information you’re giving me is actually coming from them.”
“You heard it yourself,” Arnon said. “Kasim said you can trust us.”
“He said I could share all the intel we had on this mission with you,” Alex said, “but you also made your priorities clear. I’m not foolish enough to think you wouldn’t manipulate our trust to get what you want out of us.”
“Typical American, speaking your mind and avoiding any hint of pleasantries.” Arnon’s mouth twitched, the unscarred portion of her face contorting into an expression that bordered on a grin. “At least you understand us. But I assure you this information is accurate.”
“Assurances are great,” Alex said, “but how about we have our phones, weapons, and IDs back?”
The passports were fakes, of course. Arnon would know this. She may have already placed their fake identities in Israel’s national database of blocked travelers. Just in case they went AWOL, that would ensure they had no way out of the country without alerting her. All the same, he preferred having his only modes of communication and his documents in his hand.
Arnon gave Friedman a nod. He reached into his suit jacket and placed their phones and passports on the table then slid them across.
“You can call Kasim and verify everything,” she said.
Skylar took her up on the offer. It took a few tense moments for the encrypted line to connect before Kasim answered. He quickly confirmed what Arnon had told them.
“Is Weber listening to jazz?” Alex asked, an innocuous-sounding phrase that Vector had agreed on before this mission. The doctor always listened to jazz when she was excited, following a lead in her lab. From Alex, the question was an extra layer of confirmation that everything was copacetic.
Kasim chuckled. “Yes, Wolfe. Weber is blasting Thelonious Monk as we speak.”
“Satisfied?” she asked.
“For now,” Alex said.
“I like this man’s gall,” Friedman said. “We have you bent over the table, and you still have the nerve to question us.”
Arnon didn’t share in the man’s approval, and Alex didn’t care to seek it. This was a relationship of necessity. Nothing more.
“Well, let’s get on with it, then,” Alex said. “You didn’t just take us out for coffee.”
“We most definitely did not,” Arnon said. “We picked up Smadi’s trail, thanks to your team. He is using an alias to book his travel now, but we found him. He is currently on Naxos, a relatively small Greek island.”
“A beautiful island, in fact,” Friedman added, “but unfortunately, it does not look like Smadi wants to holiday there very long. He has reserved a ticket on the ferry to Athens. Once he gets there, it’s going to be more difficult to track him. Too many people, too much chaos. Plenty of opportunities to get lost in Europe.”
“Then we need to grab the guy now,” Skylar said, jabbing her finger on the table to emphasize her point.
“That was our thought exactly,” Arnon said. “We will send a task force to intercept Smadi tomorrow.”
“What about Beirut?” Skylar asked.
“That is the deal we would like to make.” Arnon sipped her cappuccino as if she had all the time in the world. “We figured Vector could continue the investigation into Lebanon.”
“You’re sending us out on our own?” Alex asked.
“Not on your own,” Arnon said. “I had a chat with Luria. He will go with you.”
“The guy’s suffering amnesia,” Skylar said. “I’m not sure that’s a very good idea.”
“You are talented operatives, no?” Arnon paused a second, daring them to contradict her. “If so, you can handle him. He may be more useful there.”
“Why?” Skylar asked. “I’d just as soon leave him behind. I mean, I’m sure he was a decent agent when he worked for you all. But we can’t risk an unknown like that in the field.”
“As I said, Smadi is our top priority. But you two started this operation with the hopes of tracking down your fellow countryman.”
“Gregory Ballard,” Alex said, nodding.
“He has been spotted in Beirut.”
Alex’s heart stopped. He had written the guy off as dead. Or, best case, Ballard had been thrown in some hole in the ground, watched over by a group of terrorists who had uncovered his allegiance to the CIA. He thought there was a better chance of finding a glacier in the Jordanian desert than coming across Ballard again.
“Maybe he’s operating on the same intel we are,” Skylar suggested. “Might’ve followed the Ring of Solomon from Jordan to Beirut.”
“Perhaps,” Arnon agreed.
“He could be operating undercover,” Alex said, the pieces of the puzzle beginning to click. “He couldn’t alert us without blowing that cover.”
Arnon folded her hands together on the table. “That was our assessment as well. Because of the delicacy of the situation, we judged it was better to send you two along to Beirut.”
“With Elad?” Skylar clarified. “Still not understanding how a man with pan-fried gray matter fits into this.”
“Amnesia or not, he worked closely with Ballard,” Arnon said. “If you want to build a bridge to your wayward agent, Luria could be your best tool. Imagine Ballard’s surprise when he sees his friend back from the dead.”
Alex couldn’t argue with the logic. But he felt like he was the dog locked in the house with a treat while his owner took the rest of his canine pack to the park. While Ballard might be helpful, the real objective was Smadi. The professor had the connections to Gadriel and, presumably, scientific knowledge of the Ring of Solomon. He was at the center of all of this. In fact, he probably knew more about this conspiracy than Ballard at this point.
After Arnon snagged Smadi, what assurance was there that she would share intel with Vector? What if she felt Mossad could handle the man on their own, and Vector’s help was no longer needed?
“That’s not going to work,” Alex said after a moment.
“Why not?” Friedman said with a smile that looked almost too friendly. “This is a good plan. You two get back in the action, finish what you set out to do. And we do the hard work of bringing Smadi in.”
Alex shook his head. “Sure, we came here to find Ballard. But we wanted him so we could figure out what he was after. We now believe he was after the Ring of Solomon. And that’s squarely in Smadi’s territory. I want to talk with the runaway professor as much as you do.”
“I doubt that very much,” Arnon said. “No one has been testing the Ring of Solomon in your backyard. This is a direct threat to Israel’s national security.”
“We can guarantee we won’t let the bastard escape,” Friedman added. “You h
ave nothing to worry about.”
“I’m not worried about you losing him,” Alex said. “I’m worried that you’re not going to let us talk to him.”
Arnon glared at him with her good eye. “This is the deal. Take it or leave it.”
“Fine,” Alex said. “We leave it.”
“Are you serious?” Skylar asked.
“Very much so,” Alex said, never taking his eyes off Arnon. “I can’t risk the chance that you two run off with Smadi and everything he knows, leaving us in the dark.”
In truth, while he wanted the chance to shake down Smadi for info, he hesitated to admit his worst fear. Arnon would do anything to protect her country. What if that meant taking this technology and using it for Israel’s benefit? Maybe she would coerce Smadi to work for them.
After all, if the wrong people in the US found out about the Ring of Solomon, they’d probably do the same.
No single country deserved unbridled access to a technology that could fundamentally alter a human being’s state of consciousness and bend them to their will. He could only imagine what would happen if that technology ended up in a government lab. Any government.
Democracy might cease to exist. Protests, freedom of speech, all of it could be repressed at the touch of a button. So long as the Ring of Solomon existed, people’s lives and the very concept of free will might be at risk.
No, this technology didn’t need to just be stopped. It needed to be destroyed.
“We must come to an agreement,” Alex said. “One that is mutually beneficial. The Ring of Solomon shouldn’t belong to anyone. The world would be better off if weapons like this were eradicated. Once we turned our sights on to nuclear weapons, civilization entered a new age. There was no turning back. I don’t want to enter a new cold war where the threat isn’t nuclear annihilation but rather total mind control over an entire country’s populace.”
The words sounded unbelievable when he put it like that. Mind control. It should belong to the world of science fiction. And yet here they were.
Demon Mind (Vector Book 2) Page 22
