by Alex Lukeman
"What did I miss?" he said.
CHAPTER 36
Lohendra Bhagati's job was to watch people. He'd been in the national police before being recruited by India's intelligence agency. He was a fervent nationalist, a factor that weighed heavily in favor of his selection. What had ensured it was an eidetic memory for faces. Once Bhagati saw a face, he never forgot it. He'd spent endless hours reviewing photographs and film of every person in RAW's database that might pose a threat of any kind to mother India. That included terrorists like Abdul Afridi. It also included pictures of known intelligence agents from other countries. Bhagati's boss reported to Ashok Rao.
Bhagati sat at a small metal table at a tea stall in the Srinagar airport and watched people coming out of the secured area. It was a boring job but the strong, black tea helped keep him alert.
Three foreigners came into view, pushing a cart filled with black equipment boxes. Two men, one black and one white, accompanied by a tall woman with reddish blond hair and unusual violet eyes. The white man was about six feet tall, muscular, with short black hair and intense gray eyes. The other man was smaller, wiry and tense. A distinctive scar marked his face.
The woman and black man were unfamiliar. The third man triggered the part of Bhagati's mind that remembered people he'd seen but never met. Within seconds he had it.
Nicholas Carter, Bhagati thought. He was the one in Jerusalem, with their president. He works for an American intelligence unit.
A few years before, Carter had been caught on live television protecting the U.S. president during an assassination attempt. The event had been seen worldwide. The two people with him must also be spies, probably part of the same unit. Why were they here, in Kashmir?
Bhagati got up from the table and followed them through the airport. They stopped at an automobile rental counter. The woman talked to the agent behind the counter while the other two waited. She finished the transaction and all three headed for the rental parking lot. Bhagati watched them go.
When they'd left the terminal building, Bhagati walked over to the rental agent and showed his identification. She looked nervous. People tended to do that when they saw the wreath and three headed lion on Bhagati's credentials that identified him as an agent of the Research and Analysis Wing.
"The foreign woman who was just here, the American. What vehicle did she take?"
"You mean the Canadian woman?"
"Canadian?"
"Yes." The clerk showed him the rental agreement. It was with Sarah Thompson of Toronto. Payment had been with a Visa card.
"She's part of a film crew. They rented a van, a blue Toyota."
"I'll take this," Bhagati said. He folded the paper and put it in his jacket pocket.
"We're supposed to keep that," she said. "What do I tell my manager?"
"Tell him to keep his mouth shut about it," Bhagati said. "That goes for you, too. Understand?"
The clerk looked in Bhagati's eyes and nodded.
Bhagati walked away from the counter and took out his phone. His boss would want to know about this.
Nick and the others walked through the terminal building toward the exit for the rental car area, pushing the equipment boxes in a rented luggage cart. The atmosphere in the terminal wasn't reassuring. Srinagar airport was considered a prime terrorist target and the rhetoric between Pakistan and India was becoming more heated every day. Soldiers in full battle dress were stationed at regular intervals around the terminal, armed with automatic weapons.
"What's that they're carrying?" Lamont asked. "Looks nasty."
Nick waited until they were past one of the soldiers before he answered.
"Those are Kalantaks, the lightweight version of their INAS assault rifle," Nick said. "Used for close quarter combat. It takes the 5.56 NATO round. These guys must be from one of their elite units."
"Seems like there are quite a few of them," Selena said.
"The way things are heating up between India and Pakistan, I'm not surprised. This airport is new. It's supposed to be a showcase for progress and development. That makes it a good target, along with the crowds of people."
They found their rental and loaded the gear. The truck was well used but it had a brand new, large screen GPS on the dash.
"Who's driving?" Selena said.
They pulled out of the airport with Selena behind the wheel.
CHAPTER 37
Stephanie came into Elizabeth's office.
"Cobra just called his man, Ijay. He knows Nick and the others are in Srinagar. Their cover's blown."
Elizabeth had been reviewing a CRITIC brief destined for the president's desk. She set it down, took off the glasses she used for reading and rubbed the bridge of her nose.
"That didn't take long. It might even be a record. How did he find out?"
"Nick and the others were spotted coming through the airport. Cobra is still in New Delhi. He told Ijay to put eyes on their van."
"There's more, isn't there?" Elizabeth said.
Stephanie nodded. "Cobra wants Ijay to neutralize the team. That was the exact word. Neutralize."
"Mm. Anything else?"
"Cobra's not coming to Srinagar until Ijay has Afridi. He wants Nick and the others out of the way before that. He told Ijay to take care of things right away."
"What did Ijay say?"
"That his leopards were ready."
"Leopards?"
Stephanie shrugged. "That's what he said."
Elizabeth had a brief mental picture of a half dozen leopards leaping out at the team, snarling, claws extended, tails twitching.
"It has to be a code name," Stephanie said.
"Or a unit designation. Steph, see if you can find a reference to an Indian unit with that name or nickname. We don't know who Cobra is but perhaps we can find out who he's talking to. When is Cobra going to be there?"
"He didn't say, but it has to be soon. We have to give Nick a heads up."
"I'll do it now."
Elizabeth touched a button on her desk. The satellite call would come over the speakers in the room. They heard Nick pick up.
"Yes, Director."
The connection was poor, distorted by atmospherics and static. It sounded like they were in a vehicle.
"Where are you, Nick?"
"In a rental van that smells like curry, headed for the safe house."
"Cobra knows you're in Srinagar."
"How?"
"You were seen at the airport. It tells us that Cobra has a network of agents out there. That might help us narrow down who he is. Meanwhile, we have a problem. Remember, he was talking to a man called Ijay?"
"Yes."
"Ijay is in Srinagar. Cobra told him to neutralize you."
"Neuter me?" The speaker crackled.
Stephanie snorted, suppressed a laugh.
"Neutralize, Nick, neutralize. Ijay told Cobra he'd use his leopards, whoever they are. He intends to take the three of you out. Permanently."
"Is Cobra in Srinagar?" Nick asked.
"Not yet. He wants Ijay to take care of you before he gets there."
"If they spotted us at the airport, they probably know what we're driving."
"How far away are you from the safe house?"
"Hard to say. The traffic's lousy and it's on the other side of Lake Dal."
Selena was driving. A gravel truck coming in the opposite direction pulled out into her lane, passing a slow-moving car. The truck was painted in psychedelic red, yellow and orange colors. The gigantic chrome grill was wreathed in garlands of artificial flowers. A fringe of colored, knitted balls dangled inside the cab across the top of the windshield. BABA GANESH was painted across the bumper and the top of the cab in yellow letters a foot high.
The truck bore down on them. Selena could see the driver's face through the mud splattered windshield, grim and determined. His horn bellowed. The windows of the van shook from the sound.
"Shit," Lamont said.
Nick gripped the phone, his e
yes riveted on the oncoming truck. Selena yanked the wheel. The van veered onto the narrow shoulder, where a deep ditch paralleled the road. The wheels of the van rode the crumbling edge of the ditch. The truck roared by, horn blasting, taking her side mirror with it. Selena steered back onto the pavement. She clenched the wheel, her knuckles white.
Nick let out a long breath.
"Crazy bastard," Lamont said.
"Nick? Are you still there?" Elizabeth's voice. "What was that sound?"
"Yeah. Still here. Barely."
"What happened?"
"Never mind, it's not important."
"It was only a few minutes ago when Cobra called," Elizabeth said. "Ijay won't have had time yet to mount an operation against you. You should be able to get where you're going before anything happens."
"I'm glad to hear it."
"Call me when you reach the safe house."
"Roger that." Nick broke the connection.
In Virginia, Elizabeth turned to Stephanie.
"Let's talk about Afridi. Cobra said he was coming to Srinagar because he wanted to visit a mosque. Which mosque? Why would he do that and why now?"
Stephanie said, "I think I know. There's an important mosque in Srinagar that has a relic of Mohammed. It's locked up most of the time, except for a few days a year when they bring it out for viewing. The next time it can be seen is tomorrow. We know Afridi is a true believer. I think he's making a pilgrimage to see the relic. For him, it would be an act of devotion. Why else would he put himself at such high risk?"
"That makes sense," Elizabeth said. "If he's going to be at the mosque, Ijay will be there looking for him."
"Cobra said something else but I don't know what he meant."
"What's that?"
"He said that everything was set with the Army."
"That doesn't sound good, whatever it means," Elizabeth said.
"If I'm right, at least we know where Ijay will be and when." Steph brushed away a fly. The bracelets on her left wrist jingled.
"Good work," Elizabeth said. "That will help Nick."
"He's going to need all the help he can get."
"If we can identify Ijay, we might be able to pinpoint Cobra. See if you can find out about those leopards."
"I'm on it." Steph headed for her office.
An hour and twenty minutes later in Kashmir, Selena drove the van along a narrow track that ended at the lake and the agency safe house. They got out and looked at their temporary home.
"This is it?" Lamont said. "Hell, makes me feel right at home."
The safe house was a flat roofed houseboat made of dark wood. It was pulled up onto the northern shore of Lake Dal in a secluded cove. The hull rested on two thick timbers with curved ends. An ornately carved wooden railing ran around the deck. A second railing paralleled it along the roof line. There was a large water tank on the roof. Tall, arched windows lined the sides. The boat was large, sixty feet long or better. At one time it had been painted in bright colors but that had been long ago. The paint was peeling and the boat looked in need of repair.
"I don't think I'd want to be out on the lake with that if a big storm blew in," Selena said. She looked up at the sky. It was dark and overcast. The air smelled of rain.
Lamont looked at the boat and shook his head. "Safe house. Only Langley could come up with this."
"Think of it as your tax dollars at work," Nick said.
He picked up his travel bag and climbed a sagging set of stairs onto the porch by the entrance.
"Let me guess," Lamont said. "The key's under the flowerpot."
"You're almost right."
Nick took a rusted skeleton key from under a wooden carving on the railing. He unlocked the door and stepped through into a narrow passage. The air smelled of damp and mold. Doors on either side opened into four small rooms. The passage ended in a large living area that took up the rest of the interior space.
Selena saw something scuttle away out of sight as she walked into the room. A small galley was set to the side with a gas stove, a sink and a propane powered refrigerator. The end of the boat featured a door and two wide, latticed windows that looked out over Lake Dal. Snowcapped mountains ringed the lake.
Selena went to the sink and turned on a tap. There was a gurgling noise and thick, brown liquid ran out of the faucet.
"I guess they don't have much use for a safe house out this way. Not exactly the Hilton." She turned off the tap.
"Yeah, but it's got a nice view," Lamont said.
"I think there are rats in here," Selena said.
"What about the stuff in the van?" Lamont asked
Nick said, "Get the guns and leave the rest where it is."
"You think this guy Ijay knows where we are?"
"Whether he does or not, we need to be ready for him."
Mist began rising from the surface of Lake Dal, turning the lights of Srinagar on the far shore into a soft glow.
CHAPTER 38
President James Rice sat behind Teddy Roosevelt's desk in the Oval Office, meeting with General Holden from the Joint Chiefs and the Secretary of State, Edgar Silverby. Tension was escalating between Pakistan and India. An emergency session of the UN Security Council was set for the next day.
Outside the bullet proof windows of the Oval Office, the day shone with the luminous quality of fall. Rice wished he was home in Vermont, with nothing more important to do than rake leaves and watch the colors turn.
Public anger over the embassy attack was running high and Rice was under a lot of pressure to do something about it. What he was supposed to do or how he was supposed to do it was conveniently left unsaid. Politically speaking, the situation was more toxic than Chernobyl.
The media was having a field day fanning the outrage. The hawks in the Senate wanted the White House to send advisors and advanced missile defense systems to India. They were pushing for drone strikes against Pakistan as an initial statement of American anger. Even the doves were screaming for tough sanctions.
While the politicians postured for their constituents, the situation between India and Pakistan continued to deteriorate. There had been clashes along the border with Kashmir and casualties on both sides. What had happened at the American Embassy was no longer Rice's biggest concern. The events in Manila were overshadowed by a larger danger.
"Just spit it out, general," Rice said. "Are they, or are they not going to war?"
"It's hard to say, sir. But in my opinion, yes, they are. The troop buildups along the border are significant."
Rice turned to Silverby. "What do you think, Ed? Is there any hope of a diplomatic solution?"
"I hate to say it but I don't think so, Mister President. I agree with General Holden. New Delhi and Islamabad have recalled their ambassadors and broken off relations. I'm getting stonewalled by both sides. Pakistan's Foreign Minister warned me that there could be an unfortunate escalation in terrorist activities if we help India."
Rice suppressed his anger. "He actually said that?"
"Yes, Mister President."
"The man is an idiot if he thinks threatening us is going to make any difference. At least we know where they stand. What about the U.N. emergency meeting?"
Silverby made a dismissive gesture. "We have to go through the motions but it's a waste of time. It's not going to affect anything unless Pakistan admits responsibility for the attacks and offers reparations. You can be certain that's not going to happen. Russia will block any of our initiatives. On the bright side, we might have support from China for a change. They don't like what's happening."
Holden cleared his throat. "Mister President, there is a potentially serious complication. India has modified their latest ICBM to deploy multiple reentry warheads. It's called the Agni VI."
"India has MIRVS? When did this happen?"
"They've been working on it for several years. The latest intelligence indicates that several of the new missiles are ready to go into service."
"Does that mean they
are not yet on line?"
"We're not certain, sir. What makes a bad situation worse is that the Agni VI is fired from a portable launcher. Launch time is almost nothing. The multiple warheads tilt the balance of power in India's favor. It gives them the potential to knock out the Pakis before they can get off a shot."
Rice looked at General Holden with concern. "Pakistan is one of the most paranoid countries in the world," he said. "If they think India is going to deploy that missile, it could provoke a first strike."
"Sir, we are maintaining 24/7 surveillance on the missile facilities in both countries," Holden said. "We know the location of the new Indian missiles. If they bring them out of their tunnels, we'll know about it. Once they do that, if they do that, they could launch within minutes. Pakistan has its own satellite surveillance and I'd be surprised if they didn't have an eye on the site. They'll see the same thing we do. I think if those missiles come into the open, we're looking at nuclear war on the subcontinent."
Holden's words hung heavy in the air.
Rice steepled his hands together. "What is your recommendation, General?"
"Mister President, this is a very volatile situation. I recommend we go to DEFCON 2 immediately. DEFCON 3 for our units in the Asian region."
"That will escalate tensions in the area," Rice said.
"Yes, sir, but raising the defense condition level now saves valuable time if it becomes necessary to go further. If war begins, it will happen very quickly."
"Sir, I think a higher state of readiness for our forces in the area would be expected," Silverby said. "It's no secret that this latest showdown holds the potential for nuclear confrontation. China is as worried about this as we are. After all, it's happening on their doorstep."
Holden nodded agreement. "There are signs of military preparations on the Chinese side of the border. They're worried, all right. The Agni VI is highly sophisticated but some of India's older missiles aren't very accurate. It wouldn't take much for one of them to end up in China if they fire them at Pakistan."
