by Alex Lukeman
Rice gave Harker a calculating look. "We haven't gone after a high ranking intelligence officer since the Cold War," Rice said. "That was against an enemy. India is an ally."
"India may be, but Ashok Rao isn't," Elizabeth said. "Sir, this is what you hired me to do."
There were few people Rice trusted in the snake pit of Washington's intelligence community and few who would stand up to him. Harker and Hood were among those few.
Hell, I have to trust someone, he thought. She's right, I hired her to tell me the truth, even if I didn't like what she told me. If the Indians or the Pakis bring out those missiles...
"All right," he said. "But Director..."
"Sir?"
"Under no circumstances are you to use severe methods of interrogation. You get what we need in a civilized manner or we'll turn him over to the Indians and let them deal with it. Is that clear?"
"Perfectly clear, Mister President."
CHAPTER 45
After she'd left the White House, Elizabeth called Nick in Srinagar. He told her about the attack in Selena's room.
"Selena's all right?"
"She's fine. A little shook up. Knives are up close and personal. It's worse than being shot at from a distance. "
"No sign of Afridi?" she asked.
"None. It was always a long shot."
"We have to assume that he's gone."
"The cops are unhappy about the man Selena killed," Nick said. "They're treating it like a terrorist attack on a tourist but they're suspicious by nature. They told us not to leave the city while they investigate. They took our passports. What do you want us to do?"
"The Indians have temporarily closed the airport. The whole country is gearing up for war. You'd be stuck there anyway."
"What about Cobra?"
"That's what I'm calling about," Elizabeth said. "We found out who he is. He's an important officer in India's intelligence agency, the equivalent of our DCNS."
"That explains a lot," Nick said. "He could make it look like Pakistan was behind what happened in Manila. But it doesn't explain why."
"He's a fanatic," Elizabeth said, "a Hindu fundamentalist who hates Pakistan. It's personal with him. His family was killed during a terrorist attack by Afridi's group. Islamabad was behind it."
"Ah."
"I think he's responsible for the riot at the mosque. If his goal was to provoke a war between India and Pakistan, it looks like he's succeeded. Both sides are moving tanks and artillery to the border."
"If it's personal, that tells us why he's after Afridi," Nick said. He thought for a moment. "Afridi is a fanatic just like Cobra. Those Indian soldiers were after him. I think he's going to want payback. His credibility is at stake."
"What do you mean?"
"Isn't he the big cheese in the jihadist movement in Kashmir? He has to do something in retaliation for what happened at the mosque. We know where Afridi's compound is, don't we?"
"Yes. It's not that far from you, across the border in Pakistan. It's next to an airbase."
"Can you put surveillance on it?"
"I already have. Why?"
"Whatever Afridi does, I don't think Cobra is going to give up. If he comes after him again it could give us another chance at him."
"You'll be happy to hear that the president agrees with you. We've got a green light to go after Cobra."
"A sanction?"
"No, Nick. Interrogation only. Strictly by the rules. You can't hurt him. Rice was adamant."
"Damn it, Director, this isn't a time to play politics. This guy is responsible for the deaths of a lot of people. He put Ronnie in the hospital. He's trying to start a war. What's it going to take to get him out of the picture?"
Elizabeth heard the anger in Nick's voice.
"I understand, Nick. Cobra will get what's coming to him but you have to be patient."
In Srinagar, Nick took a deep breath. "What about Afridi?"
"He's a different story. If you have a chance to get him, take it."
"Cobra's a pro. If we do get him, it won't be easy to get him to talk."
"I'm sure you'll find a way. But I mean it, when I say you have to play by the rules. You'll have some help."
"What do you mean?" Nick asked.
"This is a joint op with Langley. Hood was there when I spoke with Rice."
"Director..."
"It's not debatable, Nick. Think about it. You say Cobra might go after Afridi. Afridi is in Pakistan. How do you intend to get there if Cobra shows up?"
Nick said nothing.
"That's what I thought. Take down this number. The asset's name is Jeb."
"Jeb?"
"That's what Clarence said." Elizabeth read off a twelve digit code. "Call it at 1400 your time."
"How do I know I'm talking to the right guy?" Nick said.
"Don't laugh," Harker said. "There's a recognition phrase."
"And?"
"When he answers you say, the water in the river is not very good to drink."
"You're kidding."
"No. And then he says, that's because the women wash their clothes in it."
"I don't believe this."
"Hood's agent must have a sense of humor. Or he's just paranoid."
"Or maybe Langley thinks it's 1950." Nick paused. "How's Ronnie doing?"
"He's stable, his vitals are good. No real change."
"I'll tell the others."
"Set up a meeting with Langley's agent. Try and stay out of trouble. If Cobra makes a move, I'll let you know."
CHAPTER 46
Nick called the number Harker had given him. Selena and Lamont waited with him. Nick had the phone on speaker.
"Yeah."
The voice on the phone sounded like gravel.
Nick said, "The water in the river isn't very good to drink."
"No shit," the voice said. "They told you to use that old chestnut?"
Nick felt like an idiot. "You want to give me the response before I hang up?"
"Yeah, okay. It's because the women wash their clothes in it."
"Where can we meet?" Nick asked.
"There's a place right on the river downtown called the China House. Lousy food, but they've got cold beer and we can watch the boats go by. You know where it is?"
"No."
Nick listened to the directions.
"Two hours."
"How do I know who you are?"
"I'll be the guy in the cowboy hat."
The line went dead.
"He hung up," Nick said.
"Cold beer," Lamont said. "Guy sounded like he'd already had a few."
Two hours later, they were sitting on a scarred wooden deck overhanging the Jhelum river at the China House. The water flowed past twenty feet below, broad and cloudy and brown. Bits of debris and garbage floated by on the surface. A light breeze brought a faint smell of sewage from the water. It had stopped raining. A faded red awning over the deck sheltered them from the glare of the sun.
The river was busy with river taxis and boats that looked too fragile to handle the passengers they carried. The boats were long and pointed at each end, narrow, with broad sun canopies that made them look top heavy. The gunwales were inches above the surface of the water. I wouldn't want to be in one of those if a strong wind came up, Selena thought.
The waiter brought three large bottles of Kingfisher beer. Lamont poured some into a glass and tasted it.
"Not bad," he said. "Strong. Like a Bud on steroids."
"Here comes the cowboy," Selena said. "Bet he calls himself that."
"Kind of old," Lamont said.
Langley's asset was somewhere in his late sixties. He was about five ten, with a lean, gnarled look. He needed a shave. His hat was a brown Stetson, stained with sweat. He wore a khaki colored shirt, dark pants and heavy brown work boots. He moved with confidence, but Nick saw him tilt a little as he approached.
The man sat down across from Nick and reached across with his hand.
"
Jeb Akron. Most people call me Cowboy."
Selena looked at Nick. See?
Akron's grip was strong. His hand was rough in Nick's grip.
"I'm Nick. This is Selena and Lamont."
A waiter appeared unbidden with a bottle of Kingfisher covered with drops of condensation. He set it down in front of Akron.
"Nice to see you, Mister Cowboy," the waiter said.
"You, too, Choy. Thanks."
"Your favorite spot?" Nick said.
"I come here a lot."
Akron took a long swallow from the bottle. Selena looked at Nick and raised an eyebrow.
"I think this is a mistake," Nick said.
"You ought to think again," Akron said. "You want help from the big dog in Virginia, I'm it. Don't let this fool you." He picked up the bottle and gestured vaguely with it. "It's what they expect to see."
"Who?" Nick saw that Akron's eyes were clear and focused. They weren't the eyes of a man who'd had too much to drink.
"You think three foreigners visiting Srinagar when a war's about to start aren't an item of interest to the security forces here?" Akron said. "Two of them are watching us from the other end of the deck. Their buddies are probably going through your rooms right now. Not to mention that little incident at your hotel."
"You know about that?"
He took out an old style steel Zippo cigarette lighter and lit an unfiltered cigarette. He set the lighter upright on the table. It bore the globe and anchor of the Marine Corps.
"We are Langley. We know all," Akron said. "Don't worry, they can't hear what we're saying. That's more than a lighter."
"You were a Marine?"
"Yup. Still am."
"Vietnam?"
"That's right. I was a WO. I flew choppers. Two tours."
Nick's estimation of Akron went up. The casualty rate for helicopter pilots in Vietnam was staggering. Akron had to know what he was doing and he had to be damned lucky.
"What were you told about us?" Nick asked.
"You might need a lift somewhere. Maybe over the border."
"It could get hairy," Nick said.
"Your point?"
"We don't know where we're going yet, but we will. Once we do, how do you plan to get us there?"
"I've got a Huey," Akron said.
"What's a Huey?" Selena asked.
Akron looked at her, then at Nick. "Why is she here?" he said.
Nick put his hand on Selena's arm before she could say anything.
"Sometimes you need to get past what you think you see," Nick said to Akron. "Like what I'm trying to do with you right now. Trust me, you want her on your side. What she doesn't know about helicopters isn't a problem. If it is, we're done here."
Lamont said, "A Huey is a chopper, Selena. They used them for everything in Vietnam. Suits an old guy like him." He looked at Akron. It wasn't a friendly look.
Akron looked at the three of them.
"Okay," he said. "Sorry. No offense meant."
"Selena?" Nick said.
She was annoyed. Akron came across as one of those macho males who figured women were no use except in the kitchen or in bed. Still playing warrior when he should be playing golf somewhere. Or whatever old warriors did.
"He meant it, but it doesn't matter," she said. "As long as he can do his job."
CHAPTER 47
Selena lay with her arm across Nick's chest. They listened to the sound of tanks rumbling by outside the hotel.
"I wish we were back home," she said. "It's not much fun waiting for something to happen."
"If I had a dollar for all the times I sat around waiting for something to happen, I could retire."
"You know, we could," Selena said.
"Could what?"
"Retire. I've got more than enough money, you know that."
"And then what would we do? Buy a house in the country? Go fishing?"
"We could buy a yacht. Sail around the world."
"Are you serious?"
She sighed. "No, I'm not serious. You think I'd want to watch you pace the deck all day with nothing to do?"
"I've been thinking," he said.
"About what?"
"Us."
"What about us?"
Outside, they heard shouting. Another tank went by, the treads making a rhythmic, steady clanking noise on the pavement.
"Do you still want to get married?" he said.
There it was. The question she'd been dreading.
"Do you?"
"Don't do that," he said.
"Do what?"
"Answer the question with another."
"But I need to know."
Selena got up. The bandage on her side where she'd been cut was white in the moonlight coming into the room. She wrapped a robe around herself and went to the window. She looked out at the armor going by below, the soulless machines of war. Men in green uniforms walked in the dark alongside the tanks, stretched out in endless lines on either side of the highway. Marching toward an enemy.
"Sometimes I wish I smoked," she said.
"We could start," Nick said. "I don't think we need to worry much about the effects."
She looked at him. He lay on his side, his head propped up on one elbow.
"That's the whole problem, right there," she said.
Nick sat up, pushed a pillow behind him. "You think I might get killed."
"Or I might. Isn't that what you meant? About effects?"
"We wouldn't be the first people to worry about what was going to happen," Nick said. "Sometimes I think that, yeah. Mostly I don't. If I did, I couldn't do what we do."
She went over to the bed and sat down.
"Damn it," she said. "Most people who talk about getting married are worried about giving up personal space, where they'll live, things like that. You and I, though? We wonder if the other person is going to get blown up or shot. You have to admit, sometimes the odds are stacked against us."
"There aren't any guarantees for anyone, no matter what. Anything could happen."
"Please don't say we could be walking down the street and get hit with a meteor."
Nick laughed. Then he got serious. "You haven't answered my question. Do you still want to get married?"
Selena looked down at the covers and plucked at the sheet. "You know I love you," she said.
His face closed down. "Guess I've got my answer."
"I didn't say no."
"You didn't say yes, either."
"Why can't we leave it like it is for now?" she said. "It's worked pretty well."
"What are you afraid of?"
"I'm not afraid. It's just that the whole world seems ready to go over the cliff and we're sitting right on the edge. It doesn't feel like a good time to make plans for the long run."
"Like getting married."
"Like that."
"But you're not saying no?"
"No."
Inside, Nick relaxed a little. He wasn't sure why. Because she hadn't said no or because it meant he didn't have to take that last step.
"Come back to bed," he said.
CHAPTER 48
Abdul Afridi was angry. The slaughter at the mosque was an offense against God. It demanded retribution. He would restrain himself no longer.
Until now he'd avoided attacking targets his ISI handlers told him were off-limits. He'd kept within the constraints imposed upon him by Pakistan as conditions for receiving their money and protection. Well, the mountains offered many places he could go where Islamabad's protection was unnecessary. Pakistani money was no longer relevant. Their leaders were corrupt. He owed Islamabad nothing.
Afridi was convinced that more gold lay in the bottom of that Afghan canyon, along with whatever was left of the Peacock Throne. The elephant bones were the clue, even more than the coins. The throne had been large, made of solid gold and decorated with precious jewels. It would've been too heavy to move intact. It would have been broken down into smaller pieces, the kind of weight pack animals c
ould handle. If he could recover even one of those pieces, the gold would buy all the explosives and weapons needed to bring down a reign of death on the Indians.
It was just after the morning prayer on the second day after he'd returned with Sayeed from Srinagar. The trucks and men were ready.
"Everything is set, Abdul," Sayeed said.
Afridi nodded approval. "You have all the tools? The explosives if we need them?"
"Everything. God willing, we will be there by tomorrow evening."
A dozen men waited by the vehicles. Three of the trucks mounted Russian KPV heavy machine guns. The KPVs fired a devastating 14.5 millimeter armor piercing round. They could shoot down low-flying aircraft and shred anything up to 3000 meters away. Two more Toyotas sported American M-60 light machine guns. He'd decided to take the quick way into Afghanistan through the Khyber pass. He'd been through many times before. There wouldn't be a problem at the border crossing, even with the guns. If he tried to take the alternate road south and west from Jamrud Fort, he'd end up in the tribal areas and certain trouble.
Everyone carried personal weapons. AKs, pistols and carbines wouldn't get a second glance from the crossing guards. A sixth truck carried the tools. Afridi hoped to fill it with treasure. He climbed into the lead vehicle. The convoy set off for the nearby mountains.
High overhead, a Global Hawk made lazy circles in the sky. Images of the vehicles streamed back to Beale Air Force Base in California. From there, the video was relayed to a list of intelligence agencies that included Langley and the Project.
It was seven at night in Virginia. Elizabeth had been alerted to the activity at Afridi's base. Now she watched the video feed with Stephanie. A string of vehicles left the compound, passed by the Pakistani air base and headed west.
"Where are they going?" Stephanie asked.
"I don't know. On that route, I'd say Afghanistan. There isn't much on the Paki side to interest them."
Stephanie got up. "I'd better make some coffee. This could take a while."
Elizabeth watched the convoy. The video was clear and detailed. She could make out the features of a man riding in the bed of the lead truck. His beard was full and black. He wore a skull cap and long robe. His baggy pants billowed around his legs as the truck sped along, trailing dust in a long cloud. A second man sat with his back against the side of the truck bed, arms clasped about his knees.
