The Observer (Derek Cole Suspense Thriller Book 3)

by Phelps, T Patrick

  Tareef paused, crushing the smile that had intentions of being displayed. He was dealing with fools that utterly misunderstood the truths he was prepared to demonstrate. Fools that, with open arms, welcomed him into their fold and paved his way with golden intentions. “I can. I am afraid to say, however, that I must take my leave the second my speech is completed. I’ve arranged a driver to pick me up and bring me to the airport. May I be so bold as to request an escort to ensure that I arrive at the airport in time?”

  “Certainly. Not an issue at all. Have your driver check in with my associate to arrange the timing and route.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Where are you off to, if I may ask?”

  “I’m afraid I must return to Iraq. I’ve been hearing of some grumblings that need to be dealt with. You understand how it is. Hold a people down too long and eventually their appetites need more to be satisfied.”

  “Those we serve are both our privilege and our burdens. Yes, you will make your flight. I will see to that.”

  ***I***

  Derek arrived at the Green Dolphin at 4:35. As he sat at the bar, sipping a tonic water and lime, his eyes were fixed towards the small window beside the front door and towards the street outside. Nikkie was sitting in a coffee shop, across the street and a hundred yards to the west of the Green Dolphin. Both kept their cell phones in their hands, with each other’s cell numbers a long press away.

  Derek hadn’t seen Juan, though he knew that Juan had seen him. He expected that Juan was pissed that Derek decided to wait for Aahill inside the target location. Derek knew if Aahill approached from the west and if Nikkie wasn’t able to mark him and give notice, that, should Aahill not hesitate and walk directly into the restaurant, he would be forced to use the Glock tucked into his waistband. He agreed and accepted that killing Aahill may be the only course of action, yet Derek hoped that a bullet wouldn’t be needed.

  “You waiting on someone?” the barkeep asked.

  Wanting to appear calm, Derek said, “Supposed to be meeting a woman here around 5. Only seen her picture on one of those Internet dating sites, so a little nervous about what she looks like in person.”

  “Tell you what, you see her walk in and if you’re not impressed, I’ll cover for you.”

  “That would be great. Thanks.”

  When his iPhone vibrated, Derek’s stomach dropped, putting a potentially embarrassing amount of pressure on his stressed bladder.

  “All quiet on the western front,” Nikkie said. “You sure it’s a good idea to be inside the place a bomber is planning to detonate?”

  “Let me guess, you told Crown my idea and she’s worried about losing her job if I don’t make it out of this alive?”

  “That wasn’t her first reaction, but it did come up in conversation.”

  “Her concern for me is touching.”

  “Seriously,” Nikkie said. “Couldn’t you be just as effective if you waited outside? There’s a tech store right across the restaurant. You could hang out there till we spot Aahill.”

  “Me in a tech shop? Crown would love to see that. No, if Aahill gets into this restaurant and I’m not in here to stop him…”

  “Okay. You have a clean shot from where you’re sitting?”

  “Fifteen yards of poorly lit openness. If it comes to that, I’ll hit my mark. Any sign of Juan?”

  “Thought I saw him once but it probably wasn’t him. Hey,” Nikkie said, “some people in this coffee shop are talking about some activity over at the other tavern. Sounds like the boys in blue aren’t keeping such a low profile.”

  “That’s strange. Figured they’d make every effort to not be noticed. Last thing they want is to scare Aahill away.”

  “Or maybe they want to scare him off, get his tail and put him down while he’s running scared.”

  “That doesn’t make sense. According to Connor, that whole area is covered. That’s where they want Aahill to be. It’s a controlled area. I’m getting a weird feeling.”

  “Like what?”

  “I don’t know,” Derek said. “Like maybe Juan is more right about a cover-up than I gave him credit for. Like someone in the FBI is making sure that the public sees them doing everything they could be doing to avoid blame if Aahill is successful. Like maybe someone knows a hell of a lot more about what’s really about to happen and is ready to let it happen.”

  “Didn’t Juan tell you that someone high up in the agency was probably aware of what’s really going on and was intent on letting this whole thing happen?’

  “Juan said a lot of things, most of which have ended up playing out. I still don’t know if I can trust him, though. I mean, the FBI and NYPD are six blocks away. You and I are casing out this place and Juan is who knows where. What if this whole thing is about to go down in neither place? What if Juan really is behind this whole thing?”

  “He wouldn’t have called you today and told you about this restaurant. He would have let the FBI and NYPD fool themselves into thinking they got the location right and would have never suggested a different location. I never met the guy, but from what you’ve told me, he knows what’s going on and is desperate to stop it.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “What other choice do we have but to trust him at this point?”

  “Nikkie,” Derek said after a short pause. “If you see Aahill and can take him out, will you?”

  “If I see that he’s wearing a vest, damn straight I’ll take him out. You wouldn’t, would you?”

  “I don’t know, honestly. Something tells me that he has no idea what he’s really about to do.”

  “Agreed, but the people who are sending him here, do. Aahill is their puppet.”

  “If Juan is right, and if Aahill is wearing a vest that will be remotely detonated, then there will have to be someone watching him. An observer.”

  “Probably. What’s your point?”

  “Listen, I don’t know how much time we have left, but the second you see Aahill, let me know then start looking for someone observing him. Take that guy out. Leave Aahill to me. Okay?”

  “You’re the boss.”

  “Take out the observer, and Kevin will be as harmless as I believe he really is.”

  ***I***

  The members began to noisily assemble in the great hall. Shaking hands, congratulating one another and passing out tailor-scripted compliments. The evening’s program was scheduled to begin with a brief welcome by the UN Ambassador from France, followed by a 15-minute speech from Tareef Omar, a man known by everyone and who was owed too many favors to not receive the assembly’s full attention.

  As the audience shuffled to their seats, still desperate to extend a few more smiles and handshakes to those most deserving, Tareef took his place off to the right of the stage. He reviewed his speech one last time and, when satisfied that each word was committed to memory, carefully folded the three page speech and tucked the pages into the breast pocket of his jacket.

  His driver had told him that all the arrangements had been made before he handed him the cell phone that would be used to make one call before being disposed of.

  “All is ready?” he asked his driver.

  “Just as planned. Good luck with your speech.”

  The appropriate applause spread swiftly across the hall as the French Ambassador strolled onto the stage.

  CHAPTER FORTY

  “Aahill. It’s time for us to leave. Are you feeling well?”

  “I feel okay, Rehan. A little sleepy still. But I’m okay.”

  “Excellent then. Let me assist you with your vest. Allah has shown you favor with this cool weather. You’ll be able to wear a jacket over the vest as well.”

  “This is my before vest?” Aahill asked as the vest’s straps were secured around his chest and waist.

  “C4 vest, Aahill. You are certainly blessed with humor. Certainly blessed.”

  ***I***

  Juan watched Derek as he walked into the Green Dolphin. A
t first, Juan was angry. He wanted Derek to stay outside and to position himself for an immediate shot. But then, as the minutes passed, Juan began to think that inside was a better position.

  “As soon as Aahill opens the door, he can take the shot. That is if I can’t take the bastard out before.”

  Time dragged. As much as Juan hoped that the time would never arrive, he knew that it would. Better to have it arrive quickly so that the threat could be ended.

  Juan was standing outside, leaning against the darkened glass of a UPS Store, almost exactly 50 yards from the Green Dolphin. Ten yards behind him was the street corner he expected to see Aahill approaching from. He had no plans of delaying his shots. If he sees Aahill, he kills Aahill. No questions. No other attempts. No remorse.

  Bang, bang, bang!

  ***I***

  “You drive rather well, Aahill. And I thought that you were nervous about driving this large car.”

  “I got all that practice the last couple of days. I feel pretty good about it now.”

  “Excellent. Shall we review one last time before you pull over and let me out?”

  “I park right across the street from the Green Dolphin. I put my cell phone on the seat next to me. I wait for Badr to call me. Then, I open the door, walk to the back of the car, open the heavy suitcase and take out the black bag.”

  “Being careful of its contents, right?”

  “I know, I know. There’s glass and water inside.”

  “Yes. Then what?”

  “I walk into the Green Dolphin. I walk about ten steps inside. Put the black bag on the ground, carefully, then make my announcement.”

  “Excellent.”

  “Do I leave the black bag in the Green Dolphin after I make the announcement? We never went over what I do after I make the announcement.”

  “That is an excellent question, Aahill. An excellent question. I suppose it is best to take it with you. It will have more effect on those inside the restaurant if you take it with you. Here, then, Aahill. Here is the corner. Pull over and let me out. Your space will be open by the time you arrive in front of the location. Allah be praised. Your name is about to be written alongside the great men of history.”

  “Will I pick you up here when I’m done?”

  “Yes, Aahill. I will be waiting for you here.”

  Rehan stood at the corner and watched Aahill turn right. He pulled out his cell phone, dialed a number from memory.

  “Aahill is approaching,” he said to the man who answered his call. “Pull out of the parking spot now and go visit Badr.”

  “Aahill has the cell phone with him, yes?”

  “I made sure he placed it on the seat beside him when I got out of the car. The cell is ready but he will be expecting to hear from Badr.”

  “And he will. It will be the last call Badr makes. And where will I find you after Aahill completes his mission?”

  “At the warehouse. I’ll make my way by foot. It will take an hour or so.”

  “Our travel arrangements have all been made. By this evening, we will be with Tareef, celebrating the beginning of great things.”

  “I will see you soon, my trusted friend.”

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  “Ladies and gentlemen, member nations and observers, distinguished guests and friends, today marks an entrance. A new beginning, like the thousands of days before, yet unique in the method of disclosure. Here, assembled in this great hall, have gathered representatives of nations that have, for reasons as varied as our names and our thoughts, been granted a status that distinguishes them from all others. In this great hall, that uniqueness is praised, recognized and, at times, celebrated. But not all are noticed or recognized in a manner deserving and fitting to their just deserves. There are some gathered here among us for whom the rightful, ordained and justified designation has yet to be granted.

  “For some, it is a matter of time. Patience, diligence and a steadfast attitude will, we tell ourselves, be rewarded. For others, there is no time left to wait for the myriad of perfectly aligned thoughts and beliefs to arrive at an agreeable consensus. For those others, patience is not a reward but a slipping punishment; one handed out through closed-door meetings, mutually beneficial agreements and tempered praises. It is a punishment of promises that the others can either choose to fool themselves into believing their legitimacy or use a mighty fuel.

  “But what good is fuel if there is no spark? An ocean of explosive material can sit idly, harmlessly by for thousands of years without ever tasting the brilliance of a spark. Its own potential soon becomes its evaporative enemy. Sucking its potency away, molecule by molecule, in a process so slight that it goes unnoticed for generations.

  “But then, grown strong from the folly of the appeasers, comes one who has a unique ability to refill the ocean of fuel, cease the evaporation, redirect other streams and to expand the potential. The ocean is brimming once again, and you have willingly and ignorantly proffered a plethora of sparks.

  “Before being introduced to speak here this evening, I completed a series of tasks. Tasks that were so disjoined and disparate that even the most intelligent among you had failed to piece together. Yes, there were times when my boldness disturbed even me and my closest allies. However, your shared fear of ill appearances was so easily manipulated that even the boldest of all my actions was interpreted by you as only a continued need to do more.

  “And that is what you are compelled to do; more. Always believing that doing more, taking an additional step to be further away from something or closer to it, will keep your image fresh. A simple twist of an event when coupled with a growing mass of fools, and you, the leaders of nations, folded to requests so absurd that I often believed I was unjustified in my abuse of your conditions. A claim made that the educational system is biased against a particular belief system and, as if by magic, a new curriculum is secretly slipped into every classroom. America, the leader of the world, even went so far as to slowly but surely rewrite their own history to present a more inclusive point of view.

  “Think back and you may recall the catalyst of the great American fail. A testing complaint over an image of our prophet, painted on the ceiling of the Capitol. An immediate reaction and, as innocently and as quietly as a single stream of water falling from a height, our advancement began. And when one belief advances, another must retreat.

  “American exceptionalism it was called. But your reluctance to agree on the definition allowed for a more progressive and easily influenced position to take hold. Like a small tree planted in rich soil, our tree grew roots throughout and slowly was seen as the progressive definition of what being exceptional looks like.

  “A mention of further insults and additional restrictions perpetrated from hate or ignorance created an entirely new type of learning. A learning never inspected after being blessed. This continual advancement and retreat has not been without its challenges, however. So many times, wiser voices were raised, threatening our cause. But fools cannot resist the beckoning calls of imaginary progression. Our cover and safety provided by the blind few with enough wealth and notoriety.

  “Lest our European brothers and sisters feel slighted, your contributions have been even greater. You allowed unfettered access to your once sovereign land, going so far as to even allow swatches of your land to be populated and ruled by people who chose not to become part of your culture. Yes, our fingers were those that pointed out the leaders of this “separatist” movement, and, yes, your ignorance to our progression afforded us more than you could ever imagine.

  “We are grateful, no question of that, for all that you have done in your ignorance and from your desire to never being viewed as exclusive. And now, as our announcement is prepared, I am pleased to say that you are free to return to your principles.

  “An observer is one who watches from a distance. Sometimes, this distance is small and other times it is great. We observed from inside, a distance too minuscule to be measured. Now, you will be the o
bservers. You will wish for a distance so great that it cannot be measured by man's means. And we welcome your distant observations. And while you are observing, know that we are separate from all, sovereign and wholly lacking in a desire to ever being given the pyrrhic distinction of being a recognized member-nation, sitting alongside those who blindly allowed our statement to be so punishingly dramatic.

  “I must leave now. There are still too many preparations to complete, tasks to see to their fruition. I thank you all and, honestly, will miss some of you. Some gathered here would be welcomed leaders. But, I know the draw of clinging to the remnants of perceived influence. And so, this is goodbye.”

  The crowd, which had grown disturbingly still, began to mumble as Tareef politely bowed, smiled and walked silently off to the right-hand side of the stage.

  CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

  Nikkie hadn’t noticed that the Ford Taurus parked directly across from the Green Dolphin was occupied. But when the driver engaged the engine and pulled out into the street, her awareness was piqued. When the black Lincoln Navigator slipped into the recently vacated parking spot, she grabbed her phone and called Derek.

  “He’s here. Outside. Directly across the street from you.”

  “Look for an observer. I see the car. Find the observer.”

  “Derek,” Nikkie said, “I can be at the car’s side in 20 seconds. I can end this now.”

  “Find the observer. I’ll handle Kevin.”

  ***I***

  Juan first noticed the gaze the driver of a blue Taurus gave him as the car drove past Juan’s position. Perhaps it was just an innocent glance, but Juan felt differently. There was a flash of hatred and intense fear in those eyes. Juan turned and followed the car’s path and watched as the car slammed its brakes. Juan pulled his semi-automatic from his holster and charged towards the car.