by Unknown
Wrapped in a blanket, Jones tried to stay warm in the frigid climate. Thankfully, the ihram stage of the hajj was over, meaning they didn't have to wear the traditional garments, consisting of two white unhemmed sheets and sandals, to blend in. Not only would it have been tough to conceal a weapon, but he blanched at the thought of going into a battle without underwear.
"You know," he said, "we might be the first people in history to get frostbite in the desert."
As a Pittsburgh native, Payne shrugged off the cold. "Pussy."
"Wait! I'm sneaking into a forbidden city to save two million people and I'm a pussy!"
He nodded. "Bet it feels good to finally admit it, huh?"
Jones laughed. "Asshole."
"Okay. Now that we have both sides covered, let's get down to business."
Payne held up an aerial view of the Great Mosque that was taken from a spy satellite less than two weeks before. He pointed to a stretch of land west of one of the main gates. "This is Omar Abdul-Khaliq's property. From the air, it looks like a large construction site. However, upon closer inspection, it appears to be missing something important."
"What's that?"
"Construction."
Jones grabbed the picture and took a closer look. He spotted giant piles of dirt and rock and several pieces of heavy equipment, but there was no foundation being laid.
No building going up. "Could be something, could be nothing. We won't know until we get there."
"Obviously, the connection between Schmidt and Omar is pretty thin. We can link Omar to Salaam through a money trail, and Salaam to Schmidt through his advisers at the cave. To be honest, I'm not sure if one has anything to do with the other. Actually, I'm more interested in the official from the Ministry of the Interior. What was he doing in Kuwait with Salaam's men? And why would Schmidt torture him?"
Jones took a guess. "Could be any number of things. Everything from security at the mosque to police response times. Not to mention parts of the city's infrastructure that could be useful: roads, water, power, telecommunications. If Schmidt grabbed the right guy, he'd have access to everything we don't, including security codes and building schematics."
Payne swore under his breath. They were already facing long odds—a battle against the clock and a highly trained unit that had worked together for years. Now it was even worse. Not only did his opponents have months to organize their mission, but they also had access to inside information. Somehow it didn't seem fair.
Of course, despite all that, despite all the things that were stacked against them, Payne and Jones had one crucial thing that Schmidt and his crew didn't.
The element of surprise.
Her nose had been shattered, filling her mouth with the taste of blood. The room was spinning.
Shari tried to stand but couldn't get her legs to work. Everything was wobbly. Her body. Her brain. Her memory. Like waking up in an early-morning fog without actually falling asleep. She blinked a few times, trying to clear her vision. Trying to focus on something that would allow her to remember what had happened. The ground. The ceiling. The throbbing in her head. But nothing worked. There was a giant void.
Squinting in the darkness, she could barely make out shapes except for a series of vertical lines in the murky distance. They were thick and sturdy, a mixture of shadow and light, black and white, alternating one after another. She stared at them, trying to understand their purpose. Trying to figure out what they were. None of it made any sense.
How long had she been unconscious?
How had she gotten there?
Why couldn't she breathe through her nose?
Confusion reigned for ten minutes before details started to emerge.
The first thing Shari noticed was the cord. She felt it wrapped around her ankles, bound so tightly that she couldn't separate her legs. Her hands were tied as well, pulled behind her back and attached to a metal loop that had been driven into the hard ground. No matter how hard she pulled or twisted, she couldn't get it to budge.
Next, as her eyes adjusted to the gloom, her vision started to return. She focused on the vertical lines and realized what they were: a giant iron gate backlit by a series of dim bulbs that provided the only light in her cell.
Wait. That gate looked familiar. She had seen it before.
Suddenly, memories came flooding back to her. She was in the tunnel, tied up in the back room, where she had been attacked by the guards.
The site!
Oh my God, they were there to rob the site!
Panicked, she tried to swing her legs around, tried to contort her body so she could see if the relic was still inside. Unfortunately, as she struggled to get a better view, she kicked up a swirl of dust that filled her lungs. Coughing was instantaneous. Blood and mucus sprayed from her nose as she gasped for breath. Pain erupted in her head, throbbing in unison with her racing heart.
Tears streamed down her face, clouding her vision once again.
Alone. In agony. In the darkness. Barely able to breathe.
She didn't think it could get any worse.
But she was wrong.
Trevor Schmidt and his crew slipped into the tunnel, barely making a sound. All of them had packs slung over their shoulders and weapons in their hands. For big men, they ran silently. Years of training taught them how to move with stealth. The skill would serve them well as they strived to complete their mission.
From this point forward, noise would be kept to a minimum. Hand signals would be used when possible. Their watches were synchronized to the millisecond, freeing them of the need to speak. Some of their actions would be based on time, not verbal authorization. They would do what they were supposed to do whether the others were ready or not.
It was the advantage of a multipronged attack.
Even if someone was killed or captured, the survivors could still make a difference.
Schmidt led the way, creeping down the ramp at a steady pace. They followed him in single file, always keeping space between themselves in case there was an alarm or a mine or anything they hadn't prepared for. The odds were against it—their source had been quite versed on the infrastructure of Mecca—yet they expected the unexpected. Ready for anything.
Well, almost anything.
When they hit the bottom of the ramp, Schmidt sent one of his men to inspect the back tunnel while the other two worked on the maintenance shaft that branched in the opposite direction. The soldier clicked on a flashlight and disappeared into the darkness, only to return a minute later, confusion etched on his face.
"What?" Schmidt whispered.
"You have to see this."
"What is it?"
"I have no fuckin' idea. That's why you have to see it."
Intrigued, Schmidt signaled for the others to keep working while he investigated the rear tunnel. The passageway had been carved with precision, lit with the same bulbs that lined the initial entry ramp but protected by a giant iron gate that had been anchored in the ceiling and floor. It prevented them from going any farther. Why it was there, he wasn't sure. But as far as he was concerned, it didn't really matter. They would be heading in the opposite direction.
"You wanted me to see this?" he asked.
The soldier shook his head. "I wanted you to see this."
He stuck his flashlight between the bars and shined it into the back room. Shards of broken bulbs littered the floor, intermixed with large chunks of stone and rubble. He tilted the beam upward, revealing a man-made stalagmite that had recently been chiseled to its core. All that remained was a large hole, several cubic feet of empty space where something had been stored.
Hoping to get a better view, Schmidt turned on his light, too. "What is it?"
"I'm guessing a tomb."
"A tomb? Why do you say that?"
Instead of answering, he swung his beam to the rear corner of the room, where Shari Shasmeen lay motionless on the ground. Her eyes were closed. Her arms and legs were tied. Blood covered her face an
d clothes. She looked like a corpse.
Schmidt tilted his head to get a better view. "Is she dead?"
"Can't tell from here. If you want, I can shoot her to make sure."
He glanced at his watch. They had more important things to worry about.
"Why bother? If she's not dead now, she will be soon."
* * *
42
They parked their trucks in an alley, several blocks south of the Great Mosque.
It was as close as traffic would allow.
Mecca was a multiethnic city, filled with people of all colors and nationalities. Still, to blend in, Payne and Jones had to dress the part. They wore white Saudi thobes (full-length cotton gowns that nearly touched the ground when they walked) and white skullcaps. The Arab-American soldiers added some variety. One donned a red-and-white ghutra (headdress), held firm by a black igal (ropelike cord); the other covered his thobe with a light brown bisht (cloak). The remaining two wore beige taqiyah caps (brim-less and accented with white-thread embroidery) and thobes of the same color.
Ankle holsters, held in place by compression straps, were worn on both legs.
Extra ammo was stored in utility belts, concealed by their robes.
Wireless transmitting devices were discreetly tucked in their ears.
All other equipment was varied, depending on preference. Payne was partial to blades. He wore one on each forearm, tucked in black leather sheaths. Meanwhile, Jones carried a small set of tools, just in case he had to deactivate a bomb or pick a lock.
Walking briskly but never running, the men moved in pairs, weaving through the crowds of tourists that filled the sidewalks and ancient streets. The pilgrims would be entering the city from the east on the aptly named Pedestrian Road, trickling in at first before finally arriving en masse, a sea of white surging through the desert like a flood, monitored by thousands of guards and dozens of helicopters. Payne knew Schmidt would be somewhere else, probably concealed close to the mosque, patiently waiting for his prey to come to him.
Unless, of course, he had already planted an explosive device, one with a timer or a remote detonator, and was currently far from Mecca. If that was the case, then they were screwed because they didn't have the time, manpower, or authority to conduct a search. Their only hope was spotting Schmidt and taking him out before he started his assault.
Jones said, "Omar's place should be up ahead."
Payne nodded as he scanned his surroundings, searching for trouble. People. Windows. Rooftops. Hoping to spot something that seemed out of place. The city itself was not as he expected. He had traveled extensively in the Middle East and usually felt as if he had stepped through a time portal, leaping back to another era. Ancient buildings. Ancient streets. Ancient everything. But here, there seemed to be an equal mix of new and old.
Ancient traditions, yet contemporary comfort.
Ironically, the closer they got to the mosque, located in the center of the old city, the more modern the infrastructure appeared. Building projects were popping up all over, areas fenced off for demolition and new construction. Dump trucks and bulldozers, cranes and scaffolding, rocks and sand. This closed city was definitely open for business— especially to American corporations. In one block, there were signs for Hilton Towers, Sheraton Hotel, and McDonald's.
"Where would you like us?" asked the Arab soldier in l he middle pair, which was labeled team two. Payne and Jones were team one. The final duo was team three. The two Arab Americans, who could speak Arabic, were split up in case their language skills were needed.
Payne heard the question in his earpiece. "Team two, stay on the street. Team three, continue forward to the mosque plaza. But stay close."
Jones nodded toward Omar Abdul-Khaliq's property. It looked virtually unchanged from the satellite photo they had studied in the truck, a picture taken two weeks ago. Piles of stone and dirt filled one corner of the lot. Construction materials, protected by a chain-link fence, were stacked in the back near a small shed made of plywood. Payne stepped off the sidewalk and studied the terrain. Tread marks could be seen in the arid ground. They were recent.
"What do you think?" Payne asked.
"I think you were right. They're not building anything."
"Then what's with the rocks?" They were fractured and covered in dirt, like they had just been pulled from the ground. "They had to come from somewhere."
Jones agreed. Property this close to the mosque wouldn't be used as a dumping ground. It was too valuable as commercial space. However, as far as he could see, there was no excavation on the lot. Curious, he walked toward the chain link and spotted dozens of footsteps heading into and out of the shack. "I might have something."
Payne scanned the street for witnesses. No one was paying attention. "You're clear."
Jones pulled a gun from his ankle holster and slipped through the unlocked gate, cautiously approaching the shed, which lookedrnore like a long outhouse than a construction office. Yet for some reason, thick power cables ran through the right wall, the type of cords that were used for large industrial projects, not small shacks. The door was made of plywood and rested on iron hinges. Nudging it open with his free hand, Jones peeked inside.
As he stared at the interior, his eyes widened, stunned by what he saw.
"What is it?" Payne demanded.
"It's a tunnel. A big-ass tunnel. We're going to need more men."
Payne hustled across the lot, not pulling his gun until he reached the door. He glanced inside before he spoke. "We have a possible location. All eyes required. Team two, follow us in. Team three, guard the yard. Prepare to join us on my command."
Jones waited, anxious. "Ready?"
He nodded. "I'll take the lead."
The duo stepped inside, weapons raised, steadily moving forward as their eyes adjusted to the gloom. More than fifty feet in, they hit a branch in the tunnel. Lights were strung in both directions. Boards lined the floors. They waited there until team two arrived. Payne signaled for them to go to the right while he and Jones went to the left.
No words were spoken as they parted ways.
Payne led the way down the corridor. It looked similar to the main shaft, yet somehow newer. Like the ground had been burrowed in recent weeks. Possibly the source of all the dirt and stones in the vacant lot. If so, someone had gone through a lot of trouble to dig with such precision.
But why? What the hell was this place?
The mystery deepened when they reached the iron gate. Not only was it locked, but the bulbs that had lit their path suddenly stopped. Darkness filled the chamber in front of them. Intrigued, Jones reached under his thobe and pulled out a small flashlight. With a flick of the switch, he was staring at broken glass. And chunks of rubble. And something that looked like ...
"Is that a body?" he asked, trying to get a better view. "Jon, I think that's a body."
Payne nodded as he stared through the bars. The beam barely reached the rear wall, but he could make out the shape of a woman, lying in the fetal position, her hands tied to her legs. He took the light from Jones and shined it along the gate's frame. No alarms or sensors. No booby traps. Nothing prevented them from getting inside. "Pick it."
Jones grinned. "With pleasure."
He removed a small toolkit and went to work. This was one of his biggest talents—in the past, he'd picked locks underwater and blindfolded—and he loved showing off his skills. Thirty seconds later, he pushed open the gate with a soft screech.
Payne went first, flashlight in one hand, weapon in the other. Glass crunched under every step. Moving closer, he shined the light on the woman's face and noticed two things.
One, she was covered in blood.
Two, she was still alive.
* * *
43
When Payne first approached, Shari started thrashing and flailing, worried that he was one of the guards who had assaulted her or the men who wanted to kill her. But once they explained they were American soldiers who were th
ere to help, she started to relax.
No tears. No messy, emotional scene. This woman was a fighter.
Payne cut the cords off her hands and legs and eased her to her feet. She was unsteady for several seconds, leaning against him as she filled them in on everything. The tunnel. The robbery of her site. And her boss: Omar Abdul-Khaliq.
"Is he in Mecca?" Jones wondered.
"I don't know where he is. I've never met the man. We do everything by phone. The last time we talked was two days ago, when he hired new guards to protect this place. There was a murder and—"
Payne interrupted her. "A murder?"
She nodded. "A delivery guy dropped off a package and was killed on his way out."
"What kind of package?"
"An envelope for Omar. He asked me to keep it on me at all times. He seemed pretty worried about it."
"Do you still have it?"
"I should." She reached through the flap of her abaya and pulled out a hajj belt (an oversized pouch for pilgrims) filled with money, keys, and her travel papers. She handed the envelope to Payne. "It's still sealed. He told me not to open it."
"And when did—" Payne stopped in midsentence as a voice chirped in his ear. Team two was sending him a message. He raised his index finger and told her to wait.
"Team one, we found another tunnel. Repeat, another tunnel. Permission to access?"
He glanced at Jones, who heard the same transmission. "Go check it out."
Jones nodded and ran off.
Payne responded. "Team two, permission denied. Repeat, denied. Team one will be joining you for entry. Talk us to a rendezvous."
Voices chattered in his earpiece as he returned his attention to Shari. She was bloodied and battered but quite resilient. "How long have you been working down here?"
"Probably a few days too long."
Payne smiled, impressed by her toughness. "Considering what's happened, I'm sure you'd like to get out of here. However, before you leave, I'd like to ask you a small favor. Would you mind giving me a tour?"
