The Last Prophecy - [Kamal & Barnea 07]
Page 17
A shadow shifted on his right and Ben twisted that way. Before he could angle the Beretta, something dark and shiny slammed down atop his wrist. His fingers went numb and he heard his pistol rattle to the pavement. But he kept twisting to the right and clamped both hands down atop an assault rifle’s stock and barrel before its wielder could angle it into firing position.
The gunman was huge, a giant, holding at least a six-inch and fifty-pound advantage on Ben. He shoved hard and thrust Ben back through the doorway into the hall. Ben clung stubbornly to the rifle as they wheeled left and right. The man had the advantage of reach on him as well, and Ben caught a glimpse of his face in the moonlight filtering through a nearby window. The gunman looked to be smiling slightly, sure of his advantage, and certain he was about to tear the assault rifle from Ben’s grasp.
The man jerked the rifle to the left as he pushed down hard with his right hand. Ben knew his purchase was gone and didn’t fight it. Instead he barreled into the bigger man, thrusting him backward toward a plateglass wall.
The impact was shattering. They both crashed through and Ben felt jagged shards of glass rip through his shirt and tear at his flesh. He landed on top of the bigger man but lost his senses long enough for the roles to be quickly reversed. The man didn’t bother trying to find the assault rifle the jarring crash had stripped from him. Instead he grasped Ben by the lapels and hurled him back through what remained of the glass.
Ben felt his body crunch against the concrete floor, a flash exploding before his eyes. Then he was being hoisted upward, feather-light in the giant’s hands, and tossed over a railing into an empty display case. Before Ben could move, the big man pounced, pummeling him with a pair of blows that rattled his teeth and left one of his ears buzzing. Ben managed to block the next punch and got lucky when a wild strike ended with a thumb lodging in the giant’s right eye.
The big man grunted and clamped a pair of huge hands on Ben’s throat. Ben felt his head begin to clog from lack of air. He heard a rasping gasp and realized after a long instant that it was his own. His hands flapped downward and scraped against some jagged shards of glass. Desperate, he closed a hand around them, gathering up smaller chunks that dug into the flesh of his palm. Then he jerked his hand upward, digging the glass into the big man’s face.
The giant screeched in agony, loosened his grip on Ben’s throat, and tried to pull away, but Ben stayed with him, continuing to grind the glass into his flesh, atop him now. The man’s mouth opened to scream and Ben shoved the handful of jagged shards into his mouth, wedging them down as far as they would go.
The giant’s face purpled. His eyes bulged. Ben clamped both hands over his mouth and held it closed. The big man flailed with his hands, raking Ben’s cheeks with his nails. Ben turned his head away but held his hand firm, didn’t look down again until the giant’s struggling had stopped.
Ben rolled away from him and rose shaking to his knees. It took a few seconds to catch his breath and even then he still needed a nearby post to support himself while he stood up.
Where have I seen these men before?
Ben felt warm blood dripping slowly out of his arm, his torso, his hand. He hobbled back to the two men he had shot in front of the desert animal exhibit. Both lay on their sides and Ben kicked them over onto their backs, looked down at their faces.
Beams of light shot into the hall from both sides of the building. The light blinded him temporarily, but not before he saw a stream of Israeli soldiers pouring toward him.
“On your knees now!” one of them shouted in Arabic.
Ben swung toward the soldier instead. Another of the soldiers angled in from the right and smashed him in the side of the head with the butt of his assault rifle. The lights blazed briefly before dissolving into a milky haze, as Ben keeled over into unconsciousness.
* * * *
Chapter 47
D
elbert Fisher hovered over Jake as the boy’s fingers danced across the keyboard, then stopped suddenly.
“It’s like I’ve been telling you,” Jake said. “Nothing.”
“Tell me again.”
Jake ran a hand through his hair. He’d spent practically every moment of his time for the past day and a half in this office Fisher had provided for him, stealing a few hours to nap and living off Jolt cola, Mountain Dew, and stale doughnuts. “I’ve got exams, you know.”
“We’ve taken care of that.”
“Sure, extensions. I just can’t wait to get back to campus. . . .”
“Actually,” Fisher told him, “you’re getting straight As this semester.”
“You’re shitting me.”
“Like I said, it’s been taken care of.” Fisher leaned closer to the screen. “Now, tell me again.”
“Okay,” Jake started, considerably more relaxed, “those fifty messages you’re talking about all came in within like a day—”
“Sixteen hours,” Fisher corrected.
“—three weeks ago now. It’s not like my site gets a lot of hits, so it definitely stuck out. I figured it must have been something I posted, maybe a pop-up even. So I went back and reconstructed the page exactly as it had been up when the messages came in.”
“And nothing.”
“Not this time.”
Fisher stood up, walked around the table, and sat on its edge. “Tell me about your site.”
“Man, how many times you want to hear it. I post nightclub listings and reviews of dance clubs and parties.”
“How do you review a party?”
“You know, not really a party. More like a rave.”
“I get it,” Fisher said, even though it was clear he didn’t. “And you reposted these same listings and reviews exactly as they appeared the first time.”
“Right. Not that anybody cares. No one’s even e-mailed to tell me I fucked up. Ran the same reviews and listings for dates that have already passed.”
“Word for word.”
“Yeah, sure. Well,” Jake recalled, “I did fix a couple typos.”
“Typos,” Fisher repeated.
“Thing is, I post a lot of this shit when I’m wasted. Like to do it while things are fresh in my mind. But sometimes the fingers don’t work like they’re supposed to, if you know what I mean.”
Fisher didn’t say that he did.
“Anyway,” Jake continued, “there was this mad rave at this new club called All After, ‘cause it’s an after-hours place opened one to seven.”
“a.m.?”
Jake nodded. “It’s the life, man. It was a great night. Deejay Steve Smooth opened for Bad Boy Bill. He’s rated number seven in the country, you know.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“But somebody must’ve slipped me a roofie or something because everything was spinning and I posted my review without even proofing it, if you can believe that.”
“I’m shocked,” Fisher said.
“Next day I look at what’s up on the site and, man, I spelled everything wrong, even the name of the club. Called it Al Awdah, instead of All After.”
Fisher popped down off the table and stiffened. “Al Awdah?”
Jake managed a laugh. “Can you believe it?”
“That’s it,” Fisher said, instead of answering.
“That’s what, man?”
“Al Awdah is an Arabic phrase, Jake. It means ‘The Return,’ the name of an Iraqi plot to seek revenge on the United States.”
* * * *
* * * *
Chapter 48
LOGON COMPLETE
ALL STATIONS CONFIRMED ACTIVE ON-LINE
ENCRYPTION PROCEDURES IN EFFECT
MESSAGE RUNNING
From: FRANCE
X-Priority:
Sensitivity: Company-Confidential
To: ALL
MIME-Version: 1.0
IM secure status: active
X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
WE WERE GIVEN ASSURANCES. MUCH IS AT STAKE HERE.
From:
UNITED STATES
X-Priority:
Sensitivity: Company-Confidential
To: ALL
MIME-Version: 1.0
IM secure status: active
X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
AGREED. BUT RECENT DEVELOPMENTS UNFORESEEABLE. CONTAINMENT NOW AN ISSUE.
From: GREAT BRITAIN
X-Priority:
Sensitivity: Company-Confidential
To: ALL
MIME-Version: 1.0
IM secure status: active
X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
ELABORATE.
From: UNITED STATES
X-Priority:
Sensitivity: Company-Confidential
To: ALL
MIME-Version: 1.0
IM secure status: active
X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
THE MANUSCRIPT IS NOT SECURE.
From: RUSSIA
X-Priority:
Sensitivity: Company-Confidential
To: ALL
MIME-Version: 1.0
IM secure status: active
X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
WE WERE LED TO BELIEVE OTHERWISE.
From: UNITED STATES
X-Priority:
Sensitivity: Company-Confidential
To: ALL
MIME-Version: 1.0
IM secure status: active
X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
AN ERROR WAS MADE. UNFORTUNATE, BUT UNDERSTANDABLE. WE UNDERESTIMATED ONE OF THE ORIGINAL TARGETS.
From: JAPAN
X-Priority:
Sensitivity: Company-Confidential
To: ALL
MIME-Version:
1.0 IM secure status: active
2.0 X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
A FOOL’S ERRAND FROM THE BEGINNING, AS WAS WARNED.
From: FRANCE
X-Priority:
Sensitivity: Company-Confidential
To: ALL
MIME-Version: 1.0
IM secure status: active
X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
WE ALL AGREED THERE WAS TOO MUCH RISK IN LETTING THE MANUSCRIPT FALL INTO THE WRONG HANDS.
From: CHINA
X-Priority:
Sensitivity: Company-Confidential
To: ALL
MIME-Version: 1.0
IM secure status: active
X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
AND HAS IT?
From: UNITED STATES
X-Priority:
Sensitivity: Company-Confidential
To: ALL
MIME-Version: 1.0
IM secure status: active
X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
REGRETTABLY, MANUSCRIPT HAS BEEN PASSED ON TO OPERATIVE WE NEGLECTED TO ELIMINATE IN ISRAEL. DANIELLE BARNEA. HER PICTURE AND DOSSIER SHOULD BE COMING UP ON YOUR SCREENS NOW.
From: FRANCE
X-Priority:
Sensitivity: Company-Confidential
To: ALL
MIME-Version: 1.0
IM secure status: active
X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
ISRAELI SPECIAL FORCES, SHIN BET, INVESTIGATOR AND LATER COMMANDER IN NATIONAL POLICE. WHY WERE WE NOT MADE AWARE OF ALL THIS AFTER HER PRESENCE IN ISRAEL WAS NOTED?
From: UNITED STATES
X-Priority:
Sensitivity: Company-Confidential
To: ALL
MIME-Version: 1.0
IM secure status: active
X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
CONSIDERED A NONISSUE UNTIL SHE WAS IDENTIFIED AT LOCATIONS OF TWO 12IST MEMBERS WITH KNOWLEDGE OF MANUSCRIPT’S EXISTENCE.
From: ITALY
X-Priority:
Sensitivity: Company-Confidential
To: ALL
MIME-Version: 1.0
IM secure status: active
X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
WE MUST DISCUSS ALTERATION IN PROMETHEUS TIMETABLE.
From: RUSSIA
X-Priority:
Sensitivity: Company-Confidential
To: ALL
MIME-Version: 1.0
IM secure status: active
X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
IMPOSSIBLE. FINAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROMETHEUS ALREADY RELAYED. NO FURTHER CONTACT POSSIBLE OTHER THAN TERMINATION.
From: UNITED STATES
X-Priority:
Sensitivity: Company-Confidential
To: ALL
MIME-Version: 1.0
IM secure status: active
X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
BESIDES, IDENTITIES OF THE FIFTY NOT COMPROMISED.
From: GERMANY
X-Priority:
Sensitivity: Company-Confidential
To: ALL
MIME-Version: 1.0
IM secure status: active
X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
BUT HAS THE OPERATION BEEN COMPROMISED?
From: UNITED STATES
X-Priority:
Sensitivity: Company-Confidential
To: ALL
MIME-Version: 1.0
IM secure status: active
X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
NOT WITHOUT SPECIFICS THE MANUSCRIPT DOES NOT PROVIDE.
From: JAPAN
X-Priority:
Sensitivity: Company-Confidential
To: ALL
MIME-Version: 1.0
IM secure status: active
X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
TO REPEAT, THIS ENTIRE OPERATION HAS BEEN A FOOL’S ERRAND FROM THE START.
From: UNITED STATES
X-Priority:
Sensitivity: Company-Confidential
To: ALL
MIME-Version: 1.0
IM secure status: active
X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
UNLESS THE PREDICTION BECOMES PUBLIC. RELEASE OF THE DATE AND GENERAL DETAILS WOULD BE ENOUGH TO THREATEN PROMETHEUS. OPERATIVES MIGHT WITHDRAW. ENHANCED SECURITY SUCCESS.
From: GREAT BRITAIN
X-Priority:
Sensitivity: Company-Confidential
To: ALL
MIME-Version: 1.0
IM secure status: active
X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
THAT’S THE POINT. WITH MANUSCRIPT NO LONGER CONTAINED, ADDITIONAL SECURITY PROCEDURES COULD ROB TARGETS, CURTAIL IMPACT ON HIGH ORDER.
From: ITALY
X-Priority:
Sensitivity: Company-Confidential
To: ALL
MIME-Version: 1.0
IM secure status: active
X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THE MASSACRE CAN NO LONGER BE CONSIDERED CONTAINED EITHER. HAS THE UNITED NATIONS INVESTIGATOR RESPONSIBLE BEEN ELIMINATED?
From: UNITED STATES
X-Priority:
Sensitivity: Company-Confidential
To: ALL
MIME-Version: 1.0
IM secure status: active
X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
REGRETTABLY, HE SURVIVED OUR ATTEMPT LAST NIGHT. THE THREE MEN WE DISPATCHED DID NOT.
From: RUSSIA
X-Priority:
Sensitivity: Company-Confidential
To: ALL
MIME-Version: 1.0
IM secure status: active
X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
OUR MEN.
From: UNITED STATES
X-Priority:
Sensitivity: Company-Confidential
To: ALL
MIME-Version: 1.0
IM secure status: active
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NOTHING TRACEABLE BACK TO US. WE MADE SURE OF THAT.
From: GERMANY
X-Priority:
Sensitivity: Company-Confidential
To: ALL
MIME-Version: 1.0
IM secure status: active
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ASSU
RANCES MEAN LITTLE AT THIS POINT.
From: FRANCE
X-Priority:
Sensitivity: Company-Confidential
To: ALL
MIME-Version: 1.0
IM secure status: active
X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
BARNEA AND KAMAL MUST BE ELIMINATED BEFORE FURTHER DAMAGE IS DONE.
From: UNITED STATES
X-Priority:
Sensitivity: Company-Confidential
To: ALL
MIME-Version: 1.0
IM secure status: active
X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
WE’LL FIND THEM.
MESSAGE TERMINATED
* * * *
Chapter 49
W