Sandstorm (26 page)

Alex retrieved the man’s weapon. The next part would be tricky. With darkness as his cover, he continued to run in the direction of the rock he had thrown, emulating the fallen man’s hurried movements. Alex even fired a round. Once again he found refuge behind a thick tree, and he decided this would be the best place, because going any further exposed him to wide open spaces—an easy kill zone. In the midst of the excitement, the blood pumping, the thrill of the hunt, he decided to utilize a little trickery. He’d find out soon enough if it would work. Speaking rapidly and as if slightly out of breath, Alex bellowed in Russian, “Good shot. Good shot. We got them both.”

He heard the other two men congratulate each other as they continued their approach. Alex hoped they’d relax their weapons.

“Where are you, Grigory?”

“Straight ahead,” Alex responded, exposing part of his body just long enough for them to establish his position. They were close enough now that he could make out their faces. At that point, Alex stepped fully from behind the tree, the 9 mm ready. The two men were at ease, their weapons down by their sides. When their eyes adjusted and realized it wasn’t Grigory, there was a panicked pause before they tried to react. Alex never gave them a chance to respond. Aiming at this proximity ensured each shot would be perfect. It only took two bullets, one for each forehead. The pair fell in unison, as if synchronized dying were a sporting event.

CHAPTER
48

“If I were you, I’d get that idea out of your head.” Alex was dead serious as he addressed Mr. Green. They stood between the two vehicles on the side of the dark road, only a few feet apart. “You’ve got a suitcase full of money and you’re alive to spend it. Cut your losses and move on.”

Mr. Green was calculating his options. “But I have to return to my hotel.”

“Are you just trying to get killed? Nevsky’s men were sent to silence you and me and get the money back. He’s going to be beyond upset when they don’t return. Your hotel would be the first place I’d look.”

“He doesn’t know where I’m staying.”

“So no one knows your hotel?”

Mr. Green had a distant look on his face as he thought about the question. “Only the Iranians,” he confessed.

“The same people associated with the ones loading the plane back there?”

“I would assume so, yes.”

“And you don’t think—”

“No, they wouldn’t set me up,” Mr. Green was fast to respond. “They’re supposed to pick me up later today and take me to Iran.”

“What?” Alex said, shaking his head. “Why? I was under the impression your part of the deal ended back there.”

“They want assurances the product is good. They’ve been valued customers, and I’d like to keep it that way. Besides, they say the president wants to meet me and offer his thanks.”

Alex had to think fast. He didn’t like the idea of being exposed on the road like this. There was the possibility Nevsky had already sent backup.

“So you’ve met with the Iranians before?”

“On occasion. But most of our transactions have gone through intermediaries. Besides,” Mr. Green patted the suitcase, “they owe me money. A lot more than what is in here, I might add.”

“Again, you and money. Look, I’m trying to talk some sense into you. Live to make a deal another day. In this world, I’m sure there’ll be others.”

“What are you suggesting? Are you trying to steal my profit?”

“There won’t be a windfall if you’re not around to spend it.”

Mr. Green was about to slide inside his new Mercedes. “I suppose I should thank you. As a token of my appreciation, I’ll waive the rest of the fee you owe me.” He threw the suitcase onto the passenger seat and positioned himself behind the wheel, searching for the controls to adjust the seat.

“The Marriott,” Alex called out.

“What?” Mr. Green leaned his head out the window to hear.

“The Marriott. That’s where you’re staying.”

The pistol was back in Mr. Green’s hand as he slowly emerged from the vehicle.

“If I know that, what makes you think Nevsky doesn’t?”

Mr. Green pondered the situation. The performance he’d just witnessed in the woods wasn’t lost on him. Besides, McBride was also holding a weapon.

“I have backup.”

Alex checked the road and, thankfully, there were no headlights in either direction. “If you mean the man sitting on the bench outside the cathedral, I wouldn’t count on it.” There was a glimpse of disbelief on Mr. Green’s face.

“He’ll be fine. What I’m trying to get across to you is that you’re in way over your head at this point. You need to step aside and get lost. Tonight, you got very lucky.” Alex understood that included him as well.

Mr. Green put the pistol away with an affirmative nod. “Perhaps you are right. There will be other opportunities.”

“Good. Now, tell me about the Iranians again. You said they’re coming for you?”

“Yes, I’m supposed to be picked up sometime this afternoon.”

“Do you have to take anything with you? Provide them with anything?”

“No. I suppose in case something goes wrong, they want me there for my expertise.”

“Goes wrong?”

Mr. Green hunched his shoulders and raised his eyebrows. “Aside from being introduced to the president, I was told I would be part of something spectacular.”

“And you have no idea what that something is?”

“Not a clue. I asked, but they didn’t tell me anything more.”

“All right,” Alex said as he turned to get into the compact. “Remember. Don’t go back to the hotel.”

“But I have things there I need.”

“Come back late tonight. It should be safe by then. I can’t stress enough how important it is for you to disappear for a while. Your life may depend on it.”

Alex started to ease into the compact but remembered one more thing. He walked back to Mr. Green’s new set of wheels. “I almost forgot. Take all the money out and throw the suitcase away. There’s a very good chance it has a tracking device in it.”

Mr. Green stared at his bounty as if it were an unfaithful lover. When he looked back, Alex had the car back onto the road.

The rush of the past few hours had kept him going, but now Alex’s body was telling him it needed to shut down. He tried not to listen, because there was much to be done. For the drive back into Tbilisi, he kept his mind sharp by concentrating on one thing.

How he was going to kill Dmitri Nevsky.

CHAPTER
49

Alex stared at the hotel room clock, but the numbers didn’t really matter. If he had to get people out of bed, too damn bad. The inconvenience came with the job.

From Sara he’d learned Mr. Green was in all likelihood Victor Janko, an engineer of Czech descent. Confirmation had come from Langley. She’d also gotten Alex up to speed on the other documents he possessed and his Swiss bank account numbers.

When Nora handed him a cup of coffee, he noticed how apprehensive she seemed. This whole ordeal had to be tearing her up inside. Someone she considered a dear friend and who’d been her mentor was dead. As a result, her life was in turmoil. Her seeking him out, after the way he’d so emphatically ended their relationship, was proof that she was truly at the end of her rope. And now, the pain she felt for involving others was hard to hide. On several occasions, he caught her looking at him with worried eyes.

Alex tried to shake away the cobwebs. He went to the bathroom to throw cold water on his face, running his wet hands through his hair. The reflection in the mirror confirmed what his body was telling him. He wasn’t sure how much more he could accomplish. It seemed clear that whatever was underfoot was going to take place in Iran. With no cover story and no assets, he’d be walking into certain death if he made the journey. Even if he did go, he wouldn’t know what to do next. As much as he’d been able to keep up from newspaper and Internet accounts over the years, he knew Iran had four potential nuclear facilities shrouded in secrecy. Refusing to allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect the sites was either an admission of progress or another defiant stance. It wasn’t like he could just show up at the front gates and ask if the stockpile of centrifuges he’d seen a few hours ago was on the premises.

He had relayed all the night’s proceedings to Sara, Nora, and Duncan, except for one thing. He omitted the presence of Dmitri Nevsky. The name would have no meaning to Sara and Duncan, but it would register in an instant with Nora. She knew how the name had haunted him, the one piece of unfinished business as he left the CIA. He’d tried to find Nevsky before, but shortly after his murderous spree in Iraq, he vanished into the wind. Nevsky would have known the territory was dangerous once his ally was taken out. For now, Nevsky’s presence was something Nora didn’t need to know about.

Peering out the window, down upon a relatively quiet Tbilisi, Alex came to the only conclusion his tired brain could hash out. “Sara, there may not be much time, because I don’t know when the Iranians are due to arrive this afternoon looking for Janko or, possibly, Mr. Green. He seemed to at least be careful in that regard.”

“So what are you thinking?”

“You need to call Champion.”

She did the math in her head. It was a quarter to seven at night in Washington, and in all likelihood, the director of the National Clandestine Service was still at Langley. Alex started to suggest she use a secure line but thought better of it, knowing it would only insult her intelligence.

Champion had been in a meeting, but as soon as the call came through, he cleared his office. He took down everything Alex was saying and wished his once prized pupil were still under his command. When Alex finished his briefing, Champion was quick to follow up, wanting clarity in no uncertain terms, because he was sure his career would be on the line tonight.

“You say the Iranians are going to come looking for this Janko person in the afternoon? But you don’t know exactly when?”

“That would be what I’ve been telling you.” Champion could hear the sarcasm in Alex’s voice but attributed part of it to fatigue.

“Hundreds of centrifuges…” Champion said, but it was more for his own clarity.

“What?”

“I’m just thinking out loud. You also said Janko was told something spectacular was going to occur?”

“You’re totally caught up. Now you need to get someone here who’s an engineer who can possibly go in his place.”

“Yeah, Rocky, I’ll pull a rabbit out of my hat. Like I have someone in the area with that skill set who can handle himself in a covert situation.”

“Surely you’ve got some assets on the ground in Iran who can lend a hand.”

“It’s taken years for those individuals to establish a credible cover. Taking the risk of exposing them now could set us back years, and then we’d be making assessments with virtually no human intel. That’s not a part of the world you want to go dark in right now.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”

Champion was silent, and for a moment Alex wondered if he’d lost the connection. “You said you’re pretty sure they don’t know who Janko’s associates might be?”

“That’s right.”

“But they did see you and him at the airfield?”

“We were pretty visible and there looked to be Iranians there.”

“Well then, it’s a no-brainer.”

“What is?”

“What name do you want to go by?”

“Not a chance in hell,” Alex responded when he understood what Champion was suggesting.

“I’m not the one who got involved here. You laid the foundation on this one when you went out of your way to help Nora.”

“Let me remind you, I don’t work for the government anymore.”

“And let me remind you that you kidnapped one and assaulted two government agents. How much prison time do you want?”

“You don’t have the balls to pull a public stunt like that.”

“You’re probably right. But how motivated will Senator Lipton be to making your life a living hell?”

Alex thought about what Champion didn’t know at the moment regarding that matter. Once he got wind that Davis Lipton had been shot in the foot on his orders, the heat would intensify.

“You know this is bullshit. I’m not qualified for this anymore.”

“From everything you’ve told me, you’re the only option at this point. I’m going be honest with you…”

“No, please lie to me.”

“I’ll go the extra mile to keep you as safe as I can. But if it means exposing vital assets in Iran, that’s not going to happen. Not unless you’re stepping into Armageddon. You pull this off, and we’ll probably learn some vital things we didn’t know before.”

Alex looked at Nora, who was trying to decipher the conversation by hearing only his half. He couldn’t avoid the subject. “What about Janway?” he asked Champion. “That’s what started this whole thing.”

“Those responsible will be dealt with.”

“Does that include the senator?”

“As soon as I get off the phone with you, I’ll get to work on that. You’re not the only one about to risk a lot. Now, so I can get them started on your cover story, give me a name. And since you’ve been away for some time, I suggest you make it one you can easily remember.”

Alex wanted to protest some more, but exhaustion was washing away his resistance. He wanted to stay with the surname of McBride. It had served him well so far.

“Wayne McBride,” he decided.

“Mr. McBride, get some sleep. You sound like shit.”

Rather than offer a sarcastic response, Alex hung up. Nora immediately stepped forward with raised arms.

He tried to brush by her, pretending not to notice. “I need to get some sleep.”

She halted his exit by grabbing an arm. “If I understand that conversation, I can’t ask you to do this! It’s foolish. Hell, it’s suicidal!”

“There aren’t a whole lot of options here.”

“You’ve helped me do what I asked, which was to keep me safe. You’ve done that. You don’t need to do anything more.”

“What about Janway?”

“Now that I know which direction to head, I’ll eventually take care of that.”

“Hey, I hear Iran is beautiful this time of year.”

“Damn it, Alex! No!”