The Lucifer Code

by Charles Brokaw

  He eased back out of the room, contemplating getting a berth in another hotel. One that wasn’t quite as heavily travelled. As he closed the door, someone tapped him on the shoulder.

  Lourds started violently and almost yelled in fright. He raised his empty arm up defensively before him, clutching his backpack to his chest with the other.

  ‘Thomas?’ Olympia Adnan yelped as she dodged backward. ‘What do you think you’re doing? You could hurt someone flailing around like that.’

  ‘Olympia!’ Embarrassed, Lourds stood a little straighter. ‘You shouldn’t go around sneaking up on people like that.’

  Still somewhat confused, Olympia shook her head and looked rather cross. ‘I had hoped you’d be glad to see me. After all, we haven’t seen each other in almost three years.’

  High cheekbones and wide-set brown eyes made her beautiful. Her thick black hair lay in shimmering waves of ebony past her shoulders. Her clear olive-tinted complexion gave her an exotic aura. She stood only an inch or two above Lourds’ shoulder. The teal skirt suit she wore emphasized her lush figure to its best advantage. Spiked strappy heels, which also explained how she came up to Lourds’ shoulder, showed off her trim calves. A ruby pendant on a white gold chain was held just above the hint of cleavage Lourds could see in the V of the jacket.

  ‘Has it really been three years?’ Lourds asked, wishing he wasn’t grinning so foolishly.

  ‘It has.’

  ‘You look amazing.’

  ‘Thank you. I work at it.’ Some of the old playfulness flickered in her brown eyes. She reached out and pulled at his shirt collar. ‘Perhaps it’s something you should do.’

  ‘The last couple of days haven’t been anything like what you promised when you invited me here,’ Lourds countered.

  Olympia wrinkled her nose. ‘I know. The news programmes have been full of that. I’m sorry for it. But you have to admit, most of this has been far beyond my control.’

  That reminded Lourds of the perfume he’d smelled inside the suite. He put a finger to his lips.

  Intrigued, Olympia narrowed her eyes and leaned in closer to him. ‘What?’ she whispered.

  ‘Someone’s in my room.’

  ‘Nonsense!’ Olympia looked affronted. ‘This is a very good hotel, I’ll have you know. I’ve stayed here myself, and I arranged for your booking.’

  ‘The security isn’t what it could be,’ Lourds replied quietly.

  ‘The security is good here.’

  ‘They let the police in earlier.’

  Olympia put her fists on her generous hips. ‘They were the police, Thomas. Of course the hotel had to let them in.’

  ‘They could have mentioned it at the desk.’

  ‘Mentioned what? That they let the police into your room?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Maybe the police told them not to tell you. Have you thought about that?’

  ‘Of course I have. And of course they probably did. I’m beginning to strongly dislike surprises.’

  Olympia rolled her eyes. ‘I rather gathered that when I tapped you on the shoulder and you nearly wet yourself.’

  ‘No, I was preparing to defend myself.’

  ‘Well, in case no one has mentioned it before, as an expert in self-defence, you’re a great linguist.’

  Lourds frowned in response. ‘Maybe you have changed. I really don’t remember you being this unkind three years ago.’

  ‘Nonsense. Any time you got overly pompous, I was always there to prick you.’

  ‘I’ve told you before that I really think that should be my line.’

  She smiled at him disarmingly. ‘Then you should concentrate on getting it in sooner.’

  While Lourds was engaged in the latest bit of double entendre, Olympia slipped past him. She plucked the keycard from his hand and, before he knew it, was opening the door.

  ‘Don’t go in there.’

  Olympia arched an eyebrow at him. ‘Really? That’s supposed to stop me?’

  ‘Seriously, Olympia. Someone is in there.’

  ‘How do you know?’

  ‘I smelled her perfume.’

  ‘Well, you’ve got a fabulous nose for perfumes. But maybe it’s something left by another woman who’s been in your room.’

  ‘If there’s been a woman in my room, I don’t know about it.’ Even as he said that, Lourds was more than a little intrigued by the suggestive nature of their conversation as well as the flirting and hint of jealousy. ‘How’s your love life?’

  Olympia grimaced at him. ‘What love life?’

  ‘I thought you were involved with the Belgian archaeologist.’

  ‘I was. Sadly, he and I both discovered that he’s a lot like you.’

  ‘Me?’

  ‘Yes. Too involved in your own pursuits to let any woman slow you down for long.’

  ‘Ouch.’

  Olympia patted his cheek. ‘You never hurt me, pet. You made it very clear from the beginning that what we had was fun. And it was.’ She caught him by the shirt collar and pulled him down for a lingering kiss.

  Lourds’ head swam at the intoxicating feel of her lips pressed against his. Definitely looks like it can be fun again.

  ‘Thomas,’ she whispered raggedly as she pulled away.

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘The door, pet, opens inward.’ Olympia slid the keycard, turned the handle, and pushed the door.

  For a moment, Lourds was caught flatfooted between sensory overload from the kiss and surprise at seeing how quickly she’d outmanoeuvred him. Despite every instinct in him screaming to flee the premises, he trailed after her and went inside the room.

  12

  The Oval Office

  The White House

  Washington, D. C.

  United States of America

  17 March 2010

  Vice-President Elliot Webster walked along the carpeted hallway to the president’s sanctum. Excitement vibrated through him because he knew everything he had planned for so long was coming to a head. He’d actually thought this time might be as much as two or three years away. He had had a handful of plans in mind to trigger the coming events, but Professor Thomas Lourds’ arrival in Istanbul had been too good to pass up.

  He knew the re-emergence of the lost book was a sign of successes to come.

  Two young secret service agents, one male and one female, stood in front of the Oval Office door. Both of them nodded as he approached.

  ‘Good morning, Mr Vice-President,’ one of them greeted him.

  ‘Good morning, Vincent. How did your mother do with her hip surgery?’ Webster’s mind was like a steel trap. He remembered everything he had learned, and every person he had ever met. All of them were little people who wanted some kind of recognition from those in power. He utilized his talents to make them feel appreciated. It bought him loyalty at no cost to himself. He’d cultivated that trait since he had gone into business.

  Vincent smiled eagerly. ‘She’s doing much better, Mr Vice-President. She’s up and around these days, and talking about going dancing.’

  Webster chuckled. ‘As an incentive to your mother, tell her that when she’s able to dance again I’ll take her out one night and we’ll paint the town red.’

  Vincent reddened slightly. ‘I’ll tell her, sir. And she said to tell you thank you very much for the flowers.’

  ‘She’s very welcome, Vincent. After everything you do for the president, it’s the least that I can do.’ Webster turned his attention to the female secret service agent. ‘How are you this fine morning, Mildred?’

  ‘Fine, sir. Thank you.’

  ‘How is the new Little Sister coming along?’

  ‘She’s good, sir. A bit of a handful at times, but I enjoy taking her places.’ The young agent had recently signed up to be a Big Sister. Webster had provided the letter of recommendation that had sealed her sponsorship.

  ‘Excellent, Mildred. I’m glad it’s working out for you.’ Webster rubbed his hands together briskl
y. ‘Well, I guess I should find out why the president called me out of my meeting this morning.’

  Vincent nodded, then turned and knocked on the door of the Oval Office.

  ‘Yes,’ a deep voice answered from within.

  Vincent opened the door and said, ‘Mr President, Vice-President Webster is here to see you.’

  On the other side of the room, President Michael Waggoner rose from behind his paper-strewn desk. He was a tall, gaunt man with dark hair that had gone grey at the temples while he’d been in office. In college, he had been a basketball player – had, in fact, almost gone pro – before enlisting in the Marines and putting in twenty years service. Some people believed Waggoner had joined the military to avoid his father’s political dynasty. Senator Kendall Waggoner had been in politics his whole life, and had died while still in office. On his deathbed, he had asked his son to finish out his term. Everyone had known about the illness that had eventually killed him, and his death had come as no surprise.

  What had been a surprise to most people was how well the son had served the senator’s last two years. That service had also changed Michael Waggoner’s view of politics. It had got into his blood and he had made a career of it. Another term and a half later, he’d had the Democratic nod to run for president, and had swept the nation. Especially after he’d added Elliott Webster as his running mate.

  Waggoner’s popularity remained high in the polls and everyone agreed that he was one of the best presidents who’d ever served. But it had taken its toll on him.

  ‘Good morning, Elliott,’ Waggoner said as he walked round the desk. He wore slacks and a shirt, but his tie lay in a wad on one of the two chairs in front of the desk.

  ‘I’d say good morning, Mike, but this looks more like a long night.’ Webster took the offered hand and shook it. Then he sat in the unoccupied chair in front of the desk.

  ‘It has been a long night,’ Waggoner agreed as he crossed the room to the coffee service.

  ‘You could have called, you know.’

  ‘I did. The minute I was sure I needed you on this. You’ve got a host of duties to perform, too. Don’t think I don’t know that. I knew I was going to be working late and I wanted one of us with a clear head.’

  ‘Me?’

  ‘Yours is usually the clearest in the room at any given time anyway,’ Waggoner said with a smile. ‘But, yes, you. Coffee?’

  ‘Please.’

  The president poured and served. He didn’t bother sitting, though. He blew on his coffee and sipped, but Webster didn’t think Waggoner even tasted it.

  ‘What’s the problem, Mike?’

  ‘We’ve got an unconfirmed report from Riyadh that someone assassinated King Yousef bin Abdul Aziz and Crown Prince Muhammad bin Abdul Aziz last night.’

  Webster placed his coffee on the desk and sat back as he contemplated what that meant. ‘Is anyone taking the credit for it?’

  Waggoner ran a hand through his hair and sighed. ‘We haven’t got anything solid yet. It’s still too early, but this looks like the real deal.’

  ‘What happened?’

  ‘Things have gone crazy over there. Despite the amount of oil Saudi Arabia has and how much it’s able to produce, those oil fields can’t keep up with the demands put on them by the western world, India and China. Everybody wants a piece of the petroleum pie, and they’re willing to do whatever it takes to make sure they get their share. More, if they can get it.’ Waggoner folded his arms across his chest. ‘We’re just as guilty as anyone else in this, Elliott. We’ve wooed the royal family for generations. At that time, we were the only ones with economic and military means to protect them. With China, India, Pakistan all emerging this century with strong economies as well as strong military forces, we’ve lost ground. Our economy is shaky and our protracted military engagement in the Middle East bleeds us dry. Iraq was just the beginning there.’

  ‘Where did you get the report?’ Webster asked.

  ‘From the CIA units working on the ground in Saudi. They got the information from one of their assets near the royal family.’

  ‘What happened?’ Webster’s excitement and anticipation grew but he didn’t let it show. He had known that the Middle East would be the ignition point for the conflagration that would sweep the world. He had counted on it.

  ‘What we’re getting is that the king and crown prince were having a meeting off the books in King Abdullah Economic City.’

  ‘A meeting with whom?’

  ‘We’re not sure of that, either. Possibly a coterie from the Indian government.’

  ‘Renegotiating deliveries?’

  Waggoner shrugged. ‘Possibly brokering a deal for a pipeline across their country.’

  ‘That’s supposedly been in the works for some time.’

  ‘I know. And if they do that, it’ll change the economic model we’ve been working from. A lot of people I talk to are nervous about this.’

  ‘I know. I’ve been talking to them, too.’ Webster thought for a moment. ‘You know, Mike, as a businessman, I can’t blame the royal family for wanting to negotiate this deal. No one knows for sure how much oil they’ve got in their reserves. No one outside the ruling family knows. Maybe they’re reaching a point where they’re going to have to cut production. They may be afraid that the United States will take their business to South America or Africa.’

  ‘Or that we’ll finally be motivated enough to find an alternate fuel source since our economy has flatlined for a while. A viable alternate fuel source would change the United States, but it would really change the entire face of the Middle East. That possibility has to be on their minds.’

  ‘It is,’ Webster acknowledged. ‘The way the Middle East is set up now, in order to be successful, they’ve got to export oil. They don’t have a lot of other options – no manufacturing base, limited water, limited other resources. If another fuel source becomes viable, the distance we have to go for oil and the price we have to pay is counterproductive to us as an economy and a military force. We can afford to have our Middle Eastern fuel lines cut if push comes to shove.’

  ‘I know. But we’re not there yet. Someday soon, maybe, but not yet. We’re still dependent on these people. The problem is, they don’t want to be dependent on us any more than we are on them.’

  ‘Right now, though, we still need each other.’

  ‘Not so much, these days.’ Waggoner shook his head. ‘We need them more than they need us. They have other buyers lining up. But we’ve invested so heavily in the Middle East that we can’t think about pulling out for years. Or losing their resources.’

  ‘Yousef and Muhammed are – were – both actively seeking some kind of alliance regarding increased oil production for India and China. They haven’t been chasing Pakistan, to my knowledge at least, because of all the terrorist concerns in that country.’ Webster was silent for a moment. ‘Have you given any consideration to the possibility that maybe we were the ones who killed – or at least tried to kill – the king and crown prince?’

  ‘I have. It might just be possible. I don’t like the idea that some mercenary force employed by an American citizen or an American corporation would do something like this.’ Waggoner shook his head. ‘But these are desperate times, and this country isn’t as well liked overseas as she has been in the past. I’m betting it’s somebody else. Somebody who doesn’t like us. We’re still coming out of the recession, and we’re overextended militarily. We’re vulnerable. Other countries are going to throw that possibility around.’

  Webster let the silence in the room stretch out for a time before he said anything. ‘You know I’m there for you, Mike. Anything you need, anything at all, and I’ll do my best.’

  Waggoner stared out the window, put his cup on the desk, and shoved his hands into his pockets. ‘I know you will, Elliott. That’s why I’m telling you this now. You’ve got friends over in Riyadh, and it may be time for us to call in a few favours from those people.’

  Webst
er waited for the president to cut to the chase. It sometimes took the man a while to get to it, but he never flinched when it came to making hard decisions. Part of it was because of the military training he’d had, but part of it was due to the fact that Waggoner was a man who believed in good and evil. His weakness, as far as Webster was concerned, was that he still believed good always triumphed over evil.

  ‘What do you want me to do?’ Webster asked.

  ‘I want you on the ground over there in Saudi. I want to know what’s going on there. And I want to know it as soon as you can find out.’

  Webster stood. ‘All right, Mike. Is there anything else?’

  Waggoner shook his head wearily. ‘Just be careful, Elliott. I watched the sun come up this morning and I felt that somehow the whole world had changed overnight.’ He paused. ‘Isn’t that a strange thought?’

  Smiling confidently, Webster dropped a hand on the president’s shoulder. ‘You just need some rest, that’s all. You get some sleep and you’ll feel better. Me and you, we’re keeping the faith. That’s what we promised the American people we would do when they put us in office.’

  ‘I know, I know. I keep telling myself that. You just keep your head down over there until you figure out what’s what.’

  ‘Will do.’ Webster shook hands a final time, then turned and left the room. He said goodbye to both secret service agents and took out his phone to start making arrangements. Between figuring out what to do with Professor Thomas Lourds and the coming unrest in the Middle East, it was going to be a busy day.

  Burger King

  Taksim Square

  Istanbul, Turkey

  17 March, 2010

  Cleena sat at a booth in the back of the restaurant and tried not to feel like a voyeur as she looked at the laptop Sevki had given her before she had left his apartment after Lourds’ release from the police department. Of course, a voyeur was what she was. There was no getting round that. She was watching Lourds and his lady friend – the older college professor, whatever her name was – in the hotel room.