by Rob Carnell
A tall thin man in a black suit rushed over and introduced himself, "I am Anandh Singh, the manager of the Caliph. I am so sorry for your ordeal, are you injured, do you need a doctor?"
"I think we are ok" suggested Natasha.
"You can use my office to speak to Inspector Ravik who is waiting for you inside. I have arranged an upgrade of your room, your things are already there" said Anandh.
"I am Inspector Ravik, please tell me exactly what happened" said the plain clothes officer as soon as they were seated in the luxurious office.
Anandh arrived with Cokes, and then made his exit.
It took nearly an hour for Natasha and Matt to relate their capture and their time in custody.
"Could you identify your assailants?" asked the Inspector.
"Then there is little I can do to catch them. You are safe, you should be thankful" said the policeman with finality.
"If you think of anything else, please call me," and he handed a card to Matt before standing and shaking hands with him. He completely ignored Natasha and walked out of the room."
Anandh rejoined them, "Let me show you to your room, I am sure you need to rest."
The Caliph Hotel was indeed a six star facility.
Anandh pressed his thumb to a glass panel beside the door and the door opened with a click. He held the door open while Natasha and Matt passed. Once inside, he led them past a gleaming white Steinway grand piano in the entranceway.
"Let me show you around" said the manager.
First he showed them the dining room.
"If you are entertaining, we can arrange a chef to do the catering for you in your kitchen through that door. The refrigerator is well stocked. But if you need anything at all please call me."
"This is your living area. He pressed a button on the remote control and the front wall lit up and CNN appeared on the largest screen they had ever seen."
"Please follow me to your living quarters" said Anandh as he lead them left out of the living room and down a short corridor past the "guest" bedroom and on to the master bedroom.
In the centre of the room was a king sized four poster bed draped in yellow silk. On the left and right sides of the room were matching dressing rooms with large en-suite bathrooms attached. The bathroom had a large pedestal bath in a room with a cantilevered roof, lit by a glass skylight over the bath.
"I have had your things already unpacked from your cases. Mrs. Cook, your things are in the right dressing room. Mr. Cook, your things are in the left dressing room. If you would like this swapped, just let me know" said Anandh.
"That will be fine Anandh, thank you" said Matt.
"My pleasure sir. By the way Mr. Cook, there was a package left here for you. I believe it is a wedding gift from your company here. It is on the floor in the left dressing room. If you would prefer the right, I can have it moved for you."
After Anandh had left, Matt wasted no time in checking his package had not been opened. Then he removed the wrapping.
Inside was a metal camera case securely locked with a large padlock. Matt removed a key from his pocket. He opened the lock and revealed a Nikon digital SLR camera with large zoom lens. He took out the camera and lens, removed a piece of foam, and underneath were matching Yarygin 9mm automatic pistols with extra fully loaded magazines secured from view.
"Looks like Bill Simpson my boss wants us to take pictures of anyone we happen to shoot" suggested Matt with a grin.
"I need a shower, so do you" announced Natasha.
Chapter 83
Caliph Hotel
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
* * *
AFTER THEY had settled in, the duo decided to take a walk around the complex.
They had done some reading on the flight and realized that Natasha would need to stay covered up, or would attract undue attention.
Whilst it was not expected for western women to shroud their faces, they were expected to respect Arabian culture. Even though it was extremely hot outside, it was quite pleasant in the hotel and Natasha was not uncomfortable in jeans and a long sleeved shirt.
As was expected of a honeymoon couple, they walked hand in hand.
"Let’s go check out the swimming pool" suggested Matt and they took the elevator to the rooftop.
They followed the signs and walked through what was effectively a maze of small shrubs. There is no way you could just stumble across the pool area. Of course this was done to hide this scar on Islam.
"This is a strange country" said Natasha "it seems ok for the guys to wear skimpy swimwear, but the girls are covered top to toe."
"Look at that woman in the pool, there is no way she could swim in that white thing she is wearing. Lucky this pool is shallow, otherwise she could well drown" pointed out Matt.
From the pool they went back downstairs and looked at the shops in the lobby. These were not for mere mortals, everything was designer branded and the price tags were way beyond anything that Matt or Natasha could ever be expected to pay.
The restaurants were magnificent, but there was a notable lack of alcohol on display. It was certainly available, but was served in plain translucent glasses so as to mask what the tourists were drinking.
"See that desk over there? I noticed it on the way in. It is the assistant Manager according to the sign, lets start there" suggested Matt.
They went over and sat down.
A beautiful woman in local attire greeted them "Welcome to The Caliph Hotel Mr. and Mrs. Cook. How can I assist you?"
They were both impressed with being recognized, but this was no ordinary place.
"You have a beautiful hotel" said Natasha with sincerity "our accommodation is exquisite."
"Thank you Mrs. Cook. Is there anything I can help you with?" said the assistant Manager with the nametag Reza.
"Actually there is" butted in Matt "we would like to know the history of the hotel."
"Of course sir" said Reza, opening a drawer below her desk and extracting a four page brochure explaining how the hotel was built and the cost.
"Who owns the hotel, is it part of a chain?" asked Natasha.
"No, this is a one of a kind hotel. It is owned by a group of local investors" explained Reza.
"Thank you for your help, we will read the information" said Matt, and they rose and went back to their room.
Chapter 84
Caliph Hotel
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
* * *
ONCE THEY got back to the room, it was time to begin trying to locate the source of the money that financed the weapons.
Matt plugged his laptop computer into the power socket, and then plugged a wireless satellite modem into the side. This would allow him to access high speed internet anywhere on the planet.
"Do you have coverage here" asked Natasha.
"This little black box gives me coverage anywhere!" Matt explained.
He checked his emails and there were a few procedural ones which he answered. The rest he transferred to his Pending file for later attention.
Next he fired up Internet Explorer and went to the Google search engine to start research on The Caliph.
There was a great deal of information on the hotel on its own website, including a pdf file of the brochure they had been given by Reza. Ownership however remained a mystery.
Since this was private ownership, there were no company records. They drew a complete blank.
No matter where he looked there was just nothing that could help.
Natasha was watching the progress and suggested "Maybe we should talk to some of the other staff."
Chapter 85
Caliph Hotel
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
* * *
MATT SUGGESTED they start outside away from the security cameras that littered the ceilings.
They went for a walk outside the hotel, but it was just too hot for Natasha in long sleeves.
"I will go back to the room and report in, you do the leg work" she suggested.<
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There was a long garden stretching from the main road in to the hotel proper. Matt noticed a gardener tending to some plants.
"Hello" said Matt "the grounds are beautiful."
"Thank you sir, we have to work very hard to get anything to grow in the desert" said the gardener in heavily accented English.
"Tell me, who owns the hotel?" asked Matt.
"I am afraid I have no idea sir, I am just a humble servant" said the man.
"I am writing a book on famous hotels and I need some more information." Matt passed him a wad of U.S. $100 bills.
"I will help if I can, but I know little" said the young man as he palmed the cash.
"Tell me anything at all that might help my book" suggested Matt.
"I heard some financial people talking one day when I went to get some water inside the hotel. They kept talking about The Boss, he sounded like a very rich man indeed. I am afraid that is all I know."
"Is there anyone else who may be able to help me?" asked Matt.
"The manager of the whole complex is an Indian hotelier called Pushkar. I am certain he will know what you wish to know."
"Thank you, have a good day" said Matt with a wave as he went to seek out Pushkar.
Chapter 86
Caliph Hotel
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
* * *
MATT GOT back to the room and briefed Natasha on her quick chat with the gardener.
He had another idea when he noticed that in the brochure it mentioned that the whole hotel had state of the art communication systems.
It mentioned wireless internet access everywhere in the hotel, but this would be of little benefit since there would undoubtedly be a firewall controlling access to the secure systems of the hotel.
What Matt needed was an access point on the hotel system for him to attach his laptop by cable.
He went for another stroll. He was looking for the telltale wall plates with a little flap and an RJ45 socket behind it. This would be connected via Category 6 cable to the distribution frame and into the data switches that fed the data to the computer servers.
These were located in most places in the hotel, but because of the camera system, they were of little use.
Finally, he was getting hot and went over to the bar.
"How may I help you sir?" asked the barman.
"I am really thirsty. Can I please have two large glasses, full of ice? Then drown them with Diet Coke" pleaded Matt.
The waiter mixed as requested, only embellishing slightly with a slice of lime.
Matt downed the first one in almost one gulp. The second he sipped for ten minutes or so, scanning the hotel for wall plates.
Finally he noticed that they seemed to be about a foot off the floor about every thirty feet or so around every wall.
By his reckoning, they were probably below table level in the coffee shop adjoining the bar.
Matt rose "I think I will get a snack while I am here".
"Of course Mr. Cook I will transfer your account there" said the barman with a smile.
When Matt walked in, he was instantly greeted "welcome Mr. Cook, please sit over here" said the white jacketed waiter indicating a table in the centre of the room.
"I prefer somewhere out of the way, do you mind if I sit over against the back wall?" asked Matt.
"Of course sir, it is quiet now, so pick any table you prefer" said the waiter. Matt noticed only one other guest dining at another table, it was a stocky woman totally covered in traditional dress.
Matt took a guess and picked a table about fifteen feet from the corner of the back wall.
After he ordered a hamburger and another diet Coke the waiter went away and Matt began to feel under the table. He could feel nothing, so he chanced a quick look as he moved his chair back into a seemingly more comfortable position. The wall was bare.
Matt got up and went to the nearby restroom and returned, mistakenly reseating himself in the next table along. As he sat down, he felt his knee brush the panel he was seeking.
When the waiter returned with the meal Matt asked "would it be ok if I brought my computer down here and I worked at this table for a while, I need a bit of a break from my room?"
"Of course sir, but you would need to finish before around 6pm when it starts to get busy down here".
That gave Matt nearly two hours, more than enough time.
Matt asked to use a telephone and called his room.
"Listen carefully honey, I need some help" he said.
"Please grab my computer. Don’t switch it off, just close it. Leave the satellite unit attached, but don’t forget the power cable. I am in the coffee shop waiting."
Natasha quickly scooped up the technology package as requested and delivered the bundle down to Matt.
"Pull up a chair and order something to eat" said Matt.
"I am ok, I can wait until dinner" suggested Natasha.
Matt just stared until she got the idea.
"Actually I am a bit hungry" she announced and a menu instantly appeared in her hand courtesy of Matt’s white jacketed friend.
When the waiter had gone, Matt leaned closer and whispered to Natasha "There is a plug under this table. I may be here a while and I might need a diversion later."
With Natasha at the table as well, it was an easy matter for Matt to slide his cable into the wall plug and the other end into his computer. The terrible news was that there was no power point within reach of the table. At least the battery was full which would give him around an hour of access allowing for the extra power drain of the satellite unit. He wanted to keep it connected in case he needed to get an instant message through to Bill back at Langley.
Matt kept making small talk with Natasha so as not to arouse suspicion, while his fingers danced across the keyboard.
Luckily this port was patched to the data switch and he had access to the hotel network, however he still needed to find a way to access the information.
The first thing he noticed was that his machine had acquired an IP address from the server. That meant he could now communicate. When he fired up internet explorer, he was presented with the Caliph Hotel login page.
Matt’s machine was high speed, and there was a password generator program installed. It asked for background information then went about randomly selecting passwords based on the information given. Matt just selected the hotel internet page which he fired up in another window and cut and pasted it into the password generator program and pressed start.
A really sophisticated system would recognize a wrong password error after three tries and disconnect the port access. To get around this, the program disconnected the connection after every two tries and continued when it had acquired a new IP address and reset the password count. This could be slow going, but at least it was automatic.
After about forty minutes the system beeped and Matt was in. Matt noted the login and password for future access:
Login: caliphnet
Password: 18041956
This was probably the birth date of one of the hotel employees. Given that he was over fifty years of age, Matt hoped that he was senior enough to get access to the information he needed.
Matt wanted to get off the system as quickly as possible, so he copied everything he could find to his hard drive.
He was able to get access to the accounting system, and he found a way to access the audit trail, and copied the file. This was basically a list of numbers which covered all financial transactions for the hotel, both in and out.
The computer was beeping in protest and the battery was dying. Matt just had time to disconnect gracefully before his unit died completely.
"What did you get?" whispered Natasha.
"I am not sure yet, let’s get back to the room and check it out."
Chapter 87
Caliph Hotel
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
* * *
MATT AND Natasha walked back to their room holding hands, but with
a spring in their step.
Matt noticed a Do Not Disturb sign on the door.
Natasha winked and swiped her key card.
Matt pushed the door open on the darkened room.
Natasha quickly yanked his arm and they both fell to the floor. She had left all the lights on.
A shotgun blast at chest height broke the quietness.
This was immediately followed by Natasha opening up into the room with a whole clip from her gun while Matt clawed at his computer bag trying to locate his weapon.
As Natasha ejected the empty clip and grabbed for another, she felt the wind blow from her chest and was pinned to the floor as a heavy body fell on her prostrate form. Matt had a gun barrel pressed against his neck. The gun was pulled from Natasha’s grasp and she heard a vaguely familiar Russian accent say "Aren’t you happy to see me? I was expecting you here sooner. I have been waiting for both of you."
Two figures dressed in full Arab garb tugged the pair to their feet. One turned on the lights and then pulled open his robe to reveal a leopard skin T-shirt. He pulled this up to reveal the surgically repaired nipple.
"I am not that easy to kill my friends" bragged the Leopard.
"We saw you fall from the helicopter" said Matt with amazement.
"That was my bodyguard Nicolai" spat The Leopard with scorn. He then pulled back his hood to reveal a hideously burned face. "It was me in the burning chopper."
"I will enjoy cutting your tits off after I am finished with you bitch" spat The Leopard.
Chapter 88
Caliph Hotel
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
* * *
MATT KNEW that they were in real trouble. Natasha was on her feet, but was beginning to turn blue. The man falling on top of her cracked two of her ribs and her diaphragm was in spasm.