‘Yes, we know. We’ve had Paul Montgomery up there. He’s confirmed there are traces of the necessary chemicals required to cultivate a virus. Unfortunately, if there was any virus, it’s not there now.’
‘Yanny, did he say anything about any special places in America that he liked?’ Ed asked.
‘Not to me. To me, he was Samir Habash. He did tell me he had been educated, lived here for many years, but he never elaborated on anywhere special.’
‘We’re watching for all possible entry points into the country,’ said Ed. ‘We should pick him up if he comes in through any of them.’
‘That’s not likely, though,’ Steve said. ‘He’ll come in under cover of darkness. Maybe we should bring in Uri on the phone conference.’
‘We can look at the Mexican border, but the people smugglers change all the time,’ Ed said.
Steve phoned Uri in Israel. ‘Sorry for the late hour.’
‘That’s fine, what can I do for you?’
‘If Habash has left the country or at least Lebanon, any ideas of the route he might use? Any people he knows that may assist him?’
‘We’re already on to it. Some possibilities, but we’re checking them out before we bring them in. It’s best not to give the game away before we know the result.’
‘Did you get anything out of Al-Rashid and Hafeez?’ Steve felt obliged to ask.
‘Not a lot. Just distribution routes around the Middle East, how it was transported to America. Apart from that, nothing else that helps. The crates that Hafeez moved around have now been accounted for, so if there’s any new material if looks as though it was not manufactured in this part of the world.’
‘That’s what we ascertained. We have proof that he managed to grow some more virus here, but where it is, we just don’t know. It would help if you could find his route into America.’
‘We’ll keep at it and give you updates as soon as we have them,’ said Uri.
‘By the way, where are Al-Rashid and Hafeez now?’
‘They were summarily tried by a military court and executed. I’m afraid there was little sympathy expressed for either of them over here. That’s confidential, by the way.’
‘What about the Russians?’
‘They went in marching with their troops, and Rehmani has disappeared along with his crates and half of the Chechen Martyrs. After you fix up America, you may be needed to rescue Russia.’
‘Thanks, Uri. Whatever you can find out will be appreciated.’
***
The two weeks that Samir Habash had given as a deadline had blown out to four before he sighted American soil again. He could neither feel satisfaction nor disgust in what had transpired since he had left. He remained convinced that Allah would understand his actions and that he would be granted a place in Jannah, in Paradise.
If Israel had not killed his family, the good life could have been his. But now, in the country of Israel’s greatest supporter, he was determined to strike a blow it would never forget. If it had not been for the American government and their Jewish overseers, he would not have been forced to release the virus. They were responsible for the millions of dead around the world, not him.
It was the Israelis and the Americans who had forced him to commit such actions. It was they who had failed to respond to his demands after the first Jewish settlement was attacked. They had made it impossible for him to be with the woman he loved, the only woman that he had ever truly loved, and she had been planted on him by those he now wished to harm. She was born a Muslim, yet she conspired with Jews. Did she ever love him the way he loved her? Was it all pretence? Or was there some truth in her?’
What did it matter? He knew he would never see her again. His only purpose now was to strike a blow at those responsible for his life and what it had become.
Jamal Moawad had honoured his side of the deal. He deserved the one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars outstanding, and a halt to the report being transmitted that outlined his criminal activities, but what did he care? Moawad was a crook who had bled his people as he saw fit with no concern for his Islamic faith. Had he not admitted that his father had cheated his own father? Why should he care? Moawad would receive no additional money and the police in Lebanon would know the full extent of his crimes.
The email that he had mentioned in Lebanon to Moawad was not on an automatic send, it was manual. The first internet café that he encountered on landing on American soil provided him the opportunity to log in and press the send email button. He felt a sense of satisfaction after it was done.
***
It was the police in Lebanon who provided the first lead – or, more precisely, an informant in their headquarters located in the Office of the General Directorate.
‘We have in our possession the individual responsible for smuggling Samir Habash out of Lebanon,’ Uri said on the phone call to the team in Atlanta, the day following Sam Haberman’s arrival in America. The team had been in Atlanta for weeks, and their focus was waning.
Four weeks had passed since he had given Mossad the slip and still there was no confirmation as to his whereabouts. Phil had thought he had just given up and gone native somewhere, Harry said he could go to hell. It was Yanny who continued to insist that he was coming. She said she could sense it.
Apart from Darius finding the house where Haberman had made some virus, the trail had gone cold. The economy was slowly recovering, people were planning their holidays, and the schools were all functioning as normal. All those that had died were buried, and no more infections were being reported.
‘What do you have?’ Ed asked of Uri. He was still in charge of the American operation.
‘Habash, when he left Lebanon, presented our smuggler friend with a copy of a dossier on his illegal activities. He stated that, if he failed to reach American soil within a nominated period, he would release it to the police in Beirut.’
‘You have a copy of this dossier?’ Ed asked.
‘Yes, we do, and it is damning. Jamal Moawad is an unsavoury character. The Lebanese police will no doubt throw him in jail for a long time.’
‘So, why is he in Israel?’
‘We received a tip-off. We went in and grabbed him.’
‘How did they take that?’ Ed asked.
‘Officially, they have registered a complaint with our government. Unofficially, they are not overly concerned. They can have him back when we’ve finished.’
‘What’s he telling you?’ asked Ed.
‘That Habash arrived in America two days ago and is somewhere in Florida.’
‘By boat or plane?’
‘By boat, although he doesn’t have all the details. At least, that’s what he’s saying.’
‘That may be correct,’ Ed said. ‘The movement of drugs and people into the States can go through various groups. He may not know, but it would help if we could find out from someone that does.’
‘We figured the same. He’s given us some names, some contacts, but until he gives us someone closer to you we can’t help you much more.’
‘Any idea what name he may be using here?’ Ed asked.
‘According to Moawad, he had asked Habash if he needed documentation, passports, but he said it wasn’t necessary. He’s extremely professional.’
‘He’s also extremely dangerous. Let’s not forget that as well.’ Ed added.
‘Let me get back to our man, Moawad. I’ll let you know if there are any updates.’
‘The name Haberman is using is not important,’ Darius said after Uri had hung up. ‘Nobody is going to be checking his identity, especially if he keeps away from any high-security areas.’
‘Darius is right,’ said Yanny. ‘He seems to have a stash of passports, fake IDs, wherever he goes.’
‘Then what do we do? Even if we know where he entered, it doesn’t tell us where he is now,’ Ed said.
‘That’s correct,’ replied Darius. ‘And if he uses the airports, they’ll probably pick him up as
he checks in. The CIA’s access to the security cameras around the country will find him. He’ll either use the buses or rent a car, although he may be arrogant enough to risk taking a plane.’
‘He’s arrogant and desperate enough,’ said Yanny. She was bitter and upset, but concealing it well.
‘We haven’t given a lot of thought to his target,’ said Steve. ‘What is the consensus here? What do we need to focus on?’
‘He’ll not get the numbers as in the past,’ replied Ed. ‘The procedures for dealing with an infection are too rigid now.’
‘He’ll go for the most important targets. What do we have in the next week or so?’ Steve asked.
‘The speech by the President at United Nations Headquarters in New York,’ replied Ed. ‘It’s being hailed as the speech of his career, where he will announce that the crisis is over. It’s seen as a declaration of a New World Order, a new peace among nations. All the major leaders from around the world will be there. They, in turn, will make speeches of reconciliation, helping each other and so on.’
‘It’s fair to assume the usual rhetoric,’ Steve said.
‘Unfortunately, it probably is, but there are bound to be changes in the world,’ Darius said. ‘Some countries barely exist now, especially in Africa. Israel is virtually unassailable after the dramatic reductions in the Islamic populations in the region.’
‘It has to be New York,’ said Steve, ‘but how will he get in? How will he spray the virus?’
‘His getting in and spraying the virus is not our concern,’ replied Ed. ‘He’s shown that either of those actions will present few problems. We’ve got to stop him arriving.’
***
Uri was on the phone within two hours of his last call. ‘Samir Habash landed on a beach to the north of Fort Lauderdale. There is no name, at least nothing that will be of any use. He was at the point of disembarkation carrying a small backpack and wearing a pair of jeans and a blue, short-sleeve shirt. Sorry, there’s not much more, but that’s the best we can get.’
‘Uri, that’s fine. Where he landed and what his name is, are not the most important issues. We need to know where he’s heading and how we can find him. Any indication of his appearance?’
‘Clean shaven, hair cropped close to the scalp.’
‘That would describe the majority of the males of his age in this country. Why can’t these people wear a badge?’
‘If they did, you and I would be out of a job.’ Uri attempted to make light of the seriousness of the situation.
Upon hearing the news, Darius and Harry were assigned to New York, although security there was already tight. Yanny and Phil focussed on tracing Sam Haberman’s tracks. Steve stayed back with Ed to coordinate.
‘We’ve had some luck,’ Ed said later that day. ‘We’ve picked up a trace on Haberman. He was on a regular commercial flight, Delta, out of Orlando heading to La Guardia and on to Bangor, Maine.’
‘Are you sure?’ Steve asked.
‘Steve, it’s him, different name, though. We’ve got a wiz of a guy, Bill Hammond. He’s been scanning airport check-ins around the country. The desk at Orlando took a clear frontal picture. Our imaging technology got a clear marker on his left eye.’
‘We better get Yanny and Phil up there.’ Steve said.
‘I hope they’re in disguise.’
‘Haberman won’t recognise them. Are we confirming that he made the flight all the way to Maine?’
‘Yes, that’s confirmed. We also know he hired a car and headed down to Belfast on the coast, about fifty kilometres.’
***
By the time they arrived in Belfast – Yanny and Phil, now a married couple in their fifties by the name of Mr. and Mrs. Rafferty – the rain had set in. They had rented a Toyota Corolla – they didn’t want to be extravagant. It was as inconspicuous as they were. Yanny, now with long, brunette hair and Phil with a straggly beard and a thick coat with a fur collar, gave the impression of ageing hippies.
‘We honeymooned here, twenty-five years ago,’ Yanny gushed at the lady on reception at the Belfast Bay Inn on Main Street.
‘Yes, Room 103, it’s ready for you.’ The woman watched with disinterest as Yanny and Phil kissed each other in the foyer.
Later in the room, Phil felt the need to make a fallacious remark. ‘We made a good impression. Maybe we should keep up the pretence.’
‘We’re here to find Samir, not indulge in your childish fantasies.’ She was not in the mood for joking. She had to locate the man she had once loved, the man she still loved.
‘Where do we start?’ Phil asked. ‘We know he entered the city, but how do we find him?’
‘It’s a small place. It shouldn’t be too difficult. We know the car he drove. Ed’s people should be able to help us?’
‘They picked up Habash at the airport. There must be plenty of cameras around here,’ Phil said.
Yanny decided to contact Ed and Steve. ‘We don’t know where to look for Samir.’ She still referred to him by the name she had known him in Amman. To everyone else, he was Haberman.
‘You’re in Belfast, we can see that,’ replied Steve. ‘Bill Hammond has located him for you.’
‘Let’s have the location.’
‘It’s up the top of Bridge Street, an old single-storey timber bungalow. A blue tin roof from what we can see. It’s near a traffic light. We’re picking up the car registration off a camera mounted on the pole.’
‘Thanks, Steve. We’ll go and check it out. It’s playing havoc with our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.’ Phil saw the humour in the disguise, Yanny did not.
‘Sorry about that,’ replied Steve. ‘After you stop Haberman you can have as many anniversaries as you like.’
‘Not with me, he can’t.’ Yanny, her face sullen and expressionless, was not in the mood for the usual banter.
‘He’s either getting careless or desperate if we can find him so easily,’ Phil said.
‘He’s probably both,’ said Steve. ‘I assume you don’t need any help? Keep us updated.’ He was relieved that the end game was in play, but also sad for Yanny, who was to lose another man.
***
The style of the bungalow, Californian, although the climate was anything but sunny. The driveway was gravel and the garden well-tended. Outwardly, it gave the appearance of agreeable suburbia. Inside, it was the den of a determined man. There were some boxes stored in the garage, and the door was still open.
‘Are they the boxes containing the viruses? What do you think, Yanny?’ Steve asked over the phone.
‘How would we know?’ We just need to make sure that nothing leaves the house.’
‘How do we find out?’ Steve asked.
‘There’s only one person who can tell us for sure,’ Phil said.
‘Samir will tell me if I am alone with him for long enough,’ Yanny said.
‘Are you seriously suggesting that I let you go in there on your own?’ Steve expressed in a raised voice.
‘Yes, that is what I am saying.’
‘I agreed with you in Amman, and look what happened’ Phil said.
‘I fell in love with him.
‘That’s exactly what I mean. And now you want to be with him again? He knows who you work for, and why you’re here.’
‘I am the only one who can hope to get through to him. You know that if Uri or Ed attempt to capture him or try to force him to talk, he’ll either blow himself up or indiscriminately release any virus he’s carrying. We need to know if this is the end of it, or whether there are other people still out there.’
‘Yanny, you’re right, but it’s extremely dangerous.’ Steve reluctantly had to agree with her decision.
‘I’m a big girl. I can look after myself.’
‘So, when do you want to meet him?’ He knew he would not be able to dissuade her.
‘Let’s wait and see where he goes later. I assume he’ll go out to eat.’
***
Delvino’s Grill and Past
a House on Main Street was unusually quiet for a Thursday, but it was still early. The usual crowd would be coming in later. Sam Haberman was sitting, his back to the window, whiling his time away and checking emails on his phone. He neither noticed nor registered the dowdy and strangely dressed woman who sat down at the table to his right.
‘It’s over, Samir,’ the woman said as she moved to the seat across from him.
‘Yes, I think it is.’ He had still not registered who the woman was, but there was a manner in her speech that he felt he had heard before.’
‘You cannot leave this city, this restaurant. This is not Israel or Afghanistan, and I am not alone.’
‘Yanny, it is you!’ He looked at her in shock. ‘I only have the one regret.’
‘I have the same regret,’ she replied.
‘I am sure it is the same for you as for me, am I right?’ he asked.
‘Yes, you are right, but now it is too late for us. I only wish we had met in a different time and place, but that cannot be. I can only deal with the reality of who you are, what you are.’
‘I am a man of hate who saw a chance for my people. I did not plan for all those deaths.’
‘You lie, even with me,’ she said bitterly. ‘You did not care for the millions in America. You have shown no remorse for the millions in Africa, the village in Afghanistan, the child Rehmani gave you to rape.’
‘You are right. I know what I am. What I can and must do. It is only you that has confused me, that still holds sway over me. Is there no hope?’
‘No one will approach you as long as I am with you, but you will not be able to leave this city.’
‘Then we will stay together for one night more. Then I will give myself to them.’
‘Where is the virus? What is your plan?’
‘The virus is here and my plan… I am not sure.’
‘You planned to release it at the United Nations.
‘That will still occur if your people approach me or hinder my movement in any way. My hatred is a contradiction. I did love this country, and I thank it for the life it gave me, but I cannot forgive it for allowing the subjugation of my people.’
Terrorist: Three Book Boxed Set Page 34