Swordfish

by Andrea Bramhall

  “What about Evan?” Oz suggested. “His final target was Abu Dhabi. He could get a flight from there to Sharm el Sheik. No one will question that, it’s probably the biggest tourist destination in this area.” She went to the map and pointed to the tip of the peninsula between the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba. “They can hire a car there and make the journey to Cairo. We did it as an overnight excursion by bus when we went to Sharm. Took about nine hours. Evan can make that in five, maybe six hours.”

  Charlie nodded and spoke into the phone, relaying Oz’s plan.

  It would mean a delay in deployment, which would slow the spread across the Arab nations. Finn ran her fingers through her hair and stared at the map. “Do they still have the spare preparation?”

  “Should have. Why?”

  “The delay could be critical. If they have an extra vial it would be good if they could detour a little.” She pointed to the map. “Rather than crossing at Suez, cross from the peninsula into Africa proper at Ismailia. It’s a densely populated area and will facilitate the spread across the Arab nations.”

  “Where would they release it? Don’t they need a ventilation system to get the best result?”

  “The best result, yes. But as long as they mix it with the water and release it in a densely populated area it will still infect and spread. A gathering like a mosque or a bazaar would be a good place to start.”

  “Bazaars will be easier for them to access.” He quickly typed out and e-mailed the plan to Evan’s smartphone. “Will this work?”

  “Yes. But the spread will still be delayed across the Middle East by five or six days.”

  “Why? The incubation period is fast. I’m already hacking my lungs up,” Charlie said.

  “Because full immunization won’t occur until you’re clear of the cold.”

  “And how long is that going to take?”

  “Four to five days.”

  “I see. And across the areas involved it will be a fairly slow spread because of geographic distance, sometimes a nomadic population, and a large proportion of hostility between neighboring countries. Little cross infection.”

  “Yes. Which is a reason I had to make it airborne.”

  “How long can it survive in the air?” Oz asked.

  “The same as any cold virus. They can last up to seven days as long as they don’t come into contact with any anti-bacterial or anti-viral agents.”

  “Seven days?” Oz looked around her. “You’re joking?”

  “No. The common cold can survive on a surface for up to seven days.”

  “I’m never gonna touch anything ever again.” She scrunched her nose up in distaste.

  “Oz, you swim in a fish’s toilet every single day. Why are you afraid of a cold?”

  “You just had to go there, didn’t you?” Oz looked down at herself. “I need a shower.”

  Finn chuckled as she watched her walk out of the room, gingerly touching the door handle. “Any other problems, Charlie?”

  “None that we know of. Almost all other teams have reported in from their second targets, and half of those are en route to the next one. We’re at sixty-five percent complete.”

  “Okay.” She looked at the map, imagining the spread of the virus from the targets and the infected flights that left them. It was a spider web of interconnected infection sites that grew exponentially with every passing hour. Every flight that landed delivered a rapidly reproducing virus and safety.

  “Something else I’ve got to tell you.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I received a call earlier.”

  “From?”

  “Stephen Knight. Seems he expected us to let him know when we were flying out.”

  “Oh, dear. Did we forget to call him?” Finn wrapped her arms around herself and drummed her fingers against her biceps while she continued to stare at the map.

  “Indeed. He mentioned something about him being in charge of this mission, and that we reported to him.”

  “Jumped up smarmy little weasel.”

  Charlie laughed. “Oh, Finn, don’t hold back, honey. Tell me how you really feel about our friend from the CIA.”

  Finn snorted and shook her head. “Sorry. He just gives me the creeps and I don’t trust a word out of his mouth.”

  “I always knew you were a smart girl. And no apology required. I think we’re all in the same boat with that one.”

  “No pun intended, hey, Charlie?”

  “Made you smile, didn’t it?”

  “Barely.”

  “I’ll take it.”

  “So when’s he turning up? It’s not like he didn’t know the meeting was at seven tonight.”

  “His flight doesn’t get here until after five.”

  Finn cocked her eyebrow. “Organized fellow, isn’t he?”

  “Yeah, how he thinks that’s enough time to plan an op like this, I don’t know.”

  “He doesn’t. He knows damn well you and Billy will have it covered. I think his nose is still out of joint because Billy took over the op.”

  “Maybe. Not very professional is it?”

  “Nope. I take it Whittaker will be with him.”

  “He didn’t say.” He folded his arms across his chest and stared at the board too. “What’s wrong?” He pointed to the board.

  “I’m worried it won’t be enough.”

  “Why?”

  “If something goes wrong with this operation and he manages to get hold of Balor, the first place he’ll be able to release it will be the least protected place on the planet and where he will have the greatest access. The Middle East.”

  “Finn, you’ve got all of us here to make sure nothing does go wrong.”

  “I know, Charlie. But still.”

  “I get it. Worrying keeps you trying to plan ahead and keeps you alert. A little is a good thing. Just don’t let it paralyze you. We’ve got everything under control.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and squeezed her affectionately.

  I’m still worried it won’t be enough.

  Chapter Thirty-eight

  Masood crossed the street to the doorway at Eddie’s Hide-A-Way. Hakim’s men had been watching for the past hour and assured him there was nothing unexpected waiting for him. Daniela was already inside with a security detail of two accompanying her, a tall blond woman inside the restaurant with her, and the Viking-like mammoth of a man waiting in the car. It was to be expected that a woman in her position would have security. He would have thought less of her had she not taken such precautions. Hakim’s team was still trying to find information on the security detail though. The lack of information made him nervous. Combined with his unforthcoming informant, he was approaching the meeting with caution. And an underlying excitement.

  He ran his hand over his smoothly shaven chin, his fingers catching the bottom edge of the jagged scar down his left cheek, and he tugged at the lapel of his black Armani jacket. The collar was open on the purple silk shirt, and he loved the luxurious feel of the material against his skin. He was an oddity in his world; with his apparent embrace of consumerism, wealth, and power, his comrades in Hamas felt he was more traitor than patriot. They despised his achievements almost as much as they envied him. He knew it. And he used it to his advantage. It allowed him to access people and places that his Arab brothers were unable to reach, and it allowed him opportunities they couldn’t imagine. It would also allow him his revenge.

  Daniela sat at the small table with her back to the door and he smiled at the show of faith, his regard for her escalating further. The dark wooden beams and whitewashed plaster walls seemed to frame her as he approached. Her auburn hair was piled on top of her head in a riot of soft curls, and the muted light in the restaurant caught highlights of red, gold, and a deep rich coffee color as she moved. Her long, slender neck seemed to beg for his touch, and the black spaghetti straps of her dress were the only intruders on the expanse of exposed creamy skin. Beautiful.

  “Please forgive the
delay, Daniela. Some business took longer than expected.” He reached for her hand and bowed to kiss the back of it.

  “No apology required, Masood. Business is business, after all.” He had always found her father’s clipped British accent annoying, as it had reminded him of all the things he hated. Her voice, however, held a musical quality to it that made him smile when she spoke. He found her accent added to the air of intelligence and class that surrounded her. He sincerely hoped she was genuine in her wish to do business. It would make things much more pleasant in the future.

  He took a seat opposite her and watched her while the waiter served their drinks and took their food orders. “Tell me about yourself, Daniela.”

  “What would you like to know?”

  “I would like to know if I can trust you. I would like to know that you are not playing games. I would like to know why you betrayed your father. I would like to know why you are willing to sell me this product when you know better than anyone else what it is capable of. I would like to know why you hate humanity so much. Can you give me these answers?”

  She sipped her drink, swirling it under her nose first and enjoying the aroma of the wine. He could see the pleasure of it written on her face. “Some of them, others will be for you to decide. Let me ask you a question, Masood. How well did you know my father?”

  “We were associates. I knew him well enough to trust him, but we were not friends.”

  “Did you know he murdered my mother?” Her green eyes flashed with the anger she tried to hide. He was glad he saw it. It was good to know that she didn’t operate from a place of fear or ambivalence. Anger he could accept. Anger he understood. Anger he could trust.

  “I did not.”

  “It was not I who betrayed him, Masood. He betrayed me.” She put her glass down and met his gaze. “He intended to murder me after he sold this product to you, because I would have served my purpose.”

  “A father cannot kill their child without cause, Daniela. I have children myself. What cause would he have had?”

  “Greed. He didn’t intend for anyone else to share in his wealth or power.” She lifted her chin. “You met him. You know his hunger was insatiable.”

  “And what does that have to do with your mother’s death?”

  “You asked why I hate humanity. I don’t. But neither do I care for it. After her death, I was raised by a string of people who didn’t give a damn about me. I was nothing more than income to the people I grew to care for. Then they would disappear. People have done nothing but disappoint me, Masood. I simply don’t care one way or the other. As for why I would sell it to you. It’s quite simple. I have also created the vaccine. At the proper moment, I will release it, become richer than Midas, and venerated as a hero.”

  “It seems you are more like your father than you perhaps think.”

  “No. I know exactly how like him I am.”

  “He, too, wished to be richer than Midas, but if you know the legend you will know that he died alone after turning everyone he loved to gold.”

  “That’s okay.” She sipped her wine. “I don’t love anyone.”

  Masood laughed. “Very well. What if I did not wish you to release the vaccine?”

  “Then I’ll sell you the product, but I won’t sell you the vaccine to go with it. We’ll reach something of a stalemate, I fear.”

  “I could make you.”

  “Possibly. But I’m not as easily swayed as others you may have dealt with. I have no family for you to kidnap for leverage, the money is already on the table, and you couldn’t possibly offer me more to keep the vaccine secret than the world’s governments will pay for me to release it. You could kidnap and torture me, but there’s no way that you would be able to verify the information I gave you is viable.” She smiled a smile that made his heart pound, a twisted smile that told him she would have no qualms about letting him die should he try to sway her from her plan. “I’m not unreasonable. I would, of course, wait until we agreed your aim had been achieved before releasing it.”

  “And if my aim is the annihilation of all my enemies?”

  “That would be the reasoning of a stupid man. And you are not stupid. Without the vaccine this toxin will wipe out every person on this planet. Why win a war and have no one left to see your victory? No one left to celebrate you or fear you?” She sipped her drink. “No, you wish to crush your enemies and see it in their eyes when you tell them how you beat them.”

  She was right. He wanted nothing more than to see fear in the eyes of his enemies, the fear he had lived with as a child. He wanted them to know the emptiness of losing everyone they loved. And he wanted them to know he had beaten them.

  “How can you be so sure of this, Daniela?”

  She leaned her elbows on the table. “I can see it in your eyes.” She pointed at him. “So I’m playing games.” She smiled. “It’s up to you to decide if you trust me enough to play this one with me.”

  There were very few people in his life that Masood had ever trusted, and of those few, Hakim was the only one left. But Daniela’s seemingly honest and straightforward answers were refreshing and not what he expected. She wasn’t afraid of him or what she had created. She saw opportunity in the devastation, and there was no denying her astounding intellect. She hadn’t stumbled across her discovery and then turned it over to someone else to capitalize on it. She was a woman who had taken control of her life, her destiny, and he could see in her body language that she would fight to the death to retain it. In some ways he saw a reflection of the determination he saw as central to his own character. It was what had gotten him through the long, dark days. He respected it in her. He wished it wasn’t quite so fierce, but he did respect it. I will have fun taming you, my beautiful one.

  They ate quietly and Daniela’s female guard never let her eyes stray from Daniela for more than a second. Her constant vigilance was a little unnerving, her eyes flicking from the exit to Daniela, from the kitchen to Daniela, to each window and back. She had a routine, and although she looked relaxed perched on the barstool, he could see the tension in her body. She was coiled and ready to pounce in an instant should she be required. The level of training screamed ex-military. Details of Daniela’s team rose in importance on his list.

  “Your security guard is very dedicated.”

  “Yes. I pay them well.” Daniela swallowed. “It ensures good people, dedicated to their jobs.”

  “Good help is so hard to find.” He chuckled. “Where did you find them?”

  “My friend back there runs Valkyrie Security. She has some very well trained operatives working for her.”

  “Military?”

  “Some are ex-forces, yes. Others are more…militia.”

  “You trust them?”

  “With my life.”

  “High praise indeed. Perhaps I should look at hiring some of them myself.”

  Daniela laughed. “I’m pretty sure you don’t have any security worries, Masood.”

  “Security is something you can never be too careful about.”

  She nodded. “True.”

  He made his decision and pulled a slip of paper from his pocket. He looked at it a moment before he slid it across the table to her. “Tomorrow evening we will talk.”

  “What’s this?” Daniela glanced at the paper, a small frown creasing her brow.

  “Somewhere we won’t need to be concerned so much about security.” He used his napkin to wipe his lips. “Enjoy the rest of the meal. Aman will bring you anything you wish. My treat, please, I insist. I shall see you there tomorrow at seven o’clock.” He reached for her hand as he stood. She stood and leaned in, kissing the air beside each cheek and clasping his upper arm with her hand.

  “Tomorrow night.”

  He didn’t want to leave the evening so soon, but there was much to do and little time in which to do it. Hakim held the car door open for him and followed him inside.

  “You trust her, General?”

  “I trust no
one, Hakim.” He drummed his fingers on the armrest. “Have you located our American friend?”

  “Yes. We located him coming into the country. He has an associate with him. I have a man watching their hotel.”

  “Good. Pick them both up and bring them to the boat. I have a task for him to carry out if he wishes to save his neck.”

  Chapter Thirty-nine

  The war room on the Whirlwind was buzzing with activity. Charlie updated the airport map which showed only three targets remaining. Billy was pointing to a set of schematics while a wetsuit clad Junior listened. Oz cleaned her gun while AJ tinkered with a propulsion unit. Finn walked in and sat next to AJ. Oz smiled at her and listened to the conversation around her as she performed her task automatically.

  “What’re you doing?” Finn asked AJ.

  “Trying to get a little more speed out of these things. Junior and I are going to have to go quite a way with them pretty soon, and even with a pony bottle we’re going to struggle on a single tank at the speed these things usually go.”

  “Why don’t we just get closer?”

  Oz looked at her. “We can’t risk Mehalik’s people identifying us. We have a solid location on him thanks to the tracking device you managed to plant on him last night.”

  “Yeah, sweet move. He was totally fooled.” AJ clapped Finn on the shoulder. “Fake kiss, and wham, tracker in place.”

  “But we still need to make sure he can’t find you. We don’t want to tip him off.”

  “Where’s Knight and Whittaker? I thought they’d be here trying to take over by now.”

  Oz tried to keep a lid on her anger at the way the two agents had been involved with the mission. Basically, they hadn’t. Knight was blowing hot and cold, one minute trying to take over and doing a piss poor job of it, the next nowhere to be found. Whittaker was even worse, missing important meetings and offering no input at all when he did show up. If Charlie hadn’t checked them out and verified that they were actual badge holding agents from their respective forces she wouldn’t have believed it.