“Follow me.”
Hakim took him to the lab.
“We built this for you. It’s going to be your workplace. Your home until you’re done.”
The Iraqi didn’t answer.
“They told you what you’ll be doing, right?” Hakim asked, his voice reflecting his annoyance.
“I have a pretty good idea.”
“You will be manufacturing sarin for us. I ordered all the items you need and I should get them by tomorrow. There is a list in the lab. Check it, make sure it’s correct. If anything is missing, you must let me know immediately.”
“Do you realize what you’re doing?” the man asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Sarin is very volatile, dangerous. Are you aware of what can happen if it’s mishandled?”
“Of course. This is why we built this lab, to protect you and us as well.”
Ahmad looked at him. “So what exactly are you planning to do with it?”
Hakim gave him a cold stare. “None of your concern. Your only duty is to provide us with a potent strain of sarin. We will take care of the rest.”
“And when I’m done, you’ll let my family go?”
Hakim shrugged. “As long as you provide us with the gas, there’s no problem.”
“How do I know you will stick to your promises?” Ahmad asked.
“You don’t. But then, what choice do you have, right?” Hakim said. He turned away and went into the lab. The Iraqi hesitated for a moment, then followed him.
“Here is the list,” Hakim said, picking up a paper on the worktable. “As I said before, anything else you need, let me know now. We have a very limited time frame to get this done, so don’t waste any time, and don’t try to drag things out. Got it?”
Ahmad’s eyes lingered on the list for some time before making eye contact. “Pressurized cylinders. Is this how you plan on transporting the gas?”
“Are you familiar with this method?”
Ahmad’s face darkened. “I am. Although bombs were the preferred method for my previous employers.”
“Like the ones Saddam used on the Kurds?”
“Yes, just like that,” the man answered, a note of sadness in his voice.
“So we’ll put a new spin on it,” Hakim said.
“You’ll be killing people all the same.”
Hakim sneered. “Only those who deserve to die.”
Ahmad shook his head, and Hakim flew into a rage.
“Don’t think you can show contempt for us. You killed those Kurds with your bombs, so you have blood on your hands, no matter what you say.”
Despite Hakim’s anger, the scientist remained calm. “I agree. I have their blood on my hands. Back then, just as now, I did it so I could keep my family alive.”
Hakim sighed. “Let’s not discuss it any further. Check the rest of the list.”
“What size storage tank are you getting?” Ahmad asked.
“Hundred gallons.”
Ahmad nodded. “It’s imperative to have it equipped with the correct circuits to control fill and pressure build up.”
Hakim jotted down the information.
“Anything else?” he asked.
“The transfer line, it’s not listed here. Without it, I can’t put the gas into the cylinders.”
“I will make sure you get it. And as soon as I take delivery, you get started.”
After he took Ahmad back to his cell, he realized he shouldn’t have lost his temper. In order to get their prisoner to do the work, he had to remain level-headed, or this man could be a problem. If Ahmad even doubted for a moment his family wouldn’t be released, Hakim sensed he wouldn’t hesitate to sabotage his work. He had to make him truly believe he would be reunited with his family. He smiled as he remembered the only teacher he didn’t despise in high school. Use the carrot, the man often emphasized, and you will never need a stick.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Liam was waiting on the sidewalk when she pulled into the Starbucks parking lot.
“You want me to drive?” he asked, leaning in.
Jessie shook her head. “No, get in and tell me where we’re going.”
“Hollywood Beach.”
She took the ramp to I-95 and headed south. It was one o’clock and surprisingly, traffic flowed pretty smoothly. Liam had her get off at Sheridan and go east. After a hopeless sweep trying to find a space on the street, she gave up and opted for the parking garage at the corner of Hollywood Blvd and A1A. On this day, the ocean glistened under the bright afternoon sun as waves lapped gently on the sand. A wooden boardwalk ran alongside the beach for two and a half miles starting at Hollywood Blvd. Hordes of skaters, pedestrians, runners and bicyclists somehow managed to maneuver around each other without colliding. They joined the crowd, strolling past souvenir shops and restaurants for about a mile, before Liam stopped in front of a pizza joint. He squinted into the dark interior. Standing in the bright sunlight, Jessie only saw shadows when she gazed in the same direction. Liam, however, smiled and motioned for her to follow him as he headed inside the restaurant. Sitting at a high top, two customers were hanging on to beer mugs and sharing a pizza. A waitress behind the register was busy counting out some change. She glanced up as they came in, then went back to her task.
Sprawled over a small metal chair, his body overlapping on both sides, a very fat man eyed them wearily as they approached. On the table in front of him Jessie made out a deck of cards, a box of CDs and a pack of cigarettes.
“Liam, you sly dog, haven’t seen you for a while,” he said, his deep set eyes carefully appraising Jessie.
“Been busy. Meet my friend Jessie. We need a bit of information and hoped you can help us.”
The man cackled, motioning them forward. “Ah, yes. Come, have a seat. Let’s see what Big Daddy can do for you today.”
He grinned at Jessie. “Liam here may not have told you this, but I am a depthless fountain of knowledge.”
Liam pulled out a chair for Jessie and grabbed another one for himself. He turned back to the fat man.
“Depthless? I don’t know, Big Daddy, that’s a hell of a lot of knowledge.”
“Let’s hear it,” the man said.
“We’re trying to find someone who could fence some very expensive diamonds.”
Big Daddy leaned forward, breathing heavily from the effort. “Let me guess, it has something to do with a diamond heist in Paris?”
Liam nodded. “Pretty much everything. What did you hear?”
The fat man shrugged. “It’s all the talk around here. No one knows who has them.”
“How about a Russian fence in Hollywood?”
Big Daddy snickered. “If you want Russians, you have to go south of here, Sunny Isles beach in particular. It’s not for nothing they call it ‘Little Moscow’.”
“Anything more specific?” Liam urged.
Big Daddy leered at him for a moment. “What’s it worth to you?”
Liam laughed and reached for his wallet. “How much?”
“Well, you know, a man’s got to make a living. Besides, those Russians, they’re dangerous dudes, man. They don’t like it when someone mentions their names. I’m taking my life in my hands by helping you out here…” He shook his head in what appeared to be intense apprehension.
“Uh-huh,” Liam said, doubt reflecting in his eyes as he fished a couple of twenties out of his wallet and put them on the table.
Big Daddy stared at him in disbelief. Liam sighed and pulled out two more twenties. “All I got, man. Let’s have it.”
With amazing speed for a man of his size, Big Daddy reached over with one fat paw, scooped up the money and shoved it into his pants pockets. “Sasha’s Kebab House down on Collins Avenue. Just don’t say I sent you,” he warned.
“Anybody else?” Jessie asked.
Big Daddy shifted his gaze to her and he grinned, revealing an upper rack of gold teeth. “A mighty fine-looking lass you got yourself, Liam. Honey cak
e, if you get tired of him, you let me know, ’cause I’ll always be available for you.”
“She asked you a question. Just answer it,” Liam said tersely.
The man shrugged. “Of course, there’s always someone else. Those bastards have their greedy hands in almost everything these days. I just don’t know who they are.”
They got up.
“You have my number. If you find out anymore, give me a ring,” Liam said.
Big Daddy nodded. “You got it man. Bye, darlin’. Don’t forget what I said.”
Jessie ignored him and walked out. They headed back on the boardwalk. “Where did you find this winner?” she asked.
Liam grinned. “Yeah, I know, he’s a piece of work. Believe it or not, he comes up with some pretty good information on occasion.”
“Is this all he does?”
Liam shook his head. “He sells weed and a few other substances I don’t ask about.”
They reached the parking garage and got in the car. “Do you know how to get there?” Liam asked.
“I think so. Collins Avenue is over on the barrier island between the beach and the Intracoastal.”
“Okay, then let’s go.”
Jessie got back on I-95, headed south, then took the off ramp onto Hallandale Beach Blvd and went east until they reached Collins Avenue. Condos and hotels occupied the more expensive properties along the beachside. Stores and restaurants lined the other side. She drove slowly as they looked for the restaurant Big Daddy had mentioned. They found it wedged between a high-end shoe store and a smoothie shop. Jessie had to circle the area several times before finding a parking space.
She had a bad feeling as soon as they entered Sasha’s Kebab House. Dark and narrow, the restaurant had a small bar tucked in the back with just a few tables in the front. Two men stood leaning on the bar talking and they turned to watch them come in.
“We closed for the day,” one of them said with a strong Russian accent.
“The door wasn’t locked,” Jessie retorted.
The man pulled himself away from the bar. Tall, muscular and bald headed, he looked intimidating. “Don’t matter if door open. I say, we closed.”
Jessie nodded. “No problem, we don’t want to eat. We just want to ask you a few questions.”
The other man seemed much older. Short with a square jaw and dark eyes he spoke up next. “What questions?”
“Did anyone approach you today and try to sell you some diamonds?” Jessie asked.
The man frowned, looking back to his companion.
“Who the hell are you?” Baldy asked.
“I’m a reporter for the Broward News and my friend is a private detective. A few weeks ago, there was a diamond heist in Paris. Now it seems the gems are here, in South Florida. Actually, they may even be in this area. A French insurance company is rather anxious to get those diamonds back, so they hired my friend to find them. There may be a reward involved for their recovery.”
The older Russian came toward them, stopping just a foot away from Jessie, before motioning to his cohort.
“Dimitri, the door,” he barked.
The younger man nodded, locked the front door, and then stood in front of it.
“Are you Sasha?” Jessie asked.
The older man sneered. “No Sasha here. Now, I want to hear why you think we have anything to do with heist?”
“Like I said, it’s because we’re pretty sure the man who stole the diamonds will try to fence them in this area,” Jessie said.
“And why the hell he come here? To kebab place, huh?”
She shrugged. “I think maybe you know why.”
Suddenly he reached to his back and pulled a gun out of his waistband. He waved it in the air a couple of times, before directing it at Jessie, anger boiling over in his eyes.
Liam stepped in front of Jessie. “Hey, hey, no need to get upset. We’re not here to make you mad.”
The man pushed him out of the way, his face inches from Jessie.
“Boris!” the one named Dimitri called out, adding a few words in Russian.
Boris waved him off, still glaring at Jessie. “You reporter, you have a smart mouth, you know? You come here with crazy story about diamonds. You say we have them. Is that what you say?”
Liam shook his head. “No, not at all. We’re simply trying to find out if someone contacted you to try and sell you the diamonds.”
Boris stared at him. “You make big mistake coming here. You know?”
Liam raised his hands in defense. “We’re just asking around. If you haven’t heard anything, we’ll be on our way.”
The Russian wasn’t going to let them off that easy. He scoffed. “So you go to shoe store next door now, right? Ask if they have stolen diamonds?”
“No, I think we’ll go back and check with the police. See what they found out. Sorry we bothered you,” Liam said.
Boris stood still, his eyes going from Jessie to Liam, not saying anything, his gun still pointed in their direction. Liam firmly grabbed Jessie’s arm, pulling her away. “Come on, Jessie, we’re leaving.”
They turned to go. Dimitri was still blocking the door, eyeing them coldly. After an anxious minute, Boris spoke a few words in Russian.
Dimitri snorted. Finally he unlocked the door. As they walked out, he warned in a low voice, “Don’t come back.”
Standing outside on the sidewalk in the bright sunshine, Liam let out a sigh of relief. “Those Russians sure have a nasty disposition. Let’s get out of here.”
They hurried off. Jessie was still fuming. “I can’t believe I had a gun pulled on me twice in two days, and we still don’t know where the diamonds are.”
Liam shook his head. “I don’t think they have them. Boris seemed genuinely surprised when you brought it up.”
“So we’re back to square one. I’m pretty sure Hakim wanted the diamonds so he could sell them. If he didn’t sell them to those guys, where do we go from here?”
“It could be he hasn’t made a move yet. We can tell the cops about the kebab place. They could always place them under surveillance. See if he shows up.”
Jessie nodded. It sounded like a good idea. She called Boyd. The detective listened carefully as she told him about their encounter with the Russians at the restaurant and their reaction.
“Even if we were still on the case, Jessie, Sunny Isles Beach is out of our jurisdiction. We would have to get their police force involved. But I’ll get in touch with Williams, let him know about the kebab place. It’ll be the FBI’s decision whether or not they want to check on those guys. They haven’t exactly kept us in the loop as far as their investigation goes. It’s typical of federal agencies. They think they’re way above the local yokels.” Boyd scoffed.
She sighed. “Okay, thanks.”
“Jessie?”
“Yeah?”
I don’t think your visit to the Russians was a smart move. You know you could have gotten shot by those bastards?” Boyd said.
“Well, I know now.”
“All I got to say, is you be careful who you deal with down there. The reputation these guys have is well earned,” Boyd warned.
They disconnected and Jessie drove back to Starbucks to drop off Liam so he could get his car. She was on her way back to work when her phone rang.
“Ms. Milner?”
It was a woman and Jessie didn’t recognize the voice. “Yes.”
“This is special agent Sonia Estrada. We met at the park yesterday,” she said.
“Yes, I remember you. What can I do for you, Special Agent?”
“You paid a visit to Sasha’s Kabob House in Sunny Isles Beach this afternoon.”
Jessie was surprised. “Yes, I called Detective Boyd and told him about it. We thought they may be the fence for the diamonds, but they didn’t seem to know anything about it. Maybe you could place them under surveillance to see if Nasir Hakim shows—”
The woman interrupted her abruptly. “Ms. Milner, I don’t want to
know about the Kabob House. I’m calling to tell you to stop pursuing your very own agenda. I believe Special Agent Williams expressly asked you to keep out of this.”
“No. Agent Williams asked me to refrain from printing my story. I agreed. But I didn’t say I would stop working on it. My intention is to follow his request. Once you’ve got your man and the diamonds are recovered, we are going to publish this story.”
She was greeted by silence. “Agent Estrada?”
“Your refusal to follow our orders will end up landing you in hot water. We may have a serious terrorist threat here and your interference can endanger not only our investigation, but our nation as well, Ms. Milner.”
“I’m not interfering, I’m contributing. If it hadn’t been for Lilly and me, the diamonds would have stayed buried under the gazebo. Although they were taken by Hakim, at least now you have a thread to follow,” Jessie protested.
“You have no idea what you’re getting into,” the woman warned.
“Did Williams tell you to call me and threaten me?”
“Ms. Milner, Special Agent Williams is not my boss and he did not ask me to call you. We work as a team and we both know what should or shouldn’t be done to solve our case. As he told you before, and as I’m telling you now, stay out of it. Good bye,” she said curtly.
Jessie was annoyed. Although she was at a dead end right now, if something new came up, she wasn’t about to let it slip away, no matter how much the FBI wanted to keep her quiet.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Heat waves rose from the asphalt parking lot as Hakim opened the truck door. This must be what it feels like in the desert of Syria. Sand and intense heat. Despite it all, he yearned to join his uncle someday soon to expand their Islamic Caliphate. Until now, Abboud had insisted on keeping him here, in this vile country. Hopefully, once their mission was successfully completed, he would let him go to the Middle East, or even Africa.
He grabbed a small black pouch from under his seat and told Abdul to wait. He stepped out of the vehicle. Eying the back door of the Doll House, he hesitated. Unconsciously, he gripped the bag and took a deep breath. Being in possession of the diamonds gave him the upper hand right now, but he had little trust in the Russians. Once he turned the stones over to them, they could easily double cross him. Yet the arrangement had been made through his uncle and there was no other way, so he opened the door and stepped into the darkness.
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