Iris Johansen - Chasing the Night

“Recruited? He had to be a fanatic if he blew himself up.”

“Yes, and clever enough so that no one in his immediate circle even realized he was a prime candidate to do it.”

“How did this happen? What happened to all the airport security?”

“It’s only as strong as the weakest link.”

“So he was able to just walk onto that plane with enough explosives to kill that many people?”

“The weakest link,” Venable repeated. “In this case we’re almost sure the link was Pedro Gonzalez, the gate agent who worked the flight.”

“What did he do? Was he an Islamic recruit, too?”

“No, we think he was a victim and forced to cooperate with the terrorists.”

“How?”

“He was seen giving the bomber a black briefcase before he got on the plane. There was a mention that security had sent it up to the gate.”

“And that never happened?”

“Security didn’t know anything about it. Gonzalez probably smuggled it into the gate area the day before.”

“Wasn’t he checked by security before he was hired?”

“He was checked and came out smelling like the proverbial rose. Patriotic, steady family man, religious, took care of his aged father. He was everything he should have been.”

“You said he was a victim. What happened?”

“We don’t have the details yet. We may never have them. We can only make suppositions. When we went to Gonzalez’s home to question him, we found a slaughter house. His wife, son, two daughters, and his father had been shot and killed execution style in the upstairs bedrooms. Gonzalez himself was killed in the downstairs foyer as he came in the front door.”

“You think his family was being held hostage to force Gonzalez to cooperate?”

“That’s my guess. And then, after Gonzalez had done his job, they murdered everyone so that there would be no one to tell the tale.” He paused. “And to make sure that there was no evidence that the bomber’s story wasn’t as factual as it should be.”

“Hideous,” Eve said shakily. “And you’re saying the bomber lied when he gave credit to Red Darkness?”

“We can’t prove it. The spokesman for that terrorist group is claiming it was their work, and the group has scattered and gone under cover.”

“Then why don’t you think it’s their work?”

“It’s too coincidental.”

“Coincidental. What are you talking about?” Joe said. “Spit it out, Venable.”

“We think that the bombing was done by a member of Warriors of Paradise, a group headed by Ali Dabala. The entire operation was too slick and obviously well funded. Red Darkness operates on a shoestring.”

“Then why would they claim this atrocity when it meant they’d know every country in the world would make it hot for them?”

“Not every country. And they’d gain prestige among their own kind. Also they might have been given enough money to make it worth their while.” He paused. “As I said, Ali Dabala is well funded. He has friends in very high and lucrative places in the Middle East. He obviously didn’t want to draw attention to his group at this time.” He paused. “Which scares the hell out of me.”

“Why?” Joe asked.

“Rakovac’s surveillance reported a confirmed visit from Ali Dabala several months ago,” Kelly said. “And another possible meeting between them just before Rakovac went undercover.”

“You’ve obviously been working, Kelly,” Venable added harshly, “but not hard enough. We made a deal. Find me something, anything to nail down where the bastard is.”

“You haven’t given her time,” Catherine said. “And what does Rakovac have to do with Ali Dabala?”

“We’ve been getting information for the past three years that the Warriors of Paradise have been planning a massive 9/11-type attack on the U.S. But Ali Dabala regarded that attack as clumsy and lacking in scope to show the world how weak and ineffectual the U.S. was against the power of Islam. He wanted an attack to stun the world. He had the suicide bombers who he could send to paradise and the money to fund the attack. The only thing he lacked was someone to set up the individual airport personnel and arrange for the explosives to be put in the hands of his men at the correct time.” He added, “So he went to Rakovac and obviously made him a deal he couldn’t refuse. He was to locate the vulnerable and the greedy and set up ways to override airport security.”

“Like Gonzalez,” Catherine said. “But why Peru?”

“A test? It would make sense. Too far away from the U.S. to arouse real panic. I can talk myself blue in the face and still not get Homeland Security to do more than raise the security code level.”

“Prologue,” Catherine said softly. “Rakovac said he was involved in a prologue and didn’t have time to give me the concentration I deserved.”

Venable muttered a curse. “And how long before they delve into the main selection?”

“You tell us,” Joe said. “You obviously have informants. When and how many cities are going to be affected?”

“I don’t know. I’m just getting dribbles of information, and some of that could be red herrings. Do you think I’d be relying on a fourteen-year-old kid if I could get reliable intelligence?”

“Thank you,” Kelly said dryly.

“How many cities?” Joe persisted. “You have to have some idea.”

He was silent a moment. “I’ve got a map with nineteen red flags on it.”

“My God.”

“It could be less. It probably is less. I told you, red herrings. But even if it’s only half that number, it’s a disaster.”

“One city would be a disaster,” Eve said. “Two thousand people in Lima…”

“New York, Washington, Chicago,” Catherine said. “Those cities are prime targets. Where else?”

“You name it. L.A., Atlanta, Miami, St. Louis. Large population centers and areas that have patriotic or sentimental value to the American people. Strikes to the wallet and the emotions.”

“Those sons of bitches,” Joe said.

“Yes. And Rakovac is making it all possible. That’s why we have to find him. He has to have all the information about the airport personnel who are going to help the terrorists. His people have to be on-site and ready to roll when Rakovac gives the orders. He has to have records, disks…something. You can’t touch him until I have those records, Catherine.”

Catherine was silent. “If he’s dead, then he couldn’t give any orders.”

“And what if Ali Dabala knows the names and contacts Rakovac is using and tries to initiate the attack without Rakovac’s go-ahead?”

“Listen to me.” She drew a deep breath, her hand tightening on the phone. “When I find Rakovac, his first act is going to be to try to kill Luke in front of me. He’d consider that the ultimate revenge. I’ve got to find some way to save Luke and you’re trying to take away one of the only ways I can do it. You want me to risk Luke to keep Rakovac alive until you get those records? How can I promise to-”

“Catherine, think. I know what you’re going through. But this is-”

“You don’t know what I’m going through,” she said harshly. “You’ve never known. Now you’re saying I should give up Luke on the chance that-” She drew a deep breath. “I can’t talk to you any longer. I’m not thinking straight. All I can do is feel.”

“It has to be done, Catherine,” Venable said quietly. “I have to have those records, and soon.”

“We’re not even close to finding Luke yet. We’ve just started.”

“But there’s a promise if Rakovac’s gone to the trouble of luring you into his world. Act on that promise.”

“You don’t think we are? We’re doing everything we can.”