Scott Mariani - The Doomsday Prophecy

‘You mean, if something were to happen to me,’ Ben said. ‘Collateral damage. Easy to bury.’

‘Consider it a favour to us,’ Murdoch said. ‘And of course we’d show our appreciation by forgetting the incident in Georgia. Maybe there’s some delinquent with other murders to his name that we can find to pin the cop killing on. You get my drift?’

‘Sir, can I remind you I’m a witness to the fact that Agent Jones murdered those two officers,’ Alex protested.

‘I think you should keep your mouth shut, Agent Fiorante. There’s also the issue of your involvement in this situation. You admit to having shot a fellow agent. That’s not something we can just skip over lightly.’ Murdoch settled back in his chair and folded his hands across his belly. ‘So, Mr Hope. Either you co-operate with us in this matter, or you’ll be charged with the murder of two police officers and several Government agents. And Agent Fiorante will spend the next decade in a federal prison for her own actions. Your choice.’

‘What makes you think I’m the right man for the job?’

‘Let’s not mess around, Major. The clock is ticking. If it comes down to a sniper-counter-sniper situation, I have evidence that proves to me that you’re just about the best guy in the world for this job.’ Murdoch reached into his pocket and took out a matchbox. Slid the tiny drawer open with his finger. Took out a spent match and tossed it on the table. ‘Ring any bells?’

Ben stared at it. ‘Let’s say I go along with this. I have some conditions.’

Murdoch nodded. ‘I’m a reasonable man. I’m listening.’

‘I want Zoë Bradbury flown home to her family.’

‘Not an option,’ Callaghan cut in. ‘She’s a witness.’

‘She’s also a victim,’ Ben said. ‘A victim of the fact that your agency is corrupted and people within it are abusing its power. So, unless you want that information getting out there, you arrange for her to be flown home under close guard and given top priority police protection in the UK until these people are caught.’

Murdoch thought about it for a moment. ‘OK, agreed. But she will have to come back here to testify, if required.’

‘And I want your personal guarantee that in return for my co-operation, there’ll be no question of any charges levelled at Agent Fiorante.’

Murdoch nodded slowly. ‘Anything else?’

‘I left behind a complicated situation in Greece. There’s a Corfu police captain called Stephanides who’d probably like to talk to me again.’

Murdoch waved his hand. ‘We can take care of that. He never heard of you. Anything else?’

‘That’s it.’

‘Then we have a deal,’ Murdoch said. ‘And you’re on your way to Jerusalem.’

It was after 10 p.m. when Ben and Alex emerged from the conference room. The operations office was still as bustling and hectic as before. Murdoch led them down a hallway and through a set of doors to a computer lab that was so crammed with equipment there was barely room for the half-dozen or so staff manning it.

Callaghan was hunched over a terminal with one of the technicians. He looked up as Murdoch walked up to him. ‘There are over twenty-two thousand males named Slater between the ages of thirty-five and forty-five in the USA,’ he said.

Murdoch leaned on the desk ‘Can you narrow it down? Hair colour, height, build, profession.’

‘It’s going to take a while to factor in those kinds of parameters,’ Callaghan said testily.

‘Don’t take too long. Time is short.’

Then Ben and Alex were left alone in a quiet lobby for a few minutes while Murdoch went off to make some phone calls.

‘Thanks for what you did in there,’ she said. ‘It’s not fair, what they’re doing to you.’

‘Promise me two things,’ Ben said.

She nodded. ‘Name them.’

‘First, you’ll make sure Zoë gets back to her family safely.’

‘Of course I will. And the other promise?’

‘That you’ll look after yourself. Have a good life, all right?’

She smiled uncertainly. ‘This is your way of saying goodbye?’

‘Maybe. I don’t know what’s going to happen.’

‘Can I give you a call sometime?’

‘I’d like that,’ he said. He told her the number of his mobile. She repeated it.

A door swung open and Murdoch reappeared. ‘It’s done,’ he told Ben. ‘Your plane leaves for Israel at midnight.’

‘What happens when I get there?’

Murdoch frowned. ‘You’ll appreciate that we’re busking this to a large degree. I’m hoping I’ll know more by the time you touch down in Jerusalem. Our agents there will be figuring out the likely targets. You’ll be contacted.’ He looked at his watch and winced. He turned to Alex. ‘You’re working under Agent Callaghan now. We’re releasing Miss Bradbury into your care. She knows you, she’ll feel safe with you. She’s a little uptight, and maybe you can help calm her.’

‘No problem,’ Alex said. ‘She can come home with me tonight.’

For the first time that evening Murdoch looked pleased, real warmth in his eyes. ‘Thank you, Alex. There’ll be three agents outside your door, although I have a feeling Miss Bradbury’s no longer under threat.’ He gestured towards the door, looking expectantly at Alex.

She hesitated, glanced at Ben.

‘So this is it,’ he said to her.

‘I guess so,’ she replied. ‘I’ll see you around, then.’

‘Sometime,’ he said.

She touched his hand. Their fingers interlocked for a brief moment, then parted. Murdoch noticed it and looked away.

‘Take care,’ Alex murmured, and then she turned and Ben watched her walk away and disappear through the door.

‘Now let’s see if you and Callaghan can find your man Slater,’ Murdoch said.

Ben spent the next seventy minutes alone with Callaghan in a dark room filled with screens, sifting through the hundreds of ID photographs that the agent and the computer lab tech had narrowed down from the original thousands of files. When they’d gone through the whole lot, Ben sat back in his chair and shook his head.

Callaghan narrowed his eyes. ‘You’re sure about that?’

‘Absolutely sure,’ Ben said. ‘I never forget a face.’

‘Then he gave you a false name. Which I knew all along. I can’t figure out why Murdoch can’t see it. It’s obvious. And it leaves us with a big fat zero. Waste of time.’

Ben said nothing.

Callaghan peeled back his sleeve to check his watch. ‘Let’s move. I need to get you on that flight.’

Shady Oak, Fairfax County, Virginia

11.30 p.m.

The CIA staff vehicle pulled up outside Alex’s little white wood house in the sleepy town a few miles from the Headquarters at Langley. Alex and Zoë climbed out of the back doors, and two agents walked them up the pathway through the tiny garden to the front door. The street was empty and quiet. Alex opened the door and the guards checked all over the house. Everything was fine. They returned to the car. In a few hours another would come to take its place.

Alex showed Zoë inside the open-plan living room. ‘Make yourself at home,’ she said, flipping on sidelights. The house felt a little cold and unlived in, she thought, and went over to the fireplace and turned on the imitation gas fire for instant flames. She checked her answerphone. No messages. Life with the Company .

Zoë flopped on a white leather sofa, rubbing her eyes.

‘You look exhausted,’ Alex said. ‘I think we both could do with a drink. What do you say?’ She walked through to the neat kitchen and took a bottle of red wine from the rack, opened it and poured them each a large glass. Zoë accepted hers gratefully.