Nelson Demille - The Lion's Game

I knew I had to say something, so, in my best male macho tone I said, "Time to settle down and tie the old knot. My. bachelor days are over. Yes, sir. I finally found the right girl. Woman. I couldn't be happier." And so forth.

So, that out of the way, Jack briefed us on the momentous issue at hand and said, "We have people checking with the FAA about flight plans for private aircraft. We're concentrating on private jets. We actually turned up the flight plan and the pilots who flew Khalil across the country. We interviewed the pilots. They flew out of Islip on Long Island. This would have been right after Khalil murdered McCoy and Satherwaite at the museum. They stopped in Colorado Springs, Khalil deplaned, but we know he didn't kill Colonel Callum."

Jack went on about Khalil and his flight to Santa Monica. The pilots, according to Jack, were in shock now that they knew who their passenger was. This was interesting, but not that important. However, it did show Khalil to be resourceful and well financed. Plus, he could blend in okay. I said to Jack, "And you're trying to find out if Khalil has another private flight booked?"

"Yes. But there are hundreds of private jets filing flight plans every day. We're concentrating on non-corporate and foreign corporate charters, flights paid for by suspicious means and by non-repeat customers, and customers who may appear foreign, and so on. It's a long, long shot. But we have to give it a try."

"Right. How do you think this asshole is going to get out of the country?"

"Good question. Canadian security is tight and cooperative, but I can't say the same for our Mexican neighbors."

"I guess not with fifty thousand illegals crossing every month, not to mention tons of Mexican marching powder blowing across the border. Did you alert the DEA, Customs, and Immigration?"

"Of course. And they've assigned extra personnel and so have we. It's going to be a rough month for drug dealers and illegals. Also, we've alerted the Coast Guard. It's a short boat hop from southern California to the beaches of Mexico. We've done everything we can in cooperation with several local and Federal agencies-as well as our Mexican allies-to intercept the suspect if he tries to flee across the U. S. – Mexican border."

"Are you on TV now?"

"No. Why?"

"You sound like you're on TV."

"That's the way I talk. That's the way you should talk tomorrow afternoon. Keep the fuck word to a minimum."

I actually smiled.

So, we discussed the subject of the manhunt for a while, and finally Jack said, "John, it's taken care of. And it's out of your hands."

"Not quite. Look, I want to get back here as soon as this press conference is over tomorrow."

"That's a reasonable request. Let's see how you do at the press conference."

"One has nothing to do with the other."

"It does now."

"Okay. I get it."

"Good. Tell me about your phone conversation with Asad Khalil."

"Well, we didn't have a whole lot in common. Didn't someone brief you about that?"

"Yes, but I want to get a feeling from you about Khalil's mood, his state of mind, the possibility that he might be heading home or staying around. That sort of thing."

"Okay… I had the feeling I was talking to a man who was very much in control of himself and his emotions. Worse, he came across as though he were still in control of the situation, despite the fact that we fucked up his plans. I mean, that we thwarted his plans."

Jack stayed silent a moment, then said, "Go on."

"Well, if I had to bet, I'd bet that he was planning to stick around."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Just one of those feelings I get. By the way, speaking of bets, I want Nash's ten dollars, and his buddy Edward's twenty dollars."

"But you said Khalil was in the New York area."

"He was. Then he left, then he came back to Long Island. Point is, he didn't fly out to Sandland." I looked at Kate for support. This was important.

Kate said, "John is right. He won the bets."

Jack replied, "Okay. I'll accept Kate's impartial opinion." Ha, ha. Then Jack said, seriously, "So, John, you have a feeling now that Asad Khalil is still in your area?"

"I do."

"But this is just a feeling?"

"If you mean am I holding something back, I'm not. Even I know when to come clean. But… how can I put this?… well… Khalil said to me that he sort of felt my presence before he… this is stupid. Mystical Sandland stuff. But I sort of feel this guy's presence. You know?"

There was a long silence as Jack Koenig probably looked up the phone number of the Task Force psychiatric office. Finally, he said kindly, "Well, I've learned not to bet money against you."

I thought he was going to tell me to get some sleep, but instead he addressed Kate and asked, "Are you going to the L.A. office?"

She replied, "Yes. I think it's a good idea to say hello, establish a working relationship, and see if we can be of any help when we return."

"You have friends there, I understand."

"I do."

There may have been some subtext here regarding Kate's hour-long sexual history, but I wasn't jealous, and I wasn't going to be baited any longer. The hook was already in, the big fish had been reeled up and was now flopping around on the deck, gasping for air, to use an appropriate metaphor. So, Kate didn't need to use old boyfriends or suitors, such as Teddy, to get John to get off his ass and pop the question.

Jack and Kate chatted a minute about some people they knew in common in L.A., then Jack said, "Okay, pick a flight to Dulles, but no later than the red-eye."

Kate assured him we'd be on the red-eye at the latest.

Jack was about to sign off, but it was time for my Columbo moment and I said, "Oh, one more thing."

"Yes?"

"The rifle."

"What rifle?"

"The rifle that was in the long package."

"Oh… yes, I did question Mr. Rahman about that package. So has everyone else in L.A. and Washington."

"And?"

"Rahman and his family are under protective custody."

"Good. That's where they belong. And?"

"Well, the agents in L.A. made Rahman draw and describe the package. And they put together a box that Rahman says is the same size as the one he gave to Khalil, give or take an inch."

"And?"

"And, they put metal weights in the box until Rahman felt that the weight was about the same. Muscle memory. Are you familiar-"

"Yeah. And?"

"Well, it was an interesting experiment, but it proves nothing. Nylon and plastic stock rifles are light, older rifles are heavy. Hunting rifles are long, assault rifles are shorter. There's no way to determine if that was a rifle in the package."

"I understand that. Was this rifle long and heavy?"

"If it was a rifle, it was a long and heavy rifle."

"Like a hunting rifle, with a scope."

"That's right," Jack said.

"Okay, worst-case scenario. It's a long, accurate, hunting rifle with a scope. What is Khalil going to do with it?"

"The feeling is that this was a backup in the event that Wiggins was not at home. In other words, Khalil was prepared to hunt Wiggins as he camped in the woods."

"Really?"

"It's a theory. You have another theory?"

"Not at the moment. But I'm picturing Chip and his babe in the woods, camping out, and I'm wondering why Khalil, with new hiking duds, doesn't just go up to them and share a cup of coffee around the campfire, then casually mention that he's there to kill Chip and tell him why before he puts a forty caliber slug in his head. Capisce?"

Jack let a few seconds go by, then said, "Wiggins, as it turns out, was camping with about a dozen friends, so Khalil-"

"Doesn't wash, Jack. Khalil would do whatever he had to do to look Chip Wiggins in the eye before he killed him."

"Maybe. Okay, the other theory, which may make more sense, is that if this package contained a rifle, the rifle is to be used to help Khalil make his escape. For instance, if he had to take out a border patrol guy at the Mexican border, or if he got chased on the sea by a Coast Guard cutter. Something like that. He wants a long-range weapon for any situation that may arise during his escape from the U.S. " Jack added, "He needed an accomplice anyway-Rahman-so why not have Rahman deliver a rifle along with whatever else he delivered? Rifles are easy to buy."