The American Page 6

  “That was never proven, sir.” The director shot him a skeptical look, which immediately made Harper regret the words.

  “Just keep him in line, John. I appreciate what he’s done here as much as anybody, but we have our hands full as it is. I don’t need the Senate Oversight Committee jumping into the fray as well, okay?”

  Harper nodded and stood to leave, but Andrews waved him back down into the seat.

  “One more thing. I hear you have an analyst asking a lot of questions about Kealey. By that, I mean the same analyst you just mentioned.” Harper tried to contain his surprise, but the director noticed his incredulous look and gave a small, reluctant smile. “There is a reason I have this job, John.”

  Harper nodded. “Naomi Kharmai. She’s been with us for four years. She had clearance for the personnel file, so I gave it to her just to keep her happy. I told her not to take it any further, but I don’t know if she’ll listen. She’s pretty stubborn.”

  The DCI considered his response for a long moment. Finally, he said, “If you think it’s worth keeping her on this, then make sure she stays busy with the relevant stuff. As in, what happened in Syria is not relevant. Those soldiers officially died in a training accident… We need to be able to work with the military, and if that piece of misinformation comes out on our end, then they won’t trust us with anything else. And frankly, I wouldn’t blame them,” Andrews added.

  Harper was about to respond when the heavy mahogany door was edged open by a secretary. “Excuse me, sir, but you might want to turn to Channel 3. It’s about Senator Levy.”

  The confusion was evident on the faces of both men as the director scrambled for the remote control. An image appeared on the screen of a high-rise apartment complex that Harper recognized immediately.

  “If you’re just joining us, we’re here outside the Kennedy-Warren, an exclusive residential building on Connecticut Avenue, where officials from the Justice Department have tracked down the man suspected in providing information that led to the cold-blooded murder of Senator Daniel Levy last week. The man has been identified as Michael Shakib, a Congressional staffer with strong ties to the Iranian American community, who has—”

  “Jesus Christ!” Andrews screamed, his voice drowning out the excited anchorwoman. “How the hell did this get past us, John?”

  “The FBI is supposed to be keeping us up-to-date on these kinds of developments, but—”

  “Bullshit!” Andrews took a few deep breaths, resting his hands on one of the few empty spaces on his cluttered desk. Seconds passed, and the anger fell from his features. “Sorry, John, that’s not meant for you. I can see that they fucked us on this.”

  The DCI thought for a long moment before continuing. “You know, it might even work out better that we’re not obviously invested. I don’t see this ending well, not with all those reporters out there. All the same, get someone down there without making a lot of noise about it. Send Kealey, if you want.”

  Harper was in awe of the man’s self-control. “If I know him, sir, he’s probably already on the way.”

  “Make sure we have a part in this, John. Bring us into the loop. If we don’t know what’s going on, it’ll be easier for them to hang the blame on us.”

  It was a dismissal. Harper left the room quietly, grateful to leave behind the now-fuming director of Central Intelligence.

  Ryan had driven his BMW down from Maine rather than risk being stuck in an uncomfortable rental for the duration of his stay in Washington. He decided that it had been a good decision as the powerful 4.4-liter engine pushed the car north along Connecticut Avenue. He was quickly approaching the Dupont Circle underpass, a cell phone pressed to his ear as he expertly navigated the busy street with one hand on the steering wheel.

  “I got it, John. Talk to the guy on the scene, don’t make any noise… Fine, I understand. Here, talk to your girl.” He handed it over to a pale-faced Naomi Kharmai, who had to unclench her tightly balled fists to accept the outstretched phone.

  “Don’t let them brush you off, Naomi,” Harper said. “We need to know if this is on the up-and-up. If Shakib is the leak, then we’re getting somewhere. Don’t worry that we didn’t get ahold of this first — it’s what we do with it now, okay?” The DDO broke off to speak with someone else momentarily. “Call me when you have some details.”

  The phone went dead in her ear before she could respond. As Ryan shifted into fourth gear and punched the pedal, she slunk back down in the seat as far as she could go, absolutely positive that they would be dead long before reaching their destination.

  Connecticut Avenue outside the Kennedy-Warren was filled to capacity with emergency-service vehicles, fire engines, and the unmarked government sedans that belonged to the FBI personnel on the scene. Piles of dirty ice had accumulated at the curb, and the pavement beneath their feet was slick. A stiff wind whipped between the vehicles, making the temperature seem even lower than it really was. Ryan thought it was probably less than 30 degrees, making him wish he had brought more protection from the harsh weather than a worn, black-leather jacket. To make matters worse, he and Kharmai were forced to wait for five minutes while their identification was confirmed by the ponderously slow police officers maintaining the perimeter.

  Naomi was staring at an unmarked Chevrolet transport van that was at least 25 feet long. The rear doors were open, and Kealey could easily make out the switchboard inside, as well as a gasoline-powered generator bolted to the floor. The vehicle was surrounded by men in blue coveralls and body armor, each holding an HK MP10 down by his side, except for the few who carried shotguns chambered with entry rounds. The men were quietly conversing among themselves; some chewed gum rapidly, fingers tapping impatiently on the trigger guards of their automatic weapons. They tried to hide their tense faces, mostly failing in the effort.

  Ryan recognized the stress-relieving rituals and knew immediately that they would get the job done. He hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

  “Do you think they’re going in already?” Naomi asked.

  “Jesus, I hope not,” he replied, gesturing in the direction of the news vans held beyond the perimeter. Satellite dishes were attached to the roofs of the vehicles. “If he’s actually up there, he can see everything we’re doing. This can’t get any worse than it already is.”

  Naomi spotted a heavy, angry-looking black man wearing a blue FBI parka over a white dress shirt and suit pants. He was shouting at a small cluster of agents, jabbing his finger into the air emphatically. She caught his eye and walked in his direction, Kealey trailing behind her. The agents scattered on their approach.

  “Naomi. I thought you might turn up,” the man said warily. She smiled pleasantly, ignoring the tone of his voice.

  “Luke Hendricks, Ryan Kealey. Luke here is the ASAC for the Washington field office. Why didn’t we hear about this?” she asked bluntly. The generous smile was gone from her face.

  “Hey, you said it. I’m the Assistant Special Agent in Charge; that means there is about a billion people telling me how to do my job. I’m not the guy who decides what we share with other agencies,” Hendricks responded.

  Naomi was looking around. “Where’s the ADIC?” she asked. She was referring to the Assistant Director in Charge, who runs the field office in major cities such as Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.

  “In the hospital, believe it or not. Double-bypass surgery — pretty convenient, huh? I think he must have seen this one coming.”

  Kealey appraised the FBI agent quickly, approving of what he saw. Hendricks had a right to be angry; he had been placed in a difficult situation with very little oversight, and the unexpected presence of the reporters only compounded the problem. All the same, Ryan thought that he looked like a man able to make quick decisions under pressure.

  “What do you have at this point?” Ryan asked.

  “Not much. Confirmation that he’s in there, of course. The desk manager saw him go up twenty minutes before we walked through the door.
We haven’t started a dialogue yet, and I’m beginning to think it won’t happen. I’m under pressure to send those guys in,” Hendricks said, waving vaguely in the direction of the SWAT team standing by. “Personally, I’d like to exhaust all other possibilities before I give them the go-ahead. My guys are pretty pissed off, but you’d never know it looking at them. Right now, I don’t see this man coming down alive unless he gives it up — if he eats a bullet, then we’ll never figure out what he was up to.”

  Ryan looked up at the towering building, then back to Hendricks. He didn’t say anything. Personally, he thought that it was a mistake to assume anything about the man on the eighth floor of this apartment complex, Congressional staffer or not.

  “How did you get a line on Shakib?” Kealey asked.

  Hendricks focused his attention on the man standing slightly behind Naomi Kharmai. Kealey was of medium height, with black hair on the long side, a lean, muscular build, and dark gray eyes that were somewhat unnerving in their intensity.

  More than a decade earlier, Luke Hendricks had served as an infantry squad leader in the 82nd Airborne out of Fort Bragg. He had seen action in the Gulf, and had been awarded the Soldier’s Medal for pulling two young privates out of a minefield close to the end of his tour. Hendricks rarely talked about the experience, but he knew the difference between a soldier and someone who had served in the military. He could recognize a soldier when he saw one.

  “Obviously, we looked at nationality first. It made sense to check out anybody affiliated with Iran working on the Hill. That only took us so far before someone came up with the idea to look at travel plans. Shakib vacationed annually in Valencia. After a day or two, he’d charter a flight to Bucharest under a different name, and then on to Tehran. It was a low-risk strategy with minimal contact, suggesting the possibility that he was a sleeper. Who knows what else he’s given up over the years? A lot of heads are going to roll when the whole thing goes public.”

  After Hendricks stated the obvious, he paused for a moment. “He knows we’re out here. If we were completely off track, then he would have given it up a long time ago. This is the guy.”

  “And you couldn’t keep this quiet?” Naomi asked.

  “I didn’t leak it, if that’s what you’re suggesting. A lot of people had access to this information,” he responded angrily.

  “Not us,” she muttered.

  High above the commotion, Michael Shakib was kneeling motionless on a prayer mat facing east. His head was bowed in supplication facing Mecca, a place he had not visited, nor would ever visit, although the hajj was specifically required by the fifth pillar of his faith.

  Shakib’s features were distinctly Arabic, which was not surprising as he had been born in Qom before his parents emigrated to California in 1979, despite the immense difficulties associated with leaving the country after the Revolution. All his life he had been exposed to the prejudice and animosity felt toward Islam by his adopted homeland, but had never once considered leaving the faith. He was painfully aware that his appearance alone inspired distrust in the faces of the people he passed each day. This particular prejudice was largely imagined, however, for Michael Shakib was not an unattractive man.

  The sharp green eyes flecked with brown were his most noticeable characteristic, framed by perfect olive skin. Thick black hair was set off by his straight white teeth, a feature most uncommon in the poverty-stricken areas of Iran from which he had risen into the world.

  In reflective moments, Shakib could concede that he had been bestowed certain benefits denied to many of his peers. He was grateful for these advantages, yet despised them at the same time. What had given him the right to be so successful, to enjoy the wealth and privilege usually accorded to only the most elite of America’s youth? On a warm, still night in Barbados four years earlier, he had met someone who would change his path in life, who would give him purpose. It had not been a chance encounter, but that fact had never been revealed to Michael Shakib. Until that first meeting, he had survived on his instincts and innate intelligence alone. It had been a useless existence. Despite his undeniable success, Michael had welcomed the opportunity to further such a grand cause, and was now prepared to make his greatest contribution.

  He was not disappointed.

  “They don’t know what they’re walking into,” Ryan said quietly. It was not his nature to press his opinion, although his every instinct was humming at the moment.

  Only Kharmai heard, and turned to face him. “What do you mean?”

  “Who do you think called them?” Ryan asked, waving at the reporters. As the wheels turned rapidly in her mind, Ryan pulled Hendricks to one side.

  “Listen, I have no authority to back this up… It’s just a suggestion, but I think you ought to expand the perimeter as far as you can. I know you can’t get rid of the reporters, but that might give you a little breathing room. Also, you might want to have someone check these cars, verify the owners,” he said. He noticed the other man’s questioning look. “I didn’t spend my whole career in Washington.”

  Luke nodded in agreement and understanding, then moved off to speak with the chief of the D.C. Metro PD. Kealey was grateful that Hendricks was open to suggestion, and could see that his first instincts about the man were correct. After several minutes had passed, he noticed agents checking vehicles and calling in license plate numbers. Ryan felt a tug at his arm.

  “What did you say to Luke?” Naomi asked, brushing a stray lock of jet-black hair away from her eyes. Looking down at her, Ryan studied her face for the first time. She wasn’t quite beautiful, but there was something undeniably attractive about her. Certainly, the bright green eyes and flawless caramel-colored skin would set her apart in any crowd. He took in the perfectly groomed hair and eyebrows, her expensive clothes, and could tell that she put a lot of effort into her appearance.

  And she hadn’t backed down from Hendricks either. He liked a woman who could stand up for herself. He angrily shook the intruding thoughts from his mind, telling himself to stay focused. Naomi had asked him a question, and he had to scramble to recall it.

  “Just to have his people check the cars. He listens… That’s a good quality in an SAC. How do you know him?”

  “We’ve worked together before,” was her tart reply. She did not offer further insight.

  Ryan could see the corner of her mouth turned up in a bemused smirk. He hoped that she hadn’t misinterpreted his look. His life was already complicated enough as it was.

  The venetian blinds in his apartment were closed, denying access to the prying eyes of the snipers located on the rooftops across the street. Shakib moved slowly, almost gracefully, through the drafty rooms, past the luxurious furnishings and other trinkets acquired over the course of a lifetime. None of it mattered to him.

  On the other end of his expansive living room, a flat-screen Sony television was mounted on the wall. Behind the glass, CNN was running silent images of the Kennedy-Warren apartment complex. He was pleased to note the mobile command unit set up in the courtyard below, the agents swarming around it like bees around a hive.

  After the plans for the assassination of Senator Levy had been examined and confirmed, the American had brought many materials to Shakib’s three-bedroom apartment overlooking Cleveland Park. When he had described to his visitor the expensive restoration of the building and the fact that it had been recently named a National Historic Landmark, the man had smiled and nodded, clearly pleased by the news. The American had demanded solitude while he poured over blueprints and floor plans. Michael went out for sandwiches and coffee while his guest walked through the rooms examining the walls, ceiling, and door frames. A great deal of time had been spent on the balcony, as the man inspected the intricate ironwork combined with cement emplacements that kept the heavy structure secured to the building.

  After many hours, his visitor had settled on a single pillar, 4 feet in diameter tucked halfway into a wall. Although he had previously despised the oversized intru
sion into his living space, Shakib listened while his guest explained the importance of this single load-bearing structure, how it supported the three floors above him. He had listened while the man described the properties of the heavy marble and stone used in the construction of the building, and the quantity of SEMTEX H that would be necessary to cut through such material.

  Shakib had appreciated the patient explanation, and absorbed the information attentively with few interruptions. Although the American understood nothing of Islam, his technical expertise accorded him some measure of respect. Shakib admired diligence in one’s chosen profession. In the end, the months of preparation had come down to this one moment.

  It was time.

  Eight floors down, the reporters were angrily berating the police officers pushing them farther down the street. The nasty edge to the elevated voices carried high above the crowd, adding to the collective tension. New barriers were erected and more men stationed behind them. Luke Hendricks was holding a cell phone in each hand, barking orders into each as lesser agents hovered around him, vying for his attention.

  Ryan and Naomi had been pushed aside by the agents milling around the command vehicle, so that they were now on the perimeter, almost as far away from the action as the buzzing reporters. This was moving too fast. Kealey wouldn’t breathe easy again until Shakib was on the ground in handcuffs, and everybody was clear of the area. Instinctively, he began looking around for potential cover, his gaze settling on the heavy transport van located just a few feet away. Far above his position, a sniper from the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team spoke into his headset.

  “All ground units, this is Sierra Three. The doors to the balcony are open, over.”

  On the ground, eyes shot skyward in unison. Hendricks lifted a radio to his mouth, walking away from the crowd of people surrounding him. “Sierra Three, this is Command. Do you have a shot?”