Rogue Commander, page 8
part #3 of Titus Black Series
“Of course,” Black said. “We understand. If you can get us an audience with the emir, we’ll be happy to share what we’ve learned with him.”
“Excellent,” Ajab said. “I will take you to the palace straight away. We don’t have any time to lose.”
* * *
TWO HOURS LATER, Black stood in the emir’s palace with Shields. He gawked at the marble columns inscribed in Arabic with gold lettering. While he’d been inside the White House plenty of times, it never inspired such a moment of awe.
“Impressive, isn’t she?” Ajab said to Black, who was still staring mouth agape at the decadent interior.
Momentarily forgetting why he was here, Black glanced down at Ajab. The emir’s security chief grinned as he scanned the surroundings as well.
“This never gets old,” Ajab said. “It’s not only one of the most beautiful palaces in the region, it’s also one of the most well-protected.”
Before he vanished down the hall, Ajab instructed Black and Shields to have a seat and he would fetch them once the emir was ready to see them. Black sank into one of the plush leather chairs across from Shields, who was sitting on a couch.
“You do all the talking,” Shields said. “I’m not sure the emir will receive anything from me since I’m a woman.”
“He’d be a fool not to listen to you,” Black said.
“Of course, but I want him to hear what we have to say. And you’re clearly the best messenger.”
“Based solely on the fact that I’m a man? You’re the expert here.”
Shields sighed. “You know what we’re here to say. He won’t listen to me, and if he chooses to ignore us because I’m the one talking, well, that’s our fault.”
“You’re too kind,” Black said.
“Just do it, okay? For me?”
“Of course.”
A few minutes later, a palace official led them to a room where the emir was waiting. Black and Shields both lowered their heads in a gesture of respect. The emir smiled and waited until his staff left the room and the two operatives were alone with him and two bodyguards, including Ajab.
“Please, let’s get comfortable,” the emir said, nodding toward several chairs in a sitting area in one corner of the room.
Once everyone was settled, the emir continued.
“I understand that you have reason to believe my life or the life of someone in my family may be at risk,” he said. “Is that correct?”
Black nodded. “We have obtained information regarding one of the deadliest assassins in the world, who seems intent on wreaking havoc with anyone affiliated with a deal to bring more weapons to the region. Now, I understand what your position is publicly, but that diverges with what your wife Alana has done with the Tayr Alrakh Corporation.”
The emir shrugged. “Political games are necessary in this day and age. Long gone are the dictators who seek to impose their will upon the people. While there may be some delusional rulers who remain, it is nearly impossible to demand your way, even when you think you have all the power.”
“So, is Alana carrying out your wishes?” Shields asked.
Black shot a glance at her and then looked back at the emir. He furrowed his brow.
“Are you the one who discovered this information?” he asked.
“We did this as a team, but I connected the assassinations with the entries in the journal,” she said.
A warm smile spread across his face. “Good. Don’t let him be your spokesman. You tell me what’s happening, Agent Shields. I want to hear from the person most intimately acquainted with all the details of this supposed attack.”
Shields’s mouth fell agape as she stammered to collect her thoughts after the emir’s surprising directive. “Well, uh, if you, uh, look here at these entries—”
“Agent Shields, I’m sure you’ve done your due diligence and understand that I’m not afraid of a woman being in a position of expertise or leadership. Please, relax and speak frankly with me.”
Shields took a deep breath. “Okay, in that case, I’ll just lay it out there. The deal Alana brokered is what has you in the assassin’s crosshairs. And at this point, I don’t see anything changing that.”
“Do you think she is ultimately the target?” the emir asked.
“I don’t know,” Shields said.
“What do you mean?”
“The names aren’t exactly spelled out in the book. It uses only initials. Since you have the same initials, it’s just a guess as to who this man has been assigned to kill. That’s why you both need to take extra precautions.”
“Such as?”
“I would cancel all your public events tomorrow,” Shields said. “The Ghost has an uncanny ability to get into places you wouldn’t expect him to when eliminating his marks.”
The emir huffed and shook his head. “That’s ridiculous. I will not live in fear—and neither will Alana. Besides, our daughter is part of the performance at the cultural center tomorrow night. I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”
“Even if it meant missing the rest of her life?”
“We have one of the best security teams in the world. I’ll be in my box, which is protected by several well-trained men. The assassin would have to fight through several people just to get to my box, much less get inside, which requires a retinal scan to open the door. I can assure you that I’ll be safe there.”
“Please, I’m pleading with you,” Shields said. “Abu Talib thought the same thing going to a wedding on the king’s boat. I’m sure if the sheikh was with us today, he would advise you differently.”
“I appreciate the warning, but I’m not going to cower in the corner because of what you found in some man’s journal. If a killer wants me or Alana dead, he likely won’t live to see his assignment realized. Are you aware that my team has stopped six such attempts on my life already without a single shot ever being fired? So, pardon me for being confident in my men’s ability to handle such situations. But without any more specifics, this just sounds like every other threat we’ve handled.”
“Think about it and reconsider,” Black said. “I’d hate for your children to grow up without a father or a mother. I know what it’s like to lose a parent, and it’s not easy.”
“I appreciate your concern,” the emir said as he stood up. “You may coordinate with Mr. Ajab to attend the performance tomorrow evening if you wish to offer your services, but I’m not changing my mind. We will be there, assassin or not.”
Black and Shields stood and bowed to the emir before he exited the room with one of the guards. Ajab remained behind to escort the two agents out.
“You made your pitch,” Ajab said. “But the emir can be rather stubborn at times. I can assure you, however, that my team is more than capable of dealing with threats. As he mentioned, we’ve done it several times before.”
“Well, I think we’d still like to come,” Shields said. “We’re trying to gather as much information on The Ghost as we can. And being two steps ahead of him like this gives us an opportunity to learn more if he carries out this strike.”
* * *
BLACK STOOD FROZEN in his hotel room as Shields brushed the lint off his tux.
“Is this really necessary?” he asked. “We’re losing valuable time.”
“I wouldn’t get caught dead at a public gala with any man who isn’t dapper,” she said with a wink.
“We’re not together.”
“We’re certainly not apart either.”
Black shook head and huffed a laugh through his nose. “You’re incorrigible sometimes, you know?”
She flicked the last few flakes to the floor, ignoring his comment. “Now you’re presentable.”
“Is the irony lost on you here, a former soldier who lived in a desert tent?”
“Just because I don’t mind a little dirt doesn’t mean I don’t like to clean up. Besides, we’re officially together tonight. I’m a visiting cultural arts professor from Northwestern, and you’re my husband, remember?”
“And you made me a financial planner. Couldn’t you have come up with something slightly more interesting?”
“Don’t worry. I doubt we’ll be doing much mingling with the natives tonight, especially if The Ghost shows up. Now, can you be a dear and zip up my dress?”
Shields bunched up her curled brunette locks and held them just above her neck before turning her back toward him. He obliged, lingering longer than he should have as he studied a long scar.
“Is that from a war injury?” Black asked.
Shields turned cold. “I’d rather not talk about it, if it’s all the same to you.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
“Let’s go,” she said. “Like you said, we’re losing valuable time.”
They hustled to their car and then drove the short distance to the performing arts center.
“Are you ready?” Shields asked.
Black nodded. “It’s time we catch this bastard and end these shenanigans once and for all.”
He opened the car door and got out, studying all the possible escape routes from the perimeter. Since meeting with the emir, Black and Shields had spent most of their time going over the building’s schematics. But seeing it in person gave him a new perspective.
“Containing him won’t be easy,” he said.
“As long as we have eyes on the emir and his wife at all times, we’ll be fine. He’s yet to deviate from his signature method of killing yet.”
“I’m sure he can be adaptable if the situation calls for it.”
“We’ll be ready either way.”
They strode up the steps to enter the building nearly two hours before the curtain was scheduled to drop. Ajab was waiting for them in the lobby, his hands clasped behind his back.
“Are you ready for this evening?” he asked them.
“I think we’re comfortable with the layout of this place and the rough schedule of events,” Shields said.
“And your accommodations?”
“Excellent recommendation,” Black said. “Now, if you’ll just point us to our posts, we’ll let you continue to coordinate your setup.”
“Of course,” Ajab said. “Right this way.”
Ajab led the two agents up a stairwell and onto the catwalk. He pointed out where the emir and his family would be sitting.
“Like I told you yesterday, if this assassin plans on shooting the emir or his wife in the back, he’s got quite the challenge,” Ajab said. “For starters, he’ll have to fight through quite a number of guards. Then he’ll have to disable the security system, which contains not only a fourteen-digit passcode but also a retinal scan as well. And he’d have to do all of this in such a short period of time before anyone noticed him. So, I don’t think we have anything to worry about.”
“Unless he decides to try a different approach.”
“Let’s hope that isn’t the case then.”
* * *
TWO HOURS LATER, the crowd had assembled and were situated in their seats as the curtain raised. Black and Shields were stationed at two different spots on the catwalk, communicating via their coms.
“You see anything suspicious yet?” Shields asked.
“Negative,” he responded. “Everything appears normal. Nothing out of the ordinary yet.”
Over the next hour and a half, several choirs sang, accompanied by the Kuwait Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra. At one point, a teenage girl stepped forward and belted out a solo. Black peered through his binoculars at the emir, who was sitting on the edge of his seat and beaming.
“That has to be the emir’s daughter,” Black said.
“However did you guess?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a father more proud.”
“Or a mother either. Look at her. They’re both mouthing the words along with her.”
Once the song ended, the audience erupted into a standing ovation. Black’s senses were heightened as he surveyed the room.
“Did you see that?” Shields asked.
“See what?” he asked.
“In the far corner, I noticed a man dart out of the room.”
“Notify Ajab. I still haven’t seen anyone looking suspiciously in the direction of the emir’s box though.”
“Roger that.”
A couple of minutes later, Shields checked back in.
“False alarm,” she said. “Apparently, that man raced out because nature was calling.”
Black shook his head as he continued to search for any strange behavior from any of the patrons. “I’m beginning to wonder if we didn’t misinterpret Lebedev’s book on this one.”
“Or maybe The Ghost is waiting for a different time?”
“It’s nearly ten o’clock,” Black said. “Every person, date, and place has been dead on. If he’s deviating, that would be an oddity worth noting.”
When the performance concluded, Black and Shields met up in the hallway and descended toward the emir’s box.
“Maybe the emir was right not to worry,” Shields said. “I have a hard time believing The Ghost just suddenly opted out of this assignment.”
Black shrugged, shuffling along with Shields until they saw Ajab.
“Looks like we survived,” he said with a wry smile.
“The night’s not over yet,” Shields said.
“I know, but we’ll have someone with both the emir and his wife until they leave, which will be well past midnight,” Ajab said. “I think it’s safe to say that disaster has been averted, at least from your assassin.”
“We’d still like to hang around and keep an eye on them, too, if that’s all right,” Black said. “If The Ghost shows up, we want to at least have a chance to catch him.”
“Stay as long as you wish,” Ajab said.
The door to the private box swung open, and the royal family exited, sandwiched between two pairs of guards. As soon as Black’s eyes locked with the emir, he stopped and spoke to the two Americans.
“Dear, these were the two American emissaries I was telling you about,” he said, winking not so subtly at Shields.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” Alana said. “Thank you for taking such swift action. I felt much safer tonight knowing that our team was on high alert. And to feel that way tonight while our daughter was performing was simply a luxury I’m rarely afforded.”
“Glad we could help,” Shields said.
Black and Shields bowed before following the royals as they moved toward the empty elevator. The emir and his entourage crowded inside before the doors slid shut.
“We’ll catch the next one down,” Ajab said.
But before the next elevator arrived, screams emanated from the downstairs lobby. Black and Shields raced down the steps, outpacing Ajab. When they reached the ground floor, Black noticed a large crowd of people gathered around the entrance to the elevator. He pushed his way through and stared in disbelief at the scene before him—a bloodied Alana Al-Sabah lying limp in the emir’s arms as he wailed.
Black turned and looked at the elevator where two bullet holes appeared to have penetrated from the outside.
“Look,” he said, tapping Shields on the shoulder. “He was in the elevator shaft.”
She cursed, her nostrils flaring as she looked back at the emir’s dead wife.
Black raced outside and surveyed the area. Patrons oblivious to the audacious murder inside casually exited the building. With all the activity, Black determined it’d be impossible to pick out The Ghost.
He’s gone . . . again.
CHAPTER 14
Two days later
Washington, D.C.
BLUNT CONVENED A MEETING with Black and Shields to discuss what missteps occurred that allowed The Ghost to breach tight security in two different places, leading to the death of some high profile people. While the two agents weren’t to blame, Blunt was frustrated that they weren’t able to at least get an image of the man to aid in their efforts to capture him.
“He’s certainly earned his nickname,” Black said.
“I’m not amused,” Blunt said.
Shields handed him a report on the entries in Lebedev’s journal that she’d linked to murders in various parts of the world. Blunt studied it for a moment before pushing it aside.
“What do you need to catch this guy?” Blunt asked. “More resources? Other agents? You just had your best shot at catching him, knowing what he was going to do in advance. Yet you still failed to wrangle him.”
“Honestly, we need more time,” Shields said. “We’re close, but we need to learn about his patterns and methods. Having all this info neatly contained in this book should go a long way in assisting us in that regard.”
Then she cocked her head to one side and furrowed her brow.
“What is it?” Blunt asked.
“Your neck,” she said. “Is that a scrape?”
“From when those idiots rear-ended me in Colorado,” Blunt said.
“We were worried about you when you ended the call like that, and we didn’t hear from you for a while,” she said.
“It’s part of the business. We all know what we’re signing up for when we get involved in the intelligence community.”
“What exactly were you doing out there?” Black asked.
“Trying to track down the mystery behind all these former military personnel winding up dead,” he said before snipping off the end of a cigar. “Particularly, the Army Rangers.”
“Why Army Rangers?”
Blunt shrugged and then stuck the stogie in his mouth before continuing. “A handful of Rangers have been murdered lately, but being part of the same elite military battalion at some point isn’t the only coincidence.”
“Oh?” Black asked, his eyes widening.
“That’s right. They all have this strange tattoo of the chaos monster. Ever seen it before?”
Blunt produced an image of the tattoo from a folder in front of him, sliding it across the table toward Black and Shields. They shook their heads.
“Never seen it before,” Black said.
