"Very closely. After the latest developments, he and General Jamison are working directly with the Canadians and the Immigration people."
Scott spoke bluntly. "Sir, forgive me for asking, but couldn't the FBI handle an operation like this?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Is there a bigger problem?"
Hartwell vacillated a few moments, staring at the wooden deck beneath his feet. He slowly raised his head. "Actually, there is a much bigger problem," he said wearily. "I was going to wait until morning, after the president's daily brief from the CIA, to discuss it with you." He locked gazes, first with Jackie and then with Scott. "This is so confidential that only a handful of people know about it."
Silently, Scott and Jackie exchanged another glance.
"Four days ago, a U. S. Border Patrol agent stumbled onto a special-action cell of terrorists crossing the Canadian border close to the junction of the Idaho-Montana state line. There was a shoot-out and the agent killed three terrorists while he was calling for backup. When another agent arrived a few minutes later, he discovered his friend had died from gunshot wounds."
"How can you be so sure they were terrorists?" Scott asked.
Prost lowered his voice. "They left behind a Russian-manufactured suitcase-size nuclear bomb."
"You're kidding!" Jackie blurted.
"No. Its probably like the one Scott discovered on board Sweet Life. Only this one has definitely been modified."
"How so?" Jackie asked.
"The timing device has been moved to accommodate a fabricated band of steel, actually four bands, that encompass the weapon. The bands, which were not installed, appear to be a brace of some kind."
Scott met Hartwell's eyes. "Maybe they were used to attach the bomb to the shipping container, some kind of protective device."
"We don't know, but they're round; they intersect at opposing poles at forty-five-degree angles and bolt to the bomb."
Jackie's mind conjured images of nuclear weapons being detonated in the heart of New York City. "Do we know if any other nukes have slipped into the country?"
"Yes, we do," he answered in a hushed voice. "Through Echelon Two we know the terrorists who were killed were members of one of seven teams smuggling nukes across our borders. Each team was responsible for one bomb. We don't know where the other six groups are hiding."
The three sat in silence for a moment while the gravity of the situation impacted Jackie and Scott.
Hartwell finally broke the silence. "We have solid information, corroborated by intelligence on the ground, that these nukes originated in the Ukraine. A company named Yuzhmash, Ukraine's largest rocket maker, has a close defense-technology relationship with Syria and Iran. What we don't know is whether the bombs came from Syria or Iran. At any rate, we've been able to connect these seven nukes directly to Khaliq Farkas."
"Farkas?" Jackie and Scott said in unison.
"Yes. Farkas is working for Saeed Shayhidi. On Shayhidi's orders, Farkas will activate the other six cells. We believe that time is near. That's why we need the two of you involved in this operation. Like I said, only a handful of people know about this. We want to keep this totally contained, away from Congress and possible leaks to the media. Don't want to spook the public or cause Farkas to go underground."
Hartwell allowed them to absorb the revelation. "Sure, the FBI can help to a point, but if push comes to shove and we locate these nukes, we don't want to have to get a search warrant. We can't afford to get tied up in legal quicksand and have the news hit the media."
Scott and Jackie nodded their understanding.
"As we receive more information, 111 be feeding it to you. For now, we want you to familiarize yourselves with the northwestern states where the terrorists are coming in." Hartwell took a long drag on his cigar. "The bottom line: find Farkas and the nukes before Shayhidi activates the other six cells."
Chapter 5
Led by Islamic extremist Muftah al-Hamadi, the four terrorists posing as Saudi royalty arranged their passage on the QM2 with counterfeit documents and certified funds. They left their adjoining Queen Anne and Queen Victoria suites shortly after 3 A. M. Al-Hamadi, mindful of the terror and chaos his brethren had inflicted on New York City and the Pentagon, intended once again to shock the financial capital of the world.
Two of the Islamic radicals would go to the ship's bridge while the other two would make their way to the ships main air-conditioning plant located in the machinery spaces. The team going belowdeck would first kill the watch standers and then neutralize the security system for the flexible propulsion system. Their next target would be the closed-circuit television system monitoring the engineering spaces.
Between them, the terrorists possessed enough sarin to kill everyone on a dozen QM2S. One of the most feared and most lethal of nerve agents, sarin is an odorless, tasteless, and colorless substance that can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin. This operation would make the Aum Shinrikyo's sarin attack on the Tokyo subway system pale in comparison.
Highly trained and totally dedicated to Saeed Shayhidi's cause, the four men had fanatical frontline mentalities. They were prepared to die for Shayhidi and his full-scale jihad against the "Great Satan."
For Shayhidi and his growing legions of followers, assassinating the U. S. secretary of state, along with key members of the U. S. Congress and leaders from countries allied with America, would be sheer ecstasy.
The irony was part of the elation. The unsuspecting conferees would die after having attended a summit intended to curtail international terrorism. Al-Hamadis colleagues and Shayhidi would salute the four dedicated terrorists as conquering heroes and martyrs.
When they reached the ships bridge, Muftah al-Hamadi and his partner used handguns with silencers to quickly dispatch the crew on watch. With sarin already flowing through the entire air-conditioning system, al-Hamadi chained the hatches leading to the bridge and rang up flank speed. The revolutionary Rolls-Royce four-pod propulsion system could propel the city-at-sea to a speed of 30 knots.
Before they were finally overcome, al-Hamadi and his associate sabotaged the primary and secondary communications equipment. They knew the navigation suite was preprogrammed to take the mighty ocean liner directly to New York City.
Traveling at top speed, the 1,132-foot Queen Mary 2 would be well ahead of her scheduled docking at the Twelfth Avenue Passenger Ship Terminal. Regardless of the exact point of impact in the Big Apple, the high-speed arrival of the 150,000-ton ship would be an event etched in history.
When he succumbed to the nerve agent, there was no doubt in al-Hamadis mind. Saeed Shayhidi and Allah would be proud of their efforts to help vanquish the infidels. They would be remembered as gallant warriors, admired and respected for their role in the never-ending war against the West.
A growing sense of uneasiness awakened Brett Shannon from a restless sleep. He sensed something was wrong and glanced at his travel clock on the night table. The clocks face was blurred. He reached for his glasses: It was 3:14 A. M.
Shannon felt a subtle vibration in the hull of the world s grandest ocean liner. It would have been more difficult to perceive if he hadn t been accustomed to the velvety-smooth ride. But the vibration was real and it was becoming more pronounced by the second. Maybe they're trying to outrun a storm.
His nerves were on edge, and he felt chest pains when the QM2 unexpectedly shook from bow to stern. The motion wasn't violent, but it certainly wasn't normal. As her speed continued to increase, Shannon could tell the Cunard flagship was plowing through rough seas and plunging into choppy waves.