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"Give them to him."

They handed their passports to Selena. She gave them to the cop. The Turk looked at the passports.

"Get out," he said in English.

Selena switched to English. "We're on a special fact-finding mission for our government. You can see we have diplomatic immunity. "

The cop stepped back from the car and took out his pistol.

"Get out. Now."

"Do as he says," Nick said.

They got out of the car.

"Raise your hands."

As they put up their hands, the other cops closed in.

"We have immunity," Nick said. "This is harassment. You're making a mistake."

One of the policeman with an M-14 had come up beside the sergeant.

"Shut up," the cop said.

He swung his rifle, aiming the butt at Nick's head. Nick grabbed the rifle as it came around, pulled it from the man's hands and kicked his leg out from under him. As the cop fell, Nick leveled the rifle at the sergeant.

Safeties clicked off. Everyone stopped moving. Nick heard the sound of a helicopter approaching.

I hope that's ours.

"Listen up, Sergeant. You tell your men to fire and you'll be dead before the words are out of your mouth. You hear that helicopter? It's coming for us and there are Marines on board or I miss my guess. Even if you take us down, you won't live to talk about it. Put your pistol on the ground. Tell your men to lower their guns."

"You are murderers," the cop said. He was red in the face.

"ISIS are the murderers. Tell your men to put down their guns."

The helicopter came into sight, a Sikorsky Blackhawk painted in desert camouflage.

The Turkish policeman's eyes darted toward the helicopter and back towards the rifle pointed at him. Nick hoped the man wouldn't do anything stupid.

"Silahlarinizi indirin," the sergeant said in a loud voice. He bent and put his pistol on the ground. His men lowered their rifles and laid them down.

"What did he say?" Nick asked Selena. He kept his rifle leveled at the sergeant.

"He told them to put down their weapons."

The sound of the rotors grew loud as the Blackhawk settled on the road nearby. The wind from the blades whipped dust and bits of debris into the air. The compartment door slid open and a half dozen Marines in battle dress poured out, weapons at the ready. They deployed and aimed their rifles at the cops.

A tall, young Marine with lieutenant's insignia sewn on his collar walked over to Nick and saluted. His name tag read Williams.

"Major Carter?"

It was strange to hear the familiar title again.

"In person. Lieutenant, I'm glad to see you."

"Any trouble here, sir?"

He eyed the Turkish police.

"Not anymore." Nick set the rifle he'd taken from the cop down on the ground. "Let's go."

The Turkish police sergeant looked as though he was about to have a stroke. Nick and the others ducked under the whirling blades of the chopper and climbed aboard. The Marines followed, keeping the Turks covered. Williams was the last to board. They lifted away as he pulled the compartment door shut.

Below, Nick saw the Turkish sergeant shaking his fist at them.

CHAPTER 41

Swearing was Haram, forbidden.

Haddad took out his rage by throwing his cell phone against the wall. Nawabi, dead, along with three good fighters, and they were no closer to finding the relic of Isa. His trusted lieutenant was now in paradise, but Haddad would have preferred to see him alive and working for the victory of the caliphate.

All because of the accursed Americans. Surely Allah was testing him. Recovering the cup would bring in thousands of recruits and cause great distress among the infidels. It would show everyone that Allah was preparing the world for the coming of the Mahdi. It would strengthen the believers and reveal those whose faith was weak.

He would not give up. But what would the Americans do now? Had they learned anything at the monastery? Were they still looking for the cup? All he knew was that they had gone back to Incirlik. They'd been seen there, getting out of a helicopter. If they continued their search they would have to leave the base. Haddad had informants at Incirlik. Someone would discover where the Americans had gone.

One of Haddad's guards knocked on the open door of his temporary office, a room on the ground floor of a house in a crowded residential area of Raqqa. Haddad never stayed in one place for long. Hiding in the midst of women and children helped keep him alive. The Americans were uncomfortable about bombing civilians. It was one of their weaknesses. He had given up wearing the traditional robe he preferred for the garb of an average fighter to help confuse the American satellites. One fighter wasn't worth a strike.

"The bomb maker is here," the guard said.

"Which one? We have many."

"The one they call The Scorpion."

Jaffari. Is it time? Haddad thought.

"Send him in."

Rashid Jaffari placed his hand over his heart and greeted Haddad.

"Salaam Aleikum."

"As Aleikum Salaam. Welcome, brother."

"We can talk?"

"Yes. This room is protected."

"The bomb is ready."

Haddad's face broke into a huge smile. He clapped his hands together in excitement.

"This is wonderful news, my friend. I knew you could do it."

"When do I leave?"

"Once I am sure our arrangements in Turkey are secure. Prepare two vehicles and load the bomb into one of them. The other will serve as backup."

"I am ready whenever you say."

Haddad opened a drawer in his desk. He took out a map of Turkey and Syria and spread it out on the desktop. Jaffari came around the desk to look at it.

"You will cross the border here, at Ayn al Arab." Haddad tapped the map with his finger. "The crossing has been arranged. Travel at night to avoid the aircraft and drones patrolling the area. You will have the right papers and permissions when you are in Turkey. You have drivers who can speak Turkish?"

"I have the perfect men," Jaffari said. "They are brothers, from Istanbul."

"Good. After you cross the border, it is a straightforward drive to the Gulf of Iskenderun. Turn south until you come to a village called Iznik." He tapped the map again. "A fishing boat will be there to take you to a ship waiting offshore. Once on board, it will take about two weeks to reach America."

"What is the name of the ship?"

"She is under Greek registry. Her name is the Athena."

Haddad wrote the name on a piece of paper and offered it. Jafarri waved it away.

"I'll remember. What if we are stopped and searched before we reach our destination?"

Haddad put the paper in his pocket. "Be ready to detonate the bomb but, God willing, you will reach your target without trouble."

Haddad paused.

"Rashid, my brother. You know what this mission means. You will not return. Your name will be remembered forever."

Jaffari placed his hand over his heart and bowed.

"Insh’allah. I am only His instrument."

"If you are discovered once you arrive in America, detonate the bomb. It doesn't really matter where you are."

"What will happen, after?"

"The Americans will discover intelligence implicating the Shia apostates in Tehran. They will blame the Iranians and retaliate. War will begin. The Day of Retribution will be brought closer."

Jaffari smiled.

CHAPTER 42

Elizabeth was on the satellite link to Nick at Incirlik. She'd put the call on speaker. Stephanie sat nearby, listening. Nick briefed them on what had happened at the roadblock and what they'd learned at the monastery.