"My new program is up and running," Stephanie said. "There are still a few bugs but it gives us more capability. For the moment, it's working fine."
"What did you find out?" Nick's voice was tinged with impatience.
Stephanie was annoyed. "I'm getting to it."
"Sorry."
"First, the call from the American Embassy to Abu Khan is a dead end. It came from an office phone on the third floor. Anyone could have used it when no one else was around."
Stephanie paused and took a sip of coffee from a mug bearing the logo of the Oakland Raiders.
"The intercepted calls between ISOK and the terrorists in the embassy are a different story," she said. "The records show the calls coming from Pakistan. We know Afridi hides out in Pakistan and we know where his base is. I wanted to confirm it was him, so I went looking for the exact location of the phone that made the calls."
She touched a key on her laptop. The office wall monitor came to life with an aerial view of a large city. She touched another key and the picture zoomed in on the roof of a tall building set back from a pleasant, tree-lined street. The roof of the building was studded with antennas and satellite dishes.
"This is what I found. Doesn't look much like Pakistan, does it? The calls came from here."
"Where is it?" Nick asked.
"New Delhi." Steph sat back, looking pleased with herself. She waited.
Nick looked confused. "Why would Afridi be in New Delhi?"
"I have a better question," Selena said. "What building is that?"
"It's the headquarters of the Research and Analysis Wing, India's CIA," Stephanie said.
"Holy shit," Lamont said. "Spooks are behind this?"
"I'm pretty certain Afridi isn't hanging out in the headquarters of RAW making phone calls."
"If it wasn't Afridi, who was it?" Nick asked.
"I don't know," Steph said. "All I can tell you is that those calls originated somewhere in that building."
Harker took a sip from a bottle of water on her desk.
"I guess we were right," she said.
"About what?"
"That it could be an intelligence agency making it look like Pakistan ordered the attacks. RAW's involvement changes everything," she said. "It makes things a lot more complicated."
"You think?" Lamont said.
Harker gave him a warning look. "Someone in that building has gone to a lot of trouble to make it look like ISOK and Pakistan are responsible for what's happened."
"It can't be a low level official," Nick said. "It has to be someone who can use serious agency resources without anyone questioning what he's doing."
"And who can keep it hidden," Lamont said.
"It's their CIA," Steph said. "Everyone who works there keeps things hidden."
"What does it take to fake cell phone calls like that?" Nick said.
"Planting a call is easy, if you know what you're doing," Steph said. "Making it look like this is a different story. Even the NSA thinks those calls came from Pakistan."
"How high up do you think it goes?" Selena asked Elizabeth.
"Hard to tell. I don't think it's the man who runs the agency. He's a liberal, an appointee of the Prime Minister. The PM is afraid of getting into an armed conflict with Pakistan. The last thing either of them wants is a war."
Nick scratched his ear. "Steph, you tracked the phone. Can you call it?"
Stephanie looked surprised. She began fiddling with the bracelets circling her left wrist.
"I never thought of that. Yes, if it still exists and it's turned on."
"So why don't we call and see who answers?" Nick said. "How long will it take you to do it?"
"I can do it right now."
Elizabeth said, "Hold on, Nick. Let's talk about it first. What would be the point in calling him?"
"Aside from finding out who answers? We could rattle the bastard's cage. "
"Why?"
"Why not? If he knows we're on to him, he may make a mistake that could expose him."
"I don't think we should call him," Selena said. "He's smart, he won't rattle easily. All it would do is make him more dangerous."
"We have to find out who he is," Nick said.
"You think I don't know that?"
Harker reached for her pen. "Steph, can you intercept calls made on that phone?"
"Sure. Now that I've broken the encryption, his phone is mine. Anything he says can be understood."
"Good. Set it up."
Nick looked uncomfortable. "I didn't think of that. I should have."
"You're letting your feelings get the best of you," Elizabeth said. "You're upset about Ronnie and you want to strike back. We all want to take this man down. I need to know you can keep a clear head about this."
"I understand," Nick said. "You don't have to worry about it."
Selena heard him say the words but she wasn't sure he meant it.
"We need an operational name for him," Elizabeth said. "Until we know more, we'll call him Cobra."
"Are you going to tell the president about this?" Stephanie asked.
"Yes, but not yet. We need to know who Cobra is before I go to him."
CHAPTER 32
The Hazratbal Mosque was a magnificent building on the shores of Lake Dal in the city of Srinagar. The mosque was built entirely of white marble and was famous for a shrine housing a true hair of the prophet Mohammed. That put it high on the list of pilgrimage destinations for devout Muslims.
Abdul Afridi was under no illusions about his chances if he strayed far or long from his protected compound in Pakistan. He was marked for assassination. He couldn't risk the journey to Mecca required of the faithful. Until the day came when he could make the Hajj, Afridi had vowed to visit Hazratbal and view the relic of the Prophet once a year as an act of devotion. He'd slipped in and out of Kashmir many times without being detected.
The hair of the Prophet could only be viewed on a few special days. One was fast approaching and Afridi had decided to go, in spite of the increased attention focused on him since the attacks in the Philippines.
It was widely believed that he was responsible. The attacks staged in his name had created problems for him, but whoever was behind it had done him a favor. His status among the jihadists had skyrocketed. His reputation had never been so high. Everyone thought he was lying when he denied involvement. Recruitment was up. Donations were pouring in.
They were needed, the gold was almost gone.
Afridi thought back on the day Allah had led him to the coins.
He'd been traveling back to his compound in Pakistan with Abu Khan after meeting with the Taliban leaders in Kandahar. The American drones still targeted vehicles in Taliban territory and they'd gone on foot, accompanied by a mule to carry supplies. Their weapons were hidden. From the air, they were just two more Afghani peasants.
They weren't far from the border with Pakistan, where his men would meet him with vehicles to take them the rest of the way. It was late in the day and Afridi had begun to think about making camp for the night.
Afridi and Khan were walking at the bottom of a canyon, following the bed of an ancient watercourse. The ground underneath was a mixture of gravel, rock and coarse sand. Steep rock walls rose above them for thousands of feet on either side.
The mule began tossing his head and braying, pulling on the rope halter Khan used to lead him.
"Stupid beast," Kahn said. He struck the mule with a stick and yanked on the halter. "I'll be glad when we're rid of you."
Overhead a flock of birds took flight, wings beating frantically against the thin mountain air.
The ground trembled beneath their feet. Kahn and Afridi looked at one another. Earthquakes were common in this region. Both spoke at once.