"Please don't say we could be walking down the street and get hit with a meteor."
Nick laughed. Then he got serious. "You haven't answered my question. Do you still want to get married?"
Selena looked down at the covers and plucked at the sheet. "You know I love you," she said.
His face closed down. "Guess I've got my answer."
"I didn't say no."
"You didn't say yes, either."
"Why can't we leave it like it is for now?" she said. "It's worked pretty well."
"What are you afraid of?"
"I'm not afraid. It's just that the whole world seems ready to go over the cliff and we're sitting right on the edge. It doesn't feel like a good time to make plans for the long run."
"Like getting married."
"Like that."
"But you're not saying no?"
"No."
Inside, Nick relaxed a little. He wasn't sure why. Because she hadn't said no or because it meant he didn't have to take that last step.
"Come back to bed," he said.
CHAPTER 48
Abdul Afridi was angry. The slaughter at the mosque was an offense against God. It demanded retribution. He would restrain himself no longer.
Until now he'd avoided attacking targets his ISI handlers told him were off-limits. He'd kept within the constraints imposed upon him by Pakistan as conditions for receiving their money and protection. Well, the mountains offered many places he could go where Islamabad's protection was unnecessary. Pakistani money was no longer relevant. Their leaders were corrupt. He owed Islamabad nothing.
Afridi was convinced that more gold lay in the bottom of that Afghan canyon, along with whatever was left of the Peacock Throne. The elephant bones were the clue, even more than the coins. The throne had been large, made of solid gold and decorated with precious jewels. It would've been too heavy to move intact. It would have been broken down into smaller pieces, the kind of weight pack animals could handle. If he could recover even one of those pieces, the gold would buy all the explosives and weapons needed to bring down a reign of death on the Indians.
It was just after the morning prayer on the second day after he'd returned with Sayeed from Srinagar. The trucks and men were ready.
"Everything is set, Abdul," Sayeed said.
Afridi nodded approval. "You have all the tools? The explosives if we need them?"
"Everything. God willing, we will be there by tomorrow evening."
A dozen men waited by the vehicles. Three of the trucks mounted Russian KPV heavy machine guns. The KPVs fired a devastating 14.5 millimeter armor piercing round. They could shoot down low-flying aircraft and shred anything up to 3000 meters away. Two more Toyotas sported American M-60 light machine guns. He'd decided to take the quick way into Afghanistan through the Khyber pass. He'd been through many times before. There wouldn't be a problem at the border crossing, even with the guns. If he tried to take the alternate road south and west from Jamrud Fort, he'd end up in the tribal areas and certain trouble.
Everyone carried personal weapons. AKs, pistols and carbines wouldn't get a second glance from the crossing guards. A sixth truck carried the tools. Afridi hoped to fill it with treasure. He climbed into the lead vehicle. The convoy set off for the nearby mountains.
High overhead, a Global Hawk made lazy circles in the sky. Images of the vehicles streamed back to Beale Air Force Base in California. From there, the video was relayed to a list of intelligence agencies that included Langley and the Project.
It was seven at night in Virginia. Elizabeth had been alerted to the activity at Afridi's base. Now she watched the video feed with Stephanie. A string of vehicles left the compound, passed by the Pakistani air base and headed west.
"Where are they going?" Stephanie asked.
"I don't know. On that route, I'd say Afghanistan. There isn't much on the Paki side to interest them."
Stephanie got up. "I'd better make some coffee. This could take a while."
Elizabeth watched the convoy. The video was clear and detailed. She could make out the features of a man riding in the bed of the lead truck. His beard was full and black. He wore a skull cap and long robe. His baggy pants billowed around his legs as the truck sped along, trailing dust in a long cloud. A second man sat with his back against the side of the truck bed, arms clasped about his knees.
Where was Afridi going?
Stephanie came back into the room with two steaming cups. She handed one to Elizabeth.
"Black, no sugar," she said.
"Thanks." Elizabeth blew on the coffee and took a careful sip.
"Do you think Ronnie is going to make it?" Stephanie asked.
"He's tough. If anyone can survive that, he can."
"Nick and Ronnie have been friends for a long time. If Ronnie dies…"
She left the thought unfinished.
"Let's not go there," Elizabeth said. "We have to wait and see if nature will do the job."
Stephanie pointed at the screen. "They've turned onto the N5, headed for the Khyber Pass. The only place that road goes is Afghanistan."
"As we thought."
"Look at those guns. Why head into Afghanistan ready for a fight? Afridi is allied with the Taliban."
"Not with all of them," Elizabeth said. "That area by the border is under the control of a group unfriendly to everyone. They're Shinwari. Afridi is Pashtun like them but it won't make any difference. He's not one of them."
"Do we have any troops there?" Stephanie asked.
"Not any more. Security was handed over to the Afghans months ago. It never was a safe area and no one has ever been able to pacify it. It's not that far from Kabul but it might as well be on the moon, in terms of control from the capitol."
Elizabeth peered at the image. "What's he got in that last truck?"
Stephanie made an adjustment and the satellite picture zoomed in on the vehicle.
"Tools. Shovels, picks." Warning markings were visible on one of the boxes. "I think the crates are explosives."
"Tools? Why would he take tools into Afghanistan?"
"To dig something up?"
"He could have hidden supplies across the border, but I don't know why he'd do that. His handlers in Pakistan wouldn't care what he stockpiled on their territory."
"They're stopping," Stephanie said.
The driver got out of the lead vehicle and walked to the side of the road and began relieving himself.
"Men have it so damn easy," Stephanie said.
CHAPTER 49
Krivi and Rao sat in the back of a cafe in New Delhi. Krivi held a brown pill bottle in his right hand.
"This is a new medication our laboratory has developed," Krivi said. "It is experimental, but we are seeing excellent results. It will stop further growth of the tumor."
"Stop the growth?"
"Animal results are very positive."
"It hasn't been tested on humans?"
"Does it matter?" Krivi said. "What have you got to lose?"
"Give me the pills."
Krivi set the bottle down on the table.
"It may make you feel light-headed but the feeling will pass. Take four of them once a day for the next three days, then every other day. More will be delivered to you."
"Thank you."
"My sources say you were responsible for the riot in Srinagar," Krivi said. "Is it true?"
"It wasn't difficult. Everyone was already on edge. I told the commander of the garrison I had definite intelligence the Muslims were going to riot after the evening prayer. I suggested he take strong measures to disperse the gathering."
"It was well done." Krivi paused. "Have you decided on a plan?"
"For the missiles? Not yet."
"Remember, the codes are only good until the end of the month."
Rao made a dismissive gesture. "There's still time."