Krivi knew Rao was on edge. He needed a diversion to keep him busy until it was time to send the missile on its way.
"Afridi has left his compound," Krivi said.
Rao tensed at the mention of his enemy.
"Where is he going?"
"West, toward Afghanistan. He has a dozen men with him. What's interesting is that he has taken tools with him."
"Tools?"
"Shovels and picks, the kind of thing you need to dig. Do you remember when we first met at the temple?" Krivi said.
"Of course."
"I said that few dreamed of returning the Eye of Shiva to its rightful place."
"Yes. I wondered how you knew I wanted that."
"I think our enemy knows where part of the Mughal treasure is hidden and he's going after it. What if the Eye is part of that?"
The Eye! Rao's heart skipped a beat.
"It's possible," Rao said. His voice betrayed his excitement. "Afridi had gold coins, old ones. I wanted to find out where they came from before I killed him. I thought they might lead to the Eye. If it's there, we must recover it."
Krivi nodded, looking serious. "It would be a great service to Lord Shiva."
"I'll need his exact location."
"When he gets to where he's going I'll be able to give it to you," Krivi said.
"If he finds the Eye, I will take it from him. With his life."
Rao's face was ugly with hatred. Krivi stood, clasped his hands together and bowed slightly.
"Namaste," he said. "Wait for my call." He turned and left the cafe.
Rao considered the problem. Only two things mattered. Retrieving the jewel, if it could be found, and killing Afridi. Once he knew where Afridi was he'd send Ijay after him. Ijay was still in Srinagar, waiting for instructions.
Rao poured bottled water into a glass and took his first dose of the new medicine Krivi had brought.
CHAPTER 50
Stephanie and Elizabeth were in Steph's office when her computer beeped. "Cobra is using his phone," she said.
She turned on the speaker. They listened to the call ringing. Someone answered. Rao began speaking.
"Hindi, again," Elizabeth said.
The conversation lasted about a minute. When it was over, Elizabeth called Nick.
"Yes, Director."
"Nick, Cobra just made a call. Put Selena on and I'll play it for her."
"She's right here."
Selena came on the line.
"Cobra made a call," Elizabeth said. "I need you to tell us what he said."
"Okay."
Stephanie played the call.
In Srinagar, Selena said, "Run it one more time."
Stephanie did.
"He's talking to the same man as before," Selena said, "Ijay. Is Afridi on the move?"
"Yes."
"Cobra is waiting to hear exactly where Afridi is going. Once he knows, he's sending Ijay after him."
"Waiting to hear from whom?"
"He didn't say."
"What will he do if they catch him?" Elizabeth asked.
"He didn't say that either. But my guess is he wants to kill him."
"Let me speak with Nick."
When Nick took the phone, Elizabeth said, "Afridi has left his compound. He's traveling in a convoy headed for Afghanistan. Selena will brief you on the call from Cobra. We'll watch Afridi from here. Once we know where he's going or what he's doing, I'll let you know. There's not much you can do at the moment."
Nick said, "There are troops everywhere and the Indians are moving heavy armor. The desk clerk said that the roads out of town are packed with people leaving the city. What's happening?"
"India and Pakistan are about to get into it," Elizabeth said. "It looks like the curtain's going up any time and Srinagar is stage center. War between those two always seems to kick off in Kashmir."
"You know," Nick said, "when I was a kid I read about the Vale of Kashmir. It sounded like one of the most beautiful places in the world. Magical, like a fairy tale for real. I always wanted to go there."
"Well," Elizabeth said, "it looks like you got your wish."
"Yeah. But in the descriptions I read people were admiring the scenery, they weren't getting ready to kill each other."
"Did you hook up with Langley's asset?"
"Yes."
"You don't sound enthusiastic."
"He's an old guy," Nick said. "It's hard to think he'll be much use if we get into it with Afridi or anyone else."
"Hood says he's one of the best," Elizabeth said. "He got a Navy Cross in Vietnam. They almost gave him a CMO."
"That makes me feel a lot better knowing that. You'd never guess by looking at him."
"You know I don't like to tell you how to do your job," Elizabeth said.
"That means you're about to," Nick said. "What is it?"
"I want you to wait and see what happens between Cobra and Afridi. There's no need for you to get mixed up in the middle of that. One of them is going to come out on top. Wait and see which one and go from there."
"Where is Afridi now?"
Elizabeth looked at the monitor and the image of Afridi's convoy.
"He's in the Khyber Pass, about to cross into Afghanistan."
CHAPTER 51
The Khyber Pass was a major gateway between West and East. The old Silk Road connecting the Mediterranean to China had come through the pass. Invading armies seeking to plunder the riches that lay beyond the snow-capped peaks had fought and died by the thousands in the narrow defile. In the days of Marco Polo and the trade caravans the route had been little more than a steep and difficult, rocky trail. Now there was a modern, blacktop highway. The camels had given way to trucks and armored personnel carriers.
Afridi signaled a stop when they reached the summit. They were still five kilometers inside Pakistan. Around them the market center of Landi Khotal bustled with tradesmen and trucks bearing goods from both sides of the mountains. Merchants eyed the heavily armed pickups and gave them a wide berth.
Afridi got out to stretch and look out over the view. The day was clear, the sky cloudless. A constant wind blew through the pass, bringing with it the smell of dust and spices and the passage of time. To the west, a long series of switchbacks descended to the brown landscape of the arid Lowyah Dakkah plain in Afghanistan. To the east, the plains of Peshawar were turning green after the passing of the monsoon rains.
Afridi thought of his ancestors, warriors among the invading hoards from the west, a scourge upon the Hindu unbelievers.
With God's help, I will raise a new scourge upon them, he thought.
All that was needed was a spark to ignite the wrath of the faithful. That, and the weapons to arm them. The spark had been struck at the mosque in Srinagar. Afridi intended to fan it into flames. The weapons waited only for gold to buy them. Gold that lay in a forgotten canyon, mixed with the bones of elephants.
After the men had refreshed themselves, Afridi ordered everyone back into the trucks. They headed toward Afghanistan.
Once down from the pass, the convoy turned south and then back into the mountains, following the alternate route Afridi had taken on foot months before. An hour before dark, they arrived in the canyon where he'd found the coins.
Everything was as it had been. The scar left by the landslide that sent the elephant to its doom was a gray line down the side of the mountain. At it's foot, the huge pile of rock and debris lay where it had fallen centuries ago.
"Post sentries," Afridi said to Sayeed. "The Shinwari will know we're here. They need to see we're ready for them if they try anything."
"The men are hungry."
"Let them eat while it's still light. No fires. Split everyone into two groups. Feed one, while the rest stand guard. Then the other. We'll begin clearing the rocks tomorrow."