74 |

Outside Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

 

Sheikh Khalid bin Al Jabar sat in his chair, one that sat on a pedestal with a hand control allowing him to spin gently so he could take in the entire breathtaking display. To say he was once again excited with life, would be an understatement.

He was ecstatic.

And it was all because of the man who now stood beside him.

“What do you think?”

Tankov shrugged. “Not my style. Too garish.”

Khalid chuckled. “I think you are missing the point. Whether or not you think it is aesthetically pleasing, you are looking at something that is priceless, and one of a kind. Never before, and never again, shall there be a room such as this. This is worth half a billion dollars by some estimates. Nobody today would ever build such a thing. You are in the presence of something that most can’t even conceive of, and you shrug your shoulders.”

Tankov smiled. “I’m not in it for the art, I’m in it for the money and the thrill.”

Khalid sighed. “It’s really too bad. Some of the pieces you have retrieved for me and my fellow collectors, are truly quite remarkable, yet you cannot appreciate what they mean.”

Tankov stared at the walls surrounding them. “I appreciate the money they represent.”

Khalid shook his head, giving up. “Now that you have one hundred million Euros, what will you do?”

Tankov turned toward him. “I think I’ll relax on a beach for a while until the next job comes along.”

Khalid nodded. “How much more do you need?”

Tankov wagged a finger at him. “Now it’s you who don’t understand. “It’s not all about the money, it’s all about the mission. We get to do what we want, when we want, with no consequences except success or death. There’s no in between.”

Khalid’s head bobbed slowly as he thought about what was just said. “I understand completely.” He extended a hand, Tankov shaking it. “Call me the next time you have something of interest come across your radar.”

Tankov bowed slightly. “Rest assured, sir, you will hear from us again.” He pointed at his face. “Though you might not recognize me.”