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Raj’s head snapped back and he lost his balance, falling backwards. Kodak moved swiftly to catch him as he flew out of the van. He shot Kai a look of reproach and lowered Raj to the floor.
Stunned silence fell over the group as they all stared at the angry, red mark perfectly placed on Raj’s forehead.
“We need to talk about blood splatter,” Kai said calmly, putting the gun down. “When I shoot Masha’al with these rubber bullets, the Americans need to see blood splatter.”
“What the—” Raj sat up as the stars cleared and shook his head. “God that hurt! What the hell?!”
“Don’t ever bring up a woman’s cycle, man,” Kodak said, shaking his head. “You’re lucky she went for the rubber bullets. Her right is no joke, and it would have left a bigger bruise and hurt a hell of a lot more.”
“You...you just shot Raj,” Asher stuttered, staring up into the van at Kai. “You didn’t even blink.”
“They’re rubber bullets, Ash, or did you miss the fact that he’s sitting up and complaining already?”
“That’s not the point. You didn’t even hesitate.”
“If I’ve decided to pull the trigger, I don’t hesitate.” She jumped down out of the van. “Besides, he was irritating me.”
“You shot me!” Raj exclaimed, glaring at her. “You b—”
“Who shot you?”
Jared’s voice interrupted him and they all turned to look as he crossed the warehouse with bags in either hand.
“Ruby!” Raj sputtered, struggling to his feet and gingerly feeling his forehead. “I’m going to have a bullseye on my forehead for days! It’s already swelling.”
“Oh don’t be such a baby,” Kai muttered, moving past him. “You’re not even bleeding.”
“I assume you had a reason?” Jared asked, the faintest hint of a laugh in his dark eyes.
“Blood splatter. I was demonstrating why we need it for the Americans.”
“It’s easy enough to set off a blood pack at the same time,” Rina said, hopping out of the van. “One of us can fire it the same time you shoot Masha’al. Is that shawarma I smell?”
“Yes. I brought lunch.” Jared set the bags in the back of the open van, glancing at the boxes inside. “Is this all of it?”
“Yes. We’re ready to invade Cuba. Just say the word,” Kodak said with a grin, reaching for the bag closest to him.
“I’ll settle for Tanta,” he replied, turning to look at Asher. “Is everything ready?”
“I think so. The model is uploading to the virtual reality units now. It should be ready soon.”
“Good. Then you have time to eat before we run through it.”
“A blood pack won’t work,” Kodak said, as he pulled containers out of the bag. “It won’t look realistic. A bullet wouldn’t spray blood out of his forehead. It would ooze.”
“Unless we’re shooting him with a .45,” Kai pointed out with a grin. “Then it would spray, but out of the back of his head.”
“Exactly.”
“If you were using a .22, there wouldn’t be any blood splatter,” Jared said, looking around. “So why are we worrying about it?”
“Ruby thinks the Americans will find it more believable,” Rina said, selecting a container with a chicken shawarma sandwich and pickled vegetables. “Although, if they’re rappelling down at the time, and the balcony explodes directly afterwards, I’m not sure they’ll notice blood or the lack thereof.”
“Perhaps not,” Kai admitted after a moment of thought. “To be safe, we could fire a blood packet at the wall behind him and then, if they look after he’s down, there’s blood on the wall.”
“Just as an added touch?” Rina pursed her lips. “That would put synthetic material where they’ll be expecting DNA. It might have the opposite effect.”
“Wouldn’t the explosions that level the house obliterate it anyway?” Asher asked. “That’s why we’re doing it right? To get rid of any evidence that would indicate that Masha’al’s still alive?”
“He’s right,” Kodak nodded. “Raj is ramping up the heat so that some of the bodies will be vaporized. That will also erase any trace of synthetic blood.”
“And DNA, for that matter,” Raj said, reaching for one of the containers. “But we’re still planting DNA, right?”
“Yes. It’s better to do it right. You never know what will survive and what won’t.” Kai smiled in thanks as Kodak handed her a container of food. “Rina already has the trace DNA ready.”
“How did you get it?” Asher asked.
“I didn’t. I recreated it from Interpol records,” she said with a grin. “You’re not the only one with skills around here, Ash.”
He stared at her. “That’s impossible! It will never pass a match test!”
“It only needs to get to a seventy percent match,” Jared interjected, his voice mild. “At that point, the Americans will buy it.”
“But...how...she would need a full lab! And time!” Asher protested. “There’s no way she did it in a few days here!”
Kai laughed and clapped him on the back of his shoulder as she passed him on her way to the chairs in the warehouse.
“They’re pulling your leg, Asher,” she told him. “Jared got a DNA sample from Mossad.”
Rina grinned and winked at him as he stuttered in indignation.
“Sorry, Ash,” she said as she and Jared turned to follow Kai. “You should have seen your face, though. Totally worth it!”
“It’s not nice to joke about science,” he called after her.
“It’s not nice to shoot someone in the head, either, but here we are,” Raj muttered around a mouthful of meat and flatbread. “They’re both insane.”
“Maybe so, but they put this op together in less than twenty-four hours,” Kodak said, looking up from where he had made himself comfortable on the edge of the van bed. “I’ll let them slide. Everyone needs to release pressure sometimes. God knows we’re all under a lot of it right now.”
“You’re not the one who just got shot in the forehead.”
“True.” Kodak grinned. “That’s not something I’ll forget anytime soon.”
“Do you think we can pull this off?” Asher asked suddenly, looking up from his sandwich. “I mean, really?”
Kodak looked at him for a moment, then shrugged.
“I don’t know, Asher,” he said in a low voice. “But I’ll tell you this much: if we don’t, it won’t be because of anything Ruby or Rina did or didn’t do. They’ve planned this down to the last detail. You’ll see when we run through your virtual house of fun.”
“If we don’t pull this off, it’ll be because someone else has a jump on us,” Raj agreed unexpectedly. “That’s the only way we fail.”
“Or if fate decides otherwise,” Kodak muttered.
“Or that.”
Asher looked at Raj in surprise. “I thought you didn’t believe in a superior power.”
“Spiritually, I don’t. But fate, my friend, is different. It’s like karma. It exists. I don’t know how or why, but I know it does.”
“Well, I hope fate keeps her nose out of this one,” Asher said. “It’s going to be difficult enough without uncontrollable forces at work.”
“Everything will be fine,” Raj said, scooping up a pile of pickled vegetables with the edge of his flatbread. “We’ll work out any kinks with your virtual compound today, and tomorrow will be a walk in the park.”
“You keep saying that,” Kodak said, shaking his head. “And every time you do, I become more and more convinced that we’ll end up in the middle of a shambles of epic proportions.”
“That’s because you insist on worrying about every little thing,” Raj said promptly. “You need to relax. We’ve got this. What can go wrong?”
“With the Americans? Everything.” Kodak looked up. “Like you said, if we fail, it will be because someone else got a jump on us.”
“I can guarantee the Americans aren’t getting a jump on us,” Raj said. “They won’t have the faintest idea we’re there.”
“It doesn’t have to be them. Once they’re in play, anything can go wrong. You know that.”
“But Ruby and Rina planned for early warnings,” Asher pointed out. “If the SEALs go too soon, or Masha’al gets a warning, they have a contingency plan.”
“You know, plan Bs are always plan B for a reason,” Kodak said, going back to his lunch. “You don’t want to put your faith in the contingency. If we have to resort to plan B, we’re already dead.”
Kai plugged in her laptop and pulled the thumb drive out of her bag. After four run-throughs with the virtual compound, they had finally called it a night. Jared was satisfied, as was Rina, but Kai was feeling uneasy. Everyone knew their places and assignments, and the practice had enabled them to get the timing down to the second. Kodak and Asher had constructed ‘stairs’ using crates and step stools, and Jared had played Masha’al, even going so far as to refuse to move when they were trying to get him down the stairs to the tunnel entrance. Asher had worked in some surprises in each session, throwing different scenarios into the mix that could derail the entire operation, and they had corrected and compensated for them easily. They were all professionals, and had seen their collective fair share of hiccups during an op. Because of that, there was every reason to be confident about tomorrow.
Yet she wasn’t.
She couldn’t put her finger on why she was so uneasy, but she knew Kodak and Asher felt the same. Rina was very difficult to read, and she seemed to be of the same mind as Raj. Raj believed everything would fall into place, and it would end up being a quick and easy success.
Kai pulled out the chair in front of a small, rickety desk and sat down, opening her laptop. While she hoped he was right, she doubted that it would turn out to be the case. There were too many unknown factors that could throw the whole operation off.
Factors like the Americans.
Her lips tightened as she logged into her computer. The weather reports were holding steady, and as long as the forecast remained clear, the SEALs would arrive as planned. But if anything changed after she and the others were already in place inside the compound, they would have to improvise and risk losing their only chance to convince the Americans that Masha’al was dead. It would be the worst case scenario and, Kai reminded herself, the worst case scenarios rarely ever came to pass. It was always something minor that threw everything off the rails.
Something like an unknown player inserted the day before.
Shaking her head, Kai focused on the screen before her, trying to set aside her misgivings. It was too late to worry about it now. Shira was in place, they were set and ready to go first thing in the morning, and the operation was moving forward. Whatever would be, would be. All she could do was focus on her job and execute the plan. The rest would have to take care of itself.
Clicking on the thumb drive, she opened the file Asher had saved the night before. It had just opened when a knock sounded on her hotel door and she frowned, glancing at her watch. Closing the laptop, she got up, pulling her Jericho from her back holster as she moved silently towards the door. Holding the pistol with two hands, she stopped in front of the peephole and looked out. Kodak stared back at her.
Kai exhaled and reached out to unlock the door. Opening it, she raised her eyebrow and looked out at him.
“Lost?” she asked.
“In this neighborhood? Not likely.” He grinned. “Can I come in?”
She stepped back and motioned him in, tucking her gun back into the holster as he stepped into the room.
“Asher told me where to find you,” he said as she closed the door behind him. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“That depends on why you’re here.” She moved around him and went towards the desk again. “I’d offer you a drink, but the room doesn’t come with a mini bar.”
“I’m not surprised.” Kodak sat down on the edge of the bed, looking around. “Why are you staying in this place? I understand not wanting to stay in the hotel with the rest of them, but why here?”
“Why not?” She tilted her head to look at him curiously. “The rest of them?” she repeated. “You’re not staying there?”
He smiled and shook his head. “No. You and I think a lot alike, but I chose somewhere unlikely to have things living in the mattress.”
Kai let out an involuntary laugh. “It’s not that bad. It’s clean. It’s just short on charm and amenities.”
“You still haven’t answered the question. Why here?”
She shrugged. “It’s away from the tourists, and no one looks twice when you come and go.”
“Complete anonymity?”
“Something like that.”
He nodded and leaned his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped loosely between them.
“Raj told me about what happened in the alley,” he said, glancing up at her. “I can’t say I blame you for wanting to hide away from the rest from us. Maybe this whole team idea wasn’t one of Jared’s best efforts.”
“None of us could have pulled this off alone. It was his only choice.”
“Agreed, but at what cost? You’re compromised because Raj got himself into hot water, and tomorrow I’m walking into that compound and exposing myself to a shady friend of his with questionable scruples and even more doubtful reliability. That’s three of us who have lost our biggest weapon: invisibility.” He got up restlessly and paced the short distance to the window, pulling the dark curtain back and looking out into the night. “You know as well as I do that without it we’re dead.”
“I’ll be all right, and so will you,” she said. “Raj...well, he’s on his own. Jared took care of the men in the alley who could have identified me, and you’ll have most of your face covered tomorrow. Is it ideal? No. Are we skilled enough to overcome the challenges that might come up because of it? Of course.”
He looked over his shoulder at her. “Do you really believe that?”
Kai met his brown eyes and nodded. “Yes.”
He held her gaze for a moment, then turned his attention back outside. “And this op? Do you think it will be as easy as it was today in the warehouse?”
“No.” She sighed and sat back in her chair, rubbing her face. “I don’t know why, but I feel like something is...I don’t know. Wrong.”
“But you don’t know what?”
“No.”
“That’s how I feel.” Kodak turned away from the window, releasing the curtain. “I wish we had more time.”
“Yes, but we don’t.” She shrugged and dropped her hands away from her face. “We just have to keep our eyes open and be prepared for anything.”
He grunted and walked back to the bed, sitting once again. “I’m glad you’re with us,” he said unexpectedly. “I can’t think of a better person to have on my team.”
Kai stared at him, startled, and he laughed at the look on her face.
“It’s true,” he insisted. “I don’t trust anyone, but I have to say that I’m very comfortable knowing you have my six.”
“I don’t know how I’m supposed to respond to that.”
“Take it as it’s intended, one of the highest compliments I can give, and let’s move on.” Kodak reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper, holding it out to her. “Before you take this, are you sure you want to go down this road?”
Eyeing the innocuous piece of paper, Kai felt a strange sense of apprehension go through her.
“Is that what I think it is?” she asked, raising her eyes to his. He nodded and she exhaled, holding out her hand. “I never do anything without being sure.”
He passed her the paper, a short laugh escaping. “I should have known that would be your response.”
She unfolded the paper and looked at the number. “What’s this?”
“It’s a phone number. That will get you to one of his agents and they’ll arrange the deal. You tell him what you want, and he’ll take care of it. They can get anything. You name it, they have it, or can acquire it quickly. The first time you call, you’ll need to give him the passcode, and then your name. The passcode is under the phone number. Memorize it. It’s the only way they’ll verify you each time you contact them. As for your name, they know you as Ruby. I had to be specific. They know you’re Mossad, just as I am.”
“What?!”
“Calm yourself. It’s fine. They would find out anyway, and then they’d kill you for lying. Trust me. It’s better to be up front with these people. They don’t care who you work for, or what you do with the gear. They have two rules. Pay on delivery, and never pass on their name without asking them first. Don’t break those and you’ll be fine.”
“And don’t lie to them, so that’s three rules. Any more I should know about?”
“Don’t trust them as far as you can throw them, but I don’t think you would anyway, would you? No. I didn’t think so.”
“And this number is to your supplier here in Cairo?”
He smiled. “That number is to my only supplier.”
Kai frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“There is only one supplier that I work with, and he has agents in cities all over the world. That number will get you to a contact who will then connect you with an agent in the city you’re in.”
“So it’s like a switchboard?” she asked incredulously.
That elicited a laugh from him. “Not quite. Whoever answers that number will be your direct contact for as long as you do business with them. Your contact will never change. Think of him as a dedicated sales rep. If you ever call that number and someone else answers, I’d advise you to hang up and run for your life.”
Kai glanced down at the paper in her hand. “My own dedicated sales rep, huh?”
He grinned. “Yes, and believe me, those numbers do not come easily. I had to personally vouch for you, so please don’t do anything to make me regret it.”
“I don’t intend to.” She looked at him curiously. “And the one who runs it? Have you ever met him?”
“Yes, but don’t expect to for quite a while. He rarely makes an appearance. Once you’ve built a relationship with them and he begins to trust you, then he’ll come to the pick-up to meet you in person. I think it’s more of a matter of getting to know the people who spend the most with him. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that every deal isn’t approved personally by him. He runs his business personally and knows every purchase and, more importantly, who is making it. If he begins to suspect that something’s off with someone, he stops approving the deals, and the relationship is terminated.”
“You seem to know quite a bit about his organization.”
“I’m telling you what I was told by the person who first passed me my phone number.” Kodak shrugged. “It’s all word of mouth. No emails. No paper. Nothing traceable. He guarantees you clean, untraceable merchandise and, in return, you guarantee that you will never divulge where you obtained said merchandise. It’s a good little set-up, actually.”
“Yes, right up until someone offers him more to expose you than you’re paying for his merchandise.”
Kodak grinned. “Well, he is a businessman. It’s one of the better arrangements that I’ve found, believe me.”
She chuckled reluctantly. “Oh, I do. And I appreciate this.” She held up the paper. “I’ll follow the rules, no worries. You won’t have any reason to regret vouching for me.”
“I know.” He stood up. “I wouldn’t have done it, otherwise.”
Kai stood as he turned towards the door. “Kodak?” He turned to look at her and she smiled. “Thank you.”
“You already thanked me.”
“I meant for what you said earlier.”
The smile that curved his lips was slow and his eyes creased at the edges as he looked down at her.
“There’s no need to thank me. It’s the truth. There’s no one I’d rather have in charge out there tomorrow. No matter what happens, I know you’ll fight like the devil. And in the end, that’s all that counts.”
