20:00 / 8:00 P.M. GST
Hotel staff is leaving,” Gail said, her voice betraying her excitement.
“I’m coming to you.” Kevin turned to the hit team. “Listen for my go. Annabelle will make sure you hear.”
Every one of Nir’s senses was heightened, and his adrenaline was surging. He was like a greyhound in the starting box just waiting for it to burst open.
When Kevin closed the door, Nir turned his attention to Annabelle. Even though she was sitting with her back to him and wearing some kind of floppy hat, he could tell she was a tall, well-shaped blond. Kevin had whispered that she was some kind of looker, so Nir had found himself stealing peeks at her hoping to catch a look at her face. But her attention had never left her computer screen. She also hadn’t said anything. Only the clicking of her keyboard and a strange croaking, followed by her pounding one of the keys over and over, came from her part of the room. The woman was a mystery.
But she’s a mystery to be solved another day. He turned toward the door.
“Team, go,” he heard Kevin command from down the hall.
His voice came from Annabelle’s computer, and Nir instinctually turned around. Now she was facing him, and she was spectacular. The blond hair, the face, the eyes…
Her eyes. Her incredible ice-blue eyes.
He was stunned. “Nicole?”
The door opened behind him. He hesitated a moment, then turned and followed. His mind was in complete confusion, and he bumped into James, who was holding their room door open so it wouldn’t lock behind them just in case there was a problem.
The elevator bell dinged down the hall, then Gail rounded the corner and waved them back. All four men pushed back into the room.
As soon as the door closed, Nir said, “Nicole, what are you doing here?”
She just sat there looking as stunned as he was.
A gloved hand thwacked the back of his head hard enough to make him take a step forward. He wheeled around, and David grabbed him by the shoulders. The older man pinned Nir against the wall by the bathroom door, then put his face close to Nir’s.
“Listen, I don’t know what’s going on between you two, nor do I care. Get your head in the game! If you don’t, you’ll get us all killed. Do you understand?” He’d emphasized every syllable of the last three words.
“Yes, sir,” Nir answered, still confused…and angry.
David let him go, then turned toward the door.
James whispered to Nir, “You good, man? You got this?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m good.” He faced the door, fuming.
Why didn’t she say anything? Of course, because she knew you would react exactly as you did, you idiot. Like David said, get your head in the game. You’ll have plenty of time for questions later, like what in the name of all things holy are you doing on a Mossad assassination operation in Dubai? Yeah, maybe I’ll start with that.
Gail’s voice came through the computer. “It’s a hotel guest. Kevin is engaging him.”
Two minutes passed, then Kevin’s voice said, “We’re clear. Make entrance.”
Without looking back, Nir left the room. Chester opened the door to room 230, and the four men entered.
20:24 / 8:24 P.M. GST
The car pulled up at the front of his hotel, and a doorman opened Mahmoud’s door.
Mahmoud passed his driver a bill. “Tomorrow at 10:00 in the morning, sharp?”
“Yes, sir. I will be here.”
Mahmoud entered the hotel and made his way to the elevators, his shoe bag swinging in his hand. Maybe I’ll order up some champagne tonight. I can order tomorrow’s breakfast at the same time.
The elevator dinged, and he stepped inside. The ride to the second floor was quick. As he stepped out, he saw a man off to the right talking on a phone, but Mahmoud turned left toward his room.
A pretty blond women was walking toward him in the hall, also talking on a phone. As she passed him, she said, “Salaam aleikum.”
Surprised she would speak to him, he replied, “Waaleikum us salam.”
He stopped and watched her as she walked away, appreciating the view. Once she disappeared into the elevator alcove, he turned back around.
Shaking his head, he strolled to his door, smiling. Maybe you do still have some of that old charm. He slid his key card into his door, then turned the handle and pushed it open.
Hands grabbed the front of his shirt, and he was pulled in.
20:28 / 8:28 P.M. GST
Nir and James hauled Plasma Screen into the room, and he stumbled forward, off-balance, dropping a bag to the carpeted floor. Nir clamped a gloved hand over the man’s mouth, and James pulled one of his arms high up behind his back. Once they dragged him past the bathroom, they angled him toward the bed. But Plasma Screen wasn’t ready to go down without a fight. He stomped on James’s foot and twisted from their grip, then ran for the door. But Chester had already positioned himself in the flight path.
Plasma Screen hesitated, and that one moment was all Nir and James needed. Nir’s hand went back over the man’s mouth, and James swept his feet from under him. He tumbled toward the floor, but before he hit, Nir yanked backward on his shirt, slowing him enough for a gentle landing. Their goal was to make it look like the target died of natural causes. A broken nose from a face-plant would absolutely destroy that charade.
Nir pulled a cloth from his back pocket and tied a gag in the man’s mouth. Then he took hold of both his arms, and James pinned down his legs, stopping their kicking and flailing.
“Okay, akhat, sh’tayim, shalosh,” Nir counted, and they hefted the man up and dropped him on the bed facedown.
As he and James held their target to the mattress, David stepped in.