Kamiti Prison
Nairobi, Kenya
Walks Many Miles checked his cell phone as soon as he exited the Kamiti Prison and saw that Brooke Grant had called. After listening to the message that she’d left, he checked the time and realized that Brooke was still on a flight traveling to her White House task force meeting in Minneapolis.
Although he knew that she wouldn’t be able to answer his call, he placed it anyway.
“Brooke, I just got finished interrogating Yaasir Sharif. I finally got him to spill his guts and he told me that you and Jennifer have been targeted,” Miles warned. “The Falcon has issued a fatwa against you both and a third person. I’m not certain who the third target is, but Sharif said it was someone high up in the U.S. military. I know you’re still flying to your meeting so I’m going to ask Langley to patch me through to the FBI. We need to get you protection and someone out to your farmhouse to watch Jennifer.”
He paused for a moment and then added, “I love you. Please, please take these threats seriously. I don’t want to lose either of you.”
The CIA and FBI have a well-documented history of rivalry and acrimony but within minutes after Miles finished briefing his CIA SAD supervisor, Miles found himself speaking to Wyatt Parker, the FBI’s assistant director for counterterrorism.
“My boss just told me,” Miles said in a concerned voice, “that someone shot General Grant less than an hour ago. I believe that shooting is linked to a fatwa issued by the Falcon, and there are two other Americans on his kill list—Major Brooke Grant and her ward, Jennifer Conner.”
“I just got off the phone with Major Grant,” Parker said reassuringly. “We had the airline connect us with her flight so we could tell her that her uncle had been shot. She should be safe on that plane and there’s a private aircraft waiting to fly her back to Washington as soon as she lands in Minneapolis.”
“That’s great, but you need to send someone out to protect Jennifer Conner too. ASAP.”
“I understand,” Parker said.
“How’s the general?” Miles asked. “No one at Langley seemed to know.”
“He’s currently in surgery and will be for some time. Critical condition. No one knows if he’ll pull through.”
“Do you know who shot him?”
“Not yet.”
“My source here in Nairobi told me the Falcon wanted a high-ranking military official dead. I’m guessing General Grant is the third person named in the fatwa.”
“That makes sense. I’ll get word to Major Grant about the fatwa as soon as we’re done speaking.”
“I already left her a message on her cell phone,” Miles said.
“You have her private cell number?”
“We’re friends. Do you know where Major Grant’s farmhouse is located? I can give you the address and directions. Jennifer Conner and her nanny, Miriam Okpara, should be there. A private security company is supposed to be protecting them but there’s already been one security breach at her farm.”
“What sort of breach?”
Miles quickly told Parker about how an intruder had managed to appear outside Jennifer’s bedroom window without setting off any alarms.
“I’ll alert the security company and send two agents to check on things,” Parker said. “If my people believe Jennifer and her nanny are in any immediate danger, they’ll get her to someplace safe.”