The marble dome glistened gold and milky white in the glow of the moon. The four minarets, set symmetrically about the mosque, framed the intricately carved mausoleum and were reflected in a long shimmering pool of water.
Cammy stared at the sight from her hotel room balcony as she checked her watch. The general and their new satellite system manager should be here any minute now. The entire Bandaq group and what was left of the American advance team had slept much of the day and then had been honored at a lavish banquet.
Toasts were made to continued friendship between the United States and India, the world’s largest democracy. A citation on behalf of the prime minister had been given to Bandaq with special recognition for Dr. Cameron Talbot and her missile defense system which “promised to add a moral dimension—saving lives—to the complexities of modern warfare.”
As for Hunt, he had been seated at a separate table, and she had carefully avoided him all evening. Now that the festivities were over, it was time to put her plan into effect. She heard a quiet knock on the door and walked over to open it.
“Jack, Sam, come on in,” she beckoned to her boss and the other Bandaq colleague. “I thought those speeches would never end.”
“Yes, they were pretty long-winded. Kind of like some of the testimonial dinners we have back in D.C.,” the general observed. “But you have to admit it was nice having all those government types drinking toasts to your bravery.”
“And to Q-3,” Sam added.
“Speaking of Q-3, we’ve got a call to make,” Cammy said, motioning to the telephone on the desk. “There are two more phones in here. One by the bed and one in the bathroom. Jack, why don’t you listen in the bedroom. I’ll take the other one.”
“Are you sure this is the right way to go?” Sam asked.
“Damn right, I’m sure,” Cammy answered forcefully. “If that bastard is planning to get his hands on Q-3 or even disclose our operating procedures, we’ve got to nail him now, before we get back to the states.”
“Cammy’s right,” Jack said. “If we can get him to implicate himself, or even hint that he’s willing to talk about a deal, we’ll get our Embassy to intervene.”
“You know the script, right?” Cammy asked.
Sam sighed, sat down in the chair and pulled the phone to the edge of the desk. “Okay, pick up your extensions. Let’s get this over with.”
“Colonel Daniels here.”
“Good evening, sir,” Sam said in an even tone.
“Who is this?”
“Just a friend.”
“What friend?”
“Someone who would like to do business with you.”
“What kind of business? How did you know I was here?” Hunt asked.
“With all the publicity about this mission and the success of Q-3 today, it wasn’t hard to track you down.”
“It’s pretty late. What do you want?”
“Q-3.” Sam said.
“What do you mean, you want Q-3? It’s not for sale.”
“Are you sure about that? I have information that a number of others have been trying to acquire it. Strictly for defensive purposes, of course.”
“What others?” Hunt demanded.
“Let’s just say that with the demonstration this morning, the price that certain interested parties are willing to pay has gone up.”
“What’s that got to do with me?”
“I understand that you have a close relationship to this Dr. Talbot. So if you could facilitate the transfer of this software, my people would double any other offers you may have.”
“What other offers?”
“Please, Colonel Daniels. Let’s not be coy. We know there are many interested parties. Now then, shall we talk numbers?”
There was a long pause. Cammy held the phone to her ear, straining to detect Hunt’s reaction to the proposition.
More silence.
“Colonel Daniels? I asked if you’d like to talk numbers. Do you wish to name your price?”
Another pause.
“I need time. Where can I reach you?” Hunt asked.
Cammy started shaking as she held on to the receiver.
“You can’t reach me,” Sam said,” but I can reach you. How much time do you need?”
“There’s going to be a field test in another week or so,” Hunt said.
“Yes. We have intelligence on that.”
“You certainly are well-informed.”
“We try to cover all the bases,” Sam said. “But surely you’d like to reach an agreement . . . with my people . . . before the test. Am I correct?”
Hunt hesitated a moment. “I might. In fact, it’s possible that I could get some preliminary information tonight.”
Cammy shook her head in amazement.
“The sooner the better,” Sam said. “Shall I call you first thing in the morning?”
“You’re sure I can’t contact you if I come up with something?”
“No. I’m moving around quite a bit. But it’s good to know that we’ll be working together. I can assure you, we’ll make it worth your while.”