70
Returning to the hotel, Marcus ordered room service.
He took a quick shower, shaved, dressed in a suit and tie, and donned his shoulder holster. When the eggs, fruit, and coffee came, he scarfed them down, brushed his teeth, put his Sig Sauer in the holster, attached the magazines and phone to his belt, and slipped his badge and ID in his pocket. Finally he put on his raincoat, grabbed his umbrella, and headed back down to the lobby.
Rather than drive and have to find parking, he asked a bellman to hail him a taxi. When the cab arrived, he told the driver to take him to the gate closest to the Temple Mount. Twenty minutes later, he had cleared security and entered the offices of the Waqf, where he asked a veiled woman if he could see Dr. Mashrawi.
“Do you have an appointment, Agent Ryker?”
“No, but I only need a few minutes of his time.”
“I’m so sorry, but he’s not in, and I don’t expect him for another hour, but . . .”
Just as she said this, however, Hussam Mashrawi came through the door.
“Agent Ryker, I was not expecting you,” said the Palestinian.
“Sorry for the intrusion. Is there a place where we can talk?”
“Of course —right this way.”
They headed to his cramped office, and Marcus waited until he shut the door.
“Is something wrong?” Mashrawi asked.
“No, but what I’m going to tell you is highly confidential,” Marcus said.
“I don’t understand.”
Marcus lowered his voice. “President Clarke is coming after all.”
“Pardon?”
“He’s not going to give the address here. That will be done from the Oval Office on Monday night in prime time. But he has decided to visit the dome and the mosque, along with Prime Minister Eitan and a guest.”
“Who?”
“Again, this is completely confidential.”
“I understand, but who’s the guest?”
“King Faisal Mohammed Al Saud.”
Mashrawi was stunned. “Here? All three of them?”
“Yes,” Marcus said. “So there’s going to be a lot of people coming here soon to make preparations. I’m going to need your help, and not just on all the logistics.”
“I’m not sure I understand.”
“Dr. Mashrawi, I’m trusting you with this information, as sensitive as it is, because you seem like a serious, reasonable man.”
“Thank you,” the Palestinian said hesitantly.
“But I have to trust you with something else, as well.”
“What’s that?”
Marcus paused again. He wished Pete were still with him. He always felt better with Pete at his side, but his best friend had been ordered to accompany Annie and the senator back to Washington.
“To be candid, we’re not convinced we can trust the Grand Mufti,” Marcus said.
Mashrawi looked puzzled. “May I ask why not?”
“Your father-in-law has made a number of inflammatory statements over the years, not just against Israel but against the U.S. and against the president,” Marcus replied. “We’ve done a careful search of the record, and we don’t find any such statements by you. So I’d like to think I can count on you in the days ahead.”
“Whatever you need, of course, I’m at your service,” Mashrawi said. “But I can assure you, you and your team have misjudged the Grand Mufti.”
“How so?”
“It is true, of course, that he has very strong feelings about Palestine and the occupation and the biased role of successive American governments —not just the current one. He doesn’t deny this. Indeed, he’s quite open about his views. And why shouldn’t he be? He loves his people. He grieves for their suffering. He sees it as his duty to be their voice —not as a politician, mind you, but as a cleric. He sees it as his duty to speak up for the poor and dispossessed, for all those who are suffering injustices at the hands of an occupier. Can you really blame him for this? Can you really hold this against him? Should he remain blind to such crimes, much less mute?”
“Don’t get me wrong, Dr. Mashrawi,” Marcus countered. “The Grand Mufti has every right to say what he wants. My concern is not his political views, per se. I’m here solely to see to the safety and well-being of the president, the prime minister, and the king. Obviously they will be sending representatives to meet with you as well in the coming days. But in light of the recent attacks, it is my job —along with my colleagues —to assess and mitigate risks. We’re concerned that your father-in-law’s views could encourage extremists to feel that they have the moral, even religious, duty to take some sort of hostile action against these leaders when they visit.”
“I believe your concerns are ill-founded.”
“Perhaps, but you’ll forgive me if I inform you that we’ll be taking every precaution to ensure that the visit here goes smoothly and without incident.”
“And I hope you’ll believe me, Agent Ryker, that the Grand Mufti and I want exactly the same thing,” Mashrawi said.
“Then you’ll help me with everything I need?”
“Of course. Do you have a list?”
“I do,” said Marcus, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a sheet of paper. “Twenty-three things I’ll need in the next seventy-two hours, beginning with another meeting with the Grand Mufti.”