18

Speaking into a smartphone, Jalal said, “I’m sorry, man. That’s the way it has to be. I’m out of the business for at least the next month.”

The man on the other end said, “I don’t have the contacts you do in the Rif. How am I supposed to make this work?”

“Snyder is in Chefchaouen. He has the contacts still.”

“That idiot American? That’s who you left in charge on the Moroccan side?”

“Yes, and he’s not an idiot.”

“He smokes more of the product than he ships.”

Jalal laughed and said, “Yes, you’re probably right, but he has a business mind, and his brother will keep him from wasting too much product on himself.”

“His brother isn’t even in Morocco. He’s in Granada, running around with a pack of street musicians.”

That was news. “Granada? What’s he doing there?”

“I sent him. I’m trying to grow our network, and that place is ripe for expansion. Plenty of European expats loafing around that city, which is why your timing is horrible.”

Jalal heard a knock on his door, causing a moment of silence. He went to it and saw the Sheik through the peephole, impeccably dressed in an expensive suit and holding a canvas satchel. He said, “Look, this is just temporary. I’ll be back. You got the money I promised, yes?”

“Yeah, I just withdrew some from the ATM. The card worked.”

“And you still have the product from the last shipment, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Well, that should tide you over until I can return.”

Jalal opened the door, waving the Saudi into the little apartment. He started to speak, and Jalal held up a finger, pointing at the phone.

The man on the other end said, “Tiding me over depends on how long you’ll be gone.”

Jalal said, “Look, I can’t talk right now. I have a visitor at the door. I’ll call you later.”

Before the caller could respond, Jalal hung up the phone. His unexpected guest, looking suspicious, said, “Who was that?”

“None of your concern. Why are you here in Tangier? We were never supposed to meet at this apartment.”

The Sheik wouldn’t let it go. Waving the question away with a hand, he said, “Why were you speaking English on the phone I gave you? Who were you talking to? Tell me it wasn’t your drug-addict friends.”

Jalal quietly set the phone on the table and said, “I could not simply walk away. I have partners who trust me. Business that was not yet complete. I told you I would no longer be involved personally, and I’ve kept my word to you. I must also keep my word to others.”

He turned and placed his hands on the table, getting level with the Saudi’s face. “Do not presume because we are allies that you control me.”

The Sheik said nothing for a moment, Jalal reading the hesitation on his face. He continued, “Now, tell me why you have put our operation in jeopardy by coming to this safe house. If you are being followed in any way, you have now linked me with your actions. It’s the very reason I made you come up with the off-site meeting place two days ago.”

His visitor blustered and said, “Nobody is following me. I’m a Saudi. If anything, you would be the one under suspicion.”

Jalal nodded and said, “True, and that suspicion will only grow when a lowly Berber waif is seen meeting with such an important Saudi man.”

The condescension was not lost on his guest. He sought a different line of attack. “You talked to them on the clean phone I gave you? You accuse me of poor operational planning, and you taint the very means of success. I have done such operations before, and trust me, the digital world is much more dangerous than the real one.”

Jalal stood up, moving to the sink and pouring a glass of water. He decided to end the fight. “I’m sorry. I had no other means of communicating. I won’t use it again for such things. Let’s stop bickering. Why are you here?”

“My father agreed to your plan for the third attack. I’ll be putting significant money in your account to buy what you need. You’re sure you can deliver?”

“Yes. If you give me the identification I requested. All I need is money, and a tourist visa for the four of us to get into the United States. I don’t even need your inside man like you have for the other attacks.”

“I’m arranging for passports from Saudi Arabia. I’ll have those ready when you come back here.”

Jalal said, “Come back here? What do you mean?”

He tossed the satchel on the table. “The delivery arrived, and time is of the essence.”

“What is it?”

He explained the satchel and its contents, then said, “This needs to get on the ship in Algeciras before it leaves tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? That’s not enough time. I have to take the ferry from here, meet him, get the package built, and get it onboard in one day?”

“That’s exactly why I didn’t want to waste time on setting up a meeting. There’s a ferry leaving to Algeciras this afternoon.”

“I haven’t talked to my men in Fez yet.”

“You can do that when you come back, after I have the passports. You said the explosives were built, right?”

“Yes, but the containers are already in the holding area. Badis has access to the area, but he can’t introduce a package in broad daylight—especially if they’re loading the ship from that container zone.”

“Then you’ll have to accomplish it tonight. The port works twenty-four seven, right?”

Jalal said nothing, thinking of the timeline.

“Can you do it?”

“I don’t know. I’ll have to ask Badis. He’s the one who will make the call. What if we can’t?”

“The attack will be delayed, if not permanently stopped. When our other strike goes off, there will be an investigation. When they see it was sabotage, make no mistake, the security will be increased at ports all over the world. People will be screened. Areas will be locked down. We need this ship to be moving toward its target before then. And we need you to be moving with your men for the third attack.”

Jalal nodded and said, “Insh’Allah, if it can be done, it will be.”

The Sheik pointed at the phone on the table and said, “Use the Wickr app to let me know, and be sure to send the cell number of the triggering phone. I’ll need to pass that to our man.”

“This seems rushed. We took two years to get the men in place, and now we’re racing around like chickens.”

“I know, but it’s why you were chosen. Remember our talks in Madrid. This is the way. When all targets are attacked, it will cripple their shipping industry, and in so doing, cripple America. When the path grows hard, remember where it leads.”