Rachel-san picked up. ‘It’s me,’ I said, without further identification. ‘I need to talk to the big guy.’
‘Listen,’ I said, as soon as he had come to the phone. I didn’t have time for small talk. ‘You said you found the woman’s application for a driver’s licence—’
‘That’s right.’
‘She was born in Saudi – where? What town?’
‘Hold on,’ he said, and I could hear him padding his way towards his office.
‘The application’s in front of me,’ he said after a short break. ‘ “Jeddah”, it says. A place called Jeddah.’
‘Thanks,’ I replied. ‘Great work.’ I was about to hang up, but he got in first.
‘Did you hear what happened?’ he asked.
‘About Leavenworth?’
‘Yeah. I told you they’d bleed me out then double-cross me. I hate this but … I have to ask … I need help.’
There was a catch in his voice, and he had to pause to master his emotions. ‘I can do it – do the time, I mean – but I’ll lose Rachel. She wants kids – I can’t ask her to wait and give it up. Five years’ reduction is all I’m asking. I don’t know who you really are but—’
‘That’s enough,’ I said, more harshly than I meant, but I couldn’t allow him to go anywhere near the topic of my identity in case somebody was listening. ‘I know people,’ I said hurriedly. ‘I promise – I’ll do what I can.’
‘Yeah, sure,’ he said sarcastically and, while I understood that he had been used and screwed, I didn’t appreciate it.
‘I’m not like the people who nailed you,’ I said, voice rising. ‘If I give you my word, I mean it. I’ll do everything possible. Okay?! Now, I’ve got a few problems of my own—’
‘Sure, sure,’ he said. I think he found my anger more reassuring than any words I could have said, and I hung up.
My next call was to Whisperer. Again, there was no need for introductions. ‘I know his name,’ I said quietly.
I don’t think in the history of covert intelligence such a bombshell had ever been met by so much silence. After what seemed like an eternity, Whisperer responded: ‘You mean the guy in Afghanistan?’
‘Yeah. Name of al-Nassouri. He’s the cop’s brother.’
There it was – done. The organism had fulfilled its fate; it had relayed the information. If I had died then, it wouldn’t have mattered – the mission would survive.
‘What else?’ Whisperer asked.
‘Not much yet – born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,’ I said.
‘Saudi? Ask me why I’m not surprised,’ Whisperer replied.
‘Another few hours and I should have his full name and date of birth. I’m hoping to get a photo.’
‘Where the hell are you?!’ he asked suddenly. For only the second time in recorded history he had raised his voice. I figured that the automatic trace on my phone had just appeared on his computer screen and it was showing that I was in the middle of the Mediterranean. But it wasn’t really about him being alarmed by my location – the emotion, the stress, the relief, had broken through for Dave McKinley. We had a name, we had an identity, we had a man to hunt. Now it was just a matter of time.
‘I’m on board TA473 en route to Beirut,’ I said. ‘I need assistance getting to Jeddah and a lot of help on the ground when I get there.’
‘We’ll talk about that in a minute. First, how long before you can give me an update with the rest of the details?’
I looked at my watch and did a fast calculation of flying time and document searches. ‘Twelve hours – I should have what we need by then.’
‘Sure?’
‘Yeah.’
‘I’m at the office now,’ he said, ‘but I won’t be then. I’ll be down the road – you know the place. We’ll be waiting for your call.’
He meant the White House, and he’d be in the Oval Office with the president.
Chapter Two
I UNLOCKED THE bathroom door and came face to face with half a dozen pissed-off passengers who had summoned a flight attendant. It was clear from the tilt of her jaw that she had justice on her mind.
‘People have been knocking on the door,’ she said icily.
‘Yes, I heard ’em,’ I replied. It was true, but what was I gonna do – hang up on the director of intelligence?
‘You know it’s an offence to use a cellphone in flight.’
I nodded. God, I was tired. ‘Yeah,’ I said. ‘I know.’