The Eye of Shiva (15 page)

Gutenberg said, "Things seem to be going well."

"In general, yes. The Americans are incensed. It won't be long before they find convincing evidence that Pakistan was behind the attack. Rao has done a good job of misdirection. There is an unexpected complication, however."

"Oh?"

"There is always an unexpected complication," Krivi said. "There were members of the American Project at the embassy. They almost succeeded in stopping the attack."

In the past, the Project had created real trouble for the organization
. The fact that there were now seven board members instead of nine was a direct result of their interference.

"They can't know anything," Gutenberg said.

"No. Even so, it would be unwise to ignore them."

"
What action do you suggest?"

"Nothing at the moment. If we go after them now, it will only draw attention. Besides, it may not be necessary.
If it becomes necessary we'll eliminate them."

"Perhaps Secretary Rao may prove useful in that respect," Gutenberg said.

For a few moments the men were quiet, watching the streets of Geneva pass by. They took the road along the Rhone. The city began to give way to the countryside. Gutenberg's chalet was several miles outside of the city limits.

Gutenberg broke the silence. "Rao still thinks you represent some Hindu society?"

Krivi nodded. "The Eye of Shiva," he said. "In Hindu mythology, Shiva's third eye has the power to shatter the unrighteous with divine fire. Rao is obsessed with the concept. He hopes for the return of a jewel stolen centuries ago that formed the eye of an idol. It fits his longing for revenge."

"Speaking of divine fire, have you approached him yet?"

"About the missiles? Not yet, but I am sure there won't be a problem. His hatred of Pakistan runs deep. He sees me as his benefactor. The drugs I've given him make him grateful to me. They also make him susceptible to ideas that fulfill his need for revenge."

"When do you plan to approach him?"

"I'm flying back to India tomorrow, after our meeting. One of Kamarov's subsidiaries in Mumbai makes the control systems and guidance modules for the Agni III missiles. He's bringing a card to the meeting programmed with the launch and targeting codes. It will be a simple matter for Rao to insert the card on site and launch. He'll think the missile is going to hit Islamabad."

"But it won't, will it?"

"No," Krivi said. "The target is Chengdu. The Bank of China has located the majority of their servers there, as well as their gold reserves. Destruction of the city will cripple China's financial system."

The car slowed for an ornate iron gate set in a high, stone wall. The gate swung open as they approached
and they turned onto a curved drive paved with gray flagstones. The drive ended at a circular courtyard in front of an elegant 18th century chalet. The mansion sat on a spit of land jutting out into the River Rhone. A fountain in the courtyard rained a constant spray of water on laughing nymphs frolicking with Pan.

A
crest carved in stone marked the wall above the entrance to the chalet. It showed a central, radiant eye against the background of a nine-pointed star. A Latin inscription encircled the eye in raised letters.

AETERNA EST ORDO NOVUS

For an observer who understood Latin, the meaning was clear.

THE NEW ORDER IS FOREVER

Both Krivi and Gutenberg wore identical gold rings that repeated the motif. A tall, blond woman waved at them from the open door of the chalet as they got out of the limousine.

"Marta is looking forward to
your visit," Gutenberg said. "She had the chef prepare a special meal for us tonight."

"
Are the others here yet?"

"Hugh
de Guillame flew in this afternoon from Paris. Thorvaldson and Halifax arrived this morning. Mitchell's flight from Washington was delayed but he should get here later tonight. I'm afraid he'll miss dinner."

"Kamarov?"

"Delayed in Moscow. He should get here after dessert."

"It's been quite a while since we all met face to face," Krivi said. "I'm looking forward to it."

"I thought it best," Gutenberg said. "We're entering a critical phase of our plans. Being together in the same room brings out thinking you can't get in a teleconference."

"That's true," Krivi said. "
I confess I'm not looking forward to Kamarov's bad digestion."

"That man releases enough gas to float the Hindenburg," Gutenberg said.

Krivi laughed. The two men went into the chateau.

CHAPTER 28

Four
days after the attack on the embassy, the Project team assembled in Harker's office. Sunlight streaming through the windows couldn't dispel the feeling in the room. Ronnie had been transferred back to the states and was in the intensive care unit at Bethesda. His absence hung over all of them. Even the cat knew something was wrong. Burps kept going from room the room looking for him.

A folder
with an intelligence update from NSA lay on Elizabeth's desk. It put a different spin on Manila. She looked at Selena and Ronnie and Nick and paused, searching for the right words.

"
Ronnie getting hit is a blow to all of us but we have to stay focused. This isn't over yet. Before we're done we may get a chance for payback."

Nick looked as though he hadn't slept for a week. There were dark shadows under his eyes. His lips were compressed in a
thin line.

"What kind of payback?" he said.

She tapped the folder on her desk. "NSA thinks the attack on the embassy was more than just an Abu Sayyaf operation. So do I."

"
What do you mean, more?" Lamont asked.

"Abu Sayyaf had help from
ISOK."

"You mean weapons?" Selena asked. "We already knew
ISOK was giving them money."

"
That's another issue. We'll talk about that later," Elizabeth said. "This report says it was ISOK behind the embassy seizure all along. They planned the attack, using Abu Sayyaf as a surrogate."

"What's the Intel that backs that up?"
Lamont said.

"
Three cell phone calls between Abdul Afridi, the leader of ISOK and Omar Madid, the terrorist who led the attack and shot the hostages."

Selena picked a bit of lint off her skirt.
"That doesn't make sense. ISOK wants India out of Kashmir, that's their focus. Why attack our embassy in the Philippines?"

"Are they allied with Al Qaeda?"
Lamont asked. "That might explain it."

Elizabeth said
, "I don't think this has anything to do with Al Qaeda."

"What
's Rice going to do?" Selena asked.

"
He hasn't decided yet. I've never known him to be this angry. Ambassador Cathwaite was a personal friend of his. I talked with him yesterday. What complicates things is Pakistan."

"Pakistan
?" Nick said. "How do they come into it?"

Elizabeth picked up her pen and
set it down again. She was trying to break her habit of tapping it on the desktop.

"
ISOK wouldn't attack us without permission from Islamabad. If they planned it, it means Pakistan has declared a covert war on us."

"Not much new about that,"
Lamont said. "They've been lying to us and helping our enemies for years."

"Yes, but
we ignored it because we wanted access through their border with Afghanistan. This is different. Politically, it's a perfect storm. The media, Congress and everyone else wants to know who's responsible. Everyone is calling for retaliation. Suppose it gets out that Pakistan used a proxy to blow up our embassy and kill one of our ambassadors? It could trigger a war. If a war starts, it would end up involving the entire Muslim world."

"You said
if
it's true. That ISOK is behind the attack," Nick said. "Does that mean you have doubts?"

"
Something about this doesn't feel right," Elizabeth said, "even though we know ISOK is in bed with Abu Sayyaf."

"So where does the doubt come in?"
Lamont asked.

"
Like Selena said, it doesn't make sense. Why would Pakistan tell ISOK to help Abu Sayyaf attack our embassy? It doesn't get them anything except trouble. It's a major incident that guarantees retaliation when we find out Islamabad is behind it."

"Abu Sayyaf wanted their prisoners released," Nick said. "
It could be Pakistan has nothing to do with it."

"The cell phone intercepts between ISOK and Omar Madid are damning," Elizabeth said. "It's the classic smoking gun. The calls leave no doubt that the attack is being carried out in return for ISOK providing funds for their so-called Islamic revolution."

"That
seems clear enough," Selena said.

"
That's the problem. It's too clear, too pat. ISOK and Abu Sayyaf have been around a long time. They aren't amateurs in the terrorist game. Both have years of experience avoiding detection by our surveillance. They practice strict communication discipline and they're good at it. They don't use cell phones that can be tracked. Then all of a sudden we find these convenient intercepts and a trail a mile wide pointing straight back to ISOK and Islamabad."

"You think it
's a set up." Selena sat up straighter in her chair.

"My intuition says yes, it's a set up. Someone wants us to think
ISOK and Pakistan are behind the attack. I think the calls are fake."

Elizabeth
's intuition was one of her major strengths. She was seldom wrong. It was eerily accurate, almost a sixth sense. When it kicked in she'd feel an electric tingling all over her skin. She'd learned long ago to pay attention when she had that feeling. She had it now.

"Who would have the resources to
fake those calls and not get caught?" Lamont asked.

"That's the magic word,
Lamont. Resources. It takes a lot of sophistication to set up an operation like this."

"Qui bono?" Selena said. "Who benefits?"

"Someone who doesn't like Pakistan," Nick said.

"Lots of people don't like Pakistan." Elizabeth looked at them. "There's one obvious answer."

"India," Selena said.

Elizabeth
said, "Lots of things seem off about this. Two days before they're supposed to mastermind an attack on our embassy, ISOK blows up the Indian Embassy in Manila. Why? Manila is a long way from Kashmir and there are plenty of prime targets closer to home. Attacking the Indian Embassy in another country would be a major operation in itself. It's a real stretch for an organization that's basically local. Then two days later they get their good friends in Abu Sayyaf to take us on? I don't think so."

"You think the Indian Embassy explosion was
part of a set up as well?" Selena said.

"I think it could be."

"Are you saying that the same person or persons is behind both attacks?" Nick asked.

"
If I'm right, that's the only explanation that fits."

"
What's the payoff?" Nick tugged on his ear. "Being pissed at Pakistan isn't enough of a reason. There has to be more to it than that."

"
Why don't we do the assumption thing?" Selena said. "Brainstorm it."

Elizabeth put her pen down. "
It's worked before. What's our first assumption?"

Stephanie had been quiet. Now she said,
"That it's a set up, like you said. A false flag operation to make us and everyone else think Pakistan is responsible."

"We're back to who benefits," Selena said.

"Does Pakistan gain anything from this?" Lamont asked.

"I don't see how," Harker said. "On the contrary."

"Then assumption number two has to be that the Pakis aren't behind it. If not them, who is it?"

"
Someone who wants us to think Pakistan killed our ambassador," Nick said.

Selena heard the energy in his voice and smiled to herself. It was the first time he'd sounded normal since
Ronnie had been hit.

"Don't forget the Indian
Embassy bombing," Lamont said. "They want us to think Pakistan is behind that too."

"This is a real can of worms," Selena said. "It's making my head spin."

"Yeah," Lamont said.

Elizabeth glanced at
her watch. "Let's take a break."

T
here was a refrigerator and a kitchen on the floor below Harker's office. Nick, Selena and Lamont went down a spiral staircase to what had once been a large living room when the house had been in civilian hands. It was now the operations center. Lamont headed for the bathroom. Nick and Selena went into the kitchen. Nick reached into the refrigerator and grabbed two bottles of water and handed one to Selena. He opened his bottle and took a drink.