Nick opened the packet once he was seated with Gus. “Damn… I wonder how he pulled this off.”
Gus whistled when Nick spread them out on the table. “CIA, FBI, and US Marshal’s service – damn, Nick, maybe you did make an impression on the Attorney General. That’s the only way he’d ever give you the FBI and US Marshal ID’s. What do you suppose this means?”
“I’m afraid it means he has something in mind for my road trip.”
“When he calls, tell him you’re on vacation,” Gus replied.
“Yeah, because ducking these guys works so well for me. I’ll take a look at anything Gilbrech gives me, including domestic. I’m glad he sent the extra credentials. Flashing a CIA ID here in the states is not a good idea. I never did anything officially here in the states. FBI Special Agent Nick McCarty at your service. It has a nice ring to it.”
“It’s another gimmick that can get you sent to prison or dead.”
“I guess we’ll see, Gus. We are between jobs.”
“Yeah, for fifteen minutes maybe. I’m not complaining. I think we’ll actually get to start this road trip.”
Nick’s satellite phone rang. “McCarty.”
“Paul here. Hell of a job you did. There wasn’t any way we could get out of taking some flack for Munsun, but your scene worked as well as it could be done. I’ve already transferred the funds to your account.”
“Thanks. I see you gave me more ID’s than I had expected. Are you trying to tell me something, Paul?”
“I’m covering our bases, so if you are somewhere we could use your talents, the ID’s would help with any complications. They’re official too. I met with the Attorney General. Although unable to recognize anything covert done in the United States, the AG is impressed with your discretion, and knows some matters of national security have to be dealt with by whatever means necessary. You mentioned a book tour. When you leave, send me your stops along the way with dates. If I have something, I’ll put a packet in your mail drop. You have the option to say yes or no, even after you get into position if the job doesn’t look right. It won’t be a blind deal either. I’ll give you the reasons for the assignment. Interested?”
“I am. I’ll contact my agent and see if she has my itinerary ready. Nice talking with you, Paul. I like the way you do business.”
“You have a unique set of skills and accomplishments, Nick. In your text to me you mentioned a tell that helped you discover Brody had killed Carol. I enjoyed your Rolo Tomassi reference. I like the idea. Knowing what happened to Carol, I think a sign between us is an intelligent safety feature in this relationship. The white feather in an envelope is fine by me. This would only be in certain circumstances, right?”
“Yep. We would only do it in an important physical exchange involving a third party. I think you have something in mind about this book tour cover. Want to give me a hint?”
“Jacob Candelus. We believe he’s arriving in New York any day now.”
“Son-of-a-bitch!” Nick paused for a moment. “He goes by the name Mohammed Dafar. An American convert to Islam, who spouts that Wahhabi sect crap while scheming to sell us out at every turn. I didn’t know he’d been put on a hit list. I thought he was simply undermining everything we do… and pissing me off to the max every time he opens his mouth.”
Gilbrech laughed. “Damn, Nick, I think you have the same feelings for the prick that I do. No, he’s not on any watch list or hit list. We believe he’s facilitating terrorist cells in this country. He has big money backers that listen to his Islamophobia sermon, and do things they’re too stupid to know would end them if they ever came about: like Sharia Law.”
Nick grinned, thinking how Candelus pushed every one of his buttons. “I’m not much of a political guy, Paul. I admit this Candelus guy promotes the destruction of our country from the inside out. I’d kill him just because he pisses me off, and I have enough imagination to know how much damage he could do. What do you want done?”
“I want him dead, but I can’t get anyone in authority to back me on a legitimate sanction. The United Nations anti-American branch want him to actually speak in front of the assembly. I want him killed before he ever gets near the UN building.”
Nick’s mind raced ahead to a plethora of obstacles, logistics, and firepower. He calculated Gilbrech’s stated desires with the little he knew other than the Munsun sanction. “Okay… let’s go step by step then. Let me arrive in New York with everything you have on Candelus. I’ll scout him out according to your data, and give you a mission synopsis. If we disagree on any of the fine points, we can cut ties on him then.”