The Bourne Deception

Book Three








21





AMERICANS! Soraya said. God in heaven, what madness is this

She half expected Amun to make an acerbic comment, but he remained mute, watching her with his large scarab eyes.

A cadre of American military men who just happen to be on leave here in Al Ghardaqah are given a mission that begins in Khartoum two weeks or so before an Iranian Kowsar 3 missile brings down an American passenger jet in Egyptian airspace. Its unthinkable. She raked a hand through her thick black hair. For Gods sake, Amun, say something.

They were sitting at a seaside restaurant, eating because they knew they had to. Soraya had no appetite and, she saw, Amun apparently didnt have much more. Three of his men were sitting nearby, guarding Stephen, who was scarfing down a meal as if it was going to be his last. The sun was a ruddy, flattened disk near the horizon. The cloudless sky arched above them, vast and somehow desolate.

Chalthoum pushed his food around his plate. I still think hes lying to save his skin, he said sourly.

What if hes not The dive shop owner corroborated his story. There were four Americans diving off the boat approximately two weeks ago. They dived for three days, paid cash, and left abruptly, without talking to anyone.

Sounds like anyone and everyone. Amun shot a poisonous glance over at the prisoner. It does make a compelling story, doesnt it

Amun, I dont think we can afford to take the chance hes lying. I think we should go to Khartoum.

And abandon the probability that Iranian terrorists were here in Egypt He shook his head. Not a chance.

Soraya was already on her phone, punching in Veronica Harts number. If she was going to go to Khartoumwith or without Amunshe had to confirm her decision with the DCI. Heading into Sudan was serious business.

She frowned as the phone continued to ring and no voice mail intervened. At length, a male voice answered.

Who is this

Soraya Moore. Who the hell are you

Its Peter, Soraya. Peter Marks. Marks was the chief of CI operations, smart and reliable.

What are you doing answering the DCIs private cell

Soraya, DCI Hart is dead.

What The blood drained from Sorayas face and all at once she felt the breath rush out of her. Dead How could Her voice sounded thin, attenuated, faraway. Dimly, she realized she was in shock. What happened

There was an explosiona car bomb, we think.

Oh, my God!

There were two individuals with her: Moira Trevor and someone by the name of Humphry Bamber, a software designer with his own boutique firm.

Are they alive or dead

Alive, presumably, Marks said, though thats pure speculation. We have no idea where they are. For all we know, they were responsible for the DCIs death.

Or they fled for their lives.

Another possibility, Marks conceded. At the very least, they need to be brought in and questioned as the only witnesses to the incident. He paused for a moment. The thing is, the Trevor woman was involved with Jason Bourne.

Events were moving faster than Soraya could follow in her current state. How is that relevant she said curtly.

I dont know if it is, but she was also involved with Martin Lindros. Some months ago, DCI Hart was investigating the connection.

I was part of that investigation, Soraya said. There was nothing to it. Moira Trevor and Martin were friends, period.

And yet, both Lindros and Bourne are now dead. Marks cleared his throat. Did you know Ms. Trevor was with Bourne when he was killed

A tremor of premonition chilled her. I didnt, no.

Ive done some digging. It turns out that Ms. Trevor used to work at Black River.

Sorayas mind was reeling. So did DCI Hart.

Interesting, no Theres more: Ms. Trevor and Bamber were admitted to the ER at George Washington University Hospital less than twenty minutes after the blast. No one saw them leave, butand heres the really good parta man who flashed a government ID asked for them by name less than five minutes after they began treatment.

Someone followed them.

I would say so, Marks said.

What was the mans name and what department of the government is he with

The billion-dollar question. No one could remember, the place was a madhouse. So I checked myself. Either no one is owning up to this agent or he wasnt government. On the other hand, it wouldnt surprise me to learn that the DoD has secretly authorized some Black River ops to carry government IDs.

Soraya took several deep breaths both to calm herself and to allow her mind to start making connections. Peter, the DCI sent me to Egypt to try to find out about the indigenous Iranian freedom fighters Black River made contact with, but in my most recent conversation with her she agreed to let me explore a theory that the Iranian terrorists who shot down our jet had help transshipping the missile, possibly from the Saudis.

Jesus, and

The reason I was calling her now is that theres a possibility that the Iranians werent involved at all.

What Marks exploded. Youve got to be kidding.

I wish I were. Two weeks ago, four American military men on leave were suddenly sent on a mission that began in Khartoum.

So

Amun Chalthoum and I have been operating under the supposition that the Saudis helped the Iranian terrorists transport the Kowsar 3 missile through Iraq and across the Red Sea, to someplace along the east coast of Egypt. His people have been swarming the coast all day with nothing to show for it, so weve been searching for alternatives. The only other access into Egypt is from the south.

She heard Markss sharp intake of breath. That would be Sudan.

And Khartoum would be the logical staging area, the place where the Kowsar 3 could be flown in under everyones radar.

I dont understand. Whats the connection between our military and Iranian terrorists

Thats just the point, there isnt any, Soraya said. Were looking at a scenario that doesnt involve either Iranians or Saudis.

Marks laughed uneasily. What are you implying, that we shot down our own jet

The government wouldnt, she said perfectly serious. But Black River might.

That theory is almost as crazy, he said.

What if the terrible incidents back home are connected to whats happened over here

Thats something of a stretch, even for you.

Listen to me carefully, Peter. DCI Hart was concerned about the current relationship between the NSAspecifically Secretary Hallidayand Black River. Now shes the victim of a car bomb. She allowed that pronouncement to hang in the air for a moment before continuing. The only way to get to the bottom of the mystery is eyes on the ground. I need to go to Khartoum.

Soraya, Sudan is far too dangerous for a director to

Typhon has an agent in place in Khartoum.

Good, let him investigate.

This is too big, Peter, the ramifications too grave. Besides, after all thats happened, I dont trust anyone.

What about this Chalthoum character Hes the head of al Mokhabarat, for chrissakes.

Believe me, he has as much to lose from this situation as we do.

Its incumbent on me to point out that your agent in Khartoum cant guarantee your safety.

By his tone, she knew hed acquiesced. No one can, Peter. Keep DCI Harts phone with you. Ill keep you apprised.

Okay, but

As Soraya severed the connection, she looked at Amun. The director of Central Intelligence was just killed in Washington by a car bomb. This situation stinks, Amun. Were not up against Iranian terrorists, I know it. Will you come with me to Khartoum

Amun rolled his eyes, then threw his hands into the air. Azizti, what choice have you left me


After Moira and Humphry Bamber exited the taxi in Foggy Bottom, he led her west across the bridge and into Georgetown. He was nervous, walking so quickly that several times she had to take him by the arm to slow him down because he was too terrified to listen to her. Along the way she checked plate-glass windows and cars side-mirrors for any signs of a tail, both vehicular and pedestrian. At least twice she had them walk around the block or enter a shop as a double blind, to make certain they were absolutely clean. Only then would she allow Bamber to take her to their destination.

This turned out to be on R Street: a redbrick Federal-style town house with a copper mansard roof and four dormer windows where fat-breasted pigeons sat, cooing drowsily. They climbed the slate steps, and Bamber used the brass knocker on the polished wooden door. In a moment it swung inward to reveal a slender man with longish brown hair, green eyes, and angular cheekbones.

H, you lookWhat happened to you

Chrissie, this is Moira Trevor. Moira, meet Christian Lamontierre.

The dancer

Bamber was already on the threshold. Moira saved my life. Can we come in

Saved your Of course. Lamontierre stepped back into the small, jewel-like entryway. He did so with a grace and power no untrained human being could muster. Where are my manners His face was clouded by worry. Are you two all right I can call my doctor.

No doctor, Moira said.

As their host closed the heavy door, Bamber double-locked it.

Seeing this, Lamontierre said, I think we could use a drink. He gestured, leading the way into a beautifully appointed living room in dove gray and cream. It was a world of calm and elegance. Books on ballet and modern dance were scattered about the coffee table; on shelves were photos of Lamontierre on stage and in informal poses with Martha Graham, Mark Morris, Bill T. Jones, and Twyla Tharp, among others.

They sat on gray-and-silverstriped sofas while Lamontierre crossed to a sideboard, then abruptly turned.

You two look like you need a rest and some food. Why dont I toddle on off to the kitchen and make us all something to eat

Without waiting for a reply, he left them alone, for which Moira was grateful, since she had a number of questions she wanted to ask Bamber without causing him embarrassment.

Bamber was one step ahead of her. Sighing as he leaned back against the sofa, he said, When I hit my thirties, it began to dawn on me that men werent designed to be monogamous, either physically or emotionally. We were designed to propagate, to continue the species at all costs. Being gay doesnt change that biological imperative.

Moira recalled him telling her that he was taking her somewhere even Stevenson hadnt known about. So youve been having an affair with Lamontierre.

It wouldve killed Steve to talk about it.

You mean he knew

Steve wasnt stupid. And he was intuitive, if not about himself, then about those around him. He might have suspected, or not. I dont know. But his self-image wasnt the best; he was always concerned that I would leave him. He rose, poured some water for both of them, brought the glasses back, and handed one to her.

I wouldnt have left him, not ever, he said as he sat down.

Im not going to judge you, Moira said.

No Then youd be the first.

Moira took a long drink of water; she was parched. Tell me about you and Noah Perlis.

That f*cker. Bamber pulled a face. A tidy little war, thats what Noah wanted from me, something he could tie up in a bow and present as a gift to his client.

You got paid well enough.

Dont remind me. Bamber drained his glass. That blood moneys going straight to AIDS research.

Back to Noah, Moira said gently.

Right.

Please explain the phrase, a tidy little war.

At that moment, Lamontierre called to them and they rose wearily, Bamber leading the way down a hall, past a bathroom, and into the kitchen at the rear of the town house. Moira was eager to hear Bambers reply, but her stomach was growling, and in order to regain her strength she knew she needed to get some food in her.

When shed been house hunting, Moira had been inside homes like this one. Lamontierre had had a skylight installed, so instead of the dark and gloomy space it must once have been, the kitchen was now bright and cheery. It was painted a rich egg-yolk yellow, with backsplashes behind the umber granite countertops of glass tiles in a complex Byzantine pattern of golds, greens, and blues.

They sat at an antique parquet wood table. Lamontierre had made scrambled eggs with turkey bacon and whole-grain toast. As they ate, he kept stealing worried glances at Bamber because when he asked what had happened Bamber said: I dont want to talk about it. And then because Lamontierre looked hurt, added: Its for your own good, Chrissie, trust me.

I dont know what to say here, Lamontierre said. Steves death

The less said about that the better, Bamber cut in.

Im sorry. Thats all I was going to say. Im sorry.

Bamber finally looked up from his plate and tried for a bleak smile. Thank you, Chrissie. I appreciate it. I apologize for being such a godawful shit.

Hes been through a lot today, Moira said.

We both have. Bambers gaze returned to his plate.



Lamontierre looked from one to the other. Okay, then, I have to practice. He stood up. If you need me, Ill be in the studio downstairs.

Thanks, Chrissie. Bamber gave him a tender smile. Ill be down in a while.

Take your time. Lamontierre turned to Moira. Ms. Trevor.

Then he left the kitchen. They saw he hadnt touched his food.

That went well, Moira said, trying, and failing, to lighten the mood.

Bamber put his head in his hands. I acted like a total jerk. Whats happening to me

Stress, Moira offered. And a whole lot of delayed shock. Its what happens when you try to stuff two pounds of shit in a one-pound bag.

Bamber laughed briefly, but when he brought his head up, his eyes were enlarged with tears. What about you Are car bombs part of your daily routine

Frankly, they used to be. Car bombs and so much more.

He stared wide-eyed at her for a moment. Jesus, what did Noah get me involved in

Thats what I need you to tell me.

He said he had a client whohe wanted to run real-life scenarios, as close to real-world simulations as possible. I told him there wasnt anything on the market that would fit his criteria, but that I could build him a program that could.

For a fee.

Of course, for a fee, Bamber said shortly. Im not running a not-for-profit.

Moira wondered why she was being so harsh on him. Fleetingly, she realized that her ill temper had nothing at all to do with Bamber. She had called Dr. Firth in Bali, anxious to talk to Willard for an update on Jasons recovery, only to be told that Willard had returned to DC. Firth didnt know where Bourne wasor claimed not to, anyway. Shed tried Bournes cell several times since then, but the call went straight to his voice mail. This made her terribly uneasy, though she tried to calm herself with the thought that if Jason was with Willard he was safe and in good hands.

Go on, she said now, abruptly ashamed and vowing to be kinder to Bamber.

Bamber rose, collected their plates, and took them to the double sink, where he scraped what was left of the food into the Disposall, then placed plates and silverware into the dishwasher. When he was finished clearing the table, he stood behind his chair, hands wrapped around the top slat of the back, his knuckles standing out starkly. His renewed fear created a circuit of nervous energy he was barely able to contain.

To be honest, I thought his client wanted to test out a new hedge fund formula. I mean Noah offered so much money, so I thought, what the hell, Ill have my f*ck-you money in a month or two and then no matter what happens in my business Ill have this substantial stash. Its tough working freelance, the minute a downturn hits, the business dries up like you wouldnt believe.

Moira sat back for a moment. Didnt you know that Noah worked for Black River

He presented himself as Noah Petersen. Thats all I knew.

You mean you dont run ID checks on your clients

Not when they deposit two and a half million dollars in my bank account. He shrugged. Besides, Im not the FBI.

Moira could see his point. In any case, she knew firsthand how persuasive Noah could be, how good he was at being someone else. He loved playing roles as much as a Hollywood actor. That way he never had to be himself.

At any time during the creation of Bardem did you get a hint that the program wasnt meant for a hedge fund

A certain sadness came into Bambers face, and he nodded. But not until near the end. Not even when Noah gave me instructions from his client for the second revision. He told me I needed to expand the parameters of the real-life data to include government responses to terrorist attacks, military incursions, and the like.

And that didnt set off alarm bells

Bamber sighed. Why should it These factors are important to hedge funds since they would significantly impact the financial markets, and its my understanding that some hedge funds are set up to take advantage of short-term market dislocations.

But at some point you came to a different conclusion.

Bamber paced around the kitchen, rearranging items that didnt need rearranging. The anomalies kept piling up with each revision, I can see that quite clearly now. He stopped talking abruptly.

But at the time she prompted.

I kept telling myself everything was okay, he said with a good degree of anguish. I put my head deeper into the increasingly complex algorithms of Bardem. At night, when doubts began to plague me, I focused on the two and a half mil Id put to work in Treasury bills, my f*ck-you money. He leaned over the sink, his head down. Then a couple of days ago I hit a tipping point and I knew I couldnt let things go on the way they had been. I didnt know what to do.

So you told Steve about Bardem, and Steve did the search on Noah youd failed to perform and discovered that he worked for Black River.

And Steve being Steve, he couldnt sit on the information. He was too frightened to go to his superiors, so he passed a thumb drive on to the man hed gone to when his internal search at the DoD turned up nothing on Noah.

Jay Weston, Moira said. Of course! I poached Jay from Hobart, another private contractor to the military. Hed have IDd Noah right away.

And now Steve is dead, Bamber moaned, because of my stupidity and my greed.

Flushed with rage, Moira got up and crossed the kitchen. Dammit, Bamber, get a grip on yourself. The last thing I need from you is self-pity.

He turned on her. Whats the matter with you, dont you have even an ounce of humanity My partner was just murdered.

I dont have time for sentiment or

And if I remember right a friend of yours was blown six ways from Sunday right in front of you. Dont you have any remorse, any pity Is there anything inside you except exacting your revenge on Noah

What

I mean thats it, isnt it Thats what this is all aboutyou and Noah at each others throats and never mind the collateral damage. Well, f*ck him and f*ck you!

As he stalked out of the kitchen Moira grabbed on to the sink in order to keep her feet. All at once the kitchen began to tumble over, she seemed to lose her bearings, to have become unmoored so that she could no longer distinguish the floor from the ceiling.

My God, she thought, whats happening to me And immediately an image of Ronnie Hart came to her, those lambent eyes watching her from inside the white Buick, Ronnie knowing the end had come and helpless to stop it. The explosion bloomed again in her mind, blotting out sight, sound, and thought.

Why didnt I save her Because there wasnt time. Why didnt I try, anyway Again, there was no time and Bamber had grabbed her. Why didnt I break free Because the wall of percussion had already hit her, hurling her backward, and if she had been any closer she would have been caught up in the conflagration, shed be dead now or, worse, lying in a burn unit, her skin ripped and charred, covered in third-degree burns that would kill her slowly and painfully.

Still. Ronnie was dead. She had survived. Where was the justice in that The rational part of her brain told the grieving, irrational part that the world was chaos, it didnt care about justice, which was, in any case, a human concept and, therefore, subject to its own form of irrationality. None of this interior debate could stem the tears that stung her eyes, ran down her cheeks, and set her to shivering as if she were ill.

Bambers words came back to haunt her. Was this what it was all about, a blood feud between her and Noah All at once she was back in Munich with Bourne, climbing the rolling stairs to the airplane bound to take them to Long Beach, California. Then Noah had appeared in the doorway and she recalled the poisonous look in his eye. Had it been jealousy Shed been far too distracted then, far too intent on her immediate goal of getting to Long Beach. But now that curdled expression on his face recurred to her like the acrid taste of spoiled food. How could she be certain she wasnt misinterpreting this remembered moment between them Because, now she thought of it, his reaction to her leaving Black River was personal, as if he were her spurned lover. And so moving on from there, could her decision to start a rival company by poaching a select few of the best people from Black River have been in retaliation for Noah not making a play for her when he could have All at once, she recalled the conversation shed had with Jason that night in Bali when theyd been alone in the pool together. When shed told him of her idea to start a rival company to Black River, hed warned her that she would make an enemy of Noah, and he was right. Had he known then how Noah felt about her And what had she felt about Noah I gave up trying to please him six months before I quit Black River. It was a fools game, shed told Jason that night. What precisely had she meant by that Hearing it now reverberate in her mind, mixing with all the other subtle revelations, it sounded like something a hurt lover would say.

God almighty, the collateral damage she and Noah had wrought!

Slowly, like a punctured tire, the unreasoning anger went out of her, her grip loosened, and she slid to the floor. If her back hadnt been braced against the wooden cabinets, she would have pitched over.

It seemed a long time laterbut surely it couldnt have beenwhen she became aware that somebody was in the kitchen with her. In fact, two somebodies. They were crouched down beside her.

What happened Bamber asked. Are you all right

I slipped and fell, thats all. Moiras eyes were perfectly dry now.

Ill fetch you a brandy. Lamontierre, in a white unitard and ballet slippers, a towel draped around his neck, headed back into the living room.

Moira, shrugging off Bambers proffered hand, levered herself to her feet. Lamontierre returned with a snifter half filled with an amber liquid, some of which she drank immediately. The fire worked its way down her throat and flooded her body, bringing her fully back to herself.

Mr. Lamontierre, she said, thank you for your hospitality, but to be honest I need to talk to Mr. Bamber in private.

Of course. If youre all right

I am.

Excellent, then Ill go shower. H, if you want to stay here for the time being He regarded Moira for a moment. Actually, both of you are welcome here for as long as you need.

Thats extremely generous of you, Moira said.

Its nothing. He waved away her words. Im afraid I dont have any fresh clothes for you.

Moira laughed. I can take care of that easily enough.

Well, then. Lamontierre gave Bamber a brief hug, and left them alone.

Hes a good man, Moira said.

Yes, he is, Bamber acknowledged.

By unspoken mutual consent, they returned to the living room, where they collapsed, exhausted, on the sofas.

What happens now Bamber said.

You help me find out exactly what Noah Perlis is using Bardem for.

Really His entire body stiffened. And how do you propose I do that

How about hacking into his computer

How easy for both of us that would be! He shifted his position, perching himself on the edge of the cushion. Unfortunately, its impossible. Noah uses a laptop. I know this because he has me send the updated versions of Bardem directly to it.

Ugh! Though Wi-Fi networks were notoriously porous, Black Rivers was not. It had established its own worldwide network that was, as far as she knew, impenetrable. Of course, in theory no network was 100 percent secure, but it might take a platoon of hackers years to get through. Unless

Wait a minute, she said, suddenly excited. If you had a laptop loaded with the Black River Wi-Fi encryption, would that help

Bamber shrugged. Probably, but how on earth are you going to get your hands on one

I used to work for Black River, she said. I cloned the hard drive from my laptop before I sent it back. She considered the remaining obstacle to this possible solution. The only problem is every time a Black River agent leaves the company the encryption is updated.

Doesnt matter. If theyre using the same root algorithm, which Im sure they are, I should be able to crack it. He shook his head. Not that it matters. His voice had soured. We cant go back to our respective apartments, remember Noahs people are sure to be waiting for us in both places.

Moira stood, looked around for her coat. Nevertheless, she said, Ive got to try.