“You can’t tell me who I can and cannot work for, Mitch.”
That was true. She was essentially his roommate—a fact that was very much not lost on her. Why was it always the strong, defiant women he was attracted to? A doormat would make his life so much easier.
“Can we continue this conversation later?” he asked.
“Is that a delaying tactic or are we really going to continue later?”
Between her and Coleman, it was like stereo bitching.
“Just let me just take a shower and sleep on it, okay? We’ll pick it up again when we’ve taken back control of the house.”
The fact that she returned to the dishes suggested she was satisfied, so he grabbed the bag of chips and started toward the master suite. On the way, though, he stopped in Anna’s open doorway. The girls were all dead asleep—on the bed, on the floor, sprawled across stuffed animals. A powerful reminder that, outside of his world, everyday life kept marching on. In a way, this was what he fought for. Sleepovers.
CHAPTER 10
Near Riyadh
Saudi Arabia
SOLDIERS scurried from Aali Nassar’s path, focusing on erecting temporary living quarters, servicing vehicles, and preparing weapons. They were mounting a counterterrorism operation against a top ISIS leader across the border in Iraq. It was likely that Nassar’s assistant had called ahead to warn the base commander of his mood and that it would be best to give the Saudi intelligence chief a wide berth.
Nassar was still in a rage about what had happened in Rabat. Talal bin Musaid had been tasked with the simplest of endeavors, but he hadn’t been able to do even that. Instead, this meaningless pup had jeopardized everything Nassar had accomplished over the past six months.
He could feel the men’s gaze on him as he walked along the dirt road, their eyes shining with admiration and desert sun. The fact that he had been chosen to replace Prince Khaled bin Abdullah as the head of the General Intelligence Directorate was all but unheard-of and gave each of these soldiers the hope that they, too, could rise above their common births. Prior to Nassar’s promotion, high government positions had typically been held by royals. The exception was the energy ministry, which the king quietly acknowledged was too important to trust to one of the half-wits that made up the House of Saud.
Now, though, the forces of radical Islam were massing at the gates, threatening not only the common man but the monarchs who lorded over them. With his family no longer immune to the danger posed by the jihadists they’d created, King Faisal had decided that a certain level of competence would be required to maintain order.
An improbably young man in a colonel’s uniform appeared from a tent and, instead of attempting to avoid Nassar, rushed to meet him. Maheer Bazzi had recently been promoted to lead Saudi Arabia’s special forces. While insufferably eager and loyal, he was wholly unqualified for the position. King Faisal had felt obligated to reward the man for his role in saving Saudi Arabia’s oil fields from an attack orchestrated by ISIS. The fact that Bazzi was likely complicit in the murder of his predecessor by Mitch Rapp was something the king was apparently willing to overlook.
“Director Nassar,” the man said, stopping to give a crisp salute. “It’s a pleasure to see you, sir. Are you aware that the king is on his way here?”
Nassar had been informed of that fact only an hour ago and, despite the efforts of his staff, was still in the dark as to why. The aging monarch rarely left the walls of his palace anymore. What matter could be urgent enough for him to venture out into the world that he had become so fearful of?
“His Highness and I have matters to discuss and this was a convenient time and location,” Nassar said, being careful to hide his contempt for the young colonel. He was a tepid Muslim with little guile or ambition beyond simple service to his king and country. Nassar’s people had found nothing with which to blackmail him, and he would likely be immune to offers of money, women, or power.
That, combined with the fact that he’d gained the king’s favor, made him a man to be rid of at the earliest opportunity. Fortunately, that opportunity was about to present itself.
“Is everything ready?” Nassar asked as jet engines became audible to the east. He didn’t bother to look, confident that the source of the sound was Faisal’s Airbus A380. Despite being only an hour’s drive from Riyadh, the geriatric fool had flown. Undoubtedly out of fear of leaving the lavish ministrations of his wives and doctors.
“Yes, sir. Intelligence has confirmed that General al-Omari is en route slightly ahead of schedule.”
“Will that be a problem?”
Bazzi shook his head. “I was prepared for variations in our timetable. We’ll be wheels up a half hour earlier than planned, but it won’t affect any of the other operational parameters.”
Nassar gave a barely perceptible nod. Dabir al-Omari was near the top of ISIS’s command structure. Before the invasion of Iraq, he had been one of Saddam Hussein’s most talented young officers and now he was adding his strategic genius to Mullah Sayid Halabi’s messianic charisma. Capturing him would be a devastating blow to the terrorist group and a service that Colonel Bazzi was anxious to perform for his beloved king.
“I have every confidence in you,” Nassar started. “But I’ve decided to personally oversee this operation.”
“But, sir, the general will be traveling with a significant security force. There’s no way I can guarantee your safety. Please allow—”
“I understand. Neither I nor the king hold you responsible for my safety.” He forced a smile and clapped the younger man on the shoulder. “I think you’ll find my men quite useful and I assure you that I can take care of myself.”
The Airbus passing overhead drowned out Bazzi’s response and Nassar began walking toward the runway, feeling his sense of agitation increase with every step. If anything, he had been overcautious in his efforts to undermine the authority of the country’s monarchy. Was it possible that his actions had been discovered? The likelihood seemed remote. But even if the king had unwittingly stumbled upon some faint trail, nothing would lead to Nassar personally. Still, the damage to his plans could be considerable.
A group of soldiers double-timed a set of steps to the plane and Nassar climbed them as one of Faisal’s security men opened the door. He stepped aside and bowed his head respectfully.
“His Highness is waiting for you at the back, Director.”