Alicia nodded and tapped the keys. A few seconds later, the screen filled with a satellite map grid of Israel. She pointed to the moving dot on the screen. “Looks like they’re going toward Tel Aviv.”
“Maybe they’re heading to the airport.” Marcus used the mobile phone to dial Nathan Levy’s number. “I have some information that you can use.”
“The taxi driver wasn’t happy when my men surrounded his car. You know we’ll find you, Paul.”
“Two high-level operatives, most likely from Iran’s MOIS, are going to be leaving Israel soon. Would you like to see what interesting stories they might share with you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“One says his name is Rahim. The other goes by Narsi. Probably aliases. But I do know one truth — they are carrying two flash drives they believe will completely disengage the Myrtus worm and make their Natnaz plant all well again.”
“What do you mean, believe?”
“I can text the satellite tracking numbers to you for Rahim and Narsi. Then you can do whatever it is that you do.”
“What do you want?
“Three things. You let us board a plane from Ben Gurion. Secondly, I want you to get in touch with your old pal, Andy Jenkins. You find a reason to call him. What I want is access to his cell number. I want the ID of the Lion.”
“I don’t know his ID. Come in, Paul. We’ll discuss the other things.”
“I, quite frankly, don’t have time to stop in your office for a chat.” Marcus looked at his watch. “Got to go now. Call me back quickly or your two MOIS operatives are going to be out of the country.” Marcus disconnected. He felt his muscles tighten across his back.
Alicia looked at him. “What’d he say?”
“He’ll call back. And he’ll text Andrew Jenkins cell number to me. We need to hack it to see if we can get to Carlson and his posse.”
“Are we going to the airport?”
“Yes, but not Ben Gurion. They’d never let us board a plane. I’m just trying to buy us time to cross the border.”
“What border?”
“Egypt. We’ll fly out of Cairo.”
NINETY-SIX
Marcus tore off a piece of duct tape to secure the spearhead to the underside of the car’s dashboard. Then he used a small screwdriver to remove the door panel from the driver’s side. He taped the Beretta inside the open cavity and replaced the panel. As he tightened the last screw, a text arrived on his phone with the number to Andrew Jenkins mobile phone.
Nathan Levy called immediately. “I just sent Jenkins number to you. I have made arrangements for you and the woman to have safe passage out of Ben Gurion. Now, where are the operatives?”
Marcus glanced down at the laptop screen. “I’d say they’re about thirty miles east of the airport. I’m sending the coordinates to you as we speak.”
“You said these men believe the drives they carry contain coding to disengage the Myrtus worm. What do you mean?”
“The worm has already been programmed to eat itself alive, rendering the Natnaz centrifuges harmless. It doesn’t require a key. I used that tactic for leverage, a bargaining chip to ensure Brandi Hirsh’s safe exit from Iran.”
Alicia turned her head to Marcus. He continued. “That has happened.”
“How do we know what you say about sabotage on the worm is true?”
“Because it’s programmed to happen in three days. Again, Levy, this is where you’ll need to have a little faith. I’m sure your boys will know when it happens. I’m sending the GPS coordinates to you now. Happy hunting.” Marcus disconnected.
Alicia said, “You actually preprogrammed that worm when we were holed up in the hotel working under the scrutiny of the Iranians — was that when you created the self-destruct coding?”
“Yeah.”
“How did you know when to encode the shutdown to three days after Brandi was released?”
“I didn’t know for sure. I felt it, and I tried to make Brandi’s release happen.”
“Paul, you guessed! What if you were wrong and Brandi had—”
“Had what? She’d still be sitting in the damn prison!” He exhaled and touched her hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to shout.”
Alicia said nothing.
Marcus glanced out the front windshield. “The border’s a long drive. The air conditioner in this car isn’t working. Maybe you can get some rest in spite of the heat.”
Five hours later, Marcus and Alicia arrived at the Rafah border crossing south of the Gaza Strip. Dozens of buses, old vans and cars lined up to cross into Egypt. Some people camped in small lean-tos made of discarded aluminum and attached to palm trees. The anxiety in the air was as visible as the heat inside the Honda. Marcus lowered all four windows, trying to catch a breeze. The hot, dry air across the Sinai Peninsula seemed to crawl inside the small car.
Alicia watched the crowds, a few people holding up signs written in Arabic. “Wonder what they’re protesting?”
“It looks like it has something to do with not getting across the border.” Marcus inched the car closer, the smell of diesel fumes heavy, buses idling and belching dark smoke in the heat of the afternoon. He watched Egyptian border guards approach the cars, vans, and buses. The guards were dressed in black. They wore black berets, and some carried clipboards. All carried guns. Two men stood to either side of the entranceway, rifles slung over their shoulders, dark glasses on their faces. Eye movement undetected.
Alicia said, “God help us if they find that gun. If they find the spearhead, it might wind up in the hands of the Muslim Brotherhood and whoever is leading Egypt.”
“Give me your passport.” Marcus licked his parched lips, his shirt damp from sweat. He eased the Honda up to the crossing. A stoic guard approached, leaned down closer to Marcus’s open window.
“Passports.”
“No problem,” Marcus said, handing the man two passports.
Alicia smiled. After a half minute, the guard returned the passports. “What is the nature of your visit to Egypt?”
“Sightseeing. My girlfriend and I have always wanted to see the Great Pyramids. Maybe take in a camel ride, too.” Marcus saw him gesture to another guard who approached the car.
“Open the trunk and step out of the vehicle.” He leaned further in the open window. “You, too, miss.”
Marcus thought about the Beretta behind the door panel. The Spear of Destiny taped under the dash — the flash drive in his pocket.
Too late.
“Get out of the vehicle,” ordered the guard a second time.
“No problem,” Marcus said, opening the door and standing next to the car. Alicia did the same. Another guard used a metal pole with a round mirror on the end to look under the car. He walked around it, slowly, stopping and then continuing. The guard next to Marcus used a hand-held metal detector wand.
“Spread your legs and raise your arms.”
Marcus did as ordered. The guard moved the wand across Marcus’s pant legs, along his arms and across his chest.
Beep — beep — beep.
He stopped the wand, moved back over Marcus’s shirt pocket.
Beep — beep — beep.
“What’s in the pocket?”
“It’s just a flash drive. Harmless.”
“Let me see it.”
Alicia glanced at Marcus while the second guard patted her down and then looked in the trunk of the car.
“Sir, let me see what is in your pocket.”
Marcus nodded. “Sure.” He lifted the flash drive from his shirt pocket. The guard took it and studied the small drive for a few seconds. Marcus felt a drop of sweat inch down his right side over his rib cage, the scar on his chest tightening.