One high-explosive or armor-piercing shell, if exploded into the side of the presidential limousine, would surely destroy it and all inside.
But there were other considerations. The President always traveled with two limousines that drove one in front of the other. This way, if there was any problem with one car, the President could be slipped into the other. Two shells would be necessary to target both vehicles, because he wouldn’t know which limo the President would be in at the moment they reached the target zone.
Zarif thought for a moment more. He was somewhat concerned about overkill. A bunch of dead civilians might anger his Mexican associates, but he was more concerned about failure. If he did not kill Jack Ryan the North Koreans would not fulfill their end of the bargain. He fought the urge to request four high-explosive howitzer shells, settled for three, and then handed over another list of items that he had already written down, all of which could be purchased at a hardware store and an electronics hobbyist shop.
Emilio looked it all over without comment, then with a nod he said, “The 105s will come from Guerrero, as I said. And I will have the rest of the pieces purchased far from here, so they will not cause any suspicion.”
Zarif said, “Very good. How long?”
“Twenty-four hours, and then you can begin your work.”
42
On his third day at Valley Floor, Jack Ryan, Jr., knew he had to make something happen. The day before he had spent virtually every moment in meetings that he had to attend in order to solidify his cover, and all day today he’d tried and failed to bump into Élise Legrande again, even making two visits to the Hydrometallurgy Quality Control department. It seemed she’d been spending time in the IT area, so he’d finagled a reason to drop in on Ralph Baggett, only to find out the IT director had to run to an important meeting somewhere else at the facility.
Jack started back toward his temporary office, but on the way there he decided to head to the cafeteria to grab a late lunch and to think over his next step. While he walked he considered his predicament. He’d managed to piece together very little of what Élise Legrande was up to, other than the fact she was ostensibly running diagnostics on some hydroseparation equipment that was used to pull the minerals out of the ore. More important, she was also clearly trying to get close to the IT director of the facility, and she seemed to be succeeding in this mission.
In the cafeteria Ryan ran into a couple of execs he’d met the day before, and he sat with them and chatted over lunch. After a few minutes the execs stood to head off to yet another meeting, and just as they did so, the woman posing as Élise Legrande entered together with Ralph Baggett. Jack stayed behind, dawdling over his turkey sandwich.
A few minutes later Jack was alone at his table, and Ralph and Élise were sitting a few tables away. Jack had hoped Ralph would, on his own, make the introductions, but apparently Ralph didn’t want to share his tablemate’s attention with anyone else. Watching him eat his lunch with the beautiful blonde, Ryan determined the frumpy IT director was happy to keep the woman all to himself.
But even though Baggett and Legrande had not paid any attention to him, another person in the cafeteria, a middle-aged woman wearing a lab coat and a badge that identified her as an R&D research technician, had been openly staring at Jack. He used to get a lot more of this treatment before he’d grown a beard, and even though it was exceedingly rare he was recognized now, he still knew exactly what was going on.
Jack did his best to ignore the R&D lady, and he tried to think of a casual way to introduce himself to Élise, but while he was mulling it over, Baggett’s secretary paged him on the overhead intercom. The IT director apologized to Élise and stood to return to his office. As Baggett walked off, Jack noticed the man run his hand across Legrande’s back, an awkwardly affectionate touch that looked like something Jack might have tried out once or twice in sixth grade.
Élise showed no outward acknowledgment of the gesture.
Jack was just about to get up and make his way over to her table when he saw that the lady from R&D was now standing at his table with a smile on her face.
“I’m sorry to interrupt your lunch.”
Jack stood himself. “No, not at all.”
“I just want to say I’m a strong supporter of your father.”
Jack smiled. “That’s great. I know he appreciates it.”
The woman gushed for another minute, then she ripped a sheet of paper out of a notebook and asked Ryan to sign it for her. When he had done so, she thanked him, and left the cafeteria seconds later.
Jack knew the beautiful blonde sitting across the room would not have been able to hear any of the conversation, but she had certainly seen the entire exchange. He glanced over in her direction and saw her staring intently back at him. He gave her a tiny smile, but she did not return it, nor did she shy away from his eyes.
Jack decided this was as good an opportunity as any to make an introduction. But just when he was about to start walking over to her, she stood and headed in his direction.
Okay, he thought. I can work with this.
“Hello,” he said with a friendly smile.
She did not smile back. Instead, she looked at him with unabashed curiosity. “I asked Ralph who you were. He said you were an accountant with an investment company.”
“Sort of, yes,” Jack replied. He found himself taken in by her strong but feminine voice.
“Then obviously I must ask the question. What accountant gives autographs to swooning women?”
Ryan had prepped for a lot of different ways to bump the French agent, though discussing his own notoriety hadn’t made his list.
But he came up with something quickly. “Your accent. French, I take it?”
“French-Canadian.”
Bullshit, Ryan thought, but did not say. “Very nice. What department do you work in?”
“I’m with an outside vendor.” He felt like her smoky eyes were burrowing into him. He knew what it felt like to be running an op and then find yourself curious about another person’s presence. She must have been wondering if this was some sort of a play, although she had been the one to initiate the conversation.
Jack reached out and shook her hand. “Jack,” he said.
“Élise,” she replied, but while she spoke she eyed his visitor’s badge. Jack was in large letters, but below it were smaller letters. She read them aloud.
“Ryan.”
She looked up quizzically, and then she rolled her eyes. “Oh, I see. That woman thinks you are the President of the United States.”
“Actually, she thinks I’m one of his kids.”
Another eye roll. And then the woman’s eyes widened as she caught up with what he was saying. “Oh… Is she correct?”
“At your service, Miss Legrande. Or Mrs.?”
Veronika Martel did not answer the question; she was still working this through in her head. She remembered hearing about President Ryan’s family. He had a daughter who was close to Veronika’s age, and he had two young kids. She knew something about another son, but she couldn’t remember many details about him. She had only a vague recollection of seeing the entire family in a magazine spread many years ago.
She asked, “Are you the one they used to call ‘Junior’?”
“That’s right. I’m surprised anyone in Canada has ever heard of me.”
Élise just nodded slowly. “I am vaguely aware, yes.”
Ryan saw the mistrust and concern in the woman’s eyes. Spies learn quickly to be suspicious of chance encounters. This must have looked like a coincidental meeting, and she had to have been deeply confused about how it could have been anything else. She also must have been mulling over how a relative of the American chief executive could possibly threaten her or her mission.