“Nine-eleven.” Kyle spoke simply but brought up the vision of airliners plunging into skyscrapers filled with innocent civilians.
“Exactly, Kyle,” said the general. “It was a terrible thing, but we had nothing to do with it. Except for a few hotheads, the average Egyptian thought it a despicable act. The best proof is that despite this revolution in our country, we are still here, still working hard with our friends so that we remain friends. I went through training at Fort Bragg and have an advanced degree from Stanford. I considered the attack by those madmen to be an attack on me personally, for they tarred the names of all of us.”
Tianha had moved to the buffet and dipped a slice of carrot into a bowl of hummus. Gaber said, “We are going to show the two of you secret documentation that will demonstrate that Egypt needs and deserves the continued support of the United States and Great Britain. You will take it back and report to your governments.” He booted up a laptop to start a PowerPoint presentation.
Kyle interrupted. “One moment, Youssef. Say we accept everything that you say. Why the attacks on the Iranians — the ship and the soccer team? Is there an outside force?”
“Absolutely,” the general shot back with anger. “The Iranians are at the root of the problem. We can prove this with firsthand intelligence from a highly placed source.”
Bialy was still at the buffet. She turned and said, “You’re speaking, of course, of the Pharaoh.”
It was if the air had been sucked from the room. “How do you know that name?” demanded Suliamin, rising from his chair.
She answered the question with one of her own. “Do you know his real identity?”
“You are discussing secret material, Dr. Bialy. Go no further.”
She remained unaffected. “It is not very secret, Brigadier. The Pharaoh also has been a source for MI6, and we do not know who he is, either. That’s why I have been sent to Egypt, sir, to find him.”
Kyle remained silent, but the veiled hostility between the two agents startled the economist and the general. Swanson’s sudden decision to leave tomorrow had forced Tianha to change her plan to dangle him as bait to bring out the Pharaoh, for now she had to be the target herself. Omar had already floated the story about Kyle being a CIA agent, and now he would have to openly expose Tianha as the real contact. The Pharaoh would learn about both of them.
“I thought you were together on this,” said Gaber, quietly disturbed.
Swanson looked out at the sea, where the midday sun was reflecting as if hitting a mirror. “We have been traveling together, but I’m on a plane back to London tomorrow to deliver the information you give us. With that, my job is done. Dr. Bialy will stay here and do whatever she has in mind with the Pharaoh.”
The general stared at each of them in turn, then let out a long breath. “It is not unusual for rival agencies to have different agendas,” he concluded. “Dr. Bialy and I can discuss this intelligence source after we have dealt with the more important matters before all of us. Let’s get down to business, shall we?”
Kyle picked up a triangle of bread smeared with cheese and cucumbers. So Tianha and Omar have decided to stay in the game on their own. I’ll give my weapons to Omar tonight and be out of here on that first plane. That works.
14
Karam, the concierge at the Blue Neptune Hotel, along with his sister and his brother-in-law in the travel agency, were toiling hard. News of what had happened out on the Red Sea had finally been absorbed by visitors and residents of the playground city, and simmering worry replaced the holiday joy. Some of the big yachts were already gone, the huge white cruise ship was gathering its passengers for an emergency departure, and most of the other guests were making plans to leave. At the Blue Neptune, Karam was the one who could make the necessary arrangements. Missiles sinking ships and a pending environmental disaster meant his family had to make as much money as they could before the tourists evaporated, with no way of knowing when they would come back. Secret auctions and lavish tips would secure passage on tomorrow’s planes.
Brigadier General Suliamin and Youssef Gaber had flown back to Cairo at seven o’clock that evening after the long conference with Swanson and Bialy. The two officials had given the friendly governments of the West the best overview the allies had had in months concerning the real situation within Egypt. Kyle was to personally deliver a flash drive containing the information to London, and he felt there might be a glimmer of hope for future stability if the political picture painted by the money man and the military leader was accurate. The key was to keep Iran on the sidelines and let Egyptians decide their own future.
In any case, he was confirmed for departure, and he decided to have a final truce with Tianha, for there was nothing to be gained by letting personal animosity upset their superiors, who already had enough problems. Swanson was just glad to be out of it all.
It was eight o’clock, and they were having dinner in the near-empty hotel restaurant. Tension and nervousness had caused many of the other guests to order room service while they packed. The bar was doing a brisk business, and there was no chance the two of them would be overheard.
“You’re crazy,” he observed with a smile that softened the words. “Did you know that?”
“I must establish contact with this source,” she replied as she finished a small bowl of seafood bisque. “He, or she, needs control.”
“Seems to me that your source’s information is always a day late and a dollar short, and he’s shopping his stuff to too many people,” Kyle said. “He warns you of nothing beforehand that would let you plan some action to stop it.”
Tianha dabbed away a dollop of stray dressing from her chin. “He still provides a lot of rich background material that proves that Iran is deeply involved.”
“Having him say that, and basing your decisions on his word, are two different things, Doctor.”
“Which is why we have to control him from London. We can assume he is highly placed but untrained in what to report. An experienced case officer can remedy that, and this agent may be invaluable in years to come. Just imagine if we had reliable eyes inside the Tehran government.”
Kyle looked around. Nothing happening, and no one watching. “I don’t like your plan to draw him out by putting out the word that you are an MI6 agent. He probably will show up with a gun in his hand.”
“Knowing that I am not a threat will make it easier for him to contact me, I’m sure. I expect him to be cautious.”
The waiter appeared with their main courses, a steak for Kyle and shellfish for Tianha, refilled their wineglasses, and left them alone. “Do me a favor, then. Keep Omar nearby if this meeting ever actually takes place. It never hurts to have backup.”
“Of course,” she said and sipped the wine. “I thought when we started this adventure that you were going to be my bodyguard.”
“Nope. As the man said, you are a trained agent and you know Egypt as few others do. Just use good sense, and get out if something dangerous starts to cook.”
She actually giggled. “You mean like here in Sharm? I don’t think anything is going to happen here. It’s holiday heaven in the middle of nowhere.”
“Remember the Harpoons? Bad things are coming this way. Sharm’s a very strategic piece of territory. Cairo has the government, but Sharm controls the petroleum path for the whole world. It’s the cork in the bottle for the oil business. How much longer are you staying?”