Blowback

“According to him, they were duped. They’d been given samples of the weapon, told it was something that had been engineered by the West and that there was a good chance it was going to be used against Muslims somewhere in the world. They had no idea that the reverse was true. Emir Tokay is a good man.”

“As far as I’m concerned, that has yet to be proven,” replied Harvath. “In the meantime, what were they hoping to gain by working with the weapon?”

“Apparently, there was some sort of way to inoculate or build up resistance against it. Emir’s group was supposed to find out how Muslims could be protected from it.”

Immediately, a bell went off in Harvath’s head. “Then this weapon wasn’t bioengineered to decimate non-Muslims, it was engineered to kill anyone who wasn’t vaccinated against it.”

“Vaccination in the strict sense of the word might not be exactly how it works,” said Jillian, “but you’re in the right vicinity.”

“What else can you tell me?” he asked. “I need to know more, especially about the Arthashastra. Maybe there’s an answer in there-a formula or an antidote we can use.”

“It’s a very complicated book.”

Harvath was about to assert that it couldn’t be that complicated if a group of nutcase fundamentalist scientists had figured out how to crack it, when the TV at the front of the pub caught his attention again. Several of the patrons had gathered around to watch some sort of update on the Harvey Nichols shooting. “Stay here, “He said. “I’ll be right back.”

He quietly walked up behind the group of customers at the front of the pub and watched as a reporter explained that three people had been shot to death at the upscale Knightsbridge department store-one of them an off-duty London police officer. The reporter then cut to video from the store’s security cameras showing the shooter in action. It was like the al-Karim bazaar all over again. All of the attention was focused on Harvath, and Khalid Alomari was nowhere to be seen. The only thing Harvath had going for him was that none of the footage showed a full shot of his face. Not that it mattered. According to the reporter, eyewitnesses were already working with police sketch artists, and they were confident they would have a composite soon. What they did have now, though, were several shots of a woman police were saying might have been kidnapped by one of the gunmen. Harvath watched as they ran several pieces of video that clearly showed Jillian’s face.

Hurrying back to the table and positioning his body so that Alcott would be less visible from the front of the pub, Harvath asked, “How’d you pay for your meal in the café? Cash? Check? Credit card? What was it?”

“I paid cash,” responded Jillian. “What’s this all about?”

“Good. That means they won’t have your name, at least not right away.”

“Who won’t have my name?”

“The police. They’ve just released images from the store’s security cameras. Apparently, they can’t decide whether I kidnapped you or if you were my willing accomplice.”

“Accomplice to what?”

“To the shooting. Three people back at the store are dead. One of them was an off-duty policeman.”

Jillian didn’t know what to say. “Did you shoot him?”

“Of course not.”

“How can you be sure?”

“Because,” replied Harvath, “I know who I was aiming at.”

“Khalid Alomari.”

“Exactly.”

“This is too much,” replied Jillian. “We have to go to the police. Now.”

“I already told you. I can’t go to the police, and neither can you. There’s no time.”

“If Alomari was in that store, then they’ll have footage of him too.”

“He’s a professional. If they do, they won’t have much.”

“But it’s something, a start. They could help us look for him.”

“At this point, Khalid Alomari is one of the last things I’m concerned about. I need to get to the bottom of how this illness works and how and where al-Qaeda intends to use it. I can’t do that, though, without your help. I need to know more about what Emir was involved with.”

Jillian knew she had to do something. She might be Emir’s only hope. Finally, she said, “I’m not the one you need to talk to.”

“Of course you are. You’re the person Emir was speaking with outside the institute.”

“I’m not exactly the only one.”

Harvath looked at her. “If there’s anyone else you think he might have spoken to, you need to tell me. They could be in a lot of danger right now as well.”

“I doubt it,” said Jillian. “There’s no trail connecting them. Emir didn’t even know I was talking to anyone else about his work.”

“You? Who were you talking with?”

Jillian paused for a moment. “Two people who know a lot more about this stuff than I do.”

“Other paleopathologists?”

“They were professors of mine at university,” she replied. “Vanessa and Alan Whitcomb.”

“Where can I find them?” asked Harvath.

“About five hours north of here in Durham. Do you have a car?”

Harvath shook his head.

“Then it looks like we may be sticking together for a little while longer.”

TWENTY-THREE

THE WHITE HOUSE

WASHINGTON, DC

SAME DAY