Consent To Kill_ A Thriller Part 5

She was already halfway into the living room. She stopped and gestured at the front hall closet. "That bag?" She folded her arms across her chest. "I called you two hours ago. Why didn't you answer your phone?"

Changing the subject was the first sign of guilt. He knew because he did it all the time. "I've been working on something." Rapp pointed at the legal pad on his knee. "What's in the bag?"

"Did you forget that we had a meeting tonight with Philip?"

Philip was their interior designer. A confused expression fell across Rapp's face. "I didn't know we had a meeting tonight." Even as he said it he began to have a faint recollection of some such thing.

She put her hands on her hips. "For a spy you're a terrible liar."

Rapp felt the table being turned. "Anna, I'm not lying. I didn't know."

"Don't say you didn't know. It's on the calendar," she pointed to the kitchen. "I told you before I left this morning, and I left you a message on your phone an hour before the meeting."

Now he remembered. "Oh, that meeting."

She gave him the look.

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely. They were building a house in Virginia, just outside the beltway on two very private acres, and it had become a full-time job that he didn't have the time for. "What did I miss?"

"Carpet selections. That's what's in the bag, by the way."

Rapp stood. "Sorry." His instincts had failed him. He walked over and gave her a kiss. "You know I'm not very good at that stuff. I trust you. Whatever you and Philip think is best, I'll go along with it."

She gave him a doubtful look. "Like the tile in the bathroom you hated, and the paint color for the dining room that you said reminded you of vomit."

Rapp looked up at the ceiling as if the whole thing sounded very unfamiliar to him.

"You don't need to say anything. As your loving wife I'm going to tell you how we're going to proceed. You are going to open a bottle of wine for us, because I need a drink something fierce. Then we are going to go through the carpet samples, and you are going to help me make a decision, and then we're going to sit down in front of the fireplace and you're going to rub my shoulders."

Rapp put his hands on her shoulders and said with a mischievous look, "And then we're going to have wild s.e.x."

She shook her head. "I am tired...my feet hurt...I feel gross...I have to get up at five, and I'm not so sure I should reward your forgetful behavior."

"I'll make it up to you." He started kissing her neck.

"We'll see. Now go get my gla.s.s of wine."

Rapp continued to work on her lovely neck until she pushed him away, laughing. He grabbed a bottle of cabernet from the wine rack and began opening it. As he looked up he saw his wife standing in front of the fireplace holding his legal pad. Her expression was intent as she tried to make sense of his notes. He'd have to start writing in Arabic. That would drive her nuts. He calmly walked back into the living room and yanked the notepad from her hands.

"I was reading that," she said in an indignant voice.

"Really...did you ever think it's none of your business?"

Anna smiled. "But we're married, darling. We're not supposed to keep secrets from each other."

"You are so full of it." Rapp tore off the top sheet and threw it in the fire. "When was the last time you let me look at your notes for a story? You're in the wrong line of work. You should have been a spy."

"Really," she said in a hopeful tone. "There's still time for a career change. I'm young."

Rapp went back into the kitchen and finished pulling the cork from the bottle. He poured two gla.s.ses. "You'd hate it. You'd never be able to handle the scrutiny from those jackals in the press."

"They're real b.a.s.t.a.r.ds, aren't they?"

"The worst." Rapp handed her the gla.s.s of wine.

Anna swatted him in the b.u.t.t, and said, "You're bad. Now go get those carpet samples and get to work."

"Only if it means I get a little love later."

"You're on probation for the evening. Don't push it."

Rapp walked to the closet, dreading the mundane task that lay ahead. His thoughts were already returning to his notes. There were a lot of things to consider. In a perfect world it would have been nice to bounce a few things off Anna, but it just wasn't an option. Especially this stuff. Operations like this were designed to never see the light of day. That's why they were called black ops. The Freedom of Information Act would have no effect on them. No records would be kept, and the men and women who were involved would go to their graves silent to their very last breath.

10.

WESTERN A AUSTRIA.

E rich Abel drove his brand-new silver SL 55 AMG Mercedes up the switchback road with a heavy foot. Abel had been eyeing the car for sometime. It was not that he couldn't afford it, it was just that, financially, he was an exceptionally conservative man. His BMW Series 7 had been only two years old and he had decided to wait another year before trading it in. In his mind, delaying gratification was in many ways the ultimate form of self-discipline. His recent contract with the bereaved Saudi father, though, had changed all that, and after all, he spent a fair amount of time in his car driving back and forth between Zurich and Vienna. rich Abel drove his brand-new silver SL 55 AMG Mercedes up the switchback road with a heavy foot. Abel had been eyeing the car for sometime. It was not that he couldn't afford it, it was just that, financially, he was an exceptionally conservative man. His BMW Series 7 had been only two years old and he had decided to wait another year before trading it in. In his mind, delaying gratification was in many ways the ultimate form of self-discipline. His recent contract with the bereaved Saudi father, though, had changed all that, and after all, he spent a fair amount of time in his car driving back and forth between Zurich and Vienna.

While in Riyadh, Abel had made precisely seven phone calls. Ten million dollars in cash, while it was very appealing to the eye, presented certain problems that Abel did not want to deal with. He instead told Saeed Ahmed Abdullah that he would prefer the funds wired to five separate banks in Switzerland. Abel wrote down the instructions and called his contact at each inst.i.tution telling them to let him know as soon as the funds were received. Within an hour all five men had confirmed that Abel now had ten million dollars in very liquid a.s.sets to add to $1.4 million in cash he had strategically placed at various inst.i.tutions around the world. There was another two million in real estate and securities, but in Abel's line of work one always needed a stash to draw from in the event one needed to disappear for a while.

The sixth call was made to the Mercedes dealers.h.i.+p in Zurich. He did not bother to haggle with them over the $125,000 price tag of the world's top performance sedan. Abel told them he would be in to get the car the next afternoon. The seventh, and last call, was to someone for whom he had great respect. Dimitri Petrov still lived in Moscow and still smoked two packs a day of his stinky Russian cigarettes. The smoking habit was the only thing Abel didn't like about the man. Petrov was a prince among thieves. A true professional who garnered respect from friend and foe alike, and in all likelihood the only fellow professional who Abel would talk to about his new business opportunity.

It was noon in Moscow by the time he called his old KGB friend, and the Russian's voice sounded as if he'd awoken him from a dead sleep. The two exchanged pleasantries for less than thirty seconds, which for them meant they insulted each other. Abel used a more deft approach, while Petrov initiated a full-on a.s.sault that eventually ended in a stream of creatively linked obscenities. The brief discussion reminded Abel of how much he missed his old friend. Getting down to business, Abel told Petrov he needed to see him immediately. When Petrov hesitated, Abel a.s.sured him he would be plied with fine food, expensive wine, excellent cigars, and $10,000 for his time. Intrigue alone would have more than likely induced him to make the trip, but Abel was hungry to complete his task. There wasn't a day to be wasted. He sweetened the pot by suggesting they meet at his Alpine house near Bludenz, a little over an hour from Zurich just across the Swiss border in Austria. Petrov loved its majestic views and solitude. The Russian mumbled something about his expenses, Abel a.s.sured him they would be covered, and told him to catch the first flight out in the morning.

Abel accelerated through another switchback and then pressed the gas pedal to the floor on the straightaway. The 493-hp engine launched the sedan up the mountain road like a rocket. Abel allowed himself a brief smile. The vehicle was a testament to West German engineering. More than a decade later he still drew the line between East and West. The country he had grown up in could never have produced such an exquisitely powerful and utterly dependable machine. And it wasn't just an East German problem. There wasn't a single communist country capable of such greatness. Abel had abandoned his country of birth and tried his best not to return. There were a myriad of complicated reasons. First and foremost he did not like the constant reminder that he had been on the losing side of the twentieth century's great Cold War. Reunification had helped East Germany greatly, but it still had a ways to go before catching up. The scars caused by the neglect of communism ran deep. Years of tarnish had to be removed before the prideful l.u.s.ter and German efficiency could be fully restored.

Abel had lived a lie the first thirty years of his life, and he refused to waste a single day continuing to do so. He was now a Swiss citizen, and like his new country he had adopted a neutral, more businesslike att.i.tude toward the world. Wars came and went, commerce was constant, and when the two collided great opportunity presented itself. Abel was simply a facilitator. A specialist in risk a.s.sessment, and sometimes when it was called for, like now, risk removal.

Abel approached the second to the last switchback and slowed quite a bit. This one was sharper than the others. Through a gap in the lush spruce trees he caught a glimpse of the local ski resort. It wasn't set to open for another month. From Abel's Alpine house it was a twenty-minute drive down into the village. The pristine, high mountain air was good for his asthma, and the solitude was good for both his mind and his business.

He had hesitated just briefly before calling Petrov. In his line of work everything had to be a.n.a.lyzed through the prism of risk/reward. There was always a trade-off. Abel had more than adequate resources when it came to the standard job, but this one called for something special. He needed fresh talent. Someone who was extremely good, but not yet known to all the usual suspects. As a general rule, the fewer people involved the better, but for a job of this level, he had no one in his Rolodex who he felt confident giving the a.s.signment to. Petrov would know of someone, though. He was sure of that.

Abel swung around the last switchback and then turned onto his driveway which went back down the slope slightly parallel to the mountain road. The long driveway was lined with tall, skinny spruce and after a fairly steep initial descent it leveled out. Abel swung into the parking area in front and parked next to a rental car. He noticed his friend's suitcase sitting on the porch next to the front door, and got out of the car. He walked around the wraparound porch to the left and found Petrov sitting in a chair, his eyes closed, basking in the sun.

Without bothering to open his eyes, the Russian asked in mildly accented English, "How long were you going to have me wait, you ungrateful n.a.z.i?"

Abel smiled and noted the gray wool topcoat spread across Petrov's lap like a blanket. With his silver hair he looked like a retired person on a sea cruise. A pack of cigarettes sat on one armrest and a well-used bra.s.s lighter on the other. "I have been watching you for over an hour, you old Stalinist dog. I thought you were either dead or napping...which considering your age, are both distinct possibilities."

One of the eyes on the broad face shot open and Petrov began cursing Abel in Russian. Abel's Russian had never been great, and had gotten much worse, but he got the gist of what his friend was saying. There was something about dogs fornicating and his lineage and then more of the standard n.a.z.i stuff.

He laughed enthusiastically and then said, "Are you so old you can't stand up to greet an old friend? Should I help you?" Abel put his hands out in an overly dramatic fas.h.i.+on. "Should I call a nurse?"

"I will break your pretty little nose if you lay a hand on me," Petrov growled and yanked himself from the chair with surprising swiftness.

The two men embraced, and Abel once again tried to slap his Russian friend on the back as hard as he was being slapped. It was never enough, though. The two men were roughly the same height, both just under six feet, but the Russian had him by a good fifty pounds. Petrov was sixty-one and didn't look a day under seventy. His silver hair, smoking, love of food and spirits, and undoubtedly the stress of his job had not been kind to him.

"Come," said Abel, "let's go inside. I stopped at the market and got all of your favorite things." The two men walked around the porch and Abel unlocked the front door. "You know where your room is. Go in and get settled, and I'll take care of everything else."

Abel brought his own suitcase in and then unloaded three bags from the trunk. The first thing he did was take the bottle of Belvedere vodka and place it in the freezer. There was a better than even chance that his friend would polish off the entire bottle before they went to bed. Always aware of his asthma, he cracked a few windows to let some fresh air in. Next he threw a six-pack of Gosser in the fridge along with a six-pack of Kaiser. If that didn't keep Petrov busy, there was a well-stocked wine cellar in the bas.e.m.e.nt. He then placed the pickled herring, smoked ham, sausages, vegetables, and cake box in the fridge.

Petrov appeared right on cue, and Abel handed him a bottle of Gosser. He grabbed himself a Kaiser and held up his bottle for a toast. "To old friends and free markets."

Petrov nodded and took a big swig. He was about to say something, but decided to take another drink. "I've been waiting for that all afternoon."

"Sorry I didn't get here earlier, but I just flew in this afternoon." Abel looked at the clock. It was almost five.

"Where were you?" asked the Russian between swigs. The beer was already half gone.

Abel was about to tell him, but caught himself. "The better question would be where haven't I been." He opened a container of mixed nuts and placed them in a bowl on the counter. The key with Petrov was to keep feeding him.

"You've been busy doing OPEC's dirty work."

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries was headquartered in Vienna and was by far Abel's biggest client. "Everybody needs to collect intelligence." Abel held up his beer. "Even the Russian Mob." The comment was a direct shot at Petrov's sometime employer.

"Yes, well, the glorious experiment of communism has ended, and we are now left to fend for ourselves."

"To freelancing and capitalism." Abel raised his gla.s.s.

"I'll drink to freelancing, but never capitalism. Those pigs have flocked to my country like vultures to pick at its carca.s.s and prey on the weak."

Abel laughed. "And what did the communists do?" This was a common argument between them, and Abel had never lost it. Capitalism was far preferable. If it was brought up again later, after Petrov was drunk enough, he could get him to admit it. The Russian would threaten to kill him if he told anyone, and then he would launch into a tirade about the corrupt communists and how they ruined a perfectly good idea.

Petrov was mumbling something about greed and the destructiveness of organized religion. Abel cut him off and said, "Go outside and have a cigarette. I'm going to get dinner ready. Here, take the herring. I brought it just for you."

Petrov eagerly took the jar of salty pickled fish and then asked in a genuinely concerned tone, "What about cigars? Please don't tell me I flew all this way and you don't have cigars."

"I have cigars. Don't worry. They're for after dinner." Abel shooed him away and began preparing the meal.

Petrov came in to check on him periodically and shouted insults at him from the open porch door. By the time they sat down to eat, the six-pack of Gosser was gone. Petrov had only one Kaiser and immediately announced it was a girly beer. Too light. The bottle of vodka was placed in the center of the table and the bet was on as to whether or not it would last to see the sun rise. Petrov said absolutely not and Abel agreed.

Abel was not a meek eater, but his Russian friend made him look like a sparrow. Soon all of the sausage and ham were gone, as well as the fried potatoes, and the lion's share had gone to Petrov. Abel placed the dobosh torte on a platter and watched as Petrov's eyes dilated as if someone had hit him over the head. The cake, a confection of layered chocolate sponge and chocolate b.u.t.tercream covered with caramel, was mouth-watering. Abel had one piece to Petrov's three, whereupon the Russian announced that if he didn't get up and leave the table he would eat the whole thing. Abel was sure he'd be back in around midnight to finish the other half.

Finally, they retired to the porch and a starlit evening. Abel brought out two heavy wool blankets to ward off the cool air. There wasn't a sound other than Petrov's various attempts at aiding his digestion. Abel broke out the box of Montecristo cigars. He kept one and handed the box to Petrov.

"Yours to take home with you." Abel rolled the cigar under his nose taking in the fine aroma.

"Thank you, my friend." The Russian opened the box and looked eagerly at his bounty.

Abel would have only one cigar, and he would smoke it very carefully. The only time he chanced it was when he was in the mountains and even then he had to see how he was feeling. With his asthma he had to be very cautious. He would savor the moment, smelling the cigar for up to an hour before lighting it.

"I need some advice, Dimitri."

Petrov s.n.a.t.c.hed a cigar from the box, bit off the end, and lit it. After several heavy puffs, he said, "I was wondering when you would get around to business."

"Always after dinner. You know that."

Petrov pointed his cigar at his German friend. "You should be careful. You're becoming far too predictable."

Abel didn't like the sound of that, and made a mental note to review his habits. He withdrew an envelope from his jacket and handed it to Petrov. "Your fee."

The Russian hesitated while grimacing. "I don't like this. I have done nothing."

"I have confidence in you."

"Ten thousand dollars." He shook his head. "We are friends."

"Yes, we are." Abel slapped the money into his hand. "And I am being compensated very well. Think of it this way...it is not my money...it belongs to the man who hired me. You are a subcontractor."

Petrov placed the envelope in his pocket. "Now that I have been hired, what is it you need?"

"A name."

"What kind of name?"

Abel had already decided under no circ.u.mstances would he reveal the ident.i.ty of his target. "I need someone killed."

Petrov shrugged nonchalantly. "You know plenty of people who specialize in such things."

"Yes, but this job requires someone who is better than your average plumber."

Petrov's brow furrowed in thought. "Can you tell me about the target?"

Abel shook his head.

"You must give me something to work with. Do you need it to look like an accident? Do you care about collateral damage? What theater will they need to operate in? What fee will they be paid?"

"I need the best. I need a real professional. Someone who looks at their craft as a higher form of art."

"Ahhh..." sighed Petrov. "You want one of the crazy ones. The kind that treat the kill like it is a religion. And you want the best?"

It was obvious that Petrov was thinking of some names. "Yes," said Abel, "I want someone who not only thinks they are the best, but someone who is hungry to prove they are the best." Abel had thought of this distinction carefully. There was a good chance that a seasoned contract killer would turn down the job as soon as he learned the ident.i.ty of the target. He needed someone who was on their way up. Someone who would want to mount Mitch Rapp like that leopard in Abdullah's office.

"Your target must be someone very important."

"I wouldn't say that necessarily."

"Someone who is well guarded?"

"Not necessarily."

Petrov threw back a shot of vodka and puffed on his cigar. "I hope you are not working for those d.a.m.n Saudis."