Jihad

CHAPTER 93

Rubens listened impassively as Telach told him what had happened. Asad’s death was bad enough, but in the confusion that had followed, the FBI agents who’d been trailing Kenan had lost the youth somewhere in northern Detroit after he had abandoned his car.

“Since he was coming back, we told them not to get too close,” said Telach. “It really wasn’t their fault. We’ve given the local police a description of him, saying a witness saw him at the motel right before the shooting. They’re scouring the city,” she added.

“No doubt,” said Rubens dryly. “We have an ID?”

“No.”

“Asad’s murderers?”

“So far, no IDs. The shooting only took place an hour ago. The police car was stolen from the police garage. It’s likely that whoever killed Asad had contacts on the force, or at least there. The uniforms weren’t legitimate, but they were close, about what you could get at a good costume shop.”

Rubens rose from his desk. Desk Three’s powers might be prodigious, but they were not omniscient, and until now they had proceeded carefully for fear of tipping off Asad or his accomplices. Rubens was confident that Kenan, or whatever his real name was, would eventually be IDed, but the delay was frustrating. The same went for the killers. A trail would be found, tracing the men back to whoever had ordered the murder. Inexorably, the murder plot would be revealed.

The problem was, that wouldn’t necessarily help them determine where Asad had been planning to attack.

“Dean’s taking it pretty hard,” said Telach.

“Understandable.”

“It wasn’t his fault.”

“I didn’t imply it was, Marie.” Rubens walked over to the middle of his small office, rubbing his temples with his fingers.

“The FBI people want to arrest the head of the mosque,” Telach told him. “What do you think?”

“I think that it is unlikely to yield any useful information.”

The Art Room supervisor frowned.

“I will raise the issue with the National Security Advisor,” Rubens said. “As well as Homeland Security. However, technically, the case will be under their jurisdiction.”

“Should I pull Dean and Tommy in? I don’t think they’ll be of much use in Detroit. Ambassador Jackson can work with the police. He and Dr. Ramil are going to retrieve the bug as soon as possible.”

“Have Mr. Dean stay in Detroit to see if he can help locate the young man. Send Tommy — have him take the flight the young man was interested in,” said Rubens. “Have him fly armed, as an air marshal.”

“You don’t think Asad was thinking of hijacking it, do you?”

“At this point, Marie, I’m afraid I have no theories at all.”