Path of the Assassin

CHAPTER 69

It was a picture perfect day in Washington as Harvath cleared White House security and made his way down to the situation room. A week had passed since he and Meg had left Italy, and the time off had provided him with ample opportunity to decide what his next moves, both personal and professional, would be. On the personal front, he knew Meg was going to be a very important person in his life. In terms of his career, he knew the president was not going to like what he had to say, but his mind was made up.

There was the familiar click of the situation room door lock releasing, followed by the hiss of air as it swung open. The things I’ll miss, Harvath thought to himself.

Seated around the long cherry-wood table were all the faces he had expected to see and one that he didn’t.

Rick Morrell rose from his chair and walked across the room to meet him halfway. “I never got a chance to tell you what a hell of a job I thought you did,” said Morrell, offering his hand. “You didn’t get near the cooperation from us that you should have, and I apologize. We should have listened to you.”

Harvath couldn’t believe his ears. Rick Morrell, apologizing? He shook the man’s hand and said, “It’s the final outcome that matters the most.”

“Precisely what we’re here to talk about,” said President Jack Rutledge, who had entered the situation room behind Harvath. “If everyone would please take their seats.”

As Morrell turned to walk back to his chair, he said, “After this, the team is meeting at the Old Ebbitt Grill for a couple of beers. Why don’t you join us?” Harvath nodded his head and said he’d be there, then took the empty seat next to Gary Lawlor.

“First of all,” began the president, “I want to congratulate everyone involved in Operation Phantom. We were able to stop the Nidals and, in so doing, avert a war. I cannot overstate what an all-out war in the Middle East would have meant. Despite our direct support, if pushed hard enough, this administration does not doubt that the Israelis would have exercised their nuclear capabilities against the Arabs. But, as I’ve said, that was all successfully avoided. And now that the truth about the Hand of God organization is out in the open, the Arab world has so much egg on its face, I think it’ll be a long time before they dare point any fingers at Israel, about anything.

“That being said, I think it’s important for you all to know that with some subtle pressure from the United States, the Israelis were willing to make some notable concessions in the Italian peace summit. We should all be hearing about significant breakthroughs later today.”

A round of applause broke out around the table and the president waited for it to die down before continuing. “There are a couple of loose ends I would like to address before we adjourn this meeting. As to the radiological material found in Rome, the Department of Energy is still trying to find out who sold it to the Nidal family. The source of the money for its purchase, a Mr.—” the president paused to refer to his notes, “Marcel Hamdi, is less of a mystery. Mr. Hamdi was briefly detained by Moroccan authorities upon his return to Casablanca and during questioning, with no less than a dozen lawyers present, admitted to knowing Abu Nidal’s daughter, but emphatically denied any knowledge that she was involved in terrorism. When asked about his substantial cash withdrawal from the Palma de Mallorca branch of Deutsche Bank, his attorneys argued that as one of Morocco’s most prominent businessmen, Hamdi was constantly moving large sums of money and that he had broken no laws in doing so.

“Moroccan authorities bought it, but the United States didn’t. After reviewing our extensive file on Hamdi and his funding of various terrorist organizations hostile to the United States, I have made a decision. Suffice it to say that very soon, Mr. Hamdi will cease being a problem for this country, or any other, for that matter.”

Another, more subdued round of applause swept the situation room and when it had died down, the president continued. “The FBI believes it has succeeded in tracking down almost all of the cells here in the U.S. to whom the Nidal organization had sent the components for fabricating dirty bombs. In conjunction with several NEST teams, the remaining shipments are being investigated. We have also launched a major investigation into the international shipping practices of both FedEx and UPS. Homeland Security director Driehaus has assured me that this is a hole in our national security that he intends to plug immediately.”

The president addressed a handful of additional items and then adjourned the meeting. As the attendees filed out of the situation room, he asked Harvath and Lawlor to stay behind. Once the door had clicked shut, the president looked at Harvath and said, “I want to talk with you about your promotion to director of White House Secret Service Operations.”

Here it was — the moment Harvath had known he was going to have to face eventually. “I’m glad you brought that up, Mr. President, because I would like to talk about that as well.”

“Listen to what I have to say first. As much as I hate to do it, I’m going to have to rescind my offer,” replied the president. “I don’t think your qualifications are right for the position.”

Harvath couldn’t believe his ears. “I’m not qualified?” he said. “This has got to be a joke.”

“It’s no joke,” replied the president. “This is very serious.”

“I must be missing something, because this doesn’t make any sense.”

“Scot, you’re the best agent the Secret Service has ever seen,” continued the president, “but the Secret Service isn’t the right place for you.”

“Mr. President,” interjected Harvath, “if there’s a particular issue you have with my work, I’d like to know what it is.”

The mind was a funny thing. Harvath had arrived that morning fully prepared to tell the president he wouldn’t accept the position of director of White House Secret Operations, but the minute it became obvious the job was being taken away from him, he wanted to fight for it.

“Actually there’s several,” said the president.

“Several?”

“Maybe ‘not qualified’ isn’t the best way of characterizing this,” offered Gary Lawlor.

“Very true,” answered the president. “Scot, the fact of the matter is that you are overqualified for the position. You’ve done great work for the Secret Service, but your talents are being wasted. You’ve proven that.”

“Wow, fired before I’ve even started. That’s got to be a world record, even by Washington standards.”

Both President Rutledge and Gary Lawlor smiled.

“We want to offer you something else,” said Lawlor, “a way to serve your country and utilize your training and abilities to their fullest.”

“I’m listening,” replied Harvath.

“Scot, the world has changed and so must we,” said the president. “I know it sounds cliché, but the best defense the United States can mount is an exceptionally superb offense. And I want you to lead that offensive.”

“How so?”

“From here on out, America is going to be operating on a well-defined ‘strike first’ policy. We will never again wait for terror to come to us.”

“Whom would I be working for?”

“Me,” said Lawlor, drawing Harvath’s attention. “The president is creating a special international branch of the Homeland Security Department. It’s being called the Office of International Investigative Assistance, or OIIA, for short. The OIIA will represent the collective intelligence capability and full muscle of the United States government to help neutralize and prevent terrorist actions against America and American interests on a global level. As I’ve been asked to head the division, you would be reporting directly to me.”

“And what would my job be?”

“Exactly what you have been doing since the president was kidnapped — hunting down terrorists.”

“When would you want me to start?”

“Immediately,” said the president.

“Then I accept,” answered Harvath.

“Excellent,” replied the president as he nodded to Gary Lawlor.

Lawlor withdrew a folder, slid it across the table to Harvath, and said, “Marcel Hamdi will be in Havana tomorrow night for a meeting. We do not want him to leave that meeting alive.”

Harvath smiled to himself. He could already tell he was going to love this new job.