Polar Quest

31

Kilkenny adjusted the binoculars and tightened in on the sleek white form in the middle of the inner harbor. The Sirvat — a 187-foot floating palace — dwarfed everything in the water except for two destroyers and a supertanker moored out in the deep anchorages. Kilkenny spotted a man of immense girth seated in the rear of the yacht’s upper deck, sipping from a tall glass. The man had thinning dark hair and thick black eyebrows that ran uninterrupted from one side of his fleshy face to the other. Two young women in the barest of Brazilian bikinis lay sunning themselves nearby. Kilkenny estimated their combined body fat at something less than the man’s nested chins.

‘So that’s Stepan Agabashian,’ Kilkenny said.

Kilkenny and Tao were in the hotel suite with their local CIA contact, a man whom they knew only as Raul.

‘Si,’ Raul replied. ‘It is rumored he is here brokering deals with some of his South American clients.’

According to the file, Agabashian had been born in Turkey to Armenian parents. The details of his early career in gunrunning were sketchy, but by the 1980s Agabashian had definitely hit the big time. Sources pegged his sales to Iraq during its eight-year war with Iran at well over a billion dollars. He sold guns to Christian forces in Lebanon, explosives to splinter factions of the Irish Republican Army, missiles to the Argentineans during the Falklands War, and AK-47s to regional hot spots around the globe. In the realm of black-market arms, Agabashian was known as the Merchant of Death.

‘And you’ve been keeping tabs on his movements?’ Tao asked.

‘As soon as his yacht pulled into the harbor. So far, he’s done most of his entertaining on board, bringing his guests out on the launch. He went into town last night for dinner; the young ladies on the deck accompanied him on the way back. Sources say he’s been invited to a private black-tie party in Ipanema tonight.’

‘Do you have the layout of the ship?’ Tao asked.

Raul nodded and placed a set of floor plans on the table. ‘We’ve acquired these from the builder.’

Kilkenny saw two motorboats tied alongside the yacht; they looked small and fast. Studying the decks of the Sirvat, he picked out two men patrolling the main deck, both armed with machine pistols. Sweeping his eyes over the upper decks, he noticed the radar antenna spinning atop the mast, keeping track of the ships around the great vessel.

‘I don’t think storming that yacht would be too bright an idea,’ Kilkenny said. ‘A squad of SEALs could pull it off, but we’re a little shorthanded.’

‘What do you suggest?’ Tao asked. ‘That we dress up, and crash the party he’s attending tonight?’

Kilkenny lowered the binoculars and looked at Tao. ‘That kind of thing only works for James Bond, and besides, I left my tux back home.’

‘You couldn’t get into the party anyway. The guest list is a close circle of Agabashian’s peers,’ Raul said.

‘Which means the protection will probably be more than just rent-a-cops. The place to get Agabashian is not at either end, but when he’s moving in between.’

Raul shook his head. ‘He travels in an armored Hummer. Nothing short of a rocket attack could stop it.’

‘We want to talk with him, Nolan,’ Tao said, ‘not kill him.’

‘That leaves the launch.’

Kilkenny picked up the encrypted cell phone Raul had left them before the second ring. ‘Go.’

‘The party’s over and Agabashian is heading back,’ Raul reported.

‘Any guests?’ Kilkenny asked.

‘No, just Agabashian and the driver. ETA twenty minutes.’

‘Good. We’re moving into position.’ Kilkenny ended the call and slipped the phone into his coat pocket. ‘Time to go.’

It was just past one in the morning when Kilkenny and Tao reached the Rio de Janeiro Yacht Club. They had scouted out the marina after the Sirvat‘s launch arrived earlier that evening, blending in with the crowd, but now the docks were all but deserted. The pilot of the launch was seated in the cabin, listening to music as he kept watch. Tao clasped Kilkenny’s hand and walked close beside him. Kilkenny checked the time: ETA five minutes.

The launch was tied up alongside the seawall, illuminated by one of the lamps that cast a soft glow on the promenade. Walking toward the launch, Kilkenny placed his arm around Tao’s back and drew her close. She wore a red silk dress that stopped just above her knees and made an enticing display of her breasts. Tao pressed her head against his chest, her hair drawn back in a braid to keep the ocean breeze from whipping it about. She felt good beside him, even if her display of affection was strictly for show.

From the parking lot, they heard the unmistakable throaty growl of a Hummer. The driver pulled up into a space reserved for Agabashian’s use and opened the door for his employer.

Kilkenny and Tao ignored Agabashian’s arrival, acting as a couple enthralled with each other. Close to the launch, Tao became more amorous, nuzzling Kilkenny’s cheek and neck. He responded, cradling the back of her head with his hand as he kissed her. They murmured softly, like lovers sharing secret thoughts, and Kilkenny guided her into a shadowed spot against the yacht club wall. Tao’s arms slid beneath his jacket, one hand gliding down to grasp his buttocks.

Suddenly relieved of his boredom, the launch pilot grinned as he watched, especially when Tao wrapped a leg around Kilkenny’s hip. Kilkenny slipped a hand to his waist, as if to unzip his pants, then moved it up and cupped it over a breast. From the muffled groans, the pilot believed Kilkenny and Tao were having sex.

Oblivious to the lovers, Agabashian shuffled up to the side of the launch and prepared to board. The pilot offered his employer a supportive arm, then threw the driver a sly grin and nodded for him to check out the show.

‘Go,’ Tao whispered in Kilkenny’s ear.

Kilkenny slipped his hand off her breast and grabbed the Taser holstered in his armpit. Tao’s hand, which had covered a second Taser holstered against the small of Kilkenny’s back, curled around the grip and pulled the weapon free. As Kilkenny spun to the side and cleared her line of sight, Tao fired at the driver. Two electrified projectiles struck the man in the chest, their barbed tips punching through his clothing and into the skin beneath. Instantly, the Taser delivered a 50,000 volt shock to the driver’s central nervous system. The man dropped onto the promenade, his muscles spasming uncontrollably.

The pilot’s grin vanished when he saw Kilkenny spin away from Tao and take aim. A dot of red laser light appeared on his chest, immediately followed by the stinging barbs. The pilot’s legs buckled and he collapsed.

Tao quickly untied the lines as Kilkenny hauled the immobilized driver into the launch. Agabashian looked up as Tao leapt aboard.

‘Don’t move and you’ll get out of this alive,’ she said icily.

Kilkenny took the helm and steered a course out into the harbor. A waning crescent moon hung low in the clear sky, providing more than enough light to see by. Tao frisked Agabashian and his men, recovering two Glock pistols.

‘You can take a seat in the back,’ Tao said, less threateningly.

The arms dealer carefully rose onto his hands and knees, then crawled over to the stern bench. He sat with a great sigh and silently studied his captors. Tao traded the guns for a handful of zip ties from Kilkenny’s coat pocket and bound the wrists and ankles of Agabashian’s men. When they reached an isolated stretch of water, Kilkenny cut the engines. He sat down beside Tao, opposite Agabashian.

‘What do you want?’ Agabashian asked.

‘Information about one of your clients,’ Tao replied.

‘I never discuss clients.’

‘How well do you swim?’ Kilkenny asked.

‘What?’

Kilkenny took a tall clear glass from the launch’s minibar and scooped some water from the bay. Even in the moonlight, the water looked murky and foul.

‘This harbor is so polluted that you would no doubt float on top of the oil and raw sewage. If you’re a good swimmer, you could probably make it to your yacht or back to shore, but I’d recommend getting a tetanus shot and a strong course of antibiotics once you got there. Of course, if you can’t swim, it won’t much matter.’

‘You would put me overboard?’

‘If you don’t tell us what we want to know, I’d toss you in without a second thought.’

A voice came over the radio, hailing the launch.

‘They’ve noticed we stopped,’ Tao said.

Several crewmen were on the main deck of the yacht, looking in their direction.

‘A repair crew should be on its way shortly, with a guard or two,’ Kilkenny said, then he turned back to Agabashian. ‘This is really quite simple: You can answer my questions and live, or you can die with your secrets. If it helps you decide, I was almost killed by the weapon you sold, so this is personal for me. You have about five minutes before you go swimming.’

Agabashian looked at the water and saw a sheen of oil reflecting in the moonlight. ‘What do you want to know?’

‘You bought an SA-17 missile launcher from a Russian general named Dubinsky. You remember it?’

‘Yes.’

‘Who did you sell it to?’

‘A Frenchman named Sumner Duroc.’

‘Who does he work for?’

‘I don’t know. All I was told was that he wanted this specific weapon by mid-January and he was willing to pay well for it. The deal was brokered through intermediaries, all very clean. We only met once, at the time of delivery.’

‘When and where?’

‘In Argentina, Rio Gallegos. I delivered the launcher in mid-January.’

‘What did Duroc look like?’ Tao asked.

‘Tall and thin, like your associate. Black hair and black beard.’

Tao glanced at Kilkenny and he nodded; the description fit. A searchlight illuminated the launch and they heard the sound of a distant motor.

‘Time to get moving,’ Kilkenny said.

He started the engines and turned the launch back toward the marina. The pilot of the second boat pushed his throttles forward, chasing after them. They had a good head start, but the other boat was faster and closing the distance. The spotlight widened to illuminate the launch.

‘Roxanne, do something about that — ‘

Tao crouched at the stern and fired twice at the approaching boat, then pointed the pistol at Agabashian’s head. The pilot of the second boat eased back on the throttle, allowing them to pull away.

‘Message received,’ Tao said as she lowered the pistol.

Kilkenny brought the launch back to the same spot at the dock and cut the engines. The second boat held back at a distance, still watching.

‘As promised, you have avoided a swim in the harbor tonight,’ Kilkenny said. ‘Oh, two more things before we go. If it turns out you lied to us about Duroc, we’ll be back and not to talk. Also, if the thought of warning Duroc enters your head, just remember that we’re here tonight because of something he did with that launcher.’

Kilkenny and Tao stepped out of the launch and ran down the promenade to the marina parking lot where Raul was waiting for them.

‘Agabashian’s been holed up in his yacht since his men picked him up last night,’ Raul announced as he stepped out onto the patio of the safe house where he’d hidden Kilkenny and Tao after their encounter with the arms dealer. ‘We haven’t picked up any ship-to-shore traffic either. I think he’s scurried back into his hole and has no intention of looking for you.’

‘That’s fine with me,’ Kilkenny said.

Raul sat down at the table and handed Tao an envelope. ‘This came in for you from Langley.’

Tao quietly read the contents of the message. ‘Nolan, I think you’ll find this interesting.’

Kilkenny slid his chair close as she laid down the first sheet. ‘What am I looking at?’

‘This is an answer to that stock trading question you asked about. Several trades selling shares of UGene stock were executed by different brokerage houses that week.’

Kilkenny studied the pages carefully. ‘A lot of little trades.’

‘Yes, but their collected increase in the trading volume made the SEC curious enough to dig a little further.’ Tao placed the next sheet on the table. ‘All those little trades were placed by a small private bank in the Cayman Islands. After the stock fell, the same bank incrementally bought stock to cover the short.’

Kilkenny stared at the pages, stunned. ‘I don’t believe it.’

‘Doesn’t this prove that someone other than Eames knew the murders were going to happen?’

‘No, this could be nothing more than a coincidence, but I think it’s worth a trip to the Cayman Islands to find out.’