Vengeance

26 NATANZ, IRAN

Not far from the Jameh Mosque in Natanz, Behrouz Khavari sat alone in a booth at the back of Charsooq, a small, family-owned restaurant specializing in traditional Persian cuisine, savoring a cup of chai tea while he waited. It was early for dinner, with only one other table filled with patrons, and Khavari’s eyes studied the restaurant guests, convincing himself that there was nothing to worry about. After all, he had met his friend, as he preferred to think of him, on many occasions in this restaurant without being discovered.

As he took another sip of tea, Khavari spotted Karim Rashidi, a tall, thin man wearing a light sports jacket in the day’s heat, entering the restaurant. After spotting Khavari, he joined him in the back of the restaurant, sliding into the seat on the opposite side of the booth. Neither man greeted the other, instead waiting silently for Ariana, the owner’s daughter and waitress, to approach and take their dinner order. Once their order was placed and Ariana entered the kitchen, Rashidi spoke.

“What information do you have?”

“We received a shipment of advanced Russian gas centrifuges this week.”

Rashidi’s eyes widened.

“How many?”

“One thousand.”

Khavari’s friend, a CIA field agent, brought his hands up to his head, rubbing his temples, his eyes staring down at the table. Looking back up at Khavari, Rashidi asked, “How long until they’re operational?”

“A few days.”

Rashidi muttered something unintelligible under his breath.

“Tell me everything,” he said.

Dinner was soon served, and Khavari spent the time while they ate conveying what he knew about the centrifuge design, their uranium purification rate, current Iranian stockpiles of low-grade and purified uranium, and the status of the new facilities being built within Kūh-e Kolang Gaz Lā.

“I need to know more about the mountain complex.”

After surveying the restaurant customers and staff, verifying that no one was watching them, Khavari pulled a folded envelope from his back pocket and slid it across the table to Rashidi, who quickly concealed it inside his jacket.

“Everything I know about the facility layout and security is in the envelope.” Khavari leaned toward Rashidi. “You must act swiftly.”