Saving Sophie: A Novel (42 page)

“Is something wrong?” Catherine said.

Liam shook his head, but he was obviously about to say something. He leaned forward and cleared his throat.

“You okay?” Catherine said.

He reached across the table and covered Catherine’s hand gently with his own. He looked into her eyes, took a deep breath and cleared his throat again. “Catherine, you know I love you and there’s no other person in my life. I have something I want to ask you.”

Just then, a familiar voice interrupted them. “Hello there, you two.”

Catherine responded flatly, “Hello, Kayla.”

“May I?” She pulled a chair over to join them. “So, you got a text from Abu Hammad?”

Liam sighed and nodded. He passed his phone across the table to Kayla, who read the message:
I have spoken to Arif. I have his terms. Please call me at 10
A.M.
, my time.

Kayla looked at her watch. “That’s in forty-five minutes.” She motioned to the waiter and ordered a glass of chardonnay. “I saw Sommers again. He looks pretty good. They want him to try sitting in a wheelchair.”

Liam shook his head. “So you can roll him down the streets of Hebron? Is that your version of dead man walking?”

“Very funny. The doctor says he can fly out there, take his wheelchair with him, he’ll be fine.”

“Fine? He can barely move.”

“I need your help here, Liam.”

“And if he’s not ready? I would think the last thing you want is a relapse.”

Kayla looked at her watch and spoke quietly. “Today is the eighth. Yom Ha’atzmaut, the target date, is little more than a week away. We can’t waste a minute. It takes almost a full day to travel. The exchange must be scheduled at the earliest possible time. We have to push Sommers’s recovery.”

“And if he can’t make it?”

Kayla bit her lip and took a healthy drink of wine. “He has to make it.”

At ten o’clock, Liam placed the call from his hotel room.

“Hello, my friend,” Abu Hammad said. “How are things in Chicago?”

“Cold and windy, as usual. And in Jerusalem?”

“My shop is very comfortable.”

“I’m surprised you spoke directly to Arif.”

“I am also surprised. I was speaking with Fakhir, but when it came down to the details of exchanging money, Arif called me.”

“I thought the two of you didn’t speak.”

“We did not. We still do not. The conversation was mechanical, devoid of cordiality. Nevertheless, he communicated his terms and hung up.”

“I see. I apologize for putting you in such an awkward position.”

“You did not put me. I put myself.”

“I thank you for that.”

“His terms are simple. The father, John Sommers, is to come alone to a bakery in Hebron. On April twenty-fifth. He is to bring five million dollars in U.S. currency or the equivalent amount in euros. Nonconsecutive bills. Following delivery and examination of the money, the child will be brought to the bakery and Sommers may leave with her.”

“One moment, please, Jamal.” Liam put the call on mute and explained the terms to Kayla.

“No way. It has to be before the sixteenth. Try for the twelfth. And not at the bakery. A straight exchange at al-Zahani’s. In his home. We need to get inside those walls.”

Liam nodded. “Jamal, my friend, we need to modify those terms a little. Would it be possible for you to communicate our desires back to Arif?”

“I can talk to Fakhir. He will tell Arif to call me. What changes would you have to his terms?”

“First, Mr. Sommers has had an unfortunate accident. He has been seriously injured and is recovering from surgery. He cannot walk. He’s in a wheelchair and requires assistance. I will accompany him along with his nurse. As to the exchange, he wants a direct swap—money for Sophie. Same place. Simultaneously. No Sophie, no money. And he does not want it at a public location, both for Sophie’s well-being and his own. Mr. Sommers will meet al-Zahani at the doctor’s home, where he will take possession of the child and her things.

“And, Jamal, please tell him, this is most important: I’m going to pack the briefcase for Mr. Sommers. It’ll have five million dollars in it, but it will also have an explosive device. If some guy grabs the case and tries to open it without the correct combination, the case will explode and the contents will be destroyed, not to mention the guy who tries to open it. It’s not that I don’t trust the good doctor, but it may just discourage one of his friends from trying to finance an early retirement. Only Mr. Sommers can open the briefcase. Make sure Arif understands this.

“Finally, my friend, Mr. Sommers is most anxious to recover his daughter, the sooner the better. He has the money in his possession and would like to make the exchange in four days. We will make arrangements to be at Arif’s home on April twelfth. Jamal, we are indebted to you for interceding on our behalf. I’m sure that Mr. Sommers will express great interest in Middle Eastern antiquities.”

Abu Hammad laughed. “Antiquities, for certain. I do not seek profit from my assistance, but if Mr. Sommers should find his way to my shop, I will gladly show him a few precious items.”

“You are a good friend, Jamal.”

“I understand. I will make sure Arif receives your terms. Good-bye, my friend.”

Liam hung up and nodded at Kayla.

“I need a moment with Liam,” Kayla said to Catherine, and she took him out into the hallway.

“So now we wait again,” Kayla said to Liam quietly. “What if Arif doesn’t respond? I don’t want the IDF storming the compound. Abu Hammad’s got to get us in.”

“Five million dollars? He’ll respond. We’ll get in, but I want to make sure we get out. How much support has the Agency devoted to this operation? Men and matériel?”

Kayla shrugged. “I don’t know for certain. That’s not under my control.”

“Well, we need an operations expert to manage this
ruse de guerre.
You and I are not equipped.”

“I’m sure we’ll get all the help we need. Don’t worry.”

“Don’t worry? Do you remember when we sat around Jenkins and Fairchild’s conference table, weeks ago? ‘We need you to make the exchange, Liam.’ ‘We want you to be the go-between.’ Do you remember that?”

“Of course.”

“Skillfully omitted from that conversation was the part where good ol’ Liam was informed that there was an imminent terrorist strike and that good ol’ Liam was expected to walk into a firing squad.”

“I told you al-Zahani was a terrorist. I told you the beehive was active.”

“And Harry told me it was theoretical, that he hadn’t committed any assets to the project. Kayla, we cannot do this without proper support. We need to know where his guards are stationed and how they’re armed. We’d need aerial surveillance, and not just satellite. Like a couple of those hummingbird drones. And backup. Lots of backup.”

She nodded. “I’m sure it’s all arranged.”

“If we go into Hebron with Sommers, carrying a suitcase full of money, we’re targets the moment that suitcase’s opened. Assuming that al-Zahani buys the gambit and grants admittance to his compound, we’ll need a unit to take out the guards on the outer perimeter. Once the guards are down, and while we’re inside, we’ll need a unit to break into his weapons plant and secure the workers and whatever he’s manufacturing. As to persuading al-Zahani to give up the information about the terrorist operation, I leave that entirely up to you and your interrogators. But Sophie, Jack, and I will need safe transportation out of Hebron.”

Kayla nodded. “I said it’s done, Liam. This is not our first go-round. We’ll talk about it later.”

Liam started to go back into the room, but Kayla grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “So, did you ask her?”

“I was just about to, but someone showed up at our dinner.”

“Sorry. Were you going to give her the ring?”

Liam grimaced. “I didn’t get a chance to shop.”

Kayla shook her head. “Liam, you can’t just
ask
her. You have to give her a ring. You have to do it right. She’ll want to remember this for the rest of her life.”

Liam sighed. “I know you’re right.”

Kayla smiled and walked away. “See you tomorrow.”

S
IXTY
-S
EVEN

“S
O THAT’S WHERE YOU
left it?” Catherine said. “You asked her about support and she said, ‘We’ll talk about it later’? I hope you said, ‘Let me know how this all turns out.’”

“Not exactly.”

“Well then, you can’t go.”

Liam smiled. “Thanks, Mom.”

“I’m not kidding, Liam. It’s one thing to ask you to poke around and ask questions, and yet another to ask you to pretend you’ll pay the ransom money. But to ask you to jump into the middle of a military strike with inadequate backup, or no backup, that’s insanity.”

“Do you hear me arguing with you?”

“Good. Then you’re not going.”

Liam scrunched his face. “Well … I didn’t say I wouldn’t go. Kayla’s going to talk to Harry tomorrow, and she says we’ll have all the support we need.”

“I don’t trust her, Liam. You heard Harry say she’s obsessed with this doctor.”

Liam nodded.

“And you also heard him say he’s never seen any proof that the man’s a terrorist.”

Liam nodded.

“Stop nodding! I don’t want you to go.”

“I get that.”

Catherine put her arms around him. “Please don’t do something foolish. Don’t be so damn macho. Let the CIA handle their own problems.”

“I’m not being macho. I’m the one who made the contacts and set this whole thing up. I’m the one who’s supposed to go with Sommers to get his daughter. That’s the plan we sold. How do I back out now? And what if Kayla’s spot-on? What about those two thousand bags in Jerusalem? Two thousand screaming victims? She says the answers are all in the outbuilding. If we get the CIA’s support, get into the building, and stop the attack, we’ll save a lot of lives. Do you really want me to back out?”

“Yes. Of course I do. I don’t want you anywhere near this operation.” She hung her head. “But you’re right. If you’re able to help prevent an attack,
and if the CIA protects you,
then you should go.”

He kissed her on the forehead and held her head on his chest. “That’s my baby.”

*   *   *

C
ATHERINE TOSSED AND TURNED,
waking Liam every few minutes.

“Can’t sleep?”

“It’s the time zone. I’m wide-awake and it’s only three
A.M.
And there’s quite a bit on my mind. I think I need to go for a walk.”

Liam rubbed his eyes. “All right, I’ll go with you.”

“You don’t have to.”

“It’s okay.” Liam climbed out of the bed and put on his bathing suit. “Come on, we’ll take a walk on the beach.”

The grounds of the Moana Surfrider were still and quiet. Oil torches lit the path to the beachfront, where the full moon laid an undulating path of yellow paint on the surface of the sea. Liam and Catherine walked barefoot onto the cool sand and then ankle deep into the surf. Hand in hand, they sloshed along, making their way south in the direction of Diamond Head.

Catherine squeezed Liam’s hand. “I know you wanted to talk to me at dinner. Is this a good time?”

“I do want to talk, but … but not right now. I’d like to wait a little bit.”

Catherine, an obvious look of disappointment on her face, stood still. “That’s why I came out here.”

Liam put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “I know. But it’s just … I want it to be perfect, and I need to do something first. Look, can I promise you, the tide will not go out without us? You can depend on it. I have my reasons. Let me do this my way. Okay?”

She nodded and took his hand, and they continued their slosh through the surf.

“We
do
make a good couple, you know,” Liam said.

Catherine nodded. “I know.”

They eventually came upon a secluded, little alcove on the beach beneath a palm. Liam spread his T-shirt like a blanket, and there, on a warm Hawaiian night, they lay on the soft sand watching the moon make sparkles on the water.

*   *   *

K
AYLA RETURNED TO THE
hotel the next morning. She found Catherine and Liam at the breakfast buffet. “I need to borrow your boyfriend for a few minutes,” she said to Catherine.

“There are lots of reasons that I should not like you,” Catherine said. “Including the fact that you are sending him into a war zone. Please take care of him. He’s got this goofy macho mentality that makes him do things he shouldn’t do.”

“I understand. He’ll be well protected.”

“Did you talk to Harry?” Liam asked Kayla as the two of them walked along the beach path behind the Moana Surfrider.

“We’re all set.”

“That’s a little too general for me. How are we all set?”

“We’ll have proper support, outside and in.”

“The CIA’s going to fully support this operation?”

Kayla stopped and turned to face him. “Not the CIA. The support will come from in-country assets. I’m not CIA, Liam.”

“So, we’ve finally decided to be honest? Who the fuck are you?”

“Nice talk. I’m Shabak. Israel Security Agency. Arab Affairs Department. Counterterrorism. We’ll get our support for this mission from the Israeli intelligence community. You can be assured of adequate manpower and matériel.”

“And Harry? Is he Shabak?”

She shook her head. “No. Harry is CIA, but in a liaison role.”

They walked a bit farther in silence, then Kayla said quietly, “I never meant to deceive you, you knew I wasn’t just a resource analyst.”

“That’s not the same as being honest.”

Liam’s phone buzzed. He took it out of his pocket, read the text message, and showed it to Kayla:
Arif agrees to your terms. He will see you in three days at his home. April 12 at noon.

“Good work, Liam. You got us in. We’ll leave tomorrow.”

*   *   *

M
IDAFTERNOON AND KAYLA AND
Liam entered Sommers’s hospital room to find the bed empty. The station nurse informed them that he and his young lady were taking a walk. They found him sitting in a wheelchair in the hallway just around the corner. His IV was still in place and attached to the hook on the wheelchair. Jack was out of breath.