Path Of The Assassin

“No, not really. What we each saw were eyes. Silver eyes. The assassin in Macau who got to Jamek before we could, the one who took out Gerhard Miner in Switzerland, and the man who attacked Schoen in Israel, the same one he saw after the ambush in Lebanon, were all the same guy. It has to be Hashim Nidal.”

“Or someone working for him,” said Mraz.

“Regardless, I’ll bet our last two Lions either had met with Nidal’s son face-to-face or had enough sensitive information on him that they had to be silenced permanently,” replied Harvath.

“That would make sense, as would the boldness of those assassinations. We’ve already tied the son to a string of deadly terrorist attacks on different continents over the last year and a half. They’ve all been very bloody, very high risk operations. They make what the father did look like child’s play. And what’s worse, we’ve discovered that he’s managed to align several different Islamic terrorist organizations under his umbrella. Our people are projecting that left unchecked, his group will grow to become the largest and best organized we’ve ever encountered. After they light up Israel, who do you think their next target will be?”

“Us,” said Harvath, his tone grave.

“Just like dominoes,” replied Mraz.

“But that’s ridiculous. They’ve got to know that as Israel’s biggest ally we’d come to their aid.”

“I’m sure they do know that. And I’m sure they’re counting on it. The minute we step into Israel, we’re going to see unprecedented acts of terrorism against the United States.”

“Do we have any leads at all?”

“We know that the FRC has made several recent attempts to retrieve funds that Abu Nidal thought he had hidden beyond anyone’s detection. Each of those attempts has been thwarted. The organization is desperately trying to raise cash, and our intelligence indicates that whatever they’re planning, it’s coming up fast.”

“So what’s the operation?” asked Scot.

Mraz spoke up. “The goal of Operation Phantom is to identify and eliminate Hashim Nidal before he can carry out his next attack, and hopefully dismantle his organization once and for all.”

“Operation Phantom?” asked Harvath.

“Yes, Abu Nidal’s son is, for all intents and purposes, a ghost. We don’t know his date of birth, how tall he is…not even what he looks like.”

“Do you guys actually pay someone to sit around and think these names up?”

“Often, it’s the mission directors who develop the code names. In this case, the mission director is Mr. Morrell.”

“Well, that explains a lot.”

“Regardless of your feelings about Mr. Morrell, I can guarantee you we chose the best man for the job.”

“That’s highly debatable,” replied Scot. “But as long as you have me along, at least I can keep an eye on him and try to keep him from screwing things up too badly.”

“And what makes you think you will have anything to do with this operation, Agent Harvath?”

“Because you wouldn’t have spent all this time spilling what you know if you didn’t plan on bringing me in. Let’s also not forget that I am operating under direct orders from the president of the United States, who has the utmost confidence in my abilities, and who with one phone call would have me put on this team, whether you like it or not.”

“You are an arrogant man, Agent Harvath,” said Mraz.

“No, it’s not arrogance, Mr. Mraz, I’m just very good at what I do,” replied Harvath evenly.

“Well, I want you to know that I don’t think you belong on this team and neither does Director Vaile. But, as you mentioned, the president does have every confidence in your ability, and therefore we have grudgingly decided to put you under Mr. Morrell’s command.”

“Under his command? No way. I command myself, and that’s final.”

“Agent Harvath, I’m not asking you, I’m telling you. If you wish to be a part of this operation, these are the conditions under which it will happen. You’re a former SEAL. You, of all people, should appreciate the need for a clear and definite command.”

“You left out ‘capable,’” said Harvath.

“It will please you to hear that Mr. Morrell is not at all happy about you being added to the team and that he tried very hard to stop it from happening.”

“Thanks. That does make me feel better.”

“Per Director Vaile’s agreement with the president, you will be on Mr. Morrell’s team for the ID and termination of Hashim Nidal, after which you will return to your duties at the White House. Is this understood?”

“There’s no plan to try and grab him?” asked Harvath.

“No. Our projection is that if we’re lucky, we’ll only get one opportunity to put him out of business. If we fail, which is far more likely in a snatch operation than with a sniper team, he’ll go so far underground we won’t see him again until the dust has settled from whatever major event he has brewing. This is precisely why we cannot afford any interference from Mr. Schoen and the Israelis, especially if Schoen’s involvement is more personal than professional. That’s how mistakes happen. Now, we’re going to need to keep you overnight for observation, and then-”