you have a certain reputation in this town that has grown beyond even your own remarkable achievements. The secrecy regarding your past, the untimely death of two politicians who were involved in blowing your cover … it has all added up to an almost mythical reputation. When people mention your name they do so in whispers, and then only after they’ve looked over both shoulders. You get credit for things I know for a fact you had nothing to do with.”
“How can you be so sure?” Rapp gave her a devious look.
“Because I know you weren’t even on the same continent let alone in the same city when some of this stuff happened. But nonetheless people like a good conspiracy and you play into that perfectly.” Kennedy rolled her eyes. “Rugged good looks, a beautiful wife who works for NBC, and none other than the president of the United States as your biggest champion. Add to that the aforementioned deceased politicians and what they leaked to the press, the press referring to you as an assassin … our first line of defense … and there isn’t a person on Capitol Hill who doesn’t get a little nervous around you.”
“Good.” Rapp far preferred his old anonymity, but if some of the less-than-savory politicians in this town were afraid of him, that wasn’t such a bad thing. “Here’s the bottom line. I’ll do this, but I’m going to do it my way. I’m going to pick the targets of opportunity, and I’ll take suggestions from you and only you. If they have any suggestions of their own they can give them to you and I’ll take them under advisement, but I will hold veto power. If I think something is too risky or not important enough … I’ll pull the plug.”
“I can make them live with that. What else?”
“I’m going to handpick all my people.”
Kennedy nodded. She had assumed he would make both requests.
“And we’re going to do more than just take out known terrorists.”
“How so?” Kennedy asked curiously.
Rapp smiled. “I’ve been working on something, but I’m not ready to show you yet.”
“Would you like to give me a hint?”
“Let’s just say that I’m planning on fighting this war on more than one front, and I don’t plan on playing by anyone’s rules.”
“Like your little operation you just ran north of the border?”
Rapp nodded.
Kennedy knew him better than anyone, and that included his wife. She gave him a concerned look and said, “Let me give you some advice. Be very careful about what you do when it involves our allies. Nothing short of getting caught here in America by the FBI will get you in trouble quicker than raising the ire of one of their foreign intelligence services.”
Rapp grinned. “I don’t plan on getting caught.”
“No one ever does, Mitch.” She shook her head. “No one ever does.”
“I know … I know. But I’ve managed to get by all these years … I don’t plan on screwing up now.”
“Just be careful and move slowly.”
Rapp shook his head. “Time is a luxury we don’t have. Senator Hartsburg is a hack, but he’s right about one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“We have to hit them before they hit us.”
8
L ONDON , E NGLAND
T he identification in his wallet said his name was Harry Smith. It was not his given name, simply a standard precaution. He’d watched the target for the last forty-eight hours, day and night. He slept after the man went to sleep and woke up before the target got out of bed. He was younger, in far better shape, and had the element of surprise on his side. He’d trained himself to last days on end with little or no sleep. He was acutely aware of his physiological needs, and this job wasn’t even close to taxing them. The job, in fact, was beginning to bore him.
The target was a Turkish financier with a penchant for high-risk ventures—especially those involving illegal arms sales. He owned several banks in his native country and held minority interests in another half dozen banks around
“How can you be so sure?” Rapp gave her a devious look.
“Because I know you weren’t even on the same continent let alone in the same city when some of this stuff happened. But nonetheless people like a good conspiracy and you play into that perfectly.” Kennedy rolled her eyes. “Rugged good looks, a beautiful wife who works for NBC, and none other than the president of the United States as your biggest champion. Add to that the aforementioned deceased politicians and what they leaked to the press, the press referring to you as an assassin … our first line of defense … and there isn’t a person on Capitol Hill who doesn’t get a little nervous around you.”
“Good.” Rapp far preferred his old anonymity, but if some of the less-than-savory politicians in this town were afraid of him, that wasn’t such a bad thing. “Here’s the bottom line. I’ll do this, but I’m going to do it my way. I’m going to pick the targets of opportunity, and I’ll take suggestions from you and only you. If they have any suggestions of their own they can give them to you and I’ll take them under advisement, but I will hold veto power. If I think something is too risky or not important enough … I’ll pull the plug.”
“I can make them live with that. What else?”
“I’m going to handpick all my people.”
Kennedy nodded. She had assumed he would make both requests.
“And we’re going to do more than just take out known terrorists.”
“How so?” Kennedy asked curiously.
Rapp smiled. “I’ve been working on something, but I’m not ready to show you yet.”
“Would you like to give me a hint?”
“Let’s just say that I’m planning on fighting this war on more than one front, and I don’t plan on playing by anyone’s rules.”
“Like your little operation you just ran north of the border?”
Rapp nodded.
Kennedy knew him better than anyone, and that included his wife. She gave him a concerned look and said, “Let me give you some advice. Be very careful about what you do when it involves our allies. Nothing short of getting caught here in America by the FBI will get you in trouble quicker than raising the ire of one of their foreign intelligence services.”
Rapp grinned. “I don’t plan on getting caught.”
“No one ever does, Mitch.” She shook her head. “No one ever does.”
“I know … I know. But I’ve managed to get by all these years … I don’t plan on screwing up now.”
“Just be careful and move slowly.”
Rapp shook his head. “Time is a luxury we don’t have. Senator Hartsburg is a hack, but he’s right about one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“We have to hit them before they hit us.”
8
L ONDON , E NGLAND
T he identification in his wallet said his name was Harry Smith. It was not his given name, simply a standard precaution. He’d watched the target for the last forty-eight hours, day and night. He slept after the man went to sleep and woke up before the target got out of bed. He was younger, in far better shape, and had the element of surprise on his side. He’d trained himself to last days on end with little or no sleep. He was acutely aware of his physiological needs, and this job wasn’t even close to taxing them. The job, in fact, was beginning to bore him.
The target was a Turkish financier with a penchant for high-risk ventures—especially those involving illegal arms sales. He owned several banks in his native country and held minority interests in another half dozen banks around
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