Read Online Fatal Conceit by Robert K. Tanenbaum - Free Book Online Page B

grabbed the top of the hood and roughly yanked it off. Lucy blinked in the harsh glare of the lightbulb, and it took her eyes a moment to focus on the face of the man who stood in front of her. His features were all Saudi and reminded her of a predatory bird, with his large hooked nose and black intense eyes set close together in a dark face; his black mustache and beard were kept closely cropped, framing his gleaming white teeth that now showed as he smiled at her.
    â€œAh, my little bird,” Amir Al-Sistani said. “At last we come to you. I’m so sorry to have kept you waiting, but I had some errands to run. I trust your accommodations have been to your liking. No? Oh, well, I will have to speak to management about that. It’s so hard to get good help these days.” He leaned down so that his face was only a few inches from hers. “Tell me, what brings you to Chechnya?”
    Lucy said nothing, so Al-Sistani continued. “I know you were not with the deputy chief of mission’s party. You were smart not to tell him anything, by the way, he started squealing as soon as he got a look at my friend Raad here,” he said, nodding over his shoulder to where a very large, bare-chested man stood holding two large ten-gallon containers, “and his knife, and he hasn’t stopped talking yet. Not exactly a paragon of that famous American courage. So I know all about this plan to meddle in the affairs of Syria and at the same time arm my enemy, Lom Daudov. But why are you here?”
    â€œGo to hell,” Lucy said.
    Al-Sistani smiled, but then as fast as a cobra he slapped her hardacross the side of her face. “I guess we will have to do this the hard way,” he said apologetically. “Bula, will you come in here, please?”
    Lucy turned to look as the door opened again. Umarov stepped into the room. “I sensed that you were evil,” she said in Chechen.
    Umarov smiled and shrugged. “I suppose that would depend on your point of view.”
    Al-Sistani laughed. “I see you have met my spy,” he said. “But please, let us speak in Arabic or English, my Chechen is rudimentary at best. . . . As I was saying, Umarov helped set up this little ambush, though I must say I am disappointed that one of my intended victims was not present.” He turned to glare at Umarov when he spoke.
    Umarov stopped smiling and fear crossed his eyes. “Daudov told me himself that he would be there. I had no other word or way of letting you know before the fighting began.”
    â€œYou are forgiven, Bula,” Al-Sistani said. “It still turned out well. And now you will have the privilege of assisting me.” He nodded to the large man, who walked around behind Lucy and placed the containers next to the chair as Al-Sistani replaced the hood. Raad then tilted the chair backward until her feet were above her and her head was down near the floor.
    â€œBula, if you would do the honors,” Lucy heard Al-Sistani say. The next thing she knew, water was being poured over the cloth in front of her face and she couldn’t breathe. Every time she tried to inhale, it felt as if she was drowning. She kicked her feet and struggled against her bonds until she felt the ropes cutting into her skin.
    Then suddenly the chair was set back upright and the hood pulled from her face. She gasped for air.
    â€œNow will you answer my question?” Al-Sistani asked lightly.
    When Lucy didn’t reply, he put the hood back on and she was tilted back again. This time they drowned her until she was on the verge of passing out, her desperate struggles growing weaker, then suddenly she was sitting up again and gulping in lungfuls of air.
    Al-Sistani patted her cheek. “Catch your breath, little bird, it is time to chirp, or would you care for another bath?” he said with his face pressed close to hers.
    â€œWould you mind backing up, you have foul breath,” Lucy