in London and didn’t visit, that wouldn’t be a lovely family reunion.”
Anna paced. “So, we have several coded words. Starwars has already been neutralized. One for the good guys.” She paused, pursing her lips. “We’ve already gleaned that The Ox refers to the Rhodes Scholarship initiative. That’s the technological and intellectual pieces of the plan.”
“So thebell seems clear to me,” Dodger said. “The New York Stock Exchange and the financial fifth of the puzzle in their plan.”
Anna nodded. “I have to agree. It’s got to be the most visual and symbolic of the West’s control over international markets and the center of the US’s financial heart.”
“But we must figure out if it’s the opening bell or the closing bell they’re going to target and confirm our suspicions,” Dodger added.
“That leaves tactical and spiritual,” Mouse said. “Right…whitesmoke…that’s got to be the pope. Hell, they’re going to assassinate the pope!” His voice rose an octave and his eyes widened. He swallowed hard. “We’ve got to warn the Vatican and their guards, along with the Italian police.”
“We will once we get more details,” Dodger said calmly. “Telling them there’s a threat without specifics is counterproductive. We don’t want to sound like conspiracists, crackpots or cry wolf before we have concrete evidence. They probably deal with constant threats every day,” Dodger said.
“That leaves fatalvision and the tactical,” Mouse said.
“Seems like they’re going for the most obvious targets. Got to be a military base, yeah?” Dodger asked.
“Fatal Vision is a true crime book and was made into a mini-series about Dr. Jeffrey McDonald who was accused of murdering his family. He was stationed at Fort Bragg,” Anna said.
“Bingo. It’s the largest military installation in the world,” Dodger confirmed.
“They are sure out to make a statement,” Mouse said, his voice hushed.
“They would have if we hadn’t gotten this intel and now have an opportunity to shut them down,” Anna said.
By the time they had gone through all of the email, they had more information. It looked like London was their destination and the Rhodes Scholars were the first target.
The terrorists had laid out the plan. They would secure an invitation to the Trust, for the bombers, but the explosive vests would be brought in through the wait staff, concealed in one of the vans. There were no names of the suicide bombers, only their handler—Karel Minar. Mouse had done a search of passengers landing in London and found him on the manifest. He then used CCT cameras to track him to an apartment in the middle of London. It would be a good place to start to narrow down who would be showing up at the Rhodes Trust Event. Hopefully Minar would lead them to the two bombers.
Later, as Anna basked in the glow of their lovemaking, she was still on edge. She could feel it in Dodger, too. She hung onto him, his heavy weight atop her the only thing that was real and solid in her world. Her whole body trembling from the aftermath, she buried her face against his neck, overcome with how hard she was falling for him. Dodger had finally dropped his guard, and it made it even more intimate that they were committed to stopping Angar Said and Stjepanić together.
Through their joining, she had discovered what she had craved—an uncontrolled emotional honesty, experiencing the deep passion he had kept reined in. She tightened her hold because she had never felt closer to him, more a part of him.
Dragging one arm free, Dodger cradled her head closer against him, the labored pounding of his heart vibrating through her. He brushed his mouth against the curve of her shoulder, his hold on her comfortable.
Anna flattened her hand against the back of his neck, drawing him even closer, feeling as if she would disintegrate into a million pieces if he let her go. A tremor coursed through him and he splayed his hand wide against the back of her head, holding her with his strong, sure arms.
Rubbing her face against his damp skin, she ran her hand up his naked back, trying to control her own reaction. He pressed a kiss against her neck, something profoundly poignant in the touch of his mouth against her. Her breath caught, and she dragged her fingers through his hair, cradling him against her with all her strength, feeling as if something miraculous was happening against their wills. This temporary affair had to come to an end.