House along with a wealth of police cars and news vans flashed onto the screen, the announcer started talking as the newsflash at the bottom of the screen read: Terrorist attack on Rhodes Scholars thwarted.
“Tonight, two terrorists with suicide vests they planned on detonating in the heavy crowd at Rhodes House during the glittering annual Trust Event were stopped. Inside were all the youngest and brightest minds along with the Rhodes House staff, including Anthony Dobson, Executive Assistant to the Warden and CEO of Rhodes House. He had this to say.”
Then the screen switched to an elderly man with white hair, his tux disheveled and torn at the shoulder. “We were so lucky tonight our security force was spot on. One woman was subdued and the other terrorist, a man, was killed right before my eyes just as he was going to kill us all. It was horrible.”
The screen switched back to the announcer. “The police who had prepared to serve an outstanding warrant on one of the conspirators, stumbled on the plot. The co-conspirator was killed in a shootout with police only minutes before they converged on the scene. Only minor injuries are reported. This is Selena Markum for channel—”
He switched off the TV and sat down on the bed with relief. “That’s the story we worked up. We’ll be kept out of the loop and MI-6 will have to eat crow, huh, Mouse?”
“Yeah. How long have I been working for them? They can’t take me at my word. Ha.” He opened his laptop. “Hey guys, they’re talking through the draft file again.”
Anna pushed off the bed. Her arm stung a bit, but her head had cleared. She just had a dull headache.
The starwars plan has failed and now this…utmost disaster. I don’t like it. Move up the timelines on fatalvision, thebell, and whitesmoke. I’d like an explanation from Zasha. She was the one who conceived all this. Are your people incompetent or is this all happenstance? Are your other people prepared?
The Czech thug responded. We are sorry. We are still trying to figure out what happened. As far as we knew, Minar completed his part of the bargain, and we know nothing about an outstanding warrant. We will get you answers. We can move up the timelines of fatalvision and thebell, but not whitesmoke. It’s an intricately woven plan, quite delicate. Our people aren’t incompetent, and yes, Beda Naved is already in North Carolina for fatalvision and Josef Uhl is prepared to carry out the plan in New York City. Finally, Georg Juranek has been in Rome for the last three days wrapping up details. We expect results there. It will be quite a blow to the West. Zasha was right on that account.
Angar Said responded, There had better be results or we will have a conversation with you and your boss. No more problems.
“Well, despite our attempt to make this look like a slip up on their part, it has spooked Angar Said,” Anna said. “We aren’t going to be able to make it to the States to stop the attacks there. What should we do?”
“With your permission,” Dodger said. “I would like to contact Kat Cross. She’s a SEAL’s wife and I trust her.”
“I like Kat. She’s a straight shooter.” Anna bit her lip. She had no idea where the leak was coming from or what kind of snooping device they might have in place, but at this point, they had no choice. Without intervention and with very little time, Fort Bragg and the New York Stock Exchange were going to get hit. “All right,” she finally said. “Contact her, but make sure she understands the stakes and what we fear. It’s best she doesn’t talk to me directly. That gives her plausible deniability if all this goes south.”
“Should I talk about your situation?” He glanced at her, and she knew by the expression in his eyes that he realized she liked to fight her own battles and was completely competent at doing so. At least he was asking her permission, and that made her smile. She gave him a taunting look. “What, no Prince Charming to woo me on this point? Is that the frog talking instead?”
That made his eyes lighten up, and he looked back at the computer, amusement tugging at the corner of his mouth. “You are a proper cheeky monkey, luv. Don’t you know you’re supposed to be nice to princes and…frogs?”
He might as well have said “lover.” The insinuation was certainly