had become. He was now completely in their power, so the kick in his back that knocked him to the cement was not wholly unexpected.
The young man said something in Farsi to the man who’d kicked Robie.
Robie picked himself back up and said, “Tell him he hits about as hard as my sister. And if wants his ass kicked tell him to try that again, only with me facing him.”
The young man said, “I will not tell Abdullah that. Otherwise he will kill you.”
“No he won’t. Because if he robs Talal of his fun, he’ll be dead too.”
“Is that what you think this is, fun?”
“For him, maybe. Not so much for me.”
“You have ruined a great plan.”
“I stopped a maniac from screwing up the world.”
“I can debate you point by point.”
“I don’t care what you think you can do. Where are Special Agent Vance and Julie Getty?”
“They could be dead.”
“They could be. But they’re not.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Again, the fun factor. I know Talal really needs to feel it right now.”
“Yes, I do.”
Robie turned to see Prince Khalid bin Talal walk down the stairs from his jet.
CHAPTER
98
TALAL FACED ROBIE. The interior lights had automatically come on, because it had grown dark outside. Robie could hear the rain pinging off the metal roof of the hangar. The large windows on the upper levels of its side walls revealed moisture-laden clouds.
Talal came to a stop about ten feet from Robie. He wore not robes but a stylish three-piece suit that somehow managed to make his portly form look sleeker.
“You look slimmer than your body double, Talal,” said Robie. “Not quite as fat, at least.”
“You will refer to me as Prince Talal.”
“Where are Vance and Julie, Prince Talal?”
Talal nodded and the two women were led out of a far corner of the hangar. Vance’s face was purple and black. She walked stiffly, as though every step was killing her. Julie had two swollen eyes, she carried her right arm at an awkward angle, and her left leg dragged a little. Their condition made Robie’s anger rise, but he willed himself to remain calm. He would need it for what was coming.
When they drew near to Talal he casually snapped his fingers and the men accompanying the two women pulled them to a stop.
“I’m sorry for all this,” said Robie, looking first at Vance and then at Julie.
They stared back at him without speaking.
Robie turned to Talal. “But at least the only one who died was your person. The president is safe.”
“The only one to die just yet,” said Talal. He smiled. “But you knew her, didn’t you? You knew her quite intimately if the photos are any indication.”
Vance said sharply, “What photos?”
“I know it was a game to you, Talal,” said Robie. “But it’s never been a game to me.”
Talal wagged a finger at Robie. “I could possibly excuse you for trying to kill me. I could perhaps excuse you for thwarting my plans to assassinate men who would lead the world to disaster. But I cannot excuse you for disrespecting me. My name is Prince Talal.”
The blow hit Robie from behind, knocking him to the floor. He rose slowly, his ribs aching. He looked at the man who had struck him. Abdullah was the biggest one of them all, and the look on his face was the fiercest.
“My friend here, Abdullah, also does not like your disrespect.”
Abdullah bowed slightly in Talal’s direction and then spat at Robie.
“Yeah,” said Robie. “I can tell.” He looked at Vance and Julie. “But now you have me and you can let them go.”
“As soon as you came here, as soon as your foot touched dirt in Tangier, you knew that was not possible.”
“It’s why I came. I expect you to honor our agreement. Me for them.”
“Then you are an idiot.”
“You don’t keep your word?” Robie looked at the others. “So how can they trust you, Talal? You tell them one thing and do another. Leader doesn’t keep his word, then what’s he worth? Nothing. He’s worth nothing.”
Talal was unfazed by this. And his men did not seem to even understand what Robie was saying.
“You might try explaining that to them in Farsi, Dari, Pashto, and the old reliable Arabic, but I doubt their opinion of me would change. They do what they do because I pay them far more than they would earn elsewhere.”
Robie said, “I’m going to offer you a chance to surrender. I’m only going to offer it once. After that it