AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No, sir.”
“Then whom?”
“That’s a difficult question to answer,” he said, placing his laptop on Nassar’s desk and opening it. “We just received raw footage from the security cameras. Can I go through it with you?”
“Of course.”
It started with an outdoor feed depicting the terrorists getting out of their cars and beginning the assault. All was proceeding as expected until one of them was thrown violently back into one of the vehicles.
“What happened there?”
“Three of the men were killed by fifty-caliber rounds fired from the upper floor of an apartment building five hundred meters to the east. European authorities have identified the apartment and found the weapon, but they don’t think they will be able to trace it. We have some poor security camera footage of a man leaving the building, but it would be impossible to use it for identification purposes.”
“Why would there be an unknown, highly skilled sniper set up to fire down on a terrorist attack that no intelligence agency was aware was going to take place?”
“The authorities are working under the theory that the shooter was a member of one of the patrons’ security details.”
“It seems like a rather extraordinary measure for someone going to a nightclub.”
“Agreed. Further, we have a list of the members who were there that night, and none of them would have security that elaborate.”
Safar started the video again, depicting a terrorist being hit in the side and spun around.
“That wasn’t a high-caliber round,” Nassar commented.
“No, sir. There are two effective shooters. The sniper and one of the drivers in the parking lot.”
Nassar watched the gunfight play out. When all the terrorists outside had been killed, a man appeared and ran for the doors. Safar paused the video. “We assume that this is the other successful shooter.”
“A security guard for one of the men inside?”
“We’re not sure.”
The video switched to an interior view, displaying the chaos in a steady flow of changing angles. “Six terrorists entered. One is already dead at this point, but it’s unclear who fired the shot. Watch the left side of the screen.”
A man ran at incredible speed across the frame, one hand over his head and the other holding a pistol. He aimed awkwardly and fired, surprisingly taking out a terrorist firing at a booth full of young people.
“Have we identified that man?”
“Yes, sir. His name is Grisha Azarov. A well-regarded energy consultant from Russia. Have you heard of him?”
“The name is vaguely familiar. His company has done work for Aramco, no?”
“That’s correct.”
The man who had crossed the parking lot came into the frame, sliding on the floor toward an injured terrorist and calmly pressing a Glock to the back of his head before pulling the trigger.
The camera angle changed and finally Prince bin Musaid came into view. He was wrestling with a woman whose purse appeared to be on fire.
“Who is she?”
“We don’t know. Most likely one of the whores who frequent the establishment.”
A moment later the man from the parking lot appeared and began pulling the prince toward the door.
“Here,” Safar said, slowing down the video. “This is where bin Musaid is hit.”
The impact was obvious, but it was difficult to tell exactly where the bullet had penetrated. The man from the lot threw bin Musaid over his shoulder and ran, eventually getting picked up by the exterior camera before disappearing into the parking lot.
