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“Check out screen one.” Ethan pulled up files from his computer and displayed them on the wall screen. “Speaker of the House Deckard Sloane was speaking at a college about job growth in front of a crowd of more than three thousand people when he suddenly fell ill and collapsed onstage. The paramedics on scene originally thought it was cardiac arrest, which I guess technically it was if you’re talking about all your organs turning into soup.”
“Ethan,” Gabe said, tiredly. “Stay focused.”
“Right.” Ethan put up photos of varying states of Sloane’s body as the evening progressed on screen two. “Sloane was still conscious and communicating as they airlifted him to the hospital. By the time they were halfway there, the medics stated in their report that he began to bleed profusely from his ears, nose, and mouth. Sloane was dead by the time they landed.”
“I guess Kimball is getting rid of his competition,” Jack said. “He’s not going to want anyone around who knows what the Passover Project is capable of.”
Ethan brought up another screen that had nothing but jumbled letters and numbers on it, and he typed in a long series of codes until words formed. He was locked into the investigating agent’s computer, reading his report even as the man was adding to it.
“Homeland Security has already filed Sloane’s death as top-level security and they’re testing the body, or what’s left of it, as we speak,” Ethan said. “They’ve searched his home and office, but Sloane wasn’t stupid. They won’t find what they’re looking for, and if Kimball’s scientist re-created the Passover Project in its entirety, then the doctors testing Sloane’s body will find no trace of what killed him.”
“If Homeland Security looks hard enough, they’ll find Sloane’s ties to Standridge. There are too many connections between his corporations and the experiments. Even his interest in Frank Bennett. They’ll know he was involved in something he shouldn’t have been.” It was the first time Grace had spoken since they’d come downstairs.
“Every file you could think of that might possibly lead the agents investigating in the right direction has been wiped clean,” Ethan said.
“They’ll bury Sloane as a damned hero,” Jack said, tossing down his cards and standing up to join them in front of the screen. “And no one will ever know that the man who was third in line for the presidency was a terrorist. He would have had control of the world in just a matter of years.”
“Now that honor belongs to Kimball,” Ethan said.
“Not if we get to him first,” Gabe said. “And the end justifies the means. We know the kind of man Sloane was, and he’s paid in full for his crimes. We’ve got to focus on Kimball. What have you got on possible auction sites?” he asked Ethan.
Ethan cleared the three screens of Sloane’s death and went back to work at his computer. “I know Kimball has got something in the works. I tapped into his secure phone line and have been piggybacking his calls since I couldn’t eavesdrop through conventional means, and I’ve deciphered his code enough to know that the auction will take place in three days at sunset. What I don’t know is where it’s going to be.”
“What are the options?” Grace asked. “And do you know who’s going to be in attendance?”
“I’m putting the list of attendees up on screen one, though I’m not a hundred percent sure that’s everyone.”
A list of eight names came on the screen—seven men and one woman—and Jack let out a low whistle. “No, that pretty much looks like everyone. The ones on this list are the only ones who could afford to meet Kimball’s price.”
Gabe took Grace’s hand when he saw Tussad’s name on the list, and she gently squeezed his fingers in reassurance.
“They’ll want to see a demonstration,” Logan said. “Sloane’s death won’t be proof enough for them because the details have been covered up. They’ll demand to see what it can actually do. The auction site will have to be secure for several hours so they can see the weapon work from start to finish.”
“And they’ll want to be comfortable,” Grace said. “The people on this list won’t give up creature comforts for that long. They’ll expect to be wined and dined and given proper accommodations. It’ll be like a summit meeting for terrorists.”
“The first possible location is in Kiev,” Ethan said.
“No,” Gabe and Grace said together.
“Alexi Sokolov has a home in Kiev,” Gabe explained. “He’s on your guest list. Kimball won’t show partiality by making the auction in one of the attendees’ hometowns. It needs to be neutral territory.”
“Ooookay,” Ethan said. “Here are the other two options.”
The wall screens filled with information and photographs, and they all took in the information, processing what they knew about Kimball and the rest of his guests.
“India or Morocco,” Jack said. “What do you think, Gabe? I know you know enough about all of these guys to have formed impressions.”
“Ethan, do a search for property acquired in the last two weeks, either as a rental or a purchase,” Gabe said. “In Morocco,” he added. “Kimball will have purchased it after his scientist had completed the weapon. He’ll want opulence that borders on ostentatious because this is the first time he’s meeting these people as an equal. He’s always worked for them before, and he’ll want to show off a bit. Eliminate anything worth less than five million American.”
“Run a second check on staff,” Grace said.
Ethan looked at her in confusion, and she explained. “If he’s hosting an event of this magnitude, then he’ll need a well-trained staff as well as security. They’ll need to know how to keep their mouths shut, but they’ll need to be excellent at their jobs. Check and see where Deckard Sloane’s staff is now. That would be the easiest transition. Not to mention they’ll all be terrified to go against Kimball after seeing what he did to their boss.”
“I knew there was a good reason for you to be here, Red,” Jack said, pulling at her braid. “You know all about that womanly stuff.”
Gabe knew that was as close to an apology as Jack would ever make, and he could tell Grace knew it too by the way she patted Jack on the arm in response.
“Bingo on both accounts,” Ethan said. “A twelve-bedroom villa was purchased in Tangier eleven days ago. Paid with an electronic fund transfer from an account in the Caymans, and it’s worth an approximate 7.2 million euros. It has an ocean view from all sides of the estate. It also has a white tiger sanctuary and an underwater dining room.”
