Sparkles (17 page)

Daria noticed, but chose to ignore it. “There are inflatable sailboats outside in the shed.”

Turning to Naji, Daria handed him a small key. “The explosives are in the shed next to your boat. This is for the lock. Once I ring you on your cell phone, you will have just one hour to leave here and make it to the canal that draws the cooling water to the plant with the explosives and one of the inflatables. When you are in place, you will inflate your boat. Since we are so close to the plant, you will use the sail rather than the power motor until you reach the canal. This will reduce the chances of detection on open water. Then you will paddle in close to the cooling tower. From there you can easily see the way to the main building. Kill anyone you meet. Let nothing prevent you from placing the bomb. As soon as you have it secured, you are to wait for my second call. Then you will arm and detonate the charge. Your reward in heaven awaits you.” She smiled at the men. “You were chosen for this mission because you can handle a sail. That, and your love for our cause, is why you are here. I know you will not disappoint me.”

The men smiled but remained silent. “Now for the rest of us. As you all know, earlier this week I had a thirty-foot cabin cruiser delivered at the marina in town. It is now docked outside. As I said, there are rubber sailboats in the shed outside. We will stow them in the cabin cruiser.”

Looking up from the chart, Daria said, “Sinan and Firouz, you two will come with me in the cabin cruiser. Firouz, you will be dropped off with your inflatable at the Toms River reactor. It is the easiest to penetrate. However, Firouz, like Naji you must be careful.”

Daria unfolded a sheet of paper and handed it to Firouz. “Here is your chart. As you will see, the way is marked. The reeds near the riverbank will give you plenty of cover. Sinan and I will move on to the plant on Long Island. Of the three it is the most heavily secure. Once I inflate my sailboat, I will scuttle the motorboat. It is just about 334 nautical miles from here to the Long Island reactor. This will take at least four days after we depart, so Naji, you must be extra patient and wait for my call. Once I reckon the timing, I will phone you and Firouz to begin your part. The goal is to have us all in position so that we can set off our charges all together.”

“Millions will die,” Adel whispered. “The earth will tremble.”

Naji bowed his head. “
Enshallah
.”

After a tense moment, Adel asked, “Why not use motor boats for the operation? This way takes too long.”

“Too noisy,” Daria said dryly. “Besides, my impatient friend, with the low profile of the inflatables, we will be almost invisible, but most importantly, we can catch the security off guard—are there any other questions?”

“Yes,” Naji said. “Where is the money coming from? I thought we needed that diamond to have the funds for this mission.”

“I contacted our superiors and explained our situation. Our goal is to set off a chain reaction by causing meltdowns in five reactors along the coast. Each of you was to be assigned a reactor facility. I got permission to scale back to three sites. I can tell you, it was a huge disappointment. The Supreme Leader has plans, and our task is to keep our timeline. This diamond business is a setback. The nuclear material was to be the centerpiece of the attack. It was intended to show the Americans what power we have on their own soil. It must be the will of Allah that we were not able to secure it. However, we have enough money to buy our boats, the Semtex explosives, and fuel. It will be a great success.”

Daria looked at each man in turn. “There is one more thing. I have decided to get the Vice-Regal Diamond back. We’ve come too far to let it slip away from us. Adel, you will return to Philadelphia. Aram smuggled the jewels out of the country in his costumes. I’m betting he hid that diamond in his studio. If it had been found, we would have read it in the newspapers. You are to get the thing and then get to our consulate.”

Adel said, “I was wondering what task was mine. I will try to do as you ask.”

Daria frowned at the young man. “I do not ask—and you will not try. You will succeed. Understood?”

“Yes,” Adel whispered.

“Now, is there anything else you wish to know?”

Silence.

“Good. Sleep well, my warriors.”

ADEL DREW
deeply on his cigarette and looked out onto the ice-clogged creek that flowed into the Delaware River. The snow had stopped during the early morning. Marsh reeds bent down with snow made muffled noises in the steady wind that blew off the river. A footfall made Adel jump.

“Who is there!”

“Shush, Adel. It is only me,” Sinan said.

Adel smiled. “I was so surprised to see you here! Come, sit by me.”

Sinan squatted next to his friend. “After you left Tabriz, I thought I would never see you again. I wanted to talk to you so many times, but always there was somebody around. I have missed you very much.” He looked back at the lodge. “I cannot stay long.”

“Sinan,” Adel said, “I was ready to die knowing you would live to find someone to love. Now….”

Sinan grasped Adel’s shoulder. “We will be martyrs together. Heaven will welcome us as one.”

Adel pulled Sinan in close. Their kiss was deep, yet brief. Sinan tasted the acrid residue of Adel’s cigarette. “You should give those things up. They taste nasty and they are bad for you.” Both men chuckled at Sinan’s gallows humor.

“I love you,” Adel whispered.

“And I love you. Never forget that.”

FROM AN
upstairs window, Daria watched the two silhouettes, just visible against the white landscape. She drew the curtain and shook her head.

A Lady to the Rescue

CHARLOTTE SHIFTED
around in the bed, trying to find a comfortable spot. The marathon sex she and Daniel had had through the night made her weak and ready for an extended nap. Finding no place that suited her, she rolled over, expecting to see Daniel sound asleep. She found him sitting up, his back against the bed’s mahogany headboard.

“Daniel, what on earth are you doing?”

“I’m trying to figure out this puzzle Jan gave me. He’s been on my back about it for days.”

“Do you have to look at it now?” she complained.

“Jan thinks this is part of a larger scheme going on with those diamond robberies. Part of it may have something to do with your headless Iranian.”

“He’s not
my
Iranian… at least not anymore.” Charlotte felt a stab of guilt. She hadn’t mentioned her relationship with Aram. Partly because she didn’t want Daniel to become jealous, and partly because her past loves were none of his business. She snatched the paper from Daniel’s hand. Looking at it, she frowned.

“What’s it supposed to be?”

“It’s a napkin…. Well, it’s a copy of a napkin Jan found at the Broad Street Diner.”

Charlotte immediately began folding the paper.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Daniel said.

“You said it’s supposed to be a napkin, right? These things come prefolded. Did it ever occur to you that it was folded when it was written on?”

“Folded? Jan didn’t say it was folded.”

“Well, let’s see if I’m right.”

Charlotte creased, and then creased again the sheet of paper to approximate a four-by-seven-inch rectangle. “Hmm, doesn’t mean much, does it?”

Daniel answered her with arched eyebrows and a smirk.

“Okay, Mr. Wiseguy, we’ll try again.” Charlotte refolded the paper, this time using the reverse side up. “Sparkles,” she read. “That. Flash. From. Their. Eyes. GF.”

Charlotte grabbed Daniel’s hand. “Daniel! I know what this is!”

“You do?” he said skeptically.

“Yes, it’s part of an aria from Handel’s
Alexander’s Feast.
I’m sure of it!”

“So what’s the connection?”

“
Alexander’s Feast
is all about revenge,” Charlotte explained. “This particular aria goes, ‘Revenge, Timotheus cries, See the Furies arise! See the snakes that they rear. How they hiss in their hair, and the sparkles that flash in their eyes! And look here!’”

Charlotte pointed to the AF.

Daniel leaned over and looked at the initials. “We thought that was some kind of military designation, like Air Force, maybe.”

“Well, it’s not. It’s for Aram Faji…. He designed and made all the costumes for the Handel.”

“You’re sure?”

Charlotte nodded. “I’m sure. I thought I recognized the handwriting when I saw it, but the likelihood that Aram would write a message on a napkin seemed, well, frankly odd. I mean, why would he do such a thing?”

“Why indeed?” Daniel agreed.

Charlotte looked at the other ciphers. “I’ve no idea what these other things are, but this, the 555-0055 is his cell phone number.”

“Wait a minute,” Daniel said. “How is it you recognize his phone number?”

“He worked for me. I called him all the time about work.”

Daniel pulled a skeptical frown. “Just another employee, eh,” he said, gently mocking her excuse.

Charlotte jabbed Daniel in the arm. “You’re jealous!”

“I am not!” Daniel said defensively.

“You are!”

Daniel moved toward the edge of the bed.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“I need a cold shower.”

Charlotte pulled Daniel back into her arms. “Come here, you silly man.”

Crisis

THE RAP
at the front door startled Amal. He put down the book he’d been reading and checked the clock on the wall in his private room.
Nine o’clock. Who would be calling at this time of the morning?
Amal went to the window that overlooked the street. He could just make out two figures standing on the stoop.

Amal hurried down the stairs and opened the door. He stood looking at the pair with a quizzical smile. “What may I do for you?”

Daniel said, “Amal, we need to speak with Jan. It’s urgent.”

Amal bowed slightly. “Please, come in.”

Once indoors, Amal said, “I’m sorry my master is not at home. May I give him a message?”

“A message? No, we need to see him right away. When will he be back?”

Amal shifted nervously from one foot to another. “I am not certain.”

“Well, did he take his cell phone with him?” Daniel said.

“I will look. He keeps it in a drawer in the kitchen.”

“He keeps his cell phone in a kitchen drawer?”

Amal shrugged. “He doesn’t like them—cell phones I mean, not kitchen drawers.”

The cell phone was in the drawer, just as Amal suspected.
Urgent. Mr. Jelski said urgent.
Amal lifted the handset on the kitchen phone and punched in a number.

“Mr. Sinclair? This is Amal. I need your help.”

The Bride’s Cottage

“IT’S FOR
you,” Stephen said, handing the phone to Jan.

Jan accepted the phone and shot Stephen a concerned look. “This is Jan.”

“
Effendi
! I’m so glad I found you,” Amal said, clearly relieved.

“What’s going on, Amal?”

“Mr. Jelski is here. He will tell you.”

“Ama—”

“Jan? It’s Daniel. Don’t talk. Just listen. Charlotte figured out part of that napkin thing. The words are from an oratorio by Handel. That’s what the GFH initials mean. The oratorio is the one that’s all about revenge.”

“
Alexander’s Feast
—I know the music. What about it?”

“Now get this,” Daniel said. “The AF initials stand for the costume designer at the opera company. You know, that guy the Coast Guard fished out of the Delaware… the one with no head. Well, somebody killed him, and I think you were right about this having to do with the theft of that big diamond. Jan, I think this is a lot bigger than we thought.”

Jan looked out the window at the snow-packed lane.

“Daniel, I’ve got to get home. I want you to call Jack Frezzola. Amal has the number. Get Jack down here with his snowplow ASAP. Tell him I said to drop whatever he’s doing. I don’t care if he’s digging the mayor’s car out of a snowbank. Get it?”

“Got it.”

Jan gave Daniel the bride’s cottage address. “Oh, and Daniel, don’t forget to say thank you.”

Happy Talk

JAN PARKED
his car across the street from his townhouse and hurried across the uneven, slush-covered cobbles. He checked his wristwatch.
Amal will be at prayer in his room.
Jan let himself in, kicked off his wet shoes, and headed for the stairs. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of his cell phone on the living room coffee table. Grabbing the phone, he called Daniel, leaving a message to meet him at Aïda Fabian’s house in one hour. Jan entered his bedroom, stripped off his clothes, and headed for the shower. Less than an hour had passed since leaving the bride’s cottage, and he was missing Stephen already.
Stephen
. Jan thrilled at the thought of him.
I’m in love!

AMAL STOPPED
outside of Jan’s bedroom and listened with amusement. Jan was singing something about being in love with a wonderful guy. Amal smiled and whispered a prayer for his friend. “
Enshallah
.”

Puzzle Solved

“CHARLOTTE, YOU’RE
a genius!” Aïda Fabian said. “I suppose as a woman, I should have thought about folding the paper into its original shape, but Jan gave it to me opened and flat. I was so focused on the words that I ignored what they were printed on.”

“Well, if Daniel hadn’t told me it was from a napkin, I wouldn’t have thought of it either. I’m just happy that we’re close. I’m still very upset about Aram Faji. He was such a good man.”

“Do we have any idea what these other symbols are?” Daniel asked.