The Aisha Prophecy (9 page)

“Insurance,” said Leland. “Business records and the like. Shady dealings in particular. She’d have copied them onto a disk.”

“You know this?” asked Haskell. He seemed suddenly alarmed.

“No, but I’d bet on it. All Nasreen clients are encouraged to do so, especially those whose fathers would harm them if found. Once out of the country, they would email their fathers. The message would say something like, ‘Here’s what I have. If you leave me in peace, no one else is going to see it. If you try to have me kidnapped or killed, the whole world will see it posted on the web.’”

Haskell frowned. He said, “So this kid knows computers.”

“Not surprising,” Leland told him. “Many thousands of them do. That’s how most of them have learned that there is another world and other more progressive schools of Islam. It’s also how they’ve learned about the Nasreens. It’s how they apply to be spirited out. It’s how the arrangements are made.”

“By e-mail?” asked Haskell. “Can’t the Saudis read their e-mail?”

Leland shook his head. He said, “Needle in a haystack. Besides, they use proxy servers, high speed multiple servers and such e-mails are encrypted in transit.”

“Wait a minute,” said Haskell. He turned to the banker. “You told me that the prince didn’t have one at home.”

“A computer? He doesn’t. Just the one on his desk at Saudi Charities.”

“Then where would the daughter learn to use a computer?”

“In school and… oh, dear.” The banker seemed stricken. “It’s his daughter who taught him how to use it in the first place. He would often bring Rasha to his office in Riyadh. He had her do all of his clerical work. She might know about those off-shore accounts.”

Haskell closed his eyes. “Go find out.”

The banker hurried down the shore to the Saudi. The Saudi stood rocking, his arms tightly folded. His whimpering had turned into wailing. Haskell watched as the banker tried to get him to speak. The Saudi managed a few fragmented sentences. Haskell saw the banker seize the Saudi by his shoulders and shake him to get him to spill it all out. Haskell knew that the problem must be serious indeed. One doesn’t put one’s hands on a Saudi prince even when no other Saudi is present.

The banker returned. His expression had paled. He said to Haskell, “Mr. Leland’s quite right. She did copy those files to a disk before she left. Her father did get one of those emails days later. He was afraid to tell us at the time.”

“His kid has what we have been trying to get?”

“All of it. The whole list of accounts. It must have been the daughter who found it in the first place. I’d always wondered how the prince with his… limited abilities… was able to get access to such files.”

Haskell made a fist. He pounded his palm. He asked Leland, “What will she do with it?”

“Nothing. I’ve told you. If he lets her go quietly.”

“But as you’ve heard,” said the banker, “she was still being hunted. And so – here’s the worst part – she got back in again. She went back in only this morning.”

“Back in to Saudi Charities? From where?”

“She got in remotely from wherever she is now. Remember, she’d have to have found all the passwords in order to get at them in the first place. Her father never changed them, not that he’d have known how. So now she’s changed those passwords. No one else can get in. Those accounts are effectively frozen.”

Haskell blinked. “No one else. You mean no one else but her?”

“As of this morning. It would seem so.”

“You’re telling me that this kid, this fifteen-year-old kid, can now help herself to ten billion dollars?”

“Very possibly, I’m afraid. As we speak.”

Leland said, “But she won’t. I can almost guarantee it. The Nasreens would not allow it. They don’t steal.”

“Not even from thieves?”

“They’re funded by donations, but not of this sort. They don’t want to be seen as extortionists.”

Haskell rubbed his chin. “You say it’s strictly insurance?”

“Insurance against honor killings and such. It’s also meant to protect any family or friends who may have abetted their departure.”

“So that money is safe? Those accounts are intact?”

“I’m not saying they wouldn’t be tempted,” said Leland. “Many of the Nasreens are Saudi women themselves. If they’ve seen the stashes of these larcenous princes and realize that they’re stolen from legitimate charities… in their place, I’d want to see justice done. I’d start by going public with the names of the thieves.”

Haskell leaned toward him. “But you’re not in their place. Would the Nasreens drop a dime on them or not?”

Leland considered letting Charles Haskell dangle. But he answered, “They would not. They’re honor bound.”

“You’re asking us to bet…”

“I’m not asking you a thing. You wanted my opinion. I gave it.”

The mogul touched Haskell’s arm. “And I’m inclined to accept it. If the Nasreens have had that disk for three months, Howard’s right; they would have gone public by now.”

The banker said, “We have a much more immediate problem. Those Saudis will be swarming all over that office when they learn that their accounts have been blocked.”

“But you say she only did that this morning?”

“So we’re told.”

“And it’s the weekend. The office would be closed.”

The banker shook his head. “The Saudi work week starts on Sunday. But anyone who’s tried to log in today would assume that it’s merely a malfunction. They’ll try again later. That’s when they’ll start to wonder. The real swarming wouldn’t start for several days.”

Haskell nodded. “Okay, that gives us a window. If you flew back tonight, could you fix this?”

A shrug. “Perhaps. If I could get at that computer. I have an excellent technician at my branch in Riyadh. Altered passwords are not insurmountable. But his daughter probably knows that as well. The Nasreens would have coached her. Getting in won’t be easy.”

“You won’t know until you try. Leave tonight.”

“But we’d need the prince to get us into the building.”

“Of course, you will,” said Haskell. “Take him with you.”

“But… why would he let us get into those files? He’s dim, Charles, but he isn’t entirely witless. He’d know that we’d no longer need him.”

The mogul cleared his throat. “What we need is the daughter.”

Haskell said, “Yeah, I know. But one thing at a time.”

“Well,” said Leland, who was looking at his watch. “If you gentlemen will excuse me, I think I’ll retire. I’m sure you’ll want to sort this out in private.”

Haskell held up a hand. He said to Leland, “Please wait.” He turned to the banker. “You say the prince doesn’t know how to use a computer?”

“My grandchildren know more than he does.”

“Then he still needs you. You’re his only hope. He’s a dead man once word gets out about this. Tell him, ‘Trust us or we hang you out to dry.’”

The banker agreed. “My plane’s in Sacramento. It’s kept fueled and ready. We can be in Riyadh tomorrow afternoon, their time. My technician will meet us; we can get right to work. But as I’ve said…”

“I heard you,” said Haskell. “Keep him scared. He’ll fold. We’ll see what we can do on this end.”

“While you’re there,” said the mogul, “get a photo of the daughter. Full face, if you can find one. No headscarf.”

With a nod, the banker turned and walked toward the shore. The prince saw him coming. He dropped to his knees. Hands clasped, he was begging the banker to help him. Haskell said to Leland, “Good start.”

Haskell saw the banker pull the prince to his feet. He was trying to calm him. To reassure him. Haskell muttered, “Wrong. Let him grovel.”

The banker realized that Haskell was watching. He sharpened his tone. Whatever he was saying made the prince shake his head. He squealed, “They will arrest me. I cannot.” The banker replied, “You have one chance. One day. You won’t do it? Very well. Then we’re finished with you.” He started up the path toward their cabin. The prince looked up at Haskell, his hands clasped as before. Haskell made a show of turning his back. Leland watched as the prince began to stagger about, looking this way and that as if for help. Finding none, he ran after the banker.

“I believe he’s reconsidered,” said Leland to Haskell. Haskell turned once again to observe. They couldn’t hear what the prince was saying to the banker, but the banker flashed a brief thumbs-up signal at Haskell. Haskell replied by rotating his fist. The gesture meant, “Keep twisting that knife.”

Leland said, “Well… best of luck to you all. Now if you don’t mind…”

“Sorry. Let’s get to why I asked you to stay.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t have missed it,” said Leland with a yawn. “This was better than The Jerry Springer Show.”

“Kidding aside, this girl, can you find her?”

“I doubt it. On the other hand, why should I?”

“You seem to know so much about these Nasreens. You must have some way of contacting them.”

“I might. Indirectly,” said Leland.

Haskell’s eyes narrowed. “Through Elizabeth Stride? Wasn’t she involved with that group at one time?”

“She’s known some of its founders. But she’s not a Nasreen.”

“Even so,” said Haskell, “she’d know who to ask.”

“Not for you, she wouldn’t. And not for me either. In any case, I’ve never met her.”

“Okay, then,” said Haskell. “Through your man, Roger Clew.”

“Through whomever, Charles, but what if I did? They certainly wouldn’t surrender the girl.”

Haskell shook his head. “Not the girl, that disk and that new set of passwords. They’re welcome to keep the prince’s daughter. In return, I guarantee that he’ll leave her alone. I’ll put up a cash bond if that will help.”

“You didn’t answer my question. Why should I?”

“Because,” said Haskell, “I’d then owe you a favor. You didn’t let me finish on that membership business. Blackballed? Not a chance. You’re too highly regarded. There is, however, a waiting list of almost two thousand who’d give anything to join. Most are just as well-regarded as you are. My friends and I can vault you to the top of the list. Once in, you’ll be able to accomplish many things that you can’t in your current position. No more rivalries with Defense, Homeland Security and Justice. No more taking stupid orders from the president’s minions. No more taking positions with foreign leaders that you know they can never accept. You’ll be able to do what ought to be done and you’ll have our total support.”

“Because Bohemians run the world,” Leland answered. “I got that.”

“I regret that exchange. I know it sounded overbearing. But it really isn’t far from the truth.”

Leland asked, “My contribution would be…?

“Your integrity. Your knowledge. And your contacts, of course. We also deal in favors. We scratch each others’ backs. You’d be free to say no to any request. All we’d ask is that you hear us out.”

Leland paused. He said, “This business with Kessler…”

“Fair enough. I drop it. Forget that I asked.”

“The world will rest easier. Thank you.”

Haskell watched as Leland bent to pick up his loafers. He said, “Howard, I’m asking you, humbly, as a friend, to help me with some damage control.”

Leland smiled. “Now we’re friends? Charles, I don’t even like you.”

“Fine,” said Haskell. “Let’s skip all the bullshit. What will it take for you to help?”

“I’d need to know what you intended to do. What were your plans with the Saudis?”

“Pretty much what his daughter is doing to this one. We intend to blackmail certain key Saudis to make sure they play ball with Trans-Global. Yes, it’s extortion; don’t wince at the word. They’ve been doing it to us since the seventies. We’ll benefit, sure, but so will this country. So will every driver who stops to pump gas. On that, I can give you my word.”

Leland chewed his lip. “These key Saudis. Who are they?”

“I’m not going to give you any names just yet. For one thing, I only have a small sampling because that’s all the prince would let us see.”

“As a tease?”

“Exactly,” said Haskell. “Until we’ve made a deal. That’s why he’s here. To make the deal.”

“And you recognized these names?”

“Every one of them, sure. The prince also dangled their current cash balances, some in the hundreds of millions. But no account numbers or access codes. The disk would have those numbers and codes. Without them, we can’t get at the money.”

Leland asked, “They’re all in oil?”

“One way or another.”

“You say you’ve seen a sampling. How many in total?”

“More than twelve hundred,” Haskell answered. “The prince says that half the oil ministry is listed. That’s a couple of hundred right there. Also on the take are top security officials, a few hundred assorted colonels and generals, plus – and I trust this won’t come as a shock – four of their most rabid Wahhabi clerics, including his daughter’s intended.”

“I see.”

“If our friend, the banker, can get into that system, end of story; we don’t need the daughter. If he can’t, however, we must have that disk. Wherever she is, she has the mother lode with her. There has to be a deal we can make.”