fluent in Arabic. His goal is to locate, infiltrate, and identify terrorist groups in the Middle East and possibly Europe. He wants to try to discover their plans before they get off the ground. He would need intel igence advising him of where best to insert these people and who or what to look for––that’s where you two come in, if you’re wil ing.”
“Expensive,” Dye said, chewing a piece of ice.
“Let’s assume his firm is financial y able to sustain the burden,” Herb advised.
“And you’re asking us if we’re in a position to provide this intel igence,” Don Evans said. “Okay, I get that; but I have to ask the obvious, if these ‘agents’ do in fact develop any worthwhile intel igence, would we benefit?”
“Yes, certainly,” Herb assured them. “Quid pro quo.”
“Good,” said Don, “because the fact is this, Herb: we’re way too short of Arabicspeaking undercover operatives. Way short. So who knows? If it’s done right, your project could help.”
“Can you tel us the name of your client?” asked Warren Dye, motioning to their waitress for refil s al around.
Herb shook his head back and forth. “So sorry, gents, but you’l have to trust me on this.”
“Can you tel us where he plans on getting these agents? Are they pros? Are you going to train them? Fil us in.”
Herb did his best without broaching the line of confidentiality established by Alan and his team. “As far as where we’l get these agents, my client wants to grow them himself. Neophytes.”
“Home grown and molded for one task and one task only. I like it,” Don Evans said. “Why don’t you count us in as far as placement goes. We’l start putting together a list of whos and wheres.”
“Very discreet,” Herb said, knowing it was unnecessary but fol owing procedure anyway. “If this has one thing going for it, it’s the element of surprise.”
DAVIS INTERNATIONAL BUILDING
THE HEADQUARTERS OF Davis International were located on Park Avenue in the Davis International building a few blocks from the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Davis International occupied the upper forty-five stories of the fifty-five-story building and leased the offices on the lowest floors to tenants. There were usual y one or two vacancies on these floors, so Alan leased a suite complete with reception area, conference room, several offices, and a smal maze of partitioned cubicles.
The conference room was nicely furnished, as was the rest of the suite with the pleasant smel of lemon furniture polish everywhere. Even the Jackson Pol ack prints on three wal s looked as if they had just been framed and hung. The players were the same. Herb, Brian, Marie, and the man in charge. Marie poured coffee into her cup, stirred in two sugars and a cream, and tried to pretend that nothing at al had happened last night with the British member of their team. She said, “This is it, gentlemen. Our new project headquarters; hope you’l be comfortable here.”
“I don’t suppose anyone will raise a fuss if we spread out a little. Tear down a few wal s, build a squash court, that sort of thing,” Brian said to her, smiling like a Cheshire cat.
“If there’s anything you need in the way of bul dozers or paper clips,” she retorted, “just ask.”
Alan commented on the real y lousy coffee, topped off his cup anyway, and official y opened the meeting. He said, “There are a number of issues to discuss, but the first thing on my mind is to give our enterprise a name. I’d ask for suggestions except I’ve already given it some thought. Since the main focus of our operation wil be to counter groups like Al Qaeda, I feel the name should be Arabic. According to my lovely wife Aly, the Arabic word for justice is Adala. That’s my suggestion. What do al of you think?”
“Terrific,” said Herb.
“Absolutely appropriate,” echoed Brian. “You’ve got my vote.”
“And mine,” Marie said.