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Najib paused for several moments, and then smiled. He knew the American knew he was lying and he knew that he was going to die. “No,” he stated, “Tammam Al-Tal was not involved and he had no advance knowledge whatsoever of the glorious attack upon your 220 precious Marines.”
There it was again-the tell. There was no question in Harvath’s mind. Najib was definitely lying.
Harvath drew his silenced Taurus pistol and shot him point-blank in the forehead. “You forgot the eighteen Navy perso
He then turned the pistol on Al-Tal and shot him once in the head and four times in the chest. It was overkill, but it felt good.
Repacking his duffel, Harvath took the stairs down to the lobby, removed his mask, and left the building.
Chapter 60
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA
Though Secret Service agents were supposed to eschew predictability and routine, in their off-time Kate Palmer and Carolyn Leonard were dedicated creatures of habit.
As residents of the same northern Virginia neighborhood and two of the few women on President Jack Rutledge’s protective detail, Kate and Carolyn had become good friends early on. While Carolyn was technically Kate’s boss, their professional roles made no difference when they were away from work.
Unless the president was traveling, Saturday was a day off for them. Carolyn’s children visited their grandmother every Saturday, so the women always had the day to themselves to do whatever they wanted.
Their Saturdays started with a group cycle class at Regency Sport amp; Health Club on Old Meadow Road, and then they did an hour in the club’s strength-training center. By then they were spent. After a lengthy steam followed by a quick shower, the friends were ready for their next favorite Saturday activity, shopping.
In a career world that demanded they compete at the same physical level and be judged by the same performance standards as men, Kate and Carolyn enjoyed their weekend opportunities to reaffirm their femininity. Shopping might have been viewed as a stereotypical female pursuit, but neither of them cared. It was refreshing to be out with a girlfriend and not have to worry for the entire day about being one of the boys.
Though Leonard was still working off her husband’s debts, she was a smart saver and an even smarter investor. All work and no play could make Jill a dull girl, so she made sure to keep a little extra money squirreled away for her outings with Kate.
Their routine at Tysons Galleria was always the same. They surfed shops like Salvatore Ferragamo, Chanel, and Versace first, looking for any sales or bargains. Then it was off to Nicole Miller, Ralph Lauren, and Burberry, where they seldom left without at least a shopping bag each.
Lunch was at one of three spots-Legal Seafoods of Boston, P. F. Chang’s, or the Cheesecake Factory. Today it was P. F. Chang’s.
After a lunch of lettuce wraps, crab wonton, lemon scallops, and Cantonese roasted duck, the women paid the check, emptied their wineglasses, and headed for the parking lot.
Cutting through Macy’s, they were approached by one of the most gorgeous men either of them had ever seen. He was at least six feet tall with dark hair and piercing blue eyes. He looked Italian and was wearing an impeccably tailored gray suit.
Despite being an accomplished sniper, Philippe Roussard also enjoyed engaging his targets up close. He liked to take his time, to listen to them beg for their lives and then watch them die. Sometimes, though, he didn’t get his way. In this case, he would have to read about the women’s deaths in the paper-if the news was ever published at all.
“Che bella do
Italian, Carolyn Leonard thought to herself. I knew it.
While she didn’t normally engage strangers, she’d had a little wine with lunch, and today, after all, was her day off. Besides, how much trouble could the guy be? He worked for Macy’s. She could see the bottle of perfume and sample strips in his hand. Sure, he was trying to get them to buy something, but he was so gorgeous. Whatever he was selling, Carolyn Leonard was in the mood to buy.
The off-duty head of the American president’s Secret Service detail smiled. She was tall, about five-foot-ten, and very lean. Her red hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail and she looked like a very fit woman.
Roussard bowed his head and smiled at them both. The other agent, Kate Palmer, was shorter, about five-seven, but just as attractive, with a hard, lithe body, long brown hair, and deep green eyes.
“You are easily the most beautiful women I have seen come through the store all day,” he said in heavily accented English.
Carolyn Leonard chuckled. “It must be a very slow day.”
Roussard smiled. “I am telling you the truth.”
“Where are you from?” asked Palmer.
“ Italy.”
“You don’t say,” she teased. “Where in Italy?”
“San Benedetto del Tronto. It’s in the central Marche region on the Adriatic. Do you know it?”
“No,” replied Leonard. “But I think I’d like to.”
Roussard held up his perfume bottle as if he were demonstrating the newest marvel of technology. “I have to look like I am trying to sell you something. My supervisor has been watching me very closely. He says I flirt too much.”
Carolyn laughed again. “Puh-lease, that’s all part of sales, isn’t it?”
“Not when you mean it,” replied Roussard.
“Oh, this guy’s good,” stated Palmer with a smile. “Real good.”
“Well, I hate to break it to you,” said Carolyn, “But I don’t think either of us is in the market for any new perfume, are we?”
Palmer shook her head. “Maybe next time.”
Roussard’s lips spread into a boyish grin. “At least please try it. It’s quite nice and my supervisor won’t be able to say I’m not doing my job.”
Carolyn looked at Kate Palmer, shrugged her shoulders, and said, “Why not?”
Roussard handed them the bottle and politely stepped back. The women sprayed the perfume on their wrists, rubbed their necks, and Palmer even sprayed some onto her hair.
“It doesn’t have much of a scent,” commented Carolyn Leonard.
“That’s because it works with your body’s own chemistry. Give it a little time and you’ll see. It is quite remarkable.”
Leonard gave the bottle back as Roussard handed her and Palmer a sample card with the name of the product and a phrase that looked to be Italian.
As the ladies headed out to the parking lot, neither of them had any idea of the horror they had just invited into their lives.