The Lion

I informed him, "Those two responding officers just missed death by minutes."

There was a silence, then Paresi said, "I wish I'd gotten a patrol car there sooner. Maybe we could have… headed this off." He let me know, "The wife was actually alive when the police arrived and she died in the ambulance."

I advised him, "Move on."

Paresi did not reply.

The last time Asad Khalil was here, he had been either very lucky-he'd say blessed-or very smart. This time, however, with the murder of Gabe and his family, Khalil had very nearly made a fatal mistake. That was a hopeful sign. Or it was simply a one-time miscalculation on his part-and he learned from his mistakes.

Paresi took the opportunity to remind me, "You are likely to be the next person who interacts with him."

"Right. He wants to interact with me next."

Paresi also reminded me, "Walsh and everyone in Washington want him alive."

"Well, they think they do, Captain. But what are they going to do with him? If he's captured in the U.S., he ca

"I see that. I went into the ACS and the Khalil file has more Xs than I do."

Vince Paresi had been married multiple times, so I got the joke and chuckled politely. The Automated Case System was the FBI's version of Google, and all you needed was a topic and your ATTF password and you could access virtually any case-active and inactive-in the FBI databank. There were, however, internal blocks on restricted files and all you saw were rows of Xs.

Usually, though, you can get something from restricted files, like the date the file was opened, or at least who you needed to contact about getting access. But I've seen the Khalil file and there wasn't much there that you couldn't get from the wanted poster, and there was no clue about who to see regarding those Xs.

Paresi asked me, "Where is the file that you and Gabe kept on Khalil?"

I replied, "I'll find it when I get to the office."

"Okay. Where are you now?"

"I'm on scenic Route Seventeen. Maybe an hour and a half from my desk."

"Let me know when you get here. We have a meeting at noon in Walsh's office." He informed me, "We have more info, and I'll let Walsh tell you what we have."

"Tell me now. I have an hour and a half to kill."

"I don't want to ruin his presentation."

"Who's at the meeting?"

"Your other lion hunter, George Foster, you, and me." He said, "Walsh wants to keep it small and focused."

Meaning quiet and restricted. Kate and Gabe would have been there, too, but the Lion Hunter team was getting smaller.

Captain Paresi confided in me, "Walsh thinks you're a loose ca

Loose ca

I poured the last of the cheese maggots down my throat, chewed, and, recalling my last case, reminded him, "Kate and I saved the world from nuclear destruction."

"But what have you done for us lately?"

"Well… at the moment, I'm just lion's bait."

"Or his next meal." He hung up.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

I continued along Route 17.

I used the driving time to think about Gabe and some of the insights he'd given me about Asad Khalil three years ago. Gabe had never met Khalil-until yesterday-but he was able to come up with a sort of psychological profile on his co-religionist. He'd explained to me about the blood feud-the obligation of an Arab male to avenge the murder of a family member. This, more than political ideology or religion, was what drove and motivated Asad Khalil; the Americans had killed his family and he was honor-bound to kill those responsible-and also kill those who tried to keep him from his duty. Like me. And Kate. And Gabe. And probably others.

Gabe had also mentioned to me the ancient Arab tradition of the lone warrior, the avenger who is a law unto himself, not unlike the American cowboy hero. Gabe had recited a verse that sort of summed it up. "Terrible he rode alone with his Yemen sword for aid; ornament, it carried none but the notches on the blade."

Therefore it was very possible that Asad Khalil intended to meet John Corey alone, man to man, with no accomplices, and no purpose other than to see who was the better man-the better killer.

And that was fine with me. I love a challenge.

My cell phone rang, and I answered, "Corey."

It was Investigator Matt Miller, who, after inquiring about Kate and after discovering I was headed back to Manhattan, told me, "We've impounded the rental car that we found in the airport parking lot." He also told me they'd taken fingerprints and fiber samples from it and so forth. No doubt we had enough forensic, eyewitness evidence, and circumstantial evidence to convict Asad Khalil of a variety of crimes. All we had to do now was find him.

Khalil himself wasn't taking any care about covering his crimes, and he didn't give a rat's ass about leaving evidence or a

I changed the subject and asked Miller, "Did you speak to Craig Hauser? The president of the skydiving club?"

"Yes, I spoke to him directly. He really didn't know much about the new sign-on who turned out to be the suspect."

"You sure?"

"Yes… why? Do you think he knows more than he's telling?"

I never use my police powers to settle a personal grudge, so I shouldn't do that now.

Miller informed me, "He's very concerned about your wife. He wants to visit her in the hospital."

"Book him."

"I… what…?"

"Just kidding. Hey, did the club do their other two jumps?"

"No. They weren't able to."

"Right. The jump zone is a crime scene. Good call." I want a refund.

"No, it wasn't that. The old plane they were using had a problem on takeoff. One of the engines caught fire." He added, "Too much leaking oil or something."

Aha! I knew it. Wait until I tell Kate.

He assured me, "No injuries or anything."

Fate. I wondered if Cindy did the takeoff. Ralph, is that engine supposed to be burning?

He informed me, "We also confiscated the videotape of your skydive as evidence."

"Good."

He hesitated, then said, "I watched it." He added, "Incredible." He further added, "You're a brave man, Detective Corey."

This is true, but I replied, "You saw what Khalil was capable of."

"I did. But he's not brave-he's psychotic."

I agreed, "He's a little over the top." I told you so.

Investigator Miller assured me, "I got hold of the tape before the cameraman could sell it to the evening news. Also, I distributed a notice to each member of the skydiving club strongly advising them not to speak to the press while this case was under investigation."

I asked him, "Where is the videotape?"

He replied, "The FBI has possession of it."

"Has anyone from the FBI or the Terrorist Task Force mentioned to you any other attacks that may be linked to this suspect?" I asked him.

"No. Why?"

"Just wondering." I advised him, "I think you can assume that Asad Khalil is gone from your jurisdiction."

"Do you think he was on that Citation jet?"

"Maybe. I told you-he used charter aircraft last time."

"Okay. But Walsh seems to think he might still be here."

"It's your call," I said noncommittally. "Anything else?"

"No. But I've also been advised that you are not the case agent and that I need to speak only to whoever is assigned to this case."