The Templar Reprisals (The Best Thrillers Book 3) by James Best (read any book txt) 📕

sophistication to devise such a devilish product. Nor would a representational metal vault present much difficulty. There were plenty of tin benders in the Middle East. The vulnerable point was logistics. Getting the book-bombs to the right place at the right time. Six hundred or more copies would require fifty boxes, each loaded with twelve bulky books. They could be stored in any basement but probably were housed in a commercial warehouse. How did they get into the US? Despite the speed of cobbling together a makeshift book, Evarts bet time became short, too short for shipping by sea. That meant air freight. The FBI had the resources to investigate air cargo shipments to the East Coast. If they could discover how they arrived, they might be able to discover where they went.

A shipment of a predicted size would substantiate that their theory might have merit. Not absolute, but enough to get the attention of the ad hoc team O’Brian had set up to thwart this attack. Would they need more? Probably. Especially if resources were to be diverted to this scenario. It takes a lot to change the course of a government agency.

The most vulnerable logistics point would be Friday when the Ikhwan would need to transport the boxes to UPS, FedEx, or another delivery service. If delivered all at once, fifty cartons would require at least a bobtail truck. What if they split them into separate loads, say one for each congressional office building? Then something frightening occurred to Evarts; modern express companies were so efficient that the Ikhwan didn’t need to drop the books off in Washington. They could hand over the books tomorrow in almost any city. Damn. And each book could be shipped separately. How could they trace that down?

Evarts felt a bounce and heard the screech of tires as the plane hit the tarmac at LaGuardia. After they taxied to a stop, Evarts jerked their bag from a closet by the door, and stood there, tapping his foot, as he waited to deplane.

“What’s got you agitated,” Baldwin asked, as the co-pilot came back to open the door.

He took a deep breath before speaking. “I don’t think the Ikhwan would come up with such a brilliant concept and then screw up the logistics. Verification will be hard, interdiction harder.”

“We don’t know what city to search,” Baldwin said.

Evarts whipped his head around, startled. “You figured that out as well?”

Baldwin simply nodded.

Wilson interjected, “I have an idea I want to discuss. I’ll tell you when we’re alone.”

They took a taxi to a mid-town hotel, checked into their rooms, and immediately met for lunch in the downstairs coffeeshop.

While they waited for food, Evarts said, “Tell us about your idea.”

Wilson said, “If the books are not in D.C. already, it means they’ll need to be dropped off tomorrow morning. Same day service is only provided in town. Methow said the Ikhwan are thrifty. You can get a discount from FedEx—”

Evarts broke in. “Sorry for interrupting, but how fast does mail move through the Pentagon mail center?”

“Hours for letters and courier envelopes, longer for packages,” Wilson answered. “Especially if there’s anything suspicious about the parcel.”

“Right, so there’s a risk of delay plus a risk of detection if they use normal channels,” Evarts said. “I just can’t believe these books would be sent by any regular method. Too risky. The people manning the Acceptance Site and off-site mail center are not slouches, and they have budgets large enough for the latest detection equipment. The Ikhwan will find a different manner of getting these book-bombs into the proper hands.”

Their food arrived. Two salads for the women and a cheeseburger with fries for Evarts. Baldwin exercised daily and probably Wilson as well. Evarts didn’t understand how women could remain physically active without real food.

After consuming a few bites, Wilson said, “You mentioned book signing, but Huntington’s not going to show up to sign books. He’s persona non grata on the Hill. Besides, are review copies signed?”

“Seldom,” Baldwin answered. “Maybe one-offs for friends who help with editing.”

“So … not a signing.” Evarts said with his burger posed near his mouth. “But I still like the idea of chasing down the logistics. Here’s the rub: any scenario which would require them to be picked up personally would raise the risk of someone discovering that the manuscript’s a fraud or inadvertently setting off an early explosion.”

“What if the timer did more than time the explosion?” Wilson asked. “What if it also released the lock on the mock vault?”

“You mean the vault couldn’t be opened until a specific time?” Baldwin asked. “Could it be made secure enough that it couldn’t be pried open?”

“For the moment, let’s assume it can,” Evarts said. “Then the remaining problem is how to get it into the hands of the senator or congressional member. Let’s check on events tomorrow night.”

“I can do this quickly,” Wilson said.

She made a call and after a short conversation appeared disappointed.

“Strike out,” she said. “The Army congressional liaison says there are no group events between now and summer recess. Too much business on the docket. Some small meetings over meals in the next few days, nothing more.”

“Who’s meeting with whom?” Evarts asked.

“They’re self-scheduled, so there’s no master record,” Wilson answered. “Our congressional liaison has breakfast meetings for Thursday and Friday. It was her only opportunity to do a little lobbying for the Army.”

“Lobbyists?” Baldwin asked excited. “Could they be a conduit?”

“Oh, that’s an idea,” Wilson said. “They give books to members all the time. Books are exempt from gift prohibitions.”

Evarts remained skeptical. “But how would they get lobbyists to act as couriers? What’s in it for them?”

“Hold on a sec,” Wilson said as she went to her phone again.

Evarts and Baldwin heard her ask about any special gifts by lobbyists prior to recess. She listened in silence and then profusely thanked the person on the other end.

“Better news, this time?” Evarts asked hopefully.

“You aren’t going to believe this,” Wilson said. “The congressional liaison says it’s an open