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burned. They were shipped directly over to our embassy in London. Technical Services didn’t get much, but the senator’s name came up as a possible target. That was enough to get him a protective detail, for all the good it did.
    â€œIf it is March we’re dealing with, then we’re in serious trouble, Ryan. Can you imagine what the reaction will be if word gets out that an American national is that high up in Al-Qaeda? There will be chaos, pure and simple. It’ll be a field day for the media…This guy makes John Lindh look like a boy scout.” Jonathan tapped his pen methodically against the sleek finish of his desk as he considered. “Kharmai’s pretty quick, you know,” he said thoughtfully. “That’s quite a leap, from Iran to Al-Qaeda, and she doesn’t know about March or his involvement, if in fact he was involved.”
    â€œI’d say it’s a safe bet, John,” Kealey said. “And it’s definitely cause for concern. As you said, Senator Levy’s name was known to Al-Qaeda, and Levy just happened to be the most outspoken critic of the Iranian hard-liners. If Al-Qaeda is being directly supported by the new regime, then they’re going to have access to the money and equipment needed to pick up where they left off.”
    Harper finished the thought. “Which means we could be looking at a serious problem. I get the feeling that March would be able to tell us a lot right now.” He turned to look directly at the other man. “Where is he?”
    â€œOut of the country, no question.” Ryan’s response was quick and definitive. “He would have had prior arrangements in place; he knew that once we had a positive ID, he would have no chance at moving through any standard point of embarkation. On the other hand, he wouldn’t take the obvious route out anyway.
    â€œIt sounds impossible, right? The assassination of a well-guarded politician in Washington, D.C., during daylight hours. There was definitely a huge amount of risk involved, but there are Metro stations all over the place, including one right behind the Smithsonian. Hell, there’s at least eight different ways to leave the city from Union Station alone. He counted on the heavy tourist presence on the Mall despite the weather, and he set up just outside the security perimeter for the White House. He probably scouted out the locations of the countersniper teams, at least those with fixed posts. Maybe that information was provided to him…It’s difficult to say. In short, he hasn’t lost a step. You can’t count on him to make any mistakes.”

CHAPTER 5
IRAN
    T he young woman leaned back against a late-model Range Rover and shivered slightly in the cold night air as she watched the small plane approach through scattered clouds. She wore the long black chador that was customary dress for the female populace, although her head covering was pushed back to reveal lustrous black hair framing her oval face. The woman reasoned that this small violation of her country’s stringent standards of dress could be easily forgiven in her lonely surroundings. The makeshift airfield was located almost 5 kilometers south of the Atrak River, a major perennial that cuts through the desolate coastal plains extending from the Caspian Sea. This portion of Iran was virtually deserted, and so made an ideal landing spot for the aging multiprop Cessna, which was making its final descent after having left Azerbaijan three hours earlier under a false flight plan.
    Once the plane rolled to a stop on the compact dirt of the runway, the exterior door swung open and a sole passenger emerged, carrying only a duffel bag in his right hand. She watched with interest as he carefully climbed down from the elevated fuselage and moved toward her. From his youthful appearance, she guessed the man was in his late twenties, early thirties at most. He walked with a crisp, confident