Protect and Defend: A Mitch Rapp Novel by Vince Flynn

Author:Vince Flynn
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Iran, Intelligence officers, Political fiction, Fiction - Espionage, American Mystery & Suspense Fiction, Rapp, Political, Fiction, Mitch (Fictitious character), Suspense, Thrillers, Suspense fiction, Terrorism, General, Thriller
ISBN: 9781416505037
Publisher: New York : Atria Books, c2007.
Published: 2008-08-25T22:00:00+00:00

32

The street was blocked at each end by police cruisers. One of the blue-and-white cruisers backed onto the curb to allow Ashani’s motorcade to pass. The three vehicles stopped directly in front of the café. Ashani opened his door and stepped onto the curb as the masked men in his security detail spread out. Ashani thought the whole thing a bit overdone. He proceeded into the café with his security chief and the man from the CIA. The place was small. Fifteen feet wide by about forty feet deep. The floor was covered with beige, rectangular tiles. The grout had turned from gray to black in the high-traffic areas, and the entire floor seemed to have a coating of grime on it. Ashani looked around. The white walls had taken on a yellowish tinge from all the smoking. It made him think of his lungs, which thankfully were feeling much better. Hopefully the doctor was right, and there would be no lasting effects.

“Minister,” Ridley said, “may I get you anything to drink? Director Kennedy should be here in a little bit.”

“I would like some tea, please.”

Ridley looked at Ashani’s security chief, and the man shook his head.

Ashani approached one of the tables halfway back and took a seat in one of the blue fiberglass chairs. He was about to start looking for listening devices and thought better of it. The Americans had such good technology it would be a waste of time. It was more than likely that they would be using lasers or directional microphones to capture the conversation. Ridley came over with his tea and a jar of honey. Ashani was amused that the man from the CIA knew he liked his tea with honey, but didn’t show it. He thanked him and was about to mix in the honey when he saw his counterpart’s entourage show up.

Ashani set the honey down and stood. He watched as a large man carrying a machine gun entered the room in front of Kennedy. He surveyed the entire place and then stepped out of the way and gestured for the director of the CIA to enter. Kennedy stepped over the threshold and took off her oversized black sunglasses.

Ashani had met face-to-face with the director of the CIA on two previous occasions. According to his dossier on her she was forty-six years old. She also happened to be the youngest person to ever run the American spy agency and the first woman. She had a Ph.D. in Arabic studies and was the divorced mother of a boy approximately the age of ten. Ashani knew that obscure fact because several years ago Mukhtar and his animals at Hezbollah had come to him with a proposal to kidnap the boy. Ashani gave the paramilitary leader of Hezbollah a stern rebuke for even considering such an operation.

“Director Kennedy,” Ashani said as he extended his right hand, “it is good to see you again.”

Kennedy smiled. “I wish it was under better circumstances, Minister Ashani.”

“Please call me Azad.

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