Assassin's Code by Jonathan Maberry Read Free Book Online Page A

have gone ‘missing’ since the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Russian economy.”
    “Just so we’re clear,” I said, “you—Iran—you’re afraid of terrorists with a bomb?”
    “Yes.” His mouth was a tight line, “and I’ll thank you not to smirk. This is a very real threat that could cause untold damage.”
    “You have any suspects?”
    Rasouli shrugged. “We are not a popular country, Captain Ledger. It is the price of being powerful, as you Americans well know,”
    “Yeah. Seems like every five minutes there’s a fundamentalist nut job coming at us with a vest of C-4 and the name of God on his lips. Ain’t that a bitch?”
    All that earned me was a contemptuous sneer. “This is hardly on the level of car bombings, Captain. Whoever is behind this is organized, extraordinarily well-financed, and subtle. I have reliable sources within Hezbollah, al Qaeda, and the Taliban and I am convinced they are not involved.”
    “They aren’t the only players.”
    “No, but they are the ones most likely to consider such a radical plan; and the smaller cells and splinter groups could never make one of these.”
    “They could buy one,” I said.
    “Of course, but it would be very expensive. Prohibitively so. Most organizations do not have that much money.”
    “Hugo Vox could buy one of those with his beer money.”
    “Why would he? His day is over.”
    “Why? Because the Seven Kings are off the board?”
    “No,” said Rasouli. “My sources tell me that Vox is ill.”
    “What do you mean?”
    Rasouli’s green eyes glittered. “He has cancer, didn’t you know?”
    “Shit.”
    It was good and bad news at the same time. Good news because it was nice to think about Vox rotting away. Bad because that was a much easier exit strategy than he deserved.
    “Could be his last blast,” I said, meaning it the way it sounded.
    I thought about what I said but then dismissed it. Vox is many things, but he has never struck me as vindictive. Murderous, to be sure, and merciless, but not petty. To detonate a bomb in frustration for dying of cancer…? No, that would be cheap, no matter what the death toll.
    I tried to build a case for it in my mind, but gave it up. It didn’t fit Vox’s pattern at all. For him, killing was only ever a pathway to profit. Even so, I’d want to run this past Mr. Church, Rudy Sanchez, and Circe O’Tree. They built the profile on him that was being used by every law enforcement agency in the world.
    “If it’s not Vox,” I said, “then we’re looking at someone who has as big a bank account.”
    “Would you like me to recite a list of nations who would love to see Iran reduced to scorched earth?”
    “Not really, because you’d start your list with the U.S., Israel, and Great Britain, and they don’t need to buy black-market bombs.”
    He shrugged. “That is not entirely true. A case can be made for why such countries would want to have bombs that could in no way be traced back to them. Bombs from former Soviet countries, perhaps.”
    “Fair enough. But is that your pitch? Are you saying that it’s America or one of its allies?”
    “No,” he said tiredly. “If I thought that, then this discussion would be held in the world press, backed by all of the considerable outrage which it is possible for our propaganda department to muster. The Ayatollahs would probably enjoy that.”
    “Bottom line,” I said, “can you tell me where this thing can be found?”
    “Much worse,” he said. “I know where four of these things can be found.”
    The whole world froze around me.
    “Jesus Christ,” I said.
    “Worse still,” Rasouli said in a voice that sucked the last shreds of peace from the morning, “there are at least three more that we have not been able to locate. And one of the others might even be on U.S. soil.”

 
    Chapter Nine
    The Kingdom of Shadows
    One Year Ago
    He was the King of Thorns.
    The King of Blood and Shadows.
    He lived in a world of