SALIM MUST DIE (14 page)

‘It doesn't matter.’ Mai whispered, looking at the shadowy figure entering Salim's suite. ‘I will meet you soon. After all, I am the one who has to train you.’

THE SOFT, MELODIOUS RING OF THE PHONE EARLY NEXT
morning put an end to Mai's vigil.

‘We're planning to start the training and rehearsals at ten o'clock,’ Salim said when Mai answered the phone. ‘I want you to brief each of the team members in your suite, unless you prefer to do it in mine.’

‘Mine would be better,’ Mai replied. ‘I have got some mock-ups and dummies so it will be easier to explain.’

‘Good!’ Salim was pleased with Mai's thoroughness. It was comforting to know that the man who was going to play a pivotal role in the operation was competent and systematic in his planning. ‘Be ready at ten. I will join you shortly before that.’

SALIM WAS WAITING IN MAI'S SUITE WHEN KARL GUNTHER
arrived. There was something about Karl that put Mai off immediately.
What difference does it make… you don't have to like him, just train him. In any case, he is not going to be around much longer
. With a mental shrug and an impassive face, the Chinese scientist stepped forward to greet the German jihadi.

Salim spoke up before the others could. ‘For the sake of the mission, the less you two know about each other, the better. It is not that I do not trust either of you implicitly, it is just that we cannot disclose even by mistake what we do not know.’

Both men acknowledged the logic with a nod.

‘Before we begin, I would like both of you to join me in a brief prayer, so that we may thank Allah for blessing us with this opportunity to strike at the kafir.’

Salim was a wily puppeteer. By the time the prayer was over, the mood had been set and he had their undivided attention.

‘Once again, keeping operational security in mind, we will not be discussing the specific details of your actual target. That will be done by me later, only with you,’ he told Karl. ‘Today, our friend here,’ he gestured towards Mai with a brief smile, ‘will teach you everything you need to know about the weapon that he will hand over to you when you two meet next. He will tell you how to handle the weapon, get it past airport and airline security, how to carry it into the target area and, most importantly, how to put it to best use, so that we are able to achieve maximum….’ he searched briefly for the most appropriate word, ‘
impact
.’

Salim paused briefly to allow the words to sink in, then focused on Karl. ‘Before I hand you over to him, I would again like to stress that you must clear all your doubts and questions before you leave here. Subsequently, barring the bare minimal communication required to coordinate the strike, we will operate strictly on our own. Even this basic essential communication will only be carried out through the meetyourmatch website as you have already been briefed.’ There was a slight shift in his tone as Salim moved into the motivational mode. ‘Remember that what we are going to do will be truly spectacular. It will surpass anything that has ever been attempted earlier.’ His voice throbbed with the conviction of the true fanatic… or the ultimate psychopath. ‘You will be remembered forever.’

On that note Salim pulled back and gestured towards Mai, who stepped up eagerly to take forward the lesson. This was his moment in the sun. He had about him the eager air of a professor addressing his first student.

‘Here.’ Mai extended his hand towards Karl. Nestled in his palm were two marble sized glass balls. Both of them were filled with a colourless liquid. As Karl took them from Mai, one of them slipped and fell to the floor. It hit the slatted wooden floor and broke with a thin crinkling sound. ‘I'd handle them carefully if I were you,’ Mai cautioned. ‘There was only water inside that one, otherwise….’ He gave a brittle laugh. Then he told them what would have happened to all three of them if a certain chemical had been inside the vial.

The matter-of-fact tone used by Mai to describe the end they would have met chilled even the hardened Salim. Karl looked petrified. He gazed at the remaining vial in his hand with acute distaste. One thing was certain: Mai now had their undivided attention.

MAI'S SESSION WITH KARL LASTED NEARLY TWO HOURS, BUT
by the end of it he was confident that Karl would be able to do what was required of him.

‘Good! That's it then. Keep going over what I have told you,’ Mai said as he shook hands with Karl and showed him out. ‘And in case any more doubts come up, I will clarify them for you either before you leave or when we meet next.’

Salim was on the phone when Mai closed the door after Karl. Ten minutes later, there was another soft knock on the door and Kismat and Sahiba limped in.

Salim is bringing them to me in the same order that he himself briefed them
, Mai thought as he watched Salim go through the same ritual that he'd been through with Karl Gunther. Then Mai began to brief the two young women. His thought was confirmed when the Canadian Reis trouped in just after the Khan twins had departed.

TO MAI'S SURPRISE, AFTER HE FINISHED BRIEFING ABRAHAM
Reis, instead of Erik Segan, Yakub Khan or Lars Borge, it was Ben Ashton who hesitantly entered the suite when he opened the door.

Maybe the others will come later
, he told himself as he began briefing Erik Segan, who trooped in after Ben.

The briefing given to Erik was entirely different from the earlier briefings given to the others. So was the weapon to be used. Erik's operation was going to be totally different and far more deadly.

It was almost time for dinner when Mai finished.

‘I think you handled the briefings fabulously.’ Salim gave Mai an approving clap on his back. ‘I am sure that each of them has understood how to handle the weapons and get them past security, and they've also understood the conditions that enhance or retard the effects of the weapon.’ Mai gave a pleased smile. He was about to speak when Salim continued, ‘I want you to give them all some time to mull over things so that you can clarify any doubts that may come up. Okay?’ Salim didn't wait for a response. ‘After that you can leave. When is your return flight, by the way?’

‘On the eleventh,’ Mai replied, hiding the surprise he was feeling. So
who were the others who had come to meet Salim
? the perennially inquisitive scientist asked himself as Salim left.
And why am I not being allowed to meet them
?

MAI WOULD NEVER HAVE GUESSED THAT JUST FOUR SUITES
away, the men he was wondering about were being given a very thorough training by Cheema. The weapon they would use called for a session with a trained military hand and for that ex-Captain Azam Cheema of the ISI was ideally suited. Of course, there was a part of the briefing that was common to both teams. For the Alpha Team personnel, this had been handled by Salim.

‘From the time you receive the weapon, you must ensure that you do
not
go home, or to the home of any one you know or are related to even distantly. You must not call or contact anyone or check into any hotel under your real name. Your mobile phones must be switched off at all times. You will not even call home to check your answering machines. Nor will you use any credit, debit, ATM or loyalty cards belonging to you. I want all traces of you to dry up… you must drop off all electronic radars.’

‘Why all these precautions? I thought you said the operation was secure and would be totally under wraps. Are you expecting something to go wrong?’

‘I am not,’ Cheema had responded firmly and reassuringly. ‘But you must remember that we are going to war.’ He wagged a warning finger. ‘In every battle the situation is fluid, anything can go wrong at any time. So, just to be on the safe side, we will always work on the premise that our operation
has
been compromised and they are out looking for us. We shall take all precautions accordingly. This way we will ensure we're always one step ahead of those trying to hunt us down, even if they are onto us.’

The logic made sense to all the team members.

‘Just keep in mind that the only way to beat them is to ensure they do not spot you.
If
they spot you, they will home in on you within no time. Once that happens, they will bring you down immediately. Do bear in mind that the technological resources available to our enemies are vast. You can be spotted if there's the slightest slip up… one single swipe of a credit card… switching on your mobile phone… one wrong phone call… and the whole operation is blown and, of course, you're as good as dead.’

‘Then how does one stay out of sight?’

‘The best way to beat the hi-tech resources arrayed against you is to simply revert to the basics. The key is to hide in plain sight. Once you have custody of the weapon, get as close to the target as possible as soon as you can, and go to ground. Then, having done that,
stay still
. They won't be able to lock on to you as long as you stay still.’ The urgency in Cheema's tone stressed the point. ‘Any movement will invariably give you away, so move only to carry out the strike and when you do,
move fast
. Don't give the enemy time to react and seize the initiative.’

‘What should I do if they do manage to find me?’ Most of them had asked this question in some form or the other during the briefing.

‘Then you are as good as dead in any case.’

Salim had prepared Cheema well for this question.
Trust me Cheema, in such matters, harsh candour is always best appreciated and likely to get the best possible result
.

‘No matter what happens, don't let them take you alive. Not only will you be subjected to the humiliation of being held like a caged animal, you can bet they will get the truth out of you and that may jeopardize the rest of the mission.’ Cheema saw most of them nodding confidently. ‘No!’ he cautioned sternly. ‘Don't even think about it. Even the best and bravest of you will not be able to stand up to the chemicals for long. These days it is not tough to get the truth out of anyone. Trust me,’ he urged fervently, ‘if your cover is blown your best bet is to head straight for the enemy and activate your weapon. Make sure you are in the biggest crowd and take as many of the kafirs with you as you can. Don't let your sacrifice go to waste.’

The bald, unvarnished truth was met by a long pause, but none of them had faltered. Both terror-masters had watched the eyes of the future killers carefully as they briefed them.

Eyes don't lie. They are windows to the soul, always watch them carefully
, Cheema remembered Salim telling him. Now he thought admiringly,
Salim has chosen his lashkar well. They are ready to die as easily as they are prepared to kill
.

THE TECHNICAL PART OF THE BRIEFING FOR TEAM BRAVO WAS
very different from that given by Mai to Team Alpha. Cheema had also ensured that barring Liaquat Ali and Rahim Khan, who would be operating together, the other team members did not run into each other. He briefed Liaquat and Rahim first, then Yakub Khan, and finally Lars Borge. Each training session lasted much longer than the ones that Team Alpha had been through, but then the complexity of the weapon that Team Bravo would be using was far greater too.

‘You must remember that the timer has three settings. The first is for immediate activation, the second will cause detonation after a fifteen minute delay and the third after a thirty-minute delay. If you are activating the weapon on the target itself, then choose the second setting. However, if you're going to activate it and then carry it into the target area, you must select the third setting. Also, in this case you must ensure you are inside the target area within two or three minutes so that you have time to deploy the weapon in the best possible place and still have adequate time to get away safely.’

‘What about the first setting? The one for immediate activation….’

‘That's just in case they're on to you.’ There was a long silence.
That's understandable
, Cheema said to himself as he silently watched the duo absorb the input.
Soldiers hate to die. They'd much rather kill
.

‘Remember,’ Cheema spoke softly, but firmly. ‘None of us is afraid to be martyred, but it is always better if we can walk away safely and then return to strike yet another blow at the kafir at some other time and place.’

In the end, Cheema was more than satisfied with the way his deadly disciples absorbed all the information about the weapon. So focused was each person on the task that lay ahead that not one of them even spared a thought for the catastrophe they were going to unleash, for the thousands who would die or be doomed to lead a crippled existence.

SALIM AND CHEEMA WERE TOGETHER AGAIN WHEN THEY
met each member of their lashkar for the last time. Once again, they met each of them individually and clarified all their doubts. At the end of this final briefing, each person was given his or her specific target. Stunned silence descended when they heard what their target was to be. Salim had anticipated this.

‘Yes,’ he announced grandiosely. ‘It is going to be the boldest and most spectacular strike ever… even 9/11 will pale into insignificance.’ Salim allowed the thought to linger since he knew that was what would sustain them over the coming days. ‘They will remember us forever.’

‘Make sure you spend enough time and survey the target thoroughly. You have enough time to do so without raising any suspicion,’ Cheema said. ‘And remember to keep a constant check on the mailbox of your meetyourmatch profile. It's crucial that everything takes place exactly to schedule. Only then will we achieve maximum impact.’

‘Also, remember to send in your arrival and departure confirmations as soon as possible,’ Salim added as he bid each of them farewell.

OVER THE NEXT TWO DAYS, ONE BY ONE, THE TERROR
merchants began to scatter. The time had come for the next phase of the strike to commence. The first one to leave the Maldives was Mai; the important part of his work would begin now. He was the only one who had the expertise to make the weapons and also the only one who had access to the lethal materials that would be used in the weapons.