“Oh, no. I am in no danger. The clowns in the security branch who thought it wise to hide all our nuclear secrets in a warehouse with no guards at night are the ones in peril.”

Reaching again for the pastry, Saad said, “That truly is a baffling choice, and it has given quite the victory to the enemy.”

The general refilled his flute, this time skipping the orange juice part of his mimosa. “Inshallah, the victory will be short-lived. Already we are spreading the word that the documents are false. Many in the UN will buy it.”

“But they are irrelevant. What matters is that the deranged U.S. president will use it as a pretext to destroy the nuclear deal.”

“This is true, which is why we must always think long-term, Saad.” Taking a ring of orange, he perched it on his glass, then took a sip. “We must survive only four years of this fool, eight at most. Then the next administration will come in and undo what he has done, much the same way he has undone the actions of his own predecessor. That is why the American system of government is so illogical.”

“But it is also unpredictable, Arash. There is no telling what this man will do in the next four years. I believe you and your friends best keep your eyes open.”

The general laughed. “I know, but some lines even the Americans will not cross. I was speaking with General Soleimani about this very thing just yesterday. He believes there is nothing to worry about. I tend to agree with him. Our nuclear program will progress. We will achieve our bomb, and then the world will quake.”

“You know the situation better than I do. I will have to trust you. Now, down to our real business. Tell me about the UAV training taking place with your militias in Iraq and Syria, and then let me know where my money can make the most impact.”

September 2020: (Two Years Later)

SEPTEMBER 2020

(TWO YEARS LATER)

Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

TWO YEARS LATER

ÈZE, PROVENCE-ALPES-CÔTE D’AZUR, FRANCE—SEPTEMBER 27, 2020—02:35 / 2:35 A.M. CEST

Clear,” said a female voice through Nir’s com.

“Root,” he replied, acknowledging that he’d received and understood the message.

Liora Regev’s remote disabling of the alarm system from the team control room back at Mossad headquarters in Tel Aviv allowed Nir to insert a tool into the lock. Quietly, he manipulated the slender piece of metal until he felt all the tumblers disengage in the beach condominium’s sliding glass door. He nodded to Imri Zaid, who knelt and inserted a thin bar under the base of the door. With another nod from Nir, Imri leveraged the handle of the bar, lifting the door and disengaging the kick lock with a pop.