“You will be in the dome of a Catholic church called the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. It’s perfect for our purposes. One of its six windows faces the target zone exactly, clean, unobstructed shooting. It’s easy to access, at that time of day likely to be largely empty, and its priests will yield quickly and without drama to our functionaries. A glazier will accompany you to the selected window—it’s an ancient building, everything is at least a hundred years old—and he will remove the glass from your shooting position.”

“I will have to examine it myself and make certain that all is as you say it is.”

“Why would I lie?”

“You would not lie. But you might see what you want to see, not what is there. I also will need a tripod on which to place the rifle. You can acquire one at any camera or large sporting goods store.”

“Of course. Your target will be the stairway into the Fourth Street entrance of the federal courthouse. At two-thirty that afternoon, a carload of U.S. Marshals will deliver this witness to the courthouse. In the brief seconds that he is ascending the steps, he will be accessible to you.”

“Your intelligence is very good.”

“And expensive. Now, if—”

“There is more. I want a demolition, radio-controlled, placed nearby. Its point isn’t to destroy but to stun. When it detonates, the party will halt, look around—all of them—for the threat. It’s basic animal behavior. It must be detonated as they reach the top step. He will be frozen for perhaps a second, and I will take him. Time in flight from that range is less than a second, and he will still be at least that before everybody realizes what is happening and pushes him forward. It’ll be too late by then.”

“I appreciate your confidence.”

“I do not miss. Now, tell me how we shall escape.” He parsed the diagram closely.

“No elevator down,” he said. “It will take some time. Upon detonation, a car should pull up outside. Probably best to leave the rifle, as its awkwardness makes it difficult to maneuver.”

“Fine. It was bought under untraceable arrangements.”

“We leave, transfer cars quickly, and—”

“To the airport. Where my jet awaits.”

“All the men with me, they will be armed. Just in case.”

“Heavily. Well-trained, ready to fight and die, if necessary, to make your escape good.”

“It shouldn’t come to that.”

“The locals, even the Marshals,” said Menendez, “are earnest but not the kind of highly trained, highly experienced operators on our team. They can’t possibly react quickly unless they have someone of extraordinary talent on-site. And that is highly unlikely.”

41

McConnell Air Force Base

Jared, you have to deal with this.”

“Ah. What was the name again? He called himself Ali La Pointe, that’s all I know.”