“I can’t say for certain, but I suspect it may have been Tariq.”

Just Tariq. No last name. None necessary. His résumé was engraved on Shamron’s brain. Tariq al-Hourani, son of a village elder from the Upper Galilee, born and raised in a refugee camp outside Sidon in southern Lebanon, educated in Beirut and Europe. His older brother had been a member of Black September, assassinated by a special unit led by Shamron himself. Tariq had dedicated his life to avenging his brother’s death. He joined the PLO in Lebanon, fought in the civil war, then accepted a coveted post in Force 17, Yasir Arafat’s personal bodyguard and covert operations unit. During the eighties he had trained extensively behind the Iron Curtain-in East Germany, Romania, and Moscow -and was transferred from Force 17 to the Jihaz el-Razd, the PLO’s intelligence and security apparatus. Eventually he led a special unit whose mission was to wage war on the Israeli secret services and diplomatic personnel. In the early nineties he split with Arafat over his decision to enter into negotiations with Israel and formed a small, tightly knit terror organization dedicated to one end: the destruction of Arafat’s peace process.

Upon hearing Tariq’s name, the prime minister’s eyes flashed, then resumed their calm appraisal of Shamron. “What makes you think it was Tariq who did this?”

“Based on the preliminary descriptions, the attack had all the hallmarks of one of his operations. It was meticulously planned and executed.” Shamron lit a cigarette and waved away the cloud of smoke. “The killer was calm and utterly ruthless. And there was a girl. It smells of Tariq.”

“So you’re telling me that you have a hunch it was Tariq?”

“It’s more than a hunch,” Shamron said, pressing on in the face of the prime minister’s skepticism. “Recently we received a report that suggested Tariq’s organization was about to resume its activities. You may remember that I briefed you personally, Prime Minister.”

The prime minister nodded. “I also remember that you discouraged me from giving the report wider circulation. Zev Eliyahu might be alive this morning if we had warned the Foreign Ministry.”

Shamron rubbed out his cigarette. “I resent the suggestion that the Office is somehow culpable in the ambassador’s death. Zev Eliyahu was a friend of mine as well. And a colleague. He worked in the Office for fifteen years, which is why I suspect Tariq targeted him. And I discouraged you from giving the report wider circulation in order to protect the source of that information. Sometimes that’s necessary when it comes to vital intelligence, Prime Minister.”

“Don’t lecture me, Ari. Can you prove it was Tariq?”

“Possibly.”

“And if you can? Then what?”

“If I can prove it was Tariq, then I’d like your permission to take him down.”

The prime minister smiled. “Take down Tariq? You’ll have to find him first. You really think the Office is ready for something like that? We can’t afford another situation like Amman -not now, not with the peace process in such a tenuous state.”

“The operation in Amman was poorly planned and disastrously executed, in part because of interference and unprecedented pressure from the man who was sitting in this office at the time. If you give me authority to go after Tariq, I assure you it will be a very different kind of operation, with very different results.”

“What makes you think you can even find Tariq?”

“Because I am better positioned to find him now than ever before.”

“Because of this source of yours?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me about this source.”

Shamron smiled briefly and picked at the thumbnail of his right hand. “It was a case I ran personally before I was told that my services were no longer required at King Saul Boulevard-a long-term penetration case, something that took years to unfold. Now, the source is involved in the planning and logistical side of Tariq’s organization.”

“Did the source know about Paris in advance?”

“Of course not! If the source had alerted me about Paris, I would have warned everyone necessary, even if it required pulling the source.”

“So do it,” the prime minister said. “Take Tariq down. Make him pay for Eliyahu and all the others he’s killed over the years. Take him down hard, and make certain he never gets up again.”

“Are you prepared for the repercussions of an assassination at this time?”

“There won’t be any repercussions if it’s handled properly.”

“The Palestinian Authority and their friends in Washington and Western Europe won’t look kindly on an assassination, even if the target is Tariq.”

“Then make sure you leave no fingerprints. Make certain your kidons don’t get caught, like that pair of bumbling amateurs that were sent to Amman. Once I sign the order, the operation is in your hands. You get rid of him any way you see fit-just get rid of him. The people of Israel will never allow me to make peace while Tariq or anyone else is running around killing Jews.”

“I’ll need the proper documentation to set things in motion.”

“You’ll have it by the end of the day.”

“Thank you, Prime Minister.”

“So who do you have in mind for the job?”

“I thought you had no intention of interfering.”

“I just want to know who you’re assigning the case to. I don’t believe that qualifies as interference.”

“I was thinking about Allon.”

“Gabriel Allon? I thought he left the Office after Vienna.”

Shamron shrugged; such things did not matter when it came to a man like Gabriel Allon. “It’s been a long time since anyone at the Office has handled a case like this. And they’ve generally fucked them up. But there’s one other reason why I want Allon. Tariq operates mainly in Europe. Allon is very experienced on the Continent. He knows how to get things done without making a racket.”

“Where is he now?”

“Living somewhere in England last time I heard.”

The prime minister smirked. “It’ll be easier for you to find Tariq than Gabriel Allon.”

“I’ll find Allon, and Allon will find Tariq.” Shamron pulled his lips into a fatalistic frown. “And then it will be done.”

FOUR

Samos, Greece

The ferry from Turkey arrived twelve hours late because of heavy seas in the Straits of Mycale. Tariq had never cared for boats-he hated the feeling of being surrounded by water with no route of escape. He stood at the bow, collar up against the night wind, watching the approach to Samos. In the moonlight he could see the peaks of the island’s two distinctive mountains: Mount Ampelos in the foreground and Mount Kerkis in the distance.

In the five days since the Paris assassination, he had worked his way southeast across Europe, changing identities and passports, subtly altering his appearance. Six times he changed automobiles. The last, a dark green Volvo station wagon, he left near the terminal in Kusadasi on the Turkish side of the strait. It had been collected by an agent from his organization.

He had seduced three women during his odyssey: a waitress in Munich, a hairdresser in Bucharest, and a hotel hostess in Sofia. He told each of them a different story. To the German girl he was an Italian fabric salesman on his way to Paris. To the Romanian girl he was an Egyptian trader hoping to do some business in Ukraine. To the Bulgarian hostess he was a Frenchman with rich parents who traveled and read books about philosophy. He made love to each of them differently. He slapped the German girl and was unconcerned about her satisfaction. He gave the Romanian many orgasms and a gold bracelet. The Bulgarian was a dark-haired girl with olive skin. She reminded him of girls from Palestine. They made love all night, until it was time for her to go back on duty. He was sad when she was gone.

The ferry slipped into the sheltered water of the harbor and tied up. Tariq disembarked and walked to a brightly lit taverna. Parked outside was a dark blue motor scooter with a smashed rearview mirror, just as he had been promised. Inside his coat pocket was the key. He strapped his overnight bag onto the back of the bike and started the engine. A moment later he was speeding along a narrow track toward the mountains.