Chapter 14

"That building is huge."

I bit my lip the minute I said it, I had forgotten he could hear me now. My heart was going like a jackhammer; it was our first contract together, and I was very aware that Diana and some of the board were watching my feed.

"Yes, it is tall." I hadn't expected 47 to reply; I just knew he was doing his infuriating half smile as he said it.

"Sorry, I've just never seen anything like it." He was sat in a square in Dubai; the sun was relentless, even I was having to squint. In front of him was a large man-made lake, the dark shadow of the Burj Khalifa slicing across it. It was an impressive structure, the seemingly endless tower of glass glinted in the Arabian sun.

Our target was Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashad, a member of the royal family and wealthy business mogul. Talk about jumping in at the deep end, I hadn't been sure where to start with this guy's bio. He was a notorious playboy; spending his wealth, among other things, like it was going out of fashion. That alone wasn't too unusual, this was Dubai after all, but he was also the patron of an up and coming Internet start up. The company was making a name for itself by providing free Wi-Fi throughout the city, with a different cost. The users of the network were monitored, and their private details recorded. The client, another member of his family, wanted him taken out to prevent him from dishonoring the family with his behavior any longer. The catch; they wanted access to the coding Rashad's company was developing, obviously to monitor Dubai's citizens themselves.

The deceit among humans never failed to amaze me, but a contract was a contract. I had tapped into the target's personal schedule days ago, he wasn't the only one with the power to see all online. A meeting was set for today with a CIA representative, due to the secrecy of their agency it was highly likely Rashad had never seen the man. This was the way in I had suggested to 47.

He was waiting in the square for him now; having hacked into the CIA's system before it was child's play now. After finding the guy assigned to this task, I had dug into his personal emails and discovered the place he was planning to meet Rashad's PA.

"That's him 47." I watched as a man dressed in light linen trousers and a short-sleeved shirt carrying a briefcase, crossed the square. He didn't stand out amid the crowd, I guess that was the point, but I recognised his face from his profile. He came to a stop with his back to us, looking out over the lake towards the Burj Khalifa. 47 stood up and made his way towards the unsuspecting agent, his movement was fluid and effortless. He positioned himself a few feet away from the man, resting on a low stone barrier surrounding the edge of the lake. The CIA agent took out his phone and dialed a number, once he had looked to see if anyone was listening.

"Fields here, I'm at the location awaiting the escort." He paused as the person on the other end barked instructions at him.

"Understood. It's highly unlikely it'll come to that sir, the Sheikh seems willing to comply, at a price of course." As he said this he adjusted his grip on the briefcase he was carrying. "Of course sir, just as planned." He hung up and looked around rubbing his forehead.

"Jeez, I'm cooked. Where can a guy get a drink round here." He clocked a nearby café, busy with tourists and shoppers sat in the shade. Glancing quickly at his watch he made up his mind, and made his way over to it. 47 didn't move as Agent Fields passed him, but I was sure his sights were locked firmly on the man.

As he disappeared inside the café, 47 casually pushed off from the barrier and followed him. I watched as the POV camera struggled to adjust to the dim light of the interior, after the glaring brightness of outside. Agent Fields was by the counter talking to the waiter behind, 47 weaved his way through the jumbled tables surrounded by patrons.

"Just a water please, a large one." 47 kept his distance behind Fields as the waiter fetched his water. The agent fidgeted with the briefcase again, and glanced at his watch repeatedly.

"Thank you." The waiter pushed the large glass of water towards him, and he grabbed it gratefully turning to exit the café. 47 moved to the side as if letting him pass, but right at the last minute he blocked the agent's way. The glass of water sloshed over Field's causing his clothes to be soaked through.

"Look what you did!" The enraged agent glared up at 47 still holding his now nearly empty glass.

"So sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." I smirked at 47's concerned act; he really was a pro. The agent narrowed his eyes at him, ensure whether to believe his sincerity. Luckily the waiter stepped in, fussing round the dripping agent.

"Sir, there is a bathroom in the back if you need to clean up." With a disgruntled huff Agent Fields turned away from 47 and squelched over to the private bathroom. 47 waited for the hubbub to die down before slipping in after him. I could hear Fields muttering in one of the cubicles as 47 entered.

"Absolutely typical. Most important assignment of your career and it has to start like this." I felt a swell of pity for the man as I watched the inevitable unfold.

47 was silent as he advanced on the closed door and skillfully opened the lock. The agent barely had time to react before the assassin had wrapped an arm round his neck and slowly lowered his unconscious body to the floor. I was suddenly aware how quiet I had been so far. Usually with Carlton I would have been stepping him through most of that, but with my new agent I hadn't uttered a syllable.

Grabbing his briefcase, 47 straightened up and checked his appearance in the bathroom mirror. It was the first time I had a good look at him; he was wearing a similar outfit to the now prone CIA agent. Light trousers, with a blue short-sleeved shirt, he had a pair of sunglasses on though that made his face even more unreadable.

"The PA is due to meet the agent at 1pm." 47 acknowledged my hint by looking at his watch; it was 12:55 in Dubai. He calmly exited the bathroom and made his way back out into the midday sun. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the white light, a beautifully dressed Emirati woman was stood where Agent Fields had been a moment earlier. She was looking round expectantly, I assumed this was the Sheikh's PA. 47 clearly thought the same as he made a beeline for her; a few feet away she registered his approach and smiled broadly at him, her hand outstretched to shake his.

"Afternoon Mr Fields, it's a pleasure to welcome you to Dubai." 47 gripped her hand; I was very aware how small hers was in comparison.

"Thank you, the heat is definitely something." He could be really smooth when he needed to be, I thought sourly.

"His Royal Highness Sheikh Rashad is eager to meet you, if you'd like to follow me." She moved off into the crowd heading towards the large mall to one side of the lake. 47 easily kept pace with her, people taking one look at his tall, muscular frame before moving quickly out of the way.

She was headed for the Burj Khalifa, that was where Rashad's offices were. Getting in was going to be the easy part, it was getting out I was most concerned with. They came to the entrance of the building which was inside the mall, shoppers surrounded them on all sides as Rashad's PA gestured for 47 to go first. The only way in out of that monolith of glass was via a lift; the single entrance and exit was making me uneasy but 47 was as calm and cool as ever. This bolstered my confidence a little, by this point Carlton would have been stressing me out.

The inside of the Burj was as impressive as the exterior. It was a modern marvel; it was clean and bright, everything looked like it had just been finished. The lift doors opened soundlessly and they both stepped in.

"The Sheikh would like to remind you that everything discussed in this meeting is strictly confidential." She said in a conversational tone, but I could here the threat underneath it.

"Of course." 47's low voice betrayed nothing however.

I watched in awe at the floor numbers ticking up slowly; they were currently on the 105th floor, my mind couldn't comprehend a building that high. Part of me wished I could be there to see it, but then I remembered the situation I would be in if that were the case and my London flat didn't seem so dull.

Eventually the numbers slowed and then stopped on 150. My stomach churned uncomfortably; we were most definitely trapped up here now. The doors slide open revealing more of a penthouse than an office. My eyes hurt from the extravagance of it; there was a lot of gold, gold chairs, gold walls. Good Jesus, this man was ostentatious. An Emirati man stood in the middle of the room, I was expecting him to be wearing the traditional robe and headscarf that every other man had been wearing downstairs. Instead he was dressed like a rock star, tight fitting jeans and a silk shirt with the buttons almost undone to the waist. He had a well groomed beard and short, dark hair, for some unknown reason he was wearing sunglasses indoors hiding his eyes. I wasn't sure I liked that too much. Rolling my eyes, I thought how this hit wouldn't be too hard to stomach; this man just screamed dickhead to me.

"Mr Fields, welcome, welcome." He greeted 47 exuberantly, his arms raised in a gesture of greeting. I noticed his hands were covered in gold rings as well, as he clasped 47's hand pumping it up and down in an over the top hand shake. I could imagine my agent's eyebrow raising slightly at the uncomfortable physical contact.

"Afternoon Your Royal Highness."

"Pleeease, call me Rashad, we're all friends here." He smiled broadly, but I couldn't help but be reminded of my old boss Dom Johnson when he did so. It had a very crocodilian air about it. As 47 moved into the room, I began to notice a number of bodyguards lurking around the edge of it. They were typically dressed in black suits, and they too were wearing sunglasses indoors. This whole setup was like a cliché gangster den.

Rashad flopped down on a couch in the middle of the room, and gestured for 47 to sit opposite him. He did so, slowly obviously taking in his surroundings. He placed the briefcase by his feet, I watched as Rashad seemed to follow its movements.

"This is a bit of an usual design for an office." I smiled at 47's pointed question. Rashad smiled back, looking un-phased.

"I found I work better when I am comfortable. Plus, my team don't seem to mind the surroundings." I frowned at this, what team? Where were all his employees? As if in answer Rashad leant back in the chair, and jabbed a casual finger upwards.

"They're on the next floor if you're wondering." He laid both his hands on the back of the couch, surveying 47. "Think of this like my private office."

47 didn't respond, letting the silence hang between them. I felt a tad helpless currently, the Burj's online security was impossible to access remotely. This had made me chuckle, it was easier to access the CIA's system then some office building in Dubai. It told you a lot about what they did there. I was hoping 47 would be able to access a computer here somehow and get me in. I had already given him a USB that would allow that, I remember him commenting on it when I had sent it. "Just like old times."

"Will I get to see them?" His voice cut through my revere. Rashad's smile faded and he leant towards 47, taking off his sunglasses. His eyes were hooded, with dark circles under them. Probably from too much partying, I thought sourly.

"All in good time Agent Fields. Let me see your end of the bargain first." 47 lifted the briefcase onto the low table between them, and slide it across the distance to Rashad. The Sheikh smirked as he pulled the case closer and flicked open the latches. Lifting the lid, the contents were obscured from our view. Rashad was silent for a moment, before finally smiling at 47 and laughing loudly.

"Excellent, everything seems to be in order. Your government aren't going to regret this, what we're making here is second to none." He leapt up, friendly and open again. "Come on my friend, come and see what you've bought."

47 stood up and quietly followed Rashad to an open stairway leading up to another level. A large window looking down on Dubai flanked it; I felt a bit nauseous glimpsing the height they were at. The PA followed them upstairs, along with two bodyguards. 47 would have to find a way to get him alone, or figure out a subtler plan of action. The level above Rashad's 'private office' was more business like. A number of desks were positioned around the room, the decoration was less extravagant, and there were a handful of men sat in front of computers.

This was more my style, we needed to get access to one of these terminals. Rashad strode to the middle of the room and span to face 47, his arms outstretched.

"This is where the magic happens." A few workers looked up at their boss, their faces betrayed their distain for his flamboyant behavior. "I took this little start up company and nurtured it into an efficient machine, producing the best surveillance software in the world."

"May I?" 47 asked, pointing towards a nearby computer. Rashad grinned, clearly excited to show of his creation.

"Of course." I held my breath as 47 sat down in front of the screen, the Sheikh clicked his fingers at a worker, summoning him over. What an arse.

"Amir, show Mr Fields what you are working on." Amir walked over and stood by 47's shoulder. Deftly he brought up a screen showing a mass of coding, to most it was gobbledygook but I leant forward intrigued. It was a work of art, an almost undetectable software patch that would run in the background. The Wi-Fi login would access the victims device and then boom. The software would scan for all personal information and remain on the device even after they had stopped using the Internet.

I blew out slowly, taking in the enormity of the situation. This thing would give unlimited information to anyone who used it; and the CIA had technically just purchased it. This was huge, and I nearly missed 47 casually asking about the servers to Amir, I was so overwhelmed. The techy nodded and led 47 to an airtight room, cooling fans ran at full blast to keep the machines at the right temperature. Amir had to shout to be heard over the din.

"This is where we keep all the data, Sheikh Rashad doesn't want any copies anywhere. We keep all our backups on here on these state of the art servers, no USB's or cloud storage at all. He doesn't want it leaking into the wrong hands. Or to people who won't pay." The techy raised his eyebrows at 47, there was an unspoken fear in his eyes that I didn't like. What was this thing they'd made? Amir turned away from him and moved towards the door, as he began to exit the room I saw 47 hang back.

I caught on immediately and scanned his surroundings quickly. "To your left, just under that monitor." Amir was nearly out, and before he turned to see where his guest had got to 47 quickly inserted the USB in the port I had identified. Excellent, I thought, this should turn the tables in our favour.

"So is everything to your liking Mr Fields?" Rashad was waiting as 47 and Amir made their way back over to him.

"Yes, thank you." The Sheikh grinned and clapped 47 on the shoulder; I stifled a laugh knowing my agent would hate that.

"Like I said to your superiors, this software will monitor anyone, anywhere, anytime. Cyber terrorism will be a thing of the past, along with anyone who doesn't agree with you, eh?" He laughed heartily at his own joke.

"Come my friend, we must celebrate this union of information between our two countries." He led 47 back downstairs, and I turned my attention to my laptop next to me. The USB had already done its work and I was into their closed circuit system. I had access to all the software they had created, backups and Meta data. All I needed to do was download it for the client.

"How will you send the software to us?" I looked back at the POV screen. They were back in the gold room; Rashad was faced away from 47, busy with something on a table in front of him.

"As you can understand Agent Fields, the software is too sensitive to send with yourself now, or via the Internet. We will await your instruction here as to when and where you wish to us the service, and we will initiate it for you." He turned around holding a bottle of champagne.

"I don't allow my data to get anywhere outside this building in its raw form, as I'm sure Amir told you." He handed the bottle to the PA who begins to open it for him.

"I am not a political man Agent Fields, I don't care how you use my software. I only care how much you pay for the service, which you have, very well I might add." The PA opened the bottle with a muted pop and turned to the table where two glasses stood.

"Your superiors know how to get hold of me when they wish to use it. Now, join me in a toast my friend to our new partnership." I saw the PA move towards him with two glasses.

"Certainly, please excuse me one moment. Where is your restroom?" Rashad smiled as he pointed to a door at the far end of the room.

"That way."

47 moved quickly towards it, and slipped in away from the eyes of Rashad and his entourage. He looked at himself in the mirror, his blue eyes seeming to look at me not his reflection.

"Do you have the data?" I jumped at the sound of his voice echoing in the lavish bathroom. It was only after a moment I realised he was talking to me.

"Yes, it's all here. I am downloading right now." He nodded. I watched as he reached into his trouser pocket and withdrew something small and white. It looked like a pill and it took me a second to identify it as a poison powder capsule.

"I don't know what's going to happen once I kill him Perry, so make sure that data is secure before I do." I glanced at the progress bar displayed on my laptop; it was nearly done.

"We should be okay. You have a plan to get out of this place?" He raised one eyebrow at me, his mouth set in a firm line.

"Sorry, was just asking." His mouth twitched at my annoyed response, as he concealed the capsule in the palm of his hand.

Rashad was waiting for him in the center of the room again; he was holding his drink already. I wasn't sure how 47 was going to do this, with this many eyes on him. The PA smiled warmly at the assassin as she handed him a glass of champagne, as he gripped the top of the glass to take it from her I saw him break the capsule and let the powder fall into his own drink. I frowned, unsure what he plan would be here.

"To your health my friend." The Sheikh lifted his glass in a toast, smiling his crocodile smile.

"It is a tradition in our country to toast from each other's glasses." I heard 47 lie smoothly to Rashad. A flicker of confusion passed over his face at the comment.

"Really? I have never heard of such a thing. But if it is tradition, well, we are in the land of tradition after all." He handed his glass to 47, and 47 passed his to the target. I shook my head in disbelief; this guy was next level. I looked at my laptop and saw the data had finished transferring.

"All done 47, you're clear to take down the target." Rashad raised his glass once more and downed it in one go. Only when my lungs started to complain did I realise I was holding my breath, watching the Sheikh as he looked around the room smiling.

"Boys, we're going to have a party ton-" His words were cut off as he let the champagne flute fall to the floor. It smashed into a thousand tiny shards, Sheikh Rashad clutched his throat, his eyes bulging.

The bodyguards drew their guns as one, the PA screamed and ran to her boss in an effort to assist him. 47 was surrounded, I knew he would probably be alright but I still would prefer a clean exit on my first run. Frantically I looked at my laptop and accessed the servers upstairs. With a few well thought out taps of my keyboard I sent the servers into meltdown, wiping all trace of the software and setting off a number of alarms. The guards were distracted, as their boss sank to the floor amid the wailing of sirens above them.

"Get out 47."

Without hesitation the assassin strode towards the lift and pressed the button to summon it. Chaos was taking over as some of the bodyguards tried to assist in vain, as Rashad began to foam at the mouth. The doors to the lift slide open just as two of the bodyguards nearest 47 noticed his escape.

"Hey you!" Quicker than I could keep track 47 knocked one guard out and effortlessly whirled around to subdue the second. He took a step back into the lift, and I watched Rashad's body finally still as the doors slide shut.

"Thank you Peregrine." His voice was steady, completely unaffected by the drama he had just escaped. Me on the other hand, I was struggling to get my heart back to a normal pace.

"Is the data secure?" I looked at my laptop having momentarily forgotten one of the reasons for us being there. The software coding was all there, completely intact for the client who had requested it. My heart slowed down as I thought about what I had stored on my computer. This was an invasion of privacy and security of the highest order. Anyone with the access to this software could spy on anyone, uninhibited and undetected. Suddenly, I became extremely uncomfortable with the very existence of it.

There was little I could do, the agency was neutral above all else. It shouldn't matter to me who had this, but then why did it matter? I stared at my laptop, ignoring 47's POV. He was fine, I was having my own internal crisis. I was vaguely aware of him exiting the lift and making his way into the busy mall. My fingers were frozen over the keyboard of my laptop. I was chewing on my lip weighing up my options, could I live with myself if I let this continue, not knowing how many lives it could tear apart. Dictatorships could use it to trap their people forever, politicians remain corrupt and unchallenged; this would herald a new age of oppression. One where no one would be safe from judgment from those who craved power.

47 was back in the afternoon sun, the screen shone brightly illuminating my dark flat. My heart had picked up pace again, I took in a deep breath my brain fighting with my conscience. 47 had reached the agency vehicle left for his escape and was getting in. The engine started, the screen went black, I hit delete.