Author´s note: As already suggested, yep, I had to slow down a bit again. Holidays are over and my days are busy once more. However, I am really glad to see so many of you around to read and I must say I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Let´s turn up the heat some!

Jennkyle: I was, yes, and thanks for your review.

Guest: Thank you so much for your nice words, I really appreciate it. I always hope I can get and keep readers hooked. Hope you´ll enjoy this chapter as well.

Clio1792: Good to see you back. I hoped to bring across Kimi as somewhat of a scruff but likable character, so, good to know you liked that. :) And yes, I wanted to put in that little moment of Fitz being Fitz.

Noro: Thank you. :)

Kelleekellkell: Great to have you back as well. It really means a lot that you made the effort to re-read it all. I know it´s long by now so I really really appreciate that you did. So here you go, let´s get the pieces moving.

Chapter 38 - Hook

Two days earlier, ar-Raqqa, Syria

The billionaire leant forward a little, interlacing his fingers as he looked at her. "Be that as it may, I believe before you leave we should talk a little more detail."

Behind her burqa her smile had been well hidden, but Maya made sure it didn´t reach her eyes so that her glee remained a secret to her alone as well. He had taken the bait, now it was of essence to get him hooked.

"As you might know, the President of the United States is currently taking up negotiations with President Masri again. There might even be a bilateral deal reached this week that will put him into a superior position in the region."

She was watching the millionaire carefully and what she had guessed, was right. Masri was a sore point. She pressed further. "A combined effort of Iraqi and American forces would mean a considerable threat to you and your ambitions. It would mean possibly losing grounds that have been fought over fiercely."

The billionaire's gaze grew cold, but whatever went on inside his head, he didn´t say and for a moment Maya knew a bit of admiration for such cold blooded, well controlled emotions. She gave a small nod, a gesture more devout than confirming because she knew he would not be pleased to see a woman comment on his unspoken words. Again, she went on, giving him a few seconds to mull over and new things to consider, more puzzle pieces to arrange in his mind. "If Masri and Grant come to an agreement, they will be a force to be reckoned with."

"And what is it to you?" The billionaire's patience was shorter than she had anticipated and while that was all the better for her intentions, she mentally withdrew considerable respect for the man. "What is the difference to you who holds power over the middle east?"

Maya tilted her head ever so slightly. "My interests are financial."

"Are you telling me you are willing to betray you own country selling me intel? So far there is nothing you have shown me." He was getting impatient. Good.

"I do not care about patriotism." she went on. "I care about money. But if you will, you could say I am acting in my country´s interest. There are powerful people in the United States who know that if we keep interfering in matters that are not our own we cannot focus on other things that well. The economy. Education… I speak for powerful people who would rather see the Unites States withdraw from any involvement that they do not have a right to have."

The billionaire gave a quick glance to the interpreter that so far he had not yet needed. "You are telling me you have a plan to avoid your Commander in Chief from sticking his nose in my business?" His smile was cold, disbelieving, the smile of a man well aware that it would take only the slightest command to have her neck snapped. She knew and something about that excited her. "Yes." she said and placed a flat binder bag in front of her. She had carried it openly and it had been searched by the guards at the entrance. Only papers and yet so much more explosive than anything. She took them out, laid them out on the table. It was a colourful assortment of documents. Top secret data on secret service training and perimeters used to protect POTUS. How many personel where in which radius. Personal files of agents. But while these were important, what really mattered, what really was the bait, was something else. "The United States possess a collection of information about foreign leaders." she declared, handing a small stack of papers over to him. "Information that often runs a lot deeper than even whistleblowers are aware." This was only partly true. The US government of course kept track of their foes and allies alike, but the extent she was handing to him right now was not the work of regular US government agencies. It was the work of B316.

The billionaire took the papers and leafed through them, his face frowning in concentration.

"Information about President Masri´s agenda, his security detail, the people he trusts, the positions that can most easily be infiltrated." she explained as he read.

"This is genuine?"

Another well acted devout nod. "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link." she said. "And my people have found it. Today it will be officially announced that President Grant and President Masri will meet in Brussels in two days. We have found a way to infiltrate Masri´s security detail. All you need is a person you trust to put in position."

"A mole. Isn´t that what you call it?"

She remained silent on that, took a few seconds before she continued, wanting to make sure he understood. The man was no fool, but she hated having to repeat herself and having to do so would weaken the force of her argument. "I am saying that president Masri is going to leave for Brussels in less than 36 hours." she said. "and I am saying my people know how to place one of your men on his security detail. Someone you can instruct to do your bidding. In the interest of your regional interests."

He looked at her strangely. "This is not complete." he said.

"Of course it isn´t. Travel detail is highly sensitive data." She, however, had her contacts and some of them were amazing hackers. It however helped that Masri´s security system was a lot easier to circumnavigate than that of the Pentagon or maybe it was that training hacking on the Pentagon made everything else seem like a walk in the park. "As soon as I receive my advance payment, my contact will provide you with everything you will need, including an untraceable link to security. Your mole will appear and disappear when he has done whatever you want him to do."

"We both know that this mole is going to die the death of a martyr."

Maya smile. "Of course." she said. "But it is up to you, which president he will take out before he does. As we say: it´s your move."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

There were about two hours to pass before the arrival of Air Force One, but what sweet, sweet time it was. Back at her hotel, Maya, not to her surprise, had seen the day before that the money had been transferred. Untraceable source. She had immediately released the data she had promised. Early enough to get someone on Masri´s plane who shouldn´t be there. A human time bomb. And oh, how delightful it was to guess what the billionaire had chosen to be his mission. She chuckled to herself while she nipped on a still slightly too hot to drink cappuccino and watched the departing and arriving planes.

Would he have him shoot Masri and follow a more shortsighted route of contesting for influence in the Middle East that was unlikely to place him at the top of the food chain even there, even if he claimed this as an ISIS incident and tried to cash in on the gratitude of his fellow cutthroats and war criminals?

Or would the target be the US president? Far more fun. Far more dramatic. Far more farsighted. Oh, the havoc. The American president executed by a foreign dignitary´s security would spark a diplomatic crisis with the potential to set the world aflame. And it would prove so many people wrong. The billionaire for believing he could actually grab and hold on to power for long, no matter how he chose. Eli for believing, for seriously believing, he could turn her into one of his puppy creatures.

She leant back, watching the mostly blue skies, noticing the hours had been flying by when someone approached her and the man´s words could only mean one thing: Dead man walking or not, Grant was on his way to his doom. "Ma´am. I am sorry, but we will have to ask you to leave. This area has to be cleared for security reasons for the next hour."

She gave the man a pleasant, friendly smile. "Oh, I apologize, I didn´t know." she said, and left.