Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Once they returned to the main hall, Corrado Gherardi and Tarek al Khatib had already left to go back to their hotels and prepare for their return trips to their home cities. As members of the Bluthund Community were alone with Admiral Donnelly, an affable man, the atmosphere was more informal. Dr. Richardson opened the conversation.

“Well, what you think of the exhibitions?”

“Very clear and allow us to define the profile of those we are dealing with.” Donnelly replied. “Lakshmi, what do you think?”

“I agree. I think we have to define two planes. Material executors may be fanatical warriors who have been instilled with concepts such as Holy War, jihad, fighting Western Satan, or the like, either through the use of hallucinogens or brainwashing. But the leaders of the Assassin Sect, if we are really dealing with the same historical group, always defended their specific interests through selective violence. What should be elucidated is whether they order to kill their direct enemies or are hired to kill on request.”

"Is this a terrorist sect then?" Jack asked.

“Rather than terrorists they seem to me more a gang of hit men, organized around a defined body of ideas. Terrorists attack broad, undetermined targets for the purpose of precisely sowing terror and for political ends. These murders are very punctual and have no effect on world public opinion.”

“But for some reason they leave the message mentioning Alamut.”

"It is an encrypted message, in code, only addressed to a group of people who are capable of decoding it, among whom we now find ourselves now." Lakshmi looked at Donnelly and found approval of her words in his eyes.

Watkins, who had remained silent and in the background until that moment asked, addressing the Admiral.

“I would understand that these murders were of interest to the FBI or Interpol. Why is the State Department interested in solving them?”

The aforementioned thought for a moment and replied.

“Clearly due to the potential for global destabilization of this group. These assassins attack high impact targets and we have already heard that in the past they have caused the fall of empires, as it happened with the Turkish Seljuk.”

"For now they seem to focus on Islamic targets, not Americans or Europeans." The master of ceremonies insisted.

“We have also heard from today's exhibitors that in the past they attacked caliphs and viziers, and were even linked to the Christian kingdoms of the Holy Land, until at one point they began assassinating kings and other Templar hierarchs.”

"In other words, they are not reliable," Concluded Jack.

“The problem is that they do not know where the "contracts" that they are offered will take them. They are not driven by fixed and constant motivations but by the murder orders of their multiple clients, who may have conflicting interests with each other. That is what makes them unpredictable, uncontrollable. Any profile on the actions of the murderers that we draw now can be drastically altered by the next task that is entrusted to them.”

Finally Dr. Richardson asked the key question.

“What does the State Department expect from us? I don't think you have any expectation that we will eliminate that danger. We are not engaged in ... direct actions.”

“No. Of course not. For these functions we have our people. What we are looking for is to help us uncover the mystery of the sect's actions. We want to know its internal organization and structure, its modality to find clients who hire them. Knowing who is going to buy their "services" we can foresee where they are going to hit, because unlike sectarians, their clients do have definite and predictable interests.” Donnelly spoke clearly.

“What a task those you ask us!” Richardson shook his head in a skeptical gesture. “Do you expect us to infiltrate the sect?”

“No way! Their recruitment task begins when their followers are very young and they are gradually brainwashed and trained to become perfect killing machines, from the point of view of the technique to use but also from the point of view of motivation.” The Admiral was clear about his ideas. “Trying to infiltrate among them can only lead to being immediately eliminated.”

"I'm still not sure how we can help you." Suzuki said objectively.

“Getting into their heads not through physical contact with the Fedayeen and their bosses but analyzing their actions. The disciplines you cultivate in Bluthund can shed more light on the sect than the knowledge of law and police procedures taught at the FBI, CIA, and other official bodies, whose officers are also undergoing lengthy and intense training that serves circumstances more or less standard. We need people who think outside the box, a bit wildly or paradoxically.”

A few moments of silence followed these words. Finally Richardson, who was the lead singer in Bluthund, said.

“All right, Admiral, first of all we thank you for your trust in our group. Before embarking on such a high-risk activity for our members, we will discuss your request collectively, as decisions in our community are made by consensus. Members who will eventually collaborate with you will volunteer and be aware of the dangers.”

Everyone got up and Watkins escorted the Admiral to the door. After a new short period of silence, Watkins himself returned and took a pill box giving each of those present a white and a black pill. Then he put the pillbox on the table and said.

“We are going to make the decision in the usual way. A white ballot means accepting the challenge transmitted by Admiral Donnelly and a black ballot indicates rejection.

One by one, those present complied with the rite and at the end of the vote, Watkins approached the player while all those present repressed their anxiety to know the result.

Finally in a firm voice the master of ceremonies announced.

“Unanimity of white balls. We therefore accept the order.”

Richardson stood up and asked.

“Do any of those present volunteer for this mission?”

After a few moments Lakshmi said.

“Count me in.”

Jack Berglund raised his hand and added.

“Also with me.”

Surprisingly Suzuki stood up and added.

“I will also be part of the game, and although I must still speak to my disciple, I believe that we can count on a person from my inner circle who will be pleased to be part of a task of this nature, due to the atmosphere of mystery and danger that surrounds it.”

"Who is it about?" Asked Richardson.

“A person who is an expert in martial arts, in moving with extreme stealth and facing any situation, no matter how exposed it is. It is a perfect counterpart to those Nizaris that we will have to face.”

“You are describing a kind of Ninja.” Said Jack.

“That´s right. That's what it's about.”

Richardson asked.

“Can we count on you to make him aware of the dangers to which he is exposed?”

"Of course." replied the Japanese.

“When can we meet your man?”

“As soon as I get to New York. It is not a man, it is a woman.”

The amazement showed in the faces of the people present.

“I ask you not to prejudge sex. She is a formidable warrior.” Suzuki finished. “I will act as a link between her and the three people in the field belonging to Bluthund.”

Everyone was leaving the room, the ban on cell phone use ended at that time and everyone turned on their cell phones on.

"Oh!" Lakshmi exclaimed involuntarily as she looked at the screen and saw her messages.

"What's wrong?" Suzuki asked.

“There has been a fifth murder of the same type in Malaysia.”

“With all the ritual and the use of the word Alamut?

“Yes, everything is the same.”

In the large armored car that took him to his offices, Admiral Donnelly also answered the message on his cell phone and when reading the succinct text, an imprecation escaped him.

“Heck ... Things keep moving.”