The 13th Enumeration by William Struse, Rachel Starr Thomson Page B

problem for us again.”
    They looked at each other and smiled, both of them thinking the same thought. One month was not too long to wait to be unbelievably wealthy.
     
    * * *
     
    They stood in Darius’s office looking into each other’s eyes. “This is the last time we will see each other for some time, brother,” Arash said.
    Darius replied, “If everything goes according to plan, I will see you in October one year from now.”
    “No one outside of Iran has ever seen me without a disguise, and only you know me as Arash. The blame for what we have planned for New York will fall directly on the leadership of Iran and its al-Qaeda connections. The harder they deny, the less the international community will believe them. At a minimum, sanctions will be imposed, and we can’t rule out direct military intervention if the events in New York cause a large loss of life. As a precaution, I will be minimizing my contact with the Anaj network. In the coming weeks I do not want any association with the events in New York. However remote, the American intelligence agencies may be able to figure out how we are communicating and trace it back to me. I will make sure Anaj traffic is directed to another part of the Iranian intelligence service not associated with me. I will still have access, but I will be more insulated from the repercussions should they somehow compromise the network.”
    Darius nodded in agreement. “What about the Israeli network? I would like to be kept informed of their archeological efforts. You know this is of interest to me. How dangerous would it be to our goals if I monitored the intelligence from the network there?”
    “It would be a risk, brother, but a manageable one if you use discretion,” Arash replied. “I will leave with you the contact information for the Ukrainian Internet company that uploads our encrypted files. My contact there does not know who we are, but he knows our procedures. When you send him your files, do not do so from any Internet connections associated with AES. I will contact him one last time and prepay his account with funds so that you will be able to use the network for the next twenty-four months. I can arrange for the Baker to send all intelligence to a new post-office box in Dubai. Are you familiar with the procedures to connect the flash drives to the new USB connectors?”
    “Yes,” Darius replied with confidence. “I have seen you do it once before. I will be able to figure it out.”
    “Very well then, brother. I will leave you the Ukrainian’s contact information as well as our Israeli field agent’s identification numbers. Once you have downloaded the files into the Anaj software, make sure you enter the lotto numbers first, then the agent’s identification number.”
    Darius cut him off with slight irritation. “Brother, do not worry. I am familiar with your procedures.”
    “Okay, okay,” Arash conceded begrudgingly. This was a foolish risk, but watching his brother the last few years, he knew Darius would try to keep contact with or without his blessing. At least this way there was some protection. He almost shook his head. A man soon to be worth a trillion dollars risking it for an interest in Israeli archeology. All in search of some secret which might or might not be real.
    Looking directly at his brother and using a cold voice Darius had never heard, Arash said, “Just be careful—this is a big risk you take that affects us all. I will not bail you out if you get into trouble.”
    Darius laughed in incredulity. “You bail me out? You will be lucky, brother, if you survive the anger of the Western world once they realize it was Iran who carried out the attack in New York. You had best worry about your own skin. I will worry about mine.”
    Arash shrugged. Ever the same Darius. They were playing a dangerous game here, and any indiscretion on their part could bring down the whole house of cards. He had covered his tracks as best he could. No one