The Templar Reprisals (The Best Thrillers Book 3) James Best (best books to read all time .txt) 📖

the editor of their influential newspaper This gave Qutb great exposure to fundamentalists. So much so, Nasser imprisoned him.”

After another sip of his drink, Lewis continued. “While incarcerated, the Ikhwan smuggled in writing materials and smuggled out manuscripts. He was so prolific in prison, the Ikhwan didn’t work for his release.” After he paused to catch his breath, Lewis asked, “Is this helping?”

“Go on,” Baldwin said matter-of-factly.

“Okay.” Another deep breath. “Al Qaeda grew to world prominence well after Qutb was executed, but his ideas infused the movement. Qutb wrote ‘the confrontation is not over control of territory or economic resources, or for military domination. The true confrontation is over Islam. Nothing more.’ Religion was the issue. Qutb could not be clearer about this.”

“You’re saying we’re in a religious war,” Baldwin said.

“Whether we like it or not. For that matter, whether we recognize it or not.”

“Our political leaders say otherwise.”

“Your political leaders fear something far worse than terrorists. They fear constituents … voters who might demand that they do their job. They don’t want the citizenry to recognize this conflict as war because politicians would be required to fight it appropriately. Listen, politicos and talking heads disparage Christianity and Judaism not because those religions fail to support their progressive views, but because they have enough clout to task politicians to do their duty. Above all else, politicians fear accountability. It’s in their DNA. Instead, they tsk tsk Christian and Jews while accommodating Muslims. Jews and Christians won’t rise up in arms. Muslims kill and maim. So … our leaders coddle Muslims … and bring them into the country to ward off an attack using weapons of mass destruction. Which won’t—”

“Do you have a backup extraction team?” Evarts asked out of the blue.

“What?” Lewis said. “That’s what you took from what I just said.”

“What you said sounded like a blogger rant. I’m going back to your comment about people outside.”

“Everything I told you about the Ikhwan is true.”

“You’re evading the question,” Evarts said. “Give a direct answer or we’re returning to the saferoom. Now!”

“Yes … there’s a second team.”

“When do you expect them to arrive?”

“A half hour ago.”

“Can you signal them to hold off?”

“Why would I do that. You lied. There are no cops. You’re on your own.”

Evarts leaned in toward Lewis. “If you tell me what I want to know, I’ll let you walk out the front gate and they can pick you up at the street easy as pie.”

Evarts could see Lewis contemplating the alternative … and whether Evarts would keep his word.

“It depends. What do you want to know?” Lewis asked.

“Three questions. Give forthright answers and like any houseguest, walk out the front door.”

“What if I can’t answer due to my oath?”

“I’ll make allowances. We have to trust one another.”

“Three question and I’m no longer under arrest?” Lewis asked.

“Three questions.”

Chapter 35

“I need my phone,” Lewis said.

Evarts threw him his cell, but instead of making a call, Lewis held it up, shoulder height.

“What are the three questions?” Lewis asked.

“Who runs the Ikhwan? Where are they headquartered? Who does their banking?”

“Good questions. I can answer all three. But only with what we know. You may find that insufficient.”

“I’m experienced at this. If I think you’re telling me everything, you may leave.”

Lewis made a call, uttered one code word, and terminated the call.

“Don’t try to triangulate that number,” Lewis said handing the phone back. “It was a pre-paid disposable that has already been crushed.”

Evarts looked at the number and typed a text message. When he tucked the phone back into his pocket, he said, “Can’t blame me for trying.”

Lewis just smiled.

“Where do you want me to start?”

“Anywhere,” Evarts said.

“I’ll start with banking. The Ikhwan is extremely clever. About thirty years ago we discovered that a well-known billionaire was acting as a front for the Ikhwan. That seemed odd. Why would someone help an organization with such nefarious goals? By watching, we discovered a pattern. The super-rich take enormous risks. No amount of money is enough. Invariably, something goes sour, and their empire becomes imperiled. This is where the Ikhwan enters their lives. They offer enough money to make the problem go away, but in exchange, the entrepreneur must become an agent of the Ikhwan. Money laundering, asset management, political influence, whatever they have to offer. In exchange, their empire remains intact, they get infusions of cash if needed, and they’re allowed to continue living the lifestyle of the rich and famous. No one’s the wiser.”

“The Ikhwan would need a cash stockpile to finance these arrangements,” Evarts said. “Couldn’t their accounts be discovered using financial forensics.”

“Possibly in years past, but now their network is broad and deep, and money is buried in legitimate enterprises all over the world. When they need cash, they never demand more than ten million from each agent. Pocket change to billionaires. The money is transferred to Ikhwan controlled accounts disguised as commodity trading companies, charities, trusts, shipping companies, and several gaming operations. It’s done so businesslike that banks don’t have an inkling that the transfers are illicit. It’s a marvelous system.”

“You sound as if you admire them,” Baldwin said.

“We admire organization. The Templars were the first international bankers. During and after the crusades, we loaned money, secured other’s wealth in our castles, facilitated drafts that could be cashed anywhere in Europe or the Middle East, physically transferred sensitive documents, provided financial advice to nobility, and everything else under the sun. We can recognize a world-class operation, and this is one. We have sizable reserves of our own and have replicated parts of their system for our own funds.”

“Are there enough billionaires for both of you?” Baldwin asked.

Lewis laughed. “You’re too parochial. Granted, you’re both well-off, but far from super-rich. In fact, there’s only one billionaire in Santa Barbara. But if you expand your horizon to the entire globe, there are nearly three thousand billionaires and many, many more near billionaires who can serve just as well for these purposes. In fact, near billionaires are even