The Devil's Light (47 page)

Anit sipped her wine. “It all sounds very high-minded.”

Was there hope for this? Brooke wondered. With an airiness he did not feel, he answered, “Oh, I'm sure we can remember to have fun. But it'll take a little more time to work out all the details. Fortunately, I've booked two first-class tickets to Paris, one in the name of Laura Reynolds. The flight doesn't leave until 2:00
A.M
., so you've got the next four hours to decide. You've already got a passport.”

For a long time, Anit simply stared at him. “Just leave with you, like that?”

“Just like that. By whatever name, I've never seen a woman more in need of a vacation. Screw the Mossad if they complain. But for you they might all be dead.”

“And after Paris?” Anit asked softly. “I'm Israeli, remember? And irreversibly, irretrievably, irrevocably Jewish.”

Despite himself, Brooke felt a spark of hope. “Name your terms, Anit. We can split time between countries. Our kids can be Jewish, if you want. I'll even convert, for Christsakes. Just spare me the knife, okay?”

Anit fought to repress a smile and failed. “So Anit Rahal can still do that,” Brooke said. “Maybe she can even laugh.”

Her smile lingered for a moment, and then her eyes became haunted again. “I don't know yet. She's been in a deep freeze for so long.”

Brooke took her hand. “Not for one memorable hour at the Palmyra, a mere three nights ago. I was involved, as you'll recall, and thought we showed a certain promise. We might try it again in Paris.”

Anit shook her head in feigned astonishment. “After all this, Brooke Chandler, it's frightening how little you've changed.” She filled her glass again, then his. “All right,” she told him. “At least we can discuss it.”

A shadow crossed his mind, the memory of a friend. Brooke raised his glass to hers. “To Ben,” he said, “and to the life he should have lived.”

Anit touched his glass, looking into his face as if she never wanted to look away. “To Ben,” she answered softly. “Perhaps, this time, you and I should take what we've been given.”

T
he Devil's Light
required me to explore several challenging topics, including intelligence, counterterrorism, nuclear proliferation, espionage, the complexities of Lebanon, and the nature of al Qaeda and Hezbollah. This book is also intended to be an authentic account of what is possible in the realm of nuclear terrorism. So I'm all the more indebted to those who helped me. The credit for depth and accuracy is theirs; any errors of fact or interpretation are mine alone.

At the outset, readers should know that I finished my research in June 2009 and the writing in January 2010. In the intervening fifteen months before publication, we had seen the death of Osama Bin Laden and extensive reportage on the complex situation in Pakistan, including the WikiLeaks disclosures of previously unpublished information. Thus this novel did not rely on these journalistic developments or current events, which I noted only by changing or adding appropriate references in the proofreading process. Instead, the information and analysis in this novel reflected many months of prior research, travel, and interviews, many of them conducted in confidence. As for the story itself, it prefigures rather than reflects information that became public after June 2009. In short, this novel was not, as they say, “ripped from the headlines”

First, I profited from the advice of numerous members of the intelligence and defense communities. For reasons of confidentiality, I'm unable to thank by name several persons still engaged in this work. To
coin a phrase, “You know who you are,” and therefore know how appreciative I am.

That said, I received extremely helpful advice from past and present members of the CIA: former (then current) deputy director Steve Kappes; former field agent André Le Gallo; George Little and Marie Harf, spokespeople for the agency; Rolf Mowatt-Larssen, former chief of the Counter Terrorism Center; John McLaughlin, former deputy and acting director; and former field agent Martha Sutherland. Thanks also to current director Leon Panetta for his courtesy during my visit. I also read George Tenet's
At the Center of the Storm,
Tim Weiner's
Legacy of Ashes,
and
Spycraft,
by Robert Wallace and H. Keith Melton.

Other experts helped me think through counterterrorism, and the potential actions of al Qaeda and Hezbollah: Peter Bergen, Dan Byman, my dear friend and former secretary of defense William Cohen, Stephen Flynn, Robert Galucci, Martin Indyk, John Lauder, Brendan Melley, Bilal Saab, Danny Sebright, and Mike Taylor.

I particularly want to mention two former field agents whose advice enabled me to create Brooke Chandler and Amer Al Zaroor, and get the bomb from Pakistan to Lebanon. First, there is Howard Hart. It's impossible to summarize Howard's extraordinary career, but this will impart a sense of it—Howard Hart is the most decorated man in the history of the CIA, and was named by the agency as one of the fifty most important figures in its first fifty years. Not only did Howard give me countless hours of his time, but he allowed me to borrow aspects of his life and persona to create Carter Grey. Though Howard invited me to do my worst, it proved to be impossible. I can only hope that he finds Carter acceptable, and that my description of Grey's redoubt in the Blue Ridge Mountains does some justice to the home graced by Howard and his wife, Jean.

Then there's Bob Baer, the only field agent ever played by George Clooney (
Syriana
). Bob's career over two decades in the field was remarkable and varied. Like Howard, Bob gave generously of his time as we moved a nuclear weapon across the Middle East. In addition, Bob is a fine writer whose sense of narrative and incident enriched the story I was crafting. All in all, his thoughts are woven into the tapestry of my novel.

Finally, Miri Eisen, formerly of military intelligence for the Israeli Defense Force, was tireless in educating me on fieldwork, as well as the
possible Israeli perspective on the events portrayed in this novel. I'm grateful beyond words for her advice, patience, and good humor.

A special subset of this work involves the history, operations, and aspirations of al Qaeda, Hezbollah, the Taliban, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Fatah al-Islam. All the people named above helped me in this area. But I owe special thanks to two former national security advisors, Tony Lake and Sandy Berger, and to Bruce Riedel, widely considered our leading expert on al Qaeda. My understanding was also enriched by reading Bruce Riedel's
The Search for Al Qaeda.

Critically, I needed help with respect to homeland security and air defenses. Many thanks to General John Campbell, General Maria Owens, and General Bruce Wright, with my special appreciation to General Joe Ralston.

The threats of nuclear proliferation and loose nuclear weapons are the most important, and often least discussed, threats faced by the civilized world. For their expert help in this area, I'm grateful to Dr. Graham Allison, Dr. Matthew Bunn, Charles Curtis, and Scott Miller.

Lebanon is fascinating, beautiful, historic, heartbreaking, and filled with diverse and often wonderful people. My time there was one of the richest experiences of my recent life. Through my friend David Lewis, I was able to meet a number of people who helped me to better understand it. My thanks go to our generous host, Gabriel Abboud; Kassem Aina, head of the PLO at Sabra and Shatilah; Khalid Aref, leader of the PLO in Lebanon; general and former president Michele Aoun; Timur Goksel, formerly of the United Nations; the late grand ayatollah Sayyed Fadlullah, spiritual leader of Shia Islam; Walid Jumblatt, leader of the Druze; Osama Hamdan, spokesman for Hamas; Dr. Cherie Lenzen, public affairs officer for the American embassy; Ibrahim Mousawi, spokesman for Hezbollah; journalists Nick Blanford, Ben Gilbert, Nicholas Noe, and Hikmat Sharif; and Rawan Hashem, our guide and translator. I also profited by reading
Hezbollah
by Hala Jaber,
Hezbollah: A Short History
by Augustus Richard Norton, and
A History of Modern Lebanon
by Fawwaz Traboulsi.

Others generously filled in gaps. In addition to Cherie Lenzen, Dr. Joan Breton Connelly and Dr. Barbara Porter gave me some of the rudiments of archaeology. Along with many others, legendary journalist Seymour Hersh helped me assess the current situation in Pakistan. Eugene Dickey mapped the route of the bomb on Google Earth. And our great
friends Mitzi Pratt and Flip Scipio helped me re-create Greenwich Village.

Naming characters is important. For the names of Brooke Kenyon Chandler and his alter ego, Adam Chase, I'm grateful to my three wonderful sons: Brooke North Patterson, Adam Chandler Patterson, and Chase Kenyon Patterson.

As always, I received terrific help from my friend and former editor, John Sterling; my agent Fred Hill; my assistant and day-to-day critic, Alison Porter Thomas; my new editor at Scribner, Colin Harrison; my publisher, Susan Moldow; and my wife, Nancy Clair. Not only did Nancy read each chapter as I wrote it, but she shared my travels to Lebanon, tirelessly helping with research and transcription. All of them helped make this a better book.

Finally, there's David Lewis. Never was a dedication more humbly given or richly deserved. The knowledge that David has gathered as a journalist, news producer, and documentary filmmaker is extraordinary. David introduced me to key experts in counterterrorism, nuclear proliferation, and intelligence. He suggested rich new avenues to explore. And, most remarkably, he organized a trip to Lebanon, including immersion in Beirut and the Bekaa Valley, that for the purpose of this novel was indispensable. Without David's advice and generosity,
The Devil's Light
would not exist.

Richard North Patterson is the author of
Degree of Guilt, Protect and Defend, Exile,
and fifteen other bestselling and critically acclaimed novels. Formerly a trial lawyer, he was the SEC liaison to the Watergate special prosecutor and has served on the boards of several Washington advocacy groups. He lives in Martha's Vineyard, Cabo San Lucas, and San Francisco with his wife, Dr. Nancy Clair.