Free Epilogue II: A Bonus Chapter to Hidden Order by Brad Thor Page B

keycard-protected floor in one of the most secure hotels in the world.
    “Hands where I can see them, please,” said Harvath. The Jordanians had assembled exceptional intelligence on the Saudi finance minister. They knew everything—from his trip to the falcon hospital all the way down to his plans to stay in Dubai, what hotel he would choose, what floor he always stayed on and what meal he would order. They even knew that once in the hotel, he felt safe. He normally kept only a couple of bodyguards in a separate room on the same floor. In case of emergency, they could be summoned by a wireless panic button, which Harvath relieved him of.
    Standing across the table from the Arab, he asked, “Do you know who I am?”
    Tariki nodded, “A dead man.”
    Harvath smiled. “How was your dinner?”
    “Who are you?”
    “A messenger.”
    “ A messenger from whom?”
    “The President of the United States.”
    Tariki blanched.
    Harvath’s expression hardened. “You obviously understand why I’m here.”
    “Did you come to kill me?”
    “If I wanted to kill you, you’d be dead already.”
    “Then why are you here?” Tariki demanded.
    Harvath didn’t like the man’s arrogant tone, but the President’s instructions had been crystal clear. Harvath was not allowed to hurt the man, at least not physically. “I have a message for you and the message is this—if you ever try to blackmail the United States of America again, we will rain hell itself down upon Saudi Arabia. And when it is all over, and you are thoroughly demoralized and defeated, we will hand your country to your enemies. Do you understand?”
    Tariki studied the man’s face as well as the weapon still pointed at him and had no doubt he was in the presence of someone who had killed before and would kill again. He said nothing in response and simply nodded.
    “Good,” Harvath stated. “There’s only one more thing I need before I go. You still haven’t told me how your meal was.”
    “Why is that of any concern to you?”
    “I’ve never eaten falcon before.”
    There was a quick flash of panic that raced across Tariki’s face. His falcons were his greatest source of pride. He loved them as if they were his own children. But they were safe at the hospital in Abu Dhabi. This American was just trying to get a rise out of him.
    As quickly as his body had tensed with panic, he relaxed and a smile spread across his face. “You’re mistaken. I don’t eat falcon. This was pheasant.”
    “Really?” asked Harvath as he reached into his pocket and retrieved a small silk jewelry bag. “I could have sworn I gave the chef falcons. With all that bacon, though, it’s probably hard to taste the difference.”
    Tossing the jewelry bag onto the table, Harvath turned and exited the suite.
    As soon as he heard the door close, Tariki scooped up the bag. Merely feeling the outline of what was inside, his heart dropped and his stomach began to feel upset.
    Turning the bag upside down, he watched in horror as a cascade of the leg bands he used to identify his falcons spilled onto the table. He picked the first one up, just to be sure, and as soon as he did, he was overcome with a wave of nausea.
    He made it only halfway to the bathroom before falling to his knees and vomiting profusely.
    It came in wave after wave. By the time it stopped long enough for him to stand, he could hear his cell phone ringing back in the dining room. He needed to alert his security detail to what had happened.
    Stumbling back to the table, he snatched up his phone and activated the call. Instantly, he regretted doing so as he heard the voice of the President of the United States on the other end.
    “Do you know who this is?” the President asked.
    “Yes, I do,” Tariki replied.
    “I want you to know, Ahmad, that no matter where you go and no matter what you do, we can get to you. There is nowhere you can hide from us. Do you understand?”
    “I understand.”
    “Do you also