Free Texas Tango: A Flint Rock Novel by Glenn Smith Page A

missing, but everything in his suitcase was pushed around.   He called Zeta on skype, told her about his surreptitious visitor, asked her to call him back as soon as she could with whatever she could learn.   Ten minutes later her voice was on his smartphone.
     
    "Hey man," she began.   "You are moving in some fast company.   This dude is an anomaly.   His name is Mohammed Abida Bahaar.   He's a Harvard grad, in divinity no less, and he has a Ph.D. from MIT in nuclear physics.   He mixes protons with politics.   Seems to be tight with all the world's current anti United States government heads.   Doesn't like English speakers much.   He has more money in personal bank accounts than ten people could spend in a dozen life times.   He keeps that a secret so far as I can tell.”
     
    "Why would he be in my room?   I am completely stumped."
     
    "Maybe he is looking for Dr. Ava and thinks she is likely to be where you are."
     
    "Could he have planted some sort of location transmitting device?   Maybe I am just not seeing it.”
     
    “Maybe.   Look at your luggage again.   See if the hinges or handle or rollers or zipper pull look like they might be new,” she suggested.
     
    “I’m looking now,” he replied.   “Everything looks absolutely normal.”   Then he picked up the small, Mexican leather carryon, looked at every seam, every scratch.   “I don’t see a thing different.   And he might not need anything more than my phone’s GPS to track me anyhow.”
     
    “That’s true.   I track you that way if I need to help you."
     
    They hung up.   Flint opened his door to Ava's soft knock.   She was in a different skirt and sweater, looking stunning.   He motioned her in, told her about his visit from Mohammed Abida Bahaar.   "You ever heard of him?" he asked.
     
    "I have," Ava replied.
     
    Flint waited for more.
     
    "The year I spent in India, I heard whispers of several kinds.   That he is a messiah and that he is Satan and that he is a strategically smart opportunist.
     
    "Would that be the same thing as Satanic?"
     
    "I suppose it might be.   Depends on what force he is an opportunist on behalf of."
     
    "Ever meet him?"
     
    "Once at my teacher's house.   At a reception.   He watched me for an hour, but I spoke only superficially with him and always in the presence of others.   Then about a month ago, one of his emissaries called to invite me to Houston for a party in his honor.   I had a full slate of patients scheduled so I declined."
     
    "Nothing since?"
     
    "I had an email from the assistant who called me about the Houston party.   I assumed that it was a pro forma follow up.   I replied courteously."
     
    Flint thought about it.   "We have unfinished business to take care of before we get involved with Mohammed Bahaar," he said.   "There is the third assassin still at large.   Do you think it is safe for you to call Gina and ask if she has any suggestions about where to find him?"
     
    "I can try," Ava replied.   She took Flint's phone from him and dialed using skype.   She spoke briefly in Italian, then listened, then said "ciao."
     
    Ava looked at Flint.   "She said that Freddy has already taken care of the problem."
     
    As she handed Flint's phone back, it signaled a call.
     
    "Hello," Flint said.
     
    "I want to speak with Dr. Ava Milan."
     
    The accent was different, very cultured but not the intonation of a western native English speaker.
     
    "May I tell her who is calling?"   Flint said it as a reflex.   He already knew who was calling.
     
    "My friends call me Mo Bahaar," the carefully articulated voice replied.
     
    "You may speak with her after you tell me why you were in my room," Flint replied still holding the smart phone to his ear.
     
    "I beg your pardon old boy.   You have me confused with someone else.   Why don't you be a good chap and hand her the phone.   She is just to your left."
     
    Flint considered more repartee but he simply