Page 54 of Gwen's Delta
“Yeah, he should be here any time. Want to fill us in? All we know is that someone kidnapped your girlfriend’s parents in Egypt. It’s unfortunate, but what makes you think it’s involved with our mission?” Turano asked.
Merlin had to take a beat to swallow his agitation. If he thought about it from his CO’s point of view, he’d be asking the same questions. Two and two didn’t necessarily equal four, and they all knew it.
“I know, sir, but it fits. Sand said there would be a kidnapping. Then their operator goes missing. In the second packet, we discovered two other operators who missed their check-in. It didn’t make sense. Why tell us about their deep-cover operator, but not the others?”
“That’s a good point, but still doesn’t prove anything.”
“No, but first Hassan went missing. No one has seen or heard from him in three days. Maybe four by now? After he’d missed his check-in, then other agents also miss theirs? The two agents mentioned in the second packet weren’t listed as missing. But they’d missed at least one check-in. I believe the Dedmonds are CIA agents. I think the Daesh broke Hassan, and then he gave up the intel on the other deep-cover operators.”
Bruce Sand walked into the briefing in the middle of Merlin’s explanation. When he’d finished, Turano stood and confronted him.
“Glad you could make it.” Sarcasm dripped from Turano’s voice. “You heard most of what Merlin said. Can you verify any of it? Or do we have to go over your head to find out the truth?”
Sand met Merlin’s gaze with respect in his eyes for the first time. It was enough to confirm his suspicions. But they still had to hear it from him.
Sand said, “I’d like to say he’s wrong, but I can’t. We’d hoped that the Dedmonds were just out of touch. It happens more often with them because of their cover. It’s a lot harder to check in if you’re in the middle of the desert with no privacy.”
“Did you know someone had kidnapped them?” Merlin asked.
“No, and we don’t think they have been,” Sand replied.
“What? Then why the ransom demand? And what about the proof of life?” Woof asked.
Merlin wanted to hear that answer, too.
“Can you put the POL on the screen?” Sand asked.
It took a moment for Merlin to open his email and forward it to his CO, so he could put it on the whiteboard. It was the first time he was seeing the photo full size. And he kicked himself for not looking at it more carefully.
“That picture is from a café in Cairo. I’m not sure when it was taken, but if that’s what they sent, then there’s something else going on,” Sand stated.
“So why the ransom demand?” Woof asked again.
“Because they will use the woman as bait to grab her parents. The Dedmonds must have discovered something that Daesh doesn’t want known,” Sand said.
“Is this the kidnapping you were expecting?” Jangles asked.
“Yes and no. We weren’t sure, but it was a possibility. We think the Dedmonds know the location of the attack that will happen.”
“And Hassan?” Turano asked.
Sand shook his head. “We got word earlier today that his body was found outside of Cairo. We have verified his identity but had to do it through dental records. They beheaded him and burned his body.”
Merlin closed his eyes. Gwen would be inconsolable if the same thing happened to her parents. There was no way he could allow it to happen. “What’s the plan?”
“We need to pull the Dedmonds out. Then find out the location of the planned bombing and stop it.”
“Sure, no problem,” Zip said, his words heavily laced with sarcasm.
None of them liked Sand. He’d lied to them more than once, and there was no telling if they were getting the whole truth now, either.
“What about the ransom demand?” Merlin asked.
“My suggestion would be to send the girl in with the money to draw them out. Once we have them, we’ll find out where they are planting the bomb. Hopefully, in time to stop it,” Sand replied, his expression irritated.
“Dammit. We can’t let them carry out the attack.” Merlin was barely able to restrain his anger. What he wouldn’t give for five minutes alone with Sand.
“And it’s okay to risk the daughter’s life to find out that intel?” Turano asked.
