He made his way back to his desk and sucked down the last of the cold coffee. He continued to stare at his phone, then at his computer, then back to the phone. Why wouldn’t the damned thing ring?
He tapped in a new set of commands then cursed under his breath. Grabbing his phone, he dialed the number for the strategic command office in Karachi. “I need a sitrep!”
“Sir, there’s been no change since the last time you called. We’ve checked all known safe houses in the area and we aren’t finding any signs that they’ve utilized the spaces.”
Darren groaned and wiped a heavy hand across his face. “Then search the unknown safe houses! They’ve got to be holed up somewhere!”
“With all due respect, there are no ‘unknown safe houses.’ Pakistan may be an ally, but this isn’t exactly the most hospitable place for a bunch of Americans to lie low.”
“What are you saying?”
“If I were you, I’d be looking for them elsewhere.”
“They couldn’t have gotten out of Karachi. We’ve got all of the streets monitored. We have roadblocks set up. There are people in every airport, bus station, train station and fucking hotel right now! Wherever they are, they’re still local.” Darren paused and tried to imagine he were in Bridger’s shoes. “You’ve gone through all of their known accomplices?”
“That’s just it, sir. They didn’t have any that we know of. The closest thing we’ve ferreted out was that they once worked with the station chief, but that was decades ago.”
Darren sat up and stared at the same screen on his computer, his mind trying to connect dots. “What station chief?”
“Jeff Greenberg. Goes by Green in the ‘stan, though.”
“You’re telling me that one of our own station chiefs used to work with these assholes?”
After a slight hesitation, the voice on the phone replied, “Yes sir. But we’ve checked him out. He’s neither seen nor heard from them and he hasn’t missed work so we know he isn’t with them.”
“I need his direct number. NOW!”
Karachi, Pakistan
MAMOON SAT IN the dirt road, his back against the rear door of the car when a shadow fell over him. “What has happened?”
He lifted reddened eyes to the shadowy form and shook his head. “Sameer…”
Balil stepped closer and stared at the gore splattered across the inside of the car. “You did this?”
Mamoon sobbed and shook his head. “He did it himself.” He rolled to his side and tried to push himself from the ground. He came to his knees and felt the sobs begin to form in his chest again. “First Tariq, now Sameer.”
Balil leaned down and pulled at Mamoon’s shoulder. “We need to get out of the street. We will be seen.”
Mamoon stumbled alongside him, shaking his head. “I do not care any longer. Let them come.”
“They will not be kind, Mamoon. They will not care that Tariq is dead and they surely will not care that Sameer has taken his life. They will want blood for the blood we spilled.”
“But we didn’t do it, Balil. It was not us.”
“When the crowd came and Sameer shot into them…that is on all of us. They do not care if we are to blame for the flags, Mamoon. They will blame us regardless.”
“Where could we possibly go?”
Balil pulled him into a narrow alley and the pair leaned against the wall in the shade. “I have family in Multan. We can hide there until either this dies down or we can find an explanation.”
“Punjab?” Mamoon groaned and slipped down the wall, sitting in the dirt of the alley. “We will never make it.”
“We shall try.” Balil grunted as he tried to lift Mamoon from the ground. “Come! We are not to die on the streets like dogs.”
“It is what we deserve,” Mamoon sobbed.
“Stop this!” Balil backhanded his boss and glared at him. “We are not to die here. Not today!” He pulled at his arm and half dragged him away from the scene. “We will find a car and if we must, we will dress as women. But we will make it.”
Mamoon groaned again as Balil pulled him deeper into the alley.
24
Langley, VA
BOBBY PEERED AROUND the corner and verified the area clear.
“Sensors going down…now. Move!” Gregg’s voice was calm but firm in his earpiece. “You have ten seconds left. Eight…seven…six—”
“Unlock corridor 5-Bravo.” Bobby clung to the wall and waited for his time to run out again.
“On it.” He could hear clicking through the earpiece. “Go! Two…one…sensors are back.”
Bobby stood in the corridor holding the security door. “Tell me they won’t trigger with the door open.”
“I’ve got nothing at the moment. Just don’t move for a few more…got it. Go!”
Bobby released the door and practically sprinted to the end of the corridor. He slid to a stop in front of a glass-walled office. “I’m there. Door!”
He heard the click before Gregg reported it unlocked and pushed his way inside. He pulled the chair away from the desk and slipped the USB drive into the side of the computer. “I thought government computers weren’t allowed USB ports after Snowden?”
“The CIA don’t need no stinking rules,” Gregg snorted.
Jay smacked him in the back of the head as he walked by. “Stay on task.”
Gregg rubbed at the back of his head and glared at the larger man. He covered his lip mic. “I’m on task. Just lightening up the situation.” He muttered under his breath then keyed is microphone again. “That thing only hacks the password. You’ll still have to take pictures of the decoded documents.”
“Okay, I’m in.” Bobby pulled the USB drive and inserted the second one. “Let’s hope this works.”
“It will. Just be ready to snap pictures. You won’t be able to carry out the amount of pages we need.”
Bobby sat back and waited for the files to open. “Holy shit. I didn’t realize how many there were.”
“Just try to get the best images.” Gregg chewed the pencil as he typed. “Open them
