“Obviously, not actual Nazis because they are all dead. It might be terrorists who follow their ideologies or maybe another group using them as cover.”
Carlson grimaced and shook his head. “No, I’m afraid you might be looking in the wrong direction. All signs, at least from what we’ve learned thus far, point to the Iranians and, more specifically, Hamas.”
“Wait, are those two speaking again?” asked Cam.
“Lately, anyway,” replied Carlson. “The Ayatollah reached an accord with the political supremo of Hamas. Very few people know that Hamas is primarily a Palestinian Islamist movement, but a significant number of their core sympathizers are from Shiite communities in Northern Iran.”
“That’s close enough to stage an attack,” added Bear. “What are we talkin’ about from here to the border? A hundred fifty miles?”
“Less,” replied Carlson. “The ability to travel across the Caspian Sea without being challenged by the nearly nonexistent Azerbaijani Navy makes infiltration into the city even easier.”
Gunner was anxious to move the conversation along. He was beginning to sense his internal clock ticking toward another attack.
Carlson continued. “Let me say this for starters. While this was not the deadliest chemical weapons attack in history, it’s the largest against Americans. Throughout my career, I’ve focused on case studies ranging from the Iraqi bombing in the ethnic Kudish city of Halabja that killed five thousand to the use by Al-Assad during the second Syrian Civil War that killed countless thousands. This attack was different in that it was not a warlike setting and the deployment of the nerve agent was well planned.”
“Is Hamas capable of this?” asked Gunner.
Carlson grimaced. “That’s the thing. Their operatives aren’t polished. Plus, they like to point their guns in the air and celebrate when they’re successful, literally and figuratively speaking. There’s been no claim of responsibility. No tooting of horns. No chatter picked up by the NSA. Silence.”
Gunner glanced around the building and ducked slightly to see the various structures adjacent to the embassy complex. “What do you have in the way of security footage?”
Carlson nodded and stepped away from the group, speaking as he went. “That’s the other thing that puzzles me. We’ve identified eight men admitted to the embassy who held themselves out as an HVAC repair team. They all wore caps pulled over their faces and were disciplined enough not to look directly into security cams. Of the eight, from the best we can tell, only one was of Middle Eastern descent. And we’ve got him. Sort of.”
Cam’s face lit up. “You captured one of them?”
“No, we discovered his body in the utility room where the heating and air units were located. He was exposed to the nerve agent, but the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the skull. His head was bashed in with the open jaws of a pipe wrench.”
“They killed their own,” mumbled Bear.
“Or there was a struggle with the facility’s manager. We found his body on the basement level. He’d been bludgeoned to death with a screwdriver.”
Gunner asked, “It appears you have murder weapons. Have you been able to process them for prints?”
“Nothing confirmed. Our forensic team tells me the murderers may have been wearing nitrile gloves for both protection and to conceal their fingerprints.”
A young man approached. “Deputy Carlson, may I interrupt for a moment?”
Carlson excused himself and walked away from the group. Gunner huddled with Cam and Bear.
“Guys, from what I’ve heard so far, this was not a Hamas operation. They’re crude, brutal operators who love to throw bombs or fire RPGs into schoolhouses. Unless this particular faction has someone with the expertise to not only plan, but to gain access to a secured U.S. Embassy with the bioweapons to kill everyone inside, my money is on somebody else.”
“But they found a body,” countered Bear. “Carlson said he was Middle Eastern descent.”
“How convenient, right?” asked Cam rhetorically. “Think about it. The only person killed and left behind might have been Iranian. I’m anxious to study the video footage or still shots from the security cams.”
“He’s coming back,” warned Bear.
Carlson returned and handed a manilla envelope to Gunner. “Photographs from the embassy security system’s hard drive. These are our best available images of the terrorists.”
Gunner pulled out the black-and-white photos and studied them one by one before handing them over to Cam. He looked up to Carlson when he finished. “Not much to go on, is there?”
“No, unfortunately. We’re just getting started, though. I’ve got field agents canvassing the surrounding businesses and residences. We’ll pull all the footage we can. Also, the locals are searching every square inch of the city.”
Gunner chuckled. “Yeah, we know. They’re, um, aggressive.”
“Yeah, that they are. They’re trying to impress Washington. Anyway, those images are for your benefit. I’ll keep you posted on what we learn, and I trust you’ll do the same.” His trained, steely eyes studied Gunner for a response.
“Yes, of course,” Gunner lied.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Near the U.S. Embassy Grounds
Baku, Azerbaijan
Wagner received a text message from Hexane that contained the images of the Gray Fox team walking through the Baku airport upon arrival. He disseminated the text to his three operatives and ordered them to fan out around the British embassy. The Hexane cyber squad also identified the make, model, and color of their rental car. Within minutes, the rental car was confirmed to be parked behind the security fencing at the British embassy, but none of the three Americans had been seen milling about the surrounding grounds.
Like the other international embassies in Baku, the Brits had locked down their complex, and therefore, neither Wagner nor his operatives would be able to find an excuse to enter and continue their search. His next stop was the U.S. Embassy.
The four men spread out and walked the two main streets that led to the proverbial scene of the crime. Wagner was still tired but determined as he led the march up Azadliq Avenue until they were only a block
