Nothing changes.
“Why did the Haqqani Network wait until he was in Afghanistan to kidnap him?” Daisy asked.
“According to my sources, the one good thing Williams did was to give your father a running chance. He sent him over to Afghanistan before laying the blame at his feet.”
“Yeah, like that was a nice thing since the Haqqanis have a hold over both countries.”
Rayi nodded in agreement.
“Since Williams has a way to contact the Haqqani Network, I need to talk to him and see if I can get ahold of the same person. See if there is a way I can get a meet with Siraj.”
“That’s suicide.”
“There has to be something he wants more than my father’s death. We can get money.”
“No. After what your father did, he will want to make an example of him. Your best bet is for someone to rescue him, or put pressure on the Haqqanis.”
Daisy didn’t want to give away that there was a potential for rescue, so she didn’t say anything about that. “I don’t suppose you know of any way to diffuse this situation with somebody else at the Haqqani Network, not Siraj?” she looked at him hopefully.
“The only possibility is the Taliban putting pressure on them. The Haqqani Network is still allied with the Taliban and the Taliban is trying to put itself forward as more of a government entity these days, not a terrorist organization. But it is doubtful that the Haqqanis will change their minds.”
“How do I get a meeting with the Taliban?”
“I don’t think you want to. Right now, it is a tenuous situation at best. All communication should go through proper channels, through your embassy to the Afghan government or directly with the Taliban.”
“My embassy has been pretty clear that they won’t do anything.”
“The pressure that your family is putting on the American government back in the United States is helping. Soon the US government officials here in Afghanistan will have no choice but to have some under-the-table talks with the Taliban.”
“But by that time, it will probably be too late, won’t it?”
She waited for a response, and finally, Rayi nodded.
“So again, how do I get in touch with someone within the Taliban? Someone who won’t kill me on sight?”
Rayi looked out the window. “We are almost at the airport. I will call you tonight and see what I can do. In the meantime, go back to your hotel and wait for my call.”
“Don’t you need my number?”
“I have it.”
6
Leo found Kane and Max poring over new satellite images in the tiny conference room.
“They lost her,” he said between gritted teeth.
“What?” Kane asked. “What are you talking about?”
“He’s talking about Daisy. She managed to lose her tail. Goddammit, Leo, didn’t you contact Tom? If he was in charge, there was no way she would have gotten away,” Max said. He was clearly irritated.
But so was Leo. Actually, he was more than irritated, he was a little bit scared. What in the hell was that woman up to?
“Lieutenant, I know how to carry out an order,” Leo said with his back straight and his shoulders thrown back.
“Can the ‘lieutenant’ bullshit, you know that pisses me off when we’re not in front of the brass. I’m sorry I questioned you. But seriously, are you telling me that somehow Tom Ludlum and his team managed to lose one little girl?” Max was now irritated and incredulous.
Now Leo was feeling a tad bit of admiration. “Woman, sir, she is definitely a woman. You got to remember she’s been all over this big wide world, kicking ass and taking names as she runs that charity of hers. Very few things stop her. I should have been more clear with him, that she’d be slippery.”
Max rubbed the back of his neck. “You shouldn’t have to have been. Tom wears big boy pants, he knows what’s up, he should have figured that out for himself. How’d she lose him?”
“She went to a clothing store at a mall. They figure she went inside wearing Western clothes and came out wearing Afghani clothes, then took a different way out of the mall and a different driver. It was all planned out pretty slick.”
“Dammit! What’s she planning on doing?” Max always took his missions personally. That was just who he was. He was their leader and nothing escaped his notice. Of course, Leo was taking this pretty damned personal himself. When he thought of the petite, intelligent, beautiful woman he’d had lunch with earlier, his stomach lurched at what she could be doing out there.
“I don’t know, Max, but you can be damn sure she’s out there intelligence-gathering. She didn’t have much for me today at lunch. She had a good idea of what kind of work I did. I’m telling you, nothing got by her.”
“Obviously, if she was able to pick up on the fact that she had a tail. And, knowing Tom, he probably had two people on her,” Kane said as he looked up from his monitor. “I’ve got her cell phone number, unless you already had it, Leo.”
“No, I didn’t get it from her,” Leo admitted. “Maybe before she does something too crazy, I can get her to meet with us.”
Max’s head jerked up. “That is not a good idea.”
“It might be, if she’s planning something totally batshit crazy.”
“Just get her on the phone,” Max said. He was clearly resigned to the situation.
Daisy had changed into jeans and a long-sleeved shirt and now sat in front of her laptop in her hotel room. She felt a little better after her shower. She hated waiting, even if there was something to occupy her time. God knows the e-mails had been stacking up like
