Choke Point

TWENTY-EIGHT

The truck driven by the C-212 pilot arrived at the Fadakno warehouses at sunset. Ross was frustrated because they’d failed to capture a distinct image of the man before he’d slipped into the main office, remained there for about ten minutes, then left in a car belonging to one of the employees.

Two of Darhoub’s men, along with Pepper, followed the pilot to the posh and updated Hotel al-Massira, and Maziq went to work accessing the hotel’s computer system, although Ross suspected that their pilot had fake credentials and had checked in under a false name.

One of Maziq’s local operatives, a man who worked at the refinery, was sent out to keep tabs on the delivery boy, who turned out to be the son of a local restaurant owner, the place famous for its lamb and seafood, Maziq reported.

Their NLA observers, along with Maziq’s men, had nothing to report from the trawler. CIA agent Tamer was either still there or had found a way to leave the boat without being seen.

Now, with everyone back at the church, Ross assembled the team in the basement and made an announcement: ‘We’re going in tonight. The warehouses are protected by motion trackers and surveillance cameras — nothing too difficult for a localized power outage to bring down. We’ll use an EMP strike to fry the cameras and trackers. We go in light, just pistols with suppressors. I don’t want a single shot fired. Not a single shot.’

Maziq lifted an index finger. ‘I assume Tamer will be out of the equation by this time.’

‘That’s correct.’

‘How?’

Ross smiled, then glanced over at Kozak. ‘You ready?’

‘Hell, yeah.’

Ross then faced Maziq. ‘Okay, bro, here’s how.’

Deploying the MUAV back at the airport hangar was, according to Ross, a stroke of genius, because it gave him an excellent idea of how to conduct reconnaissance inside the fishing trawler and pinpoint exactly where Tamer had set up his command post. Kozak was more than pleased with that assessment (most particularly the phrase ‘stroke of genius’), and for his part he now was seated inside a car parked outside the marina and piloting the Dragonfly above the trawler and toward one of the open portholes on the ship’s starboard side.

However, before he directed the drone inside the boat, something caught his attention, and he pulled up, steering the Dragonfly into a wide turn, then banking around to spot the restaurant delivery boy Ross had mentioned. Kozak was wearing his Cross-Com and issued his report.

‘He’s right on time. Good boy,’ said Ross. ‘See how close you can get, and patch me in to the signal.’

‘Roger that.’ Kozak then called out to his buddy: ‘30K, you’re good to go.’

‘Roger, bro, on my way.’

Kozak watched as the boy pedaled to the end of the pier, then got off and leaned his ride against one of the moorings. He removed a small box from his bike’s rear basket and hiked it up the gangway.

Tamer, a bony man probably in his thirties with a bald pate, a closely cropped beard, and an unfortunate nose, came on to the gangway and accepted the package. He handed the boy a stack of blue, red and green dinar notes.

Kozak brought the Dragonfly down to the railing, just above and behind them, and with the waves lapping softly at the trawler’s hull, the drone’s buzzing wings went unnoticed.

‘Thank you again for dinner. What else do you have for me today?’ Tamer asked in Arabic.

‘I heard them talking about the pilot, and a new shipment going out in the morning.’

‘What about Delgado? Did you hear the name “Delgado”?’

‘No, I did not.’

‘This new shipment. Did they say what time it will go out?’

‘No, just in the morning.’

‘And where is it headed?’

‘Sudan.’

‘Anything else I should know?’

‘Not that I can remember. That’s all I heard.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Yes. Your dinner is getting cold.’

‘Bady, is there anything else you want to tell me?’

The kid shrugged.

‘You’re certain that no one else has tried to talk to you?’

‘No.’

Tamer’s voice grew menacing. ‘Why are you lying to me, Bady?’

The kid took a step back.

‘Come on, inside the boat,’ said Tamer. ‘We need to talk about this.’

‘I can’t,’ Bady answered. ‘I have to go.’

Ross and Pepper had met up with the boy at his father’s restaurant, and they had explained to him and his father that he could no longer work for Tamer, that it was much too dangerous, and that they would offer him one final payment to deliver Tamer his dinner and then never come back.

The boy’s father was ready to beat him because he had known nothing of this, and Ross and Pepper defended him, saying that this was very common, that the boy was only trying to help his father with the extra money, and that they were here to help.

Bady, crying and scared, agreed to make the last delivery, and Ross figured this would be the break they needed. The kid would delay Tamer long enough for Kozak to get the Dragonfly inside and help guide 30K to his destination.

But now, as Ross crouched on the church’s rooftop and watched Bady step back from Tamer, he knew the plan had suddenly and irrevocably gone south.

30K was floating soundlessly in the water at the trawler’s stern. While Tamer was talking with the kid, 30K had tossed up a line and hook that had caught the gunwale with only the slightest thump since the hook was coated with heavy rubber.

Kozak had just given him the word, so he’d ascended the rope, come over the gunwale, and shifted across the deck to crouch down beside a ladder attached to the docking bridge.

He was waiting for Kozak to guide him directly to Tamer’s computer while the man was distracted with the kid outside. To be even safer, 30K had changed into his Ghost fatigues with the Velcro patches removed so he’d have access to his optical camouflage and avoid the more cumbersome blanket. The camouflage was active, and he’d faded into the shadows. Clutched in his right hand was his familiar and reliable FN Five-seven with attached suppressor.

‘Kozak, what’s the delay, man? Come on, I’m ready.’

‘Wait, dude, something’s wrong.’

Kozak was losing his breath as Tamer took another step toward Bady.

‘There’s no reason to lie,’ said Tamer. ‘I know some other men came to you. They’re my friends. Come with me now.’

‘I told you I can’t.’

‘What did those men say?’

Bady was panting now. ‘They … they told me I can’t work for you anymore. They told me it’s too dangerous.’

‘Captain, are you hearing this?’ Kozak asked.

‘Yeah, stand by.’

‘So, Bady,’ Tamer said. ‘Why didn’t you just tell me about them?’

‘I was afraid.’

Tamer glanced up, his gaze scanning the marina and surrounding buildings. ‘Are they watching us now?’

‘I don’t know.’

Tamer seized Bady by the wrist and began to drag him up and on to the deck. ‘You’re coming with me.’

Kozak spoke quickly into his boom mike: ‘Tamer must’ve had an informant at the restaurant. He knows we’re on to him.’

Up on the church’s rooftop, Ross glanced over at Maziq, who said, ‘Send in Darhoub’s troops.’

Ross gave the order, then switched to the team net: ‘30K? Get the boy! Now!’

‘On my way,’ the man answered.

‘Oh my God!’ cried Kozak.

Ross craned his head, and what he saw through his night-vision lens stole his breath.