by Lisa Harris
“That’s right.”
“Is she aware of your marital status?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“So you don’t think I need to remind her?”
“No, Detective. I think I can handle it.”
“Okay, I guess we better go now. I love you, Titus.”
“I love you, too, Nikki.”
Chapter Thirteen
thursday, june 20
Ben called me after breakfast to let me know Kamila seemed a little surprised when he asked her about inviting his CIA colleague, Titus Ray, and his girlfriend, Jennifer, to join them on Friday night for her mother’s seventieth birthday party.
“But, when I emphasized the main reason I wanted to invite you was because you said you were anxious to meet the Imam, she said it was fine, and she was looking forward to meeting you.”
“When you say she was surprised, you don’t mean she was suspicious, do you?”
“No, she wasn’t suspicious. As long as we’ve been dating, we’ve never gone out with another couple, so I think she was genuinely surprised when I suggested it.”
“I don’t suppose she mentioned anything to you about the person she met at the restaurant after work, did she?”
“She didn’t say a word about him, but she did seem preoccupied during dinner, and when we finished eating, she asked me if I would mind cutting our evening short so she could get to bed early.”
“I’m sure that broke your heart.”
“Yeah, right. I thought she might be lying to me, but I checked with Frank later, and he said the surveillance team watching her apartment reported she didn’t go anywhere the rest of the evening.”
“Are you still planning to come out to The Meadows today?”
“I’ll be out there this afternoon, so I can brief you and Jennifer about how to approach the Imam.”
“I’ll let Jennifer know you’re coming.”
“Tell her I’m looking forward to it.”
After Arkady and Millie left the house around two o’clock to attend the funeral of an elderly neighbor, Ben texted me to let me know he would probably arrive at The Meadows by two-thirty.
Since I was expecting a phone call from the social worker in charge of Eleanor’s adoption at the same time, I told Jennifer what time Ben would arrive, and then I said I’d join the two of them in Carlton’s study when I was finished with my call.
When Ms. Brooks, the social worker, called me back, I happened to be in the den, a room located just off the kitchen, a room Arkady considered his man cave.
The room was lined with bookshelves, so I’d gone in there to find something to read while I waited for her phone call.
My conversation with Ms. Brooks didn’t last that long, but when the doorbell rang, I remained where I was in a big leather recliner reading a Joel Rosenberg novel and let Jennifer answer the door—I was fairly certain both of them would appreciate the opportunity to have a few minutes alone with each other.
I figured Jennifer would let Ben know I was tied up with a phone call, and the two of them would walk down the hall to Carlton’s study and have a nice chat while they waited for me to show up.
That didn’t happen.
Instead, they showed up in the kitchen.
When they walked in, Jennifer said, “Titus is talking on the phone in Douglas’s study. He said he’d let us know when he was finished.”
Obviously, Jennifer hadn’t understood what I said when I told her she and Ben could meet me in Carlton’s study.
“I wonder if he’s talking to Frank,” Ben said.
“He didn’t tell me anything about the phone call.”
Ben let out a short laugh. “No, Titus likes his privacy too much to give you that information.”
“He is a bit of an introvert, isn’t he?”
“He’s that and a whole lot more. Every time I try to analyze his personality, my head starts spinning. He’s way too complicated to put in a box, so I stopped trying.”
It was decision time.
Did I stay hidden away in the den and let them think they were alone, or did I reveal my presence and embarrass all of us?
I stayed put.
“Titus might be talking to his wife,” Jennifer said. “I think he was on the phone with her last night when I surprised him out on the patio.”
“You probably didn’t surprise him. He doesn’t surprise easily.”
I could hear someone opening the refrigerator door.
“Can I offer you something to drink?” Jennifer asked.
“No, I just finished having lunch with Kamila.”
There were a few seconds of silence, and then both of them started talking at once.
“Look, Jennifer, I wish I—”
“You could have—”
They both laughed, and then Ben said, “You go first.”
Jennifer said, “I was just about to say you could have let me know what was going on with you. When you stopped calling me a few weeks ago, I had no idea what happened to you, especially since you hadn’t told me you were taking an assignment.”
“As soon as I agreed to this joint operation, I wasn’t allowed to say anything. I wish I could have told you.”
“I realize that now.”
“Believe me. If I had to do it all over again, I’d probably tell Douglas to get someone else. Pretending to be in love with Kamila Hanim is one of the hardest assignments I’ve ever had.”
“Really? When Titus briefed me on Crescent Moon last night, he showed me some pictures of the Imam’s family. Kamila looks like a very attractive woman.”
“I’m sure some men might find her attractive. Personally, I’m only interested in one woman.”
Jennifer let out a soft laugh. “And who would that be?”
When I didn’t hear anything for several seconds, I got out of the recliner and slowly crept over to the opening between the den and kitchen, easing myself around the corner to see what was happening.
Ben and Jennifer were kissing each other.
The two of them were wrapped around each other in a tight embrace, lost in the moment, oblivious to their surroundings.
For a split second, I considered sneaking around behind them and making my way past the island in the middle of the kitchen and over to the door.
Then, I thought better of it and remained where I was.
Seconds later, I knew it was the right decision when Frisco started barking out on the patio, and the noise brought them back to earth.
“I think that’s Arkady’s dog,” Ben said.
“His name is Frisco. I’ve never heard him bark that much before.”
“Let’s go see what’s bothering him.”
I quickly dropped down behind the couch as Ben and Jennifer walked over to the sliding glass doors and stepped out on the patio.
After waiting sixty seconds, I eased my way up to the door again and glanced outside.
Ben and Jennifer had their backs to me while their attention was focused on Frisco, who was chasing two squirrels around a tree.
I didn’t wait around to see how that ended.
Instead, I hurriedly made my way out of the kitchen, down the hall, and over to Carlton’s study.
Once inside, I burst out laughing.
It wasn’t often I had the opportunity to gain intel on two Agency operatives, while gathering intelligence product on myself as well.
As I went over the details of what I’d learned, I thought about how I might write up my field report for Carlton.
Ben Mitchell, a Level 1 covert officer, had an amorous encounter with Jennifer Sanders, a Level 2 support officer, in the kitchen at The Meadows, while being observed by Titus Ray, a Level 1 covert officer.
The result of the encounter revealed the following: Sanders and Mitchell have feelings for each other, but they appear unsure of themselves and frustrated at the situation.
During the encounter, when the personality of Titus Ray was discussed, I learned that Mitchell finds Ray to be
a complicated, private man, capable of keeping secrets, while Sanders considers Ray to be someone who can operate without much social interaction.
As soon as I finished writing the make-believe report in my head, I decided Carlton might not consider this new intel.
In fact, I was pretty sure he knew most of it already.
Carlton primarily used his study at The Meadows to hold secret meetings away from his Langley office and to display all the football trophies he’d won in college, along with his current chess awards.
His look-at-what-I’ve-done display was on the top shelf of a built-in bookcase directly behind his desk at the far end of the room.
It was the first thing a visitor saw when entering the study.
Despite that, Carlton always seemed a little embarrassed whenever someone mentioned it.
Another eye-catching aspect of Carlton’s study was the white stone fireplace off to the right of the doorway where two wingback chairs were positioned across from each other with a small table in between them.
The fireplace stones were stacked one on top of the other, which I knew had to appeal to Carlton’s obsession with having everything around him in perfect alignment.
On the opposite side of the room were a pair of French doors that opened out onto a patio where a stone pathway led down to a gazebo and an Olympic-size swimming pool. When I walked over to the French doors and looked outside, I spotted Ben and Jennifer sitting together on a bench inside the gazebo.
Once again, they were demonstrating their affection for each other.
As I was about to step out of the study and wave at them, I heard the doorbell ring, and a few minutes later, I was ushering Frank Benson into Carlton’s study.
He looked around and nodded. “Nothing’s changed, has it?”
“You really didn’t expect Douglas to change anything, did you?”
“No, and I might have been disappointed if he had. So much is changing for me these days, Titus, I’m actually glad to see everything’s the same around here.”
I saw Frank glance over at the armchairs next to the fireplace, and for a moment, I thought he was about to mention the time we’d cajoled each other into sharing information about a terrorist cell operating in the D.C. area, while seated in those very same chairs.
Instead of saying anything, he walked over to the French doors and gazed outside. When I saw him smile, I figured he’d spotted the love birds in the gazebo.
“Is that Jennifer Sanders?” he asked. “Does Ben have a thing for her?”
“The answer is yes to both of your questions, but I believe the feeling is mutual. She seems to like Ben a lot too.”
He nodded. “That could be a little awkward when Ben and his girlfriend get together with you and Jennifer tomorrow night at Camp Tamal for her mother’s birthday party.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
Chapter Fourteen
Ben looked surprised to see Frank standing in front of the fireplace when he and Jennifer entered Carlton’s study a few minutes later.
“Oh, hi, Frank,” Ben said, “I didn’t think you were coming out here today unless you had some new intel for us.”
“That’s why I’m here,” he said, pulling his mobile tablet out of his jacket pocket. “We were able to get a positive ID on the person Kamila met in the parking lot of the rehab center yesterday. Since Douglas is tied up in the Ops Center, he asked me to show you some pictures and update you about the operation.”
Frank took a step toward Jennifer and stuck out his hand.
“Hi, I’m Frank Benson. You must be Jennifer Sanders.”
“Oh, forgive me, Jennifer,” Ben said. ”I’m sorry I didn’t introduce you. I forgot you and Frank didn’t know each other.”
“That’s okay, Ben,” Jennifer said with a smile. “You have a lot on your mind.”
Even if I hadn’t witnessed their actions earlier, it would have been hard to miss the emotional vibes going on between the two of them.
They weren’t hiding it that well.
But, in Ben’s case, I wasn’t all that surprised.
Not long after I met Ben in Costa Rica, I recognized one of his weaknesses was his inability to mask his feelings, especially when it came to members of the opposite sex.
Now, I was beginning to wonder if Jennifer might have the same problem.
“Let’s have a seat, and I’ll show you these pictures,” Frank said, as he sat down in one of the chairs by the fireplace. “After that, I’ll update you on some new intel we just received about the operation.”
When Ben insisted Jennifer take the remaining armchair, I moved a couple of guest chairs over and placed them by the fireplace.
Naturally, Ben placed his chair next to Jennifer, which left me sitting next to Frank.
The moment I sat down, I pointed over at his tablet and said, “Don’t keep us in suspense, Frank. Does the guy who met with Kamila yesterday work for NTI? Is he one of their couriers?”
“Yes and no. He’s definitely with Turkish Intelligence, but he’s not one of their couriers. His name is Hasan Nazim, and he’s the head of the NTI cell.”
Ben shook his head. “Are you telling me Kamila met in public with an agent from Turkish Intelligence to plan her father’s kidnapping?”
“Assuming that’s what they were doing, that’s what I’m telling you.”
Frank turned his tablet around so we could see various photographs of Nazim put together by our Agency’s analysts.
I said, “So Kamila didn’t meet with a cutout from Turkish Intelligence. She actually met with the cell leader himself?”
Frank nodded.
Jennifer pointed to one of the photographs where Hasan Nazim was dressed in a uniform. “Is Nazim in the military?” she asked. “It looks like he’s wearing a Turkish Air Force uniform in this photograph.”
Frank said, “Nazim used to be a helicopter pilot, but he’s no longer in the Air Force. According to the Agency analyst I spoke with, he left the military four years ago and went to work for Turkish Intelligence.”
“What were his qualifications for doing intelligence work?” I asked.
“Nazim got his undergraduate degree at Northeastern University in Boston and speaks fluent English, so I’m sure the NTI Director thought Nazim was an ideal candidate to run a cell in the U.S.”
“Was the Bureau aware Nazim was back in the States as part of a terrorist cell affiliated with Turkish Intelligence?” I asked.
“No, he’s not on any kind of watch list if that’s what you’re asking.”
“That’s what I’m asking.”
“He wasn’t on a watch list, but as soon as we got a positive ID on him this morning, we ran his name through our computers and discovered he entered the country over a year ago on a work visa.”
“What kind of work does he do?” Ben asked. “Maybe that’s why he was meeting with Kamila.”
“Our records show he’s employed by Kocaeli Enterprises, which is based in Istanbul and appears to be an export company that supplies Turkish coffee to restaurants and coffee shops.”
Ben shook his head. “I don’t know of any reason why Kamila would be meeting with him. She’s never mentioned Kocaeli Enterprises to me.”
Frank swiped through some of the screens on his tablet. “It’s a profitable company. I’ve looked at their sales figures and they’re—”
“I’m sorry, Frank,” I said, cutting him off, “but I’m not interested in their sales figures—as fascinating as those numbers might be. What I want to know is, do you have any more information about how many members are in Nazim’s cell and what their plans are for getting inside Camp Tamal and kidnapping the Imam?”
“Well, as I told you yesterday, we’ve been analyzing the chatter we’ve picked up from certain Turkish groups in the Washington area, and we believe there could be as many as eight members in this cell. We were able to identify four of them after they showed up in Great Falls and began running surveillance on persons entering
and leaving Camp Tamal.”
“And what about the other four?” Jennifer asked.
“Douglas and I will have a better idea of who they are when we meet tomorrow afternoon for our final briefing. I’m waiting to hear back from an asset I have in the Turkish community who’s been an excellent source of intel in the past, and I believe he may also be able to confirm how the group plans on getting inside Camp Tamal to carry out the kidnapping. Right now, that’s our biggest concern.”
Yesterday, when Carlton and Frank had gone over the protocols with me, I thought Carlton seemed skeptical when Frank voiced his opinion the members of the NTI cell would try to get past the gated entrance and enter the compound by taking out the guards.
Now, as Frank was talking, it sounded like he wasn’t as sure of himself as he’d been yesterday, and I wondered why.
“So you don’t believe the terrorists will try to force their way in?” I asked. “You’ve changed your mind about that since yesterday?”
Frank shifted in his chair. “I think that’s still a possibility, but after reading the transcript of the conversation Kamila had with Barat Mustafa last night, it’s also possible she’s planning to help them get through the gate without having to force their way in.”
Ben asked, “Kamila talked to Mustafa last night?”
When Frank nodded, Ben said, “I guess that’s the reason she said she needed to be home early. Did she and Mustafa talk about her meeting with Nazim?”
“That’s how Douglas and I are interpreting their conversation, although Kamila and Mustafa never actually mentioned his name.”
I said, “I’m sure that was for security purposes. What did they say about Nazim?”
Frank looked down at his tablet. “I’ll read you part of the transcript of their conversation. I’d like to hear how you’d interpret it.”
After Frank pulled a pair of reading glasses out of his front pocket and adjusted them on his nose, he tapped an icon on his tablet.
“I’ll begin reading here where Kamila asked Mustafa if he’s certain the package she’s sending him will be well taken care of. We believe the package she’s referring to is her father, and when Mustafa mentions his partner, we believe he’s talking about Nazim.”