by Andres Mann
“Not to mention he tried to kill us,” Jake added.
Nicola added, “You should not be concerned about operating the Mangusta choppers. This is excellent, modern equipment. Experienced pilots can master the aircraft with just a little training that I will provide.”
The General resumed his briefing. “The objectives of this operation are to find little Morgan, take him away from Amir and bring him home. The second objective is to make Amir pay for his crimes. He is a man that has to be stopped because he is becoming increasingly important in Iraq. It would not surprise me in the least that he is aiming to run the country. If that happens, he becomes Head of State, and there will be no way to get to him, so time is of the essence.” Now, Jake, if you will, please brief us on the plan that you have developed to find and retrieve the baby.”
Jake stood up and went to a large map affixed to the wall. “The first thing we need to do is find out where they are keeping little Morgan. I don’t think that Amir will risk taking him to one of his houses in Istanbul, France or London. It would be too obvious.
“My guess is that he is now likely to reside in a large and confusing city that is a perfect melting pot. This narrows down the possibilities to somewhere in Istanbul because it would be harder for us to find them there than other European cities. I believe that the relative proximity of Turkey to Iraq makes it convenient for Amir to continue plotting to increase his power. At the same time, he will be able to visit the home where he has stashed little Morgan and probably his daughter Aara. I am pretty sure that the house must be owned or leased under another name, again, to throw us off the scent.
“George and I were able to tap our intelligence sources in Canada. They confirmed that a prosperous Iraqi couple with a baby left Montreal heading for Europe. The passports appeared legal, so they did not raise a flag for the authorities until I asked them to look into Iraqis with private planes. Eventually, things added up, but too late to apprehend them before they flew out of the country. We checked the plane’s itinerary. It was supposed to go to London, but they changed their flight plan while in the air. They landed in Dublin to refuel then proceeded to Istanbul. This is why we believe the baby is somewhere in the city.”
“That is helpful,” said the General, “but I have been in Istanbul, and it is a big place. We are still looking for a needle in the haystack. We need a source to tell us where little Morgan is being held, and I am afraid that Amir is the only one that can tell us.”
“That means that we need to corner him and pry the info from him,” Jake added. “This means that we need to deal with a powerful General in his own country. Even if we get our hands on him, he is pretty tough and it would take extreme measures to have him spill the beans.”
“I would not worry about extreme measures. Wait until I get my hands on him. I will turn him into a eunuch!” Tess sounded like she really meant it. The group laughed. In fact, she was not joking.
“There might be a better way to approach this,” Tess added. “Amir’s sister Fadime is very close to him. She is basically a decadent socialite living the high life in Europe. It is possible that Amir may ask her to look after the children at least temporarily until the coast is clear. Spending time with children is not what Fadime would normally do, but I am sure that she would agree to help her brother.”
Jake added, “Fadime is not hiding. Her whereabouts are an open book. Soon, it is likely that Amir will summon her to go to Istanbul, and that’s our chance to find out where his new house is.”
Joe Slezak, the computer expert, explained his part on the project. “I can access just about any database out there. I think that I can monitor Fadime’s movement through the use of her credit cards. I can also do the same for Amir’s. When he leaves Iraq to go to Istanbul, he is bound to charge for purchases somewhere close to his residence. If nothing else, this monitoring narrows down the area we need to explore.”
Jake looked a little skeptical. “Aren’t bank systems extremely hard to crack?”
“Not for me,” Joe responded, a little annoyed that anyone should question his magic.
The General summarized. “Very well; at this stage we have no choice but follow this plan. We can always change it if the situation warrants. Now, before we discuss the plan on bringing Amir down, I suggest we have some lunch.” The group wholeheartedly agreed.
Chapter 54
Frustration
Amir inspected the troops and he was not pleased. I spite of considerable training, the men were still not motivated and kept complaining about being assigned to missions against insurgents. The Americans had provided tons of hardware, and most of it was not being used properly if at all.
Much of the problem had to do with the political appointees in the officer corps. By government policy, many of the competent Sunni officers or Baathists that had led the troops during the Saddam era were not welcome in the new army. In one instance, a leading Sunni general in northern Iraq whom American officers lauded for his operational skills was ousted and replaced by a Shiite officer.
The new crop of mostly Shiite officers received their commissions due to nepotism or bribery. Many of them preferred being stationed in Baghdad. The city, in spite of suicide bombings and assorted insurgent attacks, was less dangerous than other parts of Iraq. The officers were more likely to be found in the cafes and restaurants in the city rather than in the field. The rank and file troops, on the other hand, were housed in stifling hot barracks and under the leadership of NCO’s, many of whom were no better than the officers that lounged around the city’s amenities.
In an army, there is nothing more demoralizing that having indecisive, absent or self-serving leaders. Whenever signs of conflict occurred, many officers made themselves scarce. When the need for combat arose, the common soldiers got cynical very quickly because they knew that many of their officers were incompetent, ineffectual and cowardly. The general question was: ‘why do we have to risk death or injury if the leaders don’t lead?’
Amir was able to achieve a modest level of proficiency with troops stationed in Baghdad. The only reason that he got support from the legislature was that the ministers wished to safeguard themselves. They were less enthusiastic about protecting other places, mainly Sunni and Kurdish areas. The malaise was stifling and depressing.
Amir planned to take over the government at some time in the near future. He had groomed a few selected officers to be the vanguard of his movement, but he needed more. He knew that his ascension required maintaining a veneer of the democratic process; otherwise the Americans may be again tempted to interfere. Once in charge, he was sure he could do pretty much as he pleased. The Americans had learned a hard lesson: don’t get involved in sectarian wars, especially when religion is thrown into the mix.
His plan required a cadre of trusted officers and troops that would be deployed at once when the mobilization order was given. They would take the government buildings and presidential palace, arrest as many ministers as possible, and declare martial law. Soon after, Amir would emerge as the savior of the country, announcing that in the interest of the public good, he would take over and pursue corruption in all its forms. He would then order the execution and exile of key members of the government and eventually, make himself the official leader of the country, supported by a hand-picked parliament.
The only impediment to executing his plan was the dismal state of the armed forces. Incompetence and demoralization were the norms, and Amir had trouble recruiting enough conspirators to reach critical mass. He also did not know that he had a spy in his midst, an officer called Major Nizar Hamdani, who actually worked for General Turner, Tess’s father.
Chapter 55
Plan B
General Turner had implemented Plan B. This consisted of a series of operations that would ultimately lead to the disclosure to the Iraqis of Amir’s plan to take over the legitimate government. If that happened, he would be declared a traitor, leading to the expected repercussions.
J
ake and team members George Kimmel, Ken Ross and John Powers were now in Iraq under the umbrella of SRD, the consulting branch of Jake and Tess’s company. Their official task was to review the effectiveness of the Iraqi Army’s weapons training under a contract managed by a senior Iraqi government official.
After hours, the men drove to a remote house outside of Baghdad and met with Major Nizar Hamdani, their informer. Nizar was one of the few Kurdish officers in Iraq’s army. He also happened to be a relative of Kejal, the woman whose family had died in a gas attack. Subsequently, she was imprisoned and abused by Amir, eventually giving birth to Aara, Amir’s daughter. She died helping Tess escape when she was first imprisoned by Amir. Nizar was out for revenge. Unfortunately, he was not yet part of Amir’s inner circle. He did have access to information about Amir’s movements; so far there was not much to go on.
Tess, Carmen, and Nicola arrived in Iraq a few days later as official members of SRD. They immediately started to familiarize themselves with the Mangusta helicopter provided by Nicola, ostensibly to test the capabilities of the aircraft. Pilot training on the craft would usually commence with sessions on a simulator. Due to Tess’s and Carmen’s experience, Nicola was confident that to achieve proficiency, they would just need some practice on the chopper’s controls, flight characteristics, and weapons systems.
Nicola explained that the A129 Mangusta was the first European attack helicopter; it had a fully computerized integrated management system to reduce crew workload. Similar, to the American Apache, the Mangusta was designed for a crew of two: the pilot and a weapon systems officer sitting in a conventional tandem cockpit, one behind the other. The fuselage was highly angular and armored for ballistic protection; the composite rotor blades could withstand hits from 23mm cannon fire.
Tess and Carmen transitioned to use the craft competently and practiced for a week both as pilots and weapons officers until they were satisfied that they could do the job. Tess, of course, continued to relentlessly pursue perfection and Carmen went along on many practice runs until both could practically read each other’s minds.
Joe Slezak, the computer guy, was hard at work monitoring the activities of Fadime and Amir. Fadime seemed to be the epitome of a beautiful, wealthy person enjoying the sybaritic pleasures of the Amalfi coast in southern Italy; her lavish spending left quite a trail. Presently, she was staying at a rented private villa.
In contrast, Amir kept a low profile. He rarely used his credit cards. Mostly, he seemed to be working at all hours training and inspecting troops with frequent visits to government offices.
The reports from Major Nizar Hamdani, the embedded spy, again did not reveal anything that could be used to their advantage. It seemed that Amir was a dedicated leader that was working hard to build and improve the new Iraqi Army.
General Turner’s Plan B relied on obtaining evidence of Amir’s intention to organize a coup against the government. So far, the only possible subterfuge he detected consisted of Amir’s private meetings with key members of his staff. These meetings were routine, and even the bug planted in Amir’s conference room by Nizar only revealed discussions by men that were working on strategy sessions of a military nature. There was not much else that could be done at this time except keeping a watch on Amir’s movements.
The team finally got a break. They found out that Amir was going to Italy for a short trip. The destination was Naples.
“There is only one reason why Amir would want to go to Naples,” said Tess. “It has an airport which is the gateway to much of southern Italy. I would be willing to wager that he is going to see his sister Fadime. He probably wants her help to move the kids to a more secure location.”
Jake added, “Joe told us that Fadime is somewhere on the Amalfi coast. He knows where her house is located.”
“Jake was still thinking. “The problem now is what to do next. We could corner them somewhere in Italy, but that would not necessarily lead us to finding out where little Morgan and the girl Aara are being held. If we can monitor the movements of Amir and Fadime, when they leave for Turkey or any other destination, then that might be the place.”
“The problem is that Amir flies around in his private jet,” said Tess. “That gives him great flexibility, far more than we can expect to have. We will be handicapped if we have to use commercial airliners.”
George Kimmel asked if it would be possible for General Turner to provide a private or company jet for them to use.
“It’s possible,” Tess said. I will call my dad and see what he can do.”
Chapter 56
Positano
A driver in a black Mercedes picked up Amir after his plane arrived at Naples airport. They swiftly proceeded to the Amalfi coast, a spectacularly beautiful road carved on the side of the mountains along the crystalline Mediterranean Sea. The road was also very narrow, twisting and treacherous. When meeting a large tourist bus coming from the opposite direction, cars often had to back up and find a spot on the side so that the bus could pass. Wise people knew that the best way to avoid plunging down to the sea was to avoid driving on this road altogether; it’s was best to hire a local driver for the job.
Amir was not in the mood for landscape appreciation and spent most of the time reading until they arrived at a pink villa high on the hills above the small resort town of Positano. He was led into the house by a servant and found Fadime sunning herself by the pool overlooking the town. She got up and rushed to embrace Amir.
Fadime was Amir’s trusted friend and confidante as well as his lover. The incestuous affair had started a long time ago, when Amir, trying to help her remain a virgin, made love to her in many ways to satisfy her lust, at the same time taking care that there was no penetration. He wanted her to marry into an important family, but Fadime enjoyed her free lifestyle too much to be encumbered by a Muslim husband. When Amir was not able to see her during the war, she got herself a few lovers in Paris, thus rendering the concept of her virginity moot.
When Amir had seduced Tess at his house outside London, Fadime recorded their lovemaking using hidden cameras. Afterward, she and Amir made passionate love while playing the videos. No one had ever satisfied her like her brother, their intimate sessions enhanced by the images of Amir and Tess cavorting in bed. Ultimately Amir destroyed what he thought was the only copy of the video because he had fallen in love with Tess.
Fadime dismissed the servants, telling them to come back later to prepare for dinner. Then she took a swim in the pool with Amir, followed by taking a bath together. Fadime loved everything about her brother: his handsome looks, the lithe musculature of his body and most of all his remarkable lovemaking skills. She got out of the large bathtub and treated Amir’s eyes to her beauty. Her huge almond shaped black eyes suggested a pool of mystery; her body was flawless, creamy skin, beautiful breasts, a tight tummy and long legs.
Amir got out of the tub, dried himself, and joined his sister in the bedroom. She was already in bed on her back, breathing hard, anticipating the joining of their bodies. Their first time of making love together after an absence was always quick a passionate so she could get her release. Afterward, they indulged in extended lovemaking for hours on end until exhaustion took its toll.
Fadime was ready, her female center wet with anticipation. Amir kneeled between her legs and spread them wide, holding them there so he could feast his eyes on her body while he sank inside her. Fadime gasped in pleasure, finally welcoming her brother home. Amir stayed kneeling with his legs behind him, holding her legs open, thrusting into her until an incredible orgasm made her scream. Now she needed closeness. Amir let he arms go and settled on her, moving inside her with slow, deliberate strokes until she climaxed again.
“Amir, I want you to climax inside me,” she begged.
“Not now, Fadime. I am saving myself to make love to you again — all night.”
Fadime exhaled. “Yes, you must dwell in me; I am not happy when I am empty and not possessed by you. No one gives m
e pleasure as you do.”
“I am glad you are happy.” Amir gave her one last kiss and dismounted.
Lying closely side by side, touching each other, they enjoyed the afterglow for a while. They finally got up to shower and prepared for dinner.
The chef had cooked a simple meal of local broiled fish, mixed vegetable, rice, marvelous hot rolls and gelato for dessert. Fadime did not want heavy food to spoil her plans for the night.
After retiring to the balcony, they enjoyed the lights of the town below, observing locals and tourists navigate the steep streets lined with expensive shops. The waterfront was lively, frequented by diners in the open air restaurants and people just taking an evening walk.
Amir was not there for a vacation; he needed to talk. “Fadime, I need you to do something for me.”
“You know that I would do anything for you, Amir.”
“You are the only person in the world that I trust, Fadime and I must ask you to do something important that I know will be a burden for you. I need you to look after my son and Aara.”
“What do you mean by your son? Isn’t he with his mother Tess in America?”
“No.”
Fadime had to think for a moment, startled. “Are you telling me that now you have the child in your possession?”
“Yes.”
“How did that happen Amir? Tess would never turn the child over to you voluntarily.”
“She didn’t. My people took him when Tess was at the hospital.”
“Amir, you are full of surprises. Care to tell me the whole story?”
He told her what happened: the botched car chase, the death of his operatives during the car chase, Tess getting injured, probably still in a coma. The only thing that went well was the seizing of little Morgan, bringing him to Montreal and fleeing the country with the help of his new wife.