North from Calcutta

by Duane Evans

  “Did Sheik Osman tell him why the officials were doing this? They must want something in return.”

  “Sheik Osman did not say. I would be surprised if he told that type of information to Yasin.”

  After another 10 minutes of questioning, Tarek concluded HV/30 had nothing further of intelligence interest to report. It was always hard to get details when the source obtained the information from an unwitting sub-source.

  Tarek returned to the question of sourcing.

  “So why do you think Sheik Osman told your friend Yasin about this? I thought Yasin was just the safehouse keeper for Sheik Osman?”

  “Yes, he is, but Sheik Osman is a bigmouth who likes to smoke hashish and screw whores. Then he brags to Yasin about how important he is. Yasin hates this man.”

  Tarek was surprised at HV/30’s answer. Sheik Osman was known to employ stringent security practices, and Tarek found it hard to believe that Abu Shafik would have a senior commander that was hooked on hashish. Whether or not he used the services of prostitutes, who knew? ISI had limited information on LT commanders. Perhaps this was some new intelligence.

  “Do you think Yasin would be willing to meet directly with me to talk about Sheik Osman?”

  For an instant, HV/30’s eyes grew wide. “No! That would not be possible.”

  “Why not?” Tarek probed.

  “Because Yasin is sick and cannot travel far.”

  “What’s wrong with him?” Tarek pursued.

  “I am not his doctor, Mr. Rashid. I don’t know what is wrong with him. Cancer maybe. He does not talk about it. It distresses him.”

  Tarek thought for a moment. “Well, perhaps we could help him with medicine or something. We could even send a doctor under a pretext to his village, who could then diagnose and treat him. In this way we help him, and then he could help us by supplying more information on Sheik Osman and Abu Shafik.”

  HV/30 shook his head. “I’m sorry, Mr. Rashid, but I don’t think there is any way he would meet with ISI. He hates you guys because he thinks the government has not done enough for the LT, and he knows that ISI has broken relations with the LT.”

  Having seemingly run into a brick wall on a meeting with Yasin, Tarek closed the discussion, started the car, and drove back to Wah. During the drive back, Tarek went over the arrangements for the next meeting and had HV/30 brief them back to him.

  “Remember,” Tarek told him, “I will see you in two weeks. But if something comes up before then that is important, you must signal us immediately, using the number I gave you, and we will meet the day after your call at the same place and time.”

  HV/30 nodded. “I understand.”

  A few minutes later, Tarek dropped HV/30 off on a deserted street a few blocks from the bus station. Aside from bus fare, HV/30 refused to accept any money for his information.

  Tarek pulled back onto the street and started on the drive back to Islamabad. He decided the info he had obtained, even though somewhat dated, was too important for him to delay his return by staying overnight in a local hotel. Pakistani officials promising military supplies to the LT was news General Ali would want immediately.

  As the adrenaline rush of the ops meeting began to wear off, Tarek shifted into fifth gear, accelerating the Land Cruiser down the highway into the black night. He rubbed his tired eyes and, if only for a moment, thought he might be getting a little too old for this business.

  35

  Ambassador Salim sat at the head of the oval conference table in his office, his expression serious. Also at the table were his personal assistant, Fakrul Rahim, as well as Brigadier General Kasurie, who was General Huq’s Chief of Staff and close confidant, and two other trusted functionaries on the IRE staff.

  Looking up from the material he had been reviewing, Salim addressed the waiting men. “Gentleman, it is critical that we coordinate closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on how we proceed on this. Our instructions to our UN office must be crystal clear and given in a timely manner. Thanks to our hard work, Farakka Barrage is formally back on the agenda at the special session of the UN, and India is already beginning to feel the political heat.” Salim’s expression changed to a look of satisfaction. “This is exactly what we have been working toward. Allah has rewarded us for our efforts.”

  In a voice bordering on exuberant, Rahim said, “According to the ministry, the Bangladeshis are absolutely ecstatic about this development.”

  General Kasurie added, “Perhaps for once, the Foreign Ministry has made a useful contribution to something that is actually of importance for Pakistan.”

  “Indeed,” Salim commented. “The Ministry can be an effective organization if properly guided and influenced. And I want it to continue to be seen as having primacy on pushing the Farakka Barrage issue. The IRE cannot be identified as being involved in this—not publicly and not even within our government. I trust you all will do the needful to keep our hand hidden.”

  After a few more minutes of discussion on specific actions to take, the meeting broke up, although Ambassador Salim asked General Kasurie to stay for a few more minutes. Once everyone had cleared Salim’s office, Salim motioned to the seating area where he and Kasurie sat down.

  “I’m sorry that General Huq could not attend the meeting, but given the circumstances I understand his absence,” Salim said. “I realize that the forces under General Huq’s command have no role at this juncture, but I asked you to come to this meeting because it is critically important that you and General Huq stay in touch with me as the UN debate gets underway. For yours and General Huq’s information only, the IRE is now well-positioned to affect just how that debate goes. We have close allies in this, and more than one agent of influence awaits our direction. In short, we will be in control from the opening round and can make it play out any way we want.” Salim paused for a moment, then looked squarely at General Kasurie. “I estimate your forces will probably be needed within days of the UN resolution on Farakka Barrage.”

  Nonplused, Kasurie asked, “And when will that be, Ambassador?”

  “Unfortunately, it is a bit too early to tell,” Salim responded. “What I can promise you is that the debate will be over before the rains come. Once the resolution is reached, your forces must be prepared to move very quickly.”

  “Very well, Sir. We will be ready.”

  “Perfect,” Salim replied. “And how will you explain the movement of your troops? What will Army headquarters think is happening?”

  General Kasurie smiled. “As is required by headquarters, we had to put out the corps training and unit rotation schedule for the next six months. General Huq realized this would not do, and we would need some flexibility in terms of timing, so he requested and obtained Army’s concurrence to carry out a surprise exercise, to be executed sometime prior to the rotation of combat units along the line of control.”

  “Excellent. This exercise will give you the cover you need to execute the operation?”

  “Precisely. And because it is a surprise exercise, we can determine the timing.” General Kasurie frowned slightly. “However, it will probably only buy us a couple of days at most. Hopefully, by then, if all goes according to plan, the world will see all of Kashmir under the control of Pakistani troops. The big question is, will the rest of the army join us?”

  A look of anger flashed across Salim’s face. “General, why do you ask such a question? Of course it will join you, as will all of Pakistan. This has been a festering sore for us far too long. Once they realize your troops have already seized control, there will be no reason to hesitate.”

  “Even if Prime Minister Bahir orders the Army to stand down? You believe the Army leadership will disobey him?” Kasurie asked.

  His facial features softening, Ambassador Salim smiled. “Civilian rule of Pakistan is a fragile thing, General. Look at the facts: Prime Minister Bahir has only been in power for a year, and his ascension was solely the result of General Masood’s assassination. Each day, the PM’s
position becomes weaker in the eyes of the people. Such nonsense, to think we can negotiate with India. History has made it plain that India will not budge on Kashmir. So, we must make her budge.”

  “Very well, Ambassador. I will relay all this to General Huq.”

  Salim nodded, “Thank you, General. When do you expect him back?”

  “He is scheduled to meet with our friends tomorrow night. He will travel back the following day, depending on road conditions. He did not want to fly, as it would be too easy for his travel to be noted.”

  “Yes, of course. It is good that the General is taking such precautions. We all must follow his example from here on out,” Salim said. “I am looking forward to learning the results of the meeting.”

  General Kasurie stood up and shook the Ambassador’s hand, bidding him good-day.

  After the General had left the office, Salim slowly walked to the wide center window, hands clasped behind him, and looked out over the city of Islamabad. From his office window he watched as General Kasurie exited the building directly below him, entered his waiting sedan and drove away.

  Seeing the General from this lofty perspective, Salim was reminded of his disdain for military men. Soldiers are nothing more than men who are still boys, he thought cynically. All their sacrifices and suffering, driven by their needs to glorify themselves instead of glorifying Allah. Such fools!

  Shifting his view, he could see the minaret of the city’s largest mosque outlined against the blue sky. The sight brought a smile to his lips.

  All is well, he told himself as he turned from the window and moved toward his desk. All is well indeed.

  36

  Since her return from London, Sahar’s emotions had swung from a feeling of happy contentment to a deep sadness that bordered on full-blown depression. The ache in her heart for Tarek and the uncertainty of the future of their relationship kept her emotionally off-balance and unable to focus.

  Advani had noticed a change in Sahar soon after her return. He suspected something had happened between Tarek and his daughter, so he was not particularly surprised when she told him of her relationship with Tarek.

  Advani was quite pleased that his daughter had at last found someone she felt strongly about, particularly a man he very much liked himself. Even so, he was disturbed by the obvious emotional pain she was experiencing. He tried to encourage her and give her hope that it would all work out in the end.

  One evening after dinner, he and Sahar took a stroll in Lodi Park near their house. Over the years, the expansive park had been of priceless benefit for them, serving as a refuge from the stresses of life in New Delhi.

  They were both silent as they slowly walked arm in arm along the hard-packed dirt pathways. Seeing a bench up ahead and sensing that her father needed a rest, she suggested they sit for a while to enjoy the quiet and the last of the fading sunlight.

  “So, my dear,” he said when they were comfortably seated, “what is the latest from Tarek? Any plans to visit soon?”

  Sahar shook her head. “No, not soon if you mean in the next couple of weeks. In his e-mail last night he mentioned that he still hopes to attend the commemoration ceremony, but even that is not certain, given the unpredictability of his work schedule.”

  “I see,” Advani said gently. “Well, the ceremony is still some weeks away. In the meantime, if he can’t come, why don’t you go pay him a visit? You said you wanted to go to Dubai for some shopping.”

  “Yes, I know. But he is traveling and even if this were not the case, I could not go right now. The library renovation is getting into the critical phase, and I must be here to make sure it proceeds according to plan.”

  Advani smiled. When it came to her work, his daughter was just like he had been—totally dedicated to making sure the job was done right. Even her love for Tarek would not make her compromise on that.

  “Well, let’s be patient,” he said. “Tarek will come as soon as is possible for him. I know it is hard for you, Sahar. It was the same for your mother and me. Just after we were engaged, my company sent me to Africa on a major project there. It was agony. Remember, in those days, phone service was nothing like it is today, and e-mail did not even exist. Imagine having no means of reliable communications. Oh, how my heart ached for your mother.”

  Sahar squeezed her father’s hand. He had loved her mother so much that her passing a few years ago had almost taken him with her. Sahar knew that the only reason her father had not followed was because of his devotion to his daughter.

  “Just remember, Father, I am not engaged to Tarek. I am only, how should I say. . . involved with him.”

  “Involved or engaged, it makes no difference. The point is the two of you are in love. This much I know. And because of your love, you will be together again. It may be in two weeks or in two years, but you will be together. Truly, love finds a way to overcome all obstacles.”

  Advani paused for a few moments, seized by a profound truth, a truth not founded on science but on personal experience. “Even death itself is defeated by love,” he murmured softly.

  As he looked at Sahar, his eyes shone brightly with his love for her. He realized again how lucky the man would be who could claim her for his own.

  Reaching his arm around her shoulders he pulled her a little closer, and the two relaxed in the hushed quiet of the park as the night completed its descent.

  37

  Three weeks had passed since that first meeting between Tarek and Highland View/30. A second meeting was to have occurred two weeks later, but just a few hours before Tarek was to depart for Wah, HV/30 had signaled via a coded phone call that he would not be able to make the meeting. Tarek was in a holding pattern, waiting for another call from HV/30 to signal he was ready to meet.

  Tarek was not overly concerned about HV/30’s last-minute cancellation. This was the nature of operations with agents in remote areas, particularly agents closely involved with militant or terrorist groups. Unavoidably, things came up that made it hard for an agent to keep to the meeting plan without creating unwanted suspicion. An agent under suspicion in HV/30’s circumstances is only one step away from being a dead agent. Knowing this, a good ops officer always told his agents, as Tarek had advised HV/30, to play it safe. Better to get the information a week later, then to never get it at all.

  Still, he was anxious to see HV/30. Tarek believed the information HV/30 had provided him at the first meeting was accurate, but he had doubts about the sub-source, Yasin. If it turned out HV/30 was dissembling about the source, it could call into question all the information he had provided.

  General Ali had been alarmed at HV/30’s information, but given the implication of the report and the fact that the sourcing was still not clear, he was unwilling to share the information with anyone, much less forward it through normal distribution channels. Ali knew the report was dynamite. If true, and the wrong people got their hands on it, it could blow apart the government of Pakistan, factionalized as it was between secular moderates seeking compromise with India and Islamic fundamentalists determined to see a military solution to Kashmir.

  Ali’s gut feeling was that the report was accurate and he suspected the IRE, and General Huq in particular, were involved. There had been an unusual number of personnel changes of Army officers, officers who would play critical roles in any Pakistani military operation concerning Kashmir. Young officers were being placed in combat command positions all along the Line of Control, and these assignments were taking place out of the normal rotation cycle. Most of these officers were known to have fundamentalist leanings. One unit in particular, a newly established element of the Special Security Group, which often operated in sensitive areas along the LOC, had essentially become the Islamic fundamentalist equivalent of Hitler’s Waffen SS. Just as the Waffen SS, this SSG unit functioned outside the normal military chain of command.

  Seeing all the changes occurring in the Army, Ali was surprised he had managed to stay in his position as the Chief of Opera
tions for ISI for as long as he had. Ali was anything but a fool, however, and he had concluded that his days in the job were numbered, making it all the more important that he learn what Abu Shafik and the unidentified Pakistani government interlocutors were planning. Once known, he would have to devise a strategy to neutralize the effort. The problem would be in finding reliable allies.

  General Ali had become so concerned about the direction and speed of events that he was taking special precautions to protect HV/30. First, he told Tarek to say in his report that after confronting HV/30 with his suspicions, the agent had admitted that everything he had previously reported was a fabrication, through which he hoped to ultimately trick the ISI into paying him a large sum of money.

  Ali also had Tarek conclude his report by saying he had terminated HV/30 on the spot with no plans for future contact.

  Falsification of reports was an extreme measure, but General Ali believed—and Tarek agreed—it was necessary to protect HV/30. From the initiation of the case, only a handful of officers had known about HV/30. Now the number of people who knew that HV/30 was still reporting information on the LT was reduced from that initial handful to two, Tarek and Ali.

  Ali’s second precaution was that he and Tarek no longer discussed anything related to Highland View/30 in his office and certainly not on the office phone—not even using the secure line. Instead, they met at General Ali’s home and then only spoke about the case while outside in the garden.

  Sitting in his garden listening to a CD of his favorite evening raga, General Ali considered the situation. For perhaps the first time, he felt that maybe the cards were stacked too much against him, and ultimately, he and others like him would not be able to stop the momentum that was building.

  The house boy appeared to announce that Major Durrani had arrived. Ali told the boy to have the Major join him. A minute later, Tarek, dressed in black slacks and a tight fitting cotton shirt, entered the garden. Ali waved him over to the sitting area. After their greeting and brief handshake, the two sat down.