False Flag

by F. W. Rustmann Jr.

  Santos and MacMurphy nodded. MacMurphy said, “Of course it is . . .”

  “I know how the game is played so just hear me out. If you accept my terms, we will move on. If you do not . . . well, things will be more difficult. Understood?”

  They nodded again.

  “I will agree to cooperate fully with you. I will agree to a thorough debriefing while I am still in your custody. Moreover, I will agree not to try to escape. But at the end of it all, when you have Yasmin back, you must release me unharmed and in a manner that does not put my future with VAJA in any sort of jeopardy.”

  Her glance went from MacMurphy to Santos, who both nodded agreement. She continued, “I have a husband, two children, and an extended family back in Tehran. I want them to be safe. I also want to continue my career in the Ministry of Intelligence after all of this is over. I won’t be able to do that if the ministry suspects I’ve been cooperative with you.”

  Santos and MacMurphy looked at each other with raised eyebrows and again nodded, this time more emphatically.

  “So, I will agree to be your fully recruited and totally cooperative asset both now and after I return to Tehran.” She paused to let that settle in. “But you will have to protect me.”

  “Of course, we’ll do everything in our power to protect you,” said MacMurphy. “That’s our job . . .”

  She nodded. “One more thing. Beginning immediately, I want a salary of one hundred thousand dollars to be placed in a U.S. bank—under an alias of course—every year from now until I can no longer continue my work against Iran. At that time, I want resettlement for me and my immediate family in the U.S.” She sat back in her chair as if to say, “This discussion is over,” and took another long drink of wine.

  MacMurphy looked over at Santos who shook his head and shrugged. Then MacMurphy said, “I think we can give you what you ask for and more, but I must tell you that this decision isn’t mine to make. I’ll have to propose it to headquarters for a final decision. However, I can’t imagine why they would not agree to your terms.”

  She looked deeply into his eyes and said, “Fair enough. You just better make it happen, Mac.”

  “I will, Pouri.”

  “Oh, there is one more thing,” she said. Guilt twisted her insides. Fear and horror had paralyzed her until it was too late to stop the worst of Yasmin’s torture. She hadn’t flipped the switch, but she had stood by and watched as someone was abused and dehumanized the way she had once been. Pouri felt responsible for what had happened to Yasmin, and she wanted to make some sort of amends. “I know very well the importance your CIA would attach to the recruitment of a penetration of the Iranian VAJA. The recruiting officer would receive a promotion and an award and maybe even a cash bonus. Isn’t that right?”

  They both nodded and MacMurphy said, “But that’s not important to us, Pouri.”

  “No matter,” said Pouri. “I want you to promise that all credit for my recruitment will go to Yasmin. The reason I came to the decision to cooperate with you is all because of her—due to the long discussions we had during her interrogations. She made me realize just how bad my life under the Ayatollahs really is. And she made me crave something better: to live freely. You understand . . .”

  CHAPTER 41

  Maggie arrived the following evening and went directly to her hotel room before calling MacMurphy. “I’m in room 303, Mac. Come on by and tell me what’s been going on.”

  He was in his room with Santos and Pouri. MacMurphy excused himself to brief Maggie. Before he left he turned to Pouri and said, “You are going to love Maggie. She’ll stay with you while Culler and I go get Yasmin back.”

  Pouri fired back, “You still don’t trust me.”

  “No, and you know full well why I can’t. Consider it protection. That and I don’t want to spend another night on the couch listening to you purr away in my bed.” He closed the door behind him without waiting for a response.

  MacMurphy updated Maggie on what had transpired since their last conversation. She sat there transfixed as he related the stories of Yasmin’s torture and Pouri volunteering to serve as their agent inside of VAJA after her return to Iran.

  “My god. Yasmin,” Maggie said, covering her mouth with her hand. After a few minutes of stunned silence, Maggie removed her hand and said, “We have to get her out of there as soon as possible. What would have happened if Miss Hoseini hadn’t intervened? I can’t even think it. You did an excellent job recruiting a penetration of VAJA. The DDO will be very pleased when I report to him.”

  “Hold on, Maggie, let’s get the story straight. Yasmin recruited her. She was all prepped when we got a hold of her. The capture accelerated things a bit, but she had already made up her mind to make the jump at some point.”

  “Okay, okay, I got it. And you have enough information to move ahead with the rescue?”

  “You can never have enough info. But I think we’re okay. Pouri didn’t know much. But based on what she said and our own surveillance, I think it’s safe to assume there’s not an army of guards waiting for us.”

  Maggie yawned and rubbed her eyes with two hands. She was jet-lagged but still excited to be in the midst of the operation. She asked, “When do you plan to go?”

  “Tonight. No sense hanging around here any longer, especially since Rothmann believes they may move her soon.”

  Maggie said, “Didn’t you just tell me Miss Hoseini thinks the place is just fine and that they will elect to stay there?”

  “That’s what she thinks, but the DDO thinks differently. I don’t want to take any chances. We’ve got all the information we’re going to get so we might as well move out ASAP.”

  “Okay, I’ll call Rothmann and get him up to date. When are you going to leave?”

  MacMurphy checked his watch. “It’s a little after nine now. I’ll check in with Hadi and tell him to be prepared to back us up around two o’clock tonight. Meanwhile, we should all try to get some rest. I’ll bring Pouri down to your room. I don’t think she’ll try to do anything, but sleep lightly just in case.”

  Santos and MacMurphy had their gear spread out on the bed in front of them. They were dressed alike in black running shoes, blue jeans, and tee shirts.

  Together they donned their light Kevlar vests. Next, they selected their handguns, Heckler & Koch MK-23 .45s, equipped with suppressors. They unscrewed the suppressors, slipped them into their pockets, and slid the pistols into holsters on their belts.

  On the other side of their belts was a Russian-made Spetsnaz ballistic knife. Santos used the same knife against a drug courier in the Golden Triangle about a year earlier. It looked like a normal fighting knife but when a release button was pressed, the blade flew out of the knife with enough force to penetrate a two-by-four twelve feet away. Santos swore by it. Silent, accurate, and deadly.

  Next, they donned nearly identical, dark-colored, short-sleeved shirts. They were comfortable and long enough when untucked to conceal the holstered knife and handgun.

  All that remained on the bed was night-vision gear and two POF-416 automatic sub-machine guns with one-hundred-round drums full of 5.56mm ammunition. The guns were equipped with suppressors and infrared lasers that were invisible at night unless you were wearing night-vision goggles. With night vision, a shooter could see a green line emanating from the rifle.

  The drums had been loaded by hands wearing latex gloves to assure there were no fingerprints left on the cartridges. This was a precaution often forgotten by criminals, who landed in prison when their fingerprints were found on spent cartridges.

  Santos and MacMurphy put a lot of rounds through similar POF guns in the Golden Triangle. The guns performed well, had an ample supply of ammo without reloading and never jammed.

  They slipped the guns and night-vision headgear into backpacks and slung the backpacks over their shoulders. They were ready to go.

  CHAPTER 42

  On their way to the safe house, MacMurphy called to touch base with Kashmiri
one final time. Kashmiri, parked directly across the street from the safe house, reported that he had observed no movement from that location over the past three hours.

  He informed MacMurphy that before parking in that spot his surveillance had consisted only of drive-bys every half-hour or so, and he could have missed something during that time. He stated the last activity had occurred around four o’clock in the afternoon when a guard walked outside for a smoke break.

  Santos and MacMurphy drove into the area right before two o’clock in the morning. The neighborhood was quiet and, aside from the occasional automobile or motorcycle, deserted.

  They drove slowly past the safe house and noticed no activity on the street. They recognized Kashmiri’s car parked across the street and drove past it so he would know they had arrived.

  The pair pulled into a parking space on same side of the street as the safe house, just a few car lengths away from the spot where they had abducted Pouri. Santos cut the lights and they sat there for a moment in silence, screwing the suppressors onto their .45 caliber H&K handguns.

  Santos broke the silence. “What are we waiting for?”

  MacMurphy said, “I don’t think we should carry the POFs out on the street. They could attract attention. Let’s go in light and fast.”

  They adjusted their night-vision goggles and switched the dome light to the off position so the lights would not turn on inside the car when the doors opened. Then they nodded to each other and exited the vehicle from both sides, gently closing the doors behind them.

  They hurried back up the street and stood in front of the safe house door, observing the area around them. MacMurphy hit the button to buzz the door open while Santos positioned himself to be the first one in, pistol at the ready.

  Nothing happened.

  They looked at each other with raised eyebrows and MacMurphy hit the buzzer again. Still nothing.

  Santos tried the handle. Locked.

  Nervously, they looked up and down the street. Nothing. MacMurphy motioned to Santos to shoot out the lock, which he did with two well-placed, silent .45 caliber rounds.

  Santos pushed through the door and into the foyer with MacMurphy close at his heels. Still nothing. The place was dark and silent. The only furniture was one small wooden chair just inside the door.

  MacMurphy moved to the apartment door to their left, put his ear to it and listened. He shook his head. He looked up the stairs, clearly illuminated by the green-tinted night vision, and signaled Santos to follow him. They moved up the stairs silently.

  They reached the second-floor landing, glanced around, and focused on the apartment door to their left. They noticed an identical small wooden chair by the door and nodded to each other.

  MacMurphy put his ear to the door and listened. After a moment, he looked back at Santos and shook his head again. Santos reached his hand out toward the door handle but MacMurphy signaled him to stop. He then motioned for them to check out the third floor before entering the second-floor apartment.

  They moved up the stairs and stopped on the landing in front of the apartment door. MacMurphy put his ear to the door. Still nothing, not a sound.

  Santos tried the door and it opened. They moved inside and quickly determined the apartment was empty—not a stick of furniture. Satisfied, they went back down the stairs to the second floor and stood once again at the entrance.

  MacMurphy listened again at the door, indicated to Santos that there was still no noise coming from the apartment and tried the doorknob. Locked.

  Santos aimed his .45 at the lock and looked up to MacMurphy for approval. MacMurphy nodded and Santos shattered the lock with two silent rounds. MacMurphy pushed through the door and entered the room, scanning it with his .45 at the ready.

  They found themselves in a long, narrow living area. At one end was a kitchen-dining room. Two closed doors to their left presumably led to bedrooms. They moved down to the kitchen area. Dishes were in the sink and an unwashed frying pan sat on the stove. From the look and smell of it, it was recently used.

  One open door near the kitchen led to a rather large bathroom with a toilet, sink, and tub. Used towels were scattered about and the soap dishes were full.

  They were getting that fluttery feeling in their guts. Something was badly amiss.

  They approached a door they hoped led to a bedroom. Santos stood at the ready while MacMurphy listened for a few moments and then tried the knob. It opened into a recently used bedroom. The single bed was unmade and the closets were empty with the doors open and there were no personal items in the room.

  They returned quickly to the main room and tried the other bedroom door. It was locked but Santos quickly opened it with two poofs from his .45 caliber key. They burst inside and found a small, unmade, single bed, a card table, and four chairs. There was a hole in the ceiling, and the closet was bare. The only evidence that it had been used as a prison was the barred and blackened window that opened to the street below.

  Santos and MacMurphy stood in the middle of the room, long guns hanging loosely at their sides. They looked around again in disbelief. When their eyes met, Santos shook his head and MacMurphy simply said, “Fuck . . .”

  CHAPTER 43

  When they were back in the Land Cruiser and safely out of the area, MacMurphy called Maggie. He explained what happened and told her they were on their way back to the hotel where they wanted to meet with both her and Pouri.

  Maggie wanted to know more but MacMurphy cut her off. He told her he would brief her in the room shortly. “Just get up, get dressed, and maybe order some coffee,” he said.

  On the way back to the hotel, they commiserated over their bad luck. They were thoroughly disheartened and discouraged. Monday morning quarterbacking was not going to help.

  Santos tried to make MacMurphy feel better. “They obviously moved out sometime between four o’clock in the afternoon, when Hadi observed the smoker out front, and around eleven o’clock in the evening, when Hadi took up his stationary position across the street. It must have happened in between one of his drive-bys.”

  “Yeah,” said MacMurphy, “they just got lucky, real lucky. We needed proper surveillance. Anyway, now we deal with the cards we’re dealt.”

  They drove the rest of the way back to the hotel in silence. By the time they pulled into the hotel parking lot, MacMurphy had moved beyond his initial despair and was fully focused on turning this unfortunate event to his advantage.

  They locked most of the guns and ammo in the rear of the Land Cruiser, taking only the handguns with them, and then returned to their rooms to change into more comfortable clothes—shorts and tee shirts—before heading to Maggie’s room.

  Pouri and Maggie were also dressed comfortably in shorts and colorful blouses. Pouri was not wearing a hijab and MacMurphy could not help but notice how beautiful and well-coiffed her hair was. He also noticed she wasn’t wearing a bra under her flimsy silk blouse.

  Santos and MacMurphy settled into the two chairs beside the coffee table. Maggie sat at the desk, prepared to take notes, and Pouri sat on the side of the bed. Santos served coffee while MacMurphy started his briefing. His voice was dispassionate, setting out the facts exactly the way they happened.

  When he finished and focused on Pouri and said, “It’s important now to know for certain whether you’re with us or if you’re still considering things.”

  “No, I’ve made up my mind. As long as you agree to protect me and resettle my family in the United States when all of this is over and it’s safe to do so, I’m with you all the way.” She looked directly into his eyes without flinching.

  “We will do everything in our power to do that. You have my word on that,” said MacMurphy. He looked over at Santos and Maggie and they voiced their agreement.

  MacMurphy continued, “We have one and only one requirement for you now. You know what it is.”

  Pouri nodded, “Of course I do. I will do everything I can to help you locate and rescue Yasmin.”


  MacMurphy reached over and dropped the car keys and parking ticket into Pouri’s hand. “Then you are free to go. Your car is in the long-term lot at the airport. The space is written on the back of the ticket. I’m sure you can come up with some story to explain your delayed return.”

  “I don’t even think I’ve been missed. But I can come up with an excuse. Don’t worry.”

  Maggie said, “What about commo?”

  MacMurphy said, “Pouri, we don’t have time to give you an elaborate clandestine communications plan just yet, so we are going to rely on throwaway phones for the time being. Maggie, you’ll be Pouri’s main point of contact. Give her your phone number. Pouri, purchase a prepaid phone as soon as you can and notify Maggie. Even if you don’t have information to report, work out a schedule with Maggie to call her at least once every few days, just so we know everything’s okay with you. Understood?”

  They both nodded.

  MacMurphy said, “Good, now let’s get some sleep. We’ve got to start back at ground zero tomorrow. Let’s all think about that.”

  He stood up and reached out his arms to Pouri to say goodbye. She slid off the bed and embraced him warmly. “Good luck, Pouri. And thanks again for all of your help.”

  She gave him an extra squeeze and he could feel the softness of her breasts against his chest. Then she pushed back gently and looked up into his eyes. “Just get Yasmin back safely. That is all I ask.”

  CHAPTER 44

  Pouri left the hotel early in the morning. She took a cab to the airport, retrieved her car, and returned to her apartment to pack. She then drove to the airport, turned in the rental car, and took an afternoon flight back to Tehran.

  Santos, Maggie, and MacMurphy met in the hotel coffee shop for a late breakfast and to discuss their next steps.

  “All I can say is thank god we still have Kashmiri and our link to Walid Nassar,” said MacMurphy. “Walid should know where they’ve moved Yasmin. I’ll meet with Hadi later this morning and tell him to meet with Nabil and put him on it.”