Kelly stared at the container long after his operations chief left the room. He knew he needed to get his scientists involved – and fast. He picked up the phone and contacted Langely.
“Yes Kelly here. I need to speak to Dr. Alivastos”
“Right away sir”, said the voice on the other end of the line.
“Hello”
“Hi Dean, it’s Bill”. Dean Alivastos was now heading the STAT group, and just the man Kelly needed. RDS was the brainchild of the STAT unit – perhaps Dean could make sense of the disturbing and incongruous findings.
“Holy shit Bill. I heard what happened. You okay?”
“No, not really Dean. Something just came up that I need you to look into?”
“What is it?”
“It’s a soil sample, taken from the scene.” Kelly proceeded to fill in the STAT director as to the relevant facts of the investigation. The reaction of his colleague did not serve to reassure him.
“C’mon Bill, I can’t believe it.”
“Well, believe it. It’s low-level stuff, but apparently it’s all over the place.”
“Can’t be. I don’t care how ‘low-level’. Anything that widespread is not trivial, and could not have penetrated RDS.”
“Dean, It’s there. There is no denying that fact. And I need you to figure out how it got there.”
“Bill, I’ll need to come down there. In the meantime, I need you to get the sample to someone.”
“No way Dean. This stays with us. I want everything run internally.”
“Bill, if this is what it looks like, then we’re going to have to move fast on this one.”
“What are you saying? Have Marty look into it.” Martin Lee was a top-notch nuclear physicist whom the agency maintained on the payroll.
“I’m saying we need help. Marty can’t do it alone. STAT just doesn’t have the resources to accomplish this in an abbreviated fashion. Besides, everyone here, including me, is convinced RDS is impenetrable. If you think there’s a leak in the system, you’d better get a fresh, independent opinion.”
“Who do you have in mind?”
“I’ll let you know when I get there. In the meantime Bill, get me the details on the contamination. It’s likely not as bad as you think.”
“Why is that Dean?” Kelly started to get the impression the STAT director just wasn’t getting it.
“Because I told you, I don’t think anything sizable could slip past us”
“Dean, I’ve checked the RDS data. It didn’t register a thing the eve of the assault. Why do you refuse to believe it’s not fallible!” Kelly typically deferred to his experts, but knew enough to be concerned. He could not remember the last time he had raised his voice to his lead scientist, but he couldn’t help but think a whole conspiracy was unfolding right before his very eyes.
Kelly took in a deep, relaxing breath, and in a controlled voice, continued on. “Dean, just come down here, alright. You’ll see for yourself.”
“I’m on my way”
Maybe Dean was right, Kelly thought to himself. Maybe he was getting unduly bent out of shape. After all, RDS underwent constant quality control and testing, and had a flawless performance record. But he simply could not reconcile the evidence before him otherwise. The implications of a chink in RDS were just too great to ignore. Kelly decided Dean was right about one thing – they did need a fresh mind to sort this out. And he had just the person in mind.
“Abul, I must know. What can the Americans discover about the material?” Ra’ed was furious at the inability to salvage all the containers. There was plenty more raw material at their disposal, but he was concerned in tipping off the Americans should their scientists learn of their remarkable discovery.
“Sayid, the material is not easily detected. It is not like others of its kind. Even if they do isolate it, the analysis will not be easy”.
Ra’ed needed to cut to the chase. It did not matter if the Americans discovered the material, or it’s potential. In fact, in some small measure he hoped they would. His enemies would shudder at the implications, and he only wished he could witness their horror at such a discovery. But there was an added risk here.
“Do you think they could learn to detect its presence?” That of course was the ultimate danger, that the detection systems of the Americans could be upgraded to detect their weapon.
“I do not think so Sayid”, the chief scientific advisor answered.
“You do not think so”, Ra’ed repeated, eyebrows raised suspiciously. He noticed his scientist squirm, but he did need a precise estimation of the risks involved. The scientist obliged.
“First, they cannot recover a significant amount of material for analysis, no matter how thoroughly they scavenge. Faarooq made sure of that when he emptied that container, which I might add will have no effect on the warrior. Underwater, the material degrades slowly, releasing sub-pathologic levels of radioactivity. Second, our substance is totally inert as long as it is stored in a vacuum, as we ourselves have discovered. You must not worry Ra’ed, the plan will proceed unimpeded. It is invisible”
“So you say Abul… so you say. But I do worry. You yourself do not understand how some of their sophisticated detection schemes operate. We will need to monitor the situation closely and be prepared to act quickly. If the Americans discover what it is they have in their midst, the situation could become tenuous.”
“What will you do then, Sayid?” Abul asked.
“Do not worry, I will have the matter under control.” Ra’ed knew he needed added intelligence on the ground. The Chechen fighter Azeez had with him had already disembarked and was in position. He would be used to spy on his enemy. They had to know if Kelly and his team were any closer to uncovering what it was their ship was carrying. Did they even know of the containers retrieved right under their noses? Material had contaminated the area – Faarooq had made that abundantly clear in his message to Azeez. Would the Americans be able to detect this leak beneath the ocean’s surface? He was told their isotope registers on standard equipment when oxidized, and material did escape the vacuum chamber within the container. While Ra’ed did not understand the nuances of the underlying science, he was beginning to suspect there were gaps in knowledge among his own scientists. Perhaps he could turn the recent events to his advantage, and make use of what the American scientists might uncover. It was a risky gambit, and timing would be critical. He would have to call upon the Chechen before his adversaries could learn too much. Yuri would fill the void in espionage left in the wake of the smuggling operation, for there were limits now to what Faarooq could uncover. The CIA surely suspected a double agent in their midst, and would be more careful moving forward. It was time for Faarooq to come home - this Bill Kelly was not one to underestimate.
Ben couldn’t believe it as he looked at the pictures from the Preditor drone. The video feed from the unmanned plane flying overhead the night of the Atlantic tragedy was quite revealing. They had been so preoccupied with the events aboard the freighter, that they hadn’t taken particular note of the other ships in the vicinity. The presence of a suspected reconnaissance and retrieval team nearby, presumably to salvage some of the cargo that had been thrown overboard, now demanded closer inspection of the video feed from that fateful evening. They would need to scrutinize all neighboring vessels. Ben continued the painstaking task of meticulously reviewing the data on his computer terminal. The agency had long utilized intelligent software to scan the voluminous data accrued from the numerous assets within the agency’s charge, but this case required human attention. With the probability of a traitor in their midst, Ben bore the brunt of this burden virtually single handedly. Few were entrusted to investigate the case. He, on the other hand, was considered immune, having been granted complete access to the sensitive intelligence. Ben was the analyst on the investigation.
After perusing the entire 12-hour window before and after the tragedy, Ben decided to rededicate his attention to one particular vessel of in
terest. He could direct the recording to hone in on this ship, providing special focus on one sector within range of the cameras. The minute by minute synopsis aboard the neighboring yacht, less than a thousand feet from the cargo freighter, was quite revealing.
"Now, what do we have here", Ben thought to himself, as he noted several men equipped with diving gear through the penetrating infrared cameras. He could see them collectively take to the seas within minutes of detonation. The evidence was incontrovertible; these men had been sent to retrieve the cargo Stevie had seen thrown overboard before the blast. There was no other explanation. Someone had anticipated the freighter’s discovery, and made special provisions.
Ben watched the screen carefully as events aboard the ship unfolded. As the men disappeared below the ocean's surface, the analyst maintained focus on the yacht.
"Now where did you suckers go?" he asked himself. He sped up the feed, hoping to see the divers surface. However, what he saw next shocked the analyst. For before him was a bright, luminescent stripe glowing like a beacon of hope through the infrared lenses. He reviewed the tape twice more just to be sure before calling his boss.
“Yes, Bill Kelly please. It’s Ben Goldberg”. Ben held the line for a minute or so before he heard Kelly’s voice.
“Hey Goldie, I’m a bit busy. Can this wait?” It clearly could not. Ben skipped the formalities and got right to the point.
“Bill, did you use IR tape the night of the operation?” Ben already knew the answer but wanted to double-check.
“Yes, why do you ask?” Kelly immediately dropped all pretense about getting off the line. He knew Ben’s style – he had called about something of paramount significance.
“You guys the only ones using it?” Ben asked.
“Are you reviewing the tapes again Goldie?”
“Yes. Bill, I found your ship. It’s quite a nice yacht actually. Equipped with diving gear, high-tech equipment, IR goggles, plenty of scumbags submerging just before the freighter blew, and…”
“And mysterious lead canisters retrieved from the ocean?” Kelly interjected hopefully. He had anticipated the presence of a retrieval team nearby, having found one lead container with a defective homing beacon. Sure enough, the surveillance cameras had spotted his adversaries not far away. But how many more of these containers were there? How much - of whatever it is they contained - might now make it through their borders? he wondered.
“Actually, no. I need to look at the tape again, but no, I can’t say for sure”, Ben responded. He could sense Kelly’s dejection, and hurriedly added “but I found something else of interest. I have one diver with infrared tape on his back. He was brought up alive Bill.”
“What! Jesus Christ Ben, who is it, can you tell?” Kelly spoke rapidly, the emotion in his voice conspicuous.
“Not from the shot I found – can’t see his face. Perhaps you might figure it out if you saw the image?”
“Maybe. Ben, you think that’s our mole?”
“Nah. There’s evidence of a struggle - a nice gash in his suit; can’t see his arms too clearly, but they seem to be in restraints. I don’t think he’s one of them Bill. I think they found him wading in the water after the ship blew. I do believe we’ve got ourselves a hostage situation.” The line went silent for a moment, affording Ben some time to contemplate how Kelly would react. Here was proof of how they had been bested once again, the operation breached to a degree no one ever imagined. But one member of their team long believed to be dead was potentially alive. That was perhaps the first positive news to come of the investigation thus far.
“Goldie - great work. Send me what I need, will you”. Kelly didn’t have time to sift through the entire feed from that evening, and required a condensed version from Ben.
“And find out what you can about the ship, where she might be now, and find my goddamn container too!” Ben could sense a glimmer of hope in Kelly’s voice, as the first tangible results of his analysis began to take shape.
Ra’ed found himself alone, reviewing the facts, doing some analysis of his own. Things were progressing well, but there was one item that continued to bother him. He still had little idea how the Americans had discovered the exact location of the ship well beyond their shores. Ra’ed had initially thought Salaam a traitor, but Faarooq had indicated otherwise. This concerned the Sayf Udeen chieftain. In this particular instance, Udeen had been prepared, having anticipated the possibility of a breach after penetrating the American radiodetection nets some 300 miles off shore. Reassuringly, that had not occurred, as the material could otherwise not have gotten so close to US soil. The Americans would never have risked a weapon in such close proximity had the RDS system accurately picked up on the signal. This meant his adversaries knew the ship was suspicious, perhaps just by virtue of Salaam’s presence, but they did not seem to have advance knowledge of the material on board. So again this begged the question – how did they learn of his Mustafah’s presence? What was the mysterious intelligence capability at play here?
One thing was certain – despite all they had learned through Faarooq, the totality of the American spy apparatus was still not fully within their grasp. In the absence of human assets, the discovery of Salaam and the ship spoke of GPS technology. But how did it work? How then was their ship discovered at the penultimate moment? These were the operative questions his organization had yet to uncover. He could not risk a future breach – one that might actually have an impact on their plans.
Despite Faarooq’s supreme abilities and inside knowledge, the solution to this puzzle seemed beyond his reach. But now Sayf Udeen had another source of intelligence; by the grace of Allah, one of the enemy had somehow, by sheer accident, been discovered during the recovery effort and was in their custody. This man could very well fill the intelligence void that existed. Azeez was given strict instructions – the interrogation of this man was to begin immediately.
Kelly felt invigorated as he hung up with his analyst. He was fairly certain which of his men might be alive. Three members of the amphibious assault team were still unaccounted for, but only C.J. was confirmed to have escaped the ship unharmed before she exploded. He was presumed to have perished from the fusillade of debris following the explosion, but it now seems he may have survived. He needed to look over the recording, thought briefly about getting A.J. involved, but then dismissed the idea. Kelly still did not know which of his operatives could be trusted. Even if A.J. were clean, he would surely galvanize the others to action to find and retrieve his fellow operative, particularly if it was indeed his brother on that surveillance video. Kelly might not be able to control the agents if a vigilante mentality prevailed; the time to tell his men was not yet at hand.
Kelly was already inundated with the multifarious aspects of the investigation, but priorities had now shifted. One of their own was captive, and they needed to find him - and fast. It was little more than 48 hours from the event; a yacht that size could not have gotten far. He immediately called Mack to arrange aerial surveillance of the region, enlarging the perimeter to ensure the boat could not cross the predetermined boundary without being spotted. Once they found the ship, he would hand pick a team and plan the rescue mission. There would be no intelligence breach this time, he determined. The CT chief rarely looked beyond the immediate objective, but could not help but relish getting his hands on these perpetrators.
Kelly wished he could pour more assets into the investigation, but felt somewhat constrained by the intelligence breach. He would have to limit key leads and intel to a select, trusted few. He also lamented not having HERMES placed in his field operatives now that he was facing a hostage situation. They had long ago considered, and rejected, having their men implanted with the device. Kelly was the first to stress the practicality of having a tracking mechanism in place for covert operatives at risk of capture by an enemy force, but the clandestine nature of the project meant it had to be done without the agent’s knowledge and consent. It would require a breach of t
rust he dared not cross.
But times were changing. The operation sea patrol debacle marked a watershed in the history of the agency and CTG in particular. Everything in Kelly’s power, no matter how many lines were blurred and how reprehensible his tactics might seem, would now be dedicated to this investigation. He fully intended to retrieve his captured operative, uncover the cause of the suspected radiation leak and breach in RDS, assess the overall risk of nuclear penetration, and bring the perpetrators of this fiasco to justice. The gloves were coming off.
Chapter 5
C.J. was growing desperate. Any hope of a rescue was quickly becoming dashed as he realized what was unfolding. They had apparently arrived at a rendezvous point, and would now be changing ships. He overheard the leader – he still did not know his name, but could identify him from his voice – who had indicated as much to his subordinates. This was bad news. C.J. was pinning his hopes on the fact that his comrades would track him down in time, and now it seemed time had ran out. He was well aware of their satellite assets, and surely this boat had invited scrutiny based on its proximity to the freighter at the time of the blast. CTG analysts would be surveying the footage from that evening, and it was only a matter of time before they would find the ship in which he was being held. Unfortunately, his captors seemed to have come to the same realization, and were taking the necessary precautions. The new vessel would surely be untraceable.
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