The Istanbul Conspiracy

by Lynda Filler

  11

  Northern Syria, not far from the Turkish border

  “Zach, you didn’t really have to come with me.”

  “I know that, Rachel. I want to help. Luke told me to take a vacation after we tied up all those loose ends in Washington and buried them at sea.”

  “So, you call this a vacation?” Rachel laughed, and Zach blushed. Zach, his life, his aversion in the past to any relationship, was falling in love with this fearless woman.

  “You’re blushing! Haha.”

  “Shut up, Rachel.”

  The aid worker and her ex-military companion walked past hastily constructed canvas tents. Women and children huddled around campfires in a war-torn area near the border of Syria. Both were assigned to an NGO that desperately needed physical and financial support. They were here to help women and children abandoned by jihadists. Also, those who had escaped in the chaos of the last battle in the villages of Syria.

  “What will become of these women and children, Zach? The world has forgotten about them.”

  “All we can do if offer support and keep sending out the word to find their families and reunite them with loved ones.”

  “But Zach, these children are the product of ISIS rapists, torturers, and murderers. Do you think they will be accepted into the Yazidi communities? ISIS annihilated the men, stole the women, kept them as slaves, and sold them in the market squares. It’s a horrific crime against humanity and a race in particular.”

  Zach and Rachel had wandered to the outskirts of the camp area. Security was everywhere but not particularly well-armed. If a group of jihadists came back with rockets, everyone would die.

  It was the least romantic place in the world at the moment, but when Zach looked at the compassion in Rachel’s eyes, he felt something totally foreign to this battle-weary retired Navy SEAL. He knew she could feel it too.

  “I know you think I’m crazy, Zach, but you of all people know what happened to me on the battlefield.” She hesitated.

  “Those men who raped me, hurt me badly, not just physically. I know we’ve developed feelings of some sort.” She looked off into the distance, avoiding Zach’s eyes. “But I’m still so messed up both physically and emotionally. I don’t know if I will ever be right again.”

  “Are you telling me that the guy who led a team into the desert, risked his entire military career to revenge your attack by killing the team who assaulted you, can’t even get a hug?”

  Rachel wiped her tears and started to laugh.

  “We’re quite the weird couple, Zach.”

  “Yes. Now, before I do something you might not like, let me tell you about the kid in Istanbul. We are taking the Toyota truck through the border, here.” Zach pulled out the map and showed her the route.

  “By the time we get here,” he pointed out a town on the other side in Turkey, “cell reception will be on, and we can connect with RB and see what’s up. Let’s grab our stuff, and I’ll fill you in on what went down last year with the Turk.”

  The border turned out to be slightly more complicated than they first thought. But Rachel spoke Turkish, and they had their NGO paperwork and special passports provided by Luke Raven. They also had current visas for the countries that they might need to escape to if things got nasty in Syria. A military commander, and several occupied tanks all pointed towards their vehicle. Ten Turkish Special Forces members conversed with border personnel. A non-military car carrying a woman and a man, who were both ex-US Special Forces, was not a daily occurrence at the Oncupinar Border Gate at Kilis between Syria and Turkey. Phone calls had to be made. After two hours, they let them through.

  “We should hit Istanbul by 19:00. We’re safe on this route. The border guards were told to radio through our itinerary and give us any help we need, Zach. Your friend really does have contacts all over the world.”

  Just the same, the two Raven Group operatives knew they were being monitored. Whenever they talked about anything tactical, Zach pulled out a miniature jamming device.

  “Yes. We’ve got service now, so RB sent through our hotel reservations. We’re staying at the Intercontinental in Taksim.” Rachel looked at Zach strangely, as he put his fingers to his lips.

  “Good. I know Istanbul and Google Maps will be working once we get closer to the major cities. Now tell me what to expect when we get there.”

  “You know, I’m tired of all the driving. Let’s get off at the first exit and grab a Turkish tea. I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to some R & R at the best hotel in all of Istanbul. Do you like Turkish food?”

  “Yes, absolutely. I always start with baklava and that creamy thick ice-cream that Turkey is known for! Then I have my main course.”

  Of course, how could she be so stupid? The military would have left a bug tracked by a satellite. Ankara or Istanbul would be very curious about their unique visitors and their real purpose in Turkey. They would have to be very careful about everything they said in the car.

  They drove past abandoned structures, destroyed by bombs fired from the other side of the Syrian border. Turkey had its own issues with Syrian terrorists. Then they came to miles of tents set up to house hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees.

  “Zach, do you know that Turkey has taken in almost 4 million Syrian refugees? Imagine. That’s millions of people who arrived in the country with no way of making a living that has to be housed, fed, taken care of, many wounded emotionally and physically, and children that need to be schooled. I don’t know how they do it. The country only has a population of 80 million people.”

  “The global community kicked in funds. But money alone can’t make it work if a country doesn’t want refugees.” Zach thought about the recent crises at the US borders. “Tell me again how inhumane Islam is?”

  “It really makes one wonder about the propaganda that shows up online. I think the world needs more people to spread the positive news instead of the crappy things humans do to each other.”

  Rachel had her own demons.

  “What can one say in the face of such a tremendous humanitarian crisis? Do we let them die?”

  They drove through the day and turned on their Turkcell service on the outskirts of Istanbul. Rachel caught up on the latest news.

  “Listen to this Zach: Turkish security forces captured 20 Daesh suspects in countrywide operations, two suspected of plotting terror acts in the country, Turkish Interior Minister said on Saturday. It never stops, does it?”

  “No. Rachel, I’m pulling over so you can drive now. Let me check my messages to get the directions to the Intercontinental.”

  “No problem. Look at the glow from the setting sun over the Mosques in this city. It’s so amazing. Let me check something.”

  “Seriously, Rachel, are you taking cell phone photos?”

  “Yes, Zach! Wait. Did you know that there are 3,113 mosques in Istanbul alone? And over 82,693 in all of Turkey! I like to learn new things. You should try it!”

  “Okay, Rachel. Let’s go get coffee.” The gas station was bustling with truckers and early evening travelers. Neither one could resist the smell of fresh-baked Turkish pastries.

  “Istanbul is one of my favorite cities in the world, Zach. Did you ever spend time here?”

  “Yes, but not for pleasure. It’s different visiting a city when your focus is on work.”

  “I spent a month after, well, after the things that happened to me in Afghanistan. They have exceptional hospitals and good people. I didn’t want to go back to the States. They’d never understand what I went through. I found the Muslims to be very kind, supportive.” References to Rachel’s past made Zach angry. He tried to keep his face neutral. But the atrocities of war never ceased to hurt his heart.

  He made a quick call to a number he’d memorized and listened to a voice mail explicitly left for him. The message and phone number would be deleted when he closed his phone. They began a thorough search of their vehicle and found a bug in the truck, carelessly place
d where it was easy to locate. They kept looking and found another one that was much better concealed but operational. After neutralizing both, they continued on their journey.

  “Your turn. I’ll watch the map.”

  He assumed his watchers would simply think their bug was out of range, or on the blink. After all, it would have been hastily placed and who knows how new it was or how long it sat at the border unused.

  Rachel put the car into gear and talked about her life. “I actually joined a woman’s group and studied the Quran.”

  “Really?” Zach was intrigued. “Did I mention that even though I was born in Israel, my parents were Messianic Jews, Christians. Both professors. My father taught religion. So, I remember listening to him read the Quran when I was four, maybe five years old.”

  Rachel turned to Zach. “I don’t remember my father at all. He was in the military and always deployed.”

  “Hmm.”

  “What’s up, Zach? Rachel kept her eyes on the road, both front and back. It didn’t appear that they were being followed.

  “Do you suppose they have eyes on us?”

  “Yes. It’s quite possible. The guards kept us at the border for two hours, enough time to set up surveillance. It could be someone in Ankara or more likely, Istanbul, so they can set a tail on us once we get there.”

  “Now that we are approaching the old city, here’s what we are going to do.” Zach double-checked his jamming device. “We’ll leave our truck at a long-term Otopark near Sultanahmet tramway. Then we will get lost in the crowds, and head towards the Metro. We will go in, pay our fare and circle back, come through the gate, make some quick physical changes, exit on the other side. RB says there’s a Starbucks in the area, and I need an American coffee. We make sure we aren’t being followed and take a taxi to our hotel. We’re registered under different names from the ones at border control.”

  12

  Istanbul—the Asian side estate, Turkey

  “RB, does the Turk know we still have the GPS on his phone?”

  “I might have forgotten to mention it. More than likely, the Turk’s aware of it and left it and blocks it when necessary. How’s the house, boss?”

  “It’s not my first time in Istanbul, but the Asian side is something else. This property is like the compound we once had in Whistler, up on a hill overlooking the entire city. Magnificent and extremely secure. Armed security. Flashy. We didn’t seem to attract much attention when we arrived. That’s good.”

  “Our office in Singapore won the security contract, so nothing to worry about there. Your Asian host is an Istanbul businessman, but he spends most of his time in Kuala Lumpur. Which brings me to my next item. My research is showing an unusual amount of traffic into Kuala Lumpur in the last six months. Do you remember those currency companies alerts we set up?”

  “Of course.”

  “Once you’re settled and have checked in with Yunus, I’ll have more for you.”

  “Right. And the co-ordinates for Yunus are?”

  “One second. Rachel and Zach hit the city limits late last night. He just texted me from his hotel. Where do you want me to tell him to meet you? I’ve determined where Yunus is and where he’s going. Check your messages.”

  Raven took a second to check the alert on his phone.

  “Tell Zach to meet us at the Security Office in the hospital. And don’t notify Yunus. In light of the events, we don’t know how secure his device is yet. We need answers, RB. Make sure everyone is on it.”

  “Yes. And boss?”

  “What RB?”

  “How’s Alice?” Luke could feel the smirk. He switched his cell to visual and caught RB laughing.

  “How long have you known about Amir?”

  “Who do you think did the original vetting for JP and Samaar?”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I’m no snitch. Sorry about Instagram, though. I should have caught that, but it’s still new. I love Alice. She’s a good girl, great instincts. Samaar brought her up properly, regardless of the life she has to lead. She’s got her mom’s smarts and athletic ability. Wait until she starts Krav Maga, Luke.”

  “Why am I always the last to know?”

  “Is that a rhetorical question?”

  Luke signed off. Samaar had changed into a conservative pair of black jeans, her handmade boots, and a dark tunic-length sweater. Luke noticed she had a large headscarf around her neck, prepared to cover up to enter a mosque or avoid cameras.

  “This way.” Samaar pointed to the back of the property. “We’re taking the helicopter. With the morning traffic, it will take too long to get to our location by car. I spoke with Zach. He got the message, and he and Rachel will be waiting for our arrival.”

  13

  Istanbul, Turkey

  Yunus grabbed a random taxi and gave directions to a shopping center. He entered the mall and exited on the north side. After a few blocks, Yunus established that there was no tail. Still, he would grab a Turkish coffee and check up on the office while casually watching for anyone who might have followed him.

  “Make it a double.” He paid and took a seat.

  He called the office. “What have you got?”

  “We’ve been over the cells you gave us. We’ve identified everything, broke the encryption. Bank accounts are strangely normal. It doesn’t make sense. Every Turkish politician has secrets. I did find one cryptic message on Sude’s father’s phone. We’re trying to figure it out.”

  “Wait. What did you just say?”

  “There’s a message, it’s not making any sense, yet I think it’s important for that reason.”

  Yunus couldn’t control his excitement.

  “That’s it!!!”

  “What?”

  “Cryptic.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “That’s how they did it. You said the Minister had a mistress, and you can’t find the funds, the trail. It’s in cryptocurrency!”

  “Of course. We should have seen that. It’s just that these old guys use lira. Their salaries, their payoffs are always in cash, USF, Euros or Turkish Lira. The old guys place them in safety deposit boxes or foreign banks. They don’t trust the new cryptocurrency” Cruz was annoyed and elated at the same time.

  “I would agree. But, ever since Iran made a deal with JCPOA, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, most payoffs to politicians and terrorist groups have been funneled through the cryptocurrency market. Once the Americans released the freeze on assets, they couldn’t take a chance on leaving that money in anything traceable. The government knows America and Russia are capable of following money trails.”

  Cruz waited, Yunus continued.

  “I browsed an article online yesterday about how important mining crypto-currency has become in Iran. They had to hide the released funds when they signed the non-proliferation treaty. It was only a matter of time before the US would freeze their assets again. It has never been an issue before, but now rumors are surfacing that they have billions in the crypto market.”

  “Got it. If you want to take dirty money, crypto is the way to go. We should have thought of that. We’ve been busy watching terrorist organizations and trafficking both drug and human, but what about our own crooked politicians? It should be part of our mission for the UN.” Cruz, so named for her love of all types of crosses, went into overdrive. She called out to the team to listen up.

  Yunus stopped. His mind was suddenly clear.

  “If there were someone on the inside, a traitor, a co-conspirator, he would most definitely take his payoffs in cryptocurrency. So that might eliminate the war-torn countries. They’re too busy staying alive. On the other hand, terrorist wars are financed by leadership run out of Iran. Get the team working in two ways. Look at the text messages on the phones. Find the incoming international messages that have been deleted but are traceable. These middle-aged politicos are not technical guys. They’ve never been trained to understand internet security. They would think
that their phones, which require passwords, are secure. So, if they’ve taken payoffs in crypto, they would have kept the hash codes in plain sight. Once we find the hash codes, we can trace them, and we find the traitors. We need those hash codes!”

  Cruz acknowledged.

  “Kuala Lumpur is the head of the international cryptocurrency market as we already know. Their laws are basically non-existent in this new form of banking. We need to figure this out fast. I have an awful feeling about the Turkish cabinet ministers—especially the ones that are left alive.”

  “It’s a good thing cell phones, videos and photos were prohibited at the wedding. The guests left alive forgot to retrieve their phones when they rushed to exit the yacht. We will get right on it. I have a friend in KL. We were in the military together, and we’ve stayed in touch. She never told me what she’s working on, but the process of elimination leads me to believe she’s in crypto, or intelligence—maybe both. I sent her the photo we uncovered.”

  “Good. Let’s keep this really tight, but I trust your instincts. Keep digging.”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “Let me know immediately when you hear back from your friend.”

  “I will Yunus. But I have one question.”

  “Yes?”

  “If the Minister of Defense took payoffs, why did they kill him?”

  “Maybe he didn’t take payoffs.”

  “Or, maybe it was a sloppy hit, and he was collateral damage.”

  “Contact your friend. We might never know.”

  Yunus took the balance of his coffee in one gulp, found a back exit from the shop, and quickly moved through the side streets and down a hill. Then he walked three blocks and took a random taxi. For the first time since the attack, he began to feel they were making headway.

  14

  Taksim, Istanbul

  Their Asian host had friends in very high places. After a brief conversation, their helicopter prepared to land on the roof of a private hospital in Taksim.

  “Look at all the people Luke.” Samaar pointed to the busy boulevard down below. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen this density of people shopping in Paris.” Wall-to-wall tourists and locals streamed out of the subway station and poured into Taksim Square.