Chapter 12

Agent 1 had gone to his office after the short interview with Sylvia. He didn't want to call it an interrogation, because it had been very civilized this time, and he hoped it could stay like this.

He was sitting behind his desk and the first thing he did, was sending Agent 8 an E-mail with information about Sofia that he had received from Sylvia. He wrote her that Sofia could maybe have said that she had done a crime during her polygraph, because she had stolen a perfume bottle not so long ago. He also wrote her about the rent money Sofia was paying Sylvia, and that she had to check this with her and try to find out where that money was coming from, because the information from Sofia's bank that they had, didn't mention a withdrawal of this amount every month.

When he was finished with this, he logged in on a secure network and used the inter-agency database to check on Ravid Mesika. Like he already had suspected, he got a hit on him when the database of the Mossad was being checked.

He clicked on the link and a box opened up that asked him for an Alpha-5 password. Well, he had Alpha-3 clearance, so he typed in his password and got access to the file. He went over the data on his screen and read that Ravid was involved with the anti-terrorist division of his agency. However, his current activities couldn't be retrieved because he was on an undercover mission and for security reasons, the mission was classified. If Agent 1 wanted, he could always ask for it by an inter-agency request, but he decided that he didn't need to know it. The fact that he was a Mossad agent was information enough for him.

Nevertheless, Agent 1 did check his service record for the period that he knew that Sylvia had some contact with him. And he noticed that Ravid had been on a detachment with the 'Direction de la Protection de la Sécurité et de la Défense' (DPSD) in France from February 1994 until April 2006.

"Hmm," Agent 1 let out while thinking. He took the file of Sylvia and checked something to make sure he wasn't wrong.

"So, he was in France until Sylvia's parents died in that car accident," he said to himself.

His mind went into overdrive, and he quickly went over the information he had until now. It seemed like this 'friend' of Sylvia's dad worked for the DPSD or was at least affiliated with them. He wondered if the girl's dad had known this? Or, if Ravid had also been on an undercover mission at that time? And if so, was Sylvia's dad maybe involved with something illegal?

He tried to find a picture of Ravid, but there were none included in the electronic file about him, probably because of his undercover work of course.

Agent 1 decided to make a request for more information about Ravid's work in France, and he sent it by a secure connection to the DPSD and the Mossad. Maybe it could shed some light on things about Sylvia and her parents.

Agent 1 was about to close the connection, when he thought about something else. He cleared all fields and then typed in: Charles Dumond.

The program started to connect to all linked agencies again and went over them one by one. When it had already skipped the Mossad and France database, Agent 1 thought it wouldn't give him any information. He was about the cancel his request when suddenly he got a hit on the CIA database.

Agent 1's eyes opened wide! He clicked on the link and then a red box opened and showed. 'Information blocked, Alpha-1 clearance needed!'

"WHAT THE FUCK!" he let out in surprise. "Alpha-1 clearance!"

He had used this program so often before already, but this was the very first time he got a file that had been protected by a Head of State. Well, in this case, probably done by The President of the USA or someone in his staff.

Agent 1 thought about his options and then decided to call The Colonel.

"Hello," he heard through the receiver.

"Colonel, it's Agent 1!"

"Yes?!"

"I need your help with something! I just did a search on Sylvia's dad and got a hit on him in the database of the CIA. However, it has been blocked at an Alpha-1 level."

"ALPHA-1," The Colonel said somewhat surprised. "Hmm, why didn't we know this earlier?"

"I don't know sir, maybe nobody thought of checking on her parents because they have been killed in a car accident."

The Colonel let out a grunt and asked with some annoyance in his voice, "Is there a case number mentioned?"

Agent 1 checked on his screen and found the file number, it was 'AX5-042006'.

"Yes, Sir, it is file number Alpha X-ray five dash zero four two zero zero six. It's linked to the database of the CIA."

"Okay," The Colonel said, "I'll give them a call and get back to you!"

"Thanks, Sir!" Agent 1 said.

Agent 1 heard a click in his receiver, what told him that The Colonel had broken the connection.

While Agent 1 waited for The Colonel to call him back, he took the files of the other girls at hand and did a check on all the girls' parents. However, on all the other names he didn't get a hit, not even on the name of Sylvia's mother.

Agent 1 was about to get up from his desk when his phone rang.

"Agent I1," he said when he picked up the phone.

"Sir, The Colonel asks for your presence in his office," a woman's voice said to him.

"I'm on my way," he answered back and laid the receiver down.

Before he stood up, he first disconnected from the network and then shut his PC down. When he walked out of his office, his own secretary looked surprised at him, and he said, "If somebody needs me, I'm with The Colonel."

"Yes, Sir," she answered.

He walked through the building and when he reached the front desk at The Colonel's office, the secretary sitting there said, "Go on in, Sir. He is waiting for you."

Agent 1 nodded his head at her and then walked through the open door into the office of The Colonel.

"Close the door, will you!" The Colonel said.

After Agent 1 had closed the door behind him, he walked up to the desk of The Colonel. The Colonel was sitting behind it and Agent 1 noticed that there was another person in the room. This guy stood behind The Colonel and to the right. Agent 1 was surprised that he didn't know this person.

"Please, sit down," The Colonel said to Agent 1 and gestured with his hand towards a comfortable leather sofa.

Agent 1 sat down on it and then looked at The Colonel. He wondered why this other guy, that he didn't know, was also here.

"I have been in contact with our friends in the States," The Colonel said. "They confirmed that this file you wanted to look at has been sealed since May 2006."

Agent 1 waited for a second and when The Colonel didn't say anything else, he asked, "And did they tell you anything about it or gave us access to it?"

"Well, I think our visitor can tell you more about it," The Colonel said and then looked at that other guy in the room.

"Agent I1," the guy said in a business like voice. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you this before, but they had asked me to keep this a secret for you guys. However, when you tried to access that file, they have given me permission to let you know that the file is already on its way to the base."

"On its way already?!" Agent 1 said somewhat surprised. "Why didn't they just sent it to us through our inter-agency computer network?"

"Because, this file isn't digitized for security reasons," the guy told Agent 1.

"Why is that?" Agent 1 asked.

"I don't know, they didn't tell me," the guy said. "I can only tell you that my superiors wanted to keep it a secret for you all, so you would treat this girl like you would treat all of your suspects. They wanted to be sure of certain things before they would let you see that file."

"Hmm," Agent 1 let out and looked somewhat annoyed with this. "And ... do they still want me to interrogate this girl?"

"Yes, Sir! Just treat here like any other girl and try to find out what she knows, and if she could be a threat to us! However, my superiors asked me if you could make sure that no permanent damage will be done to her!"

"Do they think that she is the girl we are after," Agent 1 asked.

The guy shuffled somewhat unease with his feet and then said, "They don't know, Sir."

"Can't you tell me anything about her?"

The guy looked very uneasy and then said, "No, Sir! However..." and then he stopped talking.

"Yes?!" Agent 1 said.

"I can't be sure of this," the guy said. "But I think my superiors hope that she isn't. Why? I can't tell you, but it is just a feeling I get from them."

Agent 1 pulled a face like he was in thought and then asked, "Well, I'll make sure she isn't hurt then. When do you think the file will be here?"

"It won't be for tomorrow, Sir, but if everything goes as planned, it should be here the day after tomorrow."

"Okay, so for tomorrow, I will do my usual thing," Agent 1 said.

"That would be best, Sir." the guy said.

"Are you military," Agent 1 asked the guy, because he kept calling him 'Sir' like military men would do.

"I have been," the guy said.

"Have been! So, what's your status now?"

"I can't tell you, Sir!"

"I understand," Agent 1 said. Well, he also couldn't tell others too much about the things he did. That's the bad part of being with black ops organizations. They even don't trust each other completely. And well, it's also because they want to make sure nobody they know could get in danger by what they do. That's also why Agent 1 was happy he never had married, and that he had no family anymore. The only people who meant something to him were fellow soldiers and colleagues, and they all knew the risk of being part of this organization.

"Is there anything else you wanted to know?" The Colonel asked Agent 1.

"I don't think so," Agent 1 said. "Maybe after I have seen the file." Agent 1 looked at the guy in the room and asked him, "Will you stay on base for a while?"

"Yes, Sir," the guy answered him, "I will be on base for a few days longer."

"Can I contact you directly if needed?"

The guy walked up to Agent 1 and gave him a note. On it was the number of his phone extension on base. "You can reach me there or my assistant if you have any questions, Sir."

"Okay, thanks."

"Well, if that's all, I'd better return to my office now. I still have a lot of work to do," the guy said and looked at both men.

"That's fine," The Colonel said. "I think we know enough for now."

"Okay ... Have a nice evening," the guy said. "And when the file arrives, I will bring it to you immediately."