Chapter 512

“Ben, deception time again,” I said as I picked up the phone.

I called the dispatcher at Andrews, “When is the next flight to Gitmo?” I asked.

“What do you need to go? There are no passenger flights this week except by special orders,” the dispatcher replied.

“A top secret flight carrying a terrorist passenger. There is to be no manifest.”

“That will take special orders for sure Ma-am,” the dispatcher replied.

“Special orders from whom?” I asked.

“There is a list. I will have to check with the duty officer. Who is requesting the flight?”

“Ambassador Jones, chairperson of the Terrorist Task Force,” I replied.

“I will need to call you back; number please?” he asked.

“202-555-1600,” I replied.

“Thank you Ma-am, I will call you back as soon as he can check,” he replied.

Less than five minutes later the dispatcher called back.

“Ma-am, Admiral Hawkins added you to the approval list. The additional instructions are that you need to call Rear Admiral Rawlins at JTF-GTMO and make reservations for your victim. His number and other information should be in your inbox. The plane will be ready by the time you get your prisoner here,” he replied.

“Marty, keep Balthazar bagged, have him carried straight to Andrews and send several agents to stay with him for a few days. Your agents do carry GO bags; don’t they?” I asked.

“If they don’t now, they will if they want to get assigned as a primary work team for you. There have been requests within the department to develop a primary anti terrorist team assigned to the task force. The sub-directors are viewing the proposal as an advanced level of on the job training plus being connected to the success of the Task Force as a career booster,” he replied.

“Get everything collected at the site, such as all phones and computers, here ASAP, let’s find out how Iran knew so much so fast. Expedite searches at their homes as quickly as possible,” I added.

“All records are to show this individual as Balthazar Khamini and no one else and scrub all references to Gazi Asfour for the time being,” I said loudly.

I closed the door to my office and called Robert, “Find me everything you can on Gazi Asfour and his connection to Iran.”

Then I called Ben-David and asked him to do the same thing. I knew there should be more information than what was on Interpol and I was equally sure if there was, Israel would have it.

It took twenty minutes to fill out the online authorizations for me to be able to use Gitmo’s facilities from now on. Nowhere was there a place to put a name for the individual, only a number.

A number, a contact person and department. A number would not give hackers any real information. I was issued a block of twenty five active numbers; it was another check to confuse potential hackers.

All twenty five were shown with cell block and cell numbers, dietary requirements, schedules for exercise yard, interrogation and medical appointments. Everything to make it look like I had 25 individuals there.

After I had completed everything, I began to wonder at what point would I know too much and need to look over my shoulder from within?

Administrations in Washington always seemed to leave a body or two of officials in one of the parks who died under mysterious circumstances or so called self inflicted wounds.

By the time I had finished, Balthazar was being loaded onto a plane that was being held because of the FBI agents who had no go-bags. Marty sent them to the mall across from Andrews, giving them thirty minutes to put together a go-bag.

In the middle of all the confusion, Andy sent me a text, “The fifteen man team; one is leaving for Polokwane tonight on general aviation. They are going to take rooms in the hotel of interest. Their first camera hunt is in 10 days which will give them plenty of time to gather area Intel. Real hunt in the preserve the same day the person of interest is expected to arrive. Gun club is supplying necessary hunting weapons.”

“Understood, thanks,” I replied.

Troy and the President walked in and motioned me into my office, “Do you want to explain to me what is going on? I thought we had Balthazar? Who is Gazi Asfour?” the President asked.

“One and the same, apparently an Iranian terrorist trainer on US soil or else a high level spy. We need time to find out the when, how and soon. Whatever you do, don’t acknowledge that we have him; just the two who I named. Balthazar is on his way to Gitmo to cool his heels while we thoroughly investigate him,” I said.

“Balthazar nor Gazi is not on any custody or detainment list in case the Iranians are hacking the system,” I added.