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OMAR RETURNED TO the camp and parked the truck in the employee lot before letting Caleb know he had returned. Then he walked through camp to the director’s tent.
“Director La Pointe,” he called from outside the entrance. “It’s Omar.”
There was a long pause before she answered. “Yes?”
She sounded cross, as though he’d awakened her. He hoped he wasn’t mistaken about the assistant director. There’d be a steep price to pay for bothering the director without a sufficient reason. But what else could it be? He’d seen at least eight children in the building, maybe more. Perhaps he should have questioned Kadeem Hakim before coming to La Pointe.
It was too late now.
“I’m sorry to bother you, Director, but I think you need to hear this.”
“All right. Hold on a moment.” A minute later, Director La Pointe opened the door and walked outside. Her hair was mussed, and she had a most unhappy look on her face. She hugged her robe closer. “What is it?”
“I’ve discovered something disturbing that has to do with Assistant Director Hakim.”
“Well?” she said testily.
“Earlier this evening, I followed him and Doctor Dahmani to a remote village in the desert.”
“And?”
“While there, I conducted a brief reconnaissance and witnessed several children sleeping inside a crumbling building that had been destroyed in the war.” He paused, letting her come to her own conclusion about the missing children.
The director narrowed her eyes. “Are you implying that our own assistant director is responsible for the abductions?”
Should he tell her his suspicions? If Omar was wrong, he’d surely be fired for casting doubt on an employee of the camp. But what if he was right?
“I don’t know for certain, but it seems to be the only conclusion. I thought it best to bring this information to you first.”
“I can’t believe Kadeem has anything to do—” She stopped midsentence. “You know, Omar, if you’re right about this and those are the missing children from the camp, then perhaps this nightmare is finally over.”
“I hope so, Director.”
“Is there anything else I need to know?”
The director’s eyes had an unnerving quality to them—as though Omar was facing down a feral lion.
“In the room next to where the children were sleeping, Doctor Dahmani was tending to another woman who appeared to have been wounded. Ahmed’s brother Yusuf was there, as well. I didn’t recognize the woman, but it appeared that the assistant director knew who she was.”
“What did she look like?”
“Mid- to late thirties and shoulder-length dark hair. She was dressed in western clothing.”
“Ava Yardley,” La Pointe said quietly, as though to herself. “You said the doctor was tending to the woman’s wounds. Was she badly hurt?”
“She was unconscious and receiving a transfusion, so I assume she had lost a lot of blood.”
“Thank you for the information, Omar. I need to make a phone call and then we must go to this camp.”
Omar shifted uncomfortably on his feet. “I was unable to draw any firm conclusions from what I saw. May I suggest questioning Assistant Director Hakim when he returns before going back to explore the village?”
“I value your advice, Omar. But I wonder if you might humor me? I’d like to go there and see for myself that the children are safe before I confront the assistant director.”
“What if Hakim is somehow connected to Izz Al-Din? Although security in the village appeared lax, the camp could be filled with landmines or other traps set by the terrorists. It would be foolish to attempt going back a second time without sufficient weapons and manpower. With your permission, I will contact my employer with this information to allow us to begin planning the operation immediately.”
She glanced at the insignia of the security company he worked for stitched across his pocket, and then at the telltale bulge of the shoulder holster underneath his jacket. “Your company provides different levels of security, does it not?”
“Yes, of course.”
“And protecting the camp director is one such level?”
Omar nodded.
“I’d like to get a sense of what we’re dealing with here. Whether these are, in fact, abductions, or whether there’s some innocent reason behind Kadeem and the doctor going to this village.”
“How do you mean to do this?”
“Much as I appreciate the initiative you showed in following the assistant director, I would like to call on some contacts I know to minimize wasting the organization’s resources.”
A look of surprise flickered across Omar’s face. “I understand, but my firm is experienced in these matters.”
“As are my contacts. I assume you have night vision capability in your bag of tricks?”
Omar nodded.
“As do my contacts. So, conceivably, we could get close enough to wherever this camp is without detection. Barring unforeseen circumstances, of course.”
“Yes, of course,” Omar said. “I did it myself. But it’s risky without proper planning.”
Director La Pointe gave him a sharp look. “I understand your concerns, Omar, and I will do my best to alleviate them. You just need to work with me.”
“This isn’t a good idea, Director.”
“Your objection is noted. But time is critical. If the assistant director has been taking children from this camp, following him now is our best opportunity to rescue them before something bad happens. With any luck, I’ll be able to identify the rest of the missing children while we’re there.”
The intensity in her eyes swayed him. Against his better judgment, he relented. “I’ll get the truck.”