“I STILL DON’T see why I have to play Agent Nelson,” AJ protested. “Because VanCleave will be providing tactical direction from the bird’s eye position, I’ll be providing emergency egress, and Foster knows Agent Nelson is a dude because I was the one who rescued the roommate at Ponte’s apartment,” Kalen said.
“I’m not trained for this shit like you guys are. I’m a lab geek. Not a field operative. You’re crazy if you think I’ll be able to pull this off.”
“That didn’t seem to stop you at Chiarek Norse. You were a pro.”
“Beginner’s luck,” AJ whined.
“Enough. You can and you will do this. End of discussion,” Kalen said, sternly.
AJ looked at Albane, protesting, but she shook her head. The decision was final.
Kalen made a “gather round” gesture to the group with his hands and outlined the plan. “In all likelihood, Foster won’t approach until he sees our agent first. AJ, you should be seated with your back to the exterior hotel wall so you have good visibility and Foster can see you. We’ll text Foster that you’ll be wearing a black sport jacket with a blue pocket square. Make sure, AJ, that you maintain a clear line of sight with me at all times. I’ll be idling with the Ducati a half block away, ready to jump in, if the situation warrants.”
“What do I do if Ponte is with him?”
“Unless she crashes the party with a police escort, I don’t see her being a factor.”
“What if the goons from Ponte’s apartment show up?”
“If anything goes awry, anything at all, I can extract you within seconds. I’ll be on the Ducati, twenty-five yards away from your position with a clear line of sight. My visor will be up, and I’ll be pretending to flirt with Albane and showing off my bike like the testosterone-charged egomaniac that I am. You can signal me covertly by standing and saying ‘This meeting is over’ emphatically, or by saying the code words ‘Echo November.’
C. Remy will be the Coordinator for the op. We’ll be on open mikes. If we split up, rendezvous back here. The most important thing to remember is that if you can’t convince Foster to come with you willingly, then it is imperative that you mark him so we can track him. I will consider this meeting is a success even if the only thing you accomplish is tagging Foster,” Kalen said.
“The primary method for tagging Foster is to get him to accept this bug that looks like a USB memory stick. The bug is equipped with a thirty-day battery, microphone, and GPS transponder. I’ve loaded it with a subset of Foster’s medical files from Chiarek Norse. If he checks them, he’ll know we’re telling him the truth,” VanCleave explained. “As long as Foster has the USB key in his possession, we can track his movements.”
“What if he plugs it into a computer, but ditches it after he downloads the files?”
“The USB key is also equipped with a virus. If Foster plugs it into any computer with Internet access, I will be notified instantly, and bingo, we have his location.”
“What’s the backup tagging method?” AJ asked.
“The back up tagging method is for you to touch Foster’s shoe or pant leg with the tip of your shoe. I’ve applied a radioisotope marker to the toe of your right shoe. If you graze him, it will rub off and I can track him,” VanCleave said.
“What if I actually convince Foster to come with me? What then?” asked AJ.
“That’s the goal, AJ. The driver will pick you up in the Seven series and bring you both back to the nest.”
“Okay, so what do we do once we get this guy?”
“Silly boy . . . we interrogate him,” Kalen laughed.