Chapter Three
Canadian Intelligence Service Headquarters
Ottawa, Canada
Slayton waited until Jack had closed the door behind him, then gave Gilson an angry frown. “What are you doing? You just told me he’s not ready, and now you’re considering bringing him back?”
Gilson waved a dismissive hand. “You know he’s the right man for this job.”
“Is he?”
“Do you want your asset alive or dead?”
Slayton cocked his head. “Do I even need to answer that?”
“No, but you need to think about it. Jack can do this; I’m confident he can.”
“You said it yourself that he’s not ready. What has changed now?”
“Nothing has changed. Jack was going to come back sooner or later. Sooner is better.”
“Have you read his latest psychological assessment?” Slayton tapped one of the folders. He turned it around and slid it toward Gilson. “Jack doesn’t trust anyone. He doesn’t trust you.”
Gilson nodded slowly. He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. His eyebrows waggled, and he smirked. “Jack has always had trust issues. Difficult childhood. Then what happened with his family. He didn’t get a lot of support from his friends. It’s quite understandable.”
“Be that as it may, it’s not understandable—or acceptable—to bring him back and let him loose. Unchecked. Inside Iran.” Slayton shook his head. “It’s a disaster in the making.”
Gilson crossed his arms over his chest and gave Slayton an exasperated look. “So, what do you suggest?”
Slayton thought about it for a long moment. “The asset said she’s safe, for now. I’m assuming we have forty-eight hours, seventy-two at the most. Let’s make sure we do everything by the book, follow all protocols, assessments. I don’t want this to come and bite us in the backside.”
Gilson nodded. “I’ll have Jack go for a new assessment. If the shrink clears him for action, then he’s good to go.” He hesitated for a moment, then said, “But they’ll have to go in through Turkey.”
“Turkey? My section’s analysis determined Armenia offers the best chance of a successful extraction.”
Gilson’s face contorted in an expression of disbelief. “Armenia? Really? Did they take the war into account?”
“War?” Slayton cocked his head and waved a dismissive hand. “Small skirmishes along the border. The media is just blowing them out of proportion.”
The armed conflict had started, indeed, with small, yet violent, clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan about the disputed area of Nagorno-Karabakh. However, the area was so volatile that a tiny spark could inflame a regional war.
“Are they now?”
“Even if it’s true, the ‘war’ offers them great cover. The area is full of armed civilians, local and foreigners. No one would suspect that our team is there on a completely different mission.”
“Wishful thinking.” Gilson’s voice had the unmistakable tinge of scorn. “But even if it were so, an insertion through Armenia wouldn’t work for another reason. Two words. Travis Morgan.”
Slayton leaned back on his seat and shook his head. He crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Wasn’t that issue resolved?”
“It depends on who you ask. Morgan, he has no problem working with Jack. Jack, on the other hand…” Gilson shrugged. “Let’s just say there’s still bad blood running between them.”
“Does Jack blame him for what happened to his wife over the North Sea?”
“No, not for what happened, but for not helping after the incident. Jack wanted to leave no stone unturned to find his wife and daughter. Morgan, of course, offered all possible help, until it was clear they were gone. He did everything that was possible; everything he could. According to Jack, it wasn’t enough.”
“It’s never enough when you’re trying to find your loved ones.”
“He’s still looking for them,” Gilson said in a thoughtful tone. “I don’t think he’ll ever stop until he has seen the bodies with his own eyes.”
Slayton nodded and tipped his head toward the folder. “Even more important to make sure that Jack’s mind is in the right place.”
Gilson nodded. “Yes, we’ve already agreed on that.”
Slayton said, “He also needs to pass the physical performance and fitness. If he can’t shoot straight…”
“He’ll do well. I’m certain of that.”
“One last thing: Jack can’t go at this alone.”
Gilson frowned and shook his head. “Didn’t you just say that Jack has trust issues? How would he react to being partnered with one of your guys?”
Slayton returned the frown. “Jack will have to get used to working in a team. If he decides to become a loose cannon, we’ll need someone to rein him in.”
Gilson snorted. “Good luck with that.” He leaned closer to the table. “Look, Jack doesn’t have issues with obeying orders. But he has to be the team leader. Give Jack someone he will not mind working with. Someone he won’t consider a threat or a challenge.”
Slayton considered Gilson’s words. “There’s room for only one alpha male in the team. I get that. Any suggestions?”
“A new agent, someone who can learn from Jack’s experience. At the same time, your man can report to you whatever you want… Since you insist.”
Slayton nodded slowly. “I think I have the right person.”
“Okay. Now, let’s bring Jack in and up to speed.”
* * *
Jack was immersed in the report. Hijazi had left Tehran for the coastal town of Chalus on the Caspian Sea. If the agent had decided to leave the country, it was one of the best places to do so. The town was crowded with local visitors and foreign tourists; the sea’s shores touched four other countries: Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan—which also shared a border with Iran—Russia, and Kazakhstan. But Slayton suspected Hijazi had betrayed CIS and had turned to the Iranians. Did it happen in Chalus? Or was he promised safe passage outside the country in exchange for his cooperation?
Jack frowned because he couldn’t follow Hijazi’s logic. The Iranians were known to hang traitors, not allow them to freely leave the country. Is Hijazi giving the appearance of escaping? Could it be that the Iranians forced him to Chalus for a specific operation?
He shrugged and flipped to the next page. The asset’s name was Nusha Bhada. She worked as a technician at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant. It was a low-level position, but sometimes people in those situations were the easiest to recruit. They could fly under the radar, but still be able to access crucial data about Iran’s plans to build an atomic bomb. Iran had recently returned to its bellicose stance toward the Western world. The United States, Canada, Israel, and a host of European countries believed that, if left to its own devices, Iran would have a fully functional nuclear bomb within a year.
The asset had provided critical intelligence about the latest shipment of enriched uranium to Iran. She had also given specific details about the design for integrating a nuclear payload on a ballistic missile, like the Shahab3. Bhada might be a low-level technician, but she was either excellent or had some great connections.
Jack hadn’t noticed when the boardroom’s door opened. Slayton stepped out and said, “Jack, you can come in now.”
He closed the report and stood up.
When he had returned to his seat, Gilson gave Jack a small smile and tilted his head toward the folders. “We’ve made a decision: You can lead the op to extract the asset.”
Jack’s face betrayed no emotions. He knew his return to the agency, especially to his old job in the field, would come at a steep price. He was waiting for the “but.”
“But you’ll have to pass all tests with flying colors,” Gilson said in a warning tone. “You’ll have to be in the finest shape before you can go.”
Jack nodded slowly. “Certainly, sir.”
“Oh, and one more thing,” Gilson said almost as an afterthought. “You’ll work with a partner, someone from the Gulf Region branch.”
Jack tried to stifle the frown appearing on his face. “Is that necessary?” he asked in a restrained tone.
“Absolutely,” Slayton replied in a tone that left no room for debate. “You can’t go there alone—”
“I usually work alone—”
“Not this time. A new start; new rules. You’ll still lead the team, but you’ll work with one of my people.”
“Your people?” Jack cocked his head toward Slayton and gave him a sideways glance.
“Someone who reports to me. That won’t be a problem, right?”
Jack shook his head. “No sir, no problem.”
“Good,” Slayton said.
Gilson pushed his chair away from the table. “Great, then. Pass those tests and get ready to leave ASAP.”
Jack’s eyes remained on Gilson’s face a moment longer. Jack could hardly believe this was happening, but his boss was known for making timely decisions. The clock was ticking, and there was no time to waste. “I will do that, sir.”
“I expect nothing less, Jack.” Gilson rested his hands on the table palms up, indicating the meeting was over.
Slayton gave Jack an unconvinced look, followed by an uncertain nod.
“Sir, I’ll prove to you this wasn’t a mistake,” Jack said in a firm, confident tone. He nodded at Gilson and stood up.
He walked through the hall with a steady gait. He was convinced he’d pass the physical tests without any issues. The marksmanship test would prove to be more difficult, but not impossible. The psychological assessment, on the other hand, would be a completely different matter.