Taking turns while they ate, Hardy and Special Agent Cruz spent ten minutes telling Dahlia everything they knew about the kidnapping. Hardy took the last bite of pancakes, set his fork on his empty plate and wiped his mouth with a napkin. “We need your help, Dahlia.” He opened a manila folder. Retrieving a photo, he handed it to Dahlia. “Do you recognize this man? His name is—”
“Ashar Yamadi,” replied Dahlia, snatching the photo. “Yes, I know him. I’ve been trying to find him for quite some time. He’s like a ghost. I can sense his presence, but I’ve never been able to get eyes on him. Do you think he had something to do with the kidnapping?”
“We do.” Cruz finished her meal and set her napkin on the table. “We have credible intelligence that points to him as a possible suspect; however, he’s eluded our best agencies.”
With Dahlia’s line of work in mind, Hardy carefully chose his next words. “We were hoping that with your contacts you might be able to track him down.”
Dahlia grinned, appreciating his efforts to be tactful. “As I said, I haven’t been able to find him.” She looked closer at the photo. “However, I might be able to rattle a few cages…” Her words trailed off, as the images of a few people came to her mind. She studied Hardy for a few moments, thinking of her next move. “If I do this and we find him, I want first crack. He’s a high value target. I know many people willing to pay a lot of money to see him dead.”
Hardy shook his head. “I can’t promise you that, Dahlia. Even though the top priority is Abby’s safety, if we have a chance to take Yamadi alive, that’s what we’re going to do.”
“Then, what’s in it for me?”
Her voice a little louder and not as pleasant, Cruz answered the question. “How about knowing you did the right thing, serving your country and saving innocent lives. Isn’t that enough for you?”
Dahlia’s jaw tightened and she lowered her head and glared at Cruz. Who the hell do you think you are, judging me? Not wanting the meeting to go down a negative path, she forced herself to relax, managing to give Cruz a quick smile. She pointed her finger at each of them. “That would be your job.”
Hardy saw Cruz open her mouth to speak and was concerned her words were not going to be helpful. “Please, Dahlia, we could really use your expertise on this. You haven’t met Abby.” He pointed his finger across the table. “We have…she’s a great kid with a bright future, regardless of whose daughter she is.”
Dahlia stared at Hardy for several seconds before glancing at Cruz. Her eyes settling on Hardy again, Dahlia analyzed the situation. She was an assassin, who was paid to kill people. More specifically, she was paid to kill terrorists. Yamadi’s death would bring her a large sum of money. She reminisced of her encounter with Hardy, two months earlier.
She and Hardy had fought to escape a warehouse filled with terrorists. He had saved her life and she had returned the favor. It was only a moment in time, but she had reveled in the excitement, being on the right side, fighting for good, fighting for her country.
Also, she liked Hardy. As soon as she laid eyes on him in the warehouse her intuition had kicked in, telling her he was an honorable man, who did the right thing no matter the cost. She wanted the money for taking down Yamadi, but a bigger part of her was eager to jump at the chance to once again work with Hardy and be part of a team.
Hardy felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He dug it out and looked at the screen; it was Charity. “Cherry, can you hold on a minute?” He concentrated his attention on Dahlia. “So, how about it? Are you in?”
Dahlia plucked the napkin from her lap and tossed it onto her plate. “I’ll see what I can do. There’s a man in New York I’ve been watching. He’s a good place to start. If I apply the right kind of pressure, I think he’ll crack.”
Hardy smiled before returning to his call. “What’s up, Cherry?”
“I’ve been going over the report from Director Burroughs and there seems to be a lack of information on the girl who was taken with Abigail. What do we know about her?”
“I’m sure the Secret Service has vetted her quite thoroughly, since she’s a friend of Abby’s. Why?”
“I’m just trying to see this situation from different angles, I guess. I’m having a hard time coming to grips with why those girls were where they were—a ski run off limits to everyone.”
Hardy had been thinking the same thing. It did not add up in his mind. Why would Abby ditch her security detail and go off the reservation? Sure, she’s a teenager, and teenagers are prone to breaking the rules. But, that’s not the Abby I know. Hardy could not make sense of it. Abigail’s behavior was out of character. “What about the girl’s parents?”
“That’s just it,” said Charity. “She’s a foreign exchange student from Egypt. I can’t find anything that says the host family was questioned. They might know something, some small detail that means nothing to them, but everything to us.”
“Wait a minute. She’s from Egypt? Yamadi’s from the same country.”
“I know. That’s what got me thinking about the girl.”
Hardy was mulling over the possibility the two being from Egypt was a fluke. He spotted Cruz and Dahlia out of the corner of his eye and formulated a plan. “It may just be a coincidence, but we need to check it out.”
“I agree.”
Hardy pictured Charity in her red skirt and high heels. “What are you wearing?”
“What…what do you mean?” She glanced downward. “The same thing I had on at the meeting. Why?”
“Change into some street clothes and meet me at the airport. You and I are going to visit the host family.”
“Me?” said Charity, her voice rising. “I’m not a field agent.”
“Today, you are, Cherry. I need someone else with me, picking up on the little things—facial cues, voice inflections—something I might miss.”
“What about Cruz?”
Hardy shifted his gaze toward Cruz. “She’s going to be busy. Just get ready and be at the airport. I’m leaving now.” He disconnected the call.
Cruz had been starting at him during his conversation. She motioned toward the phone he was slipping into his pocket. “What was that all about?”
“I’m heading back to D.C. to interview the host parents of Layla, the girl who was kidnapped with Abby. Charity found out she’s from the same country as Yamadi. We need to rule out every possibility.” Hardy stood and grabbed his leather jacket from the back of his chair. Swinging the jacket around, his slipped his arms inside the sleeves. He spoke to Dahlia. “Is that your Renegade, parked out front?”
Dahlia nodded her head.
“Good. You and Cruz see what you can find out here. I’m taking the SUV back to the airport.” He paused and glanced at the women. He remembered the tension between them. “Can I trust the two of you will not attack each other the minute I leave?”
Dahlia’s eyebrows turned downward. “Excuse me, but we’re both professionals.”
Cruz added her own chiding. “I think we’re capable of not letting our personal feelings get in the way of the mission.”
Pleased, Hardy held up his hands in front of his chest. “Glad to hear it.” Secretly, he had hoped his words would have sparked the response he received—the two women joining forces, even briefly, against him. He pointed at the remnants of their meal, while reaching for his wallet. “What do I owe you for this?”
Dahlia waved her hand at him. “Go, I’ve got it.”
Hardy nodded his head and spoke to Cruz. “Take care of yourself and call me as soon as you know something.”
“I will. The same goes for you, too.” She watched him walk away and out of the room, as Julio came in and approached the table.