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The Flight Attendant
Chapter Four
When she came too, John was still sitting there. She tried to collect her thoughts. “How, when” was all she could say.
“He was traveling back to the city from the mansion you had stayed at. As he went through a tunnel the car exploded. The French government believe it was a bomb planted on the car. They don’t believe it was in the road waiting for him.”
“Who, you?”
“No, I promise, it was not us. We aren’t sure whether it was the Israelis or the Iranians. Probably one of the two. You should probably rest for now. I have asked the doctor to give you something to help you sleep. I will be here when you are ready to leave.”
He stood up, patted her hand, and, in a spur of the moment decision, bent down and kissed her on the cheek. The doctor came in and he left.
Aya slept for most of the next two days. By the time her mind was clear again, she had made her decision. When John came to see her that day, she was ready to talk.
“How are you feeling?”
“Ready to get out of here. I have been thinking about everything since I arrived here. I have made a decision, and I hope you will respect it.”
“I sort of thought you would reevaluate everything after what had happened. If you want out, I will help you leave the company. I understand how hard this must be for you.”
She looked at him. How could he think like that? “The decision I have made is to become MORE active on your team. I am done just seducing men and leaving the rest of our team to do the dirty work. I am either in or out, completely. Understand? I will not let Andre die without the truth. Even if he was a bad man, I must know the truth.”
John sat and looked at her. He was surprised at this turn. He had always assumed she was doing what she wanted, and that she wanted nothing more. He would have to talk to his superiors, and more importantly, the team before he could let them risk their lives in her hands.
“That is a surprise. I thought you didn’t want the dirty work. I thought you were happy in your role.”
“My happiness blew up with the car. It may be time to get my hands dirty.”
“Okay, it would be safer for you to be with us, anyway. They want you dead for some reason, and you won’t be flying for a while until we find out why. Give me a day to talk to everyone, and I will get back to you.”
She agreed and he left. She spent the next day waiting for the decision. She knew someone wanted her dead, just like they wanted Andre dead. They may have gotten him, but she was aware now. If the company dumps her on the street, she will call her father. He would know how to handle this.
Her father had called the day she was brought into the clinic, but they hadn’t told her about it. He decided they were blocking him and showed up at the room. He knew enough to get the help he needed, and he wasn’t letting the company stop him from seeing his daughter.
She jumped off her bed when he came into the room and hugged him. “Dad, it is so good to see you. I have wanted to call you, but they took my phone.”
“I know, they tried to keep me from seeing you, but I have been in this business for too long. I’m sorry about Andre. I am not sure everything you have been told is the truth.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying, in this business, don’t trust anyone completely. Partners have turned on each other all the time.”
They sat and talked into the night. He kept sending whoever came into the room out. By the end of evening, he was ready to talk to her about her decision.
“Are you sure you want to move into a full agent status? If you do, it will be very difficult for you to ever leave.”
“You have survived all of these years.”
“Yes, but it cost me my marriage, and my relationship with you. If I had it to do over again, I would not do it. You never are really sure you are doing what is in the best interests of the country, or just some political hack. They can’t do anything with me now because they know I don’t have any interest in threatening them with anything. They have let me run the Paris branch quietly for the last ten years. I am nearing retirement, and the director owes me.” He called the director of the CIA and asked him to come to this location. After a couple of exchanges, he agreed.
An hour later, the Director of the CIA and his security team arrived at her room. John had arrived and was shocked to see the director walk into the room with her father. John had never met her father, but he certainly knew of him.
The Director looked at Aya. “Tom, here, tells me you want to be more active in your role. Is that correct?”
Aya looked at him, then her father, then John, and back to the director. “That is correct. I am getting older. This Mata Hari shit is not going to last much longer. I have two choices, move into a fuller role, or retire. I have decided I want to see this Andre investigation to the end.”
The director looked at her father, then her, and made a decision. He knew how good his friend Tom had been for nearly thirty years. He owed his life to Tom several times over. If Tom wanted this, he owed him this.
“Okay, I am good with your decision.” He turned to John and spoke. “You are to refresh her training quickly, and add her to your team, understand?”
“Understood, sir.” John nodded. The Director and Tom left the room, talking about old times.
John looked at her and shook his head. “You go right to the top, don’t you?”
“I’ve never pulled rank before, but I am going to find out who killed Andre, and I wasn’t letting a bureaucrat stop me.”
“Well, you’re in now. By the way, the team voted unanimously to welcome you aboard. The bureaucrats were still thinking about it. I guess they will find out soon enough. Now, let’s get you out of here so you can have dinner with your father tonight. We can start your refresher when he leaves.” He picked up her bag and they headed out.
Aya had dinner with her dad that night. She promised him she would leave the company as soon as she found out the truth. He was worried that they would never let her leave, but he didn’t see any reason to say that to her now.
They decided to have her move to Celia’s apartment. It would be easier to make secure and had enough room for Susan. It was decided she would be Aya’s bodyguard until this was over. John had to remind Susan not to kill anyone unless it was absolutely necessary. They didn’t want any problems with NYPD unless it was required. Andy put an elite security system in while Aya was refreshing her training. She worked on handtohand combat, surveillance, and a few other tricks she hadn’t needed since basic. Within two weeks, she was ready, and her apartment was ready. It was time to get to work.
They dropped the “John” code name for his real name, Paul. Paul had sent notice of Aya being ready up the chain and heard back from the Director.
They were ordered to headquarters for a meeting with the Director. They were shown into a conference room where they waited for whatever was next.
After several minutes, the Director came in with an unknown man. He addressed the team. “Let me introduce you to Mr. Moulin. He works for DSGI, which you know is the branch of the French secret service that deals with
terrorism. He is here to update you in Andre Bardot’s case.”
Moulin stood up, coughed, and began. “There are several things about Andre Bardot that needs to be cleared up. We also need your help, and your director has been kind enough to volunteer your team for a little assignment. The most important thing to know is, Andre was not selling French secrets to the Iranians. We set this up in order to catch Tehrani. You couldn’t follow Tehrani because we snatched him as soon as he exited the back of the café. As a point of interest, we knew you” pointing to Aya, “worked for the CIA. Andre knew it. Once you copied his computer files, we contacted the Director and brought him up to speed on our activities.”
Paul interrupted, “Which is why we were told to leave him alone.”
“Yes, we didn’t want you to get in the middle of our plan. Your lady was a perfect cover for Andre to be out and about showing her the town. We believed we had a few days before Iran knew he was captured. They must have figured it out immediately and went after Andre. He was preparing to disappear for a while the day he was killed. We didn’t believe they would think you (pointing to Aya) were anything but another of his girlfriends. We had no idea they might know who you really were until the attack on the plane. That is why I am here today, to fill you in on where we stand.”
The Director spoke. “This brings us to the second reason he is here. It is our turn on the Iranians.”
Moulin continued, “That is correct. We never had the piece of the puzzle they are looking for. However, it appears they may have found it somewhere else. That only leaves one more detail they need to be able to set off a nuclear bomb. We have had a tip from friends in Qatar they are preparing to buy the last piece in two days. We need to switch the real program with a copy that has a hidden flaw in it. If we are lucky, it may take them time to find the flaw.”
Paul held up his hand. “It sounds like you have this under control. Why bring us into this?”
The Director spoke up. “I can answer that. The flawed program is coming from us. We would prefer it does not get spread around. The DSGI believes it should not be anywhere in their company. They would prefer the US switches the program and retrieve the real program, since we already have it. We will then need to find out who had stolen it and plug the leak.”
Aya had been silent the entire time. She did not let her face betray anything she was thinking. She was relieved Andre was not a terrorist, but why couldn’t she have found this out before he died? She was angry at everyone and everything about this job. “So, Andre gets killed, I almost get killed, and now, we are being asked to clean up the mess.”
“Remember, the CIA is the one who got in the way. If you hadn’t interfered, Andre may have not been distracted and may still be alive. We are now faced with the facts as they are. How do we “clean up the mess” as you put it. Your director has decided he wants you to finish this, not us. I am giving you the pertinent facts.”
Paul got to business. “Okay, give us all the facts we need to do this.”
“Your director has the details. I am done here.” He stood up and left.
The Director pushed a file over the table to Paul. Here are the details of your assignment. Once everyone here has memorized this, give it back to my secretary. It must not leave the building. Understood?”
They nodded and the Director left the room. They sat there looking at each other. Paul opened the file and spread the contents out on the table.
“I guess we are going to Doha. Tomorrow. Do you speak Arabic, or Farci, Aya?”
“Not even close. I stayed mostly with the Germanic languages in school.”
“Fortunately, English is commonly used there, also.”
Paul looked at Bob. “You got this yet?”
Bob had been scanning the pages from front to back. He was almost to the end. “Not quite yet. Give me a couple more minutes.” Bob had a photographic memory. He would be able to have all the file down once he had read it. “Got it. We can go.”
They returned the file to the secretary and headed back to their office. They needed to formulate a plan. Paul and Bob huddled together for a couple of hours while the others waited. This was their method. Aya had never seen them work, so she had no idea what they were doing. The others were used to it and was relaxing or reading something.
Paul gathered everyone together. “The day after tomorrow, a Russian posing as a Ukrainian businessman visiting with American businessmen will check into the Mondrian Doha hotel in Doha, Qatar. He is using the common Ukrainian name Aleksandr Melnyk. He will meet with the Americans that evening. We have no idea who he is meeting with from Iran, or when the exchange will take place. Andy will need to find us his room number so we will be able to get in and exchange the programs before he meets the Iranians. No one must know we are there. We will be in a room booked by someone not connected with the company. They will tell us the room number when we arrive. Aya, we must get in and out without being detected, and since the Iranians know you, you can’t go. Susan, you will stay behind with her to make sure there isn’t another attempt on her.”
Susan started to protest, but Paul held up his hand. “No, we need her safe, and if you have to start pulling guns, we are already screwed.”
The next morning Paul, Andy, Bill, and Wayne took off for Qatar. Aya and Susan were in a foul mood. Aya wasn’t about to sit around while the boys did all the work. Susan wasn’t happy about it either. However, their mood improved significantly when a couple of men from the agency arrived to tell them they had a meeting with the Director. Susan asked Aya to help her with a broken strap in the bathroom.
When they were alone, Susan whispered, “These men aren’t from the agency. They used the code word for yesterday.” She handed Aya a small handgun. “Do you know how to use this?” Aya nodded. “Okay, whatever we do, we cannot both get in the back of the car. Just be ready to follow my lead.” Aya nodded and they came out of the bathroom. “Thanks for helping me with that strap. I can’t see the Director with a broken strap.”
Everyone went down to the car. When they got to it, it was not a standard agency car, but a car with bulletproof glass between the front and back.
“If you ladies will get in the back, we can go.”
Susan backed up. “No, I am claustrophobic of back seats. I need to sit in the front seat.”
“We were told to protect you, and we can’t do that unless you are in the bulletproof backseat.”
“Well, I am not getting into the back seat. If you want us to go, I will need to sit in the front.”
One of the men looked at the other, obviously annoyed at the interruption of their plan. Then he shrugged and the other man nodded. “Okay, if it will get us going, you can sit in the front.”
Aya got into the back, and while the man was going around to the other side of the back, she pulled the little gun out and put it under her purse. She was holding it toward the man.
Aya could not see what see what Susan was doing or hear her talking through the glass. Aya tapped on the glass and the driver opened the glass partially. Susan was talking up a storm about traffic, her problems, whatever. When he turned on a side street, Susan said, “Wrong way, asshole.” And shot him in the head. When she fired, Aya fired. The man beside her never knew what blew his kidneys apart.
The two women got out of the car and Susan called it in. They then stepped back into the shadows to wait for reinforcements.
A plumbing truck was there in twenty minutes. A couple of men got out, collected their guns, and sent them on their way. Another car pulled up with the correct password and took them to the agency.
They were put in a quiet room to wait out the decisionmakers determination. An hour past before a secretary came and collected them and took them to the Director’s office.
“Quick work, Susan. What tipped you off?”
“They had yesterday’s password.”
“They could have just been sloppy or forgetful.”
“Sloppy agents are dead agents as far as I am concerned.” Susan acted as if she had just stepped on a bug.
“It just happens, they were not ours. It is obvious, someone wants Aya badly. We can’t just play defense any longer. I have called in a friend to help us. He will be here tonight. There is an apartment in the building for just such occasions. I am putting you two there to get some sleep until he arrives.”
The secretary took them to the apartment. It was comfortable enough and had a stocked fridge. Susan had a couple beers with her sandwich and Aya had an okay glass of wine. They laid down in the bedrooms and went to sleep.
They were awakened around midnight. After getting dressed, they were directed back to the original room. The Director was there, and so was their friend from France, Moulin.
The Director pointed to a couple of chairs. “I have asked our friends at the DSGI to help us out here. Moulin is going to take you with him to France. We are going to try a little end around on this job. The French have been working on this, and you are to assist them in any way you can, understand?”
Aya was happy about this. It got her back in the game. She nodded. She could tell Susan was okay with it, also. They left with Moulin.
In the car to the airport, Moulin looked at them. “I am sorry for the way this has turned out, believe me. However, we can keep you safe and you may be able to help us with a few details we are working on.”
Aya was having none of it. “As safe as you kept Andre?” She could tell he winced at that but said nothing. They got on the plane and were in Paris by sunup.
They were taken to DSGI’s headquarters. It was a plain looking building in a quiet office park. Once inside, however, they could see this is a hub of activity.
Moulin took them to a conference room where they met a few of his team.
“Aleksandr Melnyk” landed in Doha later that night. He took a cab to the Mondrian Doha and checked in. He put his package in the safe in his room. He liked being an “Ukrainian”. They were popular now in the world with everyone except his home country of Russia. Since he spoke the language and had lived there before, he was familiar enough to pass without difficulty. He had set up a meeting with an American company trying to get in with the Ukrainian government. He was pretending to be a representative of that government. It gave him enough cover, and by the time they figured out that he was lying, he would be long gone. He also had a meeting with a representative of the Georgian government. That is where he would turn over what he had been given in Russia. He didn’t know what it was, and didn’t want to know. He was delivering a package, that was fine with him. It afforded him a couple of days in Doha. He loved Doha. There were always European and American tourists there. Those young girls always come to the Middle East for adventure, and he was perfectly happy to give them some. He knew the clubs and bars where they hang out. It should be easy to pick up a little entertainment for the night.
The middle east had an interesting point of view. It’s Muslim society and government provided a strict environment for the civilians. However, it’s abundance of oil had made a lot of millionaires that were not encumbered with any such restrictions. It also provided a place where rich “tourists”
could enjoy life under the umbrella of the same “understandings”. At least the men have broad coverage. Even tourist women had to be careful. Melnyk loved the night life here. This should be a fun couple of days.
Paul and his team landed shortly after Melnyk. They were met by their contact and taken to the same hotel. Their room was on the floor below Melnyk’s.
“We are told Melnyk is in room 2311. Andy, get working on cracking the door codes so we can get into his room later tonight. Hack into their security feeds so we can see when he leaves. We don’t know how long we will have in his room. We can assume his room has the same safe we do in ours. Work on cracking ours. That should save us some time. Bob, try to find out which American company he is here to see. Let’s get moving, we don’t have much time. The Iranians are supposed to be here tomorrow.”
Melnyk left his room around nine that night. It was early to go to the club he wanted, but he had time to pick up a few party favors from people he knew. You always need a little “lubricant” to help the reluctant or inebriated ladies.
By eleven, he was in his second club. The first had no European or American girls. He wanted tourists. The second club gave him a few possibilities. He sat at the bar, watching the girls come and go. He was looking for a couple of friends. When they are together, they are always more comfortable leaving with someone they never would at home. Their on “vacation” after all. By midnight he had the ones he wanted in mind. He had already talked to them a couple of times and had bought them a couple of drinks. By then, they had come by his table and talked to him a couple of times until he had finally convinced them it would be easier just sitting down and talking. Every time one had left, he carefully slipped his “lubricant” into the other’s drink. After he had doctored both of their drinks, it was easy to find out where their room was. He convinced them they would be safer at their room, instead of his room. He didn’t want any traces of them in his room.
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