“That’s the same place he was operating from before. Not far from the Libyan town of Toummo.”
“Correct.”
“I’m real sorry we didn’t get him.”
Anders: “We are, too. And you’re going to regret it even more when you hear this.”
“What?”
“Remember the thumb drives you recovered from the tunnel? The ones belonging to the kidnappers?”
Crocker winced at the memory of following Farag into the concrete room, then nodded. “Yes.”
“Based on information we found on them, we believe that Alizadeh was working with Anaruz Mohammed the whole time. We think it’s possible he even had a hand in planning, directing, and financing Holly’s kidnapping.”
Crocker pictured the Iranian’s intense, falconlike eyes. “That evil bastard.”
“We also suspect he might have been behind the attack in Sebha.”
Crocker was fully alert now and ready to fight. “Son of a bitch!”
“Makes sense, doesn’t it?”
Sutter: “In a diabolical kind of way, yes.”
Anders: “He knew you and your men were in Libya looking for the Scorpion program WMDs, and he needed to either kill you or distract you.”
“Where is he now?”
“Somewhere, planning more attacks against the West, probably; looking for more ways to help his country build nuclear weapons. Where that is, specifically, I can’t say right now.”
“What about Anaruz Mohammed?”
“We expect the Iranians are still going to use him to forward their agenda in Libya and Niger. But he doesn’t have enough of a following to pose a political threat on his own.”
“That evil fucking Alizadeh has got to be stopped,” Crocker concluded.
Anders: “I wholeheartedly agree.”
Sutter: “What would you say if I said you could get another shot at him?”
Crocker leaned forward and said, “I’d love that, sir! I’d thoroughly welcome the opportunity.”
Anders: “Good. Very good.”
Sutter: “Pull your team together and come see me when you’re ready.”
Crocker: “How about first thing tomorrow morning, sir, right after PT?”
In his head he was already explaining to Holly that he had to leave to track down the man who had planned her kidnapping and had helped kill Brian. She was telling him that she’d miss him, but she wanted the bastard punished.
Sutter: “Eight a.m., Crocker. I’ll see you back here.”
“Very good, sir. See you then.”