The Maverick Experiment (10 page)

She stretched and sat up for a moment. “Is everything OK?”

“Yes, it's fine, honey. It's just going to be easier to handle a few issues from the office. I love you, darling. Go back to sleep.”

Nancy, half awake, nodded and extended her cheek, wishing for another kiss. She received it and fell back asleep as the director walked out of the room and downstairs, where his agency vehicle was waiting for him.

Wednesday, January 27
Kabul, Afghanistan
Safe House
0831 Hrs (0001 Hrs DC)

Derek paced back and forth on the patio as he talked on the satellite phone. “I know. I miss you too, pumpkin. I should know soon how much longer we're going to be.”

“How is work going? Are you training or just supervising?”

“It's going well. We are doing a bit of both. Wish I was home with you instead.”

“I know. Me, too.”

Heidi knew not to ask more than basic questions about Derek's work, especially when he was away and on the phone. Still, if she didn't ask any questions, she felt as though she wasn't being a good wife.

“Oh, baby, before you get going, someone from work called yesterday,” she said. “Some woman. I guess they needed your help on something, I don't know, she didn't really say, but they were trying to track you down.”

“Huh. Did they say what they wanted or who they were?”

“No, just government. Nothing specific.”

“What did you tell them?”

“Nothing, really. I let them know you were out of town, and she just said OK and good-bye.”

“OK. Well, I don't know what to tell you. If they call back, let me know; otherwise, I'm sure it's nothing.”

“OK. Well, be safe, honey. I love you so much.”

“I will, baby. I love you so much. Thanks for staying up to talk to me.”

“Anything for you, baby. It was such a fun surprise to hear from you. Love you.
Muah
.”

“You too. Bye.”

Wednesday, January 27
Langley, Virginia
CIA Headquarters
0018 Hrs

The director walked down the hall to his office and into his reception area, where Jerry and Carlisle were already waiting. “Gentlemen, thanks for coming on short notice. Come on in.”

Carlisle stood and shook the director's hand before he and Jerry followed the director into his office.

“It's no problem at all.”

“Griggs, make sure anything coming into the Ops Center regarding Habib Rahman, Malawi Rafiq, or this incident with Agha Jan comes to me immediately. Do you want some coffee, guys?”

“Only if you are,” said Carlisle.

“Of course. Griggs, can you get us three cups of coffee, as well? Thanks.”

Griggs nodded. “I'll be right back with the coffee and will keep you informed as things develop in the Ops Center. How do you like your coffee, gentlemen?”

“Black is fine,” responded Carlisle before Griggs exited the room.

“So, Carlisle. Any word from our boys?”

“Heard from them when they arrived, but not today, sir.”

“Good, so they are there safe and sound. Jerry, I need to know if we had anything to do with this hit on Agha Jan so I can help cover our tracks.”

“We did, sir. I had Carlisle call it in to the team, and it appears as though they have successfully accomplished the mission. We have not heard from them, though.”

“Well, that's probably smart. OK, well look, I know this is new, and thus somewhat undefined. This is exactly what we talked about doing, and I support the mission completely, but while I don't need to know about every mission we plan and execute, try to keep me in the loop at least right after the fact so I can do damage control back here as best I can. I need to know how to deflect. I can't protect you guys if you don't let me know.”

“Understood,” replied Jerry. “We will be sure to inform you right after our missions.”

“Good. Carlisle, seems like you have a hell of a team. They have been there just over twenty-four hours, and we already have a relatively large-scale incident on our hands. Most importantly, no one has a clue about who did it. These guys are good. Now, having said that, I think we need to make a few moves here and get them out of there ASAP. Before you object, let me explain why.”

The director paused as Griggs reentered the room with coffee for the men and placed it on the table.

“Thanks, Griggs.”

“No problem, sir.”

The director waited for Griggs to exit the room before continuing. “We have a few issues that need to be addressed promptly. Issue one: The Brits were running this guy and are all spun up, thinking we did it. Now, Bell can deflect the attention for a while, because he honestly doesn't know that we did it. But apparently, the Brits are peeved and, at least initially, do not seem like they will let this go. The second issue is two-pronged. It appears that NDS wrapped up a man named Habib Rahman the other day and he is considered to be a gem, maybe Malawi Rafiq's right-hand man. Are you aware of this?”

Carlisle shook his head. “No, sir, we were aware of Agha Jan's supposed connections to Rafiq, but I am not aware of this detainee. Perhaps we know him as someone else? Maybe under an operational name?”

“I don't know, but station is spinning on this, and both them and NSA are attempting to get everything they can. Chatter is indicating something might happen at the prison to secure his release.”

“Where is he now, sir?”

“He was just transferred to Pol-e-Charkhi prison.”

“Well that's good and bad for us. It's bad because he likely will be able to get out of there through some under-the-table dealings. However, the good thing is Derek was and is the agency's only channel into Pol-e-Charkhi. I am sure we can get our boys in there and get more information on this guy and his connection to Rafiq.”

“That's good. That brings me to the other part of the issue. Bell asked me directly to help him find Derek Stevens. They have already called his wife at home to ascertain his whereabouts. They want his help. So we are facing the fact that this guy has great intelligence that we need and the president needs, and the intelligence gets worse every second Rahman breathes and Rafiq moves. The next piece to it is that Rahman likely will be broken out or released in the short term. Now, we may have helped slow the release with Agha Jan not pulling his strings, but we can't afford to let this guy go. And finally, station is trying to get our team leader in country to help them, when he is already there, unbeknownst to them.”

Jerry piped in. “Sir, why don't we ask to have this character transferred up to Bagram, where we can interrogate him and eliminate the chance for his release?”

“We don't have anything on this guy. We'd be sending Bell in to ask a favor of Naser with no just reasoning. As sensitive as Naser is right now, especially with him thinking we killed Agha Jan, there is no way he'll sign off on it. It's not a viable option right now. And I don't know what station and NSA will get on him or if they will get it soon enough. We are in a time crunch, gentlemen, and the way I see it, we have the perfect solution. The one man in the agency who knows the prison and
has sources inside just so happens to be in country with our most sensitive and specialized team. If we don't remedy this situation soon, we will burn our team before it even returns home for the first time. They will keep looking for Agha Jan's killer and request Derek's assistance, so let's take the focus off Agha Jan and remove the need for Derek in Kabul.”

Carlisle set his coffee cup down as he leaned toward the director. “What are you suggesting, sir? We break him out?”

“I am suggesting you guys find a solution and make it work. Let me know when it's done.”

Carlisle and Jerry looked at each other with surprised expressions.

“Ah, sir,” Carlisle began slowly, “I realize we signed up to run an elite group that would accomplish the mission at all costs, but … are you sure you're willing to approve something so risky?”

The director gave Carlisle a tiny smile. “You think I don't know the potential for fallout here, Carlisle? This is why the unit was created, right? I only hope that in the end, the rewards outweigh the risks.

“Now, gentlemen, if you will excuse me, I am going to work on preparing some responses to cover your tracks from yesterday, and I suppose I'd better be prepared for what's to come in the next several days.” He smiled and sipped his coffee. “You guys are off to a good start. Have a good night.”

The men thanked the director and exited the room.

Wednesday, January 27
Pakistan
North Waziristan
1012 Hrs

Malawi Rafiq always had quite the entourage, and today was no exception. A mix of relatives, both close and those that could hardly be considered family, along with some key figures in his organization, clung to his side everywhere he went. Security for Rafiq was extremely important, because the list of those who wanted him dead seemed endless. He had been involved in more attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan in recent years than any other figure or organization, probably combined. Yet he somehow had been able to remain alive and seemingly uncatchable.

Rafiq sat with his crew in a compound, preaching to the men about the Quran and the necessity to rid the region of the
infidels from the West. Many of his listeners were unlearned, even illiterate. Rafiq, like other Taliban leaders, took advantage of this to put forth his own views of the Quran's teachings, many of which had nothing to do with what the majority of the world's Muslims believed.

“Today we pray for our friend and compatriot Agha Jan, who was murdered by the hands of American forces. They stormed his house and killed him and his family, including his wife. They did so with no regard for human life or concern for Muslim people. We will strike back for such an injustice and make them pay. We must also pray for our friend Habib Rahman, who was captured by the infidel's puppet, the Afghan government. But fear not, he will be back with us shortly.”

Wednesday, January 27
Kabul, Afghanistan
Safe House
1300 Hrs

Derek and the crew rested at the safe house, awaiting further instruction. They knew they would be tasked again, most likely before long, but since none of them were in Afghanistan officially, it was better not to risk much time out and about in town. Each member on the team had extensive experience abroad, and with Kabul being a vortex of sorts for field operators from all services, it was very possible that a run-in with old colleagues could occur, compromising their ability to pursue the next mission they might receive.

The team's encrypted satellite phone rang. The men stopped their conversation to stare at the phone as Derek answered it. “Yes, sir?”

“Derek, good work this week. You and your team have managed to stir up the hornet's nest quite a bit. But you aren't there to play nice, so well done.”

“Thank you, sir. I'll take that as a compliment.”

“Are you guys managing with the jet lag and time adjustment yet? I know we didn't give you much time,” laughed Carlisle.

“We're fine, sir. You chose us for a reason. We'll manage.”

“Good, because we have a high-priority target for you.”

“Sir, it sounds like we are becoming less of a tactical intelligence unit and more of a hit squad, if you don't mind me saying. Not that we have a problem with that.”

“I know. Listen, things have just been popping up, and you guys are the only ones there capable of pulling off this kind of stuff. We want you to be able to do both, and you will. We'll get you on track with some other missions soon. In the meantime, grab a pen.”

“Already have one, sir. Ready to copy.”

“The other day, I mentioned Malawi Rafiq to you. Do you remember him?”

“Of course. How could I not? We've been after him for years now. What's going on?”

“NDS picked up one of his guys. Apparently, a really big guy by the name of Habib Rahman. Ring a bell?”

“No.”

“No one seems to have anything on him, but the chatter we're getting indicates he is a big deal. Anyways, he was
arrested and brought to NDS, but a drug deal was done to get him to Pol-e-Charkhi, where getting him out would be more manageable. Now, I think you guys have perhaps slowed that process by your actions the other day, but even without Jan in the picture, I think there are other people with enough clout to swing a deal and secure his release. We are also now getting some chatter regarding an attack in Kabul. Don't be surprised if that attack includes a Ministry of Justice facility or even the prison itself. We saw it in Qandahar last year, and it could happen again. They want their boy out badly, and with the death of Jan, they have a reunion and revenge on their minds.”

Derek recalled that in the previous year the Taliban had worked with corrupt prison officials to plan a prison escape that had been initialized by a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device and help from within to free nearly a thousand detainees, most of whom had been Talibs. Several Ministry of Justice officers and innocent bystanders had been injured or killed in the incident. Not to mention the fact that it made the government of Afghanistan, and therefore American forces, look weak. If a hardened security structure such as the Qandahar prison couldn't be kept secure, what could? The psychological effect of the incident upon the citizens around the country had been a huge blow to the progress of the government.

“The other thing I should mention is that you are being sought right now by station to come to Kabul and assist in gaining intelligence from within the prison.”

“Of course, because no one else ever had the balls to go out there. I had to break several station policies to even initiate contact at the prison.”

“Precisely, and now your hard work is finally paying off and they want you. Funny how that works, huh? Before, you were just a contractor; now you're their only option on this case. Anyways, we will continue to deflect the attention from you as best we can. The boss is working on that himself, but between that and the Brits breathing down the chief of station's neck about Agha Jan, station is under a lot of pressure to perform right now. We don't have much time to eradicate all these problems and focus their attention elsewhere.”

“Wait a second, sir. Sorry, but why are the Brits so pissed at station?”

“They had an officer running Agha Jan. Apparently, they showed up moments after the mission was accomplished. So, good timing on your part on getting out of there. Needless to say, they are pissed off and blaming station.”

“So what is our objective?”

“I need you to work quickly to regain access to Pol-e-Charkhi and make this problem go away. Whatever that means. You are the only one who can do it.”

“Understood. What does 'quickly' mean? What is our time frame here?”

“Not sure. The chatter about an attack continues to increase, and I would guess that if that doesn't occur, there will be some resolution on his release within twenty-four to forty-eight hours, or at least we should assume so without any better intelligence.”

“Wow. OK, this is going to be difficult. We'll find a way to make it happen, though. Anything else, sir? I'll need to get on this right away.”

“No, that's it. Good hunting, Derek, and be safe.”

“Roger. We will be in touch.”

Derek set the phone down and called to the team, “Hey, guys, need you over here right now. Shafi, I need you, too.”

The men assembled around the patio table, which had become their de facto ops center. It was cold outside, but the patio had a covered area and the men preferred being out in the compound's courtyard rather than having their meetings indoors.

“OK, listen up. We just got really busy. I mean
really
busy. I am going to need everyone's input on this. Shafi, you chime in too, OK?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Here is the situation: Without getting into every detail this second, we have a guy named Habib Rahman that NDS arrested. He is one of Malawi Rafiq's top deputies, which somehow our glorious intelligence service failed to know about. We have nothing on him, other than signals intelligence, which is indicating either an attack plan to get him out or some type of under-the-table deal to outright release him. He is a big deal. Agha Jan had worked to get him to Pol-e-Charkhi prison, where he is now, so they could have an easier time springing him. Now that we sent Jan down for a dirt nap, we may have some more time, but boss said that chatter is indicating an attack in Kabul. With limited intelligence, we need to assume it's going to happen at the prison and that it could happen at any time. We are behind the eight ball here, guys. We need to get into the prison and either grab or eradicate this dude ASAP.”

“Well, you used to work there, right?” Carson said.

“Yes, Shafi and I ran some operations in there and have some contacts, I think. Shafi, does your neighbor Colonel Latif still work there?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Can he get me back in?”

“Yes, sir, I think so.”

“What are you thinking?” asked Randy.

“Well, I am thinking we are going to need some of those funds we have with us for sure. I need to get back in that prison and figure out where this guy is because this place is huge. It's like its own little city. That's step one. We can't go in there blind, or the guards and the detainees will dominate us. The problem is that Latif is the cell block commander for Block Two, and chances are Rahman is not there.”

Derek explained that Pol-e-Charkhi prison had several cell blocks, and although all of them had started with a specific type of detainee in mind, most were unorganized, and there was little rhyme or reason to a detainee's placement. The prison had Cell Blocks One, Two, Four, and Seven; Cell Block Zoon, which was intended for the worst detainees; and the Drug and Poppy Cell Block, which had been built by the British.

Grimes raised his hand as though in school. Derek looked at him with an odd grin and pointed. “Grimes?”

“Why don't we set up a meeting with Latif somewhere and get the story on this guy and which block he's in?”

Derek laughed again at the obvious. “Good thought. I knew you were here for a reason. OK, Shafi, call Latif. Tell him Mr. Derek is back in town and wants to meet with him, but to keep it quiet. Let's meet him at the king's tomb tonight. See if he can make it. No details over the phone about the other guy, just make sure he can be there. Guys, in the meantime, I'm going to draw up the best sketch I can of this compound, and I want you to start working on the ingress and egress plan. We
will shoot to move tomorrow night and hope it's not too late. Even that is pushing it, but if we were to go today, it would get ugly fast. Randy, you come with me to the meeting.”

As Shafi called Latif, Derek began to sketch out the compound while the men looked over his shoulder. “OK, here is the deal. This place is pretty out in the open, and they have enhanced security quite a bit since I first started going there. It's going to be tough to approach without being noticed, but I think we can manage at night. The compound itself is a large square structure with about twenty- to twenty-five-foot stone walls. But before you get to those, there is a trench and a concertina wire fence all around the structure. Each corner of the main compound has a tower, with two additional towers above the main entrance housing heavy machine gunners. Inside, Cell Blocks One and Two are over here in their own walled-in structure, right near the commander's office. Latif sits here. Then inside of this large circle wall, which is also about twenty feet high, are Cell Blocks Four, Zoon, and Seven. The old Cell Block Three, the guard quarters, and the hospital are also inside the wall. The wings are designed such that this center round building is like a wheel and its spokes. They are all independent of each other, though. Finally, down here past the motor pool, construction, and storage area is the Drug and Poppy Cell Block. It's pretty damn secure and well built, I'll give the Brits that. This entrance up front is the only vehicle entrance. Staff members approach mostly from this side, near Pol-e-Charkhi village, while visitors and guests mostly approach from this side near Arzan Qimat, which, by the way, is where this handsome Afghan lives.” He pointed to Shafi, who had finished his call and was now listening in.

“You can use my home, sir. If you would like?”

“Thanks, buddy. We'll see. Guys, you work on that.”

“Sir,” Shafi said.

“Yes?”

“Latif said he is glad you are here and will meet you tonight.”

“Good. When?”

“Seven o 'clock, sir.”

“OK, good. Let's all work on this some more and reconvene in a while. Randy, come with me.”