“That’s a stretch,” Deion said, “but it fits.”
“I agree,” Eric said. “It’s a working theory. So, FOB Wildcat was personal, something with Trevino. Koshen claimed Trevino killed his wife. Revenge is a damn good motivator.”
Nancy turned to him. “Who cares about his motivations? I just want to find him and kill him.”
Deion shrugged. “She’s got a point.”
“Maybe so,” Clark agreed. “What indication do we have that he’s not in Pakistan?”
“There’s been no chatter,” Karen said. “No intercepts. They’re talking about the bombing, and there’s chatter about this kid, Koshen, but nothing about Abdullah.”
Eric sighed. They lacked info. They had no idea whether he was still in Afghanistan, or what his next move might be. Drone overflights near the border showed how porous the Pakistan-Afghanistan border really was. If Abdullah was traveling light, or even alone, he would be impossible to track.
A quick motorcycle trip and Abdullah would be across the border in Pakistan where the ISI and AQ would shelter him. Or, he could still be in Afghanistan, in a hidey-hole carved into the mountains. Eric had seen the caves first hand, some dating back to the Soviet occupation, some dating back to the English occupation one hundred years earlier. No, if Abdullah went to ground in the mountains, there would be no finding him.
“Without any more to go on,” he said, “we have to assume he’s holed up. How’s security right now?”
Deion grunted. “Safety there is an illusion, man. You know that. The Army is stretched thin. There’s a joint op between the CIA and Delta looking for the bomber. Are we going to give up the intel? They’re working blind right now.”
“Give them the intel,” Nancy said. “We know it wasn’t targeted at the drone.” She glared at everyone around the table. “This is a JSOC problem, not an Office problem.”
“I disagree,” Eric said. “There’s no direct threat to the drone program, but what if he strikes again?”
Nancy frowned. “The purpose of the Office is to protect the country from threats that require action that no other agency can provide or has jurisdiction for. We can’t be everywhere. It’s not within our purview.”
Clark jumped in. “We all know the mission, Nancy, but what if he’s the next Bin Laden? What if we could stop him now? I’d say that falls within our purview. We should run it up the ladder.”
Eric could tell that Nancy wasn’t going to drop it. “Look, I’m the CO, so it’s my responsibility to take it to the Old Man. Thanks for your input. I’d like the room. Nancy, if you could stay?”
They left, single file, Deion giving him a long glance on the way out.
He was alone with Nancy, who sat facing him, not quite meeting his eye.
“You’re angry,” he said, “and I don’t know why.”
“Keeping me after school? You don’t agree with my assessment, so you’ll go to my father?” she spat out.
“That wasn’t why I kept you, but let’s start there. I don’t think it’s a good idea to drop Abdullah into JSOC’s hands. You do. That’s okay, we can disagree. The Old Man makes the decision. I’m taking it to him because while I may be the CO, he’s the Director. If you have a problem with your father, take it up with him.”
She leaned forward, her face red. “Wait, if it wasn’t that, then what the fuck do you want to talk to me about?”
“What happened at Bagram?” he asked.
“Bagram? We were attacked in Kandahar.”
“You did well in Kandahar. Do you know what the odds are of a few soldiers holding off an AQ attack like that? Even trained Special Forces? Burch and Simon weren’t prepared for anything like that, not even Deion. They’re spies, not soldiers. It should never have come to that.”
She glared at him. “So, that’s it? Deion told you?”
“He didn’t have to tell me. Why else would Rumple have pulled Delta? What did you say to him?”
“Nothing to justify that. He’s an asshole!”
“He may be,” Eric admitted, “but you pushed him.”
Nancy kicked back in her chair, face flushed. “Maybe I did.”
“You did or you didn’t. Which is it?”
She shrugged. Tears rolled from her eyes, and she rubbed at them. “You want me to say it? I pushed him. I shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t stop myself.”
He watched her lip tremble but he had no idea what to do. He was never good at dealing with female emotions. “You made a mistake. It’s okay.”
She sat up straight. “Do you think I’m crying because I’m sad? It’s a normal reaction to anger and stress. Do you know what I’m feeling? I’m pissed. Sometimes I do shit and I don’t know why. I’ve got anger problems, I try and keep it under control, but sometimes…. I don’t know why I let Rumple push my buttons. I wanted to put a bullet in his head. And then, after the combat, I was so horny I almost jumped Deion on the trip home. If his arm hadn’t been bandaged up, I would have fucked him silly in the back of the plane.”
That was more information than Eric expected. “I don’t even know how to respond to that.”
She leaned forward, grimacing. “Look, I know that’s a normal reaction, too. I mean, Deion’s not even my type. The anger and the sexual frustration, it’s all just after-effects from the firefight.” She continued rubbing at her eyes. “Since I’m baring my soul, might as well go all the way. Do you even know why you’re here?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, of all the Operators, why did my father pick you? You weren’t the best. Why you?”
Eric hated to admit it, but the thought had crossed his mind. “You know why?”
“I have my suspicions,” she said. “You think outside the box, sometimes. You don’t get personally involved in your missions. You’re committed and focused, but you’re also single.”
“My mother is still alive.”
“I don’t mean anything by this, but your Mom is gone. She’s a shell of the woman you knew.”
It was hard to hear, but she was right. “So, what, I’m here to take care of you?”
“Think about it. They needed an Operator, not necessarily the best, but someone who wouldn’t be tempted to use or abuse their power. They needed someone to watch over Frist. He idolizes you. How effective would his training be without that? And, you’re my type, Eric. You’re the kind of guy I’m attracted to, and my father knows that. You don’t think he’d have killed two birds with one stone? Come on, he practically gift-wrapped you and left you outside my door.”
“Stop right there,” he sputtered, “we work together, nothing more.”
She stood and walked around the table, sitting down in front of him, close enough that her leg rubbed his. He tried not to notice her scent, not of perfume, but of soap and skin, the fragrance intoxicating.
“You’re a man,” she said, matter-of-factly. “I could snap my fingers and you’d be servicing me before you had time to think.”
He considered that. “You’re wrong,” he lied.
“You’ve been here for months and you haven’t taken part in the hookup culture. I’d have heard about it.”
“Doc Barnwell just filled me in about that.”
“He give you the speech? No feelings? No catches? And you haven’t slept with anyone?”
“No.” He paused, then continued. “I think Karen is interested.”
Nancy laughed. “You should have taken her up on it. I’ve heard she’s damn good in the sack.”
“Doesn’t matter,” he said. “I’m not some high school kid looking to get laid in the back of his old man’s car. I have self-control.”