Byrnes and Sandor shared another quick glance. “Removed by you?” Sandor asked.
“Of course not. I would have been happy to learn more from him as things moved forward but, unfortunately, time became extremely limited. Given the events that followed our meeting, I am certain Seyed is gone.”
Byrnes gave one of his thin-lipped looks of disapproval. “Before he was liquidated, what makes you think they didn’t force him to reveal the name of the person to whom he was passing information?”
Jaber grinned again. “Naturally, Mr. Byrnes, I have proceeded on the supposition that he was coerced into divulging precisely that. Which is why an attempt on my life was made and which is why, as a result of the ensuing explosion at my home, I am presumed dead by one and all. At least for the time being.”
“Which is also why,” Sandor continued the thought, “you are here.”
“As I said earlier, I have a personal reason for this defection. The motive, simply put, is that as long as I am believed dead and given a new identity, I can live out my years without fear of reprisal. If, however, it is learned that I am still alive, well, as you can imagine, that would be remarkably inconvenient for at least two governments.”
“Not to mention the IRGC.”
“Precisely.”
“And the members of your family still in Iran.”
Jaber conceded that point with a slow nod of his head. “Their safety is only secured at the moment by the belief that I am dead.”
“All of which means you are not really a defector.”
“Alas, in the technical sense, I must confess this is true. I concede that I have not suffered a change of heart or a shift in my allegiances.” Jaber smiled pleasantly. “Think of me instead as someone with information he is willing to trade in exchange for safe harbor.”
CHAPTER SIX
Sandor and Byrnes returned to the sanctuary of the smaller room for a private discussion. Although the entire mansion was regularly swept for audio bugs and surveillance devices, these soundproof spaces provided an additional measure of security.
“He’s a liar,” Sandor said as soon as the Deputy Director shut the door behind them.
Byrnes turned. They were standing face-to-face. “To what end?”
“I haven’t figured that out yet.”
“You don’t really believe he surrendered to us, put himself in our hands, merely to send us on some wild-goose chase.”
“I’m not sure.”
“Intelligence reports and satellite photos have confirmed the explosion in his neighborhood in Tehran. It was his house.”
“What about his story about the informant, this Seyed who reported to him?”
“Nothing on him yet. We have only the sketchiest intel on Seyed Asghari. A bit player. Nothing to indicate that he’s dead or that he’s involved in plans for an attack.”
Sandor shook his head. “Something about this just doesn’t feel right. He’s lying. Or at the very least he’s holding out on us.”
“I completely agree, at least with the latter view,” the DD replied calmly, “but if what he says is even half true, we need to track this lead as far as it takes us.”
“I know,” Sandor grudgingly admitted.
“If Iran is working with North Korea, it takes things to an entirely different level. The worst-kept secret in the Middle East has been Kim’s attempt to clone their Yongbyon nuclear reactor in the Syrian desert. If they’re getting in bed with Iran, we’re no longer discussing the militant subcultures of Al Qaeda or the IRGC.”
“Come on,” Sandor said. “You want to discuss poorly kept secrets, how about the fact that the IRGC is really state sponsored.”
“Of course. But in the past few years we’ve avoided a worldwide catastrophe by battling terrorist groups, even when we knew they were being covertly funded by unfriendly regimes. Now we’re confronting the possibility that paramilitary actions are being officially sanctioned by foreign governments.”
Sandor could not suppress a grin. “In other words, if you’ll allow me some of your Washington lingo, we’re talking about acts of war by sovereign nations.”
“Yes,” the DD conceded in what was little more than a whisper. “That is exactly what I’m saying.”
“So, whether it turns out to be bullshit or not…”
“We need to find out.” Byrnes finished the thought.
“I take it there’s more.”
Byrnes motioned to the armchairs and the two men sat. “We have independent sources confirming that there has been significant intelligence traffic between Iran and North Korea.” He went on to explain that SIGINT, or Signals Intelligence, had developed the information at the National Security Agency. Formerly working out of Fort Meade, and now located in new high-tech headquarters in Laurel, Maryland, the NSA had processed recent data convincing them, in Byrnes’s words, “that something is going on.” The stakes were raised when one of South Korea’s KCIA agents disappeared after reporting this activity.
“We have a highly placed source in North Korea,” Byrnes went on. “He’s deeply imbedded, but this is important enough that we’ll have to use him.”
“You mean risk his exposure.”
Byrnes nodded.
“So where do I start?”
“We need you to go there. Communications are difficult, but we have reason to believe our man on the inside can get you to the people in Kim’s administration most likely to be leading this sort of initiative.”
Sandor smiled again at the choice of words, then ran his hand through his hair. “Initiative,” he repeated.
“We’re going to set up a team of four agents. We’ve already chosen the others; you’ll lead.”
“A team? In North Korea? What happened to the old maxim about traveling swiftest who travels alone?”
“Not this time, Jordan. It’s too complicated and it’s too risky.”
“In other words, you want to quadruple your chances of someone actually making it through and making it out?”
“In a word, yes.”
“It’s good to feel loved.” Sandor sat back in the comfortable club chair. “North Korea? How the hell do we get inside? Better than that, how do we get home?”
“Getting in should not be a problem. The DPRK is allowing trade missions into the country to see the Arirang Festival.” When Sandor responded with a puzzled look, Byrnes said, “I’ll explain that later. The point is, you’ll go through China, on Canadian passports. You’ll be briefed, then you can meet with your team at the Farm.”
“But the idea of four of us entering the country at the same time?”
“I know, bad form. We just don’t have time to arrange it any better than this.”
“And if their immigration forces smell a rat and detain us when we enter Pyongyang?”
“Then we’re screwed.”
“Is that the royal ‘we’?”
Byrnes gave him a look that was all the response he was going to get.
“You haven’t answered my question about coming home.”
“We expect it to get a bit messy once you get inside and reach our source.”
“Which means we’re not getting out the way we go in, is that the bottom line?”
“Frankly, yes. We don’t anticipate you being able to acquire the information we need without some, uh…”
“Persuasion?”
The DD nodded. “Our man in Pyongyang has an escape route and some contingency plans. And you’ll likely need to improvise.”
“I’ll bet,” Sandor said, although he could not disguise the fact that he would be pleased to be back in action. “I take it Director Walsh has signed off on this.”