Chapter 10

Betrayal

Arya and Jai landed in France with little time to spare. They rented a car under a false name and began to drive to the rendezvous point. While they were on the plane, Auggie had researched the building and found out that it was a library with a recently installed metal detector. Everyone at the Domestic Protection Division was trying their hardest to keep it together for Annie's sake. Despite their worry and their fear, Annie's friends and coworkers knew that her safety depended on them remaining level-headed.

Part of the reason why Joan had decided to trust Carlos and to make the trade was that Carlos had shown that he was willing to play fair. Neither side would be able to bring weapons into the library because of the metal detector.

There was no way to get into the building and bypass the detector because it was heavily secured after a recent suicide bomb attempt took place in the library. Both sides were sure to have gunmen at the ready once they left the building, so Carlos and the DPD would each be able to leave the location without incident.

Joan wanted Carlos to think that she would be willing to trade Arya for Annie. Joan hoped she had convinced Carlos that she cared more about ensuring national security than she cared about Arya. If Carlos believed that Joan's top priority was to stop him from selling national secrets, then he wouldn't expect her to attempt to rescue Arya.

Only essential personnel had been allowed in the safe house where the whole plan was constructed. The only people privy to the trade that was about to take place had already passed a lie detector test ensuring that they were not the mole.

While her teams in France were trading Arya for Annie, Joan was preparing to leak false information to try to flush out the mole. Joan did not take betrayal lightly, and whoever was selling out the CIA was going to suffer.

The teams from the Domestic Protection Division arrived in France shortly after Arya and Jai did. Jai and Arya reached the library and parked a block away. They waited in the rental car and watched as the CIA men drove by and inconspicuously set themselves up around the perimeter of the library.

The second DPD team entered the library and scanned it for Carlos's men. The team broke off into four pairs with one more man acting as the team leader. Each pair was given a code name as was the leader. The leader contacted Jai and informed him that the library was clear of Carlos's men. The people inside all appeared to be civilians. Carlos was waiting for them on the second floor.

Jai and Arya then exited the car and walked towards the entrance. Arya's hands were shaking as they walked up the stairs, but she insisted that she was fine. They reached the second floor and saw Carlos standing in the corner of the empty room. Carlos pulled Annie out from behind one of the bookshelves and beckoned to Arya. "Send out Annie first." said Jai.

"On three have Arya come towards me, and I'll have Annie walk to you." countered Carlos. "One, two . . . three."

Annie and Arya slowly walked to opposite sides of the room. Jai caught Annie in his arms and hugged her tightly. "You're safe now." he assured her. She looked tired but no worse for wear.

Carlos grabbed Arya and kissed her passionately. "I've missed you, mi querida." he murmured.

Jai felt his blood boiling with anger as he glared at Carlos. "You won't get away with this." he growled.

"I already have." smirked Carlos.

Several security guards bust into the room, guns blazing. One of them ran towards Jai and leveled his handgun. "Don't move." he shouted in French. Another guard pulled Annie away from Jai, picked her up, and ran out.

Suddenly Jai understood: these men weren't really the library's security guards, they were working for Carlos.

At the same time, the members of the DPD team that were securing the library were ambushed by Carlos's men. The library was relatively empty, making the team easier to spot even though they were dressed like civilians.

The other team that had been waiting outside had been in contact with the first team and with Arya and Jai. Even when things started going wrong they remained at their posts. Joan had given them express orders not to interfere with the proceedings inside the library. This team had to focus on their own assignment.

Joan had only sent two teams to not be conspicuous, but her lack of manpower had its disadvantages. Each team member had to do his job, regardless of what was happening to his companions.

The second team was to follow Carlos and confirm that Waleed had given them good intel regarding his location. Although they wanted to help their teammates in the library, the DPD group followed their orders.

The "security guard" cracked Jai across the face with his gun, and Jai hit the ground hard. Once he was sure that Jai was out cold, the guard followed Carlos and Arya out of the room.

Security at the library had recently tightened, so the only conventional way in and out of the library was the front door. However, no one had thought to secure the windows on the second floor.

The bathroom window had been left ajar, and a rope was secured to the sink. After tying Annie's and Arya's hands behind their backs, Carlos nimbly climbed out of the window and down the rope. Carlos's men followed next with Annie and Arya.

They quickly walked to the cars that had been parked behind the building. One man sat with Annie and Arya in the back seat while Carlos took the wheel. The remaining men entered the second car, and the two vehicles drove away.

The CIA pair assigned to monitor the back of the library radioed in. "This is Delta to Control. The subjects have been spotted leaving the building in two blue Honda Accords. License plates J46672 and RP703L."

"Delta this is Control." came the response from the team leader. "You are to pursue the subjects with caution. Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie will head in your direction and you four pairs will alternate tailing the vehicles. Repeat. Pursue with caution."

Joan had been nervously pacing Auggie's office as they waited for a response from France. For once, Auggie had no snappy retort for Joan. The two let the unspoken yet recognized tension fill the room.

After an eternity of waiting, the team leader Eric Johnson finally called Joan. "He has them both." said Johnson tersely. "The Jackal got the drop on us at the library and he took Annie and Arya with him. We are in pursuit."

If Auggie had seen the look of despair on Joan's face he would have understood the whole story, but Auggie had to wait anxiously as Joan finished the call.

"So," he said hopefully, "Is Annie coming come?"

Her silence was answer enough.

Author's Note: I'm sorry for the delay. School has been insane (but that's what I get for taking too many

classes!) Your feedback is really important to me so please submit reviews!

Also, if anything about the storyline is not clear, let me know.