9:50am Paris
Yvette walked up the road. This was her town. A place where she was supposed to relax and enjoy life. But faced with the busy market, she hesitated. She blinked as she studied the area carefully.
Any of the people here could be a threat.
But they could also be innocent.
Or somewhere in between the two thoughts.
Yvette felt so alone, the weight of the situation pressing in on her. In the past, she liked working solo. She didn't have to wonder about the actions of teammates or their safety and she could adjust plans if needed. But being on her own meant that if she was in trouble, no one was nearby to could save her. Every undercover knows can take only one mistake to get you killed.
Today could be that day for Yvette.
9:56 AM Paris, 3:56 AM USA
"Yvette's phone has stopped moving." Noah briefed the crew through their ear piece. He stared at the satellite footage which they had combined with the GPS overlay that Hannah monitored. She focused on the map, "Looks like she's in a shopping center."
"Let's get an overlook going; Jaz find a spot." Dalton organized the Americans in Paris.
"Got it, Top." The woman headed off on her assignment. She had already spotted the perfect location.
"Everybody spread out to cover the exits but don't get too close, we don't want her or Hampton to spot us." Dalton looked around the local businesses, "Are we sure about this intelligence?"
"We followed her phone here." Hannah assured him, "And this is the area mentioned in the phone call."
"Unless she's ditched it." McG grumbled, "Yvette didn't strike me as someone who holds on to a phone during an op."
"I see her." Amir stopped by a news stand, "Table 3 o'clock from me, near the entrance to the cafe."
They saw Yvette sitting in a chair next to a table alond the sidewalk next to an open shopping area surrounded by vendors. From his own observation point, Dalton glanced around at the families and individuals walking through the space. Too many people. He realized, This could end up being a nightmare.
Dalton turned his attention back to the French Intelligence Officer and studied her with a critical eye. Yvette was alert but not edgy. "Everyone stay back and don't let her spot you. Give me your status."
"No issues so far." Jaz was setting up overwatch on a nearby roof, twisting and snapping pieces into place to assemble her sniper rifle, "Will be set up in 45 seconds."
"Clear over here." Amir thumbed through the magazine he had grabbed. He could only see Yvette's back as he was positioned on the outskirts of the square watching those entering the center.
"All set." Preach paused by the large main entrance to the square hanging out so they could check all visitors.
"I can't believe you talked us into this." McG was cranky at another entrance, "Why are we risking our lives for a foreign agent?"
"Because it's our fault she's here." Patricia was listening from the DIA room, "Hampton is dirty, but we didn't find out soon enough and now her sister is dead."
"It's not like she wanted our help." McG pointed out.
"So…you want to just leave the country with nothing to show for the last 24 hours." Patricia retorted.
Preach smiled at his cranky partner as McG realized he was cornered. He had to admit, "No."
In her sniper perch, Jaz's eagle eye watched over the team, "Head's up, I've Hampton approaching from the south."
Hannah moved to the video feed from person to person before finding the right man. Jaz was right. Hampton was in Paris. This guy gets around.
"How is the parabolic mike?" Dalton wondered.
"I won't know for sure until they start talking." McG watched Hampton out of the corner of his eye as he pointed the microphone at the café table where the woman waited.
Hampton approached Yvette. Although he approached her from behind, she was constantly looking around and had seen him coming.
He stood next to the table, "I didn't think you would come."
"You have Amanda." Yvette's voice came over the American's eavesdropping parabolic mike, "Of course, I was coming."
Background noise crackled so McG adjusted the settings of the equipment so everyone could hear the conversation clearer.
Hampton circled the table looking for wires or explosives. He pulled out a chair from the table and flipped it over.
"If I was going to kill you now, I would not be sitting down." Her voice was steady and cold.
Hampton took a seat, "I've heard that a mother can get extremely unpredictable when cornered."
Preach blinked, "Did he say 'mother'?"
A large piece of the puzzle fell into place for Dalton and he sighed. That makes so much more sense!
Yvette didn't flinch, "You have to be some kind of piece of work to target a child."
"You targeted mine."
"After you killed my sister."
"That was unavoidable."
"Unavoidable?" Yvette leaned forward, "Your put your own daughter in danger and all you can say is 'it was unavoidable? You should have at least called her and told her to get out of town."
"I know you won't hurt her." He man shrugged.
"You had my sister murdered. You have no idea what I am willing to do." She bit her lip.
"It's a chance I'm willing to take." Hampton met her gaze.
"Your daughter was arrested with a kilo of cocaine, could be hard time." Yvette pointed out.
"You won't be around to make the stupid charges stick."
"I wasn't the one who arrested her." She responded.
"But you arranged the frame job."
"You kidnapped MY family and it just happens that your daughter is caught in MY town. Not good planning on your part."
"The embassy will get her out." Hampton shrugged.
Yvette leaned back on the chair, "How do we know she's American? Could be Russian or Canadian. It could take us a while to confirm her identity."
Hampton's face went taunt, emotion bubbling to the surface, "I should have killed you when I had the chance."
The Americans tensed, "That is not going to be good."
"You are risking your daughter's life…for what? Ego? Pride? Your lack of character would fit with that of any Dictator."
"Including Tehran," Hampton pointed out, "I'm sure you and Jaz had some interesting conversations about your experience torturing her."
"It didn't come up."
"You mean you didn't mention it." He chuckled.
Jaz blinked as images flooded her mind. The room. The man. His voice…there were other voices too. She concentrated on the memories before deciding, One was a woman.
Dalton heard the words and knew they would affect her, "Jaz, I need you to focus on now."
In America, Patricia recalled the meeting with Dounia, the French attaché, when France tried to help after when Jaz was arrested. "We have a high placed, high paid contact in Iranian intelligence." She told Patricia when it happened.
"Contact, my ass, France had an undercover agent on scene!" Patricia realized.
"I figured selling Jaz back to Tehran now was your idea." Yvette appeared calm as she faced the man had arranged the death of her sister.
"Of course, why else would I send Dalton's team here?"
"There are quite a few reasons I can think of offhand."
"But you did a pretty good blocking me. Tehran won't even take my calls." The American admitted.
"Good."
"You can get vindictive." Hampton smiled as he sat forward. "What did you tell Tehran?"
"That you are working on getting an assassin close to the General."
"America already has one of those."
"You mean Fahad Campasian?" She said it so matter of fact-ly.
Hampton's face showed surprise before he covered it, "Interesting that you haven't outed him yet. Iran would pay handsomely for that information."
"It is in France's best interest for General Ghaani to be gone." Yvette responded.
"He is only one terrorist. Others would step up to take his place."
"All I can do is what I believe is right." Yvette had barely moved since he arrived, "And what I think will help my country."
"So I guess it's not worth offering you part of what Tehran would pay for Jaz?"
"Not interested." She responded instantly, "There are things more important than money."
"You do realize we are talking about retire and buy an island kind of money. Money you could use to protect your daughter." He offered.
"No."
The director sighed, "Tehran will get Jasmine eventually. I'm just trying to make a profit from a bad situation."
"Overconfidence can ruin the best laid plans. Her father will never let that happen." She blinked a moment as a thought occurred, "That's why you enlisted Ephraim to help you now. You needed me to have him arrested so he couldn't protect her."
"I know that Ephraim flew to Tehran to save her when Jabril's men captured her. I know he enlisted you to get her out." Hampton revealed.
Yvette shrugged, "I'm happy to take credit but that was mostly her crew. They are good. I was dreading their assault at the slaughterhouse, trying to decide if I could help while hoping either side didn't kill me in the crossfire. Then America outed her." She paused, "I didn't see that coming. But it gave them one shot—hitting the convoy during transit."
"So you knew that was the plan before hand." Hampton stared at her.
Patricia winced. If Tehran had known their course of action, she could have lost the whole team!
"It was the only time she would be in the open. Dalton is good, they pulled it off." Yvette paused, "Is that why you set up Dalton's team here? Because he'd risk it all and fight when you make your move for Jaz?"
"Dalton's a strong leader; nothing fazes him—except when his team is in danger. That is when he makes mistakes." Hampton admitted, "I needed you to knock them out of commission."
"So in your best case scenario, the team arrives, I fight back—maybe kill Dalton. The team opens fire, kills me. Now they are on the run from France, so you can manipulate their exit, making them leave one at a time and can grab Jaz and hand her over to Tehran before anyone catches on."
"Exactly." Hampton shrugged, "And I'd be millions richer."
"You should have known that sending a top ranked Special Ops team was overkill," She leaned forward, "Which was really the best evidence that you were setting them up.
He shrugged, "Well, I did think that Dalton would try to kill you first so I underestimated his self-control."
Dalton winced at the man's opinion of him.
"You really thought I'd kill them…even after Noah?"
"Noah," Hampton chuckled, "You did a number on him."
"Has he been in the field after Bucharest?" Yvette asked.
"Rarely. And definitely no long-term ops."
Noah watched the screen, remembered the advice she gave him during their travels—"Field agents work their whole career by lying, cheating and destroying their soul with every other morally bankrupt action to maybe…just maybe, save someone one day. But those working intelligence research…they are the ones who truly make an impact. You can save more people by staying behind the scenes than you ever could do as a field agent." He had believed her and took her advice. Now Noah wondered if her words were biased or manipulative.
"And Amir?" Hampton continued the conversation at the table.
"He was good—still is."
"You had to suspect something though." Hampton was curious.
Yvette paused, "His exit from Africa was fast. But it took me a couple months to connect him to America. He worked solo in Africa so I was surprised he showed up here with a team. But they are extremely skilled. Definitely top tier."
"I was surprised you didn't try to use them." Hampton continued.
She shrugged, "I considered it. But figured Americans getting shot in France would be a bad idea."
"And that's why you sent them away." Hampton smiled.
"I wanted them to be free to lead me to you. But you didn't use them either."
"Too much work. Just needed to make sure to keep an eye on them. A contact let me know they are currently on a plane heading back to Turkey." Hampton leaned back in the chair.
"Director." Dalton had no idea if this was true.
"His contact was taken care of." Patricia assured them.
"Killing American's to protect this French girl, terrific." Jaz was not happy.
"I meant he was arrested." Patricia told them, "I finally got through to the CIA. They have been grudgingly helpful. They missed an abduction by a rogue American operative which has damaged international intelligence operations. France is holding a hard line about the kidnapping and Jennifer's death." Patricia informed them.
"If you have a contact, you know the plane didn't take off. It was supposed to take off at 9:45 but it is still on the tarmac." Yvette continued, "Mechanical issues is the official reason but it's really embassy delay tactics."
Patricia's head shot up. Yvette's knowledge of American movement unnerved her. This could be very bad.
