Part II - Gone Sideways
A bleak cold day the first part of February as Annie scraped a thin covering of snow from her car. Only twenty-four hours before she was in shorts and tank top walking the white sandy beaches of Mar de Ajo with her South American contact, Juan Navarro. The mission had been simple, relaxing and just plain fun, to find and turn an American living in Buenos Aires to be an asset to the CIA. All had gone splendidly well.
Starting her car to let it warm up some before her drive across the Potomac into Langley and debriefing of her latest mission, she was thinking about her last month in Washington, only broken with a quick turnaround delivery to some remote village in Pakistan and wishing to hear from Eyal. Her Christmas had been a real bumbler spending six hours standing on her feet feeding the homeless at Saint Joseph's Refuge Center serving turkey dinners and wishing down-and-outs a Merry Christmas, not much could be very merry for them. This should have given her enjoyment in the Christmas spirit of giving but it only made her lonely, missing the ones she loved. Her Christmas dinner was frozen lasagna, heated in a microwave and a chat with Danielle and the girls. Joan and Arthur had her over to their house for a Christmas get together the night before which was nice. There was a special delivery from Eyal, a card written in Hebrew, words of affection for his Neshama and a pair of diamond stud earrings. She was sure it had been prearranged maybe while they were in New York. New Year's Eve had been much of the same, wrapped in a blanket on the couch to watch the big ball drop, whoopee.
As she drove the snow starting to come down harder with large flakes flying about, blanketing the area in white. A large sand truck was ahead of her but still the roads were getting slippery and she wondered if they might close the office today, hell no way, CIA never closes. Stopped at a light, she turned a charm bracelet around on her wrist, touching each bead with wonderful memories. The bracelet was a gift from Eyal, one of those popular Pandora silver always and forever bracelets and each charm represented a time she and Eyal were together after they committed to a relationship. The first bead was of course for Morocco, their beginning. Another charm, an ice-blue with a silver dolphin bead for the week long stay in the Seychelles Islands. Four charms in all and the last one was their two days in New York City for the Thanksgivukkah holidays. That's when Eyal told her he had a mission that would take him off radar for a time. To Annie that meant a few weeks, not two damn months and counting without a word from him.
Walking into Langley, Annie was not happy to be home, hating the cold weather and she was missing Eyal and not hearing his voice made it all the worse. Auggie was at her desk waiting on her.
"Welcome back Walker."
"Thanks Auggie. What's new?"
"Joan wants to see you as soon as you get back. Good news about the mission."
"Yeah, I was briefed before leaving Buenos Aires." Annie walking by Auggie on her way to see Joan.
"Wait up, I'm going with you - new assignment I think." Auggie reaching for Annie's elbow.
"Oh great - no down time."
"Not in this business." Auggie and Annie reaching Joan's office door.
"Nice job Agent Walker," Arthur was leaving, giving Annie a friendly smile.
"Thank you sir."
"You two come in close the door." Joan usual greeting when there was a new mission to brief them about. "Glad you home Annie and good job and I hope you are packed for a change in climate. Please have a seat."
Joan had pulled a large folder from her desk drawer and open it on the top of her desk.
"Okay Joan, what are we into this time." Auggie taking a seat and leaving Annie standing.
"Sit down Annie. I hate to send you right back out but it can't be helped." Joan looking thru the files. "We have an asset in trouble and you are needed to get her or the intel to safety. The woman's name is Mina Mustafa, a Syrian national and has been working uncover for the last five years as an administrative assistance to General Nasir Al Din Qureshi of the Syrian army. We have no idea what happened but she is now in hiding in Cyprus trying to get to Greece."
"You have a picture of her?"
"No, which will make it more difficult for you. Just a description and code name." Joan handing the folder to Annie, "She is in the city of Nicosia and you will fly out to Athens tonight."
"Athens?" Annie's heart skipped that proverbial beat.
"You will be traveling under your name and once she is out of harm's way, get her on a plane to DC. Here is your travel package and your flight leaves in three hours."
"You want me to escort her back to Washington?" Annie was hoping for a no answer, she wanted to find Eyal.
"Just get her into and out of Greece and transmit the intel ASAP." Joan gave Annie a wink and of course Auggie couldn't see the reaction of a slight blush on Annie's face.
Auggie standing, "Is that it Joan?"
"Yes, if you will get Annie's travel package ready so she can leave this afternoon." Joan dismissing Auggie. "Not you Annie, I need for you to clear up a few things on your Buenos Aires mission, a min-debrief before you leave."
Auggie leaving the two women and closing the door as he left Joan's office.
"You need some paper cleaned up before you leave and have you heard from Eyal?"
"No Joan. Not a word, why." The lie came easy. That morning when checking her phone for messages. There it was a text from Eyal. 'In London. Hope we can meet there. E.'
"Arthur hasn't heard from him but I don't think there is anything to worry about. After all it is a deep cover mission." Joan could also lie well; Arthur was worried about him as Yasin al-Hashem has been reported killed and in the aftermath collateral damages with more killings.
Annie was making a quick turn around and happy to headed to that side of the world. Pitching her travel package on the car seat and hopeful meeting up with Eyal. Texting him back, 'Leaving DC on my way to Athens, new mission.' Crap, how she hated missing him. Her mood was quickly upbeat, he was okay and that made her happy. It was the little things like quick text message. The life of two spies and only providence will bring them together.
Reaching Dulles and waiting for her flight call another text buzz, 'Can be in Athens in three days. Call me when free. E.'
'Promise! Miss you.' Annie quickly text backed.
'Miss you too Neshama.'
Customs was a breeze and quickly Annie found her connection flight to Cyprus. The plane was a chartered tourist flight and she was assigned to a small group with a guide named Cimon Nadir. Her travel package had informed her she was travelling with a tour group from Ireland and as it turned out she was delighted with the group - eight young professional women working in journalism or media communication.
At dinner that evening after checking into their hotel, Cimon Nadir was telling the ladies about the different places they would visit and also about free time, to do whatever. A man in his late forties with a strong jaw and square face had an enticing smile, sort of a half one-sided smile that spoke of mystery and romance. Were all the men from this part of the world so damn alluring at any age.
After a delightful dinner and enlighten discussion with the women, Annie now add another must see spot to her bucket list - The Emerald Isles. She had never been to Ireland and maybe she and Eyal could have some alone time there. She checked her messages and one from Auggie to call him.
"Hey Auggie got your message, what's going down?"
"You have a contact in Nicosia, Cyprus. Code name Drek."
"A pile or piece of dirt? Oh well, I'm already in Nicosia and why wasn't that information in my travel package."
"When we booked you with the tour group the final negotiations were still being worked out."
"Negotiations? My contact is not CIA?"
"Mossad and your final destination is Tel Aviv." Auggie was his usual matter-of-fact handler. "The intel will be turned over the Israeli. You know right now with internal civil conflict and Russia supply of arms, Israel is in elevated alert - things are real nasty across their border."
"So do I go to Tel Aviv or what?"
"You are to escort her to Tel Aviv and on to King Saul Boulevard."
"Sure hope you don't tell me I'm to meet with Rivka Singer."
"I have no idea Walker. As always, watch your step and be safe." Auggie disconnected.
Annie sitting on her bed looking at her phone. She wondered how her contact would be getting to her or if he even knew how to contact her. Nothing she could do but wait and enjoy the tour. Tomorrow was one of the free days and hoping she could make some headway in finding Mina Mustafa, Annie figured she possibly hiding in the Turkish control side of Nicosia but next to impossible to reach. The so call green line divided north Turkish control Cyprus for the south Greek control. There would be check points and carrying an American passport only made it worse crossing. Get a good night's sleep and tackle the problem in the morning.
Breakfast was light and a couple of the women invited Annie to go with them shopping. As politely as she could, Annie refused the offer saying she had some museum she want to visit. Breakfast ended and Annie was about ready to leave when tour guide asked to wait she had failed to sign some release form.
"I thought I signed everything last night." As Annie watched the other women leave.
"You did. I'm Drek and we have a lead."
"Hi, and you already know my name but call yourself a piece of dirt."
"Play on words, I clean up the dirt. So you speak Hebrew." Cimon Nadir smirked with his half-cock smile.
"Yeah but I'm lost on Greek."
"That's okay, Hebrew or English, you pick."
"How about both, keep them confused." Annie laughing at how the locals would react. "If you will excuse me, I have to make a quick stop to the ladies room."
He nodded saying something about paying the tab for both of them. Please Eyal answer, as Annie standing in a stall hoping Eyal was awake as there was a two hour time difference. Buzz...Buzz...Buzz and it went to voice mail. "Shit" she dialed again, buzz... and on the third buzz, a groggy voice answered as the toilet next to her flushed.
"Sounds like my life going down the toilet. Hope you not in trouble."
"Not yet. Do you know a Mossad agent by the name of Cimon Nadir or code name Drek?"
"No... No I can't say I have met the man. Why?"
"We are running a dual mission; get a CIA Syrian asset to Tel Aviv."
"Syrian hmmm... Important and dangerous. I'm as close as the phone, where are you?"
"Cyprus."
"Your best bet to leave Cyprus is thru the southern port of Larnaka. Who is running point?"
"I'm not sure." It was a question she hadn't considered.
"You keep control of the mission Annie; damn I'm sounding like your handler."
"Completely reassuring. I'll keep you posted. Got to go." Annie shoving her phone in her jeans pocket, feeling better after speaking with Eyal, they were becoming a work team as well as... or wait a minute, they have always been a work team and damn good.
"I'm ready to go." Annie rejoining Cimon.
"Mina is hiding in a tavern/inn located in the village of Mora. How is your Arabic?" Cimon holding the door for Annie.
"Not good at all, still learning."
"If you are going to play around here in the Middle-East at least learn the Arabic most used in Saudi Arabia but there are different dialects and hard to master. One thing good about the Middle-East is English seems to be the universal language but rough in several countries." Cimon showing Annie to a car parked around the corner.
"You think we'll have any trouble getting her out of here. Would she have been followed?"
"Sure the Syrians are looking for her, she was in the position of knowing exceedingly detail intel. As you Americans would say 'Walk softly and carry a big stick' you have a gun?"
"Yeah, be sneaky and cover your ass." Annie rephrasing the old Teddy Roosevelt famous quote.
"Like your thinking, let's go get Mina." Cimon turning the car into the busy street traffic heading north only for a brief stop at the green line check point before entering the Turkish side of Cyprus and their drive to Mora. Cimon spoke Arabic at the check point, showed one passport with money attached - common practice.