Five days have gone by without a word about Annie. Auggie and Eric were pulling out all the stops to locate The African Star with little luck. The ship had made one port call at Nacala in northern Mozambique but after being in port for six hours to unload and take on another shipment of tea and tobacco they were once more underway - business as usual. The destination still unknown and could be anywhere from Austria or the Far East to Egypt and the Suez Canal.
Joan Campbell returned to her job as Director of the National Clandestine Service and Arthur promoted to Director of the CIA's International Operations were busy catching up to speed. Calder Michaels returning to his position of Manager of Domestic Protection Division was also back at work trying to make the most of his return. A bit of friction between Calder and Joan was causing some tension as he believed he was the right person to head the NCS not Joan. He and Auggie had worked well together in aiding Annie in Hong Kong but now the two were playing the blame game when Annie missed the ferry and went darker in the cold. Auggie in his mind was sure Calder had something to do with Annie's vanishing from CIA radar but couldn't prove it. Lack of trust was beyond a doubt the undercurrent around Langley.
"My office now." Joan's voice broke Auggie's thought process and by the tone he knows shit was about ready to hit the fan. Taking a deep breath and grabbing his laser cane he made his way down to long, cold hallway to Joan's office.
"Have any idea what she wants?" Calder's voice came from behind Auggie.
"Trouble I'm sure."
Reaching her other office both men waited to be announced by Gloria, Joan's new administrative assistance. "She waiting for you, go on in."
Calder closing the door and waited for Auggie to be seated before he also took a chair across for Joan's desk. She was standing at the window when they came in and slowly turn to watch them. Once they were seated, she picked up a blue folder from the top of a cabinet and took her seat behind the desk.
"Not sure where I want to start but I know some answers to why Annie is still rogue and have more questions. First, the treason warrant is bogus. Would someone like to enlighten me?"
"Lexington Global got it issued but not sure how." Calder answered.
"Do you know that for a fact or just a guess on your part? Did you try to quash it or did you use to your benefit?" Joan with her steel eye glare at Calder, the one stare that could piece the soul.
"What are you implying? Not sure I like the implications." Calder defining himself and avoiding eye contact.
"When you said bogus, what did you mean? I followed up on the warrant with the State Department and it was real." Auggie want some answers also.
"For a short time it was real. The FBI had a court order to issue the warrant however the order was counterfeit and they pulled the warrant immediately. There is an ongoing investigation and a possible mole within the FBI and all indication are leaning to Lexington Global. That is also not the say we don't have a few eyes and ears from Lexington within our own walls."
"Are we working with the FBI?" Calder asked.
"No, not yet but I'm thinking about it. Vincent Rossabi is now on the case and is looking into the professional hit of one of Lexington's top people, an official with US Customs, Sebastian Tombs."
Auggie cleared the throat and Joan giving him a quick glance to be quiet. He half nodded. Joan turning to look at other intel she had. "Calder you were in France lately, why?"
"To meet a contact. Nothing important."
"You want to try again and before you dig a deeper hole for yourself, I had another phone call this morning from Rivka Singer with Mossad. Seems that agency is search for a kidnapped woman who has connections with the CIA."
Calder was silent for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "Joan, while you and Arthur were fighting your own personal battles I was doing everything in my power to bring to an end Henry Wilcox and his evil empire. Even at his death Lexington Global had become so strong and powerful that it was my best judgment to leave Annie Walker as black ops, working toward that goal. She is target with several hit orders on her head and I thought it best for her to stay outside of the CIA, not only for the work she was doing but her own protection. Returning here would be dangerous for her. Like you know, Lexington has far-reaching control and especially here in DC."
"I see. Did you meet with Annie on your visit to France?" Joan accepting his reason for keeping Annie in the cold, maybe not liking it but understood his rationale. Joan was beginning to understand what made Annie tick and being black ops wasn't in her make-up. Annie going rogue was her last-ditch move to get Henry Wilcox.
"No. She had already left to meet with a British asset. Estelle Bruce Hathaway with a lead to the head of Lexington, Landric Von Friedric-Kristiansen. However I did have a run-in with a Mossad agent, Eyal Lavin, a rather insufferable man."
"And one of Mossad best. You are very lucky to still be walking." Auggie was chucking quietly. "He is Annie self-appointed guardian angel and very good at bring her home."
"As of now, all intel about the whereabouts of Annie Walker shall come to my attention without delay. Understood. Calder any contact or communication from now shall be handled thru Auggie."
"Understood." Both men replied in unison.
"You are dismissed Calder." Joan closing the blue folder and watched him leave the office. Once the door was close behind him, "Auggie, you know something about the Sebastian Tombs hit?"
"I have it on good authority that the professional hit was at the hands of Mossad. I intercepted some chatter. Now if that information was given to Rossabi what do you think he would do with it."
"Not sure and don't know if I want to find out." Joan resting both hands on her desk, "Have you been in touch with Eyal?"
"Yes, he is the one feeding me the intel on Annie. Our sources are weak at best."
"Hate to say this Auggie but Eyal Lavin is just about our only hope to get Annie back alive. Give him all the support and intel CIA can give and this should go without saying, keep it hush-hush especially from Calder, still don't fully trust the man."
"Neither do I Joan and thank you."
Standing at the iron railing looking out at the calm sea, Annie could see a couple of ships in the distance. They were not underway but standing still in the water. This was her time on deck and each day for the past five days a young lad would accompany her twice a day for a stroll around deck. She was a prisoner but well treated. The young lad, Talib couldn't be more that thirteen or fourteen and very polite. He knew a few words in English and Annie helping him to learn more. He was the only person she had any contact with in five days, he was her steward, bring her meals and reading material. Her cabin was clean but nothing fancy.
Rethinking the day she was kidnapped and putting some of the pieces in place, she finally figured out it was her British asset that had set her up, and her best guess was for Estelle or Marie to save her sister. She started to second guess her own abilities to read people, and if she could do anything different. The accrual kidnapping was smooth; she was drugged and kept under until she awaken in her new prison, a cabin onboard a cargo ship. Her muse broken with the sound of a male voice speaking perfect English.
"I hope you are finding things comfortable for you Ms. Walker."
Shit, he knows her true identity and that can't be good. She turned to see an average size man dress in black with a short neatly trimmed beard and thick wavy dark hair, he may be speaking perfect English but look Greek to her. Okay she thought to herself, now was the time to try being her charming self, play the game.
"Yes thank you. I'm at a disadvantage here. You know my name but I don't know yours."
"Michael Zervas and I'm the second mate. Usually I'm on the bridge this time of day not been able to welcome you to The African Star." His smile was infectious and Annie returned the amiable smile.
"This is my favorite time of day, I love being on deck to watch the sun set." Annie turning from him back to looking out at the sea and the sun inching every so closely to vanishing into the water.
"The view is very impressive from the bridge. I never get tired of sun sets or when it raises in the morning." Michael stepping a bit closer to her and with a hand motion to Talib to leave. The young lad quickly made his exit, leaving Annie alone with Michael Zervas.
"We are not moving and I see other ships in the distance, any reason?"
"We forming a convoy and waiting our turn to enter the canal." He pointing to a ship to their stern. "That is a Russian Kirov class nuclear-powered cruiser taking position in back of us. Kind of makes me uneasy to be followed with such massive fire power."
"What canal? I'm not sure where we are."
"The Suez Canal, we are in the Gulf of Suez. The Sinai Peninsula is over there and Egypt back there." Michael seems to enjoy enlighten Annie about their location as he pointed to the different locations. It was strange to her for to receive such kind treatment being a captive and all. He continued with more information, "Our sailing time to enter the canal is 0600 tomorrow. Now have you had your evening meal?"
"No I haven't. Talib brings my meal to me after my stroll on deck. I eat in my cabin."
"It would be my pleasure if you would have dinner with me in the ship's dining room. Nothing fancy. Thought you might like to have some company for a change."
"That would be lovely, thank you." Annie still being unsure of this new development but she was in no position to refuse.
The dining hall was plain with panel walls and with few tables, each set for a group of four to six and green table clothes. She had a feeling of stepping back to the sixties or at least pictures she had seen of the sixties. Three men were just leaving when Annie and Michael arrived and were greeted by another young lad and they were shown a table near one of the four windows, the view overlooking the cargo section of the ship looking forward to the bow.
"Not much to look at but the food is good. Tonight's meal is lamb with eggplant and Greek salad. Our chef is remarkable at keeping twelve some seagoing hungry men happy." There, more information about the size of the crew but what good would it do Annie. Quickly in her mind she guessed three shifts of four men but what about the two young boys and the cook - where they being counted as part of the twelve or not. Her spy intelligence working but for what motive she didn't know, just information to file away.
He was right about the food, it is excellent, but all the meals she had been given were delicious. The conversation was light, mostly about Michael and his life at sea. He was proud of being a second mate and started to brag about The African Star.
"She is a smaller multi-purpose vessel enable us to carry a wide range of cargoes. Our size is an advantage because we can get into smaller harbors with our limited draught. Our cargo on this trip is tobacco, tea and timber or what I call the Three-T's."
"Why do they call ships 'she'? I have often wondered."
"Not sure of the real reason, maybe lost in history but it is very English, one of the great naval powers in the world at one time. Could simply be because men love their ships, treat them with kindness and they will take care of you." Michael eyes were changing, becoming more seductive and Annie took note.
Trying to change the subject to something safe Annie, "What is for dessert?" Well once out of her mouth she knew that wasn't very safe, if it was Eyal sitting across from her... it would be a sexual quip. Biting her bottom lip as she would went a bit nervous, Annie added. "Is your chef, Greek?"
"Good guess and yes, we are flying the Greek flag. A walnut cake with honey syrup, it is called Karythopita."
"Sounds wonderful and with a hot cup of tea." Annie seeing his mood change and she wasn't sure what to expect but she need to buy time, no idea why because she had no plans about escaping - she was trapped onboard a cargo ship in the middle of nowhere.
"Well that was delectable." They finishing their cake and Michael standing, holding out his hand to Annie, "It is getting late and I need to walk you back to your cabin."