Page 64 of Steel Vengeance
“And why are these assholes still breathing?” Blade’s blue eyes locked on Stitch’s. They didn’t need to say anything more.
“That’s where Sloane comes in.”
“Ah,” Blade nodded. “The rookie CIA agent.”
“Yeah. I noticed her tailing Omari while I was tracking him. She was watching him, too—taking pictures.” He paused. “So, we had a little chat.”
He didn’t mention that she’d been naked at the time. Blade didn’t need to know that part.
“Turns out, Omari was her target, too. We teamed up on surveillance and figured out her handler, Jeremy, was involved. He and Omari meet every Thursday in an old graveyard outside Peshawar. Nobody knows about it, not even Omari’s bodyguards.”
Blade nodded. “Jeremy’s not his real name, by the way. It’s an alias”
Stitch wasn’t surprised.
“His real name is Jonathan Hill. Pat asked his buddy at the Agency. Hill was part of that specialist unit I told you about. He’s got connections in Helmand. Pat thinks he’s either running the show or working with the Afghans.”
“That’s exactly what I was afraid of,” Stitch admitted. “Until we take these guys down, Sloane can’t go back home.”
“Where is she now?”
“Holed up at our hotel. After the hit on her in Peshawar, she’s better off with me.”
“Damn straight. I still can’t believe the Agency tried to take out their own agent.”
“Yeah, it’s gotta be her boss. He’s the only one she told about it.”
“Matthew Sullivan?”
“I think it was more than just business between them. He seduced her, recruited her, and then tossed her into the fire.”
“Classy guy,” Blade said sarcastically.
“Exactly.”
“Pat said he’d call tonight with an update, but in the meantime, let’s track down Hill, or rather Jeremy Vale, and see what he knows.”
They stepped into a taxi headed for the hotel. Blade handed him a small packet.
Stitch opened it. “A USB device?”
“Sort of. It plugs into his phone and copies everything off his memory card.”
“Nifty,” Stitch said. “If we can get to his phone.”
“We just need a good distraction,” Blade grinned. “How hard can it be?”
Stitch thought about Sloane. Jeremy had to be wondering what happened to her after the failed hit. “I think I’ve got just the distraction.”
He explained his plan.
“You think she’ll go for it?” Blade asked, doubtfully.
“I’m sure she will. She wants this over as much as I do. If this is how we bring these guys down, she’ll do it.”
“Great. Can’t wait to meet Agent Carmichael.”
“She’s not what you’d expect,” Stitch said without thinking. “I think they recruited her just for this job. A one-off. She speaks the language and blends in, but they only gave her ten months of training. She’s way out of her depth.”