Chapter Six
Sam studied the intel in front of him. He’d yet to share it with his own intel team or anyone at Onyx. He needed to be sure the information was solid before he would even consider presenting it to his team. This one was far too personal to everyone at Onyx.
Reborn had been coming at them for over a year and Onyx were more than ready to end their reign of terror, but not at the cost of any of his boys’ lives.
He might be their captain, the boss, but they were family to him.
They were a close-knit group and despite what the orders were, if he thought it was too risky, there was no way in hell he would send his boys in.
He didn’t give a damn Onyx had been created to do the ops no one else would dare.
He refused to send them on a suicide mission.
He studied the security monitors in his office at Onyx HQ, or the Farm as Ryan had affectionately named it.
Raven were on down time and Nyx were out training, so there weren’t too many people on site.
The monitors covered every room and angle of their facility despite their location on a protected Naval base. You could never be too careful.
He’d just gotten off a call with Washington.
New intel had been gathered on the Aziz brothers, Omar and Hakim, the money and masterminds behind Reborn.
He had a few questions regarding the intel he’d received.
While Onyx were used to occasionally operating with gaps in intel, Reborn were too dangerous to not be thorough.
He would have to move fast though. If this panned out, the team would need to be in the air next week.
Washington didn’t want to give the Aziz brothers any chance of slipping away.
He sighed, picking up his phone. There was only one person he could think of who would answer him honestly.
“Well, hello stranger.” Her silky-smooth voice never changed.
“Hi Tess. It’s been a while. How are you?”
“Oh, you know. Living the dream.” He could hear the smile in her voice. “I’m guessing you need a favor?”
“I could just be calling to say hello.”
“Huh. Right. Like you ever do that. What’s it been, three months since your last call? Go on. Tell me what you need.”
He winced. He should have stayed in touch more. She deserved better from him. But he couldn’t give her what she wanted, so their relationship was purely professional. Except when... He shook his head and focused on the file in front of him.
“Reborn. I’m assuming you know about them?”
“Of course. CIA have been working overtime to find the Aziz brothers. I gather you have the latest intel?”
“I do. Have you seen it?” While Tess had officially retired from CIA over a year ago, she was still very much working for them unofficially. CIA tended to do that. Lure people back, especially those as good as Tess.
“I haven't seen the file, but I can guess what’s in it.”
“Then you know why I’m calling. How solid is it?”
“Sam, you know as well as I do, no one can guarantee anything. Not even CIA. Onyx is used to ops like this. Why are you calling on this one?”
“Because this one is personal. I don’t want to send my team into an ambush.” His eyes scanned the file on his desk.
“I know it’s personal.” Her voice gentled.
“I saw the reports of what happened in Daram. The team they killed. The woman they captured and tortured, that now works for you. The cargo ship, the FBI bombing, the sarin attack. Your team has been in the middle of it all. Perhaps you should step aside and let Delta handle this. Or CIA can assign Special Activities Division. Maybe it’s too personal. Washington would understand.”
“No.” He had considered it. But he’d promised his team they would be the ones to end this, and he wasn't going back on his word. “It has to be us, Tess, for all the reasons you just listed. They came after not just the team, but people they care about. I just want to be sure this isn’t a trap.”
“They want Raven’s blood, Sam.”
“I know that. Is there more than what’s on this report? What else can you tell me?”
The silence made his gut clench.
“Tess?”
“The intel is about the Aziz brothers being back in Daram, right?”
“Yes. They’ve been in hiding for months, and suddenly they both show up somewhere they know we’d be monitoring? Sounds a lot like a trap to me.” Reborn must know Raven would come after them.
“I agree, but there was no chatter on this. The intel came from a source close to the brothers.”
“Who’s the source?”
A sigh echoed in his ear. “I can’t tell you.”
“Fuck, Tess, come on, we-”
She cut him off. “No, Sam. I don’t care what history we have.
I can’t tell you. He’s been under a while, got close.
He’s trusted, and everything he has supplied so far has been good.
The brothers have been seen in Daram. They are regrouping.
Quietly. Rallying more support. Gearing up to overthrow the government. ”
Sam closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, unsure whether Tess’s endorsement of the intel made him feel any better.
“You know a lot about this considering you’re not assigned to it.”
“I made it my business to know.”
“Why?”
“You really have to ask? Because it’s you, Sam. Your team.”
Fuck. She cared more than he ever deserved.
“I appreciate you looking out for me.”
Tess gave a small laugh. “Somebody has to.”
“Something feels off, Tess. It’s why I called. I just wanted your take. What about Omar Aziz’s daughter, Asma?”
“Still in Pakistan. Eyes are on her, should dad or uncle decide to visit.”
“Has anyone spoken to her?”
“After Lazir was captured, yes. She gave nothing, and cannot be linked to what Lazir or his father and uncle are involved in. She wasn't in Daram. Asma is legally in Pakistan, raising her son.”
“Yeah, I guess it makes sense. Omar is protecting his daughter and grandson by leaving them there. Keeping them clean. What about money? We uprooted their little system of laundering through their hotel, so how is this regrouping being funded?”
“Come on, Sam. The hotel was just a means to launder. Omar Aziz is a smart man. You can bet he has money stashed in offshore accounts that we haven’t found yet. He’s probably emptied them and gone back to old school cash. Easier to stay hidden that way.”
Sam sighed. Tess was right. Omar Aziz was smart. Which was why he felt so uneasy about this intel. They’d stayed undetected for months, even with CIA having an agent close to them.
“I need a meet with the guy on the inside,” Sam said.
“CIA will never agree to that.”
“I’m not planning to ask them. You know who it is. You can set it up. Just the three of us.”
“It’s too risky, Sam. I won’t do it.”
“Someone that’s been under a long time could be compromised.”
There was a long pause before she spoke. “There is always a risk yes.”
That had him standing up. Every muscle in his body tensed. “What aren't you telling me, Tess?”
She sighed. “Nothing other than there is always a risk.”
Sam closed his eyes, remembering the last time he’d seen Tess. It had been in DC just after she retired. She’d been dressed for business, tailored pants and a white shirt, long black hair pulled back in a low pony tail, looking sexy as hell. She always did.
“Isn’t it about time you retired properly? Travel, settle down?” he asked with a smile. Tess could handle herself. She had been a field agent for years, but he hated knowing she was still getting pulled back in by the Company when they needed her.
Laughter rang in his ear. “And take up knitting? When you’ve been in this game as long as I have, it’s hard to know how to do anything else. You know that. You could easily retire now too.”
She was right. He could. He wasn't ready yet either. “Just be careful. We’re not as young as we used to be.”
“Are you saying I’m old?” Her teasing tone made him smile. She was a few years young than him, 49. In their world that was considered old. But age brought wisdom and knowledge. They both had tons of that.
“Never. But I know I don’t run as fast as I used to.”
“Noted. You still look good though, Sam.”
He sat back in his chair, surprised by the unexpected compliment.
“How do you know?” It had been ten months since he’d seen her and while they talked, they didn't do the FaceTime thing the youngsters did these days.
“Oh, I know. I have to run. Good luck on the op.”
“Thanks. Let me know if you hear anything?”
“I will. And Sam?”
“Yes?”
“Tell your boys to watch their backs. It’s just as personal to Reborn as it is to Onyx.”
Sam ended the call not feeling much better about this op than before. He would have the Onyx intel team go over every detail, and more than a few briefing sessions with the team before they headed out. Looks like Raven would be having their downtime cut short.
***
CHARLIE LOOKED OUT the window of her room at the Royal York hotel, downtown Toronto.
The CN Tower stood proud, still as breathtaking as she remembered.
The concierge had mentioned the Blue Jays were playing at home tonight and the tower would light up blue later when dusk fell.
The summer evening was warm, so the roof would be open at the stadium.
This was her second time in Toronto. Her first time she had gone to a game with some colleagues from the embassy.
Charlie wasn't a big baseball fan, but it had always been on in her house, Nate being a Yankees fan, so she had enjoyed the odd game.
Seeing a game live was fun and the Jays stadium, with its view of the CN Tower, was something not to be missed.