by Kishan Paul
Eddie positioned himself across from her, rested his elbow on the armrest, and planted his feet on the ottoman in front of him. “Which is?”
“Wassim Thabit.”
So far she hadn’t shared anything he didn’t already know. “And why is the FBI interested in a small-time actor like Wassim?”
“We’ll get to that. Let’s discuss why you want him first.” She fixed her powers on her newest victim. “Razaa, I had a chance to meet with your mother yesterday. She explained your little brother’s illness and how finding a stem-cell match for an individual of Asian descent is next to impossible.”
The kid beside him shifted in his seat but said nothing.
Tension coiled its way up Eddie’s gut while dread burned a hole in it. “Why would the Deputy Director of Investigations over at the FBI take time out of her busy schedule to offer her help to the mother of a sick child?”
She pursed her lips. “Because three months ago, Razaa met with one of Wassim’s men and requested he take a swab test. A test he not only took but mailed in, and I wanted to be sure Alisha was made aware of the results of the test.”
Not interested in continuing down the hole she headed without understanding her motive, Eddie pulled the conversation a different direction. “You made a special trip to Seattle to chat with a woman about her sick child, and you’ve been keeping tabs on my team. Either things have slowed down over at the bureau, or you miss me.”
She laughed. “It’s never slow at the FBI, and although you are missed, no, we haven’t been shadowing you. Like I said, we’re interested in Wassim.” Kerry pulled out a file folder from her leather bag and tossed it next to Eddie’s feet on the ottoman between them. “And this is why.”
He slid his feet to the floor while Raz opened the folder, angling it so both could see the material inside.
“A month ago, we took down a brothel in Brooklyn. A dozen of the victims were foreign nationals, mostly minors smuggled into the country. In addition, we seized synthetic Fentanyl and Tramadol.”
Raz flipped through more images of victims, the dresser full of tablets and syringes, and the mug shots of the perpetrators. Eddie took in the images and the information she shared and shrugged. “None of which is uncommon. Sex and drug trafficking typically go hand in hand.”
“True, but it turned out to be the biggest drug bust on US soil. We seized close to three hundred pounds of synthetic Fentanyl alone.”
Ice chilled his veins. He watched her, waiting for her to continue.
“All the goods, both human and drugs, were smuggled in from India. And when we questioned them, one name kept popping up. Mudir.” Her gaze fixed on him, waiting for a reaction. “The Chief. Have you heard of him?”
A reaction he refused to provide. “Whispers. Nothing significant or identifying. I’m assuming you know more.”
Kerry tipped her head. “Not much. This Mudir title has come up a lot over the past five years, and we’ve heard a lot of chatter about him from several of our international channels. From what we’ve pieced together, he’s young, ambitious, excels at what he does, and we believe him to be American.
“He’s managed to do something the others before him haven’t. He’s forged business relationships with rival syndicates. Mudir’s teamed up with several of the biggest mafia groups in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, the Philippines, Syria, Israel, Nepal. In a nutshell, he’s set up safer channels for smuggling not only people but narcotics across most of Asia and Europe.”
She paused as if waiting for Eddie’s brain to catch up. He nodded for her to explain their involvement in the mess.
“This raid is proof he’s brought his business to US soil. We need to stop this expansion and are working with Interpol and the UN to make it happen. The problem is, we can’t seem to get a handle on anything regarding this man: who he is, what he looks like, nothing.”
He swallowed the bitter taste creeping up and asked the million-dollar question. “How does this connect with Wassim?”
“Yes, let’s discuss the man whose stem cells you two are interested in stealing.” She leaned over the file, flipped through the images, and stopped at Wassim’s face. “There he is.”
His head was shaven, and he was about twenty pounds heavier, but Eddie would recognize the asshole anywhere. “How’d you find him?”
“Technically, we haven’t. There’s a non-governmental organization in India by the name of ASHA. They work exclusively on the eradication of sex trafficking from the country. They shared these images as well as other information with Interpol, who shared them with us. Including Razaa’s meeting with Adil.”
Eddie’s pulse spiked a few notches. He curled his toes and focused on the papers in front of him while she continued her pitch. Kerry did what she did best, playing the situation the way a musician played an instrument, strumming the chords until it produced the desired sounds. There was no way he’d let her play him—at least not yet. Not until he figured out if the tune she had in mind would be one he’d enjoy.
“As I’m sure you’re aware from your past dealings with Wassim, his bustling livelihood is the result of inheriting the Irfani Company, or Icom as they now call themselves.”
He made no indication of sharing what he did and didn’t know.
She pulled out a world map from the file. “Interpol has gathered some interesting information on Icom.” Blue circles dotted across the Indian Subcontinent. Lines drawn in the same ink connected the dots, creating an intricate spider’s web of blue across most of India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. “As you can see from how far his ring stretches, he’s doing better than expected. They haven’t been able to identify the main location of his ring or even the top players helping him. What they do know is that he’s moved his holding center to Mumbai. It’s at this center where he seasons the majority of his victims before shipping them off. ASHA has unsuccessfully tried to find the location, but every time one of Icom’s transports has been busted, the drivers end up with a bullet in their head and the victims dead or missing.”
Eddie nodded. “I understand he takes excellent care of the Mumbai Police Department.”
“This goes well beyond a couple of bad cops. By the time Wassim inherited Icom, the family business was pretty well established. The circuit already stretched across most of India and Pakistan. They’d acquired law enforcement, politicians, lawyers, judges, even accountants to do their dirty work. Even with all those safeguards, Icom rings were busted at least half a dozen times in the past three decades. Under Wassim, on the other hand, no one’s been able to touch him even once.”
She pulled out another map and laid it on top of the others. In addition to the blue lines indicating Wassim’s circuits, it contained multiple red ones stretching across the Eurasian continent. She traced a finger across the red lines connecting India to Russia and to Germany. “Recently, Interpol got a break. A Russian victim left for dead in Mumbai. Fortunately for us, she survived. They trafficked her from Saint Petersburg to Mumbai for one of Wassim’s johns who had specific tastes for blonde-haired and blue-eyed women.”
Eddie chewed on the information, trying to connect the pieces. “Wassim’s ring stretches to Russia?”
“Mudir’s does.”
The chill of understanding washed over him.
“They’re working together,” Raz voiced Eddie’s conclusion.
“Not only Mudir and Wassim, but a mafia group by the name of the AM Gang.”
He shook his head. “The AM Gang is one of India’s biggest mafia groups and Icom’s their competition. They hate each other.”
“Until Mudir,” she corrected him. “Our intel tells us he’s helped them see a bigger picture. One that spreads their scope beyond the Indian border. And because of this alliance, more than a quarter of Mudir’s victims and drugs now come from the Indian subcontinent.”
Raz leaned forward and cleared his throat. “Are you asking for our help to take down Mudir?”
“No.” She smiled. �
�I’ve monitored the work of your little band of seven. For the most part, you make a great team.” Her gaze moved to Eddie. “But you’re also green, impulsive, and don’t like to follow rules. Sending you to get Mudir would be me signing each of your death warrants.”
Eddie flashed the kid a shut-up look and returned to the map. “Tell us what you need.”
“The FBI, Interpol, and the UN agree on the seriousness of this matter. These organized crime groups are easier to deal with when they’re killing each other. Teaming up like one big happy dysfunctional family has made them a much more powerful force, one that’s extending their reach far beyond their borders and oceans, now making them our problem.
“To bring them down, we need the weaker piece, the one person who, with the right amount of pressure, will name names and help us take down the rest.” She flipped back to Wassim’s picture and stabbed her finger at his face. “We need him and Icom to give up more than just his stem cells.”
Eddie shifted in his seat, not liking the way she kept bringing up the stem cell issue. “And you can’t do this on your own because?”
She shrugged. “He has people working for him in all of our agencies. We haven’t been able to ID these leaks yet, and they’ve compromised every attempt we’ve made in tracking him and cost us the lives of some of our best people. This time, we’re using people on the outside.”
He leaned back and grinned. “By outside, you mean my team. The team you believe is impulsive and not skilled to complete this mission.”
“Which is what makes you perfect for it. Wassim shares the same opinion about your unit, and he’s made it clear that one of his life’s goals is to terminate you. But as much as he wants you six feet under, he won’t risk his life for yours. He made that clear by not showing up for your meeting three months ago. There’s only one person he’d risk jail time for.”
Eddie leaned forward, neatly returning the images to the file and shutting it. “She is not an option.”
Kerry slipped a printout on top of the manila folder. “She disagrees with you.”
Bile crept up his chest at the name typed in black on the paper Raz picked up.
“We intercepted Dinesh Patel’s specimen for testing. Had it evaluated by our labs for prints, anything to identify where Wassim might be but came up empty. And since we had it, we went ahead and ran the other tests. My team will provide the information to the registry in the morning.”
“And you went out of your way to share those findings with her first.” His anger boiled to the surface. “She is a mother of an ill child desperate to find a cure. You manipulated her situation to your advantage.”
“I did.” Her attention fixed on the kid, who stared wide-eyed at Wassim’s lab results. “Razaa, I assure you we will find Wassim and do everything in our power to help your brother get the stem cells he needs.”
One by one, she played her cards, each one better than the one before.
“By putting his mother’s life in danger.” Disgust pulsed through Eddie, burning his skin. He leaned forward, fixing his ire at the source. “You shared the information with her because you knew she’d agree to whatever you said. She will get herself killed trying to save her son.”
“Then help me make sure she doesn’t. Tell me, Eddie, what was the purpose of providing Adil with the kit if not to save the boy’s life?”
She’d played them far better than he’d anticipated. He leaned back in the seat, working on reining in his emotions, aware Raz listened. “To draw him out and help the child. When he didn’t show, we handed the kit to Adil, his second in command, and have tracked Adil’s every move since.”
“You hoped he’d lead you to Wassim. And then what?”
Eddie shrugged. “We’d contain him and do what was necessary to help the child without involving the mother.”
“I see. By any means necessary, you mean forcibly removing bone marrow from his body regardless of his opinion on the matter?” One of her long fingers tapped against her cheekbone. “Alisha doesn’t strike me as the kind of person who’d be okay with organ stealing. Am I right, Razaa?”
Eddie answered before his partner could. “I don’t think I remember asking for the bureau’s help or opinion on this matter.”
“Yet, here we are, offering it anyway.” She chuckled. “Here’s another piece of unsolicited advice. As you’ve figured out by now, tailing his second in command will not work. You are going to need a better bait to lure Wassim out of hiding.”
“We are not using her as bait,” he snapped. “Dangling an emotional and untrained civilian at Wassim is not an option.”
“Considering she’s gone up against him twice already, I’m thinking she might not agree with you.”
“Twice?” He lowered his voice. “Neither of those were by her choice.” He pointed his index finger to the ceiling. “The first time, Sayeed Irfani abducted and imprisoned her for two years. Not only did she almost die from her injuries, she’s still dealing with all the shit that man did to her. The second time.” Another digit joined the first, creating a peace sign. “Compliments of Wassim and Sayeed’s brother, her husband wound up dead, and she was kidnapped. The end result being she’s spent the last two and a half years in hiding on an island raising Wassim’s child. Leave the woman in peace.”
Her browse rose. “In peace? Her son is chronically ill. Wassim’s a viable match. She’s going to find a way to him with or without our support unless, of course, you lock her up. The last two people who tried ended up dead. I agree, she is not trained for this. But if she’s willing to play the role, it makes more sense to provide her every protection we can to ensure she saves not only her son’s life, but the lives of thousands of others.”
“We can do all that without her involvement.” Raz slipped the paper onto the stack on the ottoman and stood. “My mother has gone through enough already. Risking her safety is not an option.”
Eddie followed suit. “Well, thank you for your time, but we’re done here.”
“I respect your decision.” Her chin propped in the heel of her palm, Kerry remained in her spot, making no move to rise. “But before you leave, there is one additional piece of information you two need to consider.”
And there it was. She’d waited until the end to play her trump card, and from the look of calm on her face, it was going to be a good one.
“Your team has a leak.”
He flinched at the card she played and took his time returning to his seat. “And you can back this claim?”
“In the past three months of shadowing Adil, you’ve turned up nothing of substance because he is aware you’re monitoring him. Has been for some time.”
His fists clenched. “Speculation without evidence.”
“Your man met with him the same day your plane lifted off. Adil knows you two are in the States visiting Alisha.”
“Impossible.” He smirked. “I told no one where we were going.”
“I did.” Raz lowered to the spot beside Eddie. “I told the team I planned to spend a few days with my mother and brother.”
A heavy pause filled the room. One where Eddie glared at Raz while Raz stared everywhere but him. Eddie shifted to Kerry. “If one of my own was the leak, she and I would already be dead. My men have enough information to lead Wassim to both her front door and to me.”
“True, as far as we can tell, they are unaware of her location.” Kerry’s features softened. “Maybe the source is wrong, but are you willing to take that risk, Eddie?”
His jaws clenched. “Tell me more about your source.”
“The source works for the NGO I mentioned. Like you, ASHA’s tactics are a little more colorful than the ones the rest of us can use. Their role in this goes far beyond allocating Wassim. This operative has made it in with a few of the outliers of Wassim’s organization, including Adil.”
Eddie ignored the urge to rub at the agitation pulsing from the back of his neck. “If the operative believes my team’s been compromised, t
hen why is he willing to work with us?”
“I asked the same question. He requested you personally. He needs to penetrate Icom before he can reach Mudir and believes you can make it happen. You provide the bait, and ASHA will provide the intel, backup, and resources you need to make sure your fish surfaces long enough for you to hook him.” She rested her elbows on the arms of her chair and steepled her fingers.
“Aside from providing us the location of Wassim’s base, you’ll hand him and the other high value targets over to Interpol, not to the Mumbai police. We want to make sure they live long enough to share information with us.” Her attention oscillated between the two of them. “The operative will be one of the HVTs you snag. Everyone needs to believe he’s with Wassim. Which is why he and ASHA need to stay invisible.”
He nodded. “If we do this and things go to shit…”
“We never talked.”
“And if things go well?”
“We still never talked. This situation crosses too many international boundaries and will piss off a lot of countries if any hint of FBI involvement shows up. The ASHA operative will move on to infiltrate Mudir’s ring. As far as anyone’s concerned, you will be the ones credited in Wassim’s apprehension and will be generously reimbursed for your assistance.”
He shook his head but didn’t respond. His stomach twisted from all the red flags flying in his brain. The biggest one being the possibility that one of his own betrayed him.
“Eddie, I understand your concerns, and clearly you need time to consider this option.” Kerry leaned forward and slid the stack of passports closer to him. “All I can say is the FBI, Interpol, ASHA, you, we all share the same goal: apprehending Wassim Thabit. Help us, and we’ll support you every step of the way.”
“Define support.”
A satisfied smile curled the corners of her lips. “Leads, intelligence, access to weapons, surveillance, covert manpower, bank accounts, an extraction team on call ready to assist. Whatever you need to detain Wassim, save the child, and protect his mother.”
