“How can we keep her from going with Binici?”
Atakan shook his head. He had no immediate idea how to prevent her leaving with Binici that didn’t result in sending alarm bells to Binici. In fact, if he tried to talk her out of going, she’d question how he knew their plans. Then, if he managed to come up with a credible lie, she’d question why he didn’t want her to be with Binici. He did not need this complication. The Paracetamol was slow taking effect today. He closed his eyes and pressed his cold fingertips to his lids for a few seconds and then massaged the corners. It didn’t help.
He opened his eyes. “Stay here,” he told Iskender. “I’m getting Charlotte. We clearly cannot try and stop Saska without raising difficult questions. Being a woman and not an authority figure, maybe Charlotte can help...convince her to change her plans somehow.”
“What am I supposed to do—cuff her to the bed?” Charlotte understood the predicament they were in and wanted to help but she was at a bigger loss than Atakan and Iskender for a solution.
Saska had grown close to the disgusting Nassor or as Atakan called him, Binici. Even if he wasn’t a terrorist, her attraction to Nassor mystified Charlotte. There were times she’d see the two of them with their heads together chatting and laughing. She felt like asking Saska, really? But, for whatever reason, Saska liked him. Convincing her not to spend time with Nassor was not going to be easy. If someone Charlotte hardly knew asked her not to go with Atakan somewhere, she’d blow them off and go with Atakan.
“We’re not exactly good friends,” Charlotte continued. “I don’t see what I could possibly say to convince her not to go.”
“We have to do something. I don’t trust Lokman not to snatch her to make Binici cooperate.”
Atakan plucked a small chunk of ice from his coke, closed his eyes and ran the cube over each lid then held the chip to one eye. Familiar with his headaches, Charlotte knew they often caused knife-sharp pain to radiate behind his eyes. He endured them without complaint. He’d start off massaging his lids. The pain was always worse in one eye. That eye would develop an almost imperceptible twitch. She wondered if Iskender had noticed the tiny tic under his left eye. If the headache came at night, Atakan couldn’t sleep. When massaging failed, which it did if the headache was bad enough, he’d sit on the sofa with ice packs over his eyes.
“Should I get a baggie of ice from the cook?” she asked.
“No, I’m fine.” He opened his eyes and dropped the melting chip into the wastebasket.
“Did you take your prescription?”
“A few minutes ago. Please, we need to concentrate on this situation with Saska. I’ll deal with the headache.”
“What if we have Refik tell her the Ministry wishes to speak with her and she must be available when they call,” Iskender suggested.
“She’ll just say tell them to call me on my cell. It’s not like Refik can force her to take the call in his office,” Charlotte said.
She told Atakan, “You said that Binici commented she’s sympathetic to their goals, which goes along with the questions she asked you and Iskender. If true, then she’s going to really be anxious to go. Not only because she’s tight with Nassor but she might get a magazine article out of the meeting.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Atakan admitted. “If she thinks she’ll get a story, stopping her is twice as difficult.”
“What would stop you from going somewhere with Atakan?” Iskender asked Charlotte.
“I’d have to be extremely pissed at him,” she flicked a glance at Atakan, “which he’s occasioned to happen. Or, I’d have to be ill. But, Saska is neither angry with Nassor nor unwell.
Iskender perked up. “What we can we give her to make her sick?”
“Syrup of Ipecac will make her vomit. I’ve never tasted it, but I hear it tastes similar to concentrated prunes, very sweet,” Charlotte said. “We could put it in prune juice.”
“Where do we get the Ipecac?”
“The pharmacy in Famagusta should carry it.” For a small tourist town, when she shopped there, Charlotte found the pharmacy offered a wide variety of products.
“No. We’re not poisoning her with this Ipecac nonsense,” Atakan said.
“Technically, I don’t think it’s like really poisoning her but truthfully, I wasn’t thrilled with making someone deliberately sick,” Charlotte said.
Iskender gave a long sigh. “We’ve no choice.”
“We take Binici now and transport him to the military base. Call the commanding officer and let him know we’re bringing a subject on our terrorist watch list.” Atakan stood. “I’ll run to the local police station and obtain cuffs and leg irons. I want him wrapped up tight.”
“What about a taser in case he fights?”
“Can’t hurt.”
Iskender checked his watch and began calling the base again.
“I’d rather do this fast and quiet. Can you keep Saska busy while we affect the arrest?” Atakan asked Charlotte. “I don’t want to chance interference from her”
“Don’t worry. Give me a heads-up a minute before you grab him and I’ll make sure she’s out of the way,” Charlotte said.
Iskender turned the cell phone to his chest and said to Atakan, “The C.O. is asking if we want to be there for the interrogation.”
“Absolutely. We can make him give us which BP station is involved. Once the interrogation is over, you and I can go with a few of the men from the base and scout the location. We’ll figure how to set up for tomorrow’s meeting after that.”
Iskender relayed the information to the base C.O.
“What do you mean you’ll scout the location and figure how to setup for the meeting?” Charlotte asked.
“We’ll be working with their men from military intelligence tomorrow to arrest the rest of the PKK members here,” Atakan explained.
“Have you lost your mind?”
Chapter Fifty-Two
“Atakan--,”
He raised a halting hand to cut Charlotte off. “Stop.”
“No, I’ll have my say.”
“Let me explain how we’re handling the capture of the others first. Once we have Binici in custody, we’ll interrogate him and keep him locked up. When he doesn’t show for the meeting, the others may get spooked and leave. But we think they won’t. After analyzing their possible reactions, we decided that knowing Lokman, he’ll figure Binici simply didn’t show. He’ll be incensed and we anticipate him to contact Binici. When he does, we’ll have Binici set up another meeting. When they do and the others arrive, we’ll be waiting.”
She wasn’t liking the plan so far. “Think they’ll come armed?” she asked.
“If I were in their position, I would. Iskender dealt more with radical PKK members while he was in the military than I did.”
“Everyone I had contact with, the ultra hardcore members, like this group, always had weapons on them,” Iskender said.
Just what she didn’t want to hear, it was scary enough knowing Tischenko was hunting Atakan. A group of armed fanatics was worse than the Tischenko threat. Why did Atakan and Iskender need to be in the thick of this arrest and possible deadly confrontation? She wanted answers.
“This meeting you’re ordering Nassor,” she paused to correct herself, “Binici to set up, you really are planning on participating in it?” she asked Atakan.
“Of course.”
“Why? Why isn’t the military handling the entire operation? Why do either of you need to get involved? If arrests are made, the group will be taken to the base for interrogation. There’s no reason this shouldn’t be an all military action.”
“We are working with men from the base. But, we initiated the operation and want to be part of it as we should be,” he said flatly, in his most stubborn tone.
Charlotte threw her hands up. She wanted to strangle Atakan. He sat there, forearms on the desk, a sphinx-like expression on his face, talking to her as though he was explaining an algebra equation.
>
“So, I was right. You’ve lost your mind. Have you given a thought to Tischenko? You know he’s in Cyprus. You know his intent. Yet, you’re going to run around at some gas station, out in the open gathering terrorists...terrorists that can easily be captured by military personnel alone. They have enough manpower they don’t need you or Iskender there.”
“Charlotte--”
“Don’t. Tischenko is undoubtedly watching you. And now, you’re putting yourself in his crosshairs by choice. There’s nothing to stop him from following you to the station and just gunning you down,” she said with a snap of her fingers. “Piece of cake for him.”
“I am not unprotected. I, like all the men there, will be wearing a bulletproof vest and a helmet.”
“Oh, B.F.D. One shot between the eyes through the visor of your helmet and you’re done. What do you think of this insanity?” she asked, turning to Iskender.
“I think I should leave.” He closed his laptop, tucked it under his arm, and hurried out the door.
“What would you have me do, Charlotte? Sit here in the safety of the camp, like a woman? Ask them to call me when the operation is over? It’s all right now, Agent Vadim. You can come out. Do you really think I would allow this?”
He unclipped his cell phone from his belt and set it on the desk. “Here, why don’t you call your brother? Ask Nick, if he were in my place what he’d do.”
“Nick is a macho idiot who’d side with you and you know it.” She slid the phone back toward him. “Why don’t you call your mother? Let’s hear her opinion.”
“My mother would side with you and you know it.”
“Rightfully so, although that would be a first.”
Chapter Fifty-Three
Atakan and Iskender arrested Binici shortly after they spoke to Charlotte. When Binici returned to camp, Refik stopped him and had requested he come to his office, where he was placed under arrest without incident. Charlotte watched everything go down from a shady bench under the olive tree. Once Binici was in custody, Refik ordered the male team members who were in the men’s quarters to leave. He hadn’t explained why from what Charlotte overheard as Derek and his friends headed toward the dining room. She understood why. Atakan would seize Binici’s property and preferred to have the quarters to himself as he worked. He was trying to keep the arrest quiet. If the guys talked, which they would, Saska was bound to hear. He didn’t want interference from her.
“I don’t have time to deal with the litany of questions she’ll ask me,” he told Charlotte.
About twenty minutes after Binici’s arrest a black, unmarked van approached the entrance to the camp but stopped out of Charlotte’s view. Refik, who’d been waiting at the gate, glanced around, and then directed the van to a spot behind his office and out of sight.
Charlotte jogged over to another shady spot where she had a view of the van and the action.
Pretty sinister looking vehicle if you asked Charlotte. The side windows of the cab portion had a dark tint, which made seeing inside impossible. The actual cargo area had no windows on the side and only a small, wire-mesh window in the double doors in the rear. A prisoner would need a battering ram to break through the substantial, almost medieval locking mechanism for the door.
The driver and passenger climbed out and entered the office. They wore the army’s summer khaki uniform and each had green patch with red Special Sergeant Insignia on the sleeves.
“Atakan,” Charlotte called and waved him over as he came out of the office.
“What is it? I can’t talk long. I have to gather Binici’s property and then we’re transporting him to the base.”
“I know you need him for the next two days in order to grab the other group—“
“Charlotte, I am not going to discuss or argue about my participation anymore with you,” Atakan interrupted.
“I didn’t say a word. You’re going to participate no matter what, so there’s no point in my belaboring my objection. But, I’m curious. What happens to Binici after this? He murdered the real Nassor Jafari. Will he stand trial in Egypt?”
Atakan briefly tipped his head back as he thought about his answer. “I can’t say for sure. After the operation, he will be turned over to our National Intelligence Organization, who I believe will keep him in Turkey, especially with the upheaval in Egypt. He’ll stand trial in our country and no doubt be convicted of terrorism since the evidence is overwhelming. Then he’ll be sentenced to life in prison.”
She thought about 9/11, and the innocent victims of other vicious terrorist attacks around the world. Binici’s living out his life in a simple cell didn’t seem fair. Some of the survivors of his group’s bombs were permanently crippled, children orphaned, wives widowed, their lives ripped apart.
“You look disappointed,” Atakan said.
“It’s just...I don’t know...anti-climactic. He gets this clean, warm cell and is able to walk around, even if it is in a confined space. I’m not advocating torturing him, or executing him, but extremely hard labor might be in order.”
His brows flicked up. “You’ve never been inside one of our prisons. There are no flat screen televisions with satellite stations for the inmates to lounge in front of in the hours out of their cells. No fancy gym where they can pump iron to present a stronger, tougher problem for the guards. No conjugal visits. In other words, our prisons are just that, prisons.”
He bent and kissed her on the cheek. “I have to go.”
#
“I’m anxious to get rolling and set up on the gas station. Aren’t you?” Iskender asked.
“Yes,” Atakan checked his watch again and moved to the window. “Here they are,” he said, seeing the military vehicles drive up.
Three tan-colored army Land Rovers pulled into the camp and parked in front of Refik’s office. Three men wearing camouflage uniforms stepped from the two SUV’s in the front. One wore green shoulder boards with three gold stars indicating a captain’s rank. The driver and passenger in the third stayed with their vehicle.
As Atakan approached he saw the third SUV had thick wire screen behind the front seat and another person sat in the rear. Binici. Binici was hunched forward, his head not far from the screen. Like other transported military prisoners, he’d be cuffed to a heavy chain only eleven inches long and attached to an iron ring and plate screwed to the floorboard. The driver and passenger were the two intelligence officers who’d interrogated him the night before. They nodded, and Atakan nodded back then stepped over to the captain who he assumed was the field officer in charge and greeted him first.
“Agent Atakan Vadim.” He extended his hand.
“Captain Peroz Dag,” the captain said, shaking hands.
“This is Agent Yilmaz,” Atakan said, introducing Iskender.
Dag gestured to the men with him. “My team.”
He didn’t offer names and Atakan didn’t pursue further introductions as he led them into the office.
A table had been brought in from the lab so they could spread out the paperwork with a detailed diagram of the location.
“Our sniper and his spotter will setup on the north side of the casino’s roof. They have a clear view of the station and a half-kilometer view of the road in each direction.” Dag drew a curved line indicating the area covered.
“This two-lane road between the beach and the BP station is a problem,” Dag said. “We can’t seal off the road to through traffic without raising suspicions among Lokman’s group.”
“You’re not sealing it off?” Disapproval laced Iskender’s question.
Atakan could see Dag’s logic but thought the captain was taking a huge chance and presenting too big a risk to civilians in the area. But it was Dag’s show so he kept his opinion to himself. He and Iskender were allowed to participate as a courtesy from the military.
Dag waved a dismissive hand without bothering to look up from the map. “It’s been sorted. The Lieutenant Colonel assigned two jeeps with an additional two soldiers
in each. They will be concealed a kilometer apart, one on the north of the station, and one on the south.”
“Chase vehicles if Lokman has a car and tries to escape,” Atakan commented. When questioned, Binici didn’t know if Lokman had acquired a car. He only knew the group had stolen an old fishing boat.
“Yes, chase vehicles but they will block the road if necessary. Once the operation starts, should the apprehension become violent, they can prevent civilian cars from entering the line of fire.”
Although formerly in the military, Atakan expected Dag would separate him and Iskender. They’d both been out of the army for over a decade plus. Neither had trained regularly in the years since then. They’d fired the Akdal Ghost sidearm the Ministry issued them at the base range on a regular basis. Once Darav Binici’s true identity and PKK affiliation was known, they considered others from his group might join him. A confrontation was inevitable. As a result, he and Iskender reacquainted themselves with the Mehmetcik assault rifles the army used. Familiarity with the weapons helped but logically Dag should put each with two of his team, current in their tactical training.
Dag did separate them. Iskender was with the two on the inside of the station’s convenience store. On Dag’s signal, they’d exit out the north door that faced the patio. Atakan, Dag and the last soldier would be hidden in the scrub and foliage a few meters east of the patio.
The patio was offset from the front of the station’s property. The entrance lined up with the west wall of the convenience store, set back away from drivers at the pumps.
As soon as Lokman and the others entered the area, Dag’s team would make their move. They’d confront the group first with the Iskender team as additional backup and to secure the arrestees. “Depending on the situation, of course. This is if they go with scenario A,” Dag added.
“What scenarios did you run,” Atakan asked, knowing the captain and his teams ran the most likely already. The assault teams never went in with a plan based on a single response. They always anticipated the unexpected and planned alternate responses accordingly. “Plan A is if Lokman and his men approach together. What if they split up? Or, what if all of them go into the store first?”
Byzantine Gold Page 22
