One Step Back: A Titus Ray Thriller

by Luana Ehrlich

  “On whether or not you want it on the official record that I recently made contact with one of Iran’s nuclear scientists.”

  “Does this have anything to do with the 319 you sent the Ops Center a week ago?”

  The signal I’d sent the Ops Center when I’d noticed the two VEVAK agents approaching our table in Zafaranieh Plaza was called the Emergency Locator and Monitoring Alert. However, it was usually referred to as a 319, the numbers I’d entered on the keypad.

  “No, that was a false alarm, although that was the day I met the nuclear scientist in question.”

  “Am I correct in assuming this call is simply to report the initial contact with that individual?”

  “I guess you could put it that way.”

  “Well, I am putting it that way, and, since that’s the case, I see no reason to make an official recording of this conversation.”

  “Works for me.”

  “So tell me about this nuclear scientist.”

  I gave Carlton a detailed accounting of everything I knew about Amir Madani, beginning with my first encounter with him in Zafaranieh Plaza and ending with the conversation I’d had with Merza Zand about the type of work he and Madani were doing in the Atomic Energy Building.

  Carlton was a big note taker, and, every now and then, I could hear him flipping pages on his yellow notepad.

  I knew his notepad was yellow, because, for as long as I’d known him, I’d never seen him taking notes on anything other than a yellow legal pad. Later, he would transfer his notes to a computer, and then he’d methodically tear off each yellow sheet from his notepad and feed them through his paper shredder.

  He would do this individual sheet by individual sheet.

  When I’d finished briefing him on Amir, he said, “It’s good to hear you’ve done your homework, Titus, but what’s your end game here? Do you really believe you have a chance of recruiting Amir Madani?”

  Although I could hear the skepticism in his voice, I also detected a note of excitement, and I knew he had to be considering what recruiting Madani would mean for the Agency as well as for his own career.

  “Admit it, Douglas. He’s an enticing prospect.”

  “Enticing or not, his finances are a red flag. We’ll need to take a hard look at them.”

  Even though Carlton refused to admit the prospect of having one of Iran’s nuclear research scientist on the payroll of the CIA would be a major coup for the Agency, he immediately began outlining the steps he would take to ensure Amir Madani wasn’t already on the radar of another intelligence agency or possibly on the payroll of VEVAK.

  “I’ll contact Katherine and have her check him out,” he said. “She owes me a few favors, so I’m sure she’ll expedite my request.”

  Katherine Broward was the Agency’s chief strategic analyst. Her department, the Analysis and Strategic Assessment (ASA) division, was responsible for assembling, processing, and evaluating all the information and data collected from intelligence sources. The ASA desk also had the means to hack into banks, businesses, and foreign governments, as well as open sources, such as the internet and media outlets.

  “In the meantime,” Carlton said, “continue your surveillance on Madani.”

  “Of course.”

  “Katherine should be able to get back to me in a couple of days, but don’t approach Madani until I see what our analysts have turned up on him.”

  “Would you also have Support Services find out if there’s an apartment available in Shemiran?”

  “Why would I do that?”

  “Because I’m convinced the easiest way for me to cultivate a friendship with Amir is to have an apartment in Shemiran. By living in the same apartment complex, I’ll have plenty of opportunities to run into him, and since I’m running solo here, it will be the best means I have for keeping tabs on his activities.”

  Carlton didn’t say anything for a few seconds.

  Finally, he said, “Are you forgetting the DDO vetoed the idea of purchasing an apartment for you in Shemiran? If I remember correctly, he said the cost was prohibitive.”

  “He might change his mind when he learns that buying an apartment in Shemiran would give me 24/7 access to an Iranian nuclear scientist.”

  Carlton sighed. “I’ll have Support Services see if there’s anything available. Any other questions?”

  I tried to phrase my next question carefully, because I knew Carlton was adamant about not commenting on rumors floating around Langley. At the same time, I also knew he took great delight in imparting information no one else knew.

  His willingness to answer my next question would depend on how precisely I was able to draw the distinction between the two.

  I said, “I’m sure the DDO is the only person who has this information, Douglas, but is it possible my efforts to pursue Amir as my asset would compromise another ongoing operation in Iran?”

  “Are you referring to the NSD?”

  Geographically, the Nuclear Security Division’s territory overlapped all divisions within the Agency. In order to prevent the possibility of two different divisions running operations targeting the same asset, the DDO was responsible for informing the division heads of any ongoing operations.

  “Yes,” I said, “I’m talking about the NSD. I wouldn’t want to be playing around in their backyard over here.”

  “Are you kidding me? The NSD hasn’t obtained a single piece of actionable intel in Iran since they learned the Ayatollah was trying to procure illicit nuclear material.”

  I lied and said, “I didn’t realize that.”

  My comment triggered a long response from Carlton regarding how much he knew about how the NSD had tried—and subsequently failed—to recruit Iran’s nuclear scientists.

  When he’d finished outlining the division’s incompetency, he assured me the DDO would inform the NSD if he gave me the go ahead to pursue Amir.

  He added, “As far as I know, the NSD doesn’t have any ongoing operations that would interfere with you running Amir as your asset. We’ll know more once we get Katherine’s report.”

  After he commented on the intel Farid had been able to obtain on General Suleiman, he returned to the subject of Amir Madani.

  “If Katherine’s data mining doesn’t turn up anything on Madani, what’s your opinion about having the DDO assemble an operations team so we can put together some protocols on how you should handle Madani?”

  “That’s your call, Douglas. I’ll leave it up to you to make that decision.”

  Two days after my initial call to Carlton about Amir Madani, I received a flash alert from the Ops Center. It was in the form of a text message in Farsi from a local dry-cleaning establishment.

  “Your laundry is ready for pickup,” it said.

  When I received the text, I was parked outside Amir’s apartment building, but I immediately abandoned my post and headed back to my apartment on the other side of Tehran.

  There was heavy traffic on the Kharazi Expressway, and by the time I arrived at my apartment, almost an hour had passed since I’d received the alert.

  It took me another twenty minutes to get my laptop set up, attach the encryption devices, and turn on the APS equipment. Despite the delay, when Carlton’s image pixilated across my screen, I thought he looked pleased.

  “Your timing’s perfect,” he said, glancing down at his watch. “I’ve asked Katherine to join us, and she’s just texted me she’s on her way up to my office.”

  Carlton was using the small conference room next door to his office, which he usually did when he presented his operatives with a data readout or updated them on an operation’s change in status.

  While his choice of venue indicated he wasn’t ready to call in a full operations team yet, the fact that he’d asked Katherine to brief me in person about what her analysts had turned up on Amir Madani made me think the status of Operation Torchlight was about to change.

  As I was updating Carlton on my continuing surveillance of Madani, the door
to the conference room swung open and Carlton’s executive assistant, Sally Jo Hartford, escorted Katherine inside.

  Carlton, who was seated at the head of the rectangular table, immediately got to his feet when the two women entered the room.

  Once Sally Jo had left, he gestured at the chair on his left and said, “Katherine, please be seated.”

  As soon as she sat down, she glanced up at the screen and smiled at me.

  “Titus, I don’t think I’ve seen you with a beard before.” She paused and then nodded her head. “I like it.”

  I returned her smile.

  It was the first time Katherine had spoken to me since I’d tried to date her a couple of years ago.

  Chapter 6

  Katherine wasn’t just an attractive woman; she was a beautiful woman. Whether it was her blond hair and green eyes or her fashion model figure, she had always commanded attention whenever she entered a room.

  Although she wasn’t shy about using her good looks to get attention, I’d quickly learned Katherine was more interested in receiving kudos for her analytical abilities than for her physical attributes.

  “Thanks, Katherine,” I said. “I’ve been looking forward to hearing what you’ve turned up on Amir Madani.”

  She opened up her laptop. “I was asked to expedite this request, so keep in mind these are only preliminary results.”

  “Don’t be so modest, Katherine. You know you always do a thorough job.”

  She rewarded me with a smile. “And you always think flattery will get you quicker results.”

  Even though Katherine had given me the cold-shoulder after our short-lived relationship, we were still on good terms. While it was probably just wishful thinking on my part, I remained optimistic we might be able to reconnect one day.

  Proximity was a huge factor in our break up—it’s difficult to get close to someone when you’re seldom in the same country, much less the same zip code together.

  “Let’s get started,” Carlton said, picking up his Cross pen and scribbling something on his legal pad. When he looked up, he nodded at Katherine.

  “Tell us what your data mining has turned up on Amir Madani.”

  Katherine glanced down at her laptop.

  After reading off Amir Madani’s full name, she said, “He appears to be a legitimate nuclear research scientist. We scanned his educational background and his employment history, and there were no red flags there. I also questioned the defector, Komeil Haddadi, about him. He said he’d met Madani once, but he couldn’t offer much insight into his personality.”

  I added, “When Komeil showed me Amir’s picture, he didn’t give him high marks for his research.”

  Katherine looked amused. “He told me the same thing, but I suspect there might be a little intellectual jealousy going on with Komeil.”

  Carlton said, “Titus has verified Madani works at the Atomic Energy Building, and he’s talked to sources in Tehran that back that up, so I’m not particularly concerned about the quality of Madani’s research. Tell me about the source of his money. Is he on VEVAK’s payroll?”

  Katherine shook her head. “No, there’s no evidence of that in our databases. That doesn’t mean he’s not being paid through one of their off-the-books accounts, but he’s not on VEVAK’s official payroll.”

  Carlton looked pleased. “What about Madani’s bank records?”

  She looked down at her computer again. “The year after Amir graduated from Tehran University, a substantial amount of money was deposited into a savings account he maintains at Maskan Bank of Tehran. It’s possible those funds were from the sale of a piece of property owned by his father, who passed away before the property was sold. Keep in mind, though, it’s a large sum of money for such a small piece of real estate, and I’m still trying to confirm if the sale could be the source of his money. A year after those funds appeared in his account, he purchased his apartment in Shemiran.”

  I said, “There’s probably no need to ask you this, Katherine, but did you check the Nuclear Security Division’s databases? Is there any evidence one of their operatives has ever tried to recruit him?”

  She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and gave me a dismissive look. “You’re right, Titus. There’s no need for you to ask me that.” She paused. “Of course, I checked the NSD databases. There’s nothing in there about Amir Madani.”

  Carlton looked amused at Katherine’s answer and pointed his pen at me, “Any other questions?”

  “No, I’m good.”

  Carlton turned to Katherine. “So what’s your assessment?”

  She closed the lid on her laptop. “I’ll send you my full report tomorrow, but, as far as my office is concerned, Amir Madani appears to be a legitimate prospect for recruitment. There’s no evidence he’s working for VEVAK or for any other intelligence agency.”

  “That’s good,” Carlton said, running his hand over his baldhead. “That’s very good.”

  Carlton appeared relieved, as if he might have been expecting bad news but had been given good news instead. His reaction made me wonder if he’d already alerted the DDO about the possibility of recruiting Amir. That would be out of character for my operations officer because he usually refused to divulge any new intel to the suits on the seventh floor until such information had been fully vetted.

  However, if Carlton had gone against his cautious nature and told the DDO I’d recently been in contact with a nuclear scientist, then perhaps that meant he’d already asked the deputy to approve a change in status for Operation Torchlight.

  Because of how the DDO felt about the lack of intel coming out of Iran, I assumed he would have immediately approved such a request.

  It turned out I was wrong about that.

  After Carlton expressed his gratitude to Katherine for expediting his request, she assured him she would continue monitoring Madani’s finances for any changes, and then she picked up her laptop and headed for the door.

  Carlton quickly got out of his chair and opened the door for her. Before she left the room, she turned toward the video screen and gave me a little wave.

  “Nice to see you again, Titus.” she said. “Watch your back out there.”

  I nodded at her. “Always.”

  When Carlton sat back down, I said, “I think the best way for me to approach Madani—”

  “Don’t get ahead of yourself, Titus.”

  Carlton flipped through several pages of his legal pad. When he found the one he wanted, he said, “I realize this may surprise you, but this morning I took the unusual step of mentioning to Deputy Ira that you had recently met someone in Iran’s nuclear community. I also expressed your willingness to add him to your network.”

  “You’re right, Douglas,” I said, trying to look sincere, “that does surprise me, especially since Katherine hadn’t given you her results yet.”

  He looked off in the distance for a moment. “I had my reasons.”

  “I’m sure the DDO was excited to hear I might be able to recruit Madani.”

  He shook his head. “As a matter of fact, he wasn’t. When I told him about your contact with Madani, he had a negative response.”

  I didn’t have to fake my surprise this time. “Why?”

  “I’ll read his exact words to you,” he said, looking down at his notes. “The deputy said, ’Titus already has his hands full managing six assets. If this scientist turns out to be a viable recruit, we’ll send another operative into Iran to run him.’”

  “Another operative? It would take at least six months for the Agency to insert another operative into Tehran. By that time, Madani could have already been feeding me intel.”

  Carlton laid his pen down beside his legal pad. After making sure the pen was precisely aligned with the top of the pad, he looked up at me and asked, “Are you absolutely certain Madani will respond to an approach from you?”

  “No, Douglas, I’m not absolutely certain, but—”

  “You just said—”

&nb
sp; “I am certain I have a better chance of befriending Amir Madani than anyone else does. I’ve met the man. I have an opening there.”

  “You’ve never lacked for confidence, that’s for sure.”

  “I have confidence Amir would like to become better acquainted with Hammid. He’s curious about the watchmaker’s son.”

  Carlton nodded. “Your instincts have usually been right about such things.”

  I waited, thinking he was going to qualify his statement, but, when he didn’t, I said, “So you’ll talk to the DDO again?”

  “I already did. I assured him you could handle running another asset, and he finally agreed to amend the protocols for Operation Torchlight.”

  “Thank you for standing up for me, Douglas. I appreciate it.”

  “I didn’t do it just for you,” he said. “The Agency needs that intel.”

  After flipping a page over on his legal pad, Carlton asked, “How do you want to proceed with Madani?”

  “First, I’ll need an apartment in Shemiran.”

  He nodded. “By the end of the week, Hammid Salimi will hear from his parents in Geneva. They’ll let him know they’ve purchased an apartment for him in Shemiran. Make sure he thanks them.”

  He did.

  I had to abandon my surveillance of Amir for a few days while I made arrangements for my move to Shemiran. Those arrangements included purchasing furniture for my new apartment.

  One day, when I was on my way over to a furniture store, I got a text from Farid. He said he had a package for me, and he wanted to know how soon I could meet him.

  I texted him back and told him I was tied up for a couple of hours, but I could meet him at the entrance to Jamshidieh Park at two o’clock.

  I arrived at the park, located in northern Tehran not far from Shemiran, thirty minutes before our scheduled meet, which gave me plenty of time to scout out the area.

  It was early afternoon, and, except for a few young mothers pushing baby strollers and some senior citizens playing checkers on a park bench, there was hardly anyone at the park.

  When Farid arrived, I suggested we take one of the walking trails over to the tea house in the middle of the park. As soon as we headed over there, I mentioned I was moving to an apartment in Shemiran.