Read Online Blowback by Valerie Plame - Free Book Online Page A

I know Chris. Go on, and I’ll jump in with questions if I have them.”
    â€œI have a question,” Jeffreys interjected sharply. “We’re here to discuss a previously unknown, underground nuclear weapons facility located in southeastern Iran. If your intel is valid, if the Iranians are back in business on the UD3 project to develop a nuclear trigger, there is no question this indicates Iran has nuclear weapons capabilities.” His lips compressed as he stared at the DDO. “This
is
what you have and what you believe, right?”
    DDO Hawkins hesitated, and when he did begin to speak, he barely avoided stumbling over his words. “If the intel is valid—and that’s a big if. But then, yes, Iran may be in possession of a nuclear weapon.”
    Jeffreys nodded. “What is the probability of success in militarily wiping out multiple facilities in Iran?”
    Obviously taken aback, the DDO hesitated again, and almost immediately Hall spoke up on-screen. “Before we waste too much energy debating options, military or otherwise, let’s see if this facility actually exists and is not the imaginative manipulations of an asset eager to please.”
    Vanessa recoiled internally—they could assume nothing until they had corroboration, and she had no desire to feed into Jeffreys’s neocon redline arguments, but Arash had given his life to get intel out of Iran.
    â€œHe was my asset,” she said sharply, “and he always delivered quality intel. And if his latest intel is accurate, we have a chance, a target date in two weeks, to capture Bhoot. But only if this operation becomes our team priority, twenty-four-seven, from now until September thirtieth.”
    Hall’s eyebrows arched. “Thank you for the urgent reminder, Ms.—”
    â€œVanessa.”
    â€œThat’s right—Vanessa.” Hall nodded. “Blond becomes you more than brunette. Phillip, if your case officer is correct and this intel is actionable, we are working within very tight time constraints. Two weeks to set up a
cooperative
operation to capture Bhoot.” Hall’s eyebrows rose beyond their natural arch. “What are the odds of getting these missing geo-coordinates in any reasonable time frame?”
    Chris turned to Zoe. “What’s your take?”
    But before Zoe could respond, Vanessa interjected: “That makes it all the more vital to get Tree/214 out of Iran alive. Because then we will have the coordinates in a matter of hours.”
    â€œYou can’t be certain—” Zoe protested.
    A shrill ring filled the room.
    More than one person started.
    The DDO answered his green secure phone. For less than thirty seconds he listened, then with a nod and a terse, “Thank you,” hung up.
    He addressed the group. “The Poles got word, Tree/214 is on the move. She’s requesting safe passage from Iran, and when she’s out, she will
only
talk to ‘Ms. Dalton.’”
    For a second there was dead silence. Then slowly, all eyes turned toward Vanessa.
    Chris said, “How fast can you get on our plane to Incirlik, Turkey?”
    Already pushing out of her chair, Vanessa grabbed her folder and moved toward the door.

Zari moaned sharply as the ancient Mercedes shuddered over something hard on the road. She clutched at her mother with the fierceness of a baby bird clutching to its nest.
    â€œEshgeh man,”
Yassi murmured, desperately trying to sooth her child as they lay pressed together inside the stifling blackness of the trunk. How long until they were free of Tehran? Could she keep Zari from panicking again before they were safe to leave this filthy, cramped prison?
    She’d carried her daughter the last few meters across the street to the elaborate gates of the Polish embassy. What if the soldiers had refused to let them in? She barely managed to recite the code the American had given them so long ago.
    A new cloud of fumes