schedule. Iskender emailed me this morning. He’ll be here in three days. Problem solved. No more kicks needed.”
“Is he allowed a gun too?”
“You’re obsessed with guns, but then you are from Chicago, where all the mafia gangsters run around shooting each other. I’ve seen the movies,” he said with a lopsided grin.
She considered kicking him again.
“Chicago doesn’t hold the patent on gangsters. Putz. Answer my question.”
“Yes, he is coming armed.”
“Good. I have to make a quick call. I’ll be right back.”
She excused herself and returned to their room. She had confidence in the Ministry and their abilities to track down Tischenko, eventually . She decided after their talk in the kitchen she’d do whatever possible on her end. Without telling Atakan, she’d contact Nick and asked for his help. He had to know someone who could legally or illegally discover something useful.
Chapter Ten
“Hello,” Nick answered sleepy voiced.
“Nick, it’s me. Did I wake you?” Charlotte asked, checking her watch. It was one o’clock where she was but with the eight hour time difference, five in the morning in Chicago.
“Yeah, but don’t sweat it. I was getting up in an hour anyway. Is everything okay, Case?”
“So far. We’re in Cyprus now.” She filled Nick in on Atakan’s physical improvement and that a fellow Ministry agent was en route to assist him on the site.
“Two’s better than one under the circumstances, especially when one is winged,” Nick said.
“What do you think are the chances of Tischenko attempting another sniper-style attack?”
“Hard to say without my knowing what the terrain is like or how difficult it would be for him to smuggle a weapon into Cyprus.”
“The beach area is flat. There are a few hills near the main road.”
“I’d still have to see for myself.”
She sat on the bed, disappointed. She wanted reassurance from Nick. In her mind, his ten years with SWAT gave him tactical omniscience.
The irritating racket of squealing children came from outside, followed by the yelling of the mother. “Were you able to find someone to dig into Tischenko deeper?” she asked and got up to close the window.
A bright orange soccer ball flew onto the balcony and bounced off the door. A man she figured was the father stomped up the steps to retrieve it. He loudly told the children something in German and made a shooing motion urging them toward the sand.
“What is that racket?”
“We’re staying at a family resort until tomorrow and a bunch of kids are out front playing.”
“To answer your question, I got hold of Interpol information. It’s not much.”
“Any info helps.”
“They traced him to Venezuela a short time after he escaped Sevastopol. How he got there is a mystery. I suspect via Russia.”
“Probably. But if Interpol knows this, then the Ministry does too.”
“I’m certain they do.”
Atakan hadn’t said anything to her. No point, since the info was neither important nor current.
“From there he likely entered Europe by way of Latvia or Lithuania, one of those EU countries you can never find on the map. As you know, it’s easy moving through the other Eurozone countries into France. Sorry I don’t have better news to give you. I need more from your end to get more.”
“I understand,” Charlotte said.
“Case, you said they’re doing forensics on your computers.”
“Yes.”
“If he monitored the traffic on your computer, their malware can determine where the breach occurred. Once they locate that, they’ll obtain the IP address he used. Send me the information.”
“Wouldn’t he route the hack job through several servers?”
“Count on it.”
“The Ministry analyst will backtrack through those servers and come up with the same information as you. I don’t understand how that helps.”
“Just get the IP addresses for me.”
“You know a guy from one of the alphabet agencies who hacks into people’s
“Is he allowed a gun too?”
“You’re obsessed with guns, but then you are from Chicago, where all the mafia gangsters run around shooting each other. I’ve seen the movies,” he said with a lopsided grin.
She considered kicking him again.
“Chicago doesn’t hold the patent on gangsters. Putz. Answer my question.”
“Yes, he is coming armed.”
“Good. I have to make a quick call. I’ll be right back.”
She excused herself and returned to their room. She had confidence in the Ministry and their abilities to track down Tischenko, eventually . She decided after their talk in the kitchen she’d do whatever possible on her end. Without telling Atakan, she’d contact Nick and asked for his help. He had to know someone who could legally or illegally discover something useful.
Chapter Ten
“Hello,” Nick answered sleepy voiced.
“Nick, it’s me. Did I wake you?” Charlotte asked, checking her watch. It was one o’clock where she was but with the eight hour time difference, five in the morning in Chicago.
“Yeah, but don’t sweat it. I was getting up in an hour anyway. Is everything okay, Case?”
“So far. We’re in Cyprus now.” She filled Nick in on Atakan’s physical improvement and that a fellow Ministry agent was en route to assist him on the site.
“Two’s better than one under the circumstances, especially when one is winged,” Nick said.
“What do you think are the chances of Tischenko attempting another sniper-style attack?”
“Hard to say without my knowing what the terrain is like or how difficult it would be for him to smuggle a weapon into Cyprus.”
“The beach area is flat. There are a few hills near the main road.”
“I’d still have to see for myself.”
She sat on the bed, disappointed. She wanted reassurance from Nick. In her mind, his ten years with SWAT gave him tactical omniscience.
The irritating racket of squealing children came from outside, followed by the yelling of the mother. “Were you able to find someone to dig into Tischenko deeper?” she asked and got up to close the window.
A bright orange soccer ball flew onto the balcony and bounced off the door. A man she figured was the father stomped up the steps to retrieve it. He loudly told the children something in German and made a shooing motion urging them toward the sand.
“What is that racket?”
“We’re staying at a family resort until tomorrow and a bunch of kids are out front playing.”
“To answer your question, I got hold of Interpol information. It’s not much.”
“Any info helps.”
“They traced him to Venezuela a short time after he escaped Sevastopol. How he got there is a mystery. I suspect via Russia.”
“Probably. But if Interpol knows this, then the Ministry does too.”
“I’m certain they do.”
Atakan hadn’t said anything to her. No point, since the info was neither important nor current.
“From there he likely entered Europe by way of Latvia or Lithuania, one of those EU countries you can never find on the map. As you know, it’s easy moving through the other Eurozone countries into France. Sorry I don’t have better news to give you. I need more from your end to get more.”
“I understand,” Charlotte said.
“Case, you said they’re doing forensics on your computers.”
“Yes.”
“If he monitored the traffic on your computer, their malware can determine where the breach occurred. Once they locate that, they’ll obtain the IP address he used. Send me the information.”
“Wouldn’t he route the hack job through several servers?”
“Count on it.”
“The Ministry analyst will backtrack through those servers and come up with the same information as you. I don’t understand how that helps.”
“Just get the IP addresses for me.”
“You know a guy from one of the alphabet agencies who hacks into people’s
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