It had been three months since the fateful day when the enemy Agents Shahim Al Khazar and Lana Wilson had come so close to discovering the plans of the team. Much had happened in that time. Though Jack had not even known about the day’s events until days afterward, it was clear that John had truly saved them all. His quick thinking had been extraordinary, as had Madeline’s equally daring response. Both of them had faced imminent death without thought and it had been a reality check for the whole team. Though the world would never know it, they had been a hair’s breadth from triggering a response that might have wrought the eradication of the entire human race. It had been inordinately close, and since then, they had pursued their security measures with renewed vigor.

But from the jaws of utter failure they had managed to grasp an unexpected new ally. For many on the team, including Jack Toranssen, the thought of bringing the infamous terrorist into their midst had been difficult to stomach. The man had killed so many innocents, women and children falling in the face of his callous attacks. During Shahim’s brief stay on Earth, he had become an international symbol of everything that Jack despised. But the strategic and tactical options opened up by John’s induction of Agent Shahim Al Khazar to their ranks were undeniable.

No, there could be no doubt that it had been a coup for the resistance and it had paid off tremendously. But to achieve it John Hunt had risked everyone’s fate on the integrity of an Agent responsible for the brutal execution of countless innocents, and, in truth, Jack still felt that it had been too great a risk for the man to take independently.

In the days following the fateful fight, Shahim had apparently also met with Neal, Ayala and Admiral Hamilton. Given that he already knew Neal’s complicity, and John’s, it seemed moot to keep the rest of the team from him. If he planned to betray them, then they were, to all intents and purposes, already sunk.

Shahim had approached Neal even as the dust still settled, even as John Hunt had rushed to get back to the HMS Dauntless before his absence became suspicious, and he had been introduced to Ayala not long afterward. Later, now with Ayala’s approval, they were able to involve the admiral as well, and though the meetings between them all had been strained, it had apparently led to some significant improvements in their overall plan of attack. Ayala had said she was very excited at the new options that Shahim had been in a position to propose. But after an all too brief time with Neal and Tim Hamilton, the enigmatic double agent had been forced to vanish back into the underground. By design, they would not hear anything from him again for some time.