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Back Vortex Save as PDF
Chapters (61)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. Epilogue
  57. Epilogue
  58. Acknowledgments
  59. About the Author
  60. Also by Catherine Coulter
  61. About the Publisher

“What I will tell you is sensitive enough. Therefore, I ask that you, Detective Raven, leave now. What I will say is for Agent Savich’s ears only.”

Savich nodded to Ben. He rose, grinned. “Thank you for the show then, gentlemen. What I’ve already heard will be a cherished memory.” He turned dead serious. “Agent Hildebrandt, you can trust Agent Savich to keep you safe and find out how and why this happened.” He turned and quietly closed the door behind him. Savich thought he heard whistling.

Lodner’s lips were seamed as he stared at the door. He turned back to Savich. “I will remind you, Agent Savich, you will be held accountable for any leak of this information. Do you understand?” At Savich’s patient nod, he continued. “Very well. We had an undercover operative embedded at Iranian military headquarters. He was in Tehran for thirteen months when he discovered he’d been identified and was about to be arrested. He contacted Mr. Grace, who arranged for Agent Hildebrandt and her team to pick him up near the Iraqi border.” He paused. “It came as a shock to us to find him actually running from the Iranian military. We do not as yet know how the government found out so quickly where he was headed.

“Our operative was killed but the information he was carrying on a flash drive was saved. There was sustained gunfire and the team was hit by an RPG that rendered Agent Hildebrandt unconscious. She was airlifted to Balad Military Hospital, then flown back later to the States for evaluation at Walter Reed.

“The details of the mission, the name of our undercover operative, how we embedded him, the critical information we hoped to obtain from the flash drive one of the team members managed to bring out—that is all highly classified. That’s as much information as I can give you.”

“Where is the flash drive?”

Lodner shook his head. “We don’t as yet have it.”

“Why don’t you have it?”

“That is classified, Agent Savich.”

Savich looked thoughtful. “I see. So the attack on Agent Hildebrandt last night could be an attempt to find the flash drive?”

Mr. Lodner said again, this time his teeth gritted, “That is classified, Agent Savich.”

Savich said easily, “It appears that flash drive, with the critical information on it your operative was bringing out, may well be the key, indeed the reason for the attack on Agent Hildebrandt. Who has the flash drive?”

Lodner said, annoyance radiating off him in waves, “Very well, our operative was scheduled to arrive at Langley to debrief with Mr. Grace and give him the flash drive, but he did not. We don’t know where he is or why he hasn’t come in. We are searching for him.