Cord reappeared in the feed. “So … crapstorm.”
“It was heavily edited,” Canyon argued, “and there were spots where it wasn’t Range’s voice doing the talking.”
“You know that,” Cord said, “I know that, but the world doesn’t. Deep Fake is nothing new, but this is some serious damage. Your brother now has a very big target on his head. He’s in country without ID, without support, purportedly without authorization—which Pike is arguing up and down the Potomac since he was forced stateside.” He sighed and shook his head. “Add to that this supposed marriage—”
“Who’s the woman?” Stone asked.
“Kasra Jazani, the Madam who ran the Roud Compound.”
“Amadam?” Stone drew back.
Nodding, Cord went on. “Range had been tasked with securing her in a joint operation to take down the Trench—the region of the trafficking pipeline we’ve been working to dismantle. We get those names—huge dent.”
“Which explains why they’ve painted a target on his head,” Canyon muttered.
“I don’t get it,” Stone said, “why didn’t that imam just kill her there?”
“As you said—that video was pretty heavily edited. Our analysts have been all over it and believe theydidtry to kill her. What you hear afterward, outside? It wasn’t just Range shooting. My guess? They were threatening to kill her and to humiliate him, forced him to marry her, but that imam couldn’t let a prostitute walk out of a mosque seemingly redeemed.”
“And we’re sure Range is still alive?”
“Definitively. Too many mobilized locals for a dead guy,” Cord said. “Also, the walled home we believed he took shelter in with the madam? SATINT showed three vehicles in the compound two days ago. Now, only two.”
“Any idea where they went?” Canyon pulled up a map.
“My guess? South via Pakistan.”
“The gulf,” he agreed. “Yeah, water is his territory.”
“That’s what we’re hoping. Trying to get some assets in place to assist, but with the maelstrom surrounding this now—an American soldier verified operating within Afghanistan has every officer and enlisted blacklisting him. Which is why I called. Think you can get some guys spun up and headed that way? He needs help, but he’s not going to get it through official channels, especially with his name and face all over the world after shooting an imam—which is not verified—and taking Jazani.”
“Marrying,” Stone gruffed. “Is that … was it real? Are they…?”
Cord looked grim. “From what that video showed, it is in accordance with Afghani law, so by all accounts, the marriage is legit. In a mosque, officiated by an imam, he agreed to take her, paid a bride price by the …”
“He’dnevermarry her,” Canyon said. “He was there to take her in.”
“Right now, that’s the least of our worries or his. He has to keep moving to stay alive.”
“I’ll make some calls.”
“Good copy.” Cord seemed to hesitate. “Either of you hear from Brooke lately?”
Stone cocked his head. “Why?”
“Haven’t you heard, brother?” Canyon taunted, grinning at the screen. “Taggart has the hots for our sister.”
With a groan, Cord shook his bald head. “That’s not—” He looked aside and huffed. “I’m worried about her. Concerned that I haven’t heard from her in a few weeks and she won’t return my calls.”
“Never were one take a hint,” Stone said.
Canyon nodded. “Brooke’s as cold as they come. Never seen anyone who knew how to ghost people the way she does.”
“I think this is different.”
“Because it’s you?” His protective brother instincts kicked in.
“Thepoint”—Cord’s voice sounded strained—“is that she’d been communicating with me, asking questions about MiLE and trafficking. A lot of questions.Knowledgeableones.”
