I said, “What’s that got to do with the Ghost?”
Aaron said, “We saw him today in the Iguazú Falls Park. We tracked one of the Hezbollah men across the border, surveilling him to develop the situation, and he met your man.”
Jennifer glanced at me, surprised that we’d actually found the Ghost. I said, “Are you sure that’s him?”
Aaron said, “Yes. I’m positive, and he was conducting a clandestine personal meet. He used tradecraft because he didn’t know the Hezbollah men. They had bona fides to ensure each was who they said.”
“How do you know?”
“We had a parabolic microphone on them while they were out at a place called the Devil’s Mouth—one of the biggest of the falls. We couldn’t get a whole lot because of the noise, but we got enough. They were meeting for the first time.”
Jennifer said, “Did you get anything about what they’re planning?”
“No. The Hezbollah man had a pretty good plan. We set up off the walkway from the Devil’s Throat, near a train station and an outside food court, figuring that’s where they’d conduct the meeting, but they didn’t. They rented a raft and separated from us, doing the meet out on the water of the river, away from everyone.”
Shoshana said, “We tried to board it with them, but were denied by the tour company. The best we could do was pick them back up when they got off. They split, and the Ghost met up with two different men. The Hezbollah operatives went back across the border, and we let them. We stuck with the new group. It looks like that was a good call, if this guy is half the assassin you say he is.”
I perked up at that, saying, “You followed the Ghost? You know a bed-down?”
“We do. It’s a place called the Iguazú Grand Hotel and Casino. It’s a large, fenced compound just across the street, on the edge of the national park.”
“Right near here?”
Aaron looked at his watch, then stood, saying, “Yeah, it’s close, which is why we had the time to spend with you. We need to get over there before they leave. We’re going to track them again today, build a pattern of life and see if we can determine what they’re planning.”
Shoshana glanced at her own watch, saying, “You guys are going to make us miss them.”
I said, “Do you have a room? Any more fidelity than the hotel?”
Shoshana packed a few electronic devices into a small backpack, saying, “No, that’s all we have, but feel free to pin that down.” She tossed me a cell phone and said, “We’ll let you know when they leave. Only communicate with us on that.”
I caught the phone, saying, “If we have his bed-down, we’ll snag him tonight, and that’ll be the end of it.”
Shoshana followed Aaron to the door, “Just don’t screw anything up for us.”
“Have I ever done that?”
She stopped at the door, looked at Jennifer and said, “Do I have to answer that?”
Chapter 32
The Ghost filled a paper cup with hotel coffee, then returned to Sardar in the lobby. Sardar pointed next to him and the Ghost took a seat on a couch, watching the hotel patrons come and go.
Sardar said, “You cleaned out the room? Nothing left in it?”
“Yes. Cyrus gave me the fake luggage and I scrubbed the room. Packed out the flight baggage tags and receipts from the trash. It’s clean.”
Sardar held out his hand and said, “Room key?”
The Ghost handed him his plastic key card saying, “I thought you’d rented the place for three days?”
“I did, but you’re not coming back here. Only Cyrus is coming back, just for appearances. He’ll service the rooms, dirtying up the beds and towels so that housekeeping still thinks all three are being used.”
The Ghost had grown to trust Cyrus and didn’t like the news. He said, “He’s not joining us for the execution of the mission?”
“No. His part of the mission is here. After the event I want to make it as hard as possible for the authorities to track us. As far as Argentina will know, the Qataris stayed until the morning of the attack, then flew home.”
The Ghost nodded, saying, “I appreciate your attention to the mission details.”
