"But how would he know?" Risk asked. "We kept Shadow Veil out of all official reports. Delta took credit for the rescue. There's no paper trail connecting Mara's team to that operation."
"Paper trail's not the only way to connect dots," Ghost said. "Someone could have talked. Someone at that compound could have survived and reported seeing women among the assault force. Nazari's got resources. If he wanted to find out who really hit him, he could."
Logan's hands clenched into fists. The idea that Nazari had Mara, that he'd taken her specifically because of what she'd done to help rescue Steele, made everything worse. This wasn't random. This was personal. And personal meant Nazari would make it hurt.
"So what's our play?" Joker asked. "We've got official authorization to hit Nazari's compound. We know Mara's probably there. Do we tell command about the hostage situation or do we keep it quiet?"
"We tell them," Hawk said. "But we do it smart. We don't reveal how we know. We don't mention Shadow Veil or Mara'steam or the fact that we've been coordinating with a private rescue organization."
"How do we explain the intelligence then?" Risk asked.
Ghost was already typing. "I can make it look like our own analysis. Cross-referencing regional patterns with recent events. Suggesting that based on Nazari's history and the timing of his reappearance, there's a possibility he's holding an American hostage as leverage or bargaining chip. Recommend additional ISR focus on identifying potential prisoner locations within the compound."
"That works," Hawk agreed. "We brief command that we have reason to believe there might be an American hostage at the target location. Request permission to adjust rules of engagement to account for potential rescue scenario. They'll want details, but we can keep it vague. Intelligence patterns. Analysis of Nazari's methods. The fact that he held Steele and might be repeating that pattern."
"And if they ask how we developed this intelligence in the last two hours since the briefing?" Bulldog asked.
"We tell them Ghost did what Ghost does. Ran the data. Made connections. Saw patterns." Hawk looked at Logan. "But we don't mention Mara by name. We don't give them anything that connects to Shadow Veil. We keep this clean."
Logan understood the reasoning. If command knew they had personal connection to a potential hostage, they'd pull the team. Send someone else. Someone who didn't have emotional investment clouding their judgment. But someone else wouldn't know Mara. Wouldn't fight as hard to get her out. Wouldn't understand what was at stake.
"I can sell it," Ghost said. "Give me an hour to put together the analysis. Make it look organic. Then we brief command and request the ROE adjustment."
"Do it," Hawk ordered. "Logan, you need to be ready for the possibility that command says no. That they decide the risk of a hostage complication outweighs the value of the mission."
"They won't say no. Nazari's high-value. They've been trying to get him for months. They're not going to abort just because there might be a hostage situation." Logan's voice was hard. "And even if they do, we're still going. Official mission or not, we're getting Mara out of there."
"Agreed," Hawk said. "But let's try to keep this official if we can. Easier to explain to a court-martial board if we were following orders instead of going rogue."
The team broke to prepare. Ghost disappeared into the SCIF to build his intelligence analysis. Risk started reviewing medical protocols for hostage extraction. Joker coordinated equipment loadout with the possibility of bringing back an injured prisoner. Bulldog reached out to Beth to give her an update, keeping the details vague but letting her know they had a lead.
Logan went back to his quarters and tried to think tactically instead of emotionally. Mara was alive. She had to be alive. Nazari would keep her alive because dead hostages had no value. He'd interrogate her. Try to find out what she knew about Shadow Veil, about their operations, about the rescue that had cost him his family.
The thought of what Mara might be going through right now made Logan's stomach turn. But he forced himself to stay focused. Getting emotional wouldn't help her. Following the training would. Trusting the team would. Executing the mission properly would.
Two hours later, they were back in the briefing room. This time with their company commander present via video conference. Ghost presented his analysis. Clean. Professional. Showing the patterns that suggested Nazari might be holding an American hostage at the target compound.
"Based on what evidence?" the commander asked.
"Pattern analysis, sir. Nazari held an American prisoner four months ago. He lost that prisoner when we assaulted his compound. He lost his family in the same operation. Psychologically, taking another American prisoner would fit his revenge profile. Additionally, there's been chatter in the region about an American woman being moved through Mosul area approximately thirty-six hours ago. Unconfirmed but worth noting." Ghost pulled up the intelligence. "I recommend we plan for the possibility of hostage rescue as part of the Nazari operation."
The commander was quiet for a moment, reviewing the data. "This is speculative."
"Yes sir. But so is most intelligence until we verify it on the ground." Ghost's tone was respectful but firm. "I'd rather plan for a hostage situation that doesn't exist than fail to plan for one that does."
"Agreed. You'll have ISR support to identify potential prisoner locations before you go in. If we confirm a hostage, rules of engagement will prioritize rescue. If we can't confirm, the mission proceeds as briefed with Nazari as primary target." The commander looked at Hawk. "Your team good with the modified parameters?"
"Yes sir. We're good."
"Then you're still wheels up in forty-eight hours. Use the time to prepare for both scenarios. Nazari interdiction and potential hostage rescue. Dismissed."
The video conference ended. The team looked at each other. They had their mission. They had authorization. They had two days to prepare.
"It's really happening," Bulldog said quietly.
"It's really happening," Hawk confirmed. "We're going to get her back."
Logan felt something settle in his chest. The cold rage was still there. The fear for Mara was still there. But now there was purpose. Direction. A mission with a timeline and objectives and rules of engagement.
