Thicker than Blood by Don Brobst

Author:Don Brobst [Brobst, Don]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lamplighter Suspense
Published: 2020-02-27T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Pogue was so engrossed in the FBI records regarding Harrison and Reid that he didn’t notice Vaughn until he knocked on the doorframe of James’ office.

“We’ve got chatter from New York, sir—regarding a female.”

James looked up from the computer. “There’s always New York chatter, Vaughn. What’s different? That she’s female?”

“No. Her name. It isn’t Marc Santino this time, sir.” Vaughn handed him a two-page document. “It’s his sister, C.J.”

“How encrypted was this?”

“Highly. The information regards a package being readied for transport.”

“What package?” Pogue’s curiosity piqued. “And who is C.J.?”

James typed on his keyboard, and the family tree of the cartel appeared on the screen. He turned the monitor to Pogue and pointed. “Your Apollyon buddies are about to make some sort of deal, apparently without informing you.”

Vaughn pointed to C.J.’s image on the screen. “She has been on our POI sheets for years but never surfaced hard until this thread appeared, automatically triggering a computer-driven accountability profile. She’s flown in and out of Chicago fifteen times in the past four months—sometimes for less than twenty-four hours—then flies back to New York.”

“What’s she doing when she’s here?” Pogue cringed at the thought of another Santino in the mix.

“She visits the Gambrel mansion on every visit.”

“She’s staying there?”

Vaughn shook his head. “She always books a room at The Peninsula. After she checks in she visits the Gambrels, usually being picked up by their limo. On one occasion while she was in Chicago, a woman named Deene Manning rented a car using a credit card registered to C.J. Santino.”

“Who’s Deene?”

“She’s not in our system.”

“If C.J. used her own personal credit card accidently, Ms. Deene may be an alias for C.J.,” James added. He rested his arms on the desk. “Why was there obtainable chatter in the first place? They’ve been meticulously cautious.”

Vaughn opened his iPad. “According to Philip, our CIA asset in Egypt, the cartel’s failure to provide merchandise on a timely basis forced him to find alternate suppliers for his clientele. He made a backdoor deal with someone else. If the Apollyon cartel rushed into production to capture the Intel market, it’s possible a person in their system made a mistake before fully understanding encryption protocol. That’s just a guess, but the halting of information bartering coincides with the time period Gambrel’s doctor had a stroke, for whatever that’s worth. If C.J. was exposed, someone covered the tracks after the fact. We only know about it because our software picked up the inconsistency.”

“Who did you say your asset is?” Pogue checked the notes on his phone.

“Philip. Nadir’s right-hand man.”

“He’s the guy I didn’t get to meet when I was there, right?”

“He’s a CIA informant they’ve allowed us to share.” James scratched the back of his neck. “Business took him to Minya in Upper Egypt while you were in Cairo.”

Vaughn set the iPad on the desk. “According to Philip, the cartel has assured him they are back in business. That means that they’re preparing to use your expertise soon, Dr. Pogue.”

“I guess I’d better be ready, then.

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