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“Yep. They came up with nothing.”
Rapp had asked Dumond to contact the National Security Agency and see if they could locate Kennedy’s secure mobile phone. Even if it was turned off they should have been able to locate it. The fact that they couldn’t meant her captors must have destroyed it.
“Any other ideas?” Rapp asked.
“Not really.” Dumond kept working the keyboard. “I’ll keep pounding away on this while you start pounding on them.” Dumond nodded at the stack of photos.
“I want you listening to the interrogations. I’ll try to do as much as I can in English, but if I switch to Arabic or Farsi, Stan will be with you to translate. Once we find out where these guys are from, I’ll need you to work your magic and try to confirm what they’re saying.”
“No problem.”
“All right. Let me know the second you find anything.”
“Will do.”
Rapp walked down the short hallway and poked his head in Stilwell’s office. It reeked of cigarette smoke. The chief of base was working his contacts, trying to find out where the local police commander had run off to. Stilwell interrupted the person he was talking to and told him to hold on for a moment. He covered the phone and said, “What’s up?”
“I need a video camera and some rubber gloves. Some drugs too.”
Stilwell held up a finger and put the phone back to his mouth, “Faris, I’m going to have to call you back.” Stilwell tried to hang up, but it was obvious the man had more to say. “Yes, there will be money. Lots of it.” Stilwell looked at Rapp and asked, “How much?”
“For the police chief or Irene?”
“Irene.”
Without flinching, Rapp said, “A million dollars cash and a U.S. citizenship…no questions asked.”
Stilwell repeated the information.
“Tell him the offer’s only good until midnight,” Rapp added. “And it has to lead to us getting her back.”
Stilwell listened and said, “Yeah, tax free, Faris. Sure…whatever you want. Just find out who took her and where she is…Yes, your wife and kids can come with you. If you help get her back, Faris, I will personally find you a house and help you move in. Now get going.” Stilwell stuffed the phone back in the cradle before the person could ask any more questions.
“Who was that?” Rapp asked as he examined some clothes hanging on a hook.
“One of my sources. He’s pretty good. He loves money and his wife wants to move to the states so he’s highly motivated.”
“Send him the photos of the three guys we have in lockup.”
“Good idea.” Stilwell looked up Faris’s e-mail address, typed a quick note and attached the photos.
“What are these?” Rapp pointed to the clothes.
Stilwell glanced up and smiled. “Those are my clerical robes. No better way to pick up women.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Not about picking up women, but you’d be amazed the doors those things open.”
“What’d you find out about the police chief?”
“Fucking rat bastard is nowhere to be found. I hope someone put a bullet in his head.”
“I’d like to talk to him first.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Yeah…What kind of drugs do you have?”