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“What happened?” Rapp said.

Barrett was the first to speak. “Irene called me a couple of hours ago and told me Safavi had been compromised. I got in the car and called Charlie. Unfortunately, we were too late.”

“Meaning what?” Rapp said.

“Safavi and his family were already gone when we got here.”

“For how long?”

“About fifteen minutes, according to the cameras.”

“Did you track the car? There’s no traffic and they’re either going to their embassy or an airport.”

“Their embassy,” Plimpton said.

“So you intercepted? Do we have them?”

Barrett cast his eyes down and Plimpton answered in his place.

“We didn’t, Mitch. He’s an Iranian diplomat being protected by a car full of Iranian security.”

“They’re not protecting him, Charlie. They’re fucking kidnapping him. They’re going to take him back to Tehran, throw him in a hole, and force him to watch while they cut his family apart.”

“I’m sympathetic to your viewpoint,” Plimpton said in an accent that seemed to get more posh every year. “But this is the CIA’s cock-up. We aren’t going to create a diplomatic incident trying to set your problem to right.”

“Our problem?” Mitch said, struggling to keep his voice low enough not to be heard by the people rubbernecking near the police perimeter. “You think it’s going to help the U.K. if Iran builds a bomb?”

“I’ve spoken with the prime minister personally and we’ve agreed that getting dragged into this isn’t in the best interest of Her Majesty’s government.”

“I don’t give a shit what you’ve agreed,” Rapp said, grabbing the man by the front of his coat. “Quit thinking about using your ass to polish a chair in Parliament and do your fucking job. Safavi’s put -everything on the line for us. Now you’re going to just turn your back on him because your wife doesn’t feel like she’s getting invited to the right parties?”

“Mitch,” he heard Barrett caution from behind.

“Shut up, Ken.”

“Cops, man . . .”

Three uniformed men were edging toward them, obviously not certain what to do. Rapp shoved Plimpton back hard enough that he nearly stumbled over his four-hundred-dollar shoes and grabbed Barrett by the arm.

“Where is Safavi now?” he said, dragging the London station chief into the shadows at the far end of the square. “The embassy?”

“Yeah. I have people out front. No activity.”

“They can’t keep him there forever. He and his family will have to be transported.”

“I know what you’re thinking, Mitch, but it can’t happen. Not here.”

Rapp locked eyes with Barrett, who took a hesitant step back. “Easy, man. You know I’d follow you through the gates of hell, but we’ve lost this round. Even if I wake up the FBI guys, we have no manpower. And the minute we make a move, Charlie’s going to have us thrown in jail.”

Rapp balled a fist, but managed not to slam it into Barrett’s face. He had always been a solid man. Given the chance, he would have pulled out every stop to rescue Safavi. But he wasn’t being given that chance. Rickman had nailed down every detail. Every contingency. Like he -always did.

Rapp brushed past the man, dialing his phone as he walked across the street.

“I understand the situation has deteriorated,” Irene Kennedy said when she picked up.

“Safavi’s barricaded in the Ira

nian embassy.”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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