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“Right. So where is Kimball now?”
“That’s the million-dollar question. Actually, it’s the twenty-million-dollar question. Kimball went rogue in the middle of a mission to intercept millions of dollars’ worth of museum-quality jewels from the Russian Federation while on their way to China. No one’s seen Kimball or the jewels since. But I found his Swiss bank account and another in the Caymans that both have tidy sums in them.”
“So we can assume that Kimball is now for hire,” Jack said. “A man who has those kinds of talents is dangerous out on his own.”
“Who’s paying his bills now?” Gabe asked. “Any luck with that?”
“Kind of.” Ethan’s fingers tapped another pattern across the desktop and another screen came up on the wall. “The Munich Exchange has made several deposits in his Swiss account. On the surface it looks like a Wall Street brokerage firm. They have dealings worldwide and offices in just about every major trading center. No CEO of record, though. The Munich Exchange is owned by the Darwin Corporation, which is owned by Führer International. I can’t find a common name or a figurehead that pieces all of them together. But when you put all three of these companies into the computer, this is what comes up.”
Jack let out a long, low whistle. Someone had an intense fascination with Hitler. A surge of adrenaline hit his bloodstream and got his heart pumping. That was a cocky mistake for their enemy to make. They were close to finding the bastard. He could feel it.
Gabe leaned around Ethan and began scrolling through the information with a practiced hand. “Ethan, I want a full background check on every scientist involved with the original Passover Project. I want to know everything about them, down to what kind of toothpaste they used and every relative they had, no matter how distant.”
Ethan blew out a breath and scrubbed his hands through his hair. “Just so you know, that’s a massive undertaking. Even for me. It could take weeks to put all of it together.”
“Then you’d better get started. Pull Kimball back up.”
Ethan did as he was told, and Jack watched Gabe, wondering what his friend saw that none of the rest of them did. Gabe had a mind like a computer and could put pieces of the puzzle together better than anyone he knew.
“Something about him—” Gabe broke off, shaking his head. “If we’ve ever met, he was obviously in deep cover. Who was Kimball’s handler at the CIA?”
“Let’s see.” Ethan’s fingers flew across the desk as he hacked his way into CIA files. He whistled tunelessly under his breath as he worked, and the computer screen filled with jumbled numbers and letters before it cleared into an understandable language.
Kimball, Shawn F.popped up on the screen, and Ethan tapped it with his finger, scrolling quickly through the information.
“It looks like Assistant Deputy Director Derrick Kyle with Weapons Intelligence.”
“Pull up Kyle’s file.”
Ethan worked more magic, and Derrick Kyle’s bio popped up on the big screen with a full-color photo.
“Now that’s a face I do know,” Gabe said. “He’s changed the shape of his face and hairline, but the eye shape is the same. Frank Bennett told me there was another plant in Tussad’s organization. I didn’t know who he was, but I suspected it was a man named Umar Salleh, also known as Derrick Kyle. He’d been undercover a couple of years already before I joined the op, but he gave himself away with little things. I wasn’t there six months before I had him pegged for an agent.”
“Tussad. That’s the guy you asked me about earlier. I did some research while you and Grace were gone. He’s one bad dude.” Ethan’s brain caught up with the words that were coming out of his mouth, and his eyes widened. “Wait a second! You worked undercover for Kamir Tussad? And now you’re actively searching for him? You’re going to get us all killed.”
“Focus, Ethan,” Jack said, smacking him on the back of the head again. “One cluster at a time.”
Ethan scowled and rubbed the back of his head. “Someday, Jack, you’re going to be sorry you ever messed with me.”
“I’m shaking, kid,” Jack said, rolling his eyes. “It looks like you weren’t the only one who figured Kyle out, Gabe. He was shipped back to the U.S. in teeny-tiny pieces. Tussad practically gift wrapped the box before mailing it to Langley.”
“He was killed just before—” Gabe shook his head, clearing the thoughts that bombarded him. Ethan stared at him with curiosity, and Jack put his hand on Gabe’s shoulder, either in warning or comfort.
“Someone sold Kyle out,” Gabe finally said. “The way this all connects is making my skin crawl. I’m right in the middle of this whole mess. I’d like to have a talk with Shawn Kimball.”
“Who did Kyle’s body get shipped to at Langley?” Jack asked.
Ethan scrolled down a little further in the file. “Man, the news just keeps getting better. Frank Bennett. Bennett was Kyle’s immediate boss at the time he was sent undercover.”
Gabe heard the elevator and knew Grace was about to join them. “Take the file of Derrick Kyle down. Put it away. Now.”
* * *
Grace knew something was up the minute she stepped off the elevator. None of the three men in the room even glanced at her, but she could feel the tension in the air surrounding Ethan. He wasn’t as good at masking his feelings as Jack and Gabe were. She wanted to laugh as she saw Jack look at Ethan and shake his head.
She caught Gabe’s eye, but he didn’t glance away. He’d tell her whatever news he’d discovered when he was ready and not a minute before.
“Looks like I missed the party,” she said.
