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“He was taken to the U.S. embassy this morning. The plan is to put him on a flight back to Miami just as soon as we can.”
It was great news, but Jack couldn’t help feeling annoyed. Then a thought came to him. “Did my wife have anything to do with this?”
“No, sir. Agent Henning is about as straight an arrow as we have. This was not about any favors being called in.”
Jack reached for his cellphone. “I need to call Theo.”
“He won’t answer,” said Coffey. “He no longer has his cellphone.”
Jack put his phone away. “You said he was released. He’s entitled to the return of his property.”
“It’s for his own safety. We don’t want the wrong people tracking his movements by GPS locator.”
Jack’s annoyance turned to concern. “I flew across the ocean because Theo was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping. Now you’re telling me no charges will be brought, and he’s being moved around in covert fashion for his own safety. I need a full explanation of what’s going on here.”
“Absolutely,” she said, and she continued down the sidewalk. Jack walked with her. They left the sunshine and entered the shade as they rounded the corner, and it was like stepping from summer into winter.
“You did the right thing by telling the FBI about the phone call from Amongus Sicario.”
“What came of that?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“Whatcanyou tell me?”
“Nothing, really. But since you did the right thing, and in no small measure due to the fact that you are married to an FBI agent, I’m going to keep talking. But just so you are aware, I will deny ever having said what I’m about to tell you.”
“I’m listening,” said Jack.
“Have you ever heard of an extraction kidnapping, Mr. Swyteck?”
“Only in spy movies.”
“Then you get the general idea of how it might work in this situation.”
“What situation are you talking about?”
“The fight against piracy.”
“I don’t follow.”
A woman pushing a jogging stroller ran past them. Coffey continued.
“When piracy was at its peak, going back ten years or more, MAP and other private organizations got ‘creative,’ shall we say, in finding ways to fight back. Some of these organizations, MAP included, would adopt rather questionable practices, some even going so far as thefts and break-ins to gather evidence. MAP would then pass along these leads to law enforcement agencies in whatever country the pirate was operating.”
“And law enforcement used this information, even though it was obtained illegally?”
She paused to measure her words. “Hypothetically speaking, law enforcement might use some of that information from MAP to build a case for the extradition of foreign-based pirates for prosecution in U.S. courts under U.S. law.”
Jack knew she wasn’t talking in hypotheticals, and it was clear now why she would deny ever having shared any of this information with Jack.
“Gathering information is one thing,” he said. “But you said kidnapping.”
“Yes. Extraction kidnappings. This is where MAP set itself apart from some of the more cautious organizations. Extradition can be painfully slow. The U.S. is a Category Two country for extradition purposes.”
“Meaning what?”
“Meaning it can be difficult to initiate the process without tipping off the target. The U.S. has to make the request to the UK. The national extradition unit has to certify the request and send the case to court. The judge has to decide whether to issue a warrant for arrest. By the time the local police go out to make the arrest, the target could be long gone. It’s sometimes possible to make an arrest without a warrant, but that’s risky business.”
