Terror Trail

Brognola held up a hand. “I know, Aaron. Not your fault. Just keep me updated, huh?”

* * *

IN THE COMPUTER ROOM heads were bent over keyboards, fingers tapping, data flashing across the monitors. There was a palpable sense of urgency in the air. Each member of the team was aware of the situation. They understood how things could change in a short time and how the need for information became increasingly relevant with shifting scenarios.

Carmen Delahunt, ex-FBI, sat upright, a soft “yes” passing her lips. She gazed at her monitor, rereading the lines of data displayed there.

“DCRI,” she said out loud. “French Central Directorate of Interior Intelligence.”

The Direction Centrale du Renseignement Intérieur, founded in 2008, was responsible, among other things, for monitoring threats to France and had built a database of suspect individuals. Using one of Kurtzman’s programs, Delahunt had penetrated the DCRI. She had keyed in Hussein Muran’s name and had found his file and known associates.

The list threw up a number of other names, with brief biographies.

The one that stood out was Shaia Kerim. Now associated with Hand of Allah. When Delahunt read through the French-compiled list she saw that at least three other names were coupled with Hand of Allah.

And one of them was Hussein Muran.

Stony Man had its connection.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Blancanales made contact with Stony Man on his sat phone. He asked for and was connected to Kurtzman.

“This could be a loose angle,” he said, ‘but what’s the chance the cameras at LAX picked up Muran when he exited the terminal building? Did he take a cab? Was he picked up?”