Twenty-Nine Cozy Bears

21

The elder's name was Reza Tabatabai, and he had a doctorate in the Muslim Theology. From what he read and experienced, Reza was a spiritual leader/advisor for the espionage unit his unit would be working with. This meant, in a pragmatic way, Reza was in charge. One of the generals — likely the one sitting to Reza's right — was said to be in charge and had the paycheck to prove it, but Reza held veto. And that could be just misunderstanding on his part, but he decided to go with it. He would direct his attention to Reza — who now appeared uncomfortable.

The man lifted an eyebrow after three beats of silence, and said, "You aren't actually going to try to arrest us, are you?"

The bristles around Reza's mouth twitched several times, "No, nothing like that, I assure you. You are perfectly safe."

"That's a first," the man offered, and then added, "sir."

Reza nodded. His whiskers moved, but then he became somber once again, "Your perceptions however do not prove false; we have had a set back, and we have sustained another attack. I was promised a runner would bring news of the first, and as you also surmised, we are not sure how best to make use of your visit."

Leyla, sitting in the back next to Sara, said, "Sir, would you like me to find out what is keeping the promised news?"

"Yes, yes Leyla, that would be helpful. Thank you," Reza said, his open hands making motions in the air that the man could not make out, but they felt wholesome.

Once Layla had left the room, the man turned his attention toward the attack. "A large attack?" he asked.

"Explosives and thermals. A ground operation. Destroyed most of the building," Reza reported. "At the very least the structure will need to be torn down and a new one erected. We haven't found anyone responsible, yet. Probably SPEC-OPS, who were then choppered out before we arrived on the deck. I doubt very much any criminal or private interest would profit from such an action."

"Did this halt operations?" the man asked, making a note of Reza's use of military jargon, and how natural it came from him, though he didn't use it often. There was no military in his voice, which seemed puzzling, since he obviously worked with them.

"Not at all." Reza told him. "They blew up the building on the wrong side of the road. A storage building. Thank Allah, and his profit, may he be at peace."

Alek barked a short laugh, then covered it with his fist, and gathered himself again.

"Captain?" the Major prompted.

Alek looked from elder to Major and back, then shrugged. Continuing to hold Reza's attention Alek said, "It was the building you set up for our Red Team intrusion, right? The test facility?"

Reza was stone faced for a moment, but then he admitted, "Yes, which adds to the problem. It took a long time to put that one together."

The four men with Reza, two of them generals, proffered various degrees of smirks, each twist of tight lips framed with a menacing twinkle in their eyes.

The man added this information to the model in his mind, and glanced at Luca who looked slightly pensive. Back to Reza he said, "But we don't know who to award this FUBAR to."

"No," Reza said, "that I know of, but as of this moment only the public is further out of the loop than we are."

A soft knock came at the door and then Layla entered. She turned toward the elder who nodded, "And could you find us news?"

"They are ready for you, sir."