The Libra Affair by Daco Read Free Book Online Page A

allow him to venture into a hostile country, and yet, there he stood big as life. Jordan was baffled. Anyone who could have worked a visa this fast would have known he was a scientist. They’d also know he’d be detained for questioning, and maybe even accused of espionage. Unless they advised him to lie.
    She hadn’t seen this one coming.
    It meant he had a friend with connections. It also meant that Knox made an entry on the CIA database about having seen her at the airport, which meant whoever was helping him was able to smash right through the walls of the CIA and read Knox’s notation. That’s the only way anyone could have found her.
    It had to be someone at Homeland Security. They were the only governmental agency that could tunnel through the walls of every other high-level governmental agency, get real time information off their databases,
and
accomplish the task of getting Ben a visa this fast.
    It must have been his psychiatrist sister; she must have called in a favor from a friend, patient, or someone.
    As to Knox’s notation, all he could have entered on the CIA database was that he saw her at Dulles. There was nothing about the Libra mission on the CIA databases — it was a paperless, a covert op.
    After Ben stepped away from the counter, he began searching the seats one by one. He stopped in front of a young couple. “Have you seen this woman by chance?” he asked them.
    â€œNo, I’m sorry,” the man replied.
    Jordan remained motionless with her head down so that she could remain hidden in plain sight. As Ben neared her, she opened a magazine and began skimming through the pages.
    Ben approached an elderly man next. When the man looked up, Ben held up a photograph. “I’m looking for this woman. Have you seen her?”
    The man shook his head. “No English,” he tried to say.
    Jordan had to stop him. She knew if he got on the plane to Tehran, he would be taking a one-way flight to hell. The authorities would no doubt question him as to why he was entering the country. That’d make everyone on the flight a suspect. She couldn’t risk that.
    â€œHave you seen this woman?” Ben asked another couple seated next to the older man.
    The husband answered, “Check with the attendant,” and nodded toward the desk.
    Ben faced the counter and then searched the room.
    Jordan knew she had three possible ways to handle Ben: divert, confront, or eliminate.
    A smart agent wouldn’t think twice, she’d just eliminate the problem and walk away. Then again, a dead body in an international terminal might delay the flight. The only real option was to divert Ben from boarding the plane.
    The flight wasn’t due to board for half an hour. She had time.
    Jordan rose. Changing her stride, she walked slowly, like an older woman, and crossed over to the other side of the corridor. She stood next to a newspaper stand and watched.
    After exhausting his efforts in the waiting area, Ben headed toward a snack bar.
    This was her opportunity: she’d slip in line and lift his passport. That’d keep him off the flight.
    Walking back across the corridor, Jordan fell in behind a man standing directly behind Ben. A group of young men fell in behind her. Hidden within the bundle, Jordan set the action in play.
    She bumped the man in front of her with her bag and then leaned into the back of his leg with a gentle knee. As soon as he stepped sideways to maintain his balance, she moved forward and bumped into Ben while feeling for his wallet and passport. The prayer dress obscured her busy hands while she worked, but neither his wallet nor his passport was in any of his pockets; save his front pants pockets, but she couldn’t go there in full without being detected. So she quickly turned and left the line, but as soon as she did, she heard his voice calling after her.
    â€œJordan?”
    She kept walking, hoping to blend into the crowd.
    Ben threw