The situation at Mexico's presidential palace was a different story. The sudden death of the popular president left the country in a state of shock. There were more questions than answers surrounding his death.
An elaborate public funeral was in the final planning stages. The rioting had stopped and media outlets from all over the world were descending on Mexico City.
Closer to home, thousands of people and hundreds of companies were donating their time and services to help clean up the mess left by the deadly flood in the Colorado River. Assorted trucks of every variety, bulldozers, backhoes, and other heavy equipment were arriving from the four corners of the United States. Other trucks, many of them from Canada, were spreading fresh water and food supplies along the length of the river.
When the last boxes of personal gear were neatly packed in the Gulfstream's cavernous luggage compartment, Jackie and Scott went into the cabin and sat down in the leather club seats.
"I was just thinking about Shayhidi," Jackie said. "And?"
"His remaining ships are being sold — at least they're up for sale. There has to be a broker or an attorney involved, someone to go between Shayhidi and the prospective buyers."
"That's a good place to start," Scott admitted. "But I'm concerned that he's completely disappeared, vanished. Hartwell said the CIA is clueless, lost in a fog."
Jackie leaned back in her seat. "Someone has to be running the business on a daily basis. We know Shayhidi isn't showing up at his office and no one has intercepted any messages from him."
"Well, there's one thing the CIA knows. Two of Shayhidi's close associates flew to Crete and disappeared. One of them was Ahmed Musashi, who was acting as Shayhidi's company CEO. The other was a new hire named Hafiz al-Yamani, a longtime friend."
"What's the Agency's take on the disappearances?" Jackie asked. "Kidnapping, ransom?"
"They dont know. Witnesses saw the men arrive on the island, and others saw them at the Elounda Beach Hotel. They never returned to Geneva and have not been seen since."
She accepted a glass of tomato juice from Scott. "If memory serves me, that's one of those resorts where you have to take out a second mortgage to spend a night."
"That's right."
"Elounda Beach is Shayhidi's kind of place," Jackie remarked. "They may have gone there to meet with him."
"That may be true, but the surveillance cameras show Musashi and al-Yamani walking into the hotel and coming out with a man who wasn't Shayhidi. Plus Shayhidi wasn't registered, and no one resembling him checked in."
"It doesn't make sense," she said. "We need to see the tape, find out who walked out with Shayhidi's employees."
"Hartwell is having still photos made for us. He'll send them over to our office this morning."
"Well," Jackie began with a suspicious look, "there's something strange about the disappearance of Musashi and al-Yamani."
"That's right. It didn't happen by chance."
"Shayhidi doesn't do anything by chance." She waited until a Falcon 2000 taxied by. "New subject?"
"Sure."
Jackie caught Scott's eye. "After we finish at the office and get the photos from Hartwell, how about an old-fashioned backyard cookout this evening. Something special before we head for Geneva?"
"Sounds like a winner."
When they stepped out of the airplane, Jackie walked to their portable television while Scott went to the Explorer to get their Jeppesen international trip kit.
She reached for the ON/OFF switch and froze when she saw the Fox News Alert logo. Jackie stared at the familiar woman anchor, carefully listening to her every word.
"Scott, you're not going to believe this," she said, when he walked back into the hangar. "He's free — escaped this morning from a Phoenix hospital."
Dalton was confused. "Who's free?"
"Farkas. They mentioned him by name."
Transfixed, he raised his hand. "Start from the top."
"Farkas escaped," she said, exasperation in her voice. "They referred to him as an international terrorist who had been injured in a helicopter crash."
"Damn! How could he escape?"
"I dont know."
Scott shook his head in total frustration. "I thought he was in critical condition."
"Apparently not anymore." A pained look crossed her face. "They reported that he killed a doctor who was making rounds, the same doctor who saved his life."
"That sorry, worthless bastard," Scott said angrily.
"And he severely injured a security guard posted outside the door. The guard heard a commotion and rushed into the room. Farkas took the guards gun, shot him twice, and then commandeered a car in the hospital parking lot. Hes still at large, and a manhunt is on."
Astounded, Scott was speechless for a moment. "Did they say anything about his condition?"
"No, just that he escaped."
Scott's jaw went rigid. "I'm tempted to finish it, kill the worthless bastard before he kills another few thousand innocent people."
Jackie turned off the television. "They have a widespread alert out, and every law enforcement agency in Arizona and the surrounding states is hunting for him. Let's not get sidetracked from our primary mission."
Her words prompted Scott to inject some calm into his emotions. "You're right, we've done everything we can. I just get frustrated."
"Let's relax, unwind, and enjoy the evening."
"I think we'll start early." He shut the door to the jet and locked it. "Let's go to the office, see how Mary Beth is getting along, check our mail, and pick up the photos."
A smile appeared on her face as she tossed him the keys to her Explorer. "You drive, and I'll work on the menu."
Five stealth aircraft from the 509th Bomb Wing were taking off at staggered intervals to bomb carefully selected underground bunkers throughout the Middle East. Other air force bombers, including B-1Bs and B-52S, would hit military targets and terrorist infrastructure. The conventional bombers would be augmented by night-attack F-117 stealth aircraft armed with two 2,ooo-pound Saddam Special laser-guided bombs. Seven of the aircraft were on their way to strike terrorist complexes in Libya. Three other F-117S were bound for Sudan.
Sixteen F-15 Strike Eagles were tasked with various missions and carried a wide variety of ordnance. Considered by many to be an F-4 Phantom on steroids, the versatile F-15 Strike Eagle was adept in both air-to-air and air-to-ground roles.
Over 140 carrier aircraft from the combined forces of George Washington, Stennis, Constellation, and Nimitz would contribute to the largest bombing campaign to date. This was an all-out effort. The navy and marine corps flight crews were primed and ready to terrorize the terrorists and their hosts. U. S. attack submarines and surface combatants would launch multiple Tomahawk missiles at highly defended sites before manned aircraft attacked them.
Over two dozen helicopters were providing combat search-and-rescue support. Other CSAR assets, including air force HH-60G Pave Hawks and navy HH-60H Seahawk strike-rescue helicopters, were standing by to launch on a moments notice.
Scott and Jackie had closed their office early, allowing Mary Beth extra time to get ready for a date. When they arrived home, they decided to leave the television off. The continuing air strikes on the terrorist groups and their hosts were receiving wide media coverage, but Scott and Jackie wanted to kick back and take it easy. They had had enough bad news for one day.
They briefly studied the man in the photos with Shayhidis two missing employees and then packed the pictures in their luggage. After loading most of the last of their personal items into the Explorer, they were ready for their early morning flight to Gander.