"No," Tai said.
"You're a drug dealer."
"Was," Hayes said.
"And do you want to know who was supplying me with the money to buy?" He didn't wait for an answer, and Vaughn half expected the answer that was coming, based on his experiences in Afghanistan.
"The CIA. They wanted intelligence on the Abu Sayef and they recruited me to get it for them. What do they call it? Humint. Human intelligence. That was me. Of course they denied it, said I was just a drug dealer."
"Doing it for money," Tai said.
"What?" Hayes asked.
"You do it for free?"
"I do it for my country," Tai said.
"So you hand your paycheck back?" Hayes asked. Sinclair got them back on track.
"When was the last time you were on Jolo?"
"Two years ago," Hayes said.
"Shit," Sinclair said. He looked at Orson.
"And we're supposed to trust this guy?"
"Yes," Orson said.
"Hayes has his reasons for being here. As you all do."
Sinclair wasn't satisfied.
"So we're to take your word for it?"
Orson eyed him.
"Would you like to explain to the others why you're here?"
Sinclair glared at Orson but didn't respond, which was answer enough. Vaughn shifted in his seat and picked up the sense of unease that Orson's question to Sinclair had generated in all of them.
"But you didn't see Abayon?" Tai asked Hayes.
"Only in passing, as I said."
"If I may continue."
Orson made it an order, not a question.
"As you all know, the Abu Sayef were recently responsible for the deaths of eighteen tourists of various nationalities."
Vaughn once more shifted uncomfortably in his chair. But no one turned to stare at him, so he had to believe they didn't know his role in the recent debacle on Jolo.
"With the exposure of American involvement in the failed raid on the compound on Jolo Island," Orson went on, "the normal covert, albeit unofficial, channels of going after Abayon and his organization are closed. No other organization dare touch this, and the Philippine government, which has jurisdiction, wants nothing more to do with Abayon, the Abu Sayef, or Jolo Island. We believe they have negotiated an informal truce."
Hayes snorted.
"They've had an informal truce for a long time."
Orson continued.
"Unfortunately, we have intelligence that the Abu Sayef have been making contact with various other terrorist organizations, including Al Qaeda. Such a linkage is unacceptable. There are also vague but substantiated reports that the Abu Sayef are planning a major terrorist operation against the United States. Therefore, we are taking the fight to the terrorists, not waiting for them to bring it to American soil again."
"Who is we?" Tai asked.
"Our team designation is Section Eight," Orson said, deliberately misinterpreting her question.
"We have an AST team for support but they have no idea – nor should they – what our mission is. All requests for support will be encoded and passed through the AST, who will coordinate whatever you need.
"Questions?"
"Who is we?" Tai repeated. She amplified the question.
"Who do we work for? If we're Section Eight, what is the designation of the organization we fall under?"
"Who we work for," Orson said, "is none of your business. Remember, an essential part of this is deniability."
"So what do we say if captured?" Tai asked.
"Don't get captured," Orson said.
Tai was not giving up easily.
"If our bodies are found, what will be the cover story?"
"We'll be operating sterile with no indications of our nationality," Orson said.
"We won't need a cover story."
Vaughn wasn't sure he bought that, but Tai seemed to have exhausted that line of questioning in the face of Orson's stone wall.
Kasen, the ex-Ranger, raised his hand and Orson acknowledged him with a nod.
"Will killing Abayon destroy the Abu Sayef?
"Abayon founded the Abu Sayef after World War Two. He's the only leader it's ever had. Our estimate is that without him, the organization will splinter into ineffectual pieces that will spend most of their energy fighting among themselves. Without Abayon they'll be vulnerable. At that point it might be possible to get the Philippine government to take a stronger role.
"There is intelligence there" – Orson pointed at a row of laptop computers – "on both Abayon and his organization. As much as we know, which isn't much. One thing to know is that during World War Two Abayon fought with the Filipino guerrillas against the Japanese."
"So he was on our side," Vaughn said. He hadn't even heard of Abayon during the previous isolation for the raid.
"Just like Ho Chi Minh was during the same war."
Orson didn't rise to the bait.
"Gentlemen – and lady – we need to start planning."
"Is there a time limit on this?" Tai asked.
"We have five days to come up with a plan," Orson said.
"We'll brief-back then and either get a go or you start over. So let's make it a good plan."
Like we'd want to come up with a bad one, Vaughn thought.
Orson scanned the other five section members as if assessing them with that simple look.
"Tai, you are intelligence. There's a taped briefing on the Abu Sayef in the computer – I want you to distill out critical points in two hours. Hayes, you assist her with what you know about both the group and the locale, and also start giving me ways to infiltrate and exfiltrate Jolo Island and an idea exactly where our target is.
"Sinclair. Weapons. Find out what everyone is familiar and comfortable with. But I want at least two heavy guns – Squad Automatic Weapons. One shotgun for breaching if needed. Also, any trained snipers?"
Vaughn raised his hand, as did the Ranger, Kasen.
"All right, draw two sniper weapons just in case we take that path. Kasen, explosives and mines. Vaughn, work on how we're getting from here to there and back again. Tai, you also have medical training, correct?"
The woman nodded. Vaughn had noted that other than giving her expertise, Orson had not divulged her background during the introductions.
"Good. Draw medical kit and make sure you check everyone, blood types, personal gear, and all that. Vaughn, you help Tai on targeting. I want you to lock down Abayon's position."
Orson glanced at his watch.
"We will gather back here in two hours for a briefing on Abayon and the Abu Sayef. Tomorrow I want initial thoughts on targeting, tactical possibilities, infiltration and exfiltration."
The six scattered to the various equipment and sources of intelligence in the room. Vaughn logged onto one of the laptops set up on a plywood table and began searching through the classified database, looking for information about Abayon's hiding place.
He was engrossed in the data when the sound of two voices raised in confrontation interrupted him. He immediately recognized Tai's. Looking up, he saw her and the Ranger, Kasen, standing face-to-face, inside each other's personal space.
"What's the problem?" Vaughn asked as he stepped over. Sinclair was watching with interest from his position, making no move. Hayes also seemed to want to have nothing do with it. Orson was nowhere to be seen, having gone out to coordinate with the ASTs.
"The little girl wants one of the machine guns," Kasen said.
"I told her to leave the big guns to the men."
"I can handle a SAW," Tai insisted.
"We're a team. I – "
"Why not just carry a submachine gun?" Kasen asked, making it a taunt.
"Something small and delicate, like you."
Tai's left hand was a blur, the knife edge of it striking Kasen in the neck. The Ranger staggered back, coughing hard. He wasn't off balance long, going into the attack, hands a blur of blows aimed at Tai. Vaughn was impressed as she fended off every one of them with blocks, twisting and turning, getting inside Kasen's range and hitting him two hard blows in the solar plexus, doubling him over, before she skipped back out of range.
"You bitch," Kasen cursed as he slowly straightened and considered his adversary.