Quds Force was also responsible for recent bomb attacks against Israeli diplomats in Georgia, India and Thailand in retaliation for Mossad’s assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists, and Quds Force was linked to the failed plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Washington, DC. It also maintained a small presence in Latin America as Iran strengthened its relationships with Venezuela and Bolivia, training and advising military and police units to combat internal opposition. In the Triple Frontier, the tri-border junction of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, Quds Force ran paramilitary training camps. In Mexico and Central America, they established links with the drug cartels to smuggle personnel and weapons into the United States. In 2013, JSOC and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) neutralized a Revolutionary Guard/Hezbollah money laundering and drug trafficking operation in Paraguay.
Colonel Vahid Kashani and Durante greeted each other with handshakes. Then Durante introduced the Viper as an acquisitions representative of FARC, but she sensed that he knew something more. They spoke in English, since it was a shared language. The Viper noted that Kashani’s eyes did not frequently and salaciously shift over to her, stealing glances at her body, as men invariably did. When Kashani addressed her, he looked her directly in the eyes.
She’d met Iranians before, instructors at the FARC camps, and found them to be highly disciplined men, deeply committed to their cause, and for that she respected them, but she thought their religious devotion was misplaced, men driven by a non-existent entity, the product of superstition.
“It is a pleasure as always to see you, Durante. I hate to be rude, but I wish to speak with Captain Moreno alone,” Kashani announced after the formalities.
Durante hesitated. His orders from Caracas were quite clear about staying with the Viper at all times, but there was nothing he could do, and he could not offend Caracas’s political partners, so he smiled, capitulated, and said, “Of course.”
Arianna got into the back of the jeep with Kashani.
They drove a short distance across the military outpost, following a narrow, winding unpaved road through the rainforest to the ramshackle hut where Kashani stayed. A small satellite dish on the roof was the only touch of modernity. He ushered her inside and flipped on a fan.
“I will be direct with you, woman,” Kashani said. “I know exactly who and what you are. Given recent intelligence reports from multiple sources, and the weapons you seek from me, I also have a fair idea of what you are planning.”
“And?”
“I am willing to provide you ten missiles at no cost. I will also provide you current intelligence on American domestic security and airports.”
Arianna was skeptical, especially after how her former sponsors, one after another, had cut her off and turned their backs to her. “What do you expect in return, if not money?”
“Quite simply, I expect for you to do exactly as you have planned. To that effect, I am willing to provide certain assistance within reason.”
“I don’t understand how you benefit.”
“It’s obvious, is it not?” Kashani said. “Ten aircraft brought down inside the United States will cause significant damage to the American economy, political landscape, and national psyche. It will degrade the resolve of their citizens, who already grow tired of electing into office officials who seek to fight perpetual wars and bankrupt their treasury. Your desire to strike our mutual enemy now presents a unique opportunity for my country, one with limited risk and high reward.”
“Then why not do it yourself? What’s the catch?”
“Well, you will understand if I cannot completely turn over these weapons to you. My country is making an investment in your operation, and we need to ensure our return. I will provide you with a trained operative, a man whose sole purpose in life, endowed upon him by forces far greater than you can ever understand, is to wage war against the Great Satan. He will provide…” Kashani paused as he thought of the right word. “He will provide guidance and advisory assistance, but will not interfere.”
“I have my own people,” the Viper said. “They wait for me in Colombia. They are every bit as skilled as any agent you have. More important, I know them, and I can trust them with my life. I cannot say the same for someone who I do not know, an outsider whose loyalties lay with Tehran.”
“Your position is understandable, but you really should be careful who within FARC you trust. I can also tell you that Durante and the Venezuelans are not your friends. Andrés Flores is interested only in his own survival. He will sell you out the minute it becomes expedient for him to do so.”
“You think I did not already know that? I’m not an amateur or a fool, so don’t insult my intelligence or question my abilities.”
“Then I’m sure you already know that Timoshenko recently had a private meeting with Flores to specifically discuss you. In fact, I believe Flores is awaiting your return, along with those friends of yours. Why do you think Durante is so eager to personally see you off? He’s going to notify Flores the instant you are on your way.”
Kashani let his words hang in the air, and he saw the flash of doubt in Arianna’s eyes.
She thought of the FARC truck on the airstrip nearby, waiting to deliver her and the missiles across the border, now her only way out of the country.
“I do not need your people to look after me,” she finally said, but she was grateful for the warning, and her mind was already working out what she needed to do next.
“Indeed, you are skilled,” Kashani acknowledged, “I meant you no offense, and I will pray for your success, but distance yourself from your ego. You cannot do this alone. It is very simple. If you want SA-24, my agent will accompany you.”
Kashani’s tone indicated there was no room for negotiation. The Viper didn’t respond. She didn’t need to. They both knew she had no choice.
Kashani said, “You can meet my agent in Bogotá, assuming you will make it there.”
The Viper travelled in a six-wheel-drive, army green FAP cargo truck. A FARC soldier drove, with two more riding in the back with two dozen SA-24s in transit cases secured in place with cargo netting. Fourteen of the missiles, the first scheduled batch of the Libyan SA-24s to FARC, were to be supplied to the 34th Front, which controlled northeastern Colombia.
Tree branches scrapped across the sides of the truck as it traversed the narrow, muddy path running through the rainforest. Twenty feet back, a tailing jeep carried Durante and three Venezuelan soldiers.
It was almost an hour drive from the Venezuelan military outpost to the border. Along the way, they were stopped once by an army checkpoint, and were allowed to pass after Durante spoke with the soldiers. Venezuelan soldiers were all over the border after Operation Phoenix. Once past the checkpoint, there was no other vehicular traffic, and they had to stop only once, to allow a group of peasants to cross the path with their donkey-drawn carts.
There were no clear border markings, and the Viper knew they’d entered Colombia only after the jeep abruptly stopped and turned around at a point where there was sufficient width in the road to do so. Durante used GPS to follow their route, and with the Viper on Colombian soil, his job was completed.
The driver made no effort to engage the Viper in conversation, appearing noticeably uneasy around her. She was grateful for the silence, but the man’s apprehension aroused her suspicions. As time passed, she noticed the driver’s breathing become heavier. His shoulders tensed up, and his knuckles whitened around the wheel, while his eyes wavered, constantly flickering in her direction. The change in behavior was sufficient to activate her internal threat receptors.