Rex saw Avery blush, and he was determined to make sure she knew how amazing she was. Maybe if she heard it enough, she’d stop being embarrassed when she was complimented.
“Can we go back to the day before the attack?” the general asked. “If what you’re saying is true, we’ve definitely got a traitor in our midst.”
“It’s true,” Avery said firmly. “I wouldn’t lie about that, Sir. Or exaggerate to try to make myself look better.”
“It’s not that I don’t believe you, but making that kind of accusation is very serious. And I just want to make sure I’ve got solid facts before an investigation is opened.”
Avery nodded. “I understand. I looked out the window and saw two men in the shadows between two of the buildings across from the clinic. At first glance, I thought it was just two local men, but then I noticed that one didn’t have any kind of beard and his hair was cut very short. It made me look twice, and I realized that he was an American. His skin wasn’t as dark as that of the locals, and he kept glancing around furtively.”
“What did he look like?” the general asked.
“Dark hair. Average height and build.” Avery winced. “I know, as far as a description goes, it’s not much to go on. But I’d recognize him if I saw him again.”
The general looked skeptical. “You saw him for how long, a few seconds? How can you be so sure that you’d recognize him when you can’t describe anything beyond the color of his hair?”
Rex had to admit he was thinking the same thing.
“I don’t know that I can explain it in a way you’d understand. I take note of the small things.” She didn’t take her eyes from the general as she went on. “Phantom’s heart rate was over one hundred and twenty when he first lay down in the helicopter, but after he was down and realized that I had things under control, it fell to ninety. You drank a cup of coffee before we arrived, which had vanilla flavoring in it. I can smell it on your breath. Your admin assistant hid it well, but by his bloodshot eyes and the way he was wincing when we arrived, I’d say he has one hell of a hangover. And the man standing behind me, next to Trigger, is bored out of his mind listening to me talk about what happened, and I’m guessing he’s wishing we would hurry up and start talking about the Afghani local already so he can get to hunting him down and getting justice for the two privates who were killed.”
Rex heard Brain, one of the Delta Force operatives, gasp in surprise at her obvious spot-on observation of him, but she continued.
“So, I might not be able to describe the American to you in a way that would help you track him down, or allow a sketch artist to render a drawing, but I’m still good with faces, and I’m fairly confident that when I see him again, I’ll know. He’s completely average, and I bet he thinks that helps him blend in, but I don’t think I’ll never forget the man who did his best to kill me. Who ordered me to be murdered and didn’t think twice about selling information to terrorists that he knew would prolong the conflict in this part of the country and bring death to many people, both Americans and Afghanis alike. And I promise I’ll do my best to identify him, Sir.”
The general nodded. “I’m guessing you don’t want to stick around here and try to find the traitor,” he asked with a quirk of his eyebrow.
“Sir, if I may interject a moment?” Rex said, stepping closer to Avery.
The general nodded.
“It’s not safe for Lieutenant Nelson to stay here. The traitor is most likely still on the base, and he might decide to take matters into his own hands to keep her quiet. Not to mention, the insurgents might take her escape personally and do what they can to finish what they started, maybe even by using some of the RPGs they obtained against us. It’s safer for everyone if she goes back to California.”
“I agree,” the general said.
“If you’d approve it,” Rocco interjected, “the lieutenant could review the official photos of each of the soldiers and sailors who were stationed here as of two weeks ago, when she saw the traitor meeting with the Afghani.”
The general leaned back and drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair. After a few seconds of thought, he nodded. “It’s worth a shot.”
“Thank you, Sir,” Avery said. “I won’t let you down.”
“It’s not going to be easy,” the general told her. “Many of the men have changed since their official Department of Defense photos were taken. Gained weight, lost weight, changed facial hair…things like that.”
Avery nodded. “I know. I’d still like to try.”
“By the time you get back to your base, I’ll have a file set up for you to review,” the general told her. “But you aren’t allowed to review them on anything other than a secure device at the police station on base.”
“That’s not a problem. Thank you,” Avery said, relaxing back in her chair.
“Can we talk about the other man now?” one of the Deltas asked.
It was the man Avery had pegged as being impatient.
“I apologize for Brain,” Trigger said.
“No apology necessary,” the general said. “You’ve been here a week, and from what I understand, haven’t had much luck in tracking him down yet. This is a huge break.”
Avery turned in her chair and addressed the Delta Force team. “I had more interaction with him than with the traitor, but honestly, he looked a lot like the other locals in the area. He had a beard that covered most of his lower face. He was around my height with a medium build. His hair was dark, but his beard had some pretty distinct streaks of gray on either side of his mouth. His English was very good. Almost too good, like he had some schooling or something. Most of the other locals who speak English only know the basics, and their speech is full of grammatical errors. His wasn’t.”
She went on to explain what he’d said to her both on the day she’d first seen him with the American, and on the day the convoy was attacked. By the time she was done reciting what he’d said, every single man in the room was clenching their teeth and looked mad enough to kill.
“We’re going to find him,” Trigger told Avery. “I promise you, we’re going to find him and make him pay.”
“Thank you,” Avery said. “But don’t do so on my behalf. I’m alive. I survived. Find him for the two privates who lost their lives simply because they had the bad fortune to be driving the trucks that held the weapons he wanted. Do it for the men and women in the future who will be killed by those weapons he stole.”
“Consider it done,” Trigger vowed.
“If there’s anything else you remember or information that you think can be useful, please don’t hesitate to contact me,” the general said.
Avery hid a grin. “Um…just call you up?” she asked.
The general chuckled. “Well, that would be a bit difficult, wouldn’t it?” He looked at the SEALs. “I’m assuming you’ll all be keeping an eye on the lieutenant?”
“Yes, Sir,” Rex answered before his teammates could.
“Good.” He looked back at Avery. “Tell one of the SEALs and they can use their chain of command to get ahold of me and/or the Deltas. Okay?”