Page 50 of Operation Heartbeat

When his phone vibrated on the table, he snatched it up and brought it to his ear. “Con.”

“So did you score?”

He could almost see his second-in-command’s cocky smile. “That isn’t a matter of importance, and I know that’s not why you called me. What’s going on?”

Henner’s chuckle made Con smile out of reflex. The guy had a laugh so contagious that, once he got started, nobody on Charlie could resist laughing with him.

“Let’s hear it, Chickie.”

He felt Sophie’s focus on him.

“We have a little more intel on our shipping agent.”

“I’m listening.” He didn’t bother to pick up a pen or type it out on the computer. He could lock anything into his mind.

“Deniz is definitely married. There was a question about whether they were still together because nobody’s seen her in a while.”

“That sounds questionable.”

“Exactly. Turns out, nobody’s seen her in weeks.”

“Any clues as to her whereabouts?”

“We’ve checked out all her relatives. She isn’t staying with them and none of them have heard from her.”

“Someone’s holding her?”

Sophie gripped the edge of the table.

“That’s our guess. Which is why we’re on our way to Turkey.”

“I didn’t get word about any order from Barrett.”

“There wasn’t time. He just called and told us to get in the air. We’ll be at the safe house around 1200.”

“Got it.”

“Deniz has a routine we need to lock into. He wakes around 0600 and leaves the house by 0700. He stops off at his local coffee shop then arrives at his office at the shipping dock fifteen minutes later. He attends all five calls to prayer per the Islamic religion. He leaves the office two more times during the day. He meets with a childhood friend for lunch.”

“And the other time?”

“He walks the dock. Alone.”

Con let out a grunt. As Sophie listened to his end of the call, her eyes widened.

“Right.”

“Think he’s pining for his missing wife?”

Sophie let out a soft noise.

“Might be. Or he’s happy to be rid of her. We don’t know more than that. But now you have Deniz’s schedule, and you can pay him a visit.”

“Copy that, Chickie.”

“I’ll let you get back to that beautiful woman now.”

“Chickie,” he said, with a growl of warning.

---