Deep Down Under

Chapter 12

Dulles International Airport, Washington DC, 7:53 am (1:13 pm Local time)

FBI Agent Eisenhower wiped the crumbs off his mouth. He was in a hurry. It was a race against time to unveil the sinister plot set up by a shadowy group of terrorists with unknown motives. What concerned him the most was that they had held their citizen hostage. It was the country's responsibility to ensure his safety.

A young woman, who was an FBI agent walked towards Eisenhower with increasing pace. He hoped they had something positive but her face didn't support his expectations.

"We've got nothing," she announced with a gloomy expression.

Eisenhower pursed his lips in disappointment. They still had no idea who they were, what they wanted and most importantly, how to contact them.

"What about Donald? Is he onto something?"

"He just kept analyzing the audio file and got to know that there were around three to four people and...water."

Eisenhower sighed out deeply. Nothing.

"He's still analyzing, he thinks there's something more," the woman said.

Eisenhower shot a quick glance at his watch. Dammit. "I gotta go now. Keep me updated." He said hurriedly and ran to catch a flight the Agency had arranged for him.

* * *

Vienna Police HQ, Vienna, 8:04 am

LaRusso shook hands with the tough, built-up man who had the persona of a leader. He had an old-wrinkled face with brown hair that was fading away into white. His dark-brown eyes stood in contrast with the white shade of his skin.

"Thank you for willing to assist us in such a grave situation," said the Vienna head of police department, Aleksander Krieg. LaRusso nodded and smiled warmly as the Austrian shook his hand in gratitude.

All of them sat down on the table. Broderick pulled out a file from the black suitcase which he was holding onto and placed it on the table. "We have something from the FBI," LaRusso announced.

"The US?" said Krieg.

LaRusso nodded. Krieg pressed his forehead, "is it background regarding the American?"

There was silence in the room for a moment before LaRusso spoke up. "It's something that came as a shock to us. We never saw it coming."

Krieg's small eyes narrowed in, eagerly waiting to hear whatever information they had to share with him.

"The American is a civilian who was kidnapped by terrorists with unknown motives, we don't know their financial support, their leader, where they are based or anything but someone framed the American, someone possibly from the inside." Said LaRusso darkly.

Krieg sat still for a moment, making no sound.

"Any leads?" he managed as he still tried digesting the information.

"A Swiss inspector named Gerard Silvestre," Broderick spoke up for the first time in the meeting. "We're still awaiting further intel."

"Yes," LaRusso acknowledged.

"We would also require your telegram number to telegram the images of the suspect to you," asked Broderick.

Krieg nodded and spoke to one of the men beside in German. The other officer then handed Broderick a card with the number on it.

LaRusso got up, "please excuse me, I must check in with my people at Interpol on the intel regarding Gerard Silvestre."

Krieg nodded, granting him permission to leave the table.

 * * *

Interpol HQ, Lyon, 8:06 am

Patricia LeClaire sat in her office extracting whatever information she could on the man who her colleague had asked her to. Her thoughts kept hovering over the location he had told her when they last spoke. Vienna.

She then shook it all away, she had priorities. A file popped up on her screen. Images of the same person began flashing rapidly. The man was a inspector in Geneva, only a month in the office. Which was weird, he arrived exactly around the same time the strange occurrences took place. Could there be a link?

She peered into her desktop and observed the image of the man. He had grey hair, neatly combed towards one direction, a faint beard which looked as if it was just shaved, judging from the other images; it seems as if he liked to keep it that way. He was tall, possibly 6' 2", he shoulders were broad which suited him because he was a soldier who served in the La Bastion, the Swiss government fortress in the Alps.

Patricia couldn't help but wonder. What would be his motive? There was nothing else in the intel that suggests that he would even think of assisting in any form a terrorist plot. This man was clean, nothing to support Broderick's claim. Perhaps they were wrong.

She picked up her phone and surfed through the messages until she got what she wanted. She looked at the number and began faxing all that she had on the man to the Vienna Police Head Quarters.

Suddenly her phone buzzed, it was Broderick.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Did you fax 'em?" inquired Broderick.

"Yeah, just did but there's nothing useful. They guy's clean. No motives, no radicalisation, no criminal records. He's one-hundred percent Swiss and hasn't even been out of Europe before." LeClaire explained.

Broderick frowned. It just didn't make any sense to him. Why would he lie to us? There should be something on him; otherwise the Austrians would shun them like bunch of beggars.

"Well that's bloody strange, isn't it?" He remarked. Then something hit him. "What if someone has stolen his identity?"

LeClaire killed his excitement, "Nope. Lives to this day,"

But Broderick was adamant, "No, there has to be some way. Is there still any possibility that he could have killed him and stolen his identity right away?"

LeClaire thought for a moment, "Possible,"

Broderick smiled but they had no evidence just a claim with no support. Hopefully, something should turn up for them. Lives were at stake here, they had to take the risk.

* * *