Savage Recruit (Ryan Savage Thriller Series Book 8), стр. 45
“I was telling Granger that, after tracing the data flow as far we were able, I sent the data signatures to a private sector analyst I have worked with many times in the past. He is the world’s leading expert on helping his clients maintain their anonymity. Without providing Kathleen’s name, I explained the situation to him and asked him to do whatever he had to do, regardless of what lines he had to cross. I will spare you the technical details, but after analyzing the information, he followed a string of metadata into a server farm in Dublin. From there, he hacked into five other data centers until he had something usable.”
“What did he find?” Teacup asked.
“All of it is fragmented, you understand. With encryption like this, you’ll never have all the pieces at once. But he assembled enough data to identify the general area where the request for pictures of Zoe originated.”
“General area?” I said. “Like Greece?” That wasn’t going to get us anywhere.
“Yes. Greece. But then we found a way to narrow it down. I am happy to say that I have found the precise location.”
Bahar’s last sentence got my adrenaline flowing again.
“It is a home in Penteli, a wealthy neighborhood in the northern suburbs of Athens.”
“Who owns it?” Chachi asked.
“It is listed to a Vasilly Marin.”
“Who’s that?” Teacup asked.
“I emailed Granger his details. He is a native of Spain but has homes in Greece and Egypt. He primarily deals in oil exploration and has done very well for himself.”
“Is there any direct connection to Kathleen?” Boomer asked.
“No. Not that I have found. As far as I can see, they have never met.”
Boomer leaned closer to the phone. “Bahar, how confident are you in this information?”
“One hundred percent.”
“Tell me how you arrived at that level of certainty. I can’t lead an armed team into Vasilly’s house if there are any doubts he’s our guy.”
“You discovered the body of one of Kathleen’s kidnappers, correct? Adonis Galatas was shot dead in his home?”
“That’s right.”
“Five years ago, Adonis worked in private security for one of Vasilly’s companies. For five months, Adonis was actually on Vasilly’s personal detail. I cannot tell you where Kathleen is. But I am certain this is the man who is behind her kidnapping. If you find him, you will find her.”
Throughout the call, Granger had been studying the information Bahar sent him. He looked up now and nodded his agreement. “I’m with Bahar. This is our man.”
A smile spread across Boomer’s face. He raised his hand and circled his index finger in the air. “Then suit up, gentlemen. If the gods show us any favor, then tonight is when we finally bust some heads.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
The old bicycle’s wheels crunched quietly over the narrow dirt road. The rider turned slowly around the bend and pedaled a few more revolutions before squeezing the brake handle and coming to a stop in front of the wood-lapped store. He got off the bike, set the kickstand, and took a moment to admire the view from his position high on the mountainside.
From here, he could see for miles. A green carpet of lush grass and wildflowers covered the vast expanse of the valley below, broken only by the Lech River and the occasional chalet. All around him, the breeze whispered through the reaching branches and boughs of firs and beeches. Out here, there were no airplanes or highways to disrupt the serene language of nature. Only the occasional car or delivery truck ever made its way up the mountainside, and that happened no more than once a week.
The store was paneled in brown painted spruce and featured a small covered porch underneath which he had spent many, many hours sitting, sipping tea, coffee, and the occasional whiskey. He stepped past the table and chairs, wiped his loafers on the rug, opened the door, and stepped inside. The smells of freshly baked bread, chocolate, and apple pie swirled in his nose, making his mouth water and his stomach growl.
A rotund woman was behind the counter. She had a homely appearance: always wearing a dress and round, flushed cheeks that never seemed to be without a smile. Her head was wrapped in a silk shawl, and her thick hands were busy kneading a lump of dough.
“Lukas!” she called out. “How are you?”
“Good, Olga. The air is cooler. I think that fall will be upon us before we know it.” He began his ritual of slowly examining the shelves’ contents.
“That you are right. I don’t know if my arthritis can handle it this year. I’m thinking about putting Orin in charge of the store for the winter and going to see my sister in Spain.”
He looked over at her. “Spain? Then who will make my pastries and pies?”
She smiled and waved him off. “Christiana would remain here. She would continue running things as usual. You wouldn’t even know I was gone.”
“Christiana? But she doesn’t have your skills in the kitchen.” He threw her a wink.
Olga blushed and flipped the dough. “Oh, Lukas. You are a born charmer.”
Lukas took his time selecting what he wanted, settling on a bottle of milk, a chocolate bar, a loaf of bread, and two sticks of butter. He placed them on the counter and tugged his wallet from the inside pocket of his tweed jacket. “And, here.” He selected a packet of seasoned beef jerky from a box on the counter. “For Ulche.”
“Ah, yes. That dog loves his jerky, doesn’t he?”
“The peppered flavor most of all. If I don’t keep it up high, the entire package would be gone in minutes.”
Olga laughed as she finished calculating his total on a notepad. She recited it to him, and he handed