Free Nefarious (The Blackwell Files Book 1) by Mr. Steven F. Freeman Page B

work, Captain.”
    “Thank you, sir. I’ll relay our findings to the other patrons of Gandamak’s. We’ll work up an appropriate safely protocol. We’ll also discuss the best approach to flush out whoever in the Lodge is passing along our routes to Al-Qaeda.”
    “Invite Lieutenant Pham from the MPs. He can keep me in the loop.”
    “Will do, sir.”
     
     
     
    Alton organized a meeting of the Lodge’s usual patrons. Just after shift charge, the group assembled in the courtyard outside Delta building. Gazing around the impromptu circle, Alton felt a flicker of the old battlefield command excitement. As in the past, the expectant faces awaited his leadership and creativity.
    He described the wall’s drilled holes and the explosive devices found inside them. “It appears the insurgents drilled the holes once they learned what road we’d use last night. We were lucky they didn’t have time to finish their work and detonate the devices.
    “In the future, we can’t count on luck. We’ve fallen into a routine of using just three routes—north, central, and south—for a destination we visit several times a week. We need to change that up, use a greater number of routes.” He handed the nearest soldier a stack of maps to be passed around. “I’ve indicated twelve different routes on this map. Each one is numbered. Prior to each trip there or back, we’ll pick a number and use the corresponding route on the map. Of course, we need to pick the route numbers at random or eventually the insurgents will hone in on the pattern. Any questions?”
    Mallory raised her hand. “I like this approach. It will make it harder for us to get picked off with an IED. But there’s still an unanswered question, right? You said that the bombers last night didn’t have time to finish drilling the holes. Doesn’t that imply they or one of their friends overheard our discussion as we were preparing to leave last night, when we were deciding which road to take home?”
    “Probably,” said Alton. “If they weren’t waiting to overhear our specific route, they wouldn’t have waited until the last minute to drill the holes.”
    “So don’t we need to discover who has been eavesdropping on our conversations?” asked Mallory. “It has to be someone in the Lodge, right? That’s where we always decide which route to take.”
    Alton smiled. Mallory’s mind had journeyed down the same logical path as his own. “As far as our friends inside the Lodge are concerned, we aren’t going to alter our routine one bit.”
    Lieutenant Pham spoke up. “But you just said—”
    Alton held up an interposing hand and grinned. “I have a plan. Let me explain…”

CHAPTER 19
     
     
    Kabul, Afghanistan
    Before leaving Camp Eggers, Alton swung by his desk and picked up a small electronic device that resembled an electric razor. He pocketed the gadget and limped to the camp’s secure parking lot to meet David. Once in the car, he taped a set of ear-bud headphones to the device to give it the appearance of an MP3 player.
    Once inside the Lodge, Alton, David, and the rest of the US troops caroused and joked as usual. Over time, they spread out to form their usual cliques around the bar and dining areas. Wearing his headphones, Alton made a point of visiting each group, occasionally joining in the conversation while at other times merely listening. As he walked, he periodically removed the device from his pocket and peered at it, adjusting both it and his ear buds. He pumped his head to an imaginary beat.
    Eventually, Alton rejoined David at the bar, where Fahima was serving him another Miller and speaking to him in broken English. Even if she had been speaking in Pashto, the glow in her eyes would have needed no translation. Despite the weighty nature of the night’s mission, Alton allowed himself a smile. The attraction between David and Fahima seemed to cut both ways. Unless storm clouds blew them off course, he could see the welcoming