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Pitt slid the photo out of his breast pocket and handed it and the memory stick to Kurt “This photo was taken in Bandar Abbas, straight across the gulf from Dubai”

Kurt studied the photo The , but the woman—was it Sienna? Even he couldn’t be sure “I don’t have any contacts in Dubai”

“I do,” Pitt replied “Check into the Excelsior Hotel A man named Mohammed El Din will find you You can trust him”

Kurt was momentarily speechless He’d expected

to be fired, or suspended, or raked over the coals Instead, he’d found support “Thank you” was all he could come up with

“Since you’re playing spy,” Pitt added, “make sure you destroy the photo and the flash drive when you’re done studying them”

Kurt nodded and then thought of onehiot him arrested by the capitol police They’ve even banned him from the Air and Space Museum You kno much he loves that place”

Pitt hesitated “I’ll find so for him to do,” he said “When do you think you’ll be back?”

It was a difficult question Kurt could only answer it by turning it around “If Loren were out there, or if you’d known Su would you have looked for them?”

“Until I found them,” Pitt said truthfully

“That’s when I’ll be home”

Pitt grinned and slid the ID badge back across the desk to Kurt “Put it in a drawer,” he said “No one quits on my watch”

Kurt did as ordered, and the two friends shook hands, a rock-solid handshake between men cut from the same cloth

Pitt turned to go but stopped in the doorway “Be careful, Kurt You know there is a chance you ht not like what you find”

With that, Pitt slipped through the door and disappeared Fiveout of the driveway in his black Jeep and heading for the airport Unknown to hi from their car a hundred yards up the road