Cloud Dust: RD-1 (R-D #1)(49)

Cutter was tied to this somehow and that only reinforced my idea—and Corinne's, that everything was connected. Someone was at the heart of all this, handing out favors in exchange for huge price tags or other favors in return.

I had to get to Mary Evans, if she were still in Scotland. Grabbing the duffel I'd brought with me, I made my way out of the airport. The first thing on my list was to contact those I knew in the states to see if they'd gotten information on Mary Evans when she landed in Edinburgh two weeks earlier, and whether there were any hits at hotels or on public cameras. The second thing on my agenda was to enlist Corinne's help. If anyone employed at the castle were in on the bombing, she'd be able to tell from their photographs. I merely needed the photographs to begin with. Therefore, I contacted Colonel Hunter to begin the process.

*

Corinne

Ninety-six people were dead, most of them tourists, in the Edinburgh Castle bombing. More than sixty others were in local hospitals. Rafe was somewhere in the city; August brought photographs of castle employees and many of the tourists who'd died.

The CIA was working to get other photographs from Scottish authorities. It was my duty to look through those August brought to me on a flash drive.

"Auggie, do you know how awful it is to see photographs of people who've died?" I asked, forcing my way through photograph after photograph.

"I'd think you wouldn't see much," August said. I sat at my computer, going through information while August sat next to me, watching the images go by as I examined them.

"I see how they died," I said. "It's not pretty."

"Cori, that's disturbing."

"Tell me about it. This one—not an employee but in on it," I pointed at the screen.

"Registered as a Spanish citizen," August entered information onto a tablet.

"He was responsible for some of the explosives," I said. "Not all of them, though. Three others were recruited."

"That explains four separate explosions," he nodded. "Can you tell if all the others posed as tourists, or if any employees were involved? We need live ones to question."

"This one didn't know what was going on with the others. He only had his assignment. He was fooled, though. He had instructions to wait in the area that eventually got bombed, and then make his way to another room in the castle at a designated time. Someone detonated the bomb he carried while he waited for the proper moment."

"Fuck. Never mind," Auggie waved me back to my task as I stared at him. "Let's get through the rest and see if there's anyone else involved."

We found two of the three remaining bombers. That meant one was not identified as yet, or had gotten out alive. "You think he may have been the one who detonated the others?" August speculated.

"I don't know," I said, allowing my shoulders to slump as I sat at my computer. "These three didn't really know what was going on. They were tricked into believing they could get away after dropping their bombs off in toilets and such."

"One bomb did go off in a toilet," August blinked at me. "The explosives were portable, potent and likely hidden in clothing, on their person or in bags. Certainly not visible or apparent, unless you had dogs or some other form of detection. The toilet bomber walked right into a bathroom and left his package there. Probably locked the door behind him, so nobody else would find it before he could get away."

"Then he either got spooked or coordinated everything," I said. Auggie muttered f*ck again. I shook my head as I stared at the photo of the third bomber. He was young—barely seventeen. I wanted to throw up.

"I'll send this information to Rafe and our departmental contacts," August rose from his seat. "I'll let you know if I get more, later."

"Thanks, Auggie."

"Cori, I should be saying that to you."

"Yeah."

*

"Look, I'll get the information to the proper authorities," the British Prime Minister promised the President. "If I hadn't had firsthand experience with what she can do, I wouldn't believe it myself."

"You'll find it accurate," President Sanders agreed. "We don't have the fourth bomber because we didn't have complete information from our sources."

"Understood. If I have anything else, I'll send it your way. We want these people caught quickly. It's a black eye against my government."

"It isn't just yours," the President admitted. "Trust me, others have been hit; they're just not aware of it yet."

"That's alarming."

"It is. Let me know if there's anything else we can do."

"I certainly will. Thank you for the information."

*

Ilya

I was met by a CIA operative working in the UK. The location chosen was a pub on the Royal Mile, far enough away that we could get in and out without drawing interest from guards and local authorities scattered behind numerous barricades. Nobody was allowed to approach the castle without permission.

With help from the Prime Minister through the President, I was about to have permission. I would also have a companion—the CIA wanted in, too. My contact identified himself as Gerald Nelson and didn't suspect I was anything except an American who worked for a separate agency.