then the room they had just entered would undoubtedly produce a similar sense of euphoria for someone obsessed with technology.
One entire wall seemed to be a monitor screen that could be divided multiple ways into sub-screens of various sizes. At the moment, a large portion was dedicated to a looping animation of the Stonewell Associates logo, while charts and graphs filled up rectangles along the sides and partially across the bottom.
The conference table was made of wood, and inset in front of each chair was a screen where more data could be displayed. By the way the young woman was tapping away at her screen, Alex realized each had touch control, too. Finally, there were computer stations along the shorter, far wall, each with an oversize monitor.
“So?” McElroy said to Cooper as soon as they entered. “Pass or no pass?”
Deuce looked indignant. “Really, dude?”
“Pass,” Cooper said. “Both.”
McElroy smiled. “Excellent. But I can’t say I’m surprised.”
“That’s more like it,” Deuce told him.
“Is anyone hungry or thirsty? There are drinks in the fridge behind you, and some small sandwiches there on the counter. Feel free.”
Deuce grinned and headed for the counter. “I could use a bite. Alex, you want something?”
But Alex was barely listening. Now that they were about to get down to business, her mind was once again on her father, and the real reason she was here.
“Alex?”
“What I want,” she said, locking gazes with McElroy, “is to know where Fadilah El-Hashim is. You’ve dangled that carrot long enough.”
McElroy nodded and took a seat. “Then perhaps we should get started.”
The young woman touched the screen in front of her and the lights immediately dimmed. On the wall, the logo animation faded, as a map of the Black Sea took its place.
“Seriously?” Deuce said. He was standing in front of the now darkened table of food, an empty plate in his hand.
Ignoring him, McElroy launched into his presentation. “As I mentioned yesterday, Ms. El-Hashim is in Ukraine. Specifically, Crimea.”
Crimea was a bulbous peninsula in the Black Sea that was connected to the rest of Ukraine by a comparatively narrow spit of land. A yellow dot appeared on screen, along the north end of the peninsula, then the map zoomed in.
At first it looked like the dot was right on top of a small town labeled Slavne, but as the image continued to enlarge and more details emerged, the dot began moving southward out of the village, until it stopped at a point roughly halfway between Slavne and a town called Ryljejevka. The map switched from graphic representation to satellite view, and the dot faded until it was a barely ghosted circle surrounding a group of seven buildings.
Central in the group were three identical rectangular structures lined up side by side. South of them, on the other side of a gap that Alex judged to be about fifty yards wide, was another building similar to the others, but set at a ninety-degree angle. Running from each end of this building, all the way around the other three buildings, was a thin line that could only be a wall. Beyond the north end of the enclosure was a fifth, smaller building. It was walled off like a pimple on the larger fortress.
The remaining two structures were outside the walls. One looked like it could be a house, while the other an office building, or storage facility, or—what Alex thought most likely—barracks.
“Slavne Prison,” McElroy said.
Alex sat up. “I’m sorry. Prison?”
“Please, Ms. Poe, if you’ll just let me—”
“That’s where this woman is? In prison ?”
McElroy hesitated before saying, “Yes, but—”
“What the hell?” Deuce said. He had managed to pile a couple of sandwiches on his plate and had stopped halfway back to his chair. “How are we supposed to get to her there?”
“If you’ll bear with me, I’m going to cover that.”
But Alex was already ahead of him. It didn’t take much
One entire wall seemed to be a monitor screen that could be divided multiple ways into sub-screens of various sizes. At the moment, a large portion was dedicated to a looping animation of the Stonewell Associates logo, while charts and graphs filled up rectangles along the sides and partially across the bottom.
The conference table was made of wood, and inset in front of each chair was a screen where more data could be displayed. By the way the young woman was tapping away at her screen, Alex realized each had touch control, too. Finally, there were computer stations along the shorter, far wall, each with an oversize monitor.
“So?” McElroy said to Cooper as soon as they entered. “Pass or no pass?”
Deuce looked indignant. “Really, dude?”
“Pass,” Cooper said. “Both.”
McElroy smiled. “Excellent. But I can’t say I’m surprised.”
“That’s more like it,” Deuce told him.
“Is anyone hungry or thirsty? There are drinks in the fridge behind you, and some small sandwiches there on the counter. Feel free.”
Deuce grinned and headed for the counter. “I could use a bite. Alex, you want something?”
But Alex was barely listening. Now that they were about to get down to business, her mind was once again on her father, and the real reason she was here.
“Alex?”
“What I want,” she said, locking gazes with McElroy, “is to know where Fadilah El-Hashim is. You’ve dangled that carrot long enough.”
McElroy nodded and took a seat. “Then perhaps we should get started.”
The young woman touched the screen in front of her and the lights immediately dimmed. On the wall, the logo animation faded, as a map of the Black Sea took its place.
“Seriously?” Deuce said. He was standing in front of the now darkened table of food, an empty plate in his hand.
Ignoring him, McElroy launched into his presentation. “As I mentioned yesterday, Ms. El-Hashim is in Ukraine. Specifically, Crimea.”
Crimea was a bulbous peninsula in the Black Sea that was connected to the rest of Ukraine by a comparatively narrow spit of land. A yellow dot appeared on screen, along the north end of the peninsula, then the map zoomed in.
At first it looked like the dot was right on top of a small town labeled Slavne, but as the image continued to enlarge and more details emerged, the dot began moving southward out of the village, until it stopped at a point roughly halfway between Slavne and a town called Ryljejevka. The map switched from graphic representation to satellite view, and the dot faded until it was a barely ghosted circle surrounding a group of seven buildings.
Central in the group were three identical rectangular structures lined up side by side. South of them, on the other side of a gap that Alex judged to be about fifty yards wide, was another building similar to the others, but set at a ninety-degree angle. Running from each end of this building, all the way around the other three buildings, was a thin line that could only be a wall. Beyond the north end of the enclosure was a fifth, smaller building. It was walled off like a pimple on the larger fortress.
The remaining two structures were outside the walls. One looked like it could be a house, while the other an office building, or storage facility, or—what Alex thought most likely—barracks.
“Slavne Prison,” McElroy said.
Alex sat up. “I’m sorry. Prison?”
“Please, Ms. Poe, if you’ll just let me—”
“That’s where this woman is? In prison ?”
McElroy hesitated before saying, “Yes, but—”
“What the hell?” Deuce said. He had managed to pile a couple of sandwiches on his plate and had stopped halfway back to his chair. “How are we supposed to get to her there?”
“If you’ll bear with me, I’m going to cover that.”
But Alex was already ahead of him. It didn’t take much
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