held—I mean, the general area."
"Where?" Ruby asked.
"Southern Afghanistan."
"That is general," Mikey said.
"So you don‟t think he‟s been moved into Pakistan?" Bill Snyder asked.
"Not at this time," Jack said. "There have been enough of these cases that there‟s pretty much a pattern. Though, as I‟ve indicated, we aren‟t completely sure which group has him, and that impacts whether he‟ll be transferred to another group, and his eventual location, and where they are going to want to hold him for the long-term."
"What long-term?" Clarissa worked to keep her voice from going shrill.
"Crazy fundamentalists, any way you look at it," Mikey muttered.
"But it matters which ones," Jack said.
Clarissa cleared her throat so she could speak. "What long-term?" she repeated.
"We have good connections on the ground. We‟ve learned a lot in the last several years," Jack said. "One thing we need to get squared away. If there is a chance to rescue him, do you want us to go ahead?"
"What do you mean? Of course I want him rescued."
"What he‟s talking about, Clarissa," said Bill Snyder, "is a military rescue. And he needs your permission because sometimes things go wrong. Sometimes hostages die in rescue attempts."
Again, Clarissa felt dizzy.
"Well, hopefully not," Jack said. "And that‟s not really what I‟m saying, for the record."
"There are those," Bill Snyder continued, "who theorize it is better—safer—to stick with negotiations, rather than get impatient and launch a rescue attempt."
Clarissa exchanged a glance with her brother— how do I process this? "What do yo u advise?" Mikey asked the agents.
"I‟ve spoken to Amin once already this morning," Bill Snyder said quickly. "You‟ve heard Todd talk about him, Clarissa, probably hundreds of times. He has experience and connections, and I have complete trust in him. Besides, he feels extremely responsible toward Todd. He‟s pursuing leads from his end. I‟d like to give him at least a few hours."
"By all means," Jack said. "In fact, it‟s wise to have locals appear to be leading any negotiations. It keeps the price tag a bit lower. But with American civilians, the U.S. government likes to have the rescue permission lined up, at the ready if it‟s needed. A two-pronged approach."
"And the decision is Clarissa‟s?" Ruby asked.
"It‟s a family decision, of course, but we need the okay from her, yes," Jack said, his voice careful.
Clarissa felt Bill Snyder watching her, holding himself back from saying something more. She felt Ruby‟s gaze as well. "It‟s so early, so much is vague. Can‟t you ask me this when
you know more?" she asked. "Then we can discuss it?"
Jack tilted his head to one side thoughtfully. "The men on the ground will certainly tell us the particulars, if there is time. But often, things break quickly. That‟s why they want your permission on file, as it were."
Clarissa looked at Ruby, then at her hands. She turned toward Jack, examining his face, as if she might find something there. His expression was bland, noncommittal. They were all waiting. "I want Todd home," she said. "But I want him home safe."
"We want that, too," Sandy said. "A rescue is only attempted if they feel confident of success on the ground."
"But sometimes in the past, that confidence has been misplaced, hasn‟t it?" Bill Snyder asked. "Then the hostage can be killed by friendly fire."
…humans are delicate so keep it safe humans are impermanent so take the risks…
Jack spread open his hands. "It‟s a war. But our guys succeed more often than they fail."
Bill Snyder shook his head, but said nothing. Clarissa took a deep
"Where?" Ruby asked.
"Southern Afghanistan."
"That is general," Mikey said.
"So you don‟t think he‟s been moved into Pakistan?" Bill Snyder asked.
"Not at this time," Jack said. "There have been enough of these cases that there‟s pretty much a pattern. Though, as I‟ve indicated, we aren‟t completely sure which group has him, and that impacts whether he‟ll be transferred to another group, and his eventual location, and where they are going to want to hold him for the long-term."
"What long-term?" Clarissa worked to keep her voice from going shrill.
"Crazy fundamentalists, any way you look at it," Mikey muttered.
"But it matters which ones," Jack said.
Clarissa cleared her throat so she could speak. "What long-term?" she repeated.
"We have good connections on the ground. We‟ve learned a lot in the last several years," Jack said. "One thing we need to get squared away. If there is a chance to rescue him, do you want us to go ahead?"
"What do you mean? Of course I want him rescued."
"What he‟s talking about, Clarissa," said Bill Snyder, "is a military rescue. And he needs your permission because sometimes things go wrong. Sometimes hostages die in rescue attempts."
Again, Clarissa felt dizzy.
"Well, hopefully not," Jack said. "And that‟s not really what I‟m saying, for the record."
"There are those," Bill Snyder continued, "who theorize it is better—safer—to stick with negotiations, rather than get impatient and launch a rescue attempt."
Clarissa exchanged a glance with her brother— how do I process this? "What do yo u advise?" Mikey asked the agents.
"I‟ve spoken to Amin once already this morning," Bill Snyder said quickly. "You‟ve heard Todd talk about him, Clarissa, probably hundreds of times. He has experience and connections, and I have complete trust in him. Besides, he feels extremely responsible toward Todd. He‟s pursuing leads from his end. I‟d like to give him at least a few hours."
"By all means," Jack said. "In fact, it‟s wise to have locals appear to be leading any negotiations. It keeps the price tag a bit lower. But with American civilians, the U.S. government likes to have the rescue permission lined up, at the ready if it‟s needed. A two-pronged approach."
"And the decision is Clarissa‟s?" Ruby asked.
"It‟s a family decision, of course, but we need the okay from her, yes," Jack said, his voice careful.
Clarissa felt Bill Snyder watching her, holding himself back from saying something more. She felt Ruby‟s gaze as well. "It‟s so early, so much is vague. Can‟t you ask me this when
you know more?" she asked. "Then we can discuss it?"
Jack tilted his head to one side thoughtfully. "The men on the ground will certainly tell us the particulars, if there is time. But often, things break quickly. That‟s why they want your permission on file, as it were."
Clarissa looked at Ruby, then at her hands. She turned toward Jack, examining his face, as if she might find something there. His expression was bland, noncommittal. They were all waiting. "I want Todd home," she said. "But I want him home safe."
"We want that, too," Sandy said. "A rescue is only attempted if they feel confident of success on the ground."
"But sometimes in the past, that confidence has been misplaced, hasn‟t it?" Bill Snyder asked. "Then the hostage can be killed by friendly fire."
…humans are delicate so keep it safe humans are impermanent so take the risks…
Jack spread open his hands. "It‟s a war. But our guys succeed more often than they fail."
Bill Snyder shook his head, but said nothing. Clarissa took a deep
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