LOST II

Chapter 35: "Shady Truths"

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Plot point first draft: May 19, 2021

Burak Kaka gave Salma a playful look. Salma was surprised to see she was blocking the main door from him and had grabbed the handle so he could not open it to push her out. Salma let go.

"She has a point," Spogmae said. "If you permit, sir. I want to hear her out."

Salma peeked around Burak Kaka's towering figure to see her father silently eyeing Spogmae down.

"Hers are a fresh set of eyes and ears," Spogmae explained. "We're short on man-power. Perhaps we can entertain a new perspective to throw them off guard?"

"I don't want my daughter getting tangled in this business more than she already is," Mr. Rahman replied curtly.

"Commander, with due respect, she already knows the generic stuff," Spogmae replied. "Her analysis is on point."

A few moments of silent consideration and then he beckoned Salma on quietly. Salma giggled excitedly and raced around the Green Coat rallying her out.

"Right!" Salma said, thrilled to be of service to the elite agents. "Burak Kaka just told me that if GCA were hundred parts, The Guardian of the Zamarud was given just as much priority as this other – whatever it is – project, let's say project! And that it's existence is a vague secret. Nothing's confirmed to the enemies, right?"

"Correct," her father replied.

"What if the attack on said project or whatever it is, is random?" Salma asked. "And they're just going to design a counter after they've viewed and analyzed your response. If you respond with a lot of energy, they know the fish exists. All they need then is the net to trap it. If your response is, I don't know delayed or defused, or perhaps focused elsewhere as a red herring, they'll be confused."

"God protect me from this one, she's sharp!" Burak Kaka reformed his prayer.

Spogmae looked at Mr. Rahman expectantly. His expressions were hard to read. He just sat back, thinking as he rubbed his chin and lower lip with his thumb.

"Hmm," he said a while later. "And you think this because?"

"We used the exact same strategy, didn't we?" Salma asked. "Made Toryal believe he was winning when they were abducting me and found out about most of his assets he was employing in the States."

"I think it falls perfectly with Toryal's absence from Blue Riverdale," Burak said.

"Where is he?" Salma frowned.

"But he's in the States," Spogmae replied to Burak, ignoring Salma. "Seattle is thousands of miles from Spin Baaz compound that was attacked."

"Toryal doesn't have to be there in person to supervise the attack if he's indeed just shooting in the air to see what the response is," Mr. Rahman pointed out.

Salma fiddled her fingers. Self-doubt had started consuming her out of nowhere. What if she was wrong and it cost life and damage to Spin Baaz – whatever that was? It's not like she had expected her father to take her seriously.

"Our prime problem right now is shortage of agents," Burak said. "So I suppose Pundookey is right in her analysis of the attack being a ruse. Sending anymore agents there is going to be causing an imbalance that is easy to read. It'll almost be a confirmation of Spin Baaz existence and our desperation to keep it a secret."

"What if I'm wrong?" Salma said nervously. "Can't someone take a look at Spin Baaz or whatever and make sure it's secure? Maybe send Dawood Kaka?"

"He's on a holiday with his kid," her father said quickly. "Unavailable."