Watchlist

ACT I

This National Intelligence Estimate represents the views of The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency with the advice and assistance of the US Intelligence Community.

The following Intelligence Agencies participated in the preparation of this estimate:

The Central Intelligence Agency

The Defense Intelligence Agency

The Assistant Secretary for Intelligence Support, Department of State

The Office of Intelligence Support, Department of Treasury

Also participating:

The Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Department of the Army

The Director of Naval Intelligence, Department of the Navy

The Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Department of the Air Force

The Director of Intelligence, United States Marine Corps

The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL)

Key Judgements

INTERPOL made contact with DIS on 13 March with information on arms syndicate, LA MANCHE and a request for an officer who could be sent undercover. INTERPOL explained that after last year's data breach, they are unable to confirm what possible knowledge LA MANCHE may have on their agents.

DIS first heard chatter of LA MANCHE (The Sleeve) via tapped Taliban phone lines back in the late 2010s. The Syndicate has been supplying American enemies with weapons for years and actively worked against American interests in Africa, the Middle East and South America.

Recommendation: Review officers to go undercover for INTERPOL.

{REDACTED} MONTHS LATER

"I was told that you're the person to go to." She had leaned forward onto the sticky brown table in the corner of the pub. The man she had been facing gave an almost animalistic grin. After a year of infiltration, she'd managed to finagle her way into a meeting with a lieutenant, Louis Benoit.

"And what would that be for, Mademoiselle Evans?"

The dance had begun then, months of preparation culminating in the thing she had been training her whole life to do. She had been given the task of infiltrating the infamous 'Silk Road', as the gun trafficking operation had been named, in an effort to preserve American interests. Erica had done so by slowly digging a hole into La Manche, a French weapon trading organisation, until she could make her way in to pass information.

"Please," She had replied, simpering slightly as she sipped on the glass of wine. "Call me Elise. I have something I believe can benefit us both."

From there, Louis had invited her to his holiday manor, where she had been introduced to various members of the little organisation. She'd been in the strange mountain villa in Megève for five months. With a sigh, she marked down another X on the band poster inside the one local bus stop to confirm that she was alive with her INTERPOL handlers and began the long trek back up to the house

"Ah, mademoiselle!" Erica entered the dining room after pasting on a small, careful smile. Kissing Louis on both cheeks, she sat turned to the other person in the room, who was a woman with brunette hair up in a twist and a tight red dress that looked like she wouldn't be out of place in a Bond film.

"Elise, you have not met Madame Martin, oui?" Louis had this odd habit of speaking quite formally, though she did notice that he seemed strangely nervous. Erica extended out her hand to shake as the two women kissed each others cheeks.