Due to diplomatic situations, no American airlines offer direct flight into Syria. JoJo has booked a charter flight to pick her up from Pittsburgh, refueled in New York, then to Jordan, where a helicopter was waiting for her.
The private helicopter was then escorted by two Jordanian Cobra gunships into Syria airspace. By time she set foot on solid ground again she felt her legs turned to jelly, she has been flying for twenty hours straight.
She was escorted by two guards in Russian military uniform, across the tarmac and into the hanger.
"Kendall! You made it!" JoJo ran up and gave her signature hug.
"Please tell me this is the last stop!" Kendall felt suffocating by the hug.
"Take a seat, we are just about to start!"
Wherever JoJo goes, there is no shortage of extravagance, even in a secret naval base in Tartus. Kendall, Brooke and Paige were served breakfast under the style Hazendal Tea Ceremony, listening to the briefing.
Shortly after Chloe's disappearance, someone took possession and sold every property under the Lukasiak name, every investment, funds, stock options were withdrawn, down to the last dime.
Sources traced the money route to an offshore bank account, among them four million US dollars were transferred to a Swiss bank and the rest into crypto currency. Crypto was untraceable, so they watched the Swiss account, but there were no activities, the money just sat there for the past two years, until five days ago, an amount was transferred, and the exact same amount was withdrew in cash from a bank in Telskuf.
"Who took the money?" Paige asked.
"The account was under the name Jacque Salenko. There are no records of such person." Slava answered.
"Did you try the bank's surveillance cameras? See who took it?" Brooke asked.
"We have tried, but they're probably still running on the old facility, their security aren't link to their banking system, our hackers couldn't reach it."
"Our plan is to get to that bank, get the footage, and find out what this Salenko looks like." JoJo said.
"And if we find her, we find Chloe?" Kendall looked among her friends.
Slava bit her lip, which was unusual for the determined soldier.
"We don't know, but it's a source." she paused. "There has been no trace of Chloe since her disappearance. We must prepare for all probabilities."
Everyone dropped to silence, they all knew what that could mean.
"I say find that bitch!" said Brooke gearing up her gun. "Water-boarding the hell out of her and find out what she did to Chloe!"
"Yeah!" her sister cheered.
"But wait! Where is Telskuf?" Kendall being the first to ask.
"In Iraq."
"Iraq??" her eyes widened. "Didn't our troops withdraw a long time ago? Are they still seeing us as enemy?"
"That's why we are bringing this!"
JoJo snapped her fingers, the ground began to tremble, from the outside came an eight-wheeled armored vehicle, its front high like a boat, with two opening hatches for driving, on its back carrying a big canon.
"Is this a tank??" Kendall dropped her jaw.
"This is a BTR-82A, the most powerful Armored Personnel Carrier ever made, courtesy of Former Army General Siwanov." Slava introduced, JoJo stood proud and giggling.
"We're traveling in that??" Kendall gasped at the giant beast.
"Oh No. We will be traveling in the APC." JoJo pointed behind Kendall. "You will be traveling in the IFV!"
"IFV?"
From a different entrance rolled in another armored vehicle, this one bigger in every way, its wide turret mounted with complicated devices Kendall couldn't name.
"The Boomerang K-17, Infantry Fighting Vehicle, the latest and most advance model of the Army APC. You can fight a whole war with this beauty!" Slava patted on the thick armored plate like it was a pet.
"But we're just going to visit a bank. Right?" Kendall concerned.
"Well, you never know." Slava shrugged. "But it's like carrying a condom. It's better to have one around when you need it."
"I really don't have to know that!" Kendall shook her head.