The Enigma Dragon - A CATS Tale

Tyler thumbed through the information in the folder and began to outline the details on the white board; travel itineraries, flights, names used where available, and video feed locations. He added their assignment objectives and put up pictures of the targets of their surveillance efforts. Initial instructions were to locate and track the subjects, capturing any and all contacts made while in New York.

Ernesto uploaded photos of the suspected targets into the facial recognition programs to see if they might have a record or get some sort of name. The reason these two subjects, currently labeled as Jane 1 and Jane 2, had been identified as surveillance targets was because of their entry into two different cities using multiple passports and names. The flights were paid in cash, so there would be no credit card tracing. Oddly, customs officials hardly questioned the females, though from the photos and film it was obvious they both dressed for distraction. How Julie and Juan had received the data was something neither Tyler nor Ernesto wasted time questioning. The third photo was of a man who seemed to be very close to one of the females, either as a stalker or possibly a body guard. He also had multiple passports.

There was almost an immediately hit in the Interpol database for the man as a citizen of Spain. Santiago Lopez, currently listed as living and working in Argentina for the past four years. His profession was listed as a freelance foreign news correspondent, who was for rent, though no published pieces had been identified to date. The cover provided him a great deal of travel freedom if he truly had a press pass. It didn’t, however, explain the multiple passport entries recorded by the customs and immigration data from Brazil. It would be interesting to learn what name he entered the U.S. with the following day. He was not their target though so they sent the information to Julie.

Ernesto, bored with watching the program run through Interpol and U.S. Homeland Security databases checking for matches, looked at the information on the white board and asked, “Tyler, you seem to have placed Jane 1 on your side to follow. I’m not sure I agree with your taking her since she looks more my type than yours. She has the pretty, wavy dark hair, what appears to be Spanish eyes and lovely curves to match that hair. Jane 2 is far fairer skinned and lithe from the shots we have. If we need to cozy up to them to get our information, she seems more your type.”

Tyler raised an eyebrow at the random narrow-minded assessment and replied, “Heck, Ernesto, I didn’t realize you had a preference or took notice of such detail. I’m impressed. I had Jane 1 under my side since she has the male stalker slash bodyguard, aka press man, in tow, and I didn’t want to overtax you, old man.”

Ernesto heartily laughed at the quick comeback. He thoroughly enjoyed working with all the team, but Tyler was a hoot. Nothing phased the man, Ernesto observed, and frankly Tyler was a genius at analytics and rapid situational deduction. Then he added, “Old man, eh!? I’m just more mature and can appreciate an assignment with a beautiful female on more levels than a young pup such as you. The male sidekick can be easily neutralized: he appears to be rather skinny and smarmy.”

Laughing at themselves, they settled into planning for the possible outcomes envisioned.