Quote from: Black Vulmea;760900Johnson sips his drink. "Kamal was a NLF terrorist in the early Sixties. After the British pulled out of Aden in '67, he was brought in by the Soviets and became their man in east Africa and the Middle East for the next decade - Kenya, Mozambique, Somalia. Then in '78, he broke with the Soviets after they supported the Ethiopians against the Somalis." The American looks at the colonel, who nods. "The story is that he got religion. Now he's living in a tent in Sudan, herding goats or something." He waves a hand dismissively.

"Messaoudi was Kamal's . . . eh . . . eh . . . right-hand," Martens interjects. "After the . . . eh . . . the split, he could not . . . eh . . . depend on Kamal's . . . eh . . . sources, but he was . . . eh . . . well regarded and had many contacts of his own."

"Messaoudi used his knowledge of Kamal's operation to build his own network, operating throughout sub-Saharan Africa.," Johnson resumes, "but without allegiance to either the East or the West." He glances at a stainless steel Rolex, snug around a meaty wrist, as the music swirls beyond the beaded curtain.

"Okay, let's get this done. You're booked at the Hotel Continental starting Friday, near the kasbah, overlooking the port where the ferry from here in Algeciras puts in. We've also arranged for a rental car for you. Tourists visiting Tangier seems like the simplest cover." He looks around the room for reaction. Martens says nothing, looking resolutely down at the closed folder on the table in front of him.

"Do we have any photography on Messaoudi's offic, floorplans or any other intel? If not, we should stake out the place ourselves.

Slade nods, "Also, does Messaoudi have any local business rivals?"

Quote from: pbj44;761270Slade nods, "Also, does Messaoudi have any local business rivals?"

"Excellent question," Alexander smiles warmly. "An enemy is as useful as a mistress, and even easier to turn."

Slade smiles, "As you say Alexander, very useful."

"Looks like this is going to be a bugging/photo op. So, I guess to sum it up:"

1) Take the Ferry over to Tangier
2) Drive into town and check in to the hotel
3) Find this rental villa and set up surveillance
4) Confirm Messaoudi's in town
5) Find out who he's meeting with
6) Find out what Messaoudi's up to

"Perhaps since we have a full day tomorrow before Messaoudi in theory checks in for his rental on the 15th, we can perhaps bug the place, especially the phones? We will certainly need good photos and a layout of the place I would think."

"Well connected rivals in Tangier would be a bonus to our efforts."

Johnson looks at Martens. "Messaoudi's . . . eh . . . legitimate business is spécialisé . . . eh . . . special . . . specialized," says the colonel. "His . . . eh . . .competitors are in Casablanca and Agadir, not Tangier."

Martens is thoughtful. "Messaoudi's operations are not of the . . . the extent of a Simeon Weisz, but he has competitors - Sanjay Patel, au Zanzibar, the Omanais al-Ghazi . . ."

"Patel works for the Israelis and the South Africans," Johnson interrupts. "He runs arms to UNITA through Zaire."

Martens nods. "Al-Ghazi . . . eh . . . runs arms to the ANC and to FAN, after Messaoudi left Chad last year. As far as I know, Patel and al-Ghazi are not in Tangier right now, but al-Ghazi has been in Tangier before."

Both men listen as Slade summarizes the operation. Johnson smiles, while Martens remains impassive. "That sounds right to me," says the American. "As far as Messaoudi's villa goes, it's a rental. We'll see if we can turn up a floor plan for you.

"MI-6 operates a drop at the newsstand at the Continental, and they've agreed to let us use it during this operation," Johnson continues. "To check for a message, buy a copy of L'Équipe and ask the vendor for yesterday's Gazzetta dello Sport. If he says he's out of the Gazetta, there's no message, otherwise he'll hand you the paper.

"If you need to drop a message, pick up a copy of the Frankfurter Zeitung, then change your mind when the vendor asks you to pay. He should take the newspaper and tuck it behind his counter. Expect a twelve to twenty-four hour turnaround."

Johnson checks his watch once again. "Let's get you out of here before the band is done. Our station chief knows about your mission - this is pretty straight-forward intel gathering, so keep it simple, no heroics, but if it goes south, contact the American embassy in Rabat for assistance. Ask them to put you through to Mr White.

"The ferry tickets will be waiting at your hotels when you get back, along with the reservation information for the Continental and the car rental." From inside his jacket pocket he pulls out a Michelin map of Tangier."Messaoudi's villa address is tucked in there."

Johnson smiles once again, and offers his hand to each agent in turn as Martens gathers up his folders. The American's grip is firm. "Your reservations are from the fourteenth to the twenty-first and we'll rendezvous here in Algeciras again next Friday. I don't know if you can get much on Messaoudi in a week, but do what you can."

Martens shakes each man's hand as well. "Bon chance," he says gravely."Messaoudi is a dangerous character. Be cautious."

Quote from: Black Vulmea;761553Johnson looks at Martens. "Messaoudi's . . . eh . . . legitimate business is spécialisé . . . eh . . . special . . . specialized," says the colonel. "His . . . eh . . .competitors are in Casablanca and Agadir, not Tangier."

Martens is thoughtful. "Messaoudi's operations are not of the . . . the extent of a Simeon Weisz, but he has competitors - Sanjay Patel, au Zanzibar, the Omanais al-Ghazi . . ."

"Patel works for the Israelis and the South Africans," Johnson interrupts. "He runs arms to UNITA through Zaire."

Martens nods. "Al-Ghazi . . . eh . . . runs arms to the ANC and to FAN, after Messaoudi left Chad last year. As far as I know, Patel and al-Ghazi are not in Tangier right now, but al-Ghazi has been in Tangier before."

Both men listen as Slade summarizes the operation. Johnson smiles, while Martens remains impassive. "That sounds right to me," says the American. "As far as Messaoudi's villa goes, it's a rental. We'll see if we can turn up a floor plan for you.

"MI-6 operates a drop at the newsstand at the Continental, and they've agreed to let us use it during this operation," Johnson continues. "To check for a message, buy a copy of L'Équipe and ask the vendor for yesterday's Gazzetta dello Sport. If he says he's out of the Gazetta, there's no message, otherwise he'll hand you the paper.

"If you need to drop a message, pick up a copy of the Frankfurter Zeitung, then change your mind when the vendor asks you to pay. He should take the newspaper and tuck it behind his counter. Expect a twelve to twenty-four hour turnaround."

Johnson checks his watch once again. "Let's get you out of here before the band is done. Our station chief knows about your mission - this is pretty straight-forward intel gathering, so keep it simple, no heroics, but if it goes south, contact the American embassy in Rabat for assistance. Ask them to put you through to Mr White.

"The ferry tickets will be waiting at your hotels when you get back, along with the reservation information for the Continental and the car rental." From inside his jacket pocket he pulls out a Michelin map of Tangier."Messaoudi's villa address is tucked in there."

Johnson smiles once again, and offers his hand to each agent in turn as Martens gathers up his folders. The American's grip is firm. "Your reservations are from the fourteenth to the twenty-first and we'll rendezvous here in Algeciras again next Friday. I don't know if you can get much on Messaoudi in a week, but do what you can."

Martens shakes each man's hand as well. "Bon chance," he says gravely."Messaoudi is a dangerous character. Be cautious."

Alexander smiles them warmly, and politely shakes hands. After that, he will calmly wait for everyone outside lighting a smoke, and will propose the group to get some drinks together, get to know each other a bit and make plans. He's sure there will be some inconspicous joint nearby.

Slade shakes hands with both of them.



"The name is Matt Slade. It's absolutely top notch to be working with both you chaps! I agree, let's retire to the nearest watering hole and plan out our stratagy!"

Gideon rises after the briefing and tucks his notes away. Beside the names of Messaoudi's rivals, he has drawn a little sketch of a suspension bridge.

"Gideon Sharp," he introduces himself. He waves away the other agent's cigarette smoke, but tries not to make a big deal about it. "Yes, I could use a little drink. Lead the way..."

Slade nods, "And some food! I'm famished!"

He gives a lady passing by a friendly smile.

Alexander would like to look for a place 3-4 streets away from their current location, while keeping an eye out for any tail they may have.

OOC:

Spoiler

Actually, I have been in Algeciras many times and I know the area. Around la Palma there are a thousand of little places perfect for our purposes, with excellent fish to taste.

Cutting across the quiet plaza and following Calle Rocha west, the agents see a small bar - from the simple clothing and the prevalence of Spanish, it seems like a local dive.

A football match is in progress on a television in the corner above the bar - a handful of patrons seem to be talking about the action on the pitch, while the rest of the crowd seems intent on their drinks. There are a number of free tables.

Quote from: Black Vulmea;763004Cutting across the quiet plaza and following Calle Rocha west, the agents see a small bar - from the simple clothing and the prevalence of Spanish, it seems like a local dive.

A football match is in progress on a television in the corner above the bar - a handful of patrons seem to be talking about the action on the pitch, while the rest of the crowd seems intent on their drinks. There are a number of free tables.

"Friends, I think this place will do. Let's get some beers."

Alexander looks for a discreet table, so it's hard to overhear their conversation.

Slade follows Alexander over to a table and has a seat at the one he indicates.

"Chums, the first round is on me!"

Gideon nods gratefully, and folds his hands on the table. "I'm usually a little more particular about what I drink. However, anything will do right now."

Alexander greets the waitress, asks for some beers and fried fish, and sits. Once the waitress brings the order, he takes a look to make sure no one is eavesdropping, and then smiles:

"Well, I think that some introductions and planning are in order. I am Alexander Stern, and I am really happy to be working with you. How shall we approach this op?"