We were all sitting around in the owner's lounge area and Ana confessed to the President what she had done.
He took our cue and was gentle with her, "Ana, thank you for letting me know this. I need to call some people who are investigating this incident, would you mind telling them everything you know about your cousin and this conversation you had?"
"Mr. President, I am aware of how bad this looks. I swear to you I had no clue my conversation with my cousin could have caused this. I will do anything I can to help get to the bottom of this."
The President lifted the phone to speak with the yacht's coms officer and put it on speaker, "This is the President, please contact the CIA Chief, Head of Homeland, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and the FBI Director on a secure 4-way conference call, please."
"Aye, Sir! One moment, please."
Bill held Ana's hand as the calls were connected, "Sir, I have them all online."
"Thank you, Gentlemen, Ambassador Walker has found our leak for us. It was an unsecured call a crew member made to her cousin and it seems to have been an unintended leak. I will send the digital vocal recording of the call via secured hookup as soon as we are finished."
The CIA director spoke up, "It's him."
Homeland spoke next, "Is this person available for us, Sir?"
"She is here with me now, gentlemen, her name is Ana, and she wants to cooperate fully with your investigation."
Well, I am not sure there wasn't anything about Ana's past and family relationships they didn't know after that long questioning ordeal. Most questions were asked multiple times in multiple ways along with continual voice stress analysis.
The President told the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, "Get a Special Operations team in place at the cousin's residence as soon as humanly possible and extract her and her family. Get them to the States, fast track their citizenship after vetting them to ensure their innocence, and let me know of your progress."
I then spoke up, "I believe we can be in Puerto de Veracruz in under 14 hours and with diplomatic immunity, we would be the safest and fastest way to get the family to U.S. soil. The Seal Team on board can handle the extraction and as they are attached to me for the moment, they are shielded by diplomatic immunity as well. The only issue is we have the President, the Vice-President, and their wives on board."
The President then said, "Let's go that route. You agree, Gentlemen?"
Basically they all agreed it was as good a plan as any and better than most.
"Get two Sec Ops Ghost Comanches and Marine One in the air along with two Apaches and a tanker and meet us en-route to Puerto de Veracruz. Plan on us making 70 plus knots. We will disembark the Yacht and let these very capable people do their jobs."
"We had already started tasking that since this situation started, Mr. President. Marine One and two Apaches are eight hours out from your present location and under twelve hours if you are making way." Homeland declared. "We can have the two Ghost Comanches out of Langley intercept the yacht in approximately 14 hours and we are dispatching tankers to keep them fueled. Sending three air crews per chopper, your SEAL team will have plenty of room for their operations."
I called the Captain, "Make fastest speed to Puerto de Veracruz. We have a mission. We need to be just over the horizon from the port in no more than 14 hours."
"Yes, Ambassador. We anticipated this probability and can be at 70 knots in less than 5 minutes."
"I need you in the safe room along with the SEAL Lieutenants to plan an extraction from Guadalajara. Also, have Ana join us please."
No one could hear the propulsion kick into high gear, but everyone felt the massive acceleration of the vessel. As big as she was, this baby was moving like a flaming bat out of hell. We literally flew over the tops of the waves.
"Mr. President, can you make a secure call to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City?"
"Yes, I can, what do you need?"
****
"Yes, Ambassador, I need to have this family in Guadalajara secured as quickly as possible. She will not know we are coming as the phone lines are compromised."
"Mr. President, we have a handle on all communications out of and into the country as well as all known cartel and crime family contacts. In fact, the CIA station chief has informed me of what happened and we have already located the source for the leak and a list of the most likely responsible. The woman in question is not a known asset for any criminal, political, or drug running organization that we can tell. But, one of one of the major crime families knew she was connected and tapped her phone."
"Get me the CIA station chief on the phone, please."
"Yes-Sir. I had him called up as soon as I was informed you called. One moment."
"Yes Mr. President? Station Chief Ayala speaking."
"I know we still have special operators available under your direction. I want you to coordinate with the Ambassador and I want them to have a ghost protection detail around the family he gives you out of Guadalajara. We will be sending in two stealth Ghost Comanches with a full SEAL team and you are to expect them on station between 15 and 17 hours. Is that a problem?"
"Not a problem, Sir. Is this to be an abduction?"
"It is an extraction. But hostilities will be met by lethal force."
"What about the dirty hands, Sir?"
"Wash them with extreme prejudice, getting intel and moving up the chain. Stay on it till everyone is cleaned. I want to send a message. They came after me, my wife, the VP and his wife this time...all gloves are off, understood?"
"Yes Sir!"
"I will direct the special forces that are winding down in South America to transition through your Embassy on their way back to the States. You may use them as necessary before they come home to assist in this or other necessary operations to effectively deal with the crime families who have been trafficking people and drugs across the border. But, anything you do needs to be quick and sanitized. Understood?"
"Understood, Sir! I will need the necessary supplies to bring them up to full capacity, Sir."
"Call your Director at this number, XX-XXX-XXXX, and let him know what you need."