when he was taken. They must have really wanted him alive as a hostage. He is receiving excellent medical attention now. Through some very powerful friends we have been assured that he will be well cared for, that no further harm will come to him and best of all they will cooperate by releasing him to a Syrian agent."

"How were you able to get them to do that?" Joseph asked.

"Well we told them that they had captured an undercover agent of the Syrian Government and that until this was taken care of they had better treat him well or there would be hell to pay." Allie laughed. "And they brought it. So they will hold him until one of our agents can take him off their hands."

"Thank you Allie, but can we be sure that they will keep their word. I have to call his mother and I want to tell her the truth and not some lies that will cause her more pain and anguish later."

"Well, in these cases, no one can guarantee anything one hundred percent but I am sending a man there who is going to stay with Ibrahim until he is brought safely to Syria. He is one of our best operatives. However, it might be difficult for our man to gain your friend's confidence unless he has some way to assure him that we are there to help him and not hurt him. If we could convince him that you were the one behind his rescue it might help."

"What do you mean? What can I do from here? What do you want?"

"Just some personal message. Something that only you and Ibrahim are familiar with that will convince him that the man was sent not only by Syria, but that you are in back of it. Do you have one?" Allie asked. "Without something like that he might fight us and we would have to use drugs to knock him out. And one can never be sure how he might react to being drugged. I think you will agree that it would be better to not have to use them." "I agree, wait while I think." Joseph thought for a few seconds and then said with a big smile on his face, "Yes! I have one. Tell him he better take care of himself because Kassie and I will need him as our best man and if something were to happen to him, I would miss not getting his morning bacon."

"Someday you must tell me what that bacon thing is, but for now I think that will do it. It will be made to look like he escaped on his own. It will take a day to arrange all this and I'm flying out tonight to monitor the situation myself and make sure it goes well. I'll be there myself when he is free. I will meet him and fill him in. I'll be in contact with either you or Fazzi whenever I have anything to tell you. Fazzi has my cell number, get it from him and call me anytime you feel the need."

"I don't know how to thank you, but I'm sure I will find a way."

"No need, just remember that it pays to have a friend like Fazzi. Somehow it opens the doors fast." He said out loud, while thinking to himself; now I've got myself in good with the real boss. "You just rest now and leave the problem in my hands. I will