I'm refocusing on my novel, after completing my short story, the MC's wife has just been kidnapped by a rogue cell of the CIA, he has to get her back, he needs to find a paper-trail (so to speak) which leads him to his old commander in Afghanistan (A man who basically told him to piss off when he tried to explain about a threat to international security) How might he reach the guy, or be lead to the guy? A signature on a piece of paper? A picture of him, he eventually needs to link one to the other and get to the American General who facilitated his helicopter crashing in Afghanistan, he and three American soldiers (of the eight he was transporting) were the only survivors, he was held captive and tortured by the rogue group. He signed a non-disclosure-agreement and was then released. The rogue cell has now kidnapped his girlfriend because he tried to tell his CO years ago, but the CO ignored him. Any help you all can would be appreciated. Thanks, Hawky94
Maybe he's looking around in someone's office [that is, the office of someone who he thinks might be involved] to look for clues. While there, he finds an email printout or letters or something and is able to dig up the contact info of the correspondant. I'm not in the military or anything, but I know that obviously they aren't going to discuss high-security classified stuff over emails and then leave the printout laying around. But it could still be something non-blatant; vague insider speak that the MC knows enough of to put the pieces together.
Maybe he could take his wedding ring off and seduce a female higher up in the military to gain access to the info he needs, or just get a date with a generals daughter to inconspicuously nose around the house, or get a job in the house as a garderner or a plumber......
I presume your MC is the same from those other snippets, with the mess tent and the rifle etc. I'll be answering mainly based on that assumption. First of all, a non-disclosure-agreement signed under those circumstances is practically worthless. It is difficult to use a legal construct to enforce completely illegal demands. Similarly, and second of all, there are not many ways the US could bring pressure to bear on a British officer, or vice-versa. There are connections, and interconnections, to be sure, but pressure of this sort cannot be applied. Impossible for the US to block a British promotion for example. Countries get all protectionist in these things. Paper trails... signatures go on all sorts of documents. The higher people get in the chain of command, the more they have to trust their subordinates that they are signing the right things. Some papers will be hotly discussed, others pushed in when there is little time to discuss them. This is even a tactic employed to get signatures - wait until the superior has no time to read what it's about and claim it is unimportant. It works in Yes, Minister and it sure as hell works in real life, I can tell you. So a paper trail linking everything that should be linked will exist as long as this rogue group is still operating within the military sphere and is using or abusing the military (or NATO militaries) for its end. There has to be a paper trail, quite an extensive one. A simple helicopter flight requires a bunch of papers etc. Pictures are unlikely, unless taken by somebody really far down in the chain of command. The only people taking pictures on the battlefield are usually privates, the others have too much to do and too much on their minds.
Thanks for your input mate, what other leverage might they use then? (when he's there, on the spot). Where might this paper trail begin? Or maybe the girlfriend was transported using a military helicopter - by soldiers of the US military loyal to the rogue group? - that's where the paper trail may begin. But how might I get from A to B?
I'll go for using an journalist who used to be embedded with his troupes in some way. Either to gain access as a way to find his old commander, if he promises the journalist the story on whats going on. (Rouge cells, kidnappings, the secret etc) Or as a lead. Perhaps he finds out that the journalist will, or already has been target for the rouge cell because the believe the journalist also might known to much.
Right. So he's arranged to meet with this journalist... I'm somehow going to work in someone following him. This person sees him and the journalist (a known target for digging up dirt on the cell months ago) conversing. I was thinking either A) Have her assassinated and with her dying words she tells the MC to "Find such and such or so and so" or - B) A few days after she hands over her thumbedrive, the journalist is found dead in her home. The police rule it suicide, but in actual fact it was made to look like suicide, when in actual fact she was murdered by a hire working for the CIA.
Sounds like an episode of twentyfour You could watch that show for ideas if you havent seen it. "This is the longest day of my life"
I have seen 24, when I grow up I want to be just like Jack Bauer I have seen it, it's pretty awesome... I've been rattling ideas around now forever... thanks for the suggestion... time to dig out some twofour...
Dying words is a bit overdone and over dramatic. If you have her hurt at an assassination attempt have her receive a serious but not life threating wound and end up at the hospital.
I agree, what about the murder-suicide idea, or maybe that could happen while she was in hospital, carry any weight?
