The price of getting caught

I got an encrypted call from a client who needed to evacuate someone out of a dangerous country in the Middle East. Greetings Everyday Spy, I got an encrypted call from a client who needed to evacuate someone out of a dangerous country in the Middle East. Professionals call this kind of evac an ‘exfiltration’ -- or ‘exfil’ for short. An exfil can happen one of two ways; with flash or with smoke. A flash exfil is an evac that happens with bullets, bombs, bells, and whistles. In the world of espionage, we don’t like flash exfils. But in the special ops and joint military world, flash exfils are solid gold. Spies prefer smoke exfils, or exfils that happen without anyone knowing. We stash people in boxes, smuggle them across borders, or give them fake documents that let them walk to freedom on their own two feet. My client represented a group of wealthy donors pooling money together for the rescue, and they wanted a smoke exfil. I activated my network and came up with an estimated timeline and budget. Then came the moment of truth… An effective smoke exfil out of a dangerous country on an emergency timeline costs about $2 million. This is the fair-market private intelligence price. Federal governments pay much more because they take longer, suffer from red-tape, and lack business efficiency. When the donors heard my smoke exfil price, they decided to shop around -- and got three other estimates at the same or higher cost. Next, they went to an ex-military outfit (also friends of mine) to price out a flash exfil. An effective flash exfil out of a dangerous country on an emergency timeline costs about $1 million. It is half the price and twice the fun for sure, but still not a price the donors were willing to pay. After 4 days negotiating the price of a human life, my client gave me the donor pool’s final decision… They were arranging a covert delivery of approximately $100,000 to the target and then telling him to leave him on his own. Based on the country, the target’s lack of field training, and the fact that he was already under hostile surveillance, my team placed his odds of survival at 8.5%. He was never successfully recovered and his current whereabouts are still unknown. When you rely on others to save your life, you become a calculation of their time, attention and money. Whether you travel for business or volunteer yourself for humanitarian reasons, nobody values your life as much as you do. Intel is a deadly business -- and the skills, training, and experience you build can literally change your chances of survival by points on a scale. I went to sleep that night sad for the life I didn’t get to help. But I slept in comfort and freedom, surrounded by my loved ones. Be grateful that tonight you are sleeping soundly, like me… And never stop preparing for the day someone tries to take that way. Godspeed, #EverydaySpy P.S. - Elite operators overcome impossible odds, stress, and fear in the field. You can [get the same skills today in your personal Deep Cover Platform.]( Follow @EverydaySpy on Social Media! [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [LinkedIn]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Andrew Bustamante, Founder of EverydaySpy.com, is a former covert CIA Intelligence officer, decorated US Air Force Combat Veteran, and respected Fortune 500 senior advisor. Learn more from Andrew on his Podcast (The Everyday Espionage Podcast) and by following @EverydaySpy on your favorite social media platform. This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Don't want to receive these emails anymore? [Unsubscribe]( EverydaySpy, 411 Walnut St. #20309, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043