Saint Nick

by Bradley Wright

  “What is your coward boss planning?” Nick shouted. The man’s eyes opened. There was no fear to be found; only contempt. When he didn’t answer, Nick squeezed harder. “Answer me!”

  “Nick!” Kimber shouted.

  The terrorist’s face had turned a bright shade of maroon. Nick only squeezed harder. The man’s eyes began to bulge.

  “Nick! If you kill him, we’ll never find Nasir!”

  Nick released his grip and stood. “I don’t need him to tell me where Nasir is. How do you think I found you?” By the quizzical look on Kimber’s face, Nick could tell the thought had never occurred to him. “All that matters to me is stopping whatever they’ve planned. Dealing with Andrews and Nasir will be the easy part.”

  10

  “What do you mean he’s not dead?”

  If Agent Andrew’s voice had been squeaky before, the fear took it almost to a shriek. Nasir was worried about the implications of Agent Kimber’s survival too, but he wasn’t going to let the agent know it. The agent didn’t know half of what Nasir was up to. All Nasir wanted to do was find out where the man with the cloaking device—the one who dismantled Nasir’s seven-man team—was going to be next. It was clear that this thing that could make him invisible was well worth any amount of work it would be to find him and take it from him. No matter how dangerous that might be.

  “Looks like your days with the CIA are numbered. Which means you are no longer of use to me.” Nasir ended the call. He didn’t want to hear the agent begging him for his life. He had much bigger things to focus on. Besides, he had already dispatched someone to take care of Andrews.

  Nasir wasn’t going to get any sleep, that much he could tell. Not until he got on the jet registered to his shell company, and flew over to Washington D.C. The five-hour time difference from London would give him plenty of time to make it there for the evening’s festivities. The difference now was that the cloaking device would guarantee that he could do the damage he’d hoped to do.

  He walked over to the armoire and switched the radio jammer back on. He’d been using them for years, but after Agent Andrews talked of this All-Seeing device, and said that it used radio waves to see, his love for jammers would have to now become an obsession. Nasir had no choice but to begin taking every precaution. Fortunately, he was prepared to become “invisible” himself. Over the years, a man such as himself had always been a heavy target to the United States. Their technology had been finding him more than he cared to think about. That was the reason he’d taken measures to fight against those weapons and listening devices. And it was the reason he’d had the jammers and carried them with him everywhere he went. They had never been more useful than they would be now.

  It was clear to Nasir that the American agent that was at the house about a mile from him had had help. Nasir’s two other men that were watching the house hadn’t seen another operative, yet the second floor window crashed inward all on its own, and the agent and one of Nasir’s men had disappeared without a trace. His men were frightened, but Nasir knew it was the man with the cloaking device. The man they were calling Saint Nick had found the agent and helped him after all. Andrews’ plan had worked to lure Nick there to the house.

  Nasir couldn’t do anything about the fact that his men were dead, but with this radio wave jammer, he hoped he could at least keep Nick from seeing where he was. Nasir still didn’t understand how it was possible to use radio waves to see and hear from so far away, but now that Andrews’ intel had shown it to be true, and after this Nick came in as the invisible man, he had no choice but to believe Andrews about the all-seeing eye technology. The cloaking device was unbelievable. But Andrews had been right––this all-seeing device was the real prize, and Nasir had to have it.

  CIA Agent Kimber, the man that Nick saved, might tell Nick and the rest of the CIA all about Nasir’s plans for an attack on the White House set for later that evening now that things had gone awry. Which was exactly why Nasir let Agent Kimber come across that information. Nasir had learned that anything said over open airwaves was dangerous. But if you knew the CIA was listening, you could use that to your benefit. Now that Nasir knew Nick would be going to stop Nasir’s plan of attack at the White House, he could set a trap for Nick and take the technology from him. And still be able to make sure the real damage to the Americans was done. He had never gone to personally carry out any of his attacks, but this one . . . this one was special.

  Nasir couldn’t help but smile. After a lifetime of desire had burned inside him to strike a blow against the evil Western Culture, he was finally going to get his chance. Not only would the attack be against America’s most beloved person, but it would also be the largest attack in history on American soil. He had never liked Christmas—in fact he loathed the materialistic sins of the holiday—but after tonight, and after getting his hands on technology that would inflict even greater harm in the years to come, Nasir thought he just might become a fan of the ridiculous Christian holiday.

  11

  “What do you mean you can’t find him?” Nick was incensed. “This thing’s called the All-Seeing Eye, right? ALL SEEING?”

  “Boss,” Zeke said. “I’m trying what always works, but I can’t find him. Did you drop your cloaking device or something?”

  “No,” Nick said, but it was almost a subconscious answer. When you’ve been around the highest levels of the military for as long as Nick had been, you learn a lot about technology. At least about the tech used for the purposes of war. He knew that a lot of the communication devices and even vehicles the Army used overseas were wrapped in a material made to block radio waves in case of an EMP attack, which would render anything electronic useless. The materials covering them would help keep them running after an EMP blast if there ever was one. He also heard of suits made of the same material to keep radiation from harming soldiers. And that it also helped keep them from being heard over communications. Or, it could be something ridiculously analogue like a frequency jammer. Zeke and Nick hadn’t tested whether they stopped the ASE from seeing, but Nick had a hunch something like that would if it interrupted radio signals.

  Zeke grunted. “Maybe he has elves too.”

  Nick didn’t pay the idiotic comment any attention.

  “If Andrews is his informant . . .” Brooke spoke up, “. . . Isn’t it likely that he told Nasir about your All-Seeing Eye?”

  “Go on,” Nick said. Brooke was even sharper than he thought.

  “Well, if Andrews told him how it works, he would know how to block it. It’s not new technology to have radio-wave-blocking material or jamming devices. Criminals use it all the time when they don’t want us at the FBI listening in. A guy like Nasir would surely have such things to keep his communications safe.”

  “I knew I brought you along for a reason,” Nick said. He was impressed.

  “You mean other than your childish game of ‘gotcha back’ you were playing with Jim?”

  Nick was ready with another smartass remark, but there was a knock at the warehouse door. Nick walked over to the door. “Zeke, I think Brooke is right. Nasir has found a way to keep us from seeing him. Find another way in.”

  Nick opened the door to find Jack and Mrs. Claus standing there in the snow with their arms folded across their chests.

  “You can’t come in here right now.”

  Mrs. Claus gasped. Nick noticed she was looking over his shoulder. He had forgotten that the bloody terrorist was tied to a chair in eyeshot of the doorway. Mrs. Claus pushed her way through the doorway.

  Agent Kimber’s mouth hung open as a subconscious thought slipped from his mouth. “You have got to be kidding me.”

  Mrs. Claus’s voice went up an octave. “Nick, what are you doing here? You can’t turn this village into a war zone!” She walked right over to the man and assessed him. Her normally rosy and chubby cheeks now looked like they were on fire against her pale skin. Her long white hair was in a bun, and she clutched the lapels of her reindeer-embroidered
white robe against her chest. “Oh, you poor man. We must get him to Doctor Rubins immediately.”

  “Don’t you feel sorry for him, Mary. He’s the scum of the earth.”

  She whirled around wearing a scowl. “Nick! How dare you speak like that?”

  “He’s a terrorist, Mary. This isn’t one of your husband’s naughty list moments. The guy doesn’t pick on Sally in the schoolyard. He kills innocent people. Lots of them.”

  Her lips went from fiercely pursed to fully pouting. She looked at the man, then back to Nick. “I will NOT have this here at the village. You will not tarnish my husband’s legacy. I took you in like a son when you came here a year ago with the most horrible news I will ever receive. Ever since then, you haven’t so much as mentioned what you are to do tonight! What you are supposed to do tonight. And now . . . This?”

  Nick was truly at a loss. “What I’m supposed to do tonight? I don’t understand. What do you mean?”

  Now sadness was the only emotion left on Mrs. Claus’ face. “It’s Christmas Eve, Nick. You’re supposed to be delivering cheer to boys and girls all across the world. Instead . . . you bring this . . . violence?”

  Now Nick was upset. “There are people that are going to die tonight because of this man and who he works for, and you want to talk to me about presents and Christmas carols? You live on another planet, Mary. You have no idea how the real world works, and neither did your husband.” Nick began to pace. “Presents? Really?”

  Brooke walked over and put her arm around Mrs. Claus. As she did this, she gave Nick a look that could kill. Nick realized he was talking to someone who really didn’t have a clue, who was the sweetest lady on Earth, and that he had made a mistake. But he didn’t have time for this. People’s lives were really at stake.

  “It’s all right . . . Mary is it?” Brooke told her. Mrs. Claus nodded. “You have to understand the world that Nick is coming from. It’s not like it is here. You can’t expect him to understand why tonight is so important to you if you can’t understand why keeping people safe is important to him. It’s all he’s ever known.”

  Mrs. Claus’ face softened. She looked up at Nick, and he stopped pacing. “You don’t think I know? You don’t think I’ve seen why my husband wanted so desperately to have one night of cheer? He knew what evil was going on out there. That’s why what he did was so important. So people could escape all the terrible things. At least for one night.”

  Nick walked over to her. “But Mary, I can’t turn a blind eye to those things. If I do, those presents that your husband wanted so desperately to give to the children to cheer them up? They won’t be able to get them, because they’ll be dead.”

  Mrs. Claus began to cry.

  “Can’t you see you’re upsetting her?” Little Jack walked up and stepped between them. “Back off, Nick!”

  Before Nick could react, Mrs. Claus placed her hand on Jack’s shoulder. “It’s all right, Jack. As much as I wish it weren’t true, Nick is right. I just never thought it would come to our doorstep here in the village. I wanted to shelter everyone from such things. I see now that maybe that was wrong of me . . . wrong of my husband.”

  She wept.

  “No, Mary,” Brooke said. “It takes all kinds of people to make the world go ‘round. What you and your husband have created here is just as important as what Nick does. Probably more so. You give people hope.”

  “Yeah, well, Nick doesn’t think so. And he is the one my husband chose to pass this along too. Why, I don’t know. But he did.”

  Brooke took Mary’s hands in her own. “Maybe this is why, Mary. Maybe your husband knew all along he could have been doing more. Maybe in the end he decided to do something about it?”

  Everyone in the warehouse was speechless. For a moment Nick thought maybe she was right. Mary walked over and gave Nick a hug. “It’s all right, Nick. Do what you have to do. I guess there is always next year for the children to get their gifts.”

  Nick felt something funny move over him. He wasn’t sure what it was . . . but he suddenly wondered if he actually cared what this lady was feeling. Somewhere inside him, he probably did, but it wouldn’t come to the surface on this night. Nick had to get a plan together for D.C. If the president was possibly in danger, he couldn’t let feelings get in the way of saving him. He had to get to Andrews to learn more about what Nasir was planning. Mrs. Claus could go back to baking gingerbread cookies in her cozy little world. Nick had to go to war in his.

  He pulled himself away from Mrs. Claus. “I’m sorry I don’t understand why not delivering presents is a big deal. There are peoples’ lives at stake.”

  Nick walked toward the ASE and he caught a glimpse of Brooke on the way there. She clearly was not happy with him. Join the club, Nick thought.

  “Now if everyone can please leave us. We have real problems to deal with here.”

  Mrs. Claus hung her head and walked with Jack over to the door. “Just be careful, Nick. My husband thought there was something special about you. I hope he was right.”

  Nick was already in go-mode. “Zeke, pull up Agent Andrews. He’s our first stop on the reckoning tour.”

  The door to the warehouse shut.

  Brooke walked over to the ASE. “You didn’t have to treat her like that. She doesn’t understand—”

  Nick turned and interrupted. “Yeah, well maybe it’s time she woke up.”

  “Why? So she can be like you, Nick? Mad at the world? Treating everyone else like they are the enemy if they don’t think like you do?”

  “I don’t really care, Brooke.” Nick turned back to the ASE. “Go bake cookies with her if you feel bad. You of all people should understand. You are around criminals every day.”

  “You’re right, Nick. I am. But that doesn’t mean I let them jade my outlook. That doesn’t mean I don’t believe in things that are good.”

  Nick turned back to her, a confident, arrogant look on his face. “I’m the good in the world this Christmas. Someone who is going to stop people from dying. Not some fat son of a bitch who gives presents to kids that will one day try to blow us all up. I live in reality. And if you don’t mind, I’ve got work to do.”

  12

  Nick, Brooke, Agent Kimber, and Zeke spent the next few hours combing through data with the ASE. Nick had Jack take the terrorist they’d brought back from London down to the States and drop him outside of CIA headquarters. When they searched for Agent Andrews with the ASE to see what he was up to, there was no sign of him. Nick knew what that meant, but Brooke had someone from LAPD go by Andrews’ house to make sure. The report back was that the front door had been kicked in and he had been shot three times. Dead. You do business with a terrorist, that is eventually how you will end up.

  As far as Nasir Samara was concerned, they still couldn’t find him either. But according to Agent Kimber, he was more than likely on his way to the US. More specifically, to Washington D.C. There was something Nick didn’t like about what Agent Kimber had found out. Something smelt a little fishy. Nick had been studying and fighting terrorists for two decades, and in all that time, he had never seen the leader of any terror organization take the chance of coming to US soil. They always sat in their bunkers like some villain in a comic book and made their cronies go out and do the dirty work. Kimber saying that he actually heard a recording of Nasir talking about personally coming to D.C. set off all kinds of alarm bells in Nick’s brain.

  Someone like Nasir, who had been keeping secrets from secret agents all his life, didn’t let people record his conversations. And even if there actually was a recording, Nasir would never be dumb enough to openly talk about plans. He would never mention actual locations. He would use codewords. And he would never, ever talk about where he was going to be. Whether it was a rathole in the mountains or a major city in the United States, those words would never leave his lips on a telephone call. Never.

  So what did that mean to Nick? He still wasn’t sure. That was why the last couple of hours they�
�d been combing through the ASE for known associates of Nasir, or of Agent Andrews. Trying desperately to find anyone who might be talking about what is really happening. So far, they’d found nothing.

  Nick walked over to Agent Kimber and kicked the leg of the folding chair he was sleeping in. Kimber almost fell out of the chair as he woke up with a start.

  “Tell me again about how you came across this conversation Nasir had about D.C.”

  “Nick,” Brooke walked over. “Is this really necessary? Shouldn’t we be contacting people in D.C. to get prepared for an attack?”

  Nick didn’t even look her way. His eyes stayed focused on Kimber, who rubbed his face with both hands as he tried to wake himself up. “How’d you hear this conversation?”

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Brooke throw up her hands and walk away in a huff to make some more coffee.

  Kimber stood up. “I told you, Agent Andrews had an agent combing the phone taps in London. He came across a call where D.C. was mentioned and he recorded the call. It was sent to me, and I heard Nasir telling his pilot to get the plane ready for Washington. That’s why Agent Andrews had me move on Nasir.”

  “Yeah, only you didn’t move on Nasir. You moved on seven of his men who were waiting there to kill you.”

  The room was quiet.

  Nick stared a hole through Kimber as he waited patiently for him to say something else.

  “What?” Kimber held out his arms. “You know the rest. You bailed me out.”

  “Really? That’s all you’ve got?” Nick said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’re lying.”

  “Nick?” Brooke spoke up.

  Nick took a step closer to Kimber. “Either you’re lying, or Agent Andrews was lying. Or both. Which is it?”