by Dwayne Gill
“How you holding up?” she asked as she took a seat.
Lynks sat beside her. “It’s been a long day,” he said.
“Yes, it has,” said Barkley. “I’ve been on a roller coaster ride of emotions. Just hours ago, I thought Cane was a child killer, I find out that not only is he not, but he’s also the man that saved Kristy. Then I find out he’s helped missing children. I fly over and meet Kristy, which was a dream, then I find Helen dead and Kristy abducted. I meet Cane in person, which I never thought would happen, and now I’m at his house, talking to you, the other man I’m supposed to be hunting down, and we’re discussing how to facilitate the escape of a convicted murderer. Oh, and I’m probably a target of my own government. My FBI career, which really just started, is likely over.” She took a deep breath and exhaled sharply. “So yes, it’s been one hell of a day.”
She was smiling, but Lynks sensed her grief. He had given no thought to how much this had affected her and Hart. He could guess that she was feeling lost right now.
“Do you really think there’s something big at the end of this?” asked Barkley. “Please tell me this isn’t all a waste.”
“I think there’s something sinister going on,” said Lynks. “Your boss is knee-deep in this and he’s in a position of power. If this goes any higher up…” He shook his head. “This may be bigger than we first thought.”
“How do you mean?” asked Barkley.
“Well, now we can look back at the small pieces we didn’t know were related,” said Lynks. “Like the marked men, for instance. All these years, people silenced speculation about them. Now we find out they’re connected to the Russians, which was another neglected issue. And now we find out it involves the FBI director. It leads to frightening possibilities.”
They were both silent for a few moments while it sank in. Barkley wanted to change the subject. “He really cares about Kristy and Helen, doesn’t he?” she said.
Lynks nodded. “He doesn’t talk much about his emotions, at least to me, but he doesn’t have to. After he met Kristy, he changed for the better. We stayed busy doing other things, but he never wanted to be far from them. That’s why we live here.”
“He knows this guy that took her? Amos?” she asked.
“Amos has been a name mentioned in connection with the marked men for a long time. Cane’s getting closer to him. We still don’t know a lot about him, but we know he’s one of the major players.”
Barkley was silent again. Lynks could tell something troubled her. She turned sincere eyes to him and asked, “Will Cane be able to save Kristy?”
Lynks thought hard about what to say. Barkley likely had heard all the stories and legends, how feared Cane was, and how he always got his man. What she didn’t know was just how dark he could turn. Lynks wasn’t entirely sure Cane could save Kristy; she could be dead already. But he could make one promise. “He’ll turn this country inside out if he has to. And I know this: there’s no person on earth I’d want less to be than Amos. He will find him, and he will kill him.”
◆◆◆
6:00 p.m.
Cane drove up the street by his house and pulled onto the shoulder. The driveway had more cars parked there than he’d ever seen. He strolled up to the front door and heard voices coming from the den inside. He turned the handle; it was unlocked and swung open.
Every head turned. Cane recognized everyone except three men who he assumed came with Bowman. They were obviously military guys, stern-looking and solidly built.
Cane’s eyes stopped on Lynks, who seemed the most elated to see him. Lynks stood and walked forward but stopped a few yards from Cane, who nodded. The rest who had been sitting rose too. Bowman wore a smile on his face, apparently happy to see his star pupil for the first time in years.
“Hey, Cane. You want to sit?” asked Lynks.
Cane walked forward and threw his arms around Lynks, pulling him in tightly. The gesture surprised Lynks, and he stiffened for a moment before relaxing into the embrace. Everyone else remained quiet and let the two old friends have their moment. After releasing Lynks, Cane stepped back.
“You hanging in there?” he asked Lynks, who nodded.
“We’ve been worried about you,” said Lynks.
Barkley walked to Cane and hugged him. Hart gave him a friendly nod, and Calvin shook his hand.
Bowman stayed where he was. “I’m not getting all mushy, but I’m glad to see you, my friend,” he said. He pointed to the three men beside him. “These are some trusted friends of mine. Ex-military. Orlando, Wayne, and Emmett.” The three men all gave sharp nods but said nothing. They appeared to be near Bowman’s age, and Cane figured they might’ve served together in the past. “I trust these guys with my life,” said Bowman.
“I’m sorry for my absence,” said Cane, panning the room. “I needed to clear my head. I talked to Amos. Kristy is still alive, but she won’t stay that way for long. If we intervene tomorrow with Daniel’s transport, he’ll kill her.”
There was an assortment of reactions; most looked down and shook their head in disapproval. Calvin, though, seemed to take it harder than the rest.
“You’re not suggesting we do nothing tomorrow?” he asked.
Cane shot him a sharp look. “Of course not. We’re moving forward as planned.”
“What about Kristy?” asked Barkley.
“That’s why I’m here,” said Cane. He looked over the entire room, speaking to everyone. “I need your help. I can’t do this on my own, not this time. We’ve gotta figure out a way to save Kristy and Daniel.”
A look of satisfaction was written on every face in the room.
Hart stood. “Well, we’ve got a good plan cooking here, and we have little time to spare,” he said. “We must leave at six in the morning, and we all need sleep.” The room grew silent, with everyone wondering where he was going with this.
“Bowman, I know you have good contacts in the military,” said Hart. “Can you secure a fast private plane on short notice for a round trip?”
Bowman looked at his three companions. All three were nodding.
“I can get a plane easily,” said Wayne. “Ideally, a few hours notice is nice so I can round up a pilot and get flight clearance. But if it needs to be quicker, I can make it happen.”
“Great,” said Hart. “I have an idea,” said Hart, “and I think you’ll like it, Cane.”
Early Retirement
Wednesday, 9/13/2028, 8:00 a.m.
FBI Headquarters, Washington, DC
Harvey Foster was a nervous wreck. It had been a stressful few days, and he felt like he could no longer trust Vinson, Amos, and company. Amos had again gone behind his back and taken matters into his own hands by killing Helen Campbell and abducting Kristy. Foster was fuming when he found out; only Vinson could calm him down, explaining the immediate advantages of possessing Kristy.
While Vinson was right that having Kristy would distract Cane from meddling, it was the principle that bothered him. Foster was sticking his neck out a lot lately, cleaning up messes he didn’t create. He had to kill his own deputy director, fly to Chicago to hide Connor’s marked body, and now he likely lost the trust of Lance Hart, who’d been his last hope of resolving the Cane issue by the books.
Foster hadn’t heard from Hart since yesterday, getting his voicemail every time he tried to call. He didn’t know what Hart was thinking at the moment, but he had to be putting the pieces together. Judging by the way Hart questioned him yesterday, and then what happened at the Campbell house last night, he was sure Hart was upset with him, or worse. He didn’t worry about Hart causing any severe issues; he’d never been that kind of guy. He’d always gone along with authority, and only lately had he ever shown any capacity to question anything Foster had done.
Foster knew inevitably Hart would have to be killed; he knew too much. Foster was the only other person who knew about his visit with the Campbells, so if he hadn’t pieced together the obvious yet, it wouldn’t take h
im long. He dreaded having to have Hart killed; he’d always been a capable, loyal agent, and Foster could always count on him to get the job done right. His shoes would be hard to fill. He also knew he’d have to deal with Barkley, but he had no reservations there. The only issue would be getting it done quietly before either of them caused any damage.
A significant step was being taken today by eliminating Daniel. They couldn’t risk Cane getting to him and breaking him out of prison, which he was fully capable of doing. They had to act now and moving him was the only logical way of getting him out of the protected confines of his cell and out in the open where they could kill him. He’d also be shackled in the back of an armored transport, inside a cage, which would make killing him even easier.
Despite the recent setbacks, Foster was pleased overall. Their plot was moving forward just as they planned, both in the States and overseas. The Russians were taking care of their part, while Vinson and his six lieutenants were moving things along here. Foster wouldn’t have to wait much longer for his early retirement.
He walked through the hallway toward his office, greeting people as he passed. How he hated the persona he had to maintain. For years he had to walk these halls and act like a politician, always saying the right things, pleasing the right people, and kissing the right asses. It was all just a game, and he was glad he was helping bring it all down.
“Have you seen Todd?” asked an agent.
“Nope,” said Foster. “I think he was sick yesterday. Might want to leave him be for now. I’ll check on him later.” The young man nodded and moved along. Foster also hated killing Todd, although there had been no other choice. Todd wasn’t aware of Foster’s clandestine activity, which was one thing Foster would miss about him. Todd was a worker who didn’t ask questions, like Hart, and that was a cherished attribute, given Foster’s intentions.
He finally made it down the hall to his office, where he looked forward to kicking up his feet for a while. He couldn’t wait to conclude the business with Daniel so he could move on to other tasks, like eliminating Cane, Hart, and Barkley.
And then there was Bowman; they recently discovered he knew more than they thought, as verified by Brandon Webb, the captured CIA agent. Mick and Vinson said Webb was a tough one to crack, but they’d uncovered a few useful nuggets of information. Foster shook his head; he should have known Bowman was in deeper than he let on.
Foster’s kill list seemed to grow longer by the day, but there was too much on the line to take risks. Once they took care of all the nuisances, the only other concern would be the third man out there, wherever he was. He’d never turned up on anyone’s radar, which either meant he was ignorant of anything or dead.
Foster unlocked his office, stepped in, and swung the door closed behind him, never breaking stride en route to his desk. He was thinking about his morning coffee when he had an ominous feeling wash over him, like he was being watched. He wasn’t sure how he knew, but it was like he could sense a looming presence behind him. Thinking he was being overly paranoid, he spun around. Sure enough, a large man, bald, bearded, wearing a black trench coat was standing in the corner of his office. Did he enter just now, or was he already here? The man was pointing a gun at him; Foster didn’t have to guess who he was. Foster had never met Cane in person, but had seen sketches and heard descriptions, though he wouldn’t have needed either. One look at him left no doubt; he had the look of a wild, untamed animal, and that wasn’t considering how furious he must be. Foster backed up, slowly, until he reached a chair, and sat. He noticed someone had drawn all the blinds; he’d left them open the last time he was here. How in the world did Cane get in here?
“We need to talk,” said Cane. Despite the anger Foster knew was boiling inside him, Cane was calm and collected. He locked the office door and casually walked forward. Foster didn’t know what to say; his heart was beating so fast that he felt lightheaded. How will I survive this? he thought. He knew he wouldn’t be able to smooth-talk his way out of this, not with Cane. He’d end up talking, one way or the other, unless someone came to help him, which was unlikely. No one bothered him in his office, and if anyone needed him, they called beforehand. Whatever happened here he’d be facing alone. Foster pondered what to do or say to stay alive although the man standing in front of him looked like he had no interest in bargaining.
“How’d you get in here?” asked Foster.
Cane opened his jacket to show an ID badge hanging from his neck.
“Hart,” Foster muttered. He’d underestimated him. It still didn’t explain how Cane got into his locked office, but he didn’t see the point in asking. It didn’t matter now.
“We’re about to find out how much you want to live,” said Cane. “I’m gonna ask you some questions, one time only, and as long as you answer truthfully, I’ll let you walk out of here.”
Foster doubted it would be that easy, but he was willing to do anything for a chance to save his own life.
“I know where the girl is,” said Foster.
Cane didn’t react, which didn’t seem like an encouraging sign.
“There you go, Harvey,” said Cane. “At least we’re off to a good start. But let me ask the questions.” Foster nodded. “Are you betraying your country for money?”
Foster thought for a moment, though he didn’t have to. It was most certainly about the money, but it was also about the power that was promised to him in the new America. He didn’t feel like he was betraying his country; America lost its way years ago and would never be the same. Foster nodded without making eye contact.
“Who’s paying you?” asked Cane. “Who’s making promises to you?”
Foster dreaded this part of the conversation; he knew if he wasn’t truthful, Cane would kill him, but by being honest, he was costing himself everything he’d hoped to have. He froze until he heard Cane moving around, remembering he wouldn’t ask twice.
“It’s a man named Vinson,” said Foster. “The Russians are involved too. But Vinson found me five years ago and offered me a deal I couldn’t refuse.”
“You could’ve refused it,” said Cane. “You didn’t want to.”
Foster said nothing, for Cane was right. He didn’t want to refuse it and knew if he had it to do over again, he wouldn’t refuse it now. He had no regrets, other than not steering clear of Cane. He thought now about what he could’ve done differently; maybe if he hadn’t involved Hart in finding Cane, this wouldn’t have happened, but there was no way for him to have known. After all, Hart found him, just not the way Foster intended.
“Who’s Amos?” asked Cane.
“He’s one of Vinson’s lieutenants,” said Foster.
“How many lieutenants are there?” asked Cane.
“Six,” said Foster.
“Do these seven have the markings?” asked Cane.
Harvey nodded slowly.
“How’d they get them?” asked Cane.
Foster feared this would come up as well; Cane had his own marking and likely knew about Daniel’s, so he wouldn’t buy that these other men simply had tattoos. Harvey was afraid, because he honestly didn’t know the answer.
“I swear to you, I don’t know,” said Harvey. “They’re not tattoos, but I don’t know what they are. All I know is that Vinson and his six lieutenants have always had them. Since birth.” Harvey waited, but there was no movement from Cane, whom he still refused to look at. It was too hard to stay focused while being glared at.
“What are they planning, Foster?” asked Cane.
He didn’t know the answer to this one either, at least not entirely. “All I know is they’ve been coordinating something big with the Russians.”
“An attack?” asked Cane.
“Yes,” said Foster. “But I don’t know if it’s military, biological, or economic.”
“So they leave you out of the loop,” said Cane. He sounded skeptical.
“They asked me to play a role,” said Foster. “These men are very careful. They wouldn�
��t have trusted me with details of what they had planned. Those seven are very secretive.”
“I want the names and numbers of all the leaders, including the Russians,” said Cane.
“I don’t have everyone’s number,” said Foster. He heard Cane moving, so he looked directly at him. “I swear. I know Amos and Vinson’s numbers and a few Russian contacts. I’ve never met most of the lieutenants.”
Cane stopped moving and leaned back against a desk, so Foster relaxed.
“Those numbers are on your phone?” asked Cane.
“Yes.” Foster removed his phone from his coat pocket.
“Is Amos expecting a call from you?” asked Cane.
Foster paused, thinking of a way he might use this to his advantage.
“Yes,” said Foster. “If I don’t call him periodically, he’ll kill the girl.”
He barely got the last word out before feeling a massive blow land across his left jaw. He lost focus and felt his head swing right. His face was on fire.
“Lie again and I’ll kill you,” said Cane.
Foster felt stupid. He was foolish to have tried such an obvious tactic. He shook his head and tried to gather himself; his ears were ringing from the blow. “Amos and I aren’t on the best of terms,” said Foster. “Believe it or not, I didn’t want him to hurt Helen or Kristy. He did that on his own, despite me urging him to stay out of it.”
“How noble of you,” said Cane.
“I don’t pretend to be a good guy,” said Foster. “I’m comfortable with who I am.” Foster looked at Cane, whose expression remained as stoic as ever as he glanced at his watch.
“Why’d they want Natalie?” asked Cane.
Foster had to smile. He’d expected this question. “Ask Bowman about her,” he said. He noticed a slight change in Cane’s expression.
“I’m asking you,” said Cane. “I won’t ask again.”
“She’s Marcene’s biological daughter,” said Foster.
“They wanted to use her to get Marcene,” said Cane.