Blind Betrayal

by Nancy Mehl

  Mattan stopped and said, “I’m not going on with you.” His smile looked more like a sneer. “You two walk up to the front and wait. And don’t try anything. If you do something I don’t like, I’ll push the button.” He checked his watch. “If I don’t call Waseem by 10:15, he’s been instructed to kill your friend. So you really have no choices here, do you?”

  “Why do you think we’re going to cave in to you?” E.J. asked through gritted teeth. “You plan to blow this vest anyway.”

  Mattan shrugged. “Maybe. But the longer I wait, the more of a chance you have to try to outsmart me. Not that you’ll succeed.” He laughed so hard he snorted.

  Mattan was clearly out of his head. He was so far gone, he was capable of anything. But the one thing Mattan didn’t know was that the FBI was ready for him. Right now, it was the only thing he and Valerie had going for them.

  Mattan walked away, crossing the street and leaving them alone.

  “What are we going to do?” Valerie whispered, her voice shaking.

  E.J. was glad she was talking. It was a good sign. “Valerie, the FBI knows what’s happening here. When I spoke to my boss, I let him know that this is a trap. Whatever they have planned will work. I’m sure of it. We just need to keep walking.”

  “Oh . . . okay.” She took his arm. “I hope they don’t shoot him. He might accidentally set off the bomb.”

  “I’m sure they know that.”

  She stopped and turned to him. “Listen, E.J., I want you to stay here. Don’t come any farther with me . . . just in case. Then at least you’ll be all right.”

  E.J. shook his head. “I’m not leaving you, Valerie. My job is to deliver you safely, and I intend to do just that. Besides, if that bomb goes off, standing a few feet away won’t help.”

  “Then run away.” She looked up at him, her pupils dilated with fear. “Casey needs you. Please don’t throw your life away when you don’t have to.”

  “I appreciate what you’re saying, and I know your heart is in the right place, but the FBI has a plan, and it includes both of us walking up to that entrance. If we change things, their plan could fail and we could both die. I trust them. We have to keep to the original script, okay? Do you understand?”

  “I . . . I guess so.”

  He was touched that she’d offered to go on alone. And she might be right. If he ran fast enough, he might survive. But he had no intention of letting her go through this by herself. Being in law enforcement meant being willing to lay down your life if the situation called for it. He was willing . . . but he really did have confidence that the FBI had worked out something. He just wished he knew what it was.

  As they began the last leg of their walk up Pennsylvania Avenue, E.J. noticed the crowds on the sidewalk began to thin out. Some men at the corner seemed to be warning people away. Pretending to be handing out flyers, they talked with each person, who then turned and went another way. Some of them looked a little spooked. E.J. was certain the Feds were trying to keep people out of the blast area. Just in case.

  As they approached the front of the building, a group of men came out to greet them. One of them stepped up to him and held out his hand.

  “Deputy Queen? I’m Assistant FBI Director Gerald Patterson. I’m very glad to meet you.” He nodded at a couple of men next to him. “Remove the vest, please.”

  “Stop!” E.J. said, pulling Valerie away from him. “You can’t touch it. Ben Mattan is watching us. If you try to remove the vest, he’ll blow us up.”

  Two men held him back. E.J. watched in horror as the men he’d spoken to ignored him completely and took off Valerie’s coat.

  “E.J.?” she said.

  Then one of them unhooked the vest. From around the corner, a man came pushing a bomb disposal container, and the vest was carefully placed inside it. The man rolled the container away.

  E.J. wrestled away from the men who held him. He barely caught Valerie, who started to collapse. She leaned up against him and cried softly.

  “How did you know that vest wouldn’t go off?” he asked.

  “Our experts checked out the supplies he had in his warehouse. It was obvious he planned to use a cellphone to detonate the vest.”

  “So?”

  The agent grinned. “So we cut his cellphone service. It really wasn’t that complicated.”

  E.J. stared at the man for several seconds and then laughed out loud. It was there in front of him all the time, but he’d been too busy trying to figure out other ways to stop Mattan. The final solution was so simple it had eluded him.

  Several men with FBI jackets approached. They had Mattan in handcuffs. He was ranting and raving. He was convinced the bomb had exploded.

  “He’s got so many drugs in him, he doesn’t know what he’s saying,” E.J. told them.

  “We’re hoping we can clean him up and get him to testify against his father,” the assistant director said. “If he agrees, we’ll be contacting you.”

  “You said something about the warehouse,” E.J. said. “Is . . . is everyone all right?”

  Patterson shook his head. “No, one of them didn’t make it.”

  E.J. felt his heart tighten in his chest. “Who . . . who?”

  “Don’t worry. It was one of Mattan’s men. Deputy Sloane and Detective West are fine.”

  E.J. was so grateful for the news, he had to blink away the tears that suddenly filled his eyes. “Where is Deputy Sloane?”

  “In the hospital. We felt it was best if she got checked out. She wanted to be here, of course.”

  E.J. chuckled. “Of course. And what about Deputy Howard?”

  The assistant director nodded. “He’s fine too. He’s with her.”

  “Thank God. I prayed he’d make it.”

  E.J. looked down at Valerie, who still leaned against him. “We could use some food, something to drink. Maybe some medical attention for Ms. Bennett?”

  “You bet. Come with us.”

  E.J. turned to watch as the agents led Mattan away. “Just a minute,” he said to Valerie. “I’ll be right back.” He ran toward the agents. “Hey!” he called out. “Hold on.”

  They stopped and waited for him. One of them put his hand on his gun.

  E.J. put his hands up. “I’m not going to shoot him. I just want to tell him something.”

  Mattan stared at E.J. as if he had no idea who he was.

  “I just wanted to tell you that no one gets away with this kind of evil,” E.J. said. “Somehow, someday, you’ll pay for what you’ve done. And I hope I’m there to see it.” He smiled at Mattan before the agents took him to their car and placed him inside.

  E.J. hoped Al-Saud would be next. It was time to bring an end to this terrible dynasty.

  CHAPTER

  FORTY-TWO

  Casey was drifting off to sleep when the door to her hospital room opened and E.J. walked in. Doug got up from the chair where he was sitting and grabbed E.J. with his good arm, giving him a hug.

  “So happy to see you,” he said. “Thanks for saving my life.”

  “Thank you for not dying,” E.J. said with a grin. “You had me worried there.”

  “You should have told me he was alive when we left,” Casey said. “How could you let me think he was dead?”

  “I couldn’t take the risk Mattan would find out,” E.J. explained. “If he had, he would have sent someone back to finish the job. Besides, I didn’t want to get your hopes up in case Doug didn’t make it. I couldn’t tell how badly hurt he really was.”

  “Sounds like you two got rid of a lot of Mattan’s people,” Doug said. “That shootout on the highway was pretty dramatic. You may get a request from Hollywood for a sequel.”

  “Well, let’s just say we were narrowing the field so we’d have a better chance of making it through this thing.”

  “So did the ‘cleanup crew’ ever arrive?” E.J. asked.

  “Oh, yeah. But our guys were already there. We made them call Mattan’s contact and tell him everything
was okay. Then we arrested them. They’ll get reduced sentences because they cooperated.”

  “Any connection to Al-Saud?”

  Doug shook his head. “Not directly. Just another outside group contracted by Mattan.”

  “I spoke with Tom on the phone,” Casey said. “He said they’re talking to Mattan, trying to get him to testify against his father.”

  “They’d have to really clean him up,” E.J. said. “He wouldn’t make a good witness right now.”

  “You’re right,” Casey said, “but I think he’ll do it. I mean, what does he have left? I don’t think Al-Saud will take him back now. He messed up too badly.”

  E.J. came over and pulled up a chair. He sat next to Casey and took her hand. “So how are you doing?”

  “I’ll recover. They’re treating the infection. I’m still pretty tired, but at least they’re feeding me.” She nodded toward the IV pole next to the bed. “The bad thing is, they won’t give me coffee. I think I’m going into withdrawal.”

  E.J. laughed. “Well, if you don’t get your caffeine fix soon, maybe I can smuggle a cup of coffee in for you.”

  “You’re a truly wonderful human being.” Then she frowned and asked, “How’s Sam? Is he doing all right?”

  “He’s fine. He’s with his people, giving them all the information he can. Their operation is over. They have a lot of evidence against Mattan, but—”

  “They didn’t get anything to nail Al-Saud?”

  “Nothing solid. I’m sorry.”

  “We can’t go through all this and not find a way to bring Al-Saud down for good. We just can’t.”

  “Then we pray that Mattan will testify. That’s all we can do.” He squeezed her hand. “But for now, let’s just concentrate on getting you back to full strength.”

  “I agree.” She took a deep breath, trying to relax, but it would take some time to put the last few days behind her. She and God had some work to do. Casey was determined to stop punishing herself for the past. She knew God wanted her to be free and she had every intention of making that happen. “Where’s Valerie?” she asked.

  “She’s with the FBI,” E.J. said. “I don’t know any more than that.”

  “Well, I do.”

  Casey looked toward the doorway. Tony stood there with a big smile on his face.

  “I heard you were here,” she said.

  “Tom’s here too. He’s talking with the Feds, trying to hammer out a deal for Mattan—if he decides he’s interested. At the moment Mattan’s in a rehab facility. Not anywhere near here, of course.”

  “Is he going to be okay?”

  “Sure. Just trying to sober him up. Boy, if we didn’t need his testimony . . .”

  E.J. walked over to Tony. “I’m E.J. Queen,” he said, putting out his hand.

  Tony took it. “I know exactly who you are. We’re grateful for everything you’ve done. These two are important to us. We recently lost several of our people. Couldn’t stand to lose anyone else.”

  “Not sure either one of them really needed me. These are two fine deputies.”

  “So what about Valerie?” Casey asked.

  “After she’s finished talking to the FBI, we’re going to fly her out to Missouri to see her sister, Susan.”

  Casey’s mouth dropped open. “You found her? You found Susan?”

  Tony chuckled. “Well, I didn’t find her, but the Feds did. She was in pretty bad shape, but she’s going to recover.”

  “That’s great news!”

  “There’s more,” Tony said. “Martin Avery is alive too. He’s been in hiding. When he heard that Senator Warren was dead, he contacted the Feds and offered to help. He’s the reason we found the warehouse.”

  “Wow,” Casey said slowly. “So Mattan lied to his father. Told him Avery was dead. When Al-Saud finds out, he won’t be happy.”

  “He certainly won’t. Seems Sam is the one who made sure Avery got away. According to Sam, Mattan chased Avery, but a couple of our boys in blue were parked on the street. Mattan gave up and went back to the warehouse. He was afraid to tell his father what happened, so he made him think Avery was dead. Then when he disappeared, it seemed to match Mattan’s story.”

  E.J. laughed. “Those cops will probably never know they saved Avery’s life.”

  Casey was silent for a moment. Some of her colleagues were dead, yet some people she thought dead were alive. It was weird how things had turned out. She waved Tony over to her bed. “Tony, I still don’t know who all we lost in the bombing.”

  “Altogether, seven people died. Three people outside the building were killed by flying debris,” Tony said. “We lost three deputies—Morrison, Edwards, and Grafton.”

  “Oh no.” Casey’s eyes filled with tears. “Grafton’s wife just had a baby.”

  “I know.”

  “That’s six. Who’s the seventh?”

  “Shelly Chambers.”

  “Oh, Tony . . .” Casey turned away. She couldn’t stop her tears.

  “Batterson’s administrative assistant?” E. J. asked.

  Tony nodded. “Batterson told her to get out immediately when he first ordered the evacuation, but she went back to make certain he was safe. That’s when the bomb went off.”

  “I’m sorry,” E.J. said.

  “We are too. Another reason we need to get Al-Saud.”

  Casey turned back around. “I hate that we’re offering WITSEC to Mattan.”

  “I don’t like it any more than you do,” Tony said. “But we have intel that Al-Saud might be planning something with ISIS. Something big. That’s why he’s been shipping weapons to the U.S. Of course, it’s all been done in someone else’s name. I’ve never seen anyone who has managed to surround himself with so many layers of protection.”

  “So now what?” Doug asked. “What’s the next step?”

  “Well,” Tony said, “first thing, we let Casey get stronger. Then you both need some time off.”

  “I don’t need time off,” Casey argued. “I’m already feeling better.”

  “Sorry. Tom says you’re taking at least two weeks off.” Tony nodded at Doug. “Same goes for you.”

  “When will our building be repaired?” Casey asked.

  “About a month at least. We’re using parts of it. Just need to get the chief’s office back up and running—and several offices near him. Our lunchroom is in bad shape and will have to be completely rebuilt.” He winked. “Time to get that espresso machine we’ve been asking for.”

  Casey nodded. “Sounds like a plan. How is the chief doing?”

  “Well, he’s driving the hospital staff crazy. They want him out as soon as possible.”

  “So he’s back to his old self?”

  Tony chuckled. “I would say so. He’s not happy I didn’t tell him about Doug, but until I was certain he was going to be okay, I didn’t want Batterson to worry.”

  Doug cleared his throat. “I think it’s time for us to go, Tony. These two need some time together.”

  Tony smiled. “I agree.” He started toward the door, but then he stopped and turned back. “Hey, E.J., I have a question.”

  “What’s that?”

  “What does E.J. stand for?”

  “I’d like to know that too,” Casey said. “You never would tell me.” She was surprised to see him blush.

  “All right. After everything we’ve been through together, I’ll tell you. My mother is a very classy English lady. But the English love their mysteries. The E is for . . .”

  “Oh no,” Casey groaned. “You’re kidding. Your first name is . . . Ellery!”

  “Ellery Jackson Queen,” E.J. stated. “And that doesn’t need to leave this room.”

  “Of course it won’t,” Tony said with a grin. “Doug and I would never betray a secret, would we, Doug?”

  “Heavens no,” Doug replied, a slow smile splitting his face. “Never.”

  Casey could hear their laughter as they walked down the hall. “You know they’re going to t
ell everyone they know, right?”

  “Yeah. I got that. I guess I’ll just have to live with it.” He leaned down and gazed into her eyes. Casey felt her heart race. “Do you remember when I told you that when you were feeling like yourself and we weren’t being held by people who wanted to kill us, we could revisit that kiss you gave me?”

  “Yes, I have a very vivid memory of that.”

  E.J. glanced around the room. “Well, we seem to be safe, and you appear to be feeling better. Do you think this is an appropriate time to—”

  Casey reached up and pulled his face down to hers. “Do you ever shut up?”

  “Sometimes,” he said gently. “Like right now.”

  EPILOGUE

  Ben Mattan opened the door of the restaurant. He felt nauseous, as if he might throw up at any moment. He pasted a smile on his face and walked up to the hostess, who asked if he was eating alone. He started to answer her, but then he saw the man he was meeting already seated at a booth near the bar.

  “My party is already here,” he said, brushing past her. He nodded at his luncheon companion and scooted into the other side of the booth.

  Ali Al-Saud put his menu down. “The food here is quite good,” he said, hardly any hint of an accent left. Anyone in the restaurant would think two American friends were having dinner. Nothing suspicious in that.

  Ben was surprised to see how thin Ali was. He didn’t look well. “I’ve never been here before. Heard of it. Most people in St. Louis know about it.” He hoped he didn’t sound nervous. He bit his lip to keep from blithering. He was shocked that his father had agreed to meet him after ignoring him for months.

  “I recommend the rib eye. Carmine’s has the best steaks in the city.”