by D. B. Goodin
She felt a hand pull her from behind, and she looked up at a tall man. He was dressed in a trench coat, was middle-aged, and well groomed. He opened a small metal case, removed a cigarette, and placed it in his mouth without lighting it.
“Hello. You must be Josephine,” the man said.
“Who . . . are you?”
The man smiled.
“Well, that is a good question. I’m many things to many people, but for the moment I’m your savior.”
Jet said nothing. She was dumbfounded. Why are these men here, and how does this man know who I am?
“My name is Jeremiah. All you need to know for now is that Nigel sent me.”
“How do you know Nigel?”
Jeremiah pointed at the gunners, his ears, and then the large vehicle behind him.
Jet understood what he wanted. Is it a good idea to get in a car with this man? she wondered.
Jet took a chance. She followed him into a vehicle that reminded her of a military Hummer: bulky and armored. When she entered the vehicle, she noticed the seating configuration. It was like a limo: people could face each other. Jeremiah sat across from her.
“How do you know Nigel?” Jet demanded.
“Straight to the point, I see. He is working with me,” Jeremiah said.
“Bullshit. If he had, I would know about it.”
“It is a recent development.”
“How long?”
“A few days. He tracked Gregor down, infiltrated his computer, and stole information from me.” Jeremiah paused before continuing. “My daughter tracked him down in the States and brokered a deal. Her beauty didn’t hurt, either. From what I understand, he is quite taken with her,” Jeremiah said, smiling.
Jet felt her blood boil.
“Okay, but that doesn’t explain how Nigel knew where I was,” Jet said.
“Your cell phone attempted to connect to a cell phone tower as soon as you got to Morocco,” Jeremiah explained.
The cabin boy must have taken my phone!
Nigel tracked me? Now, that sounded like the Nigel she knew.
“That still doesn’t explain why you are meeting me.”
“I’m a lot closer, and I have a private jet at my disposal. Time was of the essence, and from the looks of it, we were just on time.”
Jet said nothing for a long time.
“So what’s the plan now that you have found me?”
“Take you to meet Nigel!”
The gunshots were more sporadic now. Jet winced. Have they killed everyone?
“I’m afraid that you only have a few minutes to decide,” Jeremiah told her.
“Can I speak with him, or anyone else who is with him—perhaps Mrs. Watson?”
Jeremiah picked up a large phone and handed it to Jet.
“Be my guest. Just dial the full number including country code—the country code for the US is one,” Jeremiah said.
Jet nodded, then called Nigel on his cell phone: voicemail. She tried three more times before leaving a message.
“Hey, Nige! I’m with some guy who goes by Jeremiah. Did you send him? We will call back later.”
She handed the phone back to Jeremiah.
“See? You shouldn’t worry about me,” Jeremiah said.
Jet noticed a slight smile on Jeremiah’s face.
“I need your answer. Time is of the essence.”
Jet nodded.
“I need a verbal answer,” Jeremiah said.
“Yes, let’s just go.”
Jeremiah left the vehicle and said something to his men, who started packing up their equipment. In less than a minute later, they left.
Jeremiah’s satellite phone rang.
“Hey, boss, is now a good time to talk?”
“Yes, but please be brief.”
“Nigel’s phone was cloned. When would you like me to redirect the line?” Gregor said.
Jeremiah said nothing for several seconds.
“Boss? You there?”
“I thought you already did that!”
“I was waiting on your signal. If she called Nigel just now, then she reached his real phone.”
“No matter! We got what we came for,” Jeremiah said as he looked at Jet.
About an hour later, they pulled up to the private airstrip where Jeremiah’s plane awaited.
“My passport! I don’t have it!” Jet said.
“I have it taken care of,” Jeremiah said as he left the vehicle.
Jet watched as Jeremiah produced papers to the guard, and after a few minutes he walked around the vehicle. The guard motioned for the driver to roll down the windows. The guard gave Jet a hard look. He said something that Jet couldn’t understand, then pulled out his weapon and turned toward Jeremiah.
“Whoa, we are all friends here,” Jeremiah said as he raised his hands.
The guard continued to yell in that otherworldly language as he backed up toward the guard post, weapon drawn. It looked like he was attempting to call for help. A loud bang sounded, and the guard fell to the ground; one of Jeremiah’s men had flanked the guard and gotten the drop on him. Jeremiah stepped over to the man and shot him two more times. Blood spattered on the window of the guard shack.
Jet tried opening the vehicle’s door, but they’d locked it. Jet looked out while Jeremiah’s men disposed of the body and continued looking for others. The airstrip was small, and no one else seemed to be around. Jeremiah’s men open the car door and grabbed her. She fought as they restrained her.
Soon they were on a plane flying south, toward Leviathan’s lair.
Jeremiah’s plane was large and comfortable. They tied Jet to a chair near a window. At least Jeremiah’s men were careful with my bad arm, Jet thought. She was also gagged. Jeremiah sat next to Jet.
“I can imagine what you are thinking. ‘Why did Jeremiah kill those men?’” Jeremiah said in a cheerful voice.
He terrified Jet. Her mouth was dry, and it felt like all moisture had evaporated from her mouth.
“I didn’t lie to you—not completely, anyway. My daughter had negotiations with Nigel’s team. She joined them. My men confirmed that she transferred some sensitive information before we revoked her access to our systems,” Jeremiah said.
Jeremiah removed Jet’s gag.
“Why did you kill that man?” Jet asked.
“You mean the one at the airport?” Jeremiah replied. I have regrets, as he was just doing his job. He was acting on a yellow notice that Interpol issued. They’ve reported you missing.”
“Can you untie me? It’s not like I’m going anywhere.”
“Will you promise to behave yourself?”
Jet nodded.
Jeremiah untied her, and Jet started rubbing her bad arm. The pain returned.
“Do you have any painkillers?” Jet asked.
Jeremiah made no move to get her painkillers or anything else.
“I need you to do something for me. How much more pain you experience is up to you. If you cooperate and do well, then I will reward you. When the time is right—maybe as early as next week—I will set you free. Unlike the Sultan, I’m a man of my word.
“Do I have a choice?”
“No, but I’m giving you the ability to control how much pain you will receive if I don’t get what I want,” Jeremiah said.
Jet looked out the window for a very long time.
“You must be exhausted. You can rest in the bedroom in the tail section,” Jeremiah said.
Rest sounded good to Jet. She hadn’t slept well since this nightmare began.
Jet started to head toward the bedroom and then stopped. “How did you find out about Nigel?”
Jeremiah gave Jet an appraising look. “He tracked down and infiltrated my most talented hacker. He was worth a second look, don’t you think?”
“Nigel is a great hacker, and a good person. Don’t hurt him.”
Jeremiah smiled. “Let me tell you a little secret. People are like commodities. They are valuable when they are
useful, and toxic when they have outlived their purpose.”
Jet went into the bedroom and locked the door behind her.
That man has a talent for deflecting questions, she thought. We’re just pawns in his game. I’m sure he has plans for us all.
Chapter 20
Alexei couldn’t sleep. The memories of a young Dahlia Verk haunted him. Every time he closed his eyes, another memory pierced his heart.
He awoke to the sound of his phone.
How long was I out? I don’t think it was long. I still feel exhausted.
“Da,” Alexei said.
“Hello, Alexei. I see that you rang our special drop box,” Dahlia said. “I had an alert set up. It was a bit delayed, but the important thing is that I got your message. What is so urgent that you broke the silence after all these years?”
“Has any of your infrastructure been hacked or otherwise compromised?” Alexei asked.
Dahlia said nothing. Instead, she said, “Why do you need my help?”
She was good—always answering a question by asking another: a common deflection tactic.
“I have it on good authority that a hacking group known as the Timeslicers have hacked several Black Iris infrastructures, or otherwise rendered them useless. I invite you to parley with key members of the Collective ASAP at a location of my choosing,” Alexei said.
“Very well. Please provide the details via a secure transfer to the following MORP domain.” Dahlia provided Alexei with a random-looking string of letters and numbers that ended with a .un extension. A few minutes later, she verified the string.
“We need to prepare if we are to travel to the states. Expect us within the next twenty-four hours or less,” Dahlia said.
“D . . . it is good to work with you again, even for a little while.”
“It’s been a long time,” Dahlia said as she hung up.
Alexei thought about her for a long moment.
Why does she make me feel this way? he wondered before drifting off into a deep slumber.
Some hours later, Alexei walked into the dining room at Tage Manor. Melissa, Nigel, and Julius were already in the middle of breakfast. As he came in, he could hear laughter. From the looks of it, Melissa and Nigel were hitting it off.
Good. We need allies more than ever now.
“Good morning, boss,” Julius said.
Alexei waved in response. His head felt fuzzy, like he was navigating through fog.
Alexei noticed Nigel fidgeting with his phone.
“Is there something wrong, Nigel?” Alexei asked.
“It doesn’t work anymore. No signal!” Nigel replied.
Alexei checked his phone. “I have a signal. Must be your antenna.”
Nigel fiddled with it again, and then put it down.
“Coffee,” Alexei ordered.
No sooner had he sat down than a fresh brew was pouring into his cup. He didn’t remember walking in here.
“Are you okay, boss? You don’t look so good.”
“I’m fine. I didn’t sleep very well. Any news? Where’s Tage?”
“I haven’t seen Mr. Tage all morning.”
Alexei hoped his mind would clear as the coffee did its magic.
“I see that everyone has started without me,” Natasha said as she entered and sat next to Alexei.
Alexei noticed Nigel staring at Natasha’s low-cut nightgown. She hadn’t bothered to wear much this morning.
She is conjuring, cultivating the kid’s hormones, Alexei thought.
“What did I miss?” Natasha said.
“Not much. We arrived just before you did,” Julius said.
There was a large basket of fresh fruit in the middle of the table. Natasha reached over to snatch a sprig of grapes. Nigel was watching her every move.
“Any word from Dahlia?” Melissa asked.
“I was waiting for Mr. Tage, but yes,” Alexei said.
“Is she coming?” Natasha asked as she picked at her grapes.
“She is en route as we speak. I suspect that she will be here before dinner.”
“What did you agree to?” Natasha asked.
“Doesn’t matter. The important thing is that she’s on her way.”
The group finished breakfast without another word. They were about to disband when Alexei interrupted the silence.
“Natasha and Julius, get ready and meet me in Mr. Tage’s office in twenty minutes,” Alexei said as he left the room.
“There’s something you’re not telling me!” Natasha said.
“I used my get-out-of-jail-free card.”
“Your what?” Julius and Natasha asked in unison.
“During a vulnerable time in Dahlia’s life, she met a man whom she thought she was in love with. He trained her into the ruthless, cold-hearted killer that she is today. Or at least set her on that path. Soon after I left Dahlia in Bratislava, she moved in with Sarrin. Started taking mercenary jobs, honing her craft while taking out some of the most dangerous people on the planet,” Alexei said.
“I still don’t understand why she owed—”
“I was just getting to that,” Alexei interrupted. “Several years later, Dahlia got captured in Africa. Somehow she was able to send a message to Sarrin, who contacted me. I agreed to help. I got her out of there. During our escape, we were intimate for the first time in years. I got her back in one piece. We kept in touch for a short time after—long enough to develop a digital dead drop system. She owed me, so I could ask anything of her, but there was one catch. After she made good on the promise, I could never contact her again. After that, she gave birth to Hunter; and that was the last I time we saw each other,” Alexei said.
“That must have been around the time you found me,” Natasha said.
“Da, you could say that. Without Dahlia, we might have never met.”
Natasha didn’t respond. She seemed to be in deep thought.
“Dahlia changed while Sarrin was around. She is cold, calculating—not the person I once knew. The sweet, idealistic girl I met in Prague is long gone,” Alexei said.
“What is Dahlia going to do for us?” Natasha asked.
“Information-sharing between our respective groups. But we might need to go beyond that,” Alexei said.
Natasha raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“We might need to form a partnership if we have any chance of defeating Jeremiah. And there is also the matter of Gregor,” Alexei said.
“I will watch your back,” Natasha said.
“I go, too, boss,” Julius agreed.
Dahlia left the Newport International terminal building with Jony and Hunter in tow.
“Bloody hell. I thought the UK was cold,” Jony said. “Couldn’t we just have conferenced in from the Chateau?”
Dahlia didn’t respond. She walked to the car she rented.
“Do you want me to drive?” Hunter asked.
“I’ve got this,” Dahlia said.
“Do you believe him?” Hunter spat.
“Alexei is no liar. He didn’t attack us. The story that the Shadow Dealers concocted was . . . too convenient. Something is up. Meeting in person is the best way to deal with the situation.”
Jony fiddled with the radio. He settled on a station with the best reception quality.
“Hello from the Tri-City area. Before we play more great classical music, Monte Phillips has a weather report,” the radio announcer said.
“Well, folks, the weather hasn’t let up much. The great whiteout of New Year’s Day still lingers. It has been snowing almost nonstop, which has been challenging for road crews. You shouldn’t travel if you don’t have to. If you do, be careful. We don’t need any more casualties. We are seeing a lot of low-pressure that has caused a nor’easter to form. It should be hitting the Tri-City area of Milford, Newport, and Haven tonight and may last several days. Stay tuned to WKBN AM for up-to-the-min—” The radio cut off.
“Sounds like we are stuffed,” Jony said.
&n
bsp; “How long until we get there?” Hunter asked.
“One, maybe two hours. EIA is closest but was closed, so Newport was our only option. According to the GPS, we will be there in three hours,” Dahlia said.
“Brilliant,” Jony said.
They drove in silence for more than twenty minutes. Dahlia could sense that Hunter wanted to speak to her, but Jony was in the car so he restrained himself.
“Why don’t you get some rest, Jony? I’m going to need you sharp for tonight,” Dahlia said.
“We’re meeting tonight? I thought we would rest, and then meet at first light,” Jony said.
“I don’t want to stay any longer than necessary.”
Dahlia noticed Jony lie down in the back seat. Hunter stared out the window. After a few minutes, Dahlia could hear the rumblings of Jony’s snoring.
“He’s asleep. What did you want to ask me?” Dahlia asked.
Hunter gave her a sharp look.
“I know you want to ask, so speak before I change my mind.”
“Is he . . .?” Hunter fell short of asking.
“Your father?” Dahlia completed Hunter’s question.
Dahlia glanced at Hunter as he shifted uneasily in his chair.
“Yes,” Dahlia said. “I was on a mission for your other father, and Alexei saved my life. We shared a moment before he brought me back.”
Hunter shot her a glance.
“How long have you known?” she asked.
“Just before you sent me to the Shadow Dealers, I went through your desk and found letters from doctors. They addressed the letters to Sarrin, my true father!” Hunter said.
“Sarrin was incapable of having children. We went to many specialists, and he thought the problem was with me,” Dahlia chuckled.
Dahlia’s uncharacteristic light mood didn’t affect Hunter.
“He was in denial,” she continued. “When I became pregnant, I told Sarrin that he would be a father. He had no idea.”
Hunter just looked out the window. Dahlia hated all this subterfuge. Sending him to the Shadow Dealers was supposed to be a punishment.
“I need you to behave tonight. Can you do that for me?”