“Wait. Please, don’t inject me. My memory’s coming back.”
Wade removed the prick of the needle from Mashburn’s arm. “I’m listening. You were saying you remember being at Fort Benning?”
“Yes, I was on assignment for CID doing surveillance on Lockhart while he was in training there.”
“What did your assignment entail?”
“At first I was just there to keep an eye on him.”
“You’re lying to me again, Mashburn. I’m loading the second syringe, this time with the clear solution. Perhaps it’s only penicillin and will cure any bacterial infection you have.”
“No, it’s not penicillin. Don’t do that. It will kill me!”
Wade saw Mashburn tighten his grip on the chair, waiting to feel the fluid enter his body. Mashburn’s fear caused him to soak his pants, confirming the solutions were definitely not penicillin.
“If you continue to play these games with me, you’ll soon die a horrible death by injection. I’m no medic, but it’s probably a lot worse than a quick round to the head. Now tell me your entire assignment with Lockhart at Fort Benning.”
“Lockhart made the overture to a CID operative that he wanted to be paid to keep quiet about the drug deals in Vietnam. I was initially sent to observe him and approach him with a deal to pay him money from the government in exchange for remaining silent.”
“That wasn’t the real deal, though, was it? To pay him off?”
“At first it was. But then I saw and reported how unstable Lockhart had become. I was ordered to get him alone and make the payment, and then eliminate him and make it look like a suicide.”
Wade placed the needle into Mashburn’s arm so that he felt the point break his skin. Mashburn tightened his grip on the armchair, shaking as he agonized over what the drug would do to his body. The details and medical effects of each drug were well known to Mashburn; he had administered them and been around to see too many people die at his hands from their use. He didn’t want to die that way.
Visualizing the effects of the drugs, Mashburn clenched his jaw, knowing he would soon be paralyzed. Unlike Lockhart’s injection, this one would go beyond paralysis, spreading its painful venom into his organs until his heart stopped. Mashburn’s stomach convulsed and he gagged, almost vomiting in his hood.
“How were you going to eliminate him?”
Mashburn coughed. “I was assigned to head the death squad. I administrated the first drug in some booze we had for a celebration drink that knocked Lockhart out. Then I injected him with the second drug, which paralyzed him without killing him. It took the other guys to set him up in the chair so it looked like he killed himself with his own gun. Those were my orders.”
“I take it you’re familiar with the effects of these drugs?”
“Yes.”
“How many people have you killed using some form of drug?”
“I’ve never killed anyone unless ordered to do so. I’m not sure of the exact number… maybe thirty or more? If it makes any difference to you, I still see their faces and hear their screams at night.”
“If you have such nightmares, why do you still do it?”
“I can’t get out. I know too much, and there are too many people in power above me to allow me to leave. I’d be dead in a matter of hours.”
“Do any of these vials contain the same substance you used on Lockhart?”
“No, not exactly. The one with the white milky substance is similar. That one paralyzes you first, but goes on to kill you. Lockhart’s solution doesn’t kill you. That drug paralyzes its victim for about two hours.”
Mashburn took in two large gulps of air before continuing. “All the vials you have there will kill you, but in different ways, to avoid postmortem detection or tracing. After those solutions are injected and do their damage, they dissipate over time after you’re dead. That’s why there has to be a delay of several days before an autopsy can be done.”
“So why was Lockhart targeted at Fort Benning?”
“Lockhart applied to return to active duty in Vietnam. That’s why he was taking a refresher course at Benning. CID knew Lockhart was unstable and probably wouldn’t survive his next tour of duty. But they had to make sure he didn’t.”
“So why not wait until he got to Vietnam?”
“Because of how mentally unstable he had become. They thought he was ready to go off and kill someone or tell someone about the Vietnam drug deals before he shipped out. They couldn’t take that chance.”
“What happened next?”
“During a night exercise, I lost control of him. He went off on his own, believing that his classmates were out to get him. He almost killed one of them. I think he was also suspicious of me. He knew me from Vietnam and thought the other guys worked for me. After the night incident, he went AWOL. CID felt they had to act. Before he broke off that night, I told him I thought I could get him the money he wanted from my commanding officer to keep things quiet. After the exercise, he contacted me by phone at the barracks. He wanted to meet at the Candlelight Motel about forty miles from the base to get his money.”
“Then what happened?”
“My instructions were to give him the money, and then terminate him.”
“Where did that order originate?”
“My CID unit commander - someone I inherited from Vietnam. His name is Cory Fortier. Cory told me his authority was coming from above. That’s all I know, I swear.”
“So you met Lockhart at the motel. What happened next?”
“Lockhart liked to drink. I told him we had to celebrate when I gave him the money. I had a fifth of his favorite single malt bourbon and drugged his drink. That knocked him out.”
“Let’s go back to your assignment in Spain. I don’t believe you were really working for Franco. What’s the real story?”
“The U.S. owed Franco some favors, but he had gone mad killing everyone. The U.S. couldn’t appear to be supporting him in any way, so they sent me in to do some covert work for Juan Carlos.”
“That sounds like a cover story.”
Mashburn suddenly grew silent as though he had been paralyzed by the question.
Wade slapped Mashburn on the side his head with the pistol butt to jar his memory. “Well, do I need to get the syringe out again? Is this really the end of your story?”
“That was my cover story.”
“Who was your real target?”
“Franco.”
“So you were a double agent?”
“Yes.”
“Is that when you met Condor?”
“Yes. I’d just been assigned to Condor for the Spain assignment. My orders from Condor were to carry out Franco’s orders, but in reality I was to try to get to Franco himself.”
“Did Condor instruct you on how to do that?”
“He pretty much left it up to me. He told me to get close to Juan Carlos first. Franco was having some medical issues at the time. I was told to find out as much as I could about his health issues, and then work that angle.”
“Why is Condor involved in your current operation?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think he knows much about what’s going on.”
“What do you mean?”
“He doesn’t seem to have any details or answers to my questions. I don’t understand why this operation is even going on. I mean, Belize is a friendly country with strong ties to our British allies. I don’t know why we’re disrupting these games. I was just told to follow instructions.”
“I know that. What’s the real operation?”
“I swear I don’t know. I just know Condor is turning me over to another operative who’s running the operation. I’m now supposed to report to him and follow his instructions.”
“Who’s the other operative?”
“All I know is that it’s a guy by the name of Stephan. I haven’t met him or spoken to him yet. I can’t even tell you what he looks like.”
“Isn’t it true Stephan is
out of Germany?”
“I was never told that.”
“What’s in the two black cases you delivered to the cemetery yesterday?”
“I swear I don’t know. They were delivered to me at my hotel in Panama before I came here. I was just told where and when to drop them off.”
“You weren’t curious about what was inside?”
“I took one look at the locking mechanisms and didn’t even want to handle the cases. All I was told was to make the drop at the cemetery, and Stephan would take it from there.”
“Aren’t there other operatives who will be arriving?”
“Yes, I was to make arrangements and pick up two other operatives from the airport, though they would arrive at different times.”
“When are they arriving?”
“I haven’t been given flight numbers or times yet, and I don’t know who they are. I just know they’re supposed to arrive a few days after Stephan.”
“And when does Stephan arrive?”
“In two days. I have his flight information in the bedroom.”
There was a pause in the interrogation. Wade hadn’t counted on getting so much information on the current operation. He considered his options with Mashburn and their consequences.
“This is the way I see your position. You’ve been passed from handler to handler since Fort Benning. You did the Spain assignment, which could have serious political repercussions. Your name is on lots of target boards for the work in Spain.
“You’re wanted in the U.S. for the Lockhart murder, and you’ve always been a problem for my agency. CID has completely distanced themselves from you. You’re a liability to them not only because of the Lockhart murder but because of what went on in Vietnam and Spain.
“If my agency has tracked you down, so can others. You’re here in Belize as a gofer for an operation you claim to know nothing about. It’s not your kind of operation. You’ve not been given any specifics, and you’re reporting to a German-trained assassin by the name of Stephan. Is any of this smelling a little strange to you?”
“It smells like hell. I’m being set up.”
“There’s an old intelligence saying, ‘If you ever feel you’re worth more dead than alive to your agency, you’d better start looking over your shoulder.’ That’s because chances are you won’t be around long.”
“I get your meaning, and I’m not too proud to admit that I wouldn’t like my position even if I wasn’t sitting in this chair.”
“If I were to tell you that my agency knows that your Belize operation is already designed to have a dead fall guy found at a rest stop off Hummingbird Highway, would that ring any bells for you?”
Wade let some time pass for the concept to sink in before continuing. “If my agency has the information on the dead drop, don’t you think you would have been informed of that phase of the assignment?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m that fall guy.”
“Who can be certain of anything in our business? But you do have all the right credentials for being that fall guy, especially if they plant incriminating evidence on you. It solves the Lockhart murder, the Vietnam drug incident, and the Spain connection all at once. You’re the rogue agent who couldn’t be controlled.”
Wade paused before going on. “Knowing what you know about the Belize assignment where do you see your skills coming into play? I don’t see your skills being used here at all, and Condor has better and cheaper gofers to do the grunt work.”
“If I were a betting man, I’d wager that your body will be the one found near the creek at the rest stop. Your death solves too many problems for people above who need to remain protected.”
A grim silence fell between the two men. Mashburn squirmed uncomfortably in the silence before he asked, “What happens now?”
“Quiet. I’m thinking through my options with you.”
“Please don’t kill me, I beg you.”
“Quiet. I’m thinking.”
The pillowcase over Mashburn’s head was wet from the sweat pouring from his head.
Without a word, Wade got up and walked to the other room, leaving Mashburn to his own thoughts. He returned with scissors and a pair of Mashburn’s socks. He placed them on the table loudly enough for Mashburn to hear the clang of the scissors. Mashburn jumped back in his chair. The silence that followed was deafening, and Mashburn couldn’t wait before asking.
“What are you going to do to me?”
Chapter 20
“I’m going to take off the hood from behind you and place some of your socks I just cut over your eyes and tape them to your head.”
“Then you’re not going to kill me?”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
Mashburn heard the duct tape being torn into strips. The room was now dark as evening set in. Wade worked with just the table light on.
“Keep your eyes closed tight.”
He stood behind Mashburn and placed a sock over each eye. He held the material in place with one hand as he pulled a strip across Mashburn’s face to hold the socks in place. He strapped extra tape all around his head, leaving his nose uncovered so he could breathe.
“I have one more thing to convey before I decide what I’m going to do with you.”
Mashburn was shaking, afraid to show his curiosity.
“The people I work for want to see you out of the assassination business – as in permanently retired. They’ve left it in my hands to ensure your retirement. I believe your covert skills are good enough to give you an opportunity to disappear forever from the intelligence community. If your skills are not good enough to permanently disappear, one of the agencies will find you soon enough.”
Wade took a breath and then continued. “There are at least three agencies and several independent operatives chasing you in addition to Condor and his men. As I see it your only chance of survival is to hide for the rest of your life. There’s no other way out. ”
Wade paused to adjust the tape over Mashburn’s eyes.
“I suggest you go find some small village in the backwoods of Europe or South America. Find a village where nobody’s heard of a U.S. citizen. You might even practice some real medicine, helping people in that village. But as of this moment, your days as an undercover assassin are over.”
Mashburn was silent, slightly nodding his head in acknowledgment.
“My people have shown the ability to hunt you down. In fact, if they find that you’re not dead or in complete hiding, they will find you and terminate you. I may be given that assignment, and I can assure you we won’t have another discussion like this before it happens. Have I made myself clear?”
“Yes.”
“Your cleaning lady comes tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. To ensure that you remain still until that time, I’m going to tip your chair backward until it rests on the edge of another chair that I’ve set up.”
Wade checked Mashburn’s chair by balancing it backward on its two rear legs. He returned it to the upright position before continuing.
“I’m going to insert a syringe of your favorite solution into your neck and leave the plunger extended, taped to the chair and your neck. You can take your chances trying to wiggle free, but I’d encourage you to remain perfectly still until the maid comes tomorrow.”
Wade wiggled Mashburn’s chair from side to side, showing the effects of the movement. “No matter which way the chair moves the syringe will automatically plunge the gray solution into your neck. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“When the maid finds you, she’ll initially panic. Assuming you haven’t moved your chair during the night, you can show her you’re still alive by making sounds. Let her calm down so she carefully removes the tape from around your mouth. She can help you remove the rest of your bindings – but not the syringe. You’ll have to remove the needle yourself.”
“I understand.”
“After you get the maid to calm down, tell her you were robbed. You’ll also have to in
form the real estate agent, Ms. Barr of the robbery, and perhaps even give a report to the local police. Ms. Barr won’t want the news spread that her rental property was robbed, so the report will go no further. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“I have one more thing to do before I leave you. I’m going to put the remaining sock in your mouth and tape over it. Do you have anything to say before I do that?”
“Thank you for letting me live.”
Wade put the sock in Mashburn’s mouth and taped it around his head, leaving an open area below his nose to breathe.
“Remember, you’re retired as of now. If I were you, I’d take the next few hours to think about how you’re going to disappear so that you won’t be seeing me or anyone else looking for you - ever again.”
“By the time you get through with the police and the real estate agent, you’ll have only one day before Stephan arrives. I left the return ticket to Panama in your bedroom. Stephan is also coming to Belize through Panama, so you’ll need to be careful not to cross his path at the airport.”
“Since neither of you knows each other, he probably won’t be able to track you for a while. Once you leave Panama, you’ll have to remove all traces of your existence. You won’t have much time to disappear, but it’s your only chance to survive.”
Mashburn nodded his head and grunted, acknowledging Wade’s advice. Wade leaned Mashburn’s chair all the way back until it rested precariously against the seat of the other chair. He inserted the needle at the base of Mashburn’s neck and taped the syringe to his neck and chair, leaving the plunger end extended a few inches from the supporting chair.
Wade gently rocked the chair side to side, showing Mashburn how easily the chair would trip the syringe. He collected the sniper rifle and the other weapons from the living room. After checking Mashburn’s bindings one last time, Wade made sure he had all the documents and vials of solution. He gathered his tape recorder and notes before wiping down everything for fingerprints wearing surgical gloves, as an extra precaution. He quietly closed the side door behind him.
Lethal Authority (Wade Hanna Series Book 2) Page 17