Calculated Entrapment

by K. T. Lee

  Fredrick spoke again, his voice hoarse. “We work in a number of areas.” He clutched his head. “I think I need to go sit down.”

  Tony had wandered away from the group and was looking back at the equipment, checking something. Again. She’d handle the green seafarer so the CIA could keep an eye on Tony. “I’ll go check on him. I have some club soda onboard that might help.” She silently hoped Cam understood that he needed to watch Tony. Tony was the leader and couldn’t keep his eyes off the equipment. Fredrick could barely stay upright on the boat.

  When she reached the back of the boat, Quinn was close behind. Just before she reached Stefanie, she whispered, “Not sure what they’re doing. Boys have eyes on Tony, and I have your back.”

  Fredrick sat down, head lolling. Stefanie followed him quickly. “Sir, are you okay?” He shook his head, then gestured below deck.

  Stefanie motioned for him to stop. “I’m so sorry, but if you go below deck, it’s only going to make your seasickness worse. I have some medication that might help.”

  “No, it’s a migraine.” Fredrick’s voice was pained. “Not seasickness. I need to get away from the light. Could you assist me in finding a place to sit?”

  Quinn followed Stefanie while she led him to a small area with a table attached to the floor. He thumped down onto a plastic bench built into the wall. She lowered herself to his level to see if he was okay. He lifted his head and her stomach sank. His face wasn’t quite right. And it wasn’t because he was sick. This man wasn’t the same man she’d met in her office. She cleared her throat. “Ree, can you come up with me – I need to get Fredrick some club soda and it’s under a bunch of equipment.”

  At that moment, Cam’s voice was in their ears. “Ladies, we have a problem.”

  Stefanie turned to look back at Fredrick and was startled at the look in his eyes. Before she could reach for her gun, he leapt up, tightened his arm around her neck, and pointed a gun at her temple. “I don’t want to hurt you. I just want to have a little talk with your sister. I lost some of my best people, thanks to her, and we have some catching up to do. It was nice of her to join us.” He’d spoken directly into her earpiece.

  She gasped. Under the makeup he wore to hide his appearance was the man the team had warned her about. And if Cam and Joey came down the stairs, Dmitri would kill her before they could stop him. A million thoughts rushed through her brain. She spat out the word, “gun” before Dmitri’s arm tightened around her neck. She prayed it was enough to keep her team from storming down the stairs.

  Quinn’s hand made only the slightest motion towards her waist and Dmitri pointed the gun at Quinn. “No! None of that or you both die.” His voice was deadly, almost hollow. All traces of his claimed illness were gone. He pointed the gun back at her but didn’t stop looking at Quinn.

  Stefanie’s pulse pounded and she forced herself into calm. She’d practiced this. But if she flipped him over her back, he might pull the trigger and one of them could get killed.

  “Dmitri. Look at me. Dmitri.” Stefanie looked up to see that Quinn’s face had gone white.

  Dmitri tensed behind her. The full pressure of his arm pressed against her neck made her feel more suffocated, but Quinn’s distraction caused him to lower his weapon, just slightly. His voice came out confused. “How do you know my name?”

  “It’s me, your assistant. Katarina!” Quinn smiled broadly as if recognizing an old friend. “You think you are the only one who can wear a disguise? I have been working during this time under the name Ree Ryland. Tony and I have been talking. Did he not tell you?”

  Dmitri looked between them, his eyes wild. Stefanie couldn’t compute the meaning and it was likely Dmitri couldn’t either. Hopefully, he believed Quinn’s bluff. In her earpiece, she heard Joey. “Stay calm. I’m on my way.”

  “Tony knows nothing other than that he is delivering a package.” Dmitri’s grip loosened, but his arm was still around her neck.

  Quinn smiled. “Ah, good. You are closer to this than I realized. Then you know Cole recruited me right away to help with your project.”

  “That’s impossible. Cole is weak. He barely got our test equipment deployed before quitting. He couldn’t have spoken to you.” Dmitri tightened his grip.

  Quinn leaned in as if talking to a small child. “Dmitri. Of course, he only knows part of the information. That’s why I am here, making sure he doesn’t fumble your plan. You look foolish, pointing a gun at my associate. Please put that down before you hurt someone who has been very useful to me. Stefanie is an asset of mine. Why else would she let me pretend to be her sister? Why do you think that she’s dropping off your present? Truly you don’t think she is stupid enough not to check your equipment.” At this point, Quinn flipped to Russian and Stefanie didn’t understand another word.

  Quinn continued speaking in Russian and Dmitri’s arm relaxed, just slightly. Quinn switched to English. “For Stefanie’s benefit, let me explain.” She looked at Stefanie, the strain just showing behind her eyes. “Stefanie, darling. I’m sorry for you to meet our ally in this way. This nice gentleman is just trying to help. The world we live in is complicated and we’re allies, of sorts. Dmitri, don’t shoot her. She is on our side.”

  Finally, mercifully, Dmitri lowered his arm. “Are you on my side? How can I trust you?”

  Stefanie answered honestly, her voice quivering. “I’m on Katarina’s side. Whatever side she has chosen. But more importantly, I’m in favor of a…a more peaceful world.” Her heart thudded, hoping she’d remembered the name Quinn had used correctly. Her life would depend on it.

  Stefanie could almost see Dmitri thinking. His smile was slow but gentle. The dangerous man who had grabbed her roughly had disappeared. In his place, a friendly face. Had the change not happened before her very eyes, she might not have believed it possible. “I think Katarina is right. We could use someone like you. Someone with an eye for numbers and strategy.”

  When he looked at her, she realized it was showtime. “So, we will plant your devices, and then ask a local fisherman to discover them? It’d be a shame to have nuclear waste discovered off the coastline. I already found your test device. Had I not pointed it out to Cole, you would have had a large security hole in your operation.”

  “She’s very clever.” Dmitri looked over her shoulder at Quinn.

  Quinn nodded. “See? We’re just here to take orders.”

  Dmitri smiled. “You were much smarter than you let on in my office, Katarina.” Malice laced the end of his sentence. Quinn might think she was in control, but Dmitri was a madman clothed in the reasonable diplomacy of a statesman. His hand began to move again.

  Quinn scratched her ear. It was Morse code. Too bad Stefanie didn’t know Morse code. Joey’s voice filled in the blanks. “In three, two, one.”

  A door burst open and Cam and Joey came in, weapons drawn. It was hard to say who moved first in the room, but Dmitri raised his weapon. Stefanie delivered an elbow to his stomach that would have done Master K proud. The gun clattered out of his hand and she spun, punching him in the nose with her other hand. Quinn picked up Dmitri’s weapon from the floor and Cam and Joey closed in. In seconds, Dmitri was on his stomach, nose still bleeding from Stefanie’s punch, hands behind his back as Joey snapped a pair of handcuffs on him.

  He began to speak in Russian and Stefanie was willing to bet it was laced with curse words. He spat on the floor, fire in his eyes. “You are an evil woman. Filled with lies.”

  Quinn leaned down to look him in the eyes. “My lies keep people from dying. Your lies are indiscriminate and dangerous, like an out-of-control fire. You killed my friend. You tried to dump nuclear waste in the ocean and take out my team. You didn’t care who you hurt or exposed in the process.”

  “Ah, you always thought you were so clever,” Dmitri snarled. “It doesn’t matter. I have diplomatic immunity. You can’t hurt me.”

  Cam crossed his arms. “That’s not what your diplomat friends told us when we s
aid you were a problem. They assured us you wouldn’t cause further harm. As a gesture of good faith, we have a signed memo giving us their assurances that if you intended to harm our interests, your immunity would be revoked. Give the camera a big wave. I want to make sure they get a good look at you when we show them the footage.”

  Like many bullies, once he was good and cornered, Dmitri’s true colors bubbled to the surface. His eyes were unpleasant at best and murderous at worst. Stefanie left the room, recovering her breath, before he could fuel any more of her nightmares. Joey followed her up the stairs, where she leaned against a wall of the ship with her eyes closed. She felt Joey’s hand on her wrist and she slipped her fingers through his. After a few moments, she opened them and he smiled. “You were amazing in there.”

  Stefanie laughed, but it bubbled up almost in a hiccup from her nerves. “You mean I didn’t die.”

  “No, I mean you helped us take down a really dangerous man we’ve been chasing for far too long. Thank you.” Joey kissed her on the cheek.

  She leaned his forehead against his until they heard footsteps. She shook her head. “Oh. Wow. Not here. Okay. Whew. What’s next?”

  Joey tugged on her hand and they went to the main deck. They found a cadre of Coast Guardsmen on deck already, leading Dmitri’s consultants off the ship. Their eyes were wide and mannerisms compliant. They would have to answer some questions, but if the surreal conversation below deck was any indication, they had been pawns. Cole, however, was a different matter entirely. He had a lot of explaining to do, if they ever found him.

  Joey gave Ike a thumbs up and he returned it without leaving the helm. In a scene that could have been from a movie, Quinn and Cam led Dmitri onto a small Coast Guard boat. The rest of the crew followed behind until only Joey and Stefanie were left on The Dog House with Ike at the helm.

  “Need to sit down?” Joey gestured to a bench. “Being a badass can be exhausting.”

  Stefanie laughed, but it was hollow. “No, my body is still going a million miles an hour. Let’s stand at the railing. We headed straight back?”

  “Yep.”

  “Am I losing my job?”

  Joey grimaced. “Not sure. We’ve got a team going to Cole’s house. Our sources say he’s still in town. I’ve got a feeling that Dmitri just handed us a star witness for his trial Stateside.”

  “So, Nash and Peggy?” Stefanie ran a hand through her hair.

  Joey frowned. “Dmitri didn’t mention them. My educated guess is that Nash and Peggy were like you, caught up in the crossfire. If we’re wrong, we’ll know it soon. Dmitri won’t hesitate to sacrifice his people for his own benefit.”

  Stefanie leaned on him, just for a moment. “We’ll help Nash and Peggy find jobs if they need it, right?”

  “Even if the CIA can’t, I’ll try to help out. They deserve it.”

  Stefanie sighed and gazed out to sea, feeling the promise of her dream job slipping through her fingers. “What on Earth am I going to do?”

  “You’ll figure it out.” Joey pulled her hand into his. He paused, then took a deep breath. “And if you want, we’ll figure it out. Maybe, if you stay at the OEG, you can even talk your management into working from the East Coast every once in a while. There’s a whole ocean over there that could benefit your customers.”

  She studied his earnest eyes, feeling his rough hand over hers. “That’s the story, huh?”

  Joey lifted a shoulder, his voice deepening. “If you want it to be.”

  Stefanie startled at Quinn’s voice in her earpiece. “Toughen up, Joey, and tell Stef how you feel. Cam told me to turn off my earpiece and I almost did. Good thing I didn’t. I’m stepping in to save you from yourself. Do it quickly, because I’ll be out of range in five minutes.”

  “Thanks, Quinn. Turning off my earpiece now. I’m, um, I’m on my cell if it’s an emergency.” Stefanie burst out laughing and Joey flushed red.

  Quinn muttered, “I’m trying to save you from an emergency.” Joey made a point of turning his earpiece off and Stefanie did the same, still grinning. Ike gave them a salute from where he was standing.

  Stefanie’s grin stretched wider. “I don’t think privacy is an achievable goal at this point.”

  “No kidding.” Joey snorted, looking out at the ocean. “I’ll lay it out there.” He turned to her, his good humor reflected in the laugh lines on his face. “I like you. A lot. I’d like to see you, even though you live across the country. I think you’re a good investment too.”

  “Good to know.” Stefanie laid a hand on his arm. “I’ll see about pitching that East Coast division if I’m still employed next week. There are customers that would appreciate us working from both coasts. It’s a great idea.”

  Joey smiled. “I’d like that. I’ll come out and visit whenever I can until that happens, if you’ll do the same.”

  Stefanie gave him a nudge. “I’d love that.”

  When they returned to the harbor, they left the boat without much fanfare. When they got back to her house, she unlocked the door. Before opening it, she turned back to face Joey. In seconds, Joey had her pressed up against her front door and she was fumbling for the handle, laughing and returning his affection.

  They practically fell into the house only to hear a throat clearing. Before she could reach for her weapon, she spotted the source of the noise and ran across the room into the arms of her sister. “Ree! You’re okay!” She wiped away tears. “You’re supposed to be in Chicago! And are you supposed to travel? Don’t scare me like that! I’m jumpy!”

  Ree pulled back and looked her sister in the eyes. “There was no way I could fully sit this one out. Parker and I have been monitoring the feeds from a distance and keeping an eye on your house. And yes, I can travel for a few more months. I only puked once on the plane!”

  “That’s good?” Stefanie wrinkled her nose.

  Parker reached out a hand and she swatted it away, pulling him into a hug. “No way. You’re family. Thank you, Parker, for keeping my sister safe.”

  “I think it’s us who owe you a thank you. You got him. We got him.” He reached out to shake Joey’s hand. “You too, Joey.”

  Joey shrugged. “Just doing my job.”

  A smile played at the corner of Ree’s mouth. “And is Joey going to be family? I mean, after that…” Ree fanned herself.

  “It’s new.” Stefanie slugged Ree in the shoulder. “And we keep getting interrupted.”

  Ree lowered her voice. “I mean, I’m not totally sorry. Frankly, I’m mad at myself for not figuring it out sooner. I’m going to lose five dollars to Alexis. That one hurts. My own sister.”

  Stefanie turned her head. “You bet on our relationship?”

  Ree grimaced. “I think you’re missing the point. I lost. How embarrassing.”

  “I don’t think that’s the lesson you should be taking from this.” Stefanie turned to face Joey. “You ready to run away yet? It gets worse.”

  Joey pulled her in and kissed her on the cheek. “The opposite, actually. I’d like to take you on a date. If I can. Although,” he turned to Ree and Parker, “no offense, folks, I’d like to take Stefanie out on a date without a crowd.”

  Ree grabbed Parker’s hand and started pulling him to the back of the house. “We’ll go to the office. And we definitely won’t be eavesdropping.”

  Stefanie groaned and Joey laughed.

  When the office door had slammed and they were finally, truly alone, Stefanie slipped her hands up to Joey’s neck and he put his hands around her waist, pulling her close. She smiled. “What a crazy ending, right?”

  Joey leaned his forehead against hers. “Something tells me we’re just getting started.”

  * * *

  THE END

  Note from the Author

  Thank you, dear reader, for joining my characters and me on this adventure! If you enjoyed this book…

  1. Leave a review on Goodreads, Bookbub, or your favorite book retailer. Even a short review is a gr
eat way to help other readers find this book!

  * * *

  2. Sign up for my newsletter for exclusive content and news about new releases at: https://ktleeauthor.com/

  * * *

  3. Follow me on social media:

  Twitter: @ktleewrites

  Instagram: @ktleeauthor

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ktleewrites

  4. Check out the rest of The Calculated Series!

  Calculated Extortion (Prequel Novella)

  Calculated Deception (Book 1)

  Calculated Contagion (Book 2)

  Calculated Sabotage (Book 3)

  Calculated Reaction (Book 4)

  Calculated Entrapment (Book 5)

  5. More books are in the works! Visit https://ktleeauthor.com/ to stay updated on new releases and find all of K.T. Lee’s books.

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you to the readers, family, and friends who have joined me on this adventure! I am so grateful for your support.

  A few special shout-outs. First, to my sister, whose support of these books and friendship in life is so very appreciated. I am grateful to my mom, who has been so encouraging and has also been a terrific sounding board for ideas. Thank you also to my dad for being an eager reader and supporter of these books. Big thanks to my husband who has encouraged me every step of the way. Thank you also to Emily, who is a wonderful person to talk books with and is also a great friend. Also, huge thanks to Jenni, for her early feedback and her friendship. I so appreciate you all.

  Finally, these manuscripts would not be the books they are without the support of the editors who have been a part of this series from the beginning. I am so grateful to Laura Anderson, whose feedback not only improves the books, but also makes me a better writer, and to Bridget Fryman, whose eagle eye for all things grammar gives the books their final polish. Thank you both for the heart and time you have poured into this series.