by Lea Hart
“That’s the woman who worked here for a couple of weeks before Ivy stole her from us, right?”
“Yes, and I’m still mad about it.”
“You can have time off, Lucky, but I don’t feel comfortable letting you go without backup.”
“I know, but the team is fully committed through the end of the year and it doesn’t make sense to have someone tag along ‘just in case,’ so it’s not an option.”
Hank crossed his arms and grinned. “I bet Sam is going to flip his lid and either go himself or make sure someone from the Brussel’s legal attaché keeps an eye on you.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“The FBI has offices around the globe and the legats are located in U.S. embassies, so when you tell him about your plan, I’m sure he’s going to make arrangements for security.”
“Any advice on how to tell him the news?” The sound of a booming guffaw filled the room and she knew it wasn’t because she’d said something funny. “Come on, Hank, that’s not going to help me.”
“Nothing is going to help you because he’s going to lose his mind. The way he was looking at you at lunch yesterday broadcasted that he’s enamored with you and that means he considers you his responsibility.”
“That’s bananas. I’m a strong capable woman and I’m responsible for myself.”
“True, but your boyfriend is a former Tier One operator and that means he’s wired to protect and there’s nothing he’s going to protect more than the woman he’s fallen for.” Lifting his finger, he pointed it at her. “And that’s you.”
“Yeah, I kind of already figured that out by the way he’s behaving.” Standing, she gave him a smile. “I’ll make sure to get my staff ready before I leave tomorrow.”
“Leave all the details of your trip with Kaye and unlock your phone and watch so we can track you.”
“All right, I’ll sync everything up in the morning.” She walked out of the office and felt relief that she’d cleared one hurdle and then she remembered that a bigger one was right in front of her. Sighing, she strolled back to her office and decided to call her mom first because she wanted to put off the conversation with Sam until they both had a drink in their hands.
***
“Say something, Sam.” The tapping of his perfectly polished wingtip was starting to get on her nerves and she hated the feeling of waiting for his approval. The truth was, he had no say in what she did or didn’t do, and his pique had better end soon.
Looking around her favorite bar, The Violet Hour, she noticed many familiar faces. It had been a regular spot for her and Stazi to meet for an after-work drink and they hadn’t been in a while.
“Why don’t you trust me to do my job?”
“What are you talking about?”
Putting his hand on her leg, he leaned forward. “My team and I are going to succeed, and for you to go to Brussels on some half-baked lead doesn’t make any sense.”
“If there is even a small chance to have access to Vazov’s business empire, then I think it’s worth it.” Before she could say more, the waitress came by and Sam ordered them another round along with some food. “I’m on no one’s radar and so there’s no reason to believe this trip would constitute any kind of risk.”
“We haven’t talked about what happened this weekend and what it means, and I think we should.”
Looking from side to side, she shook her head. “I’m not discussing that in public.”
“I’m not talking about the physical connection but the emotional one. What I said to you on Saturday night and then again on Sunday stands. You are mine, and it’s my job to protect you and make sure you’re as safe and happy as possible.”
“Did I agree to that?” Seeing him move closer and take her hand let her know that flippancy wasn’t going to be tolerated.
“I know you remember what you said along with the connection we created together, so please don’t insult us by pretending it doesn’t mean anything.” He lifted her chin and pressed a kiss to her mouth. “This isn’t some bullshit casual dating thing that’s happening.”
“Sam…”
“No, Lucky, I’m not going to back off and pretend like this is no big deal.” He moved closer and put his mouth next to her ear. “Our bodies were as close as two could be both figuratively and literally, and when I left my mark on you and made you forget to breathe it was about melding us together so that nothing could separate us. There’s passion, sex, love and then there’s the thing we created.”
The heat of his breath warmed her skin, and no matter how much she wanted to deny the connection, she couldn’t. This thing that was happening was the real deal and she couldn’t disrespect it by not taking his concerns into consideration. “How can I make this situation okay?”
He looped his arm around her shoulders and tugged her closer. “By working together. You’re not a lone wolf and I’m sure we can come up with a solution that makes us both happyish.”
“Compromise.”
“Yes, ever heard of it?”
Pushing her hand into his chest, she let out a laugh. “I have, and sarcasm isn’t an ingredient.” He kissed the side of her head and gave her a smile that made her stomach flip over. He’d been giving them to her since the day they met, and it wasn’t any less potent today than it had been a year ago.
“Lucky, you’re worth the chaos and I pray to God I survive.”
She patted his leg and said, “If you don’t feel a little bit of fear, then is it really living?”
“No, and I knew when you both turned me on and made me wonder if I’d survive that you were the one for me.”
Their drinks and food were delivered, and Lucky picked up her glass and held it up. “Here’s to unlikely alliances and surviving them.”
They tapped glasses and then Sam set his down. “Start with the phone call from Grif and don’t leave anything out.”
Pursing her lips, she wagged her finger. “I’ll let you command me when we’re naked but don’t think it’s going to happen when it comes to this.”
“That’s funny, Lucky.”
“It wasn’t meant to be.”
“I know and please understand that when it comes to keeping you safe, I’m always in command, so start talking, woman, and let’s figure out how to do this.”
Smoothing out her hair, she looked around the room and tried to come up with an argument and couldn’t. “I’ll let it go this one time.”
“Whatever you need to tell yourself,” he responded quietly.
“I just gave you the win, the least you can do is accept it graciously and not crow about it.”
“You’re right, honey…always.”
That was the best she could hope for, so she began filling him in on what she knew and hoped they could both survive the collaboration.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Wednesday, September 20TH
It was seven in the morning and Sam had been at his desk for an hour and felt like he had a plan that might appeal to the director. Either way, he was going to be on a plane on Friday heading to Belgium because there was no way he was leaving Lucky to her own devices.
So far, he’d arranged for Theo James, who was the lead field agent in Brussels to keep an eye on her until he got there, and in return, he promised to share whatever intel became available. If he could sell Simon on the idea that stopping Vazov would stop Yolkin, he knew he had a chance of working the case from both ends.
And, by all accounts, he wasn’t making shit up because the intel Theo had forwarded confirmed all his suspicions. Vazov was one of the FBI’s most wanted men in Europe because not only was he the go-to guy for money laundering and human trafficking, but he also had a significant weapons trafficking business that allegedly was putting guns in the hands of terrorists.
The last little endeavor made him a top priority and if Lucky produced some actionable intel, then whatever resources he needed to ensure her safety would be available.
Whi
ch really, in his heart of hearts, was all he cared about at this point. Yes, he wanted to take the bad guys down, but he knew it was a lifelong battle and the moment they put one away, there would be another to replace him. Not that he wanted to stop trying, but years and years of fighting evil had taught him it was about the long game and not a quick victory.
Having said that, he wanted to make this victory possible for Lucky because eliminating this man from the playing field meant something to her beyond the obvious. He understood her anger about the human trafficking but knew there was something more driving her desire to see this thing through.
The revelation of what it was hadn’t been revealed yet, but he hoped before too long it would be, because everybody had a why and he wanted to know what Lucky’s was.
Returning to the status reports on both Yolkin and Vazov, he noted what they like to call the “dots” or individual pieces of information from the Communications Intelligence division were proving the suppositions he’d laid out were correct. There wasn’t anything actionable yet, but if they were patient and could come up with physical evidence, then they’d be on track for an indictment.
Unfortunately, no CI candidates had been identified yet, so they might have to rely on the imagery satellites the National Reconnaissance Office operated to come up with the physical location of where the drugs and armaments transited from.
Running his hand through his hair, he looked at the papers scattered across his desk and knew he should be counting the progress they made as a success because Yolkin’s group hadn’t been around long enough for it to be any other way.
Not that it satisfied him.
Deciding he needed another cup of coffee before he tackled the Intelligence Information Report from Brussels, he headed out of his office toward the kitchen. As he walked down the corridor, he noticed that desks were starting to fill, and people were working away.
As he walked into the kitchen, he saw Owen filling a huge mug of coffee. “Morning, thanks for coming in early.”
Turning, he gave him a nod and then gulped down some coffee. “I had a guest and hustling her out of the house at six wasn’t as much fun as you’d think.”
“Is this the same guest you had over the weekend?”
Owen leaned against the counter and crossed his legs. “We’ve known one another for a couple of years, so I’m assuming you’re trying to be funny when you make an inquiry like that.”
Sam filled his mug and dropped a packet of sugar in it. “My bad, no reason to believe you would share your charm with someone more than once or twice.”
“It’s all they can handle,” he replied as he finished his coffee.
Sam lifted his cup in salute. “May everyone find what they’re looking for.”
Owen refilled his cup and then collected his briefcase. “Let’s dig into this, so when Simon shows up we don’t look like idiots.”
Sam walked out of the kitchen and pointed to his office. “Join me after you’ve gotten settled.”
“Roger that,” Owen replied as he stalked toward the other end of the hall.
Sam nodded to people as he passed the row of cubicles and knew he was going to find a way to get Simon on board with the plan one way or another. Lucky was counting on him to do something with the intel she was about to acquire, and he wasn’t going to disappoint her.
***
It was never a good sign when your boss was rubbing his face and cursing when you were only five minutes into your presentation. “Thoughts?”
“While this makes sense, and falls in line with the intelligence requirements that both the national and homeland security advisors have set forth, this isn’t our jurisdiction, and the connection you’re trying to make is tenuous at best.”
Sam held up a thick packet of papers and waved it around. “In January of 2017, both offices indicated that Anton Vazov is a key priority, so what could they object to?”
Simon put his glasses on and leaned back in the chair. “It’s true, he’s a focus of the International Operations Division, but the last time I checked, the Chicago office operates domestically.”
“But we’re one big organization meant to work together sharing resources and intelligence to rid the world of crime and evil.” The moment the last part of the sentence came out of his mouth, he realized how stupid it sounded.
Might’ve reached a little far with that one.
Owen gave him a look as he stood, and Sam knew he’d bombed.
“We’d like a shot at going to Belgium to work with Theo and his team to see if we can discover any tangible ties between Vazov and Yolkin. If we can, then it will help both of our investigations move forward and meet the goals we’ve set out for them.”
“And the reason this needs to be done before we have any refined intelligence is that we have a private citizen who may have a shot at gaining access to the inner workings of those operations?” Simon asked incredulously.
“That’s one way to characterize it,” Sam replied. “Another way to view it would be to say, we have a CI who has a chance at being able to infiltrate Vazov’s financial structure, and we all know how important that is.”
“Funny how the CI is Sam’s girlfriend,” Simon replied quietly.
“Not funny, sir, fortuitous,” Sam said firmly. “We all know how valuable Lucky’s help was during the Belikov and Firtash incident last spring and there’s no reason to believe this would be any different.”
“Except I keep hearing rumors from the Intelligence Branch that she’s been infiltrating our networks.”
“With all due respect, Simon, we both know that’s a load of crap. Lucky Santorini is one of a hundred people in the world who has skills the NSA would kill for. If she wanted inside our network, she would be in and we’d never know, and if you don’t believe me, call your contact at the NSA and ask him about the cyber-attack on a major American company that Lucky circumvented last week.”
Owen stood next to Sam and clapped him on the back. “He’s right, sir, and I believe the more interesting question is who’s responsible for the rumors and why are they spreading them? Maybe the Intelligence Branch isn’t quite as squeaky clean as everyone would like to believe.”
“Professional jealousy,” Sam said quietly. “Whoever is putting a bug in your ear should either bring forward evidence or shut their mouth because Lucky could have a case against the bureau if it doesn’t end.”
“Point taken,” Simon responded. “The director of IB hasn’t put forth any hard evidence as I requested, and it makes your point more salient.”
“As far as I know Lucky’s trip to Brussels is completely on her own dime, unless SAI decides to pick up the tab at some point. Considering the only people benefitting from her efforts would be the FBI since SAI has no skin in the game, I think we should be doing everything we can to make sure we insure her safety.”
Simon looked at the folders on the conference table and then at Sam and Owen. “Why is this particular pakhan the one she’s fixated on?”
Sam took a chair and sat. “She told me that knowing about his human trafficking operation and not doing anything about it would make her complicit and she can’t live with that. When she was digging last year, she came across tons of images that showed what happened to women when they’re kidnaped and forced into prostitution. She can’t not do anything.”
“An Amazon,” Simon responded.
Sam sat back and tented his hands in front of his face to cover his surprise. Simon wasn’t a poet and for him to characterize Lucky in such a way was both surprising and accurate. The woman who’d stolen his heart and imagination did, in fact, embody the Amazon spirit, in that she believed women were just as brave, noble, and heroic as men. Lucky wanted to do something about an atrocity and she was going to use her talent and skills to contribute in any way she could, and they should be damn grateful she was on their side. “I believe that’s a perfect description.”
“My daughters are obsessed with Wonder Woman and they’
ve been reading a lot of stories about women warriors. We picked up some books at the library this weekend on the Amazons and they’re both convinced they need horse lessons, so they can learn to ride like the famous warriors.”
“And did they talk you into it?”
Simon gave him a get real look. “In less than five minutes, it’s my wife that’s going to give them the final yes or no.”
“I know Lucky has a long shot at infiltrating the network, but so far, it’s the only one we have, and Theo is happy to work with us and share what he’s got. All the clans or groups we’re discussing fall under the ‘Brothers Circle,’ so if we can find their assets, we could possibly block them under the executive order.”
“The attorney general needs a win right now, so given the current mood in Washington, he certainly would like to appear as though he’s on the right side of the Russian issue and this could give it to him,” Simon said as he sat forward.
“I’d like to cut off the head of the snake this time and the unrefined data that’s been collected so far suggests Vazov is the head. Nikolai Yolkin had to have had a significant capital infusion to build his business as quickly as he did, not to mention a benefactor that shored up his grab for power,” Sam replied as he glanced at his tablet. “The guy just isn’t smart enough to do it on his own.”
Owen held up some surveillance photos the team had collected earlier in the week. “Our boy Nikolai has been keeping company with a woman who’s related to men in the Unit. I’m guessing that no one is going to be happy about it when it comes to light, and it might be the piece of leverage we need to initiate a conversation with Yolkin.”
“I’d like the intel to develop more before we initiate any contact with him, because we may have one shot at it and I don’t want to blow our load too early,” Simon responded.
“An eloquent choice of words, sir,” Sam said. “Give us a week in Brussels to review what Theo has and let’s see if we can tie the two investigations together and help each other out.” He watched his boss collect his folders and prayed they’d made a strong case.