Names of the Dead
Page 1
Names of the Dead
Mark Leggatt
Pour Caroline
CHAPTER 1
This is it. Right here.
Beyond the lights, the traffic on the Via Crescenzio streamed past. The evening rush hour in Rome was easing. Montrose edged the hood of the car closer to the rear of the Mercedes, and watched the exhaust smoke curl up over the lip, then lifted his head and stared through the windshield.
The men in the front of the Mercedes sat motionless, facing the line of cars, waiting for the lights.
He shifted in the seat where the Glock was wedged under his groin. The stench of the exhaust from the Mercedes drifted into the Fiat. To his left he saw a side street before the junction. The line of traffic shuffled towards the lights. The Mercedes crawled forward.
He slid the Fiat close behind until he was level with the side street then wound the steering around until the wheels pointed left. Badly parked cars lined the street.
The lights changed to red. The Mercedes rolled a few yards, closing up to the line in front.
They could be through the lights on the next sequence. And then they’re gone. He rubbed his eyes. The red traffic light seemed to burn into his retina. He wiped his palms on his jeans until the skin began to burn, then pulled the Glock from between his legs and hauled back the slide to chamber a round.
The Mercedes drew to a car length behind the Fiat.
Where are they going? He stuck his head out of the window and saw a drop in the curb, just before a hotel on the corner. The foyer came into view, with several limos parked outside. That’s it. That’s where it’s going down.
The Mercedes pulled in and stopped behind a limo, the rear of the car jutting out onto the road.
The skinny tires squealed as he spun the Fiat right and pulled past, running the lights. As soon as the foyer was out of view he swerved onto a crosswalk and brought the Fiat to a halt then hit the hazard lights. Tucking the Glock deeper into his sweatshirt pocket, he jumped out and headed for the hotel. Slow down. This isn’t a bust.
At the entrance of the hotel the Mercedes edged forward as the limo pulled away. The two men got out and the doorman stepped towards them. The driver tried to hand him the key, but the doorman nodded to a bellboy.
The driver stood for a moment as the doorman tried to explain. Montrose headed for the doorway. Sweatshirt and jeans in a fancy hotel. Yeah, looking good. Wear the face. Sticking his chin out, he nodded to the concierge as he entered, “Good evening.” He didn’t wait for a reply and headed over to a large board showing the dinner menu.
With his back to the foyer, he pulled out his iPhone then reversed the camera. The recording icon flashed red. He twisted it in his hand until the screen showed the front door and he watched the two men stride through the lobby. They’re not going to the desk. This ain’t no vacation. They have a meeting. This is where it happens. And I’m right here.
The two men ignored the main elevators and walked straight to a single elevator at the side of the foyer. One man took out a piece of paper, and slowly typed into a keypad at the side of the door.
Top right, top left and two at the bottom. Got it.
The two men stepped into the elevator.
Do the right thing. He held the phone in his hand. Call it in. As he turned, the elevator door was closing. Jeez, it could be all over by the time the cavalry get here. Langley must have a team in Rome. Or Interpol can call in the Italian cops. And do what?
Weaving past a businessman and a wheeled suitcase, he stepped over to the elevator. Cops need a search warrant. And if the main man is up there, he’s probably bought them off. Yeah, this is Rome. But I could check it out. Get a face. The one that’s buying all the shit.
Lifting a finger to the keypad of the elevator, he traced the number in the air then turned away. No, that’s a crap idea.
He stood in the middle of the foyer. You don’t know what’s up there. He twisted his shoulders and stared at the elevator door. And all you’ve got is a bad attitude and a 9mm.
CHAPTER 2
Particles of dust danced in the air as they crossed a pencil-thin shaft of light, streaming through a gap in the shutters holding back the morning sun that had baked Rome for weeks. The hum of the traffic around the Coliseum drifted into the room.
Control your breathing. Montrose caught the scent of old wood and paper in the dry air. Relax. Give nothing away. You did the right thing. The forensics in the hotel will back you up. For a moment he remembered standing in front of the school principal. For smoking? Some crap like that. Though this time it’s gonna be more than detention.
“Do you know why you’re here?”
Montrose tried to read the old guy’s expression, but the face was tighter than a Puritan’s collar. Sure, you party with a 9 mm Glock and you win a free trip to the shrink every time. “Yeah, I know.”
The old guy slid a pair of half-moon spectacles onto his nose then opened a buff folder on his desk. “My name is Doctor Richmond. Following the events of last night, I have been assigned by the CIA in Rome to assess the results of your psychological examination. Standard procedure.”
To his right a desk fan slowly rotated, gently stirring the warm air. Montrose resisted the urge to loosen his tie. Just play the game. His mouth began to dry, and he imagined an ice-cold Pepsi from the gelato vendor he had passed on the way in. Tell them what they need to know. That’s all.
Richmond pulled the papers from the folder and spread them across the desk. “CIA Technology Support in Langley. Then an incident where you exceeded your system security level. After which, you were downgraded and seconded to Interpol for six months.” He pursed his lips. “And now this. Very interesting. Professionally speaking, of course.”
Montrose scratched his ear. Yeah, and you’re a real pain in the ass, professionally speaking.
“So, why Interpol?”
“I majored in Languages and Technology. Interpol were looking for a Technical Liaison officer. I assist on cases and report back to Langley.”
“And your role on this particular mission was to provide technical support. What is that?”
“Face recognition software, tracking, bugging, and accessing computer systems.”
Richmond glanced at the screen for a moment. “Why were you issued a weapon?”
“I’m weapons trained. If I think I need one, I draw a weapon.”
“Did Interpol issue you one, or did you request it?”
What the hell does it matter? “I requested it.”
“And is there any operation you have been on where you have not requested a weapon?”
“I’ve got no idea. Maybe.” Stupid question.
Richmond nodded slowly then began tapping on his keyboard.
What are you writing? “Look, this wasn’t a stakeout, sitting in a van with fat guys wearing headphones and eating pizza. We were in Indian country.” You were justified. 100%. Don’t make it sound like an excuse.
“Naples?”
“Yeah. Where Mr. Cosa Nostra lives, you know? The nice old Italian guy that sells drugs to half the kids in Europe.”
“I am aware of the Cosa Nostra’s activities, Mr. Montrose. I have lived in Italy for over twenty years.”
“Well, you haven’t lost your accent.” You’re still an Ivy League asshole.
“Let’s talk about the incident in Langley. You were disciplined for accessing a restricted database.”
It wasn’t restricted. The firewall was wide open.
“A database containing a record of private jet flight records. Is that correct?”
Montrose licked his dry lips and wiped the sweat from his cheeks. “If you know that, why are you asking me? What are you driving at?”
“We’re here to ex
amine your intentions, Mr. Montrose, not mine. I want to hear it from you.”
“Hey, if you know that then it’s no secret. Yeah, I was looking at flight records. And I came across something I shouldn’t have seen.”
“Assuming this was highly confidential information, and considering the reason we are here today, was there anything in the nature of the flights you discovered that I should perhaps know about?”
Oh yeah, you should know about it. But you won’t hear it from me. “Nah. Routine stuff. They just didn’t like me sticking my nose into their database.” You’re getting clumsy, my friend. You just want to know if I’m gonna tell anybody. That ain’t gonna happen.
“These private jets you were looking for . . .”
He folded his arms.
“ . . . they were centered on flights to one particular country, am I correct?”
Montrose shrugged. “What can I say? It’s confidential.”
Richmond squinted down at a printout. The spectacles slipped down his nose as he looked up. “You didn’t blink.”
“I fired my weapon in self-defense. It’s what I’m trained to do.”
“Self-defense, yes. We’ll come to that later. But that’s not what I’m talking about.”
He watched Richmond draw his finger over a row of figures.
“In one of the psychometric tests this morning, we showed you photos of atrocities. Women and children butchered. Unbelievable carnage from every corner of the globe.”
The way of the world. The way it’s always been. “How could I forget?”
“According to these figures, you showed a slight increase in heart rate and blood pressure. All normal reactions.”
Five shots of espresso always do the trick.
“But you didn’t blink.”
Montrose shifted in his seat.
“Everybody blinks faster.” Richmond ran his finger down a column on the report. “It’s a normal reaction. The higher the stress, the higher the blink rate. But not you.” He looked up. “Why?”
“Maybe I’m professionally detached. Might be Post Traumatic Stress.”
“Might be. But this concerns last night. It’s a bit soon for PTS. Do you feel traumatized?”
I couldn’t give a damn. “I’m not sure how I feel.”
“Well, that’s what we’re here to find out.”
Yeah, find out if I’m nuttier than squirrel shit.
Richmond rolled a pen between his thumb and forefinger. “Tell me, why were you in the hotel?”
Montrose cleared his throat. “That’s where the suspects led me. I was right behind them.”
“All the way from Naples?” Richmond glanced up at a yellowing map of Italy framed on the wall. “That’s about a hundred and fifty miles. All the way to the hotel?”
“All roads lead to Rome.” Two hours in a one-liter Fiat, trying to tail a Mercedes. I can still hear the engine screaming in my ear.
“You could have handed this to the Italian police at any time. What made these two suspects so special?”
“You want to know?” Montrose pushed himself up in the chair. “For the past four months the deaths of heroin addicts in Italy have skyrocketed. All from accidental overdoses. Someone is bringing in a ton of very high-grade heroin into Italy and dumping it on the market. Interpol suspected Naples. They were right on the money.”
“Pure heroin?”
“Pretty much. The Mafia cut it down, but not enough. It’s a damn sight purer than the shit they usually deal with. It has to be someone new to the market. And it has to be through Naples.”
“Naples is not the only port in the Mediterranean, Mr. Montrose. The heroin could be coming from anywhere.”
“Have you ever been to Naples?”
“Of course, but . . .”
“Naples docks are over two hundred acres, spread along the coast. At the last official count seventy per cent of cargo that goes through the port is unchecked. One hundred and fifty thousand containers pass through the docks every year. It takes about thirty minutes from a ship docking to a rig and container hitting the interstate. And they’re gone. All over Europe.” Montrose sat back in his chair. “And tracking the containers? We haven’t got a chance. The Mafia have got the place running like clockwork. The guys we found were Pakistani organized crime. Very organized.”
Richmond held out his hands. “This is all fascinating, Mr. Montrose, but it is difficult to say that it is anything other than complete conjecture.”
Montrose tapped his forehead. “Think like a cop. The only place that kinda heroin could come from is the Golden Crescent, and that’s Pakistan or Afghanistan. These guys were watching a container ship. Intelligence confirmed a ship was due to dock. The last port of call was Port Bin Qasim. In Pakistan.”
“A container full of heroin? That seems a major risk, Mr. Montrose. All your eggs in one basket. Would they risk losing it all?”
Montrose looked down and shook his head. “Not in Naples. Besides, they’re experts in risk management. And logistics. Pakistani heroin normally follows the ancient Silk Road, through Russia then into Turkey. But it’s thousands of miles over rough terrain. It gets cut down along the way to make a few bucks more. It never arrives pure. Even if it comes through Iran, and they’re closing down the routes. The smugglers the Iranians catch are dangling from a crane by the end of the day. The Ayatollahs are doing something right. But by container ship, it can be right in the heart of Europe in a week. So we waited, and watched.”
“Indeed. Were watching them is what I was told. Past tense. The surveillance operation was cancelled.”
“Yeah.” At the last minute.
“I understand that your superiors in Interpol were unimpressed with your lack of results.”
Superiors? More like weasels in suits. “That’s what I heard.”
“My notes tell me that the order to cancel the surveillance operation caused a serious disagreement with your boss, Jack Morgan.”
Who’s been telling tales? “Sure. We spent eight weeks in a two room apartment, breathing in our
own stink, and then they pull the op when we’re close to a result.”
“He sees it somewhat differently. You refused to cancel the operation.”
“I was making my thoughts known. And yeah, in no uncertain terms.”
“The conversation is described as ‘intense’.”
“Just blowing off steam. Morgan knows that.”
“And did you at any point intimate that you were ‘going to sort it out yourself’?”
Has he got this verbatim? “I wasn’t being serious. Things said in the heat of the moment, you know. I was pretty pissed off. So were the team. What can you do?”
“But the team went home, Mr. Montrose. That is the difference.”
“Hey, I’m CIA, not some flatfoot from Interpol. What I do makes a difference. There are people on the streets, or kids in school, who won’t be able to get their hands on the shit those guys are selling. That’s the difference.” He realized he was jabbing his finger at Richmond. Ah, what the hell. I’ve had enough of this crap. Get the message. “Sometimes people die. And you know what? The world is a better place.”
“And you have no regrets?”
Montrose turned away for a moment and blinked as his eye caught a sliver of sunshine from the window shutters. It’s a beautiful day. He rubbed his forehead, exhaling through his nose. “First phrase I ever learned in French. Je ne regrette rien.”
“Indeed.”
“Shit happens. Game over.”
Richmond folded his hands together as if in prayer, then rested his chin on the tips of his fingers. His cell phone buzzed on his desk and a text message flashed on the screen. He scanned it for a moment then picked up his pen. “You’ll excuse me for a moment while I make some notes?” Richmond began to write in a slow, fluent manner at the bottom of a page. He looked up. “Mr. Montrose, I want you to think very carefully about what happened in the hotel. This game is far from over.”
The elevator doors had closed by the time he turned around. A faint whine came from above when the motors engaged, but the movement was barely perceptible. In front was a black panel where the buttons should have been.
Montrose pushed his hands through his hair and looked up at the ceiling, listening to the sound of his own breathing. The muscles were tight in his chest and he threw his shoulders back then rummaged in his pocket for the Interpol ID. A camera blinked above the door. That ain’t good.
The Glock hung heavy in his pocket as he shoved his hand into the sweatshirt and wrapped it around the pistol grip. I come in peace. He thumbed off the safety. Mostly.
A loud ping rang in his ears and his hand trembled on the Glock. The elevator bumped to a halt and the doors slid open.
Facing him was a full length mirror, built into the corridor wall. He stood, gazing at his reflection. Boots, jeans, a grubby sweatshirt. I look like a hood. Or a cop. The doors began to close and he stuck his boot into the gap. The doors clattered into his boot then slammed back. He stepped forward. Oh yeah, fucking good entrance.
He began to pull the ID free from his pocket. A movement to the left caught his eye.
A man came around a corner and stopped dead. His mouth dropped open.
Who the fu . . .?
The man’s face twitched and he looked past Montrose, down the corridor.
Montrose turned and saw one of the Pakistanis, eyes wide open, staring at the shape of the Glock through his sweatshirt pocket. Shit.
The elevator door closed.
The Pakistani’s hand dived into his jacket and brought up the butt of a machine pistol. The cocking handle caught against his shirt and he tried to wrestle it free.
Shit shit shit! Montrose tried to take out his ID, but it flew from his hand and bounced across the corridor.
The Pakistani tugged his pistol free and racked back the cocking handle.