The 13: Fall

by ROBBIE CHEUVRONT

  A little less than fifteen minutes later, the cab exited the highway. Megan continued to follow at a safe distance. Finally she pulled over and watched the cab enter the Ottoman Palace Resort. She watched as Marianne got out and went through the entrance. Quickly Megan pulled up and jumped out. She threw her keys to a valet and told him she’d be right back. She had no idea if the young man even spoke English and could understand her. But she wasn’t waiting around to find out.

  It took her a few seconds to spot Marianne once she got inside. She was walking through a garden area into a courtyard that led to the luxury apartment villas. Taylor stayed with Marianne as she made her way through the walkways and palm trees, hanging back far enough to remain unnoticed. Finally Marianne slowed down and reached inside her pocket.

  Now she knew where Marianne was. Getting to her wasn’t the problem. She could go right now and knock on the door. The problem was going to be getting Marianne out of there unnoticed. And Taylor had no idea if Marianne had anyone else in the place with her. She sat and watched for a few moments before deciding. She would come back tonight and take Marianne then.

  She watched Marianne’s place for another few minutes before turning around and leaving the same way she came, hoping her Mercedes would still be waiting for her.

  Alex Sokolov sat on a lounge chair, across a courtyard from Marianne’s villa. She had seen the FBI agent at the bank and decided to just watch. Once Marianne had gone inside, she decided to leave and come here.

  When Chin had called her a few days earlier she had already decided she was done. She had enough money to retire. What was left to do but hang it up and enjoy life? And then Chin called.

  While she admitted there was no greater feat in her profession than what she had done in Washington, she hated loose ends. And Marianne was one. Chin didn’t necessarily care about the loose ends. What could Marianne do to him? He and his government had already orchestrated war against the United States. There was nothing Marianne could say or do to make that any worse. But just like any good capitalist, Chin wanted the money. He never said whether or not his government wanted the money, just that he wanted it. She figured it was the latter, given the terms of their agreement. Chin was giving her a cool fifty million. And even though he promised to bring the entire force of the People’s Liberation Army down on her if she took a penny more, she doubted he would. That would mean he’d have to involve people she was sure he didn’t want knowing about the money.

  Nevertheless, it was never about the money for her. It was always about the kill. But fifty million was a hundred times more than any contract she’d ever taken. And that would just be plain stupid not to do it. So here she was.

  She had to admit, she hadn’t expected to see the FBI agent, or anyone else for that matter. But nevertheless, the agent was here. She was good, Alex thought, to be able to find Marianne this quickly. But the agent had a problem. She was most definitely sent here with orders to bring Marianne back. And that meant she would have to figure a way to get her out of there without causing a scene. She, on the other hand, did not have that problem. Her job wasn’t to take Marianne anywhere.

  She stood up and walked to the villa.

  Taylor was halfway to the car when she decided to go back. She had been lost in her thoughts when she realized she hadn’t paid attention to any of the security. She stopped and looked around, noticing small cameras here and there. That was something she was definitely going to have to be aware of. She turned back around and headed to Marianne’s villa. There was a small courtyard there, and she was sure it would be monitored. She needed to see where the cameras were and what kind they appeared to be if she was going to hack in there and make sure they could be erased.

  She had just returned to the same corner she was at before when her heart nearly stopped. She backed away quickly, so as not to be seen. Slowly she peeked her head back around the corner. There, standing at Marianne’s door, was the Russian assassin, Alexandra Sokolov.

  She backed away from the side of the building and went around the other way. There was no path there, just trees and shrubs. But that at least gave her some cover. There was a small patio on each of the villas on this side. She quietly crept ahead and looked for a spot to see from. She moved around another small bush, getting a little closer. She crept low, trying to stay out of sight.

  The sliding glass door to the villa gave way to the view of the spacious living area. Taylor couldn’t see anyone anywhere, but she could hear movement inside. She angled her body to get a better position. Nothing. She needed to move closer, but she would be exposing herself. She decided to take the chance. It wasn’t like someone would normally be crouching out in the midst of the bushes and trees. Unless she made any sudden movements, she was sure she wouldn’t be seen. She got as low to the ground as she could and crept around to the other side of a giant palm tree that stood at the end of the patio. She gently raised her head and looked.

  Past the den sat a small kitchen area with a table and four chairs. Marianne was tied up to one of them. There was tape over her mouth, and her cheeks were streaked with black lines from her running mascara. The woman’s eyes were a mixture of fear and sorrow, and the tears flowed freely from them. The Russian sat so that she was facing Marianne, her back to Taylor. The Russian seemed to be talking about something, though Megan couldn’t hear anything.

  After only a few more seconds, Marianne’s eyes grew wide, as she began shaking her head back and forth. The Russian raised her arm, revealing a silenced handgun. Suddenly, Marianne’s demeanor changed. It was as if she knew what was coming. Taylor watched her shoulders rise and fall, as the woman took a deep breath and let it out again. Then she closed her eyes and relaxed against her restraints. The Russian checked to make sure the silencer was secured. She leveled her gun and fired twice.

  Marianne’s head snapped back and then slowly rolled to one side. The Russian stood up and moved the dead woman’s chair out of the way. She produced a laptop and set it on the table. Taylor couldn’t read the screen, but it was obvious, after only a few seconds, that it wasn’t the Russian’s computer. She would type, stop, then smack the table in frustration.

  Megan knew that there was nothing she could do for Marianne. The woman got what she had deserved. But there was a chance that she could maybe track this Russian. But she would have to get out of there right now. She needed to be back at her car when the Russian left. She backed away slowly. Once she was sure she was clear of the villa’s view, she stood up and ran back to the front entrance. The Mercedes was right where she had left it. The young man she’d thrown the keys to was standing behind the desk. She winked at him and passed him an American fifty-dollar bill. He handed her the keys and smiled. She jumped in the car and pulled out onto the street outside the exit. She found a spot where she had a clear view of the main entrance. When the Russian left, she’d be on her tail.

  CHAPTER 71

  Keene awoke to the sounds of engines. Lots of them. He looked over at the bedside table and saw that his alarm was not set to go off for another thirty minutes. The entire base was being packed as quickly as could be, but he didn’t expect them to be ready this quickly. He jumped out of bed and found his boots.

  He was halfway to the central command office when Major General McIntyre found him. The man seemed to be in a big hurry and was waving at him from across the way as he hurried to meet him.

  “Just got word, sir,” McIntyre said. “The Chinese surfaced ten miles off South Carolina. Three submarines.”

  “What are they doing?” Keene asked.

  “Well, it looked like they were going to hit some of the East Coast.”

  “What do you mean were?”

  “Parris Island was able to catch them coming in. Before the submarines surfaced, they had two F-35 Lightning IIs in the air. They successfully took them out.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  “The problem, sir, is that there are three carriers coming in from the south of Fl
orida’s coast.”

  “The F-35s have stealth capability, yes?” Keene said, motioning for the man to follow him as he walked toward the command center.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “How many do they have on base?”

  “Six, sir. With pilots, fully loaded down and ready to deploy.”

  Keene thought for a moment. He hadn’t expected the Chinese to come in from the south yet. He figured another day, at least. Once they made land, it would only take them a day to move into DC. Those carriers couldn’t be allowed to advance any farther.

  “Okay,” he said. “The Chinese are coming quicker than I thought. If they were planning on making land by this morning, that means they’re more than likely going to hit Albany earlier than tomorrow night. Those Lightning IIs take out the carriers?”

  McIntyre shook his head. “No, sir. Brigadier General Halstead didn’t want to risk sending what little air support they have that far out without talking to you first.”

  Keene nodded as they pushed through the door to the command center. As he entered the room, a corporal handed him a sat-phone.

  “Brigadier General Halstead for you, sir.”

  Keene took the phone. “This is General Keene.”

  “General!” the woman said. “From Marine to SEAL, then CIA, and then back to Marine. Impressive!”

  Keene feigned a smile at the jab. “How you doing, Karen?”

  “Obviously not as good as you. Good to have you back, Jon. What’s the matter? The CIA wasn’t adventurous enough for you?”

  “I’m not back,” he said. Then, “What’s going on over there? Heard you had some company.”

  “Yeah, three Song Class tubes popped up just a few miles off shore.”

  “Intentions?”

  “Never found out. It was pure luck we even saw them coming. Their technology has advanced over the last five years. Soon as we knew what it was, we sent up the F-35s.”

  “And the carriers?”

  “Infantry and air support.”

  “Well, I don’t think it’d be a good idea to let them make land.”

  “No, sir.”

  “Can your F-35s take them out before they can get planes off the decks?”

  “We believe they can.”

  “Any chance they’re a decoy of some sort? To draw us out?”

  “Don’t think so. We were able to get a little bit of warning before the Chao Qis hit us. We took minimal damage. But as far as they knew, we were disabled. We didn’t counterattack at all. Just laid low.”

  “Good. And your pilots feel good about it?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Then get them in the air, general.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “You guys take care of yourselves over there. You and Benning are the only thing standing between the Chinese and the southeast coast.”

  “You got it, general.” Then, “Good to have you back, sir.”

  “I’m not back,” he said again as the line went dead. He handed the phone back to the corporal and said, “Let’s move, people!”

  Over the next several hours, Keene worked with the other commanding officers, organizing and detailing procedures for moving the entire base out. The C-130s were loaded down with as much gear as they could handle and still fly efficiently at the low altitude. It was determined that they could make the trip to Albany and back in less than six hours. Knowing that the majority of the troops were going to be traveling by road, and the amount of time it would take, they decided that they could afford to make two trips with the C-130s. This was good, because it meant that they didn’t have to leave nearly as much behind.

  Majors Hurt and Caldwel finished checking their aircraft. As soon as they gave the all clear, Keene sent them up. He wanted Hurt and Caldwel to make sure the airspace was clear before sending up the C-130s. It took less than five minutes for the fighter pilots to make a sweep and give the go-ahead. Within minutes the C-130s were lined up, ready to take off.

  Keene and Major General McIntyre had decided that McIntyre would stay behind and supervise the second cargo shipment, once the C-130s returned. From there, McIntyre and the rest of the men and women would meet up with the other regiments and armored divisions being assembled from Benning and Parris Island. McIntyre would then take command of the southern region. Keene would take command of the 101st Airborne division and lead the offensive in the north. As the first wave of soldiers began to move out, Keene grabbed McIntyre and took him aside.

  “I guess this is it,” McIntyre said.

  “Yeah, guess so,” Keene agreed, looking around once more. “You guys keep your heads down and your eyes open.”

  “You, too, Jon.”

  Keene shook the man’s hand and headed for the lead vehicle. He jumped in, nodded to the young man behind the wheel, and grabbed the radio. He keyed the mic and cleared his throat.

  “Listen up! We may be traveling at night, but that doesn’t mean we’re invisible. We need to move fast and as quietly as we can. Until we get to the other side of Knoxville and through those mountains, we’re going dark. I don’t want to hear a peep or see even a penlight, unless it’s absolutely necessary. Understood?”

  Once everyone had confirmed, he placed the mic back in its clip on the dashboard and signaled to the driver to proceed.

  CHAPTER 72

  Taylor had been sitting in the Mercedes for nearly three hours. The sun had already begun to set, and it was getting dark quickly. What in the world is that Russian doing in there? Could I have missed her? she thought. She doubted it. The way the resort was situated on the island and the way the island itself was designed, there was only one way in or out. She had to come through here. So what was the holdup?

  Perhaps, Taylor thought, the Russian had her own villa there. If that was the case, she could be sitting there for a long time. She decided to call Jennings and see what his thoughts were. Once again, she pulled out the laptop and connected the phone.

  “What’s going on?” Jennings asked.

  “Well, it’s good and bad, sir. I found her.”

  “And?”

  “She’s dead.”

  “What do you mean she’s dead!”

  “The Russian.”

  “What?”

  “I followed Marianne to a villa she was staying in. When I got there, the Russian was there. I watched her kill Marianne.”

  “How?”

  “Execution. Double tap to the head. She couldn’t see me, but I saw the whole thing.”

  “Okay, then,” Jennings said. “You’re done.”

  “Not done, sir.”

  “How’s that?”

  “The Russian, after she killed her, was going through Marianne’s computer. A laptop. She obviously couldn’t find what she was looking for because she looked agitated. I’m outside the resort now. There’s only one way in or out of this place. I want to track her.”

  “Taylor, this woman is one of the most highly trained assassins in the world.”

  “I’m aware of that, sir. But two things: One, she tried to kill President Grant. I’m not about to let her get away with it. Not if I have a chance to stop her.”

  “And two?”

  “I’m smarter than her.”

  She heard Jennings exhale into the phone. Finally he said, “I’ve literally got a war going on over here. As much as I wanted Marianne brought to justice for this, she got what she deserved.”

  “Maybe. But I can’t just let this woman walk away.”

  “Don’t get yourself killed. I can’t help you over there.”

  She understood that was about as much of a blessing she was going to get from him. “Yes, sir.” Then, “What’s happening back home?”

  “Jon has just about every force we have mobilized and on the move. They’ll be in Albany in a few hours. We know the Chinese are advancing on us from Montreal. If we don’t stop them there, they’ll be able to have the entire country secured in less than a week. By the time our boys get back from the Middle E
ast, it’ll be too late. And then the only option we’ll have from there is to engage in full-on war on our own soil.”

  Taylor felt a lump rise up in her throat. How had it come to this? “And if we succeed?”

  “Then we can at least know the eastern states are secure. We can move forward from there.”

  That wasn’t comforting to her. But at least there was hope. “Director Jennings, let me ask you something.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Are you a man of faith?”

  The line was quiet for a few seconds before he answered. “I grew up going to church. But I’ll admit I haven’t been someone who regularly turns to God for much. But here lately, I’ve been reconsidering my options.”

  Taylor laughed to herself. “Yeah, I imagine a lot of people are right now.”

  “Yeah, I imagine so.”

  Taylor thought for a moment about what she was going to say next. She didn’t want to come off as being sanctimonious or pious, but she really felt like she needed to say it. “Listen, sir. I know you’ve got enough to think about. But this Prophet, he warned us this was going to happen. And now it has. But I believe we have a chance to right this thing. We’re going to have to tell our people about this. And then we’re going to have to make some major changes. So think about that. ‘Cause right now, you’re the one calling the shots. Jon is going to stop this invasion. I know it. And I have no idea what Boz is doing or where he is right now. But I can tell you this: I believe, with everything that I am, that this isn’t over. We still need to find this Prophet. If there’s any chance of us turning this thing around, he’s the key.”

  The line was quiet for a few seconds.

  “Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret,” he finally said. “I’m inclined to agree with you. And that’s why I want you to forget this Russian and get back here. So you can help us find him.”

  Megan was relieved to hear he agreed. But she didn’t want to let the assassin off so easily. She had her, right there. She thought for a moment and then said, “Okay, but you’ve got to promise me that we won’t forget about her.”