Corso was just buying time so that everyone could get into position. He saw Jenny and Jim approaching. “What do you need? I told you stay out in the car. We are about to get Yuri. It will be a great feather in our cap. You can get credit if you would like, just get Jim out of here.” Jim pulled a gun and aimed it right at Director Corso. “What are you doing?” Corso asked.
Jenny had her gun pulled also. She was facing out looking for anyone that might come towards them. She spoke loudly next. “I have Corso. Who wants him?” She said as she disarmed the director.
He responded quietly. “I hope you know what you are doing.”
“I am arresting a thief.” Jenny replied.
Heidi did not want to say anything. One of her operatives radioed and said he had a shot at Jim. She gave the go ahead to shoot Jim. He fired and Jim went flat onto the ground. It only hit his leg, but he had never been shot before and the pain was excruciating. Jenny returned fire while Jim scooted to the edge out of the line of fire. Corso ran around the shelving unit and could no longer be seen.
Jenny wasn’t sure where all of the players were. So she asked in the only way that would keep most people in the room wondering whose side she was on. “Can anyone tell me where Yuri is? She has ticked me off for the last time.”
Heidi felt this was the opportune time. She described exactly where Yuri was located. Then Yuri spoke up, which is what Jenny really wanted. “You can get behind the goons trying to kill me starting with Heidi.” Then Yuri proceeded to point out where each of the marks was except the new one that had come with Corso.
Jenny told Jim to stay put. He had a gun and was ready to shoot in any direction. She made her way around the shelf carefully. Then getting into position she had one of the marksmen in her sights. Aiming carefully she took a shot that wounded the man in the abdomen area. He was still able to shoot, but his mobility had been reduced to almost zero. Another man popped up and took a shot at Jenny. He came a little high and Yuri was able to get a shot off that hit his gun. It fell from his arms and to the ground. He was able to pull a hand gun from his holster but not before Yuri had a chance to get back to the scaffolding and have a better position. She quickly made her way back to the scaffolding and was ready to shoot anything that moved.
Jenny made her way to the end of the shelving unit, partially looking for Corso and partially looking to get a good angle on someone else. She could see Heidi and knew that if she could coerce her out a little then Yuri would likely have a shot. Jenny took aim and shot, hitting the shelving near Heidi’s head. Heidi stepped further down the aisle to avoid another shot that might not miss. Jenny adjusted and again took a shot that just missed Heidi. Heidi moved a little further down the aisle to avoid Jenny’s fire. It was a little too far. Yuri shot her square in the back.
Jenny moved quickly into Heidi’s spot. This gave her a clear shot at one of the operatives. She shot and one fell from the catwalk all the way to the cement floor. If the shot hadn’t killed him, the fall surely did.
The man that had come with Corso had flanked Yuri. When he had a shot, he took it. Yuri was hit in her arm but was able to turn and get a shot off knocking the man to the ground. She was deadly accurate with her gun.
Corso had made his way back around to Jim. Jim was caught off guard and quickly disarmed. Corso pulled Jim up onto his one leg that wasn’t shot and put the gun to his head. He then sounded off. “I have Jim. Who wants him?”
Jenny was now somewhat trapped by the man with the hand gun. Yuri, however, now was free to move around the warehouse. She made her way quickly past the injured operative and snapped his neck. Then she came down to the main floor and stood facing Corso and Jim. Her pistol was pointing right at Corso.
“Have you come to save Jim?” Corso laughed a little.
“No. I came to kill you.” Yuri said. Corso kept the angle as such so that Yuri would have to shoot through Jim in order to hit him. He would shift a little each way every time Yuri made a slight move.
“You are every bit as good as your parents were. Only they were noble people–misplaced alliances, but noble. You are a common thief.” Corso said in disgust. In spite of the pain and a gun to his head, Jim just thought of the irony of Corso’s statement. Who was the thief? Jim knew who it was.
The remaining Operative had made his way down and was about to take aim at Yuri. Yuri was not able to shift her position quickly enough. A shot whizzed by her from the other direction and the final operative was lying dead on the ground. Yuri glanced to look at Jenny. “Thanks.” Then she turned her attention back to Corso.
Jenny also had an angle on Corso. Only he knew that she wouldn’t shoot unless he shot first. Corso knew that he had no chance and was not ready to answer the questions that he would be asked. He figured that if he didn’t die here, it wouldn’t be long after that someone would kill him. As he let Jim fall face first to the ground, Yuri said “You killed my father!”
She shot him directly in the chest. Blood came out his mouth. He dropped to his knees and looked up at Yuri. “You have no idea.” Then he fell backwards and died.
The warehouse door opened again. They could see one figure coming into the room. Yuri ducked behind a shelf as Frank walked into the view of Jenny and Jim. Frank saw Corso on the ground and didn’t hear any sounds at all. He wasn’t sure what had happened. Jenny had her gun pulled and it was aiming in Frank’s direction. Frank looked at her and said. “Either use your gun or put it away.”
Jenny didn’t hesitate; she shot Frank in the right leg.
“What are you doing? Are you crazy?” Frank barked back.
“You conceived this whole thing over 25 years ago and now it is costing too many lives and for what? Money.” Jenny said looking disgusted at Frank. “Call Tom. Tell your boss what this is really all about.”
Frank looked at Jenny with disdain and anger in his eyes. “This is not about money. This is about principle. I would do it all again if I had to.”
“You promised to uphold the law, not kill innocent people.” Jenny said. She was almost crying as she said it. It was the moment that Frank had hoped for. He pulled his gun and got a shot off hitting her in the shoulder. He kept his gun up. If she lifted her gun again he would kill her.
From behind the shelving unit a shot was fired hitting Frank’s shooting hand. His gun fell to the ground. Yuri stepped out from behind the shelf and fired hitting him in the left leg. “My father, my mother. You and four others killed them. Yes, they took their lives to save me. Now I have nearly avenged them.”
The warehouse door had opened again and three shadows were walking towards them.
“Yes. Professor Thomas asked us not to threaten your life. But Corso felt it was the only way.” Frank said as he struggled to even sit up as the blood came out of his body. His left hand was on his gun now but he had not lifted it up yet. “And the only way to get an accountant to leave his comfortable life would be to arrange for his family to be in a tragic accident.”
Jim took notice and picked up a gun. “You murderer.”
He aimed the gun but could not bring himself to pull the trigger. Yuri grabbed the gun in his hand and pulled the trigger with him. She then looked at him with her big blue eyes and kissed his cheek. “Now we are both avenged.” The bullet hit Frank squarely in the forehead.
The approaching men pulled their guns. Trevor came into view with two other agents. Trevor caught a side view of Yuri as she disappeared around a shelf. He walked over to Jim and carefully took the gun from his hand. “I will take this. It might be difficult to explain with your fingerprints on there.”
Jenny looked at Trevor. “We have a lot more to explain than just the gun.”
Chapter 98 – Reporting Back
Director Tom Sportsman was already on a jet from Washington DC to Chicago. He would land at Midway, delaying several passenger planes in the process. They would never know why they were delayed. He wanted to be onsite before the scene was completely cleaned up.
&nb
sp; Jenny and Jim were both treated by a doctor that had been brought on site. Director Sportsman asked that no one still living leave the scene until he arrived. Trevor knew that would be easy, very few were still alive. Amir had a serious enough injury that he had to be taken to the hospital. In spite of being under heavy guard, Amir never made it to the hospital. The facts and details behind his disappearance remained vague.
Jenny and Jim found a couple of old lawn chairs that they pulled out to sit on. Jim only hoped they would not fall apart when they used them. They sat drinking a cold soda brought by one of the clean-up crew. Several other agents, including Trevor sat with them. Trevor was under strict orders not to debrief until he arrived. It was a long few hours.
Finally Tom Sportsman walked into the warehouse. He had an additional twelve agents with him. Even though he was older than any of the other agents, he briskly walked several steps in front of them. When he arrived to Trevor, Jenny, and Jim he excused everyone else except those three and the other two agents that had come in with Trevor at the end of the shootout.
“What are all of you doing here? Frank is dead and I am told two other agents are dead. So is some former agent who is with Interpol, Heidi, is also dead. Then there are these two other guys that have no identification on them. Then there is the one suspect we had got away on the way to the hospital. And worst of all Sr. Director Corso is dead, a simple advisor to the CIA now– emeritus status and all. I just don’t understand how these things happen. And maybe worst of all, you let Yuri slip through your hands.” A man gentle in words on most occasions added to his tirade with a few choice words.
Trevor wanted to jump and say that he could explain, but he couldn’t. Tom helped, “Okay Trevor you start. What went wrong?”
Trevor explained that they had a planned meeting to discuss purchasing artifacts with Seema Patel at the beginning of the day and Jim did not show up. Frank and him were set and were monitoring but Jim and Jenny were not there.
“Then where were you two?” Tom asked looking at Jenny.
Jenny was about to explain the trip to the bank when Jim jumped in. “Director Corso brought us to the warehouse. Frank asked him to. I think, and I am not an agent or anything, that Heidi must of tracked Yuri here. It was a last minute call to miss the meeting and Heidi thought she might need us to identify Yuri since we had seen her.”
Jenny figured it might be a better explanation than trying to explain the bank. She knew that at some point that would need explained, but now it would just complicate everything.
Trevor interjected, “It didn’t seem that Frank was shocked that they didn’t show. Then he left with a pressing engagement pretty quickly. He probably thought he could handle it and didn’t need me. Then Heidi sent a text saying that it was urgent I get here.”
“Well, did you come quickly?” Tom asked.
“It is a long way from Waukegan to the warehouse in Chicago, but we were already on our way to the city, so we got here pretty quickly.” Trevor responded. “As I walked in the warehouse I saw Yuri shooting Frank.”
Tom stood up and walked the interior of the warehouse and then up to the catwalk. He looked around where Frank’s body had been and then where Heidi was killed and finally the resting place of Director Corso. He came back to Trevor and looked at him and Jenny and then at Jim. He was talking to each of them, but particularly looking at Jim. “Frank will be buried an American hero, but none of this happened on American soil. There will be too much red tape if it happened here. Am I clear?” They all agreed, including Jim. Then Tom continued, turning his attention to Trevor and Jenny. “Is the character of ‘Jim Conrad’ compromised?”
Jenny looked at Jim then at Trevor and finally back to Tom. “No, we will need a cover story of why we were here, but I do not think we could be connected to either side of this shootout. I am not even sure if one of the dead agents isn’t who shot Jim.”
Tom looked at Trevor. “Is Ricardo compromised?”
Trevor thought for a minute. “He is ticked, very mad. But I do not believe he is compromised.”
Jim knew otherwise but did not speak up. He had personally told Ricardo the entire operation the night before in order to get his cooperation in setting up a fake deal in the morning at the Waukegan Airport. He would tell Jenny about this consequence of his plan as soon as they left the warehouse.
Tom simply said. “It sounds like we are still a go for this operation. Trevor, you are on point. Consider it a field promotion. Send Jim and Jenny back to the hotel. I already called for the company Limo. Have dinner with Ricardo if he will come to send your sincere apologies. Then have Jacob come out of his coma in the morning and send him home.” Tom turned and started for the exit of the warehouse. He stopped just a few feet away and turned back around. “Jim, or rather Jacob, thanks for your service. You have done an incredible service for your country.” Then he turned and headed for the door and was gone nearly as quick as he came.
Trevor simply said. “Looks like I have taken over for Frank.”
Chapter 99 – The Drake Again
An onsite agency approved doctor and nurse attended to their wounds while they waited for the limo.
As Jim and Jenny stepped out of the warehouse a black stretch limo was waiting at the door. They climbed in to find a small metal case with some money and a few alternative identities for each of them. The driver told them that the hotel arrangements and the dinner appointment had already been arranged. He then shut the window for privacy. There was a dress on the hook for Jenny and nice slacks, shirt and sports blazer hanging for Jim.
Jim looked at Jenny. “Can you avert your eyes?”
Jenny laughed as she quickly got herself dressed. Jim looked to the side.
“I am serious.” Jim said.
Jenny turned around and said, “I know you are.”
They soon arrived at the Drake Hotel in Chicago.
Jim stood next to Jenny near the check-in counter of the hotel holding only the metal briefcase. The check-in clerk said, “Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, your suite is ready. I have provided you and Mr. Smith with the normal amenities. We are pleased to have you back.”
Jim and Jenny turned and headed for the elevator. Jim once again looked through the closets and found the same familiar clothing. Jenny excused herself into the next room to see if Ricardo had dinner plans. She knew that there was no cover story that he would buy, not since Jim had shared the whole operation. But she needed dinner with him so that she could go back and explain to Trevor that the operation was over.
Jim stepped out of the room and went down to the lobby where he found a house phone that he could use. He borrowed a phone book from the front desk. He ordered a Chicago Style pizza and flowers. He had them sent to a cheap, sleazy motel. The card with the flowers simply said. “Truly a second date to remember.” He wasn’t sure if she would get it or if she was long gone.
Jim showered and then put on a tuxedo before they headed down for dinner. Arriving at the restaurant the attendant said. “Mr. and Mrs. Smith, we are pleased you have joined us again for dinner. Can we start you with water and an order of our jumbo shrimp cocktail?”
Ricardo arrived a few minutes later. They stood and greeted each other. Jim thanked Ricardo for what he had done. After ordering the main course, Jenny did not waste any time. “Ric, thanks for having dinner with us. Actually meeting with you will make it easier to explain why we can’t continue the operation. We will just tell them that your reputation was hurt and you don’t care to business with us at this time.”
Ricardo took a bite of the shrimp as he listened to Jenny. When she finished, he jumped in. “Do you know I have been here probably over 100 times and never tried this. It is very good.”
Jim jumped in. “I agree. We order this every time we are in town.”
Ricardo continued. “We will eat here next time I find an artifact that you wish to purchase. Seema is anxious to show you a few. I am sure I can get her to come again or we could go to New York.�
��
“Ric.” Jenny interjected. “I am not sure how much Jim told you, but when we close this down we will likely hand you over to the feds.”
Ricardo laughed. “Jenny, I am a businessman. If I do not break the law then there will be nothing to hand to the feds. And as long as I get to work with you and Jim, I can do this for years.”
Jenny looked at Jim and then at Ricardo. “What if Jim is longer involved? What if it is just me?”
Ricardo looked a little disappointed. “Jacob would come out of his coma?”
“Yes.” Jenny responded.
Ricardo smiled. “Then I would have my daughter bring Jacob to dinner and get to know him. She would love that. Maybe you would come sometimes also, after one of our business deals.”
Jenny was impressed. She wasn’t sure if Ricardo was crazy or an extremely brilliant business man. He would now know all of the surveillances the CIA was doing on him and probably figured that meant other agencies would avoid him also. Either way, the operation could continue. Dinner was as good as it was the week before, only this time Jenny was sad to see it end.
Jim and Jenny returned to their hotel room. Jenny explained that she was going to call Trevor and let him know everything was a go for the operation. She would also see what the arrangements were for his miraculous recovery that was sure to happen within the week. Jim interrupted. “Jenny, what if I want to stay in?”
Jenny smiled as she dialed the phone. “Trevor, this is Jenny. Ricardo is still on board if he can deal with Jim and me together.” There was a brief pause as Jim heard some loud talking on the other end of the phone. “Jim is on board. He is willing to stick this out for several months or more if needed.” There was another brief pause not quite as loud. “Yes, he expects the normal pay and he will tell us if he wants out.” Then a final pause before Jenny finished. “Since you took Frank’s place you will need to call Tom.”
Convergence Page 25