Second Best: A Niki Finley Novel (A Niki Finley Thriller Book 2)

by J. D. Dudycha

  Philanthropy, really? Niki continued to question his intentions.

  “I just figured you’d want to come because my next stop is in Sierra Leone.”

  Niki was forced back in her seat. Really. No way. “Well, that’s a coincidence.”

  “Indeed it is. Take some time. Think about it. Talk it over with your folks.”

  “When do I need to give you an answer?”

  “Somewhat quickly. We’ll be leaving in two weeks.”

  “I’ll have an answer for you the next time we meet.”

  “Brilliant. I’ll look forward to it. Now, if you don’t mind, I have an appointment I cannot miss. Until next time.” He stood and walked back down the aisle. Niki followed suit. She’d expected him to turn and head down, but he continued up the staircase with her.

  Not going to the office after all, I guess.

  He reached for the door handle and pulled it open for her. She walked through and both were met by an outpouring of students, likely rushing in for their next class.

  “I bid you farewell, Ms. Finley.”

  Niki stared at him as he walked away, ducking in and out of the student body. He was in a hurry. Something in her belly spun, and her inner voice spoke again.

  Follow him.

  7

  NIKI MAINTAINED HER distance but kept up with Lord as he walked. Once outside, it would be more difficult for her to mask her movements. Inside, she could easily duck behind another person in the hallway.

  Lord came to the staircase in the center of the history building. He grabbed the handrails and jogged down the stairs. Niki followed him; she was halfway down when he reached the exit doors. As he moved through the revolving door, he looked back over his shoulder. Niki continued her pace, figuring even if he did see her, he would think nothing of it; after all, she was just trying to exit the building too.

  Through the windows, she could see him continuing to jog. She pushed out of the doors and ran after him, but as he quickened his pace, he did something peculiar. He held his briefcase tight against his chest, as if he didn’t want it to fall or come loose.

  Up ahead was the faculty parking area. Shit. Niki, hurry. She knew if he hopped into his car, she’d lose him. Her pace was faster than his now; she needed to close the gap. But she slowed when she saw him heading beyond the faculty parking lot and out toward the street. He stopped at a red light, pushed the walk button, and waited to cross.

  A thick palm tree was close by, on the opposite edge of the sidewalk. Niki casually walked over and hid behind it. Just in time, too, since Lord spun around in the same instant.

  He seems shaky. Maybe he’s concerned someone’s following him. But why? Why would he care? It’s the middle of the day.

  The light changed to green, and he crossed the intersection. Niki waited for him to make it all the way across before she came out from behind the tree. The intersection was fifty yards away. Niki made up the ground in no time, less than ten seconds, with only moments to spare on the crosswalk.

  The walk light counted down to one before flashing the red hand. Niki paid it no mind and scooted across the intersection, making it to the other walkway just as the opposite light turned green.

  Lord continued south, away from the school. Now she had to be even more careful. Only a handful of people were around; certainly Lord could pick her out if she followed too closely. She gave him an entire block’s lead, and if he continued on the same path, he’d be easy enough to track.

  Ten blocks passed, nearly a mile away from school, before Lord turned right.

  Shit. He was out of sight, no telling where he would go. Niki started into a sprint, and she reached the corner to witness him climb a set of stairs and enter a storefront. She paused, trying to decipher what type of store it was. From there, she couldn’t tell, so she walked, more like crawled, until she could see the name.

  Jeweler. A bland name, with unbecoming signage. A store you wouldn’t go into unless you knew something others didn’t. Maybe something about the owner. Something about the products inside being sold.

  Diamonds. In her gut, Niki knew it. She’d found her answer. Without taking another step, she spun around and started back toward school.

  She reached into her pocket and lifted her cell. She called the number and whispered, “Venice,” to the operator.

  Without delay, Collar answered, “I assume you’ve found more.”

  “He’s invited me to Sierra Leone.”

  “Really? That’s bold of him,” Collar said. “How did that come about?”

  “We were given an assignment. We were told to pick a country in Africa to study. We chose Sierra Leone.”

  “We?”

  “Me and another classmate.”

  “Let me guess, he approached you after you gave the talk on Sierra Leone.”

  Niki stalled. “Well, yeah.”

  “Then I suppose he asked you to go.”

  “That’s right.”

  She chuckled to herself. “Seems odd, no?”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Think about it, Niki. Clearly you have a vested interest in visiting a place you now know a lot about. Naturally, there’s curiosity on your part.”

  “True, but he said . . .” Niki waited.

  “Said what?”

  “That he normally took a few students.”

  “Did he say who those other students were?”

  Niki switched her cell to her other ear. That bastard. “No. No, he didn’t.”

  “Figures. Odds are he’s trying to impress you. Sure, maybe bring you along on a trip to a foreign country, show you how loved he is, maybe even try to seduce you while you’re there, but I assure you, he’s playing you.”

  Niki clenched her jaw. I’ll show him.

  “That’s why you must accept his invitation.”

  “What?” Niki wasn’t certain she heard Collar right.

  “Absolutely. I’m just level setting here. Don’t buy into his holier-than-thou routine.”

  “I’m not,” Niki said.

  “Niki?” She questioned like a concerned mother.

  “I’m not!” she barked.

  “Good. Then accept his invitation. Hell, play up his ego. Tell him you’d like to be the only two that go, although I think that was his plan to begin with, but if you say it, then it’s your idea, not his.”

  Niki continued walking, but now she was at the light in front of the school. “What do you want me to gain from this adventure?”

  “Gather intel. Like always. Try to see if he’s part of a bigger organization. A threat to America. Something we can make stick. On him, and any terrorist cells over there.”

  “And what? You’ll be a phone call away?” Niki needed to know she would be protected.

  “We’ll do better than that. The instant you step foot on African soil, we’ll have a team in place.”

  Niki breathed a sigh of relief. “There’s one more thing,” she said.

  “What’s that?”

  “Diamonds.”

  “Diamonds?” Collar asked. “Are you certain?”

  “Not totally certain, but close.”

  “How close?”

  “I just followed him to a jeweler. It was a shady establishment. Not some highbrow, ‘buy your girlfriend a pendent necklace or tennis bracelet’ type of place.”

  “Good work, Niki. Keep it up, and find out as much information as you can. And remember, keep me in the loop. Got it?”

  “Got it,” Niki replied, then hung up. Before the walk light lit up, a man’s voice spoke from behind her.

  “Fancy meeting you here.”

  Niki jumped, and whipped her head around. “Good Lord, professor, you scared the shit out of me.”

  “I hope not.” Lord grinned.

  Niki found it difficult to slow her breathing.

  What did you hear? Oh crap, what did you hear? She stared at him. Judging by his demeanor he heard nothing. She continued to stare at him as he said, “Shall we?” He n
odded to the light that had changed.

  She stayed a step behind. He seemed jovial, jollier than when he first left campus and held the briefcase tight to his chest. Come to think of it, he no longer had it. The briefcase was gone.

  When they made it across the street, he turned to Niki and said, “Enjoy this beautiful winter day, Ms. Finley. I know I will.” He winked.

  Niki stood for a moment, confused, hoping she hadn’t blown her cover, but she couldn’t stop wondering if there were diamonds in the briefcase. There had to be, but how could she prove it, either for herself or to Collar?

  8

  Two weeks later

  Near Lake Okeechobee (ZULU safe house)

  NIKI STOOD STOIC, HER hands held behind her back, as she waited in front of the director’s desk. He busied himself with notations and contracts, reading a redacted letter; she could see the bolded black through the paper.

  Another mission? Notes on Lord? What was it? Niki itched to know, but it wasn’t her concern. It was need to know, and she didn’t in that moment.

  She cleared the phlegm that rose in her throat, not intending to chase the director’s attention away from the page.

  “I’ll be with you in a minute, Finley.”

  Five more passed until he let the sheet fall to his desk and leaned back in his chair. He lifted his hands over his head as he rocked back and forth.

  “So, tell me what you’ve gathered on Professor Lord so far.”

  Niki eyed him, wondering why she needed to repeat herself. “Sir, I’ve told you everything.”

  “Are you sure?”

  She swallowed. What was he getting at? “I believe so.”

  “So, let me get this straight. You’ve told him you’re going to Sierra Leone, correct?” He rose from his chair and moved to the window, turning his back on his agent.

  “That’s right, we leave first thing tomorrow.”

  “And have you gotten any closer with the diamonds?”

  Niki dropped her head. “No, sir. I think we know everything so far. I haven’t seen him contact the jeweler again since that day.”

  “So you’ve said. But tell me, did you do everything in your power to uncover the truth?”

  “Aside from flat-out asking him? I figure we’ll know more once we land in Africa.”

  “How do you mean?” Now he turned back around.

  “I overheard him speaking to someone last week.”

  “Last week, really? Why didn’t you contact us then?” He moved closer to her.

  “Because I knew we would be meeting soon enough. It wasn’t information that was going to change anything, just more intelligence. He had no idea I was standing outside his office. I snuck back there when that horrible, judgy receptionist took her smoke break. Lord was using cryptic language. Like he didn’t want to say too much with his door open. I even heard his voice trail to a soft whisper a couple times.”

  “Don’t you think he would’ve shut his door if it was that important?” the director asked.

  “I don’t think so, sir. From what I’ve gathered on him over the past few weeks, he likes to pawn his ‘humanitarian’ efforts off every chance he gets. Honestly, it’s getting a little old.”

  “So you think he’s tied in to a terrorist cell somehow?”

  “Like I said, I still don’t know, but it seems like there may be more to his story and secretive, cryptic phone calls. Again, I’ll know more once we land in country.”

  The director curled his lower lip and continued. “Sounds like you’ve changed your tune on him.”

  Niki was unsure how to respond. From the moment she met him, she was convinced he had no ties with anyone dangerous or threatening. How could he? After one visit to his office or hearing him speak about Africa and the love he felt for the people, anyone would have been convinced of his sincerity. But after seeing him at the jeweler and witnessing his incessant arrogance, she now thought it was possible it was all a facade.

  “Maybe. Time will tell.”

  The director reached into his desk. “Good. Then take this.” He handed her a manila folder.

  “What’s this?”

  “Your itinerary.”

  “For what?”

  “Sierra Leone.”

  Before she opened it, she said, “What do you mean? Won’t I be on Lord’s time?”

  “Without a doubt.”

  She opened the file and found a lone picture of an African man.

  “When you’re not with Lord, he will be your objective.” He pointed at the picture.

  “And who is he?”

  “A so-called terrorist leader we think is tied to Lord. His name is Payne.”

  “Interesting epithet.”

  “It’s not clever either. The guy takes pleasure in causing physical harm. Flip over to the next photo,” the director said.

  Niki did so. After a brief glance, she quickly closed the file. It was too disturbing.

  “That right there is a village,” the director started, “decimated at the hand of Payne. Men. Women. Children. Slaughtered in the night.”

  “Why?”

  The director stalled. “The devil doesn’t need a reason to destroy. It’s his nature.”

  “How do you know Payne will be in Sierra Leone?”

  The director slid another photograph across his desk. “This was taken this week, by one of our own.”

  “Who?” Niki had to know.

  “Lara Fox.”

  Niki scrunched her brow. Niki had no idea she’d awoken from her coma from the previous summer after the bombing in Cannes. “What? When did she regain consciousness?”

  “A month ago.”

  “A month? And you have her out in the field already?”

  “Once she was cleared physically, she demanded it. It was her call. She will meet you in country. You two, along with Winter, will gather as much intel on Lord and Payne as you can. If they meet, tell us. Do not engage. It will too dangerous for the three of you. Payne has an army at his disposal. If you do, I’m afraid we’ll never see the three of you alive ever again.”

  “That’s it then? It’s just us?”

  “Did you expect more?”

  “No. It’s just . . .”

  “Just what?”

  “Collar said there would be a team on the ground. You know, to act as a safety net for me.”

  “What do you call this?”

  Three agents against hundreds of terrorists is hardly a team.

  “The best you’ve got.” Niki didn’t hide her boldness.

  The director chuckled to himself. “You’re second best, Finley. You’re not there yet. Besides, I called off the rest of the team.”

  You did what?

  “Why?” Niki said.

  “Because they are needed elsewhere at the moment.”

  “Where?”

  “That’s not your concern. What is, is Lord and Payne. Gather intel. You catch them together, great. You see Payne unloading conflict diamonds to Lord to sell in the US, great. You see them pass each other in the street and look at each other funny, great. Again, this is about information gathering, nothing else. So, like I said, the rest of our team is needed elsewhere. You will have no other backup. Only Fox and Winter. Trust me, they will be sufficient.”

  “If you say so.” She turned to leave.

  “I do.” He glanced down at his notes. “Oh, and Finley?”

  Niki turned back around.

  “When’s the last time you shot your piece?”

  Niki felt for her holster. She wore the Glock on her side. But it did feel foreign. It had been a while.

  “Few weeks, why?”

  “Go get some practice in.”

  She scrunched her brow. “I thought you said this was only an intel-gathering mission.”

  “It is. But you will be taking your Glock with you, so get a feel for her again. I don’t want you to be rusty whenever you need to use it again.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  NIKI STEPPED INTO THE
thick air, and instantly she began to perspire. The sun was dropping in the western sky, and as Niki glanced that way, she saw a structure. A manmade cedar archway over a bench with targets set up in the distance sporadically in the Florida countryside.

  No time like the present, she thought, and stepped toward the makeshift range.

  She pushed the magazine release on her Glock, making sure all fifteen casings were inside. One was in the chamber as she eased back the slide.

  Her target was a coffee can lying on its side fifty feet from her position. In less than one second, she peered through her sight and squeezed off the first round of the night. The can flew up with the force of the bullet, and while it was in the air, she squeezed off another round and contacted the can again.

  Catching sight of another mark, this time farther out, Niki saw a steel rabbit set at one hundred feet. A shot like that took extreme precision from such a small-caliber round. She eyed it up, this time taking a little longer to get her sight lines corrected, but before she got the shot off, the director yelled from the front porch.

  “Finley! What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  Niki didn’t release her grip of the polymer body, nor did she lose sight of the rabbit. His interruption was of no concern to her. She pulled back on the trigger and let another shot loose. The tinging vibration made from the steel echoed in twilight. It was after the shot that she turned around to face him.

  “You said get some practice in,” she said.

  “Yeah, but I didn’t mean here.”

  “Why not? Seems as good a place as any.”

  “This is a safe house. We must be certain no one knows of our whereabouts. The shots alone could bring a random passerby.”

  “With all due respect, sir, this is Central Florida. Near Okeechobee. We’re surrounded by gator wranglers and hunters. You think people aren’t used to having such noises in these parts?”

  Truth was, the director didn’t know Florida well. In fact, he hated coming down here. The humidity, the people, everything got under his skin. He was a bureaucrat. Rather deal with the scum and deceit of Washington than spend another waking moment smacking a mosquito on his neck.