by Mel LeBrun
Michael grinned and hung up the phone. Things were coming together.
As he drove down the highway, a thought suddenly occurred to him. They could connect Josh through Brook's phone. He had only considered the consequences of himself being caught. He never stopped to contemplate what would happen if they found Brook first. Everything happened so fast, it didn't even occur to him until now.
A pit grew in his stomach and he stepped on the gas. He needed to get off the highway and get to a pay phone to call Josh. He didn't want to use Evan's phone just in case it was being monitored and perhaps they hadn't yet made the connection.
Chapter 40
After getting a few hours of sleep, Josh left to find a pay phone to call Kevin. He explained that Michael was tracking down a lead and would have to get in touch with him later.
Kevin asked to borrow the flash drive in order to create a search program using the information on it. They could cover more ground in less time if a program conducted the search rather than a person doing it manually.
Josh thought about it for a moment, not sure if Michael would want to let the drive out of his sight. He decided Kevin's plan made sense and, being in charge, he said to meet him at a strip mall in an hour.
When he returned from delivering the drive to Kevin, Jessica was out of her room and watching TV. She said hi, but didn't pay him much attention. She was still upset about not being able to talk to Michael.
“I'm going to get some sleep,” he said to her. He had only gotten four hours of sleep earlier.
“Okay,” she replied without looking at him.
“He's going to be fine, Jessica. Michael can take care of himself probably better than anyone else on earth.”
Jessica took a deep breath and then looked up. “Thanks, Josh.” She gave him a weak smile.
He returned her faint smile with a big goofy grin. Her smile grew and she rolled her eyes and turned back towards the TV. Josh kept grinning as he walked to his room and shut the door.
He didn't even bother undressing before throwing himself on the bed. His pillow had never felt so good. It didn't take long to drift off to sleep. His slumber, however, was short-lived. Awoken by Jessica screaming, he bolted up in bed just as his door burst open and he was confronted by a very mean-looking intruder. In a split second, he grabbed his gun off the nightstand and buried three bullets in the man's chest. He ran to the living room and saw another fearsome man holding a gun to Jessica's head.
“Where is the flash drive?!” the man yelled. He had a distinct Russian accent.
Josh didn't answer. He simply fired a shot into the man's skull and he fell to the floor. He ran to Jessica and grabbed her arm. “Let's go!”
She ran with him to the front door, crying and terrified. Three more men were running towards the apartment.
“My room!” Josh shouted.
They retreated into Josh's room. He opened his window and told her to crawl out while he covered the doorway.
“We just want the flash drive!” one of the men said from just beyond the doorway. He also had a Russian accent.
Josh didn't reply, he just kept his gun trained on the doorway until Jessica was out, and then he too crawled through the window. Jessica was nearly hysterical. He grabbed her arm again and ran with her towards the street.
A woman had just finished putting some bags in the backseat of her Nissan Maxima when she was accosted by Josh, who pushed her away from her car while tearing the keys from her hand. She started screaming for help. Josh caught sight of some men down the street racing to get into a tan Mercedes-Benz.
“Get in!” he shouted at Jessica, who promptly obeyed.
Josh buckled himself and within seconds they were speeding away. He yelled at Jessica to put her seat belt on. Her hands shook so bad she had a hard time latching it. Despite the terror she was feeling, she was impressed with Josh's driving skill. He maneuvered through traffic like a pro, speeding through red lights, making last-minute turns. It looked like they were about to get away when a teenage girl wearing headphones and texting on her phone stepped into the street ahead of them, totally oblivious to her surroundings.
“Oh my God, Josh!” Jessica screamed.
He slammed on the brakes and laid on the horn. The teen turned and saw them skidding towards her, but was frozen with fear and shock and didn't move. The car wasn't stopping fast enough. They both feared the worst when at the last second a bystander grabbed the girl, pulling her to safety.
Josh hit the gas again, but they had slowed just enough to let the Mercedes catch up to them. Josh was nervous about going too fast, especially after nearly killing someone, but when a bullet shattered the back window he stomped on the accelerator.
“Get down!” he yelled.
Jessica put her head between her knees and wrapped her hands around the back of her head, fearing they were about to die.
Bullets sprayed the back of the car as they started to pull away. Josh was afraid they would hit the gas tank. Instead, a bullet hit the back driver's side tire and the car started to fishtail. A second lucky bullet took out the front driver's side tire and Josh lost control of the vehicle. He hit the curb and the car flipped on its side and continued to slide down the street into an intersection. Josh was in a daze. He heard Jessica scream followed by screeching tires.
A pickup truck slammed into the hood of the Maxima, sending them spinning as the car rolled over upside down and then collided with another car that had stopped in the intersection. Jessica was knocked out and Josh was barely conscious. He heard voices as people came over to help. He could hear someone calling 911. He looked over at Jessica and didn't know if she was even alive.
“Jessica.” He could barely speak. He closed his eyes. He opened them again to see someone unbuckling her.
“Hey, don't move her. Let the paramedics do it. You might hurt her,” he heard someone outside the car say.
“The car might explode,” the man removing Jessica from the car replied with a Russian accent.
“No,” Josh tried to protest, but his voice was too weak. He looked around for his gun, but couldn't find it. He saw Jessica being dragged from the car. He unbuckled himself and started crawling from the vehicle. Something ran in his eyes and he had trouble seeing. He tried to wipe it away, but more came. He was bleeding badly from a head wound. He crawled out of the car just in time to see Jessica being driven off in the tan Mercedes with a crowd of confused onlookers trying to figure out what was going on.
Someone was suddenly pressing something to his head, telling him to sit down. Sirens screamed in the distance. He pushed away the person who was trying to help him and started to walk. He needed to get as far away from there as possible. Others tried to stop him, but he shook them off. He knew the police would be looking for him and he needed to find someplace to hide. He was in bad shape and needed help.
He made a collect call to Martin from a gas station pay phone. He then made himself at home behind the dumpster and waited for Martin to show.
Chapter 41
Michael had stopped twice already, attempting to call Josh, but no answer. It didn't bode well. Worried sick and anxious to get back, he drove with total disregard of the speed limit, praying he wouldn't encounter any cops.
Just after midnight, he exited the highway near Josh's house. He parked the truck and stole a motorcycle outside a bar down the road.
If needed, the bike would make for an easier getaway than the big SUV. He hoped the helmet would help him slip into the building quickly without having to worry about being identified. In agony, wondering if Josh and Jessica were okay, he tried not to think the worst.
He stopped the bike outside Josh's apartment. The police cruiser parked out front wasn't a good sign. He entered the apartment building. Seeing Josh's door sealed with crime scene tape, his heart pounded. He slid off the helmet and quietly placed it by the door as he pulled a flashlight from his pocket. He unlocked the door and opened it, breaking the seal.
The apartment was a mess. Stepping into the living room, he quickly noticed a pool of blood on the floor. His heart sank and he felt lightheaded. He walked further into the apartment and spotted another pool of blood at the end of the hall. His hands shook and he closed his eyes. In the guest room, he noticed the corner of Jessica's journal sticking out in a pile on the floor. He grabbed it and stepped back into the hallway. He moved towards Josh's bedroom and stood in the doorway, feeling sick. He tried to tell himself they could still be okay, but horrible thoughts were taking over his mind.
“Hold it right there!” Someone intruded on his thoughts.
Pulled back to his senses, the hallway light came on eliminating any cover the darkness had offered. He turned slowly, coming face to face with a uniformed police officer aiming a gun at him.
He was ordered to turn back around and put his hands on his head. He complied. He heard another officer around the corner calling it in. Michael was instructed to walk backwards toward the officers, which he did. Once the officer grabbed his wrist to cuff him, he started to resist, causing his partner to jump in to assist. It was what Michael was hoping for. He wanted them close together so he could take them both out quickly and hopefully not get shot in the process. In a flash, one officer lay unconscious on the ground while the other lay stunned staring at his gun, now in Michael's hands and aimed at him.
Michael heard sirens in the distance and knew his time was short. “Where is Josh Lavene?” The officer didn't answer him. “Getting shot with your own gun isn't just unpleasant, it's a career ender.”
“I don't know,” the officer fearfully responded. “He wasn't here.”
“And the woman?”
“Just two men.”
The officer watched his gun being dismantled, gaping at the pieces as they fell next to him. Michael then stepped over him and quickly headed for the door. Ditching the bike, he returned to the Tahoe. He hoped to find Josh and Jessica at the hideout now that he knew they got out of the apartment.
MICHAEL ARRIVED at the hideout. To his surprise, Martin greeted him at the door.
“Where are they?” he asked as he brushed past Martin, barely acknowledging him.
He was too anxious to see that Josh and Jessica were okay to care about pleasantries. He walked into the back room, calling out to Jessica and Josh.
“Michael ...” Martin tried to get his attention, but he was so intent on seeing Jessica that he didn't pay attention. Martin ran ahead of him and stood in his way.
Michael looked at him. “Where are they?”
Martin didn't want to be the one to tell him that Jessica had been taken by the Russians, but he knew Josh was having a bad enough day already. He thought he might spare him this one thing. Michael started to walk around him to go upstairs.
“Michael, they have her.”
“What do you mean they have her? Who's they?” Michael raised his voice. His heart raced and he started to feel lightheaded again.
“The Russians.”
“They have Jessica?” Michael repeated in disbelief.
“I'm sorry, Michael.”
His mind flooded with thoughts. He had to get her back. How would he find her? He should have taken her with him. Clenching his jaw, he looked at Martin. “Where's Josh?”
“Upstairs resting.”
“Resting?”
Michael ran up the stairs. Josh was sitting on the floor leaning against the wall. His eyes were closed and he looked pretty banged up. A couple of stitches ran across his forehead just under his hairline.
Michael knelt down in front of him. “You look like hell.” He was trying to quell his anger at Jessica being taken. “What happened?”
Josh opened his eyes and looked at him. It was then that Michael could see that Josh had been crying. His eyes were bright red.
Michael always thought Josh was too sensitive for black ops. He was surprised he had lasted as long as he did. When there was a job to be done, he performed like any other elite soldier, but if a mission went bad, he had a hard time shaking it off.
“It all happened so fast.” He looked down and closed his eyes. He ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath, gathering himself. He cleared his throat and began to recount what happened. Michael's fists and jaw clenched as he listened to the details of the attack that nearly killed two people he cared for deeply.
Josh's eyes watered and he looked directly at Michael. “I don't even know if she was still alive.” He looked away and shook his head like he still couldn't believe it happened.
Michael sat next to him. He couldn't believe it either. He felt numb. “They wouldn't have taken her if she was dead,” Michael reasoned.
Josh nodded.
“Did they get the flash drive?”
Josh shook his head.
“Kevin wanted it to make some kind of search program. I gave it to him.”
Michael was enormously grateful for that. Probably the only thing keeping Jessica alive was the fact that they still didn't have the drive. They wouldn't kill her until they had it.
“What are we gonna do?” Josh turned to Michael.
“We have to find out where they're keeping her.”
“How are we going to do that? She could be anywhere, they might even take her out of the country.”
“I know where we can start.” Michael stood and helped Josh to his feet. “Start loading what you can into the truck. I need to speak with Martin.”
Michael talked things over with Martin while Josh starting carrying things down to the truck. As he walked back inside, the garage door opened and Martin drove out.
“What's going on?” Josh asked.
“Martin's going to get a few things for me.”
“You got a plan?”
“Just one kink to work out. From what I've learned so far, Edward Morgan is the guy at the CIA pulling all the strings. He has an assistant named Rick Hamilton. I think Rick is the weaker link. I'm going to get to him and turn him.”
“So what's the kink?”
“I don't know who the hell Rick is or how to find him. Your cousin can't get that information without some explaining and he's not sure who he could trust.”
“What about Kevin?” Josh asked. “You think maybe he could find him?”
“I suppose I'd have to ask him.” Michael shrugged. “It's worth a shot. Let's finish loading the truck. Martin said he'd only be a couple hours.”
IT WAS almost 4:00 a.m. when Martin returned. He parked next to the truck and stepped out with a duffel bag. “I got everything you asked for.”
“Great. I really appreciate this.”
Michael waited for Martin to hand him the bag, but he just stood there holding it. He looked around and then back at Michael. “I'm going with you.”
“No. You've done enough already.”
Martin shook his head. “You need me. And I can't just sit around and watch something like this happen.”
Michael took a deep breath and looked at Josh. He could tell by the look on his face that Josh agreed with Martin. He wasn't exactly running at a hundred percent and they could use the help.
“Fine. You should park in the garage though.”
BEING ANXIOUS about Jessica made driving the speed limit a challenge for Michael. Josh had to keep reminding him to slow down. Getting pulled over with a truckload of guns and ammunition would have been a bad thing.
It was ten minutes till five when they arrived at Kevin's. Remembering the code to the gate, Michael let himself in. He pulled onto the circular drive and parked by the front door.
Michael walked to the door alone and rang the bell. After a minute, he rang it again. He was about to ring a third time when Kevin's voice came over the intercom.
“I'll be right there, Michael.” Kevin was soon at the door in his bathrobe and slippers, looking worried. “What's going on?”
“I need your help.” Michael didn't smile and his serious tone elevated Kevin's concern.
“Where's Jessica?�
�
Michael looked him right in the eyes but didn't answer. He didn't want to say it. He still had a hard time coping with it himself. His gaze fell to the ground.
“Michael, where is she?” Kevin's tone was a mix of anger and distress.
Michael took a deep breath and looked up at him. “They have her.”
Kevin felt his legs get weak and he had to steady himself on the doorway. “The CIA?”
“I wish it was the CIA. She's being held by the Russian Mafia. Somehow they're involved in this.”
Everything felt surreal. Kevin didn't want to believe it.
“I have some friends in the truck who are going to help me get her back,” Michael continued. “Josh, who I believe you met already, and his cousin Martin. Can we come in?”
Kevin nodded, then started walking numbly towards the kitchen. Michael waved the guys inside.
Kevin sat in a fog on one of the stools, staring at the granite counter. Martin set the duffel bag on the floor and the three men stood around looking at Kevin.
“How are you going to get her back?” Kevin decided to forgo formal introductions and got right to the point. His trembling hands betrayed the calm demeanor he was trying to present.
“Right now, we don't even know where she is so rescue is impossible,” Michael replied. “They want the drive.” He paused. “I'm going to give it to them.”
Kevin looked up at Michael as though he were mad. “Are you crazy? They'll just kill her when they have it!”
“I'm not giving them the real drive.” He looked over at Martin who pulled a flash drive from his duffel bag and tossed it to him. He handed it to Kevin. “I'm giving them this one. It's fitted with a tracking device.”
“How will that lead you to Jessica? Won't they just destroy it and kill her once they have it? You don't even know if they'll bring it to the same place they're holding her.”
“They won't kill her until they're sure it's the right one. They won't want anyone at the CIA looking at it so I'm banking on them trying to force her to decrypt it. When they do, we'll have her location.”