Forced Move (Michael Cailen Book 2)

by Mel LeBrun

  “Are you okay?” Kevin asked again.

  “I'm fine.”

  Though clearly not the case, Kevin decided not to pursue the matter. “I'll see you inside then?”

  Michael nodded.

  ONCE KEVIN left the vehicle, Michael called Gatti. He endured the usual “wrong number” proclamation and then waited for a call back.

  “How is she?” Gatti asked before Michael was able to say one word.

  “Hanging on,” Michael answered.

  “That's good news.”

  “Yeah.”

  “You don't sound too good.”

  “Jeff killed the courier. He's in the back of the truck. Anything you can do for me? I got enough on my plate right now.”

  “That guy is a piece of work, huh?”

  “You don't know the half of it.”

  “I'll take care of it, Michael.”

  “Thanks Tim. I owe you.”

  “No, Michael. I still owe you. Never forget that. If it wasn't for you, my kids wouldn't have a father.”

  “Still. Thank you.”

  “No worries. Keep me posted on Jessica.”

  “Will do.”

  NOT WANTING to use the hospital's Internet, Kevin and Jinx took the truck to find a connection they could hack. One that was free from the watchful eye of cameras and security. The buyers included a US senator, a decorated general, an oil tycoon, and a few bankers. They were powerful, wealthy men. Hacking into their computers would bring strong repercussions if they were discovered.

  Alarmingly, the senator was the easiest to hack. He apparently suffered a terrible addiction to porn which severely compromised the safety of his computer. Already infected with malware and a backdoor Trojan, they were easily able to access his computer.

  Coming in a close second was the General whose children had no concept of computer safety. Once one computer was compromised they were able to gain access to all computers on the network. From there they tracked down the laptop he was using to check his email and after hijacking his Internet service they were able to install a virus, giving them access.

  After Kevin called Michael with the good news, Martin left to deliver the flash drives to the buyers. Kevin and Jinx then spent the next few hours glued to their computers waiting for someone to access the drive. The senator was the first. He was instructed to go to an apartment building in Brooklyn the following day at 3:00 pm. Kevin called Michael with the meet time and location. Michael asked them to make sure the general's instructions were the same. A few hours later, the general connected the flash drive and entered his key code to decrypt it. Kevin noted the code was different from the senator's. His instructions were also slightly different. He was given the same address to the apartment in Brooklyn but the time was two hours later. The drives must have been encrypted in such a way that different codes would retrieve different information, thus making it possible to hand out identical drives that would supply different instructions to each buyer.

  Since both buyers were instructed to go to the same apartment it was most likely where the sale would take place. Michael needed to get a look at the building and perhaps he'd be able to discern how the sale would be recorded.

  Michael went in to see Jessica before he left. Martin and Jeff were sitting with her. Michael asked them to step outside. He stood quietly at her bedside. She was asleep and he couldn't decide if he wanted to wake her or let her rest. He reached out and gently stroked her hair. Her eyes opened and she smiled when she saw it was Michael touching her. He sat in the chair and held her hand as he began to speak softly to her.

  “We got the information off the drive. Everything is coming together just as we planned.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief and closed her eyes. “I'm glad.”

  “Now the only thing I want you to think about is getting better.”

  She opened her eyes again and looked at him. “I believed you, you know.”

  “About what?”

  “In the truck. When you said I was going to be fine.”

  “You are going to be fine.”

  “You didn't know that then. It scares me sometimes how good a liar you are. I forget how good you are at it.”

  Michael didn't deny it. Though it wasn't something he liked to do or did often, he was very good at deception. “Do you think I'm lying to you now?” he asked.

  “Are you?”

  “No.”

  “How can I be sure?”

  “You can ask anyone. Jinx, Josh, Kevin, Martin. Even your father.”

  “Josh is a terrible liar,” she said with a smile.

  “Only to people he cares for,” Michael grinned. “He has too much of a conscience.”

  “Oh and I guess you don't? Nice,” she teased.

  Michael chuckled for a few seconds but then turned somber. He squeezed her hand. “You were going to bleed out in ten minutes if you remained calm. If you were freaking out and panicking the time would have been much shorter. What do you think I should have done?”

  She pursed her lips and squeezed his hand back. “I love you.”

  “Everything I do, Jess, right or wrong, is because I love you.”

  She smiled and closed her eyes as she drifted back to sleep.

  Michael went to the waiting room. Jinx and Kevin had returned and so they went to sit with her. Michael asked Josh to go with him to check out the apartment where the sales would take place. He agreed and Michael told him to go ahead of him to the truck while he had a word with Jeff.

  Michael sat next to Jeff and leaned in close to him. “Jess is doing really well and she'll probably recover. But she's not out of the woods and she could still take a turn for the worse.” He paused. “This is your fault. You're the one involved with Meier. You're the one who pulled her into this world. I'm giving you fair warning. If she dies, there will be nothing stopping me from killing you. I'll kill Meier, and you'll join him.”

  Not even Michael was sure if he would really do that but he wanted to give Jeff something to think about. Jeff didn't say a word.

  Chapter 24

  Michael and Josh parked outside the apartment Meier was using for the sale. They watched the building, carefully searching for any covert security. They noticed the same three men sequentially walk past the building at five minute intervals. At a quick glance, they would simply appear as pedestrians but they were obviously watching the building.

  “I'd like to get a look inside,” Michael said.

  “That's gonna be tricky,” Josh observed.

  “We'll need help.”

  Almost as if he were listening in to their conversation, Gatti called just then.

  “Hey Tim. What's up?” Michael answered.

  “Michael. How's Jess?”

  “Stable. Looks like she'll pull through.”

  “I'm glad to hear it. I have some of my own news.”

  “Why does that sound ominous?”

  “It's about Milovich.”

  “What? They finally took him down?”

  “No, not exactly. His body was found yesterday. I waited to tell you until I could independently confirm it.”

  “How did he die?” Michael asked, not sure what to make of the news.

  “He was executed. Took two to the back of the head. His bodyguards were found later. Looks like they died in a shootout with whoever ended up killing Milovich.”

  Michael was speechless.

  “No word on who did it yet,” Gatti continued. “I don't think it was anyone from inside his organization. According to Russian intelligence, there has been no successor named and it's sheer chaos. All of his top men are missing.”

  “What do you mean they're missing?”

  “There's been no sign of his top three captains in over a week. We don't know if Milovich was in the middle of a little restructuring of his own or if someone else got to them.”

  “Tim, I need you to check on something for me. One of Milovich's men who was very close to him, Dmitri. Is he mentioned?”<
br />
  Dmitri Kirsanov was a good friend of Michael who was working undercover as one of Milovich's most trusted soldiers. He helped Michael and Jessica when they had their run-in with Milovich two years ago. Hearing that Milovich's closest companions were all either dead or missing Michael feared Dmitri was among them.

  “Uhh. Let me see.” Gatti looked over the reports. “A Dmitri Noskov is listed among the deceased.”

  Michael closed his eyes. He didn't know what surname Dmitri was using undercover but it seemed likely to be him. “Can you do me a favor?”

  “Of course.”

  “It's vital that you be discreet.”

  “Michael, my whole living is discreet.”

  “One of Milovich's top soldiers was a Russian intelligence agent working undercover. His real name is Dmitri Kirsanov. He helped us a lot with Milovich and has been keeping him off our trail for the past two years. Can you find out if that was him?”

  “I'll look into it.”

  “Thanks, Tim.”

  “There's something else, Michael. It's about Jeffrey Bowen.”

  “What now?” Michael sighed.

  “It could be nothing, but I found it intriguing. Bowen is staying at the Waldorf. His suite costs eight grand a night, not including room service which adds about another thousand. He has very expensive taste.”

  “He likes to flaunt his money.” Michael brushed it off. “I could've told you that. You should see his house.”

  “Yeah, I know it could be nothing. But compare that to Meier's suite, which is only three grand a night. These guys aren't known for being frugal.”

  “What are you trying to say Tim?”

  “I'm not sure yet. But maybe Bowen hasn't been completely honest about his role in Meier's organization.”

  “That's not surprising.”

  “Just thought I'd let you know. It seems odd to me.”

  “Yeah, I guess it does seem a little odd.” Michael stared at the apartment building. His mind drifted to how he would get inside. “I need another favor.”

  “What is it?”

  “I'm at the location of the buy. I need to get a look at the apartment Meier is using. Any ideas how I can do that without raising any red flags.”

  “Give me a few hours. I'll see what I can do.”

  “Thanks Tim. I really appreciate your help.”

  “No problem, Michael. Send Jess my love.”

  Michael hung up the phone and informed Josh of what Gatti had just told him.

  “Think Milovich pissed off his boss?” Josh asked.

  “His boss didn't kill him when we destroyed his lucrative heroin trade and CIA connections, nearly crippling his organization. I don't think he could've done anything to piss him off more than that. Besides, if his boss did it he would've been replaced already.”

  “True,” Josh agreed.

  They continued to case the apartment building until Gatti called back an hour and half later.

  “Lance is on his way to meet you with the supplies you will need. He should be calling you soon. You can get into the apartment above the one they're using. Door code to get into the building is 96425. You'll only have a few hours though before the tenants get back.”

  “Where are they?” Michael asked.

  “There was a slight paperwork snafu and they were picked up on felony warrants.”

  “I hope I never piss you off,” Michael remarked.

  Gatti laughed. “Yeah, well it won't be long before the mistake is discovered. In the meantime, you're free to go in.”

  “Thanks again, Tim.”

  “Be careful, Michael.”

  MICHAEL AND Josh met Corvo in a parking garage a few blocks away. He handed over a large duffel bag equipped with a drill, mini cams, and listening devices. Michael thanked him and then he and Josh walked back to the apartment building, perfectly timing their arrival to avoid the sentries walking the street. They quickly made their way to the upstairs apartment and picked the lock.

  After briefly surveying the layout of the apartment, the first thing they did was lower a mini cam out the window to the floor below hoping to get a look at any guards stationed inside. Through a small gap in the blinds they were able to spot two men on a couch watching TV in the living room. They were unable to see into any of the other rooms.

  They moved to the master bedroom and pulled up the carpeting in a corner of the room. Josh found the vacuum and when Michael was ready to start drilling, he began vacuuming nearby to help drown out the sound. Michael drilled slowly to minimize the noise. They slipped the mini cam through the tiny hole in the floor and soon had a view of the master bedroom below.

  They were horrified at what they saw. Inside the room, they counted five children. Three boys and two girls. None looked older than ten. They both felt sick. There were toys and coloring books scattered around the room, but none of the children were playing with them. One of the boys, who looked to be the oldest, had his arm around one of the girls trying to comfort her while she clutched a doll. The other girl was curled up on the floor in a ball. The other two boys sat next to each other staring at the floor.

  “This is horrible,” Michael groaned.

  Josh turned away from the screen. “Michael, we can't let this happen.”

  Michael closed his eyes and shook his head. It was worse than he imagined and he wasn't prepared for it.

  “I'm not standing by while those children are sold into a life of horror,” Josh stated firmly.

  Michael was having trouble concentrating. All he wanted to do in that moment was go downstairs, kill the guards, and rescue those children.

  “I'm not going to just stand by either,” Michael agreed. “We will rescue these kids no matter what.”

  Josh looked angrily at him. “But?”

  “If we don't stop Meier. This will happen again, with other children.”

  “You aren't serious? You want to let them go through with the sale?”

  “We need those tapes. There have been other buyers, powerful men who will protect Meier to save themselves. The only way to take Meier down is to strip away his defenses.”

  “In the meantime, what happens to these kids?”

  “We'll tell Lance. He can have them followed once they leave here. We'll make sure nothing happens to them.”

  Josh shook his head. “I say we just take out Meier ourselves. Between you and me, he doesn't stand a chance. Heck, we could get you a sniper rifle and he'll be dead before sundown tomorrow.”

  “All right,” Michael played along with his suggestion. “What will happen then to all the men who bought women and children before now? I guess they'll get away scot-free. Of course they'll have to find a new supplier. That'll be inconvenient.”

  Josh glared at him. “You made your point.”

  “I don't like it anymore than you.”

  Shaking his head Josh turned away. “There was no recording equipment in there. Must be in the other bedroom.”

  “Let's go check it out.”

  They moved to the opposite side of the apartment where the second bedroom was located. They drilled a hole in the floor as they had done before. Inside the second bedroom there was an elaborate setup of computer monitors attached to a laptop. On the screens, they saw video of the elevator and hallway outside the apartment as well as the entry and living room inside. There was no other recording equipment.

  “They must be recording directly to the laptop,” Josh surmised.

  “Or online somewhere,” Michael added.

  “I didn't think of that. How are we going to find the other recordings then?”

  Michael pulled out his phone and dialed Kevin's number. He explained where they were and what they were looking at. Kevin asked him questions about the laptop and what he could see on the screen.

  “If I had to guess,” said Kevin. “I'd say they're uploading it to a secure server.”

  “Is there any way to find out where it's going and hack the server?”

  “Po
ssibly. We would need access to the laptop.”

  “I was afraid you'd say that.” Michael sighed. “How's Jess?”

  “Sleeping still.”

  “Call me if anything changes.”

  “I will.”

  Michael hung up the phone and gave Josh a look of sheer frustration. “We need to get the laptop.”

  Josh cursed under his breath. He knew as well as Michael that wouldn't be easy. “Think we can get a bug in the living room?”

  “I'm thinking a laser mic is more feasible.”

  “Would Lance have one?”

  “Let's find out.” Michael pulled out his phone again and dialed Corvo.

  “Hi Michael,” Corvo greeted him. “What's up?”

  “Any chance we could get our hands on a laser mic?”

  “I have one in the truck. You're free to use it.”

  “Great, where are you?”

  “Outside watching the apartment.”

  “You worried about me?”

  “Nah. Just wanted to be close in case you needed me.”

  Michael smiled. “Think you could set the mic across the street on the roof?”

  “Consider it done.”

  “Thanks, Lance. The sale is scheduled for tomorrow so we're going to head back to the hospital until then. We should rendezvous tomorrow morning in the same parking garage. Say 10:00 am?”

  “I'll see you then.”

  Chapter 25

  Michael sat quietly next to Jessica for the majority of the night while she slept. Every so often she would grimace and moan. Michael couldn't tell if she was in pain or having a bad dream. He would stroke her hair and tell her he was there with her and she would calm right down.

  Shortly before dawn, Jessica woke. By some miracle, Michael was passed out in the horrendously uncomfortable chair next to her. She smiled when she saw him. Feeling a little sore from lying in the same spot all night she shifted, trying to change her position. The moment she started to move, Michael bolted awake.

  “You okay?” he asked, quickly rubbing his eyes and sitting up.

  “I'm fine. I didn't mean to wake you,” she said softly.

  “It's all right. Are you in pain?”