by Mel LeBrun
Michael's phone rang as he was getting in the truck. It was Gatti returning his call.
“What took you so long?” Michael asked.
“I'm sorry. You wouldn't believe the day I've had. What's up?”
“Did you know anything about the bounties Jess and I had?”
Gatti's delayed response answered the question. “Who told you that you had bounties?”
“Jeff. So you knew?”
“Yeah,” Gatti finally admitted. “I knew. I didn't tell you because it wouldn't have changed anything. Except maybe made you more paranoid.”
“How about the fact that Tolenka Plushenko is dead?”
“Who told you he was dead?” Gatti asked.
“Quit the crap, Tim. Just answer the question.”
Gatti shifted in his seat. “All right. I guess I'll assume Jeff again.” He took another deep breath before continuing, “We suspected he was dead but couldn't confirm it.”
“So if he's dead, Milovich is dead, and his three captains are dead. Are we in the clear?”
“His captains are dead?”
“Yeah, somehow Jeff knows a lot about what happened to Milovich.”
“He put the hit on him?”
“That's what I think. Don't ask me to prove it. Though I have a few interesting phone numbers for you to check out.”
“If their entire leadership is dead, yeah, I'd say you're in the clear, Michael. What are the phone numbers you're talking about?”
“I pulled them off Jeff's phone.”
“How the heck did you get his phone?”
“I asked nicely.”
Gatti laughed. “Right. I'm sure you did. Give me the numbers.”
Michael gave him six numbers from Jeff's recent call history. “There's something else, Tim. When we took the laptop from Roth, he said no matter what agency we worked for he would find us. Made me worry he has people in the CIA. We already know the FBI was compromised and may still be.”
“Hmm. Yeah, that doesn't sound too good,” Gatti agreed.
“Watch your back. Tell Lance to do the same.”
“You too, Michael.”
JOSH CALLED when Michael was halfway to The Waldorf.
“How's it going?” Josh asked.
Michael sighed. “I feel like I'm living a nightmare that won't end.”
“It sure feels like that, doesn't it?”
“Where's our friend?” Michael asked.
“He moved on to another part of the hospital. Martin tailed him for a bit but had to back off.”
“All right, put Jeff on. Let's get this over with.”
Josh stepped into Jessica's room where Jeff had been hiding out and handed him the phone.
Jeff put the phone to his ear. “I'm here,” he said, clearly annoyed by what he was being forced to do.
“I'll mute my side when the call connects.” Michael dialed Meier's number and then muted the call. He turned on the speakerphone and set the phone next to him in the passenger's seat.
“Jeff?!” Meier answered. “Where have you been? I've been trying to reach you since last night! You weren't at the dinner and you haven't returned any of my calls. Your phone shows you at a hospital. What happened?”
“I was having dinner with a young lady when I started not feeling well. The doctors thought it was my heart and wanted to run some tests. Everything is fine though. It was nothing. I'm heading back to my room now.”
“Good, because we have a real problem.”
“Now is not the time. I will call you later.”
“It's serious, Jeff. It can't wait.”
“I told you,” Jeff said sternly. “We'll talk later.” He didn't want to discuss business with Michael and Josh listening in.
“Someone stole the laptop!” Meier shouted, exasperated by Jeff's dismissive attitude. “Our contacts could be compromised!”
Though the phone was not on speaker, he spoke so loudly anyone within two feet could hear his words as clear as day and Josh did. The term “our contacts” caused him to look curiously at Jeff whose face turned beet red. Clearly, Meier said more than Jeff wanted him to. Jeff's subsequent outburst served to further entrench Michael's belief that Jeff didn't work for Meier. Meier worked for him.
Unleashing a torrent of obscenities, Jeff told Meier to wait for his call and not even attempt to reach him under any circumstances. He slammed the phone shut and shoved it at Josh before storming out of the room. Both he and Jessica were left with their mouths gaping open in shock over what they just witnessed.
After listening to the interchange between Jeff and Meier, Michael actually began to feel a little afraid of Jeff. Who was he really? Not only had he blotted Milovich off the map, but the man supposedly running one of the largest human trafficking organizations in the world was going to him for help.
MICHAEL GOT Jeff on the phone again as he knocked on the door to his suite. When Jeff's bodyguard answered, Michael held the phone out to him. “Your boss wants to talk with you.”
The guard gave Michael a strange look as he took the phone from him. He listened as Jeff instructed him to leave the cell phone in the room and come pick him up from the hospital. If Meier was still tracking his phone, it would look like he was at his hotel. When the guard agreed, Michael left.
As he drove back to the hospital, Michael called Corvo to check on the kids they rescued and see how it went with Roth.
“We've located most of the parents,” Lance informed him.
“Most?”
“Having a little trouble with one of the girls. She's very young. Doctors estimate she's six or seven. She doesn't know her last name, where she's from, or who her parents are. We're not even sure her first name is her real one.”
“She doesn't remember anything?”
“She won't talk about it but we think she's been held for years. We're running her fingerprints and DNA through various databases around the world. We think she's from Russia but we can't even be sure of that. For all we know, her parents sold her into this.”
“What about Roth?”
Corvo let out a groan, hesitant to answer. “He's out.”
“What?!”
“We didn't even have him an hour when we were served with diplomatic papers demanding his release.”
“He had diplomatic immunity?” Michael couldn't believe what he was hearing.
“Well, he didn't before we picked him up. Believe me, I checked. Meier has some serious pull in the German government. The papers were all dated months ago.”
“Are you telling me the German government is turning a blind eye to what he did?”
“Not exactly. They claim they will prosecute him. But I think we both know that will never happen. They'll drag him through a few trials but in the end, he'll get off.”
“What about everyone else?”
“Lawyered up. Right before the case got taken away from me. I have a bad feeling this whole thing is going to get buried.”
Michael was disheartened, though not surprised. “Listen, Lance. Meier might be even more connected than we initially thought. Roth alluded to having people in every agency of the government.”
“Tim told me. I'll be careful.”
“All right. I'll check in with you later.”
Chapter 27
Michael returned to the hospital where Kevin was talking with the doctors about moving Jessica to Mass General so she could be closer to home. He joined the conversation.
“She's stable,” the doctor explained. “But I'm not comfortable with her traveling such a long distance. If she experiences any sudden complications while on the road, it won't be good.”
“What if she were transported by helicopter?” Kevin asked.
“That would be much better but I doubt insurance would pay for it.”
“I'll pay for it,” Kevin and Michael both said at the same time. They looked at each other.
“I'll pay for it,” Kevin insisted.
Since Kevin had more money than
he and Jessica could ever dream to have, Michael didn't object.
“Can you arrange it?” Kevin asked.
The doctor nodded. “I'll make some calls.”
After the doctor left, Michael asked Kevin if he was able to find out anything from the laptop.
“I have good news and bad news,” Kevin answered.
“What's the good news?”
“We traced the upload to a server in Germany.”
“And the bad news?”
“It's offline. They must only connect it to accept the uploads.”
“Do you have an address at least?”
“Only an approximate one.”
“That's fine. I'll give it to Tim and see what he can do.”
Kevin nodded. “You don't mind that I'm trying to get Jess back in Boston, do you?”
“If you hadn't asked, I would have.”
“That's what I thought. The girls need to be home. They have school and I think they worry about Jess too much being here.”
“I know,” Michael agreed.
Kevin watched as Michael seemed to lose himself in his thoughts. “They're also worried about you.”
“Me?”
“Frankly, I am too,” Kevin added.
“I'm fine.” Michael shook it off. “Just, a lot has happened.”
“Maybe you should talk to someone?”
Michael chuckled at the thought. “Jess is who I would've talked to.”
“You can talk with me.”
Michael shook his head. “I'm fine.”
Kevin frowned. “Well, I still think you should talk with someone.”
“I appreciate your concern Kevin, but I'll be fine,” Michael assured him.
“If you change your mind, you know how to reach me.”
Michael nodded. “Thanks.”
SIX HOURS later, Jessica was flown by helicopter to Massachusetts General Hospital. The next available flights didn't go out for another couple hours so everyone decided to just drive back. Kevin rented a car to take him and his girls home. Michael, Josh, Jinx and Martin took the SUV.
Michael had tried to call Corvo a few times before they left to let him know he was going back home, but it kept going straight to voicemail. He tried one more time as they were leaving the city. It rang this time, but eventually went to voicemail. He didn't bother leaving a message. Almost immediately after hanging up, his phone suspiciously rang from a private number. He answered but waited for the caller to speak first. There was only silence. Five seconds later, the call ended. Immediately he called Gatti.
“Michael. What's up?”
“Have you heard from Lance?” Michael asked anxiously.
“Actually I was going to ask you the same thing. When did you speak to him last?”
“We spoke on the phone maybe eight hours ago.”
“That's about the same for me,” said Gatti.
“Something's wrong.”
“I tried to track his phone but it was off.”
“It just rang a minute ago, check it now.”
Gatti put Michael on hold while he did just that. A few minutes later he came back on the line. “It was just showing in New York and then it went off again.”
“Something happened.” Michael was sure of it. “Check the last call that came in to my phone.”
Hearing only one side of the conversation, Josh and Martin anxiously wondered what was going on.
“I got a location. I'm sending some agents. I'll take care of it, Michael. Go be with Jessica.” Gatti's tone was tense.
“I'm going to make one stop first.” Michael exited the highway.
“Michael, stay out of it.”
“I got him into this.”
“No, Michael, his job got him into this.”
“I'm not leaving him high and dry.” Michael wouldn't back down. “I'll bet anything Jeff knows what happened.”
“I'm not going to be able to talk you out of it, am I?” Gatti asked.
“You know the answer to that.”
“Be careful.”
“I'll call you in a bit.”
Michael hung up the phone and got back on the highway headed back to New York while filling everyone in on the situation. He stopped the truck in front of The Waldorf and told Martin to take over driving as he got out.
“You want me to go with you?” Josh asked.
“No,” was all he said in response.
He flew into the building and rushed to the elevator. His speed, coupled with the slight visibility of his gun hastily tucked in his back waistband, attracted the attention of security. By the time he got to Jeff's floor, there were security guards waiting for him. Forced into an altercation, the guards were soon recovering on the floor as Michael continued to Jeff's room. When Jeff's unsuspecting bodyguard answered, Michael stuck the gun in his face and pushed him back into the room.
Jeff, who was reclining in a chair reading from his tablet, looked up at Michael and sighed loudly. “What is it now Michael?”
Michael pushed his bodyguard down onto the other chair and slid the gun back into his waistband as a team of security guards swarmed Jeff's door.
Jeff waved them off like it was nothing. “He's with me.”
“He just assaulted two of our employees,” the supervisor said angrily.
If looks could kill, that man would have died where he stood. “Are you accusing one of my guests?” Jeff's hostile tone and scornful expression wasn't hard to read.
The security guard's anger promptly shifted to fear. “No, sir. We're sorry to bother you.” He hastily shut the door and left.
Jeff then calmly turned his attention back to Michael. “Did you need to speak with me?”
“Where is he?”
Jeff shook his head. “You've lost me.”
“Special Agent Lance Corvo.”
“I have no idea who that is.”
“I think you're lying.”
“Well,” Jeff returned to whatever he was doing on his tablet. “I don't exactly care what you think.”
“You care what Jess thinks.”
Jeff looked back up at him. “And what does Jess think?”
“Nothing yet. But I'll tell her you killed him.”
Becoming agitated, Jeff huffed. “How can I kill someone I know nothing about?”
“Roth said no matter what agency we worked for, he'd find us. Which tells me he has people in every agency. Since Meier's contacts are in actuality your contacts, I think you know exactly who he is.”
Jeff was quiet as he tried to decide whether or not to deny Michael's accusations. “I don't,” he finally answered. “But I can find out.”
Michael was admittedly surprised at his forthcoming response. He wondered if he could trust him. He didn't have much choice. If Corvo was taken by Meier, Jeff was his only hope of finding him before they killed him.
“How long will it take you?”
“I should have an answer within the hour,” Jeff replied confidently.
“I want him back alive.”
Jeff looked him in the eye. “I can't guarantee that.”
“You sure as hell better try,” Michael said angrily. “I'll be back in a half hour.” He then turned and left.
Jeff looked at his bodyguard and shook his head in disgust at how easily Michael got past him. His bodyguard looked visibly angry and ashamed at his own failure.
Back in the truck, Michael relayed his conversation with Jeff to Martin and Josh and then phoned Gatti to update him. He waited just over the half hour mark before returning to the Waldorf to see what Jeff had learned. He had no trouble from security this time around, although Jeff's bodyguard wasn't too keen on him. Jeff stood when he entered the room.
“What did you learn?” Michael asked.
Seeming reluctant to answer, Jeff took a deep breath and replied, “He's dead.”
“You're lying.”
“Michael, even if I was lying, I don't see how you could possibly make that determination.”
> “If they simply wanted to kill him then he would just be dead, not missing. They took him to work him for information. He's being tortured right now. He's not dead.”
“I don't know what to tell you, Michael. They didn't get anything out of him and so they killed him.”
“Listen to me,” Michael said forcefully. “Lance Corvo knows who Jess and I really are and how to find us. He knows we have the laptop. When he breaks, they will come after us.” Michael tried to appeal to Jeff's protective side as a father.
Jeff looked away. “You can't save him, Michael.” He turned back to him and looked him square in the eyes. “No one can.”
“I was in special forces for over twelve years. Try me.”
Jeff shook his head. “No. I won't tell you. It's too dangerous.”
Michael stepped closer to him. “Jeff. He will crack. He's just an FBI agent.”
Jeff cocked his head and looked at him with a smug smirk. “We both know he's not FBI.”
Hearing confirmation of what he feared, that the CIA was compromised, took his breath away.
“So you do have someone in the CIA?”
“No.” Jeff shook his head. “It's far worse than that. And he's not mine. He's strictly Meier's contact.”
“What do you mean it's far worse?”
Jeff snickered. “You wouldn't believe me if I told you.”
“Try me.”
Jeff looked Michael over, wondering if he should tell him. He finally answered, “Your Director of National Intelligence.”
“Bruce Thompson?” Michael shook his head. “No. That can't be true.”
Jeff shrugged. “Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Meier has dirt on him.”
Michael numbly sat in a nearby chair trying to process that revelation. “We're screwed.”
“How so?” Jeff asked.
“Our cover identities, our lives were fabricated by the CIA. The only record of who Jess and I really are is in their care. It's only a matter of time before he traces this to us, or at the very least, our friends in the agency.”