by Nick Vellis
Beads of sweat began to form on Dobos’ upper lip and forehead. He had to salvage as much as possible. He worked quickly, fingers flying over the keys. “Damn,” he said aloud as he found another frozen account. Work faster. When he settled the last account, he changed the passwords on the new ones. Next, he checked his credit cards, two were already closed. “Solaris is fast. He must have a dozen people working on screwing me,” Dobos said to the empty room.
When he was sure which credit cards Solaris didn’t know about, he closed the browser. He would have to get rid of the computer. He had instant messaged Solaris from it often. He would be able to track him by following the computer’s IP address.
Dobos stood and leaned backwards with his hands on his hips. He rubbed the back of his hand across his aching eyes. He had to know what he was up against. He went into the bathroom and started a bath. He washed his face then put his toiletries in a brown zipper bag. He took a small metal bottle from among his toiletries, carefully opened it, and poured the bottle’s contents into the tub and dropped the bottle in as well. The sharp, irritating odor of hydrogen chloride filled the room as the hydrochloric acid mixed with the water in the tub. With a towel over his face, he left the bathroom closing the door behind him. He plugged his titanium travel drive into the MacBook and downloaded everything he thought he would need onto the indestructible little drive.
Next, he put the Apple install disk in his optical drive and hit reboot. When he heard the boot chime, he hit the option key to force the laptop to boot from the installation disk. A few more steps and thirty minutes later, the computer’s hard drive was effectively erased.
Dobos opened the door into the bathroom holding a towel over his mouth and nose against the fumes and turned off the tap. The tub held about six inches of water. He opened his Motorola Razor, pried off the back, and removed the SIM card.
He turned the phone on and when it tried to power up he tossed it and the SIM card into the tub. The MacBook joined the phone in the acid bath, assuring nothing on either device could be recovered, no matter how skilled the forensic technician.
Dobos returned to the bedroom and looked around. Satisfied he’d cover his tracks, he prepared to leave. He slipped on his soft, high quarter shoes. Their crepe soles made his footsteps nearly silent on any surface. He tossed a change of clothes and his thumb drive into a messenger bag.
Reaching under the mattress Dobos removed three guns. A slim Kel-Tec P-3AT semi auto pistol and its seven .380 ACP rounds he slipped into a holster on his right ankle. The light polymer weapon weighed only 81 grams and it was the perfect ankle gun.
Next, he checked his favorite, his trusted Makarov PB with its integrated suppressor and twelve round magazine. He slipped the gun into a sling holster inside the center of his slacks. The weapon hung loosely just below the centerline of his belt, inside his pants. He put on a navy windbreaker to cover his primary weapon. There was not a sign of a bulge. Finally, he put a North American Arms .22 Magnum Pug in his windbreaker pocket. The Pug’s one-inch barrel was small enough to conceal in his palm. The American-made mini-revolver’s five .22 rounds were only accurate at very close range but could give a desperate man a fighting chance. Dobos turned on the television to appearance he was still there, turned off all but the bathroom light, and slipped out of into the hall.
Dobos slipped out of his room then went down the service stairs to the basement. He got a few puzzled stares from the hotel staff as he left by the loading dock, but it couldn’t be helped. Looking at his watch, he saw it was nearly 4:50 p.m. Had he given his opposition enough time to track him down, to get in place?
He walked quickly but cautiously along Via Agnesi in the opposite direction of the car he would use, stopping frequently to look in store windows. Dobos wasn’t window-shopping; he was looking for surveillance. The streets and sidewalks were crowded, making it easier to blend in, but damn hard to catch a whiff of surveillance. He crossed the street and doubled back twice, finally reversing direction until he reached the car parked along the street. Once at the car, he looked around, unlocked it, and opened the door.
Before he could get in, the window shattered. Suppressed gunfire, Dobos thought. More bullets struck the car, sending a second shower of glass, plastic and metal flying. The debris was all that alerted him.
Dobos ducked and bolted. He ran to a store doorway, chased by puffs of dust kicked up by bullets zinging against the sidewalk.
The suppressed gunfire made a dull popping sound, but the traffic and people on the street made it impossible to locate his attacker. Dobos was a sitting duck. He ran into the first doorway he found, which turned out to be a hair salon, as two bullets chipped the granite at the entrance. He pushed his way past a protesting receptionist, ran through the building and out into an alley. Dobos ran, knowing he could never turn his back again and that now the hunter had become the hunted.
The Gulfstream touched down in Thessaloniki, Greece, at 4 p.m. local time and taxied to an empty hanger at in the civil aviation section of Mikra airport. Gia, Alessandro, and a grim AJ came down the jet’s collapsible steps where they were met by two uniformed customs and immigration agents.
Standing just out of sight in the shadows, indistinct in the darkened hanger several men stood around three dark Land Rovers, the glow of their cigarettes the only hint of the presence. When the cursory immigration inspection was completed and their passports were stamped, Alessandro led the trio toward the figures in the shadows.
Alessandro spoke first as he reached to shake the hand of the tall, well groomed-man approaching him. “Hello, Georgios. It’s been a long time,” he said to the middle-aged man extending his hand in greeting. “Thank you for your help and meeting us.”
“It’s my pleasure, Alessandro. We have been after this man for a long time, too. I’m glad we could cooperate.
“Gia, Ajax, this is Georgios Skouris, Deputy Minister of Police with the rank of Major General,” Alessandro said.
“Deputy Minister is pretentious enough, thank you,” Georgios said as he reached out and gently shook Gia’s hand, but AJ just glowered at the man and ignored his hand of friendship.
“Mr. Pantheras is unhappy I’ve involved your agency, Georgios. He doesn’t trust the Greek government,” Alessandro said.
“Then we have much in common,” Georgios laughed, “neither do I.” Turning to AJ, he said, “Mr. Pantheras, I won’t pretend to know all that has gone on or what the big picture is from your perspective. Please understand we want Solaris as much as the Italians. He is a murderer, a black marketer and smuggler. He’s also one of the wealthiest men in the Mediterranean and we have no idea who he really is. Your information is the best lead we’ve had on him in …” he turned to look at Alessandro, who joined him in saying, “decades.”
“It’s not just the Greek government I don’t trust.” AJ spit out the words, while trying to stare Alessandro down. He wasn’t happy, and what he saw next sent him into orbit. Out of the gloom stepped a tall, rugged, neatly dressed man with a permanent five o’clock shadow, a man he knew.
“I believe you know my nephew, Captain Tinos Ganis, Hellenic Police Antiterrorism Unit, Georgios said as Tinos came closer.
“You!” AJ sneered. “So is your other uncle fixing us dinner tonight?”
“That’s right, you’ve met Diogenes,” Georgios said. “His is the best café in Athens.”
“No wonder you were so helpful,” AJ said. “I thought you were a friend.” The word friend sounded like an insult. “Will you get a bonus or a promotion for setting me up?”
“It’s not like that, AJ. I was on vacation, and my cousin took sick. He asked me to drive his taxi for a week or two,” Tinos said. “I was off duty, but when being with you turned into an important case…”
“You saw a chance for promotion or whatever. You used me and my friend, and you have the nerve to show up here?” AJ said his face dark with anger.
Tinos put a hand up as though defending his face from
a rain of blows. “Guilty, my friend, but I didn’t have a choice. I was sure you hadn’t killed that man in the Metro Hotel, but I had a responsibility…
“A responsibility to rat us out?” AJ spat out.
“What is ‘rat out’,” Georgios said, looking at Alessandro, who shrugged.
“It’s to snitch, to betray. That’s what ratting out is.” AJ again spit out the words. “How about the black market phones and ammo, did you keep the money?”
“Mr. Pantheras, the things you bought were from an undercover agent. Tinos had no choice,” Georgios said. “Once he found out you could have information on a homicide, he was duty bound to report what he knew. When it appeared Solaris was involved, there was no turning back. Oh, and your money will be returned.”
“That’s why I came looking for you in Thessaloniki,” Tinos said. “I’m sorry.”
“Your information on the killers at the hotel Metro was most valuable. We looked for cell phone calls made nearby at the time you saw the men and that gave us the information that allowed us to track the two killers to Italy. We notified the Italian authorities, and the rest you know.”
“One of them is dead,” Alessandro said.
AJ’s eyes bored holes into Alessandro.
“What!” Georgios said.
“That’s right. Petru was killed at a café on Via Garibaldi this afternoon. He took three to the heart in broad daylight and with no witnesses. We had a report of another shooting on Via Agnesi this afternoon too, but the intended victim got away. It looks like they’re tying up loose ends.”
“Great. When were you going to tell me about all this?” AJ said.
“You were sulking in the back of the plane,” Gia said, not cutting AJ the slightest slack. He was acting like a spoiled child.
“Well, they aren’t coming after us now with one dead and the other on the run. That shoots Gia’s big plan in the foot,” AJ said, avoiding Gia’s big brown eyes.
“I’m not so sure,” Gia said, ignoring AJ’s sarcasm. “I’ve been thinking about that. Dobos could try again to get out of trouble with his bosses, or the new player could show up. Either way we may still have a chance to catch one or both of them and track them back to the man behind it all.”
“A chance? You mean anyone could kill us. And, as for the ‘new player,’ we don’t even know who he is. The only chance we had was that Ceres and I saw the two men going into the hotel back in Athens. Now we’re back to square one,” AJ said, suddenly realizing how negative he’d become. His innate cowardice was rearing its ugly head.
“Miss Donnattela may be right. It still could work,” Tinos spoke up with authority. “If the first hit man is running scared, he would want to try to redeem himself. The person who’s after him has no choice but to follow and try to knock him off. He could even have the assignment to get you, too, AJ,” Tinos said. “Besides, we have the boat picked out, the surveillance is already in place, and we’ve put word around that two foreigners are going to dive the wreck of… what’s the name of the old freighter?”
“The Agamemnon,” AJ interjected.
“Yeah, that’s right. How could I forget that?” Tinos said.
“What arrangements have you made for the surveillance, Captain Ganis?” Alessandro asked.
Gia and AJ both listened closely. If they were going to do this, they would be the bait in the trap.
“The boat we’ve chosen is under observation from a nearby hotel, three men in rotating shifts. Video has been set up so we can watch from the command post and onboard the target boat itself. It’s well covered,” Tinos said.
“Great, we can watch each other being killed on the big screen,” AJ said.
“May I continue?” Tinos said, tired of AJ’s grumbling.
AJ made a dismissive wave, and Tinos continued. “There is audio in the wheel house, on the main deck, and in the two cabins.”
“What is the activity plan?” Gia asked.
“You and AJ will board the boat tonight. In the morning, a small truck with supplies and diving gear will make deliveries and…”
“…and we look busy,” AJ interrupted. “We know that. What do we do?”
Tinos scowled at AJ and said, “When the deliveries come, help unload, talk to the people about your dive…”
“I don’t dive, and I don’t know anything about diving,” AJ said. “This isn’t going to work.”
“Don’t worry about it. The people making the deliveries are our people. We need to simulate the activity of a dive boat.”
“We’re going to look busy all day?” AJ said.
“No, you’re going for a boat ride for a couple hours,” Tinos snapped. “The Coast Guard has a coastal patrol craft on station to monitor the boat’s progress,” Tinos said. “Then you come back. Look like you’re cleaning up the boat, and equipment, then bed down for the night right on the boat. Then you wait.”
“Thank you. You seem to have thought of everything, Captain Ganis. Any questions?” Alessandro said.
“I have one,” AJ said. “Who’s going to run this boat of ours, some reject from the Navy? I certainly can’t.”
Tinos smiled and said, “No, AJ, you get a reject from the Army. I’m running the boat and staying onboard with you to cover your ungrateful ass. You may be the cheese in this mouse trap, but I’m the spring.”
CHAPTER 30
AJ sulked alone in the Land Rover LR4’s back seat, silent in self-imposed exile. He was pissed, angry at being used as bait, angry at being forced to run for his life, angry at being sucked into a drama that a month ago, he neither knew nor cared about, and he was scared. AJ closed his eyes. The old familiar fear was sitting in his belly like a hot stone. He pressed his chin to his chest in a futile effort to relieve the burning in his neck and shoulders and the shame that filled him. Come on AJ, you can do this.
He broke the icy silence and said, “How much longer, Tinos?”
Captain Tinos Ganis squinted at him in the rearview and said, “We’re about half way there. Not much longer.”
Gia turned in her seat to face him and was surprised at how pale AJ looked “This is the only way to make it safe for your friend,” she said. “Think about Ceres.”
“That’s all I have been thinking about. I don’t like it. I don’t think it will work, but it’s the only choice there is if he’s ever to be safe,” AJ said softly. And I’m scared shitless.
He had lived with the fear all his life, debilitating, shameful fear. His father knew and hated him for being weak, and so had anyone who got close to him. He liked this girl, and Tinos, too, but soon they’d learn what his father had known. Not only was AJ Pantheras a greedy womanizer, he was also a coward.
“It’ll work. It has to,” Gia said, looking at Tinos.
“It’s a good plan, AJ, and we’ve covered every eventuality,” Tinos said, looking at AJ in the rearview. “Remember, it’s my neck, too. I’ll be on the boat with you.”
AJ’s cell phone rang, cutting off the discussion.
“Ajax, are you there?” Ceres said.
“Ceres, good to hear your voice, how are you feeling?” AJ asked. He smiled.
“I’m much better. I walked the corridor twice today,” Ceres said. “I know, pitiful isn’t it?”
“No,” AJ laughed, “not at all. You took a bad blow to the head, and with your other injuries, it takes time. Have you seen the guards Mr. Moretti assigned?” AJ asked.
“Yes, they’re here. I should be with you,” Ceres said. “This is my …”
“It’s your quest, but it’s mine now, too,” AJ said.
“Is it Ajax? Is it really?” Ceres wanted to believe it but he wasn’t sure.
“Yes, it is, really. I’m glad you called. I wanted to … to tell you something and don’t know if I’ll get another chance.”
“What is it, Ajax?”
“Our buddy Tinos is here,” AJ said, stalling while he tried to find the words.
“What? How? Ceres sputtered.
&n
bsp; “Turns out he’s a Greek cop. He’s here and is going to help set our trap,” AJ said.
“Well, that’s a surprise. I took him for a good man but…”
“Look, Ceres, I wanted to say… to tell you… I … Ceres, it’s been an honor to get to know you. I haven’t always had the best intentions. You didn’t judge, and you waited for me to see the light,” AJ said. “No one ever did that for me. No one could have done more for me, and I’m grateful.”
“Thank you, Ajax. Getting to know you has been like being with your grandfather all over again. You’re a lot like him. Driven, sure of yourself. You are a very capable young man. He would be proud of you and so would your father,” Ceres said.
AJ didn’t believe a word of it but was glad Ceres had said it. “I don’t know about my father, but if you are satisfied, well, that’s enough. You take care of yourself. I’ll call you tomorrow, but if…”
“Whenever it is, Ajax, I know you’ll have done all you could. Be careful and good-bye,” Ceres said.
“Good-night,” AJ said as he ended the call.
“That was Ceres?” Gia asked as she turned in her seat to face AJ. “How is he?” She asked.
“I think he’s doing better.”
“Did he just want to talk, or did he have news?”
“He wanted to say good-bye,” AJ said, looking at the PI with a mist growing in his eyes.
Ceres looked at the phone then handed it to Mary.
“You didn’t tell him about the cipher, love. What’s wrong?” Mary asked.
“Nothing, nothing at all,” Ceres said wistfully. Then looking up at Mary, he said “Oh, the cipher. I forgot. It’s waited this long. It can wait a little longer.” He sighed.
“You look worried, love. What’s got you in such a lather?” Mary asked.
“Well,” Ceres said wistfully “I was just thinking about Ajax. He’s putting his life in danger because of me,” he sighed. Ceres knew the boy was struggling, but with what, he wasn’t sure.
“Oh posh. I wouldn’t worry about that young man, really. He has a good head ‘bout him and…”