Critical Play (Michael Cailen Book 3)

by Mel LeBrun

  Josh drove across and when it was safe, picked them up on the other side. They continued on their way to Jeff's estate without incident.

  Dmitri, Ivan, and Timur gawked at Jeff's stately mansion as they drove up the long driveway. It was an impressive building set in the middle of a massive and perfectly manicured lawn. In the distance was a large stable with peacefully grazing horses on one side and a vineyard on the other.

  They parked in the driveway and then gathered at the front door. The butler, James, brought them in to the dining area where Jeff was eating his breakfast. He offered the men food which they readily accepted.

  While the rest of the guys sat down at the table, Michael asked for a phone to call Jessica. Jeff brought Michael a prepaid phone he had picked up in anticipation of his arrival.

  “It's brand new. I haven't used it,” Jeff said as he handed it to him. “Paid with cash.”

  Michael thanked him as he took it then stepped out of the room to call Jessica.

  “Hi, sweetheart,” Michael greeted her. “How are you doing?”

  “You guys made good time,” she replied through a deep yawn.

  “Yeah, sorry. I know it's early.”

  “No,” she sat up and leaned against the headboard. “It's OK. I'm doing good. I'm glad to hear from you. No problems I take it?”

  “Everything went smoothly. How is Tatiana?”

  Jessica looked over at Tatiana next to her sleeping peacefully as she answered, “She cried a little last night but nothing like what Kevin had to endure.”

  “I guess I'm glad for that.” He took a deep breath. “I'm going to ask your father about who set Dmitri up. I know he has contacts in the Russian government and he might be able to point us in the right direction.”

  “I suppose you have to start somewhere,” she replied.

  “If I get a lead, Jess. I'll need to follow it.” Michael waited for her reaction, not knowing how it would go over.

  “What do you mean?”

  He took his time responding. “I might not be coming straight home.”

  A long silence followed while Jessica took in his words. The thought of him not coming home was greatly distressing to her. Since being married, they had only spent a handful of nights apart. The thought of spending more nights without him was difficult to accept.

  “Jess?”

  “Is there some reason you chose now to tell me this?” she asked. “Why didn't you tell me this when you left?”

  “I hadn't decided when I left. We talked about it on the drive here.”

  Jessica wiped some tears away as she went to the bathroom and shut the door, hoping not to wake Tatiana.

  “How long will you be gone?” she asked.

  “I don't know. It's hard to say, Jess.”

  “Give me some indication, Michael. Are you talking days, weeks, months, years?” She grew louder as she became more upset.

  Michael sighed. “A month, maybe. I don't know.”

  “A month?” Jessica tried to contain herself which was proving difficult.

  There was nothing Michael could say.

  “I miss you after one night, Michael. How am I supposed to last a whole month? Or longer?” She broke down sobbing.

  “I know. I'm sorry, Jess.”

  “Michael, I'm pregnant. How can you leave me like this?”

  Michael was torn between his feeling of owing Dmitri and wanting to help him and wanting to be there for his family. As much as he didn't want to leave Jessica alone, he knew if he didn't help Dmitri then he and his friends would likely end up dead and that was something he just couldn't live with.

  “Maybe you should stay with Kevin,” Michael suggested.

  “I don't want to stay with Kevin. I want my husband and father of my child.”

  Michael ran his hand down his face. “Jess, Dmitri is going to die if I don't help him. You know that right?”

  As much as Jessica wanted Michael home, she didn't want Dmitri to die. In fact she owed her life to Dmitri. He had protected her while she was being held captive by a psychopathic Russian mob leader, Vladamir Milovich, just a few years prior when she and Michael first met. Working undercover on a secret op to expose the entire organization, Dmitri had become Milovich’s most trusted soldier. Yet he disobeyed orders thus jeopardizing his cover and risking his life to ensure her safety and help her escape. He stuck his neck out again later to warn Michael when he learned of a double agent in the CIA who threatened their safety. She understood why Michael felt indebted to him. They simply couldn’t turn their back on him. Not after all he had done.

  “I'm sorry. I know you don't need me being emotional,” she said trying to control her crying but failing miserably.

  Michael chuckled. “Jess, baby, I've lived with you for more than three years. Believe me, I'm used to your emotions.”

  She laughed while still crying. “Only you could make me laugh while I cry.”

  He smiled. “You're going to be OK without me, Jess. You're stronger than you think. It's Tatiana I'm worried about.”

  “I miss you so much.”

  “I miss you too.”

  “Will you be able to call?” she asked.

  Michael hesitated to answer. “I doubt it, Jess. This situation with Dmitri is dangerous. I don't want to increase the risk of bringing it home.”

  “How did I know you were going to say that?”

  “If I can safely contact you, I will.”

  Jessica was silent for a moment while she tried to quell her anxiety over not being able to speak to him. “I thought we left this life behind us.”

  “I know. I did too.”

  There was a knock on the bathroom door. Jessica opened it to see Tatiana standing there with her giant purple teddy bear.

  “Hey sweetie,” Jessica greeted her. “Daddy is on the phone. Do you want to talk to him?”

  A huge smile grew on her face as she nodded yes. Jessica handed her the phone and she began speaking with Michael in Russian. Tatiana seemed reluctant to end the conversation but eventually, at Michael's request, she brought the phone back to Jessica.

  After saying goodbye to Jessica, Michael joined everyone else in the dining room. A banquet of food had been brought out. There were eggs, bagels, fruit, yogurt, orange juice, coffee and assorted pastries. Dmitri, Ivan, Timur and Josh were already well into their meal when Michael sat down.

  “How are they?” Jeff asked Michael.

  “They're fine.” Michael began taking food for himself. “Do you have any idea who could have set Dmitri up?” Michael asked Jeff.

  Jeff took a deep breath and slowly exhaled as if trying to calm himself. “No. How could I?” he asked.

  “Whoever arranged this is high up and has knowledge of the secret unit Dmitri worked in,” Michael answered. “I'm betting you know who it is.”

  “No one I know would be so stupid as to put a nuclear weapon in the hands of terrorists,” Jeff answered indignantly.

  “How about greedy?” Josh chimed in. “Know anyone greedy enough to do it?”

  This time they could practically see a name came to Jeff's mind but he was unwilling to share it.

  “The sooner we get to the bottom of this, the sooner Dmitri and his friends will be out of your hair,” Michael reasoned.

  “I'm sorry, you're going to have to get your own information,” Jeff replied.

  “OK,” Michael said, surprising everyone by how quickly he caved. “I just hope the terrorists don't try to use the nuke on any large populated cities like New York … or Boston.”

  Michael continued eating appearing completely unaffected, while Jeff clearly was not. The thought of a nuclear bomb going off just minutes from where his daughter lived made him actually squirm in his chair.

  “Sergey Grekov,” Jeff blurted. “I don't know if he's involved but his greed has no bounds. I don't think he's stupid enough to get involved with terrorists but he certainly is greedy enough.”

  “Who is he?” Michael asked.
<
br />   “Russia’s Deputy Minister of Defense,” Dmitri answered. “Why do you think it's him?”

  “You know who he is?” Michael asked Dmitri before Jeff could respond.

  “I know of him,” Dmitri answered. “But I can't imagine how he learned of my unit. He is not directly involved in our operations and should not be aware of our existence”

  Michael turned back to Jeff, “Why do you suspect Grekov?”

  “Let's just say I know him a little more intimately than most. Again, I don't know if Grekov is involved but his insatiable greed makes him a likely suspect.”

  “What exactly do you do?” Ivan asked what the others knew better than to ask.

  Jeff simply looked at him.

  “It's a simple question,” Ivan continued undeterred.

  “It's not a simple answer,” Jeff replied annoyed. He looked at Michael. “Is there anything more?”

  “I need a way out of the country that doesn't involve any real paperwork,” Michael replied.

  “I can give you a name but I won't make the introduction,” Jeff offered. “I need to keep my distance.”

  “Fair enough.” Michael nodded. “Now about financing … If I start withdrawing large sums of money from my accounts, it's going to attract attention to me and Jess.”

  Seeing where this was headed, Jeff frowned. “I'll fund your little expedition,” he said reluctantly.

  Michael grinned over his easy victory. “Thank you.”

  “I'm going with you, right?” Josh said.

  “You talk to Jinx?” Michael asked.

  “No,” Josh replied, just now remembering the conversation he had with her. “I guess I should do that.”

  Michael gave him a look as if to say, “Duh,” and handed him the phone.

  Chapter 7

  Josh returned from speaking with Jinx and took his seat again at the table.

  “How did it go?” Michael asked.

  “Probably better than it did with Jessica,” Josh replied.

  Michael snickered. “Probably,” he agreed.

  “So do you have a plan, Michael?” Dmitri asked.

  “Sort of,” he replied. “I'm thinking we should dig around in his finances and follow him for a few days. See if we can turn anything up.”

  “I doubt you will get anything concrete from that,” Timur said.

  “I agree,” said Michael. “But if we can get some indication it was actually him, then I'll approach him as another terrorist looking for the same deal he gave the Syrians.”

  “He's unlikely to risk selling another nuke,” Dmitri said.

  “No, but perhaps he'll say enough to incriminate himself,” Michael responded. “If we can get him on tape, it should be enough to get a second look into what happened, if not clear it up completely.”

  “You're going to need help from someone other than Josh,” Timur observed.

  “Why is that?” Josh asked.

  “No offense, but you don't exactly look the part,” Timur answered.

  “I could dye my hair,” Josh offered.

  Timur, Ivan and Dmitri gave him a look.

  “Yeah, OK. Fine,” Josh reluctantly agreed. Dying his hair would do nothing to change his facial features or eye color. “But who in the world is going to help us?”

  Everyone was silent as they pondered their predicament.

  “What about David?” Josh asked in Russian so Jeff couldn't understand.

  “Sapir?” Michael seemed surprised by the suggestion but gave it some thought. “Not sure I want to throw a Mossad assassin into the mix,” Michael replied in Russian.

  “He likes you,” Josh said, again in Russian. “I think he would help you.”

  “Assuming we can even find him,” Michael played along. “You really think we can trust him? He's loyal to his country. He'll follow orders even if it means crossing us.”

  “Is there anyone else?” Josh asked.

  Dmitri, Ivan and Timur could offer no suggestions. Anyone they knew were sure to already be compromised. After a few more minutes of deliberation it was decided that David was the only option.

  Not understanding Russian and sensing his presence was no longer desired, Jeff excused himself.

  “If you need me, I'll be in the study,” Jeff said as he stood up and left.

  Though Jeff was now gone, the men continued to speak in Russian.

  “So how are we going to find him?” Dmitri asked.

  Michael took a deep breath. “I know where his sister lives. That is, if she's still there.”

  “You sure you want to do that?” Josh asked.

  “How else are we going to find him? Tim's not going to help us. And even if he would, I'm not sure I want him knowing what we're up to.”

  “Yeah, but Michael ...” Josh seemed hesitant to vocalize his concern.

  “It will be fine,” Michael replied. “It's been a long time.”

  Josh breathed deep and shook his head, clearly not one hundred percent on board.

  “What happened with his sister?” Ivan asked.

  “Nothing that concerns you,” Michael answered bluntly.

  “If you're going to this man for help, I'd say it does concern us,” Ivan replied indignantly.

  Michael looked at him. His expression clearly showed he was rapidly losing patience. “Well it's none of your business.”

  “Ivan, let it go,” Dmitri said.

  Ivan clenched his jaw and turned away.

  “I guess the only question then is where do you go first?” Dmitri said. “Grekov or your friend David?”

  “If David gets on board,” Josh said. “He could help us get close to Grekov. However, if he's not, he could severely hamper our efforts.”

  “Do we take the risk?” Michael asked.

  “How do you know this man?” Dmitri asked, wanting more information before he offered his opinion.

  “We worked together undercover a few times when I worked black ops,” Michael answered. “I first met him when I was stationed in Israel for almost a year on a joint training program. David was one of the instructors. We got to know each other pretty well. Relatively speaking, of course. You never really know a Mossad agent.”

  “What does your gut say?” Timur asked.

  “My gut tells me he'll at least hear me out and if he won't help, I believe he'll stay out of our way.”

  “Then I suppose you should try to find him first,” Dmitri stated.

  Michael nodded. “You guys mind helping me with my accent?”

  “Your Russian is perfect,” Ivan said, not understanding how he could improve.

  “If I'm going to sell my cover as, say, a Lebanese terrorist, then I should probably speak mediocre Russian with an Arabic accent,” Michael answered.

  “Ah,” Ivan responded. “Yes, you're probably right.”

  JEFF GAVE Michael a phone number to contact a “travel agent,” Thomas Nichols. Nichols was North America's go-to guy for illegal travel. Michael called the number claiming to be a mercenary hired to perform a hit that required their travel arrangements keep them free from the watchful eyes of the government. A man took his information and asked how Michael had obtained the phone number. Michael simply said a friend who Nichols had helped before referred him. The man assured him someone would get in touch with him to discuss his specific needs. That call came less than twenty minutes later.

  The caller identified himself as Nichols' locally appointed “travel agent.” For $30,000, the man claimed he could get them safely out of the country. For another $30,000 he could get them into Israel. Michael asked how. The explanation he got was foggy at best. Michael didn't like it but agreed anyway. The caller told Michael to meet him in person to discuss their needs more fully and to bring the first $30,000so they could get started if they came to an agreement. Michael felt apprehensive about the whole thing.

  After getting the money from Jeff, Josh and Michael went into town to steal a car for their meeting with the smuggler. They snagged an old Toyota
Corolla and after driving it for five minutes quickly decided they did the owner a favor. They drove behind an old warehouse as they were instructed and spotted a black Mercedes SUV. They pulled in front of it and parked. As Josh and Michael got out of the Corolla, four men exited the SUV. Michael immediately had a bad feeling about the meet.

  “You must be Michael,” one of the men greeted him with a smile.

  Shorter than Michael, the man had a slender build with thinning, light brown hair. He was dressed in a stylish black suit, as were the other men. They were all packing.

  “And you are?” Michael asked as he held his hand out.

  The man shook it. “Your new friend, perhaps.”

  He then gestured to his men and two of them approached Michael and Josh. Michael raised his arms and let himself be searched. Josh did the same. The men quickly found the weapons they were carrying.

  “Don't even think about taking that,” Michael warned when he felt the man grab it.

  “You too, bub,” said Josh to the man searching him.

  They looked back at their boss who gestured for them to let it go. They stepped away from Michael and Josh, giving them a little room but not much.

  “How did you hear about us?” the man in charge asked.

  “A friend referred me,” Michael said again.

  “Does your friend have a name?”

  “Not one I care to use. Are you the one I spoke to on the phone?” Michael asked.

  “No,” the man replied, even though Michael was fairly certain it was.

  “Look I don't have time to play games. Can you help us or not?” Michael asked, his patience wearing thin.

  The man eyed Michael up and down as if trying to determine what he should do with him.

  “No,” the man finally replied. “I can't help you.” He turned back to the truck.

  “Wait, so that's it?” Michael said loudly in disbelief. “I was told you were the best. If anyone could do it, you could.”