Critical Play (Michael Cailen Book 3)

by Mel LeBrun

  “Who exactly told you this?” the man responded.

  Michael grit his teeth. He knew if he dropped Jeff's name they would do it. For all Nichols' men knew, Michael and Josh could be law enforcement. Not being able to use Jeff as a reference was becoming a major hindrance.

  “Do cops normally show up to stings in stolen cars?” Michael asked, addressing the underlying issue that was preventing Nichols' men from agreeing to help them.

  “I never said you were a cop,” the man replied.

  “We both know you're thinking it and I assure you, we are not.”

  “Your assurances mean nothing to me,” the man said as he opened the truck door to get in.

  “Our guns aren't registered, the car is stolen, we have no ID, we're in the country illegally,” Michael tried to reason. “What more can we do to prove to you that we're not cops?”

  The man paused and then turned back to them. “OK,” he said. “Did you bring the money?”

  Michael felt uneasy about his sudden change of heart but acknowledged that yes they did indeed bring the money.

  “Fine.” The man smiled. “Give me the money, and we will begin the arrangements.”

  “How long will that take?” Michael asked.

  “A few days, at the most,” the man replied.

  “How do I know you're going to hold up your end of the bargain?” Michael asked.

  “We have a reputation to uphold,” the man replied. “It would be bad for business if we didn't come through.”

  Michael couldn't shake the bad vibe he was getting. His trust of these men was based on Jeff's referral which didn't mean much to Michael. He thought about walking away but figured it was Jeff's money. If they didn't come through, they would have Jeff to deal with.

  He reached in the car and pulled out a paper bag that contained the thirty thousand in cash. He stepped forward and handed it to Nichols' man.

  “How do we get in touch with you?” Michael asked.

  “Call the number you have. We'll need at least twenty-four hours.”

  “You'll be hearing from me,” Michael assured him.

  THE NEXT day Michael called back his new “travel agent.” Their travel arrangements had already been prepared and a time and place was agreed upon for them to meet and make the final exchange of $30,000for the travel documents and instructions.

  Josh and Michael called home before leaving to meet with Nichols' men. Josh used the phone first. His conversation with Jinx was relatively brief compared to Michael's subsequent call with Jessica and Tatiana. Jessica was emotional but held it together for Tatiana's sake. Tatiana, however, was having trouble with the fact that Michael wasn't coming right back. Michael tried to explain it in a way she would understand but found it difficult if not impossible.

  “Ana, sweetie. Remember how I told you that I used to help people who were in trouble?”

  “Yes,” she replied tearfully.

  “Well, someone needs my help right now. But it's only for a little while. When I'm done, I'll be coming right back home to you.”

  “When will you be done?”

  “I don't know sweetheart.”

  “When will I see you again?”

  Michael sighed and ran his hand down his face. Her questions were becoming harder and harder to answer. Not because he didn't know the answers but because he knew she wanted him to come home.

  “I love you, Ana, so much. I'll be back before you know it,” he said. “Can you put Mommy back on the phone?”

  “I love you, Daddy.”

  Michael closed his eyes and waited for Jessica's voice to come over the line.

  “Hey baby,” Jessica greeted him. She handed Tatiana Michael's tablet. “Ana, why don't you play a game in your room while I finish talking to Daddy.”

  Tatiana took the tablet to her room though she didn't feel like playing a game.

  “I'm so sorry, Jess,” Michael said. “She's not going to handle this well is she?”

  “She'll probably handle it as well as I will,” Jessica answered.

  “Great,” he remarked sarcastically.

  “We'll be fine, Michael.” Though she said it, she wasn't fully convinced herself of that statement's truthfulness.

  “If you need anything while I'm away, you can call Lance or Martin.”

  “Martin and Helen are leaving for their tour of Europe in two days,” Jessica reminded him.

  Martin was Josh's cousin and a former CIA operative. The Cailens were close with him and his wife, Helen because of his relationship with Josh, but they also had a history that went beyond that. Martin, who’s an ex-CIA operative with ties all over the world, helped Michael and Jessica when they had their run in with a Russian mob some years ago and in turn Michael helped Martin when his niece was taken by human traffickers.

  “Oh, that's right. Well, Lance will be around.”

  “I'm sure we'll be fine,” she said again.

  “I miss you.”

  “I miss you more,” she replied, barely able to hold herself together.

  He smiled. “Prove it.”

  “I could start crying uncontrollably,” she suggested while holding back the tears.

  “No, no, no. OK, you win. You miss me more,” he conceded.

  She couldn't help but laugh. “You're silly.”

  “I know.” He took a deep breath, not sure what else he could say at this point. “I love you, Jess.”

  “I love you too, Michael.”

  “I hope we can talk soon, but if not, wherever I am, whatever I'm doing, you're always on my mind. And I'll always love you.”

  Jessica sobbed quietly as he spoke, unable to restrain herself any longer. The separation from him was painful and she knew it would only get worse. But at the same time, she didn't want him to be further burdened with worry for her so she tried her best to suck it up and regain some control.

  “I know you do, Michael. It's the same for me.”

  “I know it is.” Michael closed his eyes. “I wish I could hold you.”

  “Me too,” she said while wiping away her tears.

  “I have to go,” he said reluctantly after a few minutes.

  “OK. I love you.”

  “I love you more.”

  He hung up the phone and that was how their conversation ended. Jessica quietly allowed herself a few minutes to fall apart before collecting herself back together for Tatiana's sake. She needed to be strong for her, and she would.

  Chapter 8

  Michael and Josh met with Nichols' men in a parking garage in downtown Winnipeg. Though Nichols never met with his clients in person, every aspect of their travel arrangements was prepared by him personally. Each part of their journey was planned down to the minute. They were provided with forged documents and passports to use at various points in their travel which took them through several countries using various modes of transportation. Once they had used an ID, they were to destroy it and move on to the next one. For the entry points where using a forged document was extraordinarily risky, Nichols used bribes to ensure their documents would not be inspected too closely. Nichols guaranteed that if they followed the plan precisely, they would make it to Israel safely and under the government's radar.

  Michael was impressed with Nichols' network and planning. Even down to the identities of the agents who would be working at the various border crossings they would encounter. They were even told what to say to avoid suspicion at each crossing. If they got caught they would have no one to blame but themselves. Michael thanked Nichols' men for coming through. He and Josh then proceeded to the airport to begin the first leg of their journey.

  TWO DAYS later, weary and frazzled from their international travels, they arrived at an apartment ten minutes outside Tel Aviv. Michael wasn't sure if David's sister still lived there, but it was worth a shot.

  “No name on the mailbox,” Josh noted.

  “There never was,” Michael replied as he rang the buzzer.

  They waited a minute w
ith no answer. Michael buzzed again. They began to think no one was home.

  “What now?” Josh asked.

  “I guess we can try later,” Michael suggested.

  They had just turned to leave when the door opened. They stopped to look back and saw an attractive woman in her mid -thirties with long brown hair. She seemed stunned to see them at her door. She stood for a few seconds with her mouth gaping open before Michael spoke.

  “Hello, Adi,” he greeted her in Arabic.

  She stared back at him, not sure if what she was seeing was real.

  “May we come in?” Michael asked.

  The question seemed to snap her back to reality.

  “Please,” she gestured inside. “My intercom is broken,” she explained. “I thought you were the repair man.”

  She barely glanced at them as they stepped through the front door and into her kitchen. She appeared desperate to avoid eye contact.

  “Would you like some tea?” she asked, trying to be a good hostess.

  “Tea sounds nice,” Michael replied.

  “Yes, I'll have some,” Josh agreed.

  “If you like, you can make yourselves comfortable in the living room,” she offered, still hardly even looking in their direction.

  Michael gave Josh a look which he took as his cue to leave the room. He did as Adi offered and made himself at home on her couch.

  Michael watched as Adi filled the kettle with water and placed it on the stove. Her hands visibly shook. She still wouldn't turn to face him and seemed to be having an inner conflict of her own as she stared down at the counter.

  Michael was finding it difficult to speak but the awkward tension building from the silence spurred him to utter something, anything.

  “You look good,” he finally said.

  Though she had put on a little weight over the years, she was just as beautiful as he remembered.

  She closed her eyes and shook her head as though she couldn't believe this was happening.

  “Twelve years, you look the same,” she replied.

  “Can we talk?” he asked, wondering what to make of her demeanor.

  “About what, Michael?”

  Michael pulled a chair out from the kitchen table and gestured to it, trying gently to coax her into sitting down. When she didn't move, he pulled out a second chair for himself and sat down. A few seconds later, Adi slowly moved to the chair and eased herself in. Michael sat watching her, waiting for her to look at him. After another awkward minute, her eyes darted to his for a brief second before returning to the table.

  “I never thought I would see you again,” she said. It was said as more than a mere admittance of her belief. It was a question. Why are you here?

  “We both knew I couldn't stay,” he said, trying to address the elephant in the room.

  “I could have moved to America,” she replied with a touch of anger in her voice.

  “And done what? You know what my work involved. You would have never seen me. You would have been alone in a foreign country. It wouldn't have worked. You would have been miserable.”

  A bitter laugh escaped her lips. “Now that's the Michael I remember.” She finally looked in his eyes. “Always doing what's best for everyone else. Or so he believes.”

  He took a deep breath and looked away. He wasn't going to win with her and he knew it. She didn't agree when he broke it off and she wouldn't agree now.

  “I'm sorry, Adi.” It was all he could say. He needed her help to find her brother, which would be easier if she wasn't furious with him.

  The kettle came to a full boil and Adi got up to put an end to the ear-piercing scream coming from it. Her hands still shook as she poured the water into cups. Her emotions could be seen all over her face. She was hurt and angry still after all these years. Michael thought she would have moved on and for the most part she had. But it was apparent she still held on to a lot of resentment over how things ended between them. She set a cup in front of Michael and then delivered one to Josh. Taking her cup of tea, she resumed her seat at the table. She took a sip, trying to calm her nerves.

  “Why are you here?” she finally asked.

  Michael looked her over before responding. He wanted to patch things up between them and get her to come to some agreement about what happened, but decided it would be better to move on than to continue digging up old wounds.

  “I need to speak with your brother,” he answered. “I was hoping you could put me in touch with him.”

  “Why didn't you just have your government contact our government?”

  “It's complicated.”

  She knew better than to ask for further explanation. “Is that all?” she asked, not even attempting to mask her anger.

  Michael looked at her, feeling intensely sorry for her. His leaving had cut her deeper than he had thought it would. He underestimated the feelings she had for him which she clearly still carried even to this day.

  “Does your brother know?” Michael asked, wondering if it would even be wise to contact him. David was very protective of his little sister and had warned Michael not to get involved with her. A warning he now wished he had listened to.

  “If he did, do you think you would still be alive?”

  “I might be,” he replied. “Just short one appendage.”

  Adi couldn't help but laugh at his reply. Though her feelings didn't change, the laughter brought the tension down to a manageable level. He gave her a warm, compassionate smile.

  “I remember that smile,” she reminisced, giving in to one herself. “I think I missed your smile the most.”

  Michael could see where the conversation was headed. Adi still held out hope for the two of them. He didn't think he should tell her he was married with one kid and another on the way. But he also didn't want her entertaining any hope that they would get back together.

  Michael let his smile fade. “It's important that I speak with your brother as soon as possible.”

  She took a deep breath as reality came crashing back in on her. “I'll call him now.”

  While Adi called her brother, Michael went to update Josh. Michael sat on the couch next to Josh and let out a weary sigh.

  “I heard every word,” Josh informed him.

  “Great,” Michael remarked. “So I don't have to relive it?”

  “What would her brother do if he knew?”

  “Kill me.”

  “Really?” Josh looked at him wondering if he could be taken seriously or not.

  “Probably. Let's just hope he never finds out. Or at least doesn't until he's finished helping us.”

  “What the hell did you do to her?” Josh asked.

  “I didn't do anything to her,” Michael said indignantly, offended at even the suggestion that he had done something purposefully hurtful to her. “We were romantically involved. We both knew I would have to go back to the US when my time was up. I got called home and that was the end.”

  “Not for her, it wasn't,” Josh noted.

  Michael sighed heavily. “No I guess it wasn't.”

  A few minutes later, Adi stepped into the room and handed Michael a piece of paper with an address on it.

  “David said he will meet you there,” she said.

  “When?” Michael asked.

  “Whenever you get there,” she answered.

  Michael nodded then he and Josh stood up to leave. Adi crossed her arms and looked down.

  “I'll meet you outside,” Michael said to Josh.

  Josh gave him a look and then proceeded outside.

  “Will I see you again?” Adi asked once they were alone.

  “Probably not,” Michael answered.

  Adi nodded as her eyes filled with tears. “Can I ask you one thing?” She continued to stare at the floor.

  “What is it?”

  “Did you feel anything for me?”

  Michael took a deep breath, carefully weighing his response. The last thing he wanted to do was to cause her more pain.
/>   “Yes, Adi. I did.”

  “Did you love me?”

  Michael knew he was damned if he answered that question and damned if he didn't. Either way, he would lose. He reached out and took her face in his hands as he stepped close to her. She looked up into his eyes, ever hopeful that he would say the words she wanted to hear.

  “I have to go,” he said instead. “Goodbye, Adi.”

  His face moved closer to hers and she closed her eyes expecting to feel his lips against her own. Instead they pressed tenderly against her forehead and in that instant she knew; he was never coming back to her. She kept her eyes shut as she felt his body move away from her. Her eyes remained closed, sparing her the painful memory of watching him leave. She listened to his footsteps followed by the sound of the door.

  THE ADDRESS Adi gave Michael and Josh took them to a house just south of Gaza. The shades were drawn and there was one car in the driveway. Michael knocked and they were greeted by an Israeli man who Michael had never seen before. He invited them in. Michael entered the unfurnished house with Josh just a few steps behind. A second man who was just inside the door closed it behind them. Michael was beginning to feel some trepidation when David rounded the corner and greeted him with a huge welcoming smile.

  David was smaller than Michael but to judge his abilities by his size would be a grave mistake. David was a very efficient and lethal Mossad agent. Those around him did well to remember it.

  “Michael,” he said loudly while opening his arms wide to embrace him.

  Michael smiled back and walked forward to greet him. “David, it's good to see you.”

  “It's good to see you too, Michael. I never thought I would get this chance,” David said, still smiling.

  The remark confused Michael which was reflected in his expression. What did he mean? Chance for what? He didn't have to wait long for the answer.

  The first blow took Michael by complete surprise. David struck him with an intensity that he hadn't felt in quite a long time and it left him dazed and confused. David's two accomplices took down Josh before he could even react. They restrained him on the ground while David unleashed a fierce attack on Michael.