Critical Play (Michael Cailen Book 3)

by Mel LeBrun

  “Oh, come on, Michael,” she said angrily. “You expect me to believe that you don't know the difference between a soldier and Mossad but I do?”

  “I don't know, Jess.” Michael's heel bounced on the floor as he scratched the back of his head. “Maybe you've been misinformed about what Mossad does?”

  “Now you're really pissing me off.” She shook her head and gripped the steering wheel. “How is working with Mossad going to make you safer? What if they get orders to kill you?” she said loudly.

  “God, Jess! Is Ana in the car with you?” His tone clearly showed his agitation. Did she really just say that in front of their daughter?

  Realizing what she had done, Jessica swallowed hard and felt like she might throw up again. She looked in the rear view mirror and saw Tatiana in tears squeezing her teddy bear. She sat silently for a minute, wondering how she could undo what she had just done. Unable to restrain his frustration, Michael cursed. Jessica closed her eyes, not knowing how to fix it.

  “Tell her you weren't serious,” Michael demanded.

  Jessica put the phone down and turned to Tatiana.

  “Sweetie, I was just being silly and giving Daddy a hard time. I didn't mean it.” Jessica offered her a smile and tried to be convincing.

  “Are they going to kill Daddy?” she asked tearfully.

  “No, sweetheart. I didn't mean it. I'm sorry I scared you. Daddy is going to be fine. OK?”

  Though she nodded her head, Tatiana didn't seem fully convinced.

  “I'm going to finish talking with Daddy and then how would you like to get some ice cream?”

  “OK.” Tatiana squeezed her teddy bear and gave her a timid smile.

  “All right, it's a plan.” Jessica smiled back. She then opened her door and stepped out of the car to talk to Michael. “I'm sorry,” she said to Michael after she shut the car door.

  “How could you say that in front of her?” he asked, still fuming.

  “I know. I'm sorry. I feel bad enough, Michael. Please don't make it worse.” She closed her eyes and hung her head. “I just can't even think straight. I'm so tired. I don't know what I'm doing.”

  Michael tried to calm down before he spoke again, but had trouble doing it. “Look, I've worked with this guy before. I know him. He's not going to kill me. And if he ever did get orders to kill me, he would give me a heads up. OK? Feel better?” he asked patronizingly.

  “No, Michael. I don't. But thanks for your concern,” she snapped.

  He heard her voice break at the end and knew she was crying. He buried his head in his hand. A moment later came the sniffles.

  “Jess,” he spoke with a mild and calm tone this time. “Give me a little credit. I know what I'm doing. I have people looking out for me. Please don't worry.”

  “OK,” she agreed. “I believe you.” She wiped away her tears and cleared her throat. “Do you forgive me?”

  “For what, Jess?”

  “For saying that in front of Ana.”

  “Of course I do,” he assured her. “Why would you even think I wouldn't?”

  “It's hard not having you here.”

  “I know, baby. I'm sorry.”

  “I miss you,” she said as she looked in the car at Tatiana waiting patiently for her. “I should get going.”

  Michael took a deep breath. “I don't know when I'll be able to call again. But I will call when I can.”

  Jessica nodded. “OK. I love you.”

  “I love you more,” he said and then ended the call.

  FOLLOWING HIS visit from the two Russian operatives pretending to be CIA, Corvo called in to headquarters to report the encounter. An hour later, after Gatti saw the report he called him to find out what was going on.

  “I understand you were approached by two men claiming to be CIA who were asking about the Cailens’,” Gatti said. “I can't reach either of them. You want to tell me what's going on?”

  “You sure you want me to?” Corvo asked.

  “This is just you and me talking. We both owe Michael.”

  “Not sure where Michael is,” Corvo answered. “He and Josh are tracking down a lead. Jessica and Ana are on their way to Jeffrey Bowen's.”

  “Why in the world is she going there?”

  “The two men who approached me pretending to be CIA were actually Russian agents. They paid Jessica a visit. Tatiana overheard them talking to each other saying they were going to come back after dark and take them. Jessica called me and I helped them get away.”

  “Oh my God,” Gatti leaned back in his chair. The situation was clearly beginning to spiral. “Does Michael know what's going on?”

  “He does now. I spoke with him earlier.”

  “How did you manage that?”

  “He had a courier deliver a phone to me.”

  “He must be getting help from somewhere,” Gatti reasoned.

  “Yeah. He already knew that something had happened to Jessica. I didn't get a chance to ask him how he knew, but someone is helping him.”

  “We should be helping him,” Gatti said, regretting his decision not to get involved.

  “Well, I can't speak for you, but I already am helping him.”

  “Yeah, rub it in.”

  “You gotta admit, Tim, there isn't much you can do. Virtually every member of the intelligence community is searching for Dmitri and his friends. We both need to tread carefully.”

  “I have a bad feeling we won't be able to shield Michael for much longer.”

  “The only ones who think the Cailens are involved at this point is the Russians. If we can throw them off, we'll buy some time for Michael and Josh.”

  “That might work,” said Gatti. “I'll see what I can do.”

  Chapter 13

  Roman Yurkov was the current director of the SVR. Following the fact that a group of his own people sold a nuclear weapon to terrorists and then escaped capture, maintaining his position as such hinged on his ability to clean up the mess his employees had made. He was under considerable pressure from the Russian President to find Dmitri, Ivan, and Timur, as well as the nuclear weapon they supposedly sold.

  When Osin and Nikonov reported back that they believed Jessica Cailen had knowledge pertinent to their investigation, Yurkov felt a glimmer of hope. That hope was subsequently shattered when he was informed that she had vanished.

  The secret subdivision of the SVR that Osin and Nikonov worked in was supposed to be made up of the best men that Russian Intelligence had to offer. But with the mass failings of his people in the last few days, Yurkov was ready to dismantle the entire branch.

  With Michael and Jessica their only possible lead, Yurkov tasked the entire division with learning everything they could about them. As they tore apart the Cailens’ lives, they became more and more curious as to who Michael and Jessica really were. There was little found on either of them. The only information they could gather on Michael's military career was in their own records from the time Michael had worked with Dmitri on a joint military operation.

  Unable to glean anything useful from Jessica's phone records, they turned their attention to Michael's. What they found was rather peculiar. There were no records for his phone whatsoever. There was no calling history, text messages, or any indication it was ever even used. Yurkov tasked two of his brightest hackers with trying to uncover the mystery behind Michael's phone.

  GATTI HAD just left a briefing with the Director of National Intelligence who just so happened to be the former CIA director and Gatti's old boss, Steven Douglas. The briefing centered on Dmitri, Ivan, and Timur, and the subsequent nuclear threat they now had to contend with. Gatti didn't bring up Michael's friendship with Dmitri in the hopes of keeping the Cailens out of their investigation. That hope, however, was short lived. As Gatti walked into his office, the receptionist informed him that Douglas was on the phone.

  After shutting his door, Gatti took the call.

  “Hello, Steve,” Gatti greeted him. “Did I forget something?”r />
  “That depends,” Douglas replied. “When is the last time you spoke with your friends, the Cailens?”

  “I don't remember exactly,” Gatti answered calmly, though he didn't feel it. “Maybe a week ago?”

  “Hmm. Are you going to tell me next that you were unaware Michael Cailen had worked with Dmitri Kirsanov?”

  Gatti closed his eyes and silently cursed. “Oh yeah, that's right.”

  “I refuse to believe you just now remembered that,” Douglas responded. “Where is he?”

  “You know, I'm not sure. The batteries in his tracking device died and I haven't gotten around to changing them,” Gatti answered sarcastically.

  “You think this is a joke?” Douglas was silent for an uncomfortable amount of time.

  “What is this about?” Gatti asked, knowing it was about to hit the fan.

  “I got a call from The White House. Roman Yurkov seems to be under the impression that the Cailens know something about Kirsanov and his accomplices’ location and/or activities.”

  “Why would he believe that?” Gatti asked.

  “He wouldn't say, but he's pretty adamant about it.”

  “He won't say because he has operatives working on US soil..”

  “Do you know that for a fact?”

  “Agent Corvo reported that he was contacted by two men who claimed to be CIA. They were asking about the Cailens. He sent along their pictures for identification. So far, we haven’t come up with anything. But I'm betting you show those to Yurkov and he'll have a silent heart attack.”

  “Where are these men now?” Douglas asked.

  “Unknown.”

  “Are the Cailens involved?”

  “Of course not,” Gatti denied the accusation.

  “Then why have they dropped off the face of the earth?” Douglas asked.

  “They haven't dropped off the face of the earth. I know where they are.”

  “And where is that?”

  “Vacation.”

  “Vacation … Right. Sure … If your friends are aiding and abetting wanted terrorists, you can't protect them. You need to hand them over, Tim,” Douglas said sternly.

  “Michael would never lend his help to a terrorist,” Gatti replied indignantly.

  “So he thinks Kirsanov is innocent?” Douglas reasoned.

  “I didn't say that.”

  “But he does, doesn't he? And you're covering for him.”

  Gatti neither confirmed nor denied the accusation, he just changed the subject. “What if Kirsanov is innocent?”

  “Innocent?!” Douglas repeated in disbelief.

  “Come on, Steve. If we wanted to set someone up, could we?”

  Douglas remained silent, unwilling to answer.

  “You know we could,” Gatti answered for him.

  “Whether he's innocent or not, it doesn't matter. Let the Russians worry about their own people. I couldn't care less about their operatives. What I do care about is the nuclear weapon floating around and the fact that some Americans with ties to your agency might be involved. Throw in a CIA cover-up and you should start looking for a new job now while you can.”

  “I'm not covering anything up,” Gatti replied.

  “You just neglected to mention that your good friend was chummy with Kirsanov?”

  “There is no proof that they are close friends.”

  “Other than the fact that Cailen is helping him,” Douglas added.

  “I never said he was helping him.”

  “No. That's right, you didn't. But I know you, Tim. I know Michael saved your life. I know you feel you owe him. Don't treat me like I'm stupid. You and I both know he's helping Kirsanov.”

  Gatti shifted in his seat. “I haven't seen any evidence of that.”

  “Al right, I'm done playing games,” Douglas said frustrated. “Get your act together and remember who you're working for. You paid your debt to Cailen many times over at this point. It's time to cut ties. I want to see progress on this by the end of the day. You'd better have something.”

  Douglas hung up the phone without giving Gatti any time to respond. Gatti closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair with the receiver still in his hand. He was running out of middle ground. He either had to get behind Michael one hundred percent or abandon him completely. After a few minutes of silent strategizing, Gatti hung up the phone and then immediately picked it back up. He dialed Corvo's number and anxiously tapped his fingers on his desk as it rang.

  “Yeah, Lance.” Gatti sighed deeply. “We have a problem.”

  “That quick huh?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. You don't happen to have a phone number where I can reach Michael, do you?”

  “No. But you can check the phone he sent me. He's the only one who's called it. And then I'm assuming he called the phone I gave to Jessica.”

  “Give me the numbers. I'll see if I can reach him.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  Gatti shook his head. “I'm still working on that.”

  Chapter 14

  Josh woke up a few hours after Michael. He stumbled groggily into the kitchen where Michael was sitting with his head buried in his arms on the table. His body was still except for his right leg, which gave away the fact that things were not going well.

  Josh sat in the chair next to him. “You're gonna wear out the floor under your heel,” he teased.

  Michael lifted his head to look at him. He was beyond stressed.

  “Bad news?” Josh asked.

  Michael shook his head and looked away. “Russians came looking for me.”

  “What happened?”

  “Short version … Jessica and Ana are on their way to Jeff's.”

  “Are they OK? What happened?”

  “Tatiana overheard the men talking in Russian saying they were going to abduct them.”

  Josh cursed. “Poor kid. She must have been terrified.”

  “Yeah. Lance helped them get away.”

  “Good thing he was around,” Josh said.

  Michael nodded in agreement.

  “I get the feeling there's more,” Josh observed.

  Michael leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “Jess isn't doing good. She's exhausted. She can't keep anything down. I'm really worried.”

  “Is the morning sickness that bad or is it nerves?”

  “Both, probably.” Michael stared down at the table. “If she loses the baby and I'm not there ...” He looked at Josh, unable to hide his distress.

  Josh didn't know what to say. It was a horrible thought. “I'm really sorry, Michael.”

  “I'm scared,” Michael admitted.

  “Do you want to go home?”

  Michael didn't readily answer. He was struggling with the question. Yes, of course he wanted to go home. He wanted to be with his wife and take care of her and their daughter. But then he thought of Dmitri. If he stopped, now it would mean almost certain death for Dmitri and his friends. If he continued and Jessica didn't get the help she desperately needed, it was a very real possibility they could lose the baby. Michael would be devastated, but Jessica would be inconsolable. She would blame herself. She would blame him. She might not want to try again. Michael was torn.

  “For the first time in my life,” Michael said gazing off into space. “I don't know what I should do.”

  Josh didn't know either. He sat silently contemplating Michael's situation. Michael put his arms back on the table and buried his head in them. Josh felt helpless.

  They both sat quietly at the table for the next ten minutes until David entered the room. He was holding a phone in his hands.

  “I have someone who claims they're from the CIA wanting to speak with you,” David said to Michael.

  Michael just stared at him. It was impossible to think straight with everything that was happening.

  “What should I tell them?” David asked. “He knows you called from this phone.”

  “I'll take it.” Michael held his hand out. David p
assed it to him and he put it to his ear. “Yeah.”

  “Michael, it's Tim.”

  “How did you find me?” Michael asked.

  “From Lance and Jessica's phones.”

  “What do you want?”

  “Are you OK?” Gatti asked, picking up on his foul mood.

  “Just peachy,” he replied gruffly. “Why are you calling?”

  Gatti figured Michael's day was going about as well as his.

  “Douglas is convinced you're helping Dmitri. He's given me an ultimatum,” Gatti informed him.

  Michael grit his teeth and closed his eyes. The last thing he needed right now was more stress.

  “Right now I don't care what you do, Tim,” Michael said bluntly. “Tell him whatever you want.”

  He ended the call and angrily tossed the phone on the table. It slid and almost fell off. Josh caught it before it did. He and David both looked at Michael, bewildered by his reaction to whatever Gatti said to him. Michael looked like he was about to blow and Josh was afraid to ask him what had happened. The phone immediately rang again. This time Josh answered.

  Gatti's voice came over the line. “Michael?”

  “No, Josh,” Josh said as he stood from the table and stepped out of the room.

  “What is going on with him?” Gatti asked.

  Josh sighed as he looked back at Michael sitting at the table, his head buried in his arms again and his heel tapping away at the floor.

  “He's worried about Jess,” Josh answered.

  “Well he'd better get it together. The Russians are digging hard, and I have Douglas breathing down my neck. Am I correct in assuming you're getting help from Mossad?”

  “You would be correct,” Josh said.

  “You know they're probably just going to kill whoever is responsible? They won't be concerned about clearing Dmitri and his teammates.”

  “Yeah, we'll probably need to have a discussion about that.”

  “I would do that sooner, rather than later,” Gatti suggested. “Have you made any progress?”

  “Not much. We're looking into the Deputy Minister of Defense. He may have been the one behind the sale.”