Critical Play (Michael Cailen Book 3)

by Mel LeBrun

  “Hi, Lance,” he answered.

  “Hi, Josh. Jessica heard about what happened to Jinx and would really like to speak with her.”

  “Yeah.” Josh sat up, hopeful that this could be the turning point for Jinx. “Of course.” He stroked Jinx's hair as she stared off at something across the room. “Jinx, baby. Jessica is on the phone. She wants to talk to you.”

  Jinx curled up in a tight ball and began sobbing. Not the reaction Josh had hoped for, but not one that surprised him either.

  “Jasmine, she wants to talk to you.” He put the phone to her ear.

  “Jinx? Are you there?” Jessica said, clearly broken up herself. The only sound that came through the phone was Jinx sobbing. “Jinx, I'm so glad you're alive. I heard what happened. No one blames you. Least of all me.” Jessica waited for some response but got nothing. “Please say something Jinx. I love you. I don't want you to suffer like this.”

  “I can never forgive myself for what I did,” Jinx cried.

  Hearing the agony in her friend's voice was heart wrenching. “You have to forgive yourself, Jinx. Because it's not fair for me to lose my best friend over something that terrible men did. It is not your fault.”

  “I feel so bad, Jessica. I feel so bad I don't want to live.”

  Jessica was so distraught at the thought of Jinx taking her own life she could barely speak. She struggled to compose herself. “I know you do, Jinx. But it's not your fault. And I need you to live. You're my best friend. If you really love me, don't leave me like that.”

  The only sound coming through the phone was incoherent sobs.

  “Promise me,” Jessica said. “Promise me you won't hurt yourself.”

  Jinx didn't respond. It was quite possible she couldn't respond because she was crying so hard.

  “Think about how I would feel,” Jessica continued, “how Tatiana would feel if you did something you couldn't take back. Something you could never make right again. Think about Josh. He loves you so much. You are his world. Michael and Lance would be devastated if we lost you. Would you really do that to us?”

  “Do you forgive me for what I did?”

  “Jinx, I never held it against you even for a second. I feel awful about what you went through. I wish I could be there for you right now. I'm so sorry that I'm not.”

  “I'm so sorry. Please tell Dmitri I'm so sorry.”

  “He knows, Jinx. He's not angry. No one is. We're all just glad you're alive. Please promise me you won't do anything to hurt yourself.”

  Jinx finally let herself be persuaded. “I promise.”

  “Good. I expect you to keep that promise.”

  “I will.”

  “If all goes according to plan I should be in Boston tomorrow. I want to see you if I can.”

  “I would really like that.”

  “Me too. I'll call you when I get into town.”

  “OK.”

  “I love you, Jinx. Hang in there.”

  “I love you too, Jessica. Please stay safe. Do you want to talk to Josh again?”

  “Yeah.”

  Josh had watched the transformation in his wife during her conversation with Jessica. Though still crying and emotional, the dark cloud that had been hovering over her seemed to have lifted. She actually smiled at him as she handed him the phone; something he hadn't witnessed since before he left for Canada with Michael. He smiled back as he put the phone to his ear.

  “Thanks for calling, Jess. How are things going?”

  “What do you know about what's going on?”

  “Not much. I've been a little preoccupied. I know you're in Canada and Lance is with you.”

  “Well, I should be on a plane to Boston in five hours.”

  “Tim set that up?” Josh asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Good. I'm glad. Make sure you let me know when you land.”

  “I will,” she assured him. “Are Kevin and the girls OK?”

  “Yeah. Lance told them to take off. They went to Disney. Lots of cameras and security and the girls have no clue what's going on.”

  “Oh, good. I was worried.”

  “We're all going to be OK, Jess. Just take care of yourself.”

  “I will. By the way, how was Michael when you left him?”

  “Haven’t you spoken with him?” Josh asked.

  “Yeah, but you know Michael. He tends to keep stuff from me.”

  “He was fine, Jess,” Josh assured her. “He was in much better shape than me and he was working with a friend. He had help.”

  “Thank you, Josh.”

  “See you soon, Jess.”

  Jessica hung up the phone feeling tremendous relief.

  “Feel better?” Dmitri asked.

  She nodded and smiled and then just as quickly she broke down sobbing again. Dmitri took her into his arms and held her, stirring intense jealousy in Corvo, who did his best to hide his true feelings. Dmitri pulled away and dried her tears as he looked in her eyes.

  “You're strong,” he told her. “You can handle this. Everything is going to be fine.”

  She nodded again and fought back the tears. “It's just a lot to take in.”

  “I know. You'll feel better after you get some rest,” Dmitri assured her.

  “I am very tired,” she admitted.

  “Get something to eat and get some sleep while you can.”

  “OK.”

  Dmitri stood and turned to Corvo, expecting him to exit the bathroom since he was in the way. Instead, Corvo opened the door and stepped aside.

  “You can go out, Jess. I need to talk to Dmitri for a quick minute.”

  “Oh, all right.”

  Jessica slipped past him and he shut the door behind her. Dmitri had a feeling he knew what this would be about. Corvo turned his back to the door to face Dmitri.

  “I'm just going to come right out with it,” Corvo said. “I think the reason you picked up on my feelings for Jessica so quickly is because you have those same feelings yourself.”

  “Well thank you for sharing your opinion, but you're wrong,” Dmitri said flatly.

  “No.” Corvo shook his head. “You're full of crap.”

  “I'm not in love with Jessica.”

  “Not buying it.”

  “Well I don't need to prove it to you,” Dmitri replied calmly.

  “No way you get to hang all over her and then forbid me to do the same.”

  “That's what this is really about,” Dmitri said. “You're angry at what I said you had to do and now you're trying to find a reason not to listen to me.”

  “You can't possibly tell me you don't have feelings for her!” Corvo spit through clenched teeth.

  “I never said I didn't have feelings for her,” Dmitri countered. “I care about her. I care about what happens to her. I would give my life to protect her. But I'm not in love with her.”

  “I care about her the same way!” Corvo stepped right up to Dmitri, his face just inches away. “How is it any different?” he growled.

  Keeping his cool, Dmitri gently put his hand on Corvo's chest and pushed him away while staring him down. The look made it clear that Dmitri didn't want a physical confrontation, but if it came to that, he was ready for it.

  “Let's be clear here,” Dmitri said calmly. “Only one of us is fantasizing about a sexual relationship with Jessica. And you know who that is.”

  Dmitri tried to step past Corvo to leave the bathroom but Corvo blocked him.

  “I don't believe you,” Corvo said angrily. He looked Dmitri right in the eyes and waited for a reaction.

  Silence filled the room as Dmitri simply stared back.

  “I don't believe you,” Corvo repeated, his tone just a bit softer than before.

  Dmitri sighed and looked away trying to determine how he should respond. He finally looked back at Corvo and said something that surprised them both.

  “If I let myself, Lance. I could have those same feelings. But I don't let myself go there. For the same re
asons I told you not to go there. It's not right. And it won't happen. I'm her friend and that's where it ends.”

  Without another word, Dmitri stepped around Corvo and left. Corvo took a moment to regroup before joining everyone else. He still wasn't convinced that Dmitri didn't have romantic feelings for Jessica, but what could he do about it anyway?

  Chapter 35

  As Michael was preparing to leave for the airport Kristen gave him some last-minute instructions.

  “They'll be watching the airports. You will need to take precautions,” she said.

  “Yeah. I know the routine,” Michael sighed.

  “You should be safe inside the airport, though I'm not sure what will be waiting for you when you land.”

  “I'm sure Tim has that covered,” Michael said confidently.

  “Can I ask how you know the director?”

  Michael just smiled. “Old friend.”

  Michael left Kristen's apartment, ever watchful of his surroundings. On his second subway ride, a man caught his attention. There was nothing overtly suspicious about him, Michael just had an uneasy feeling. The man received a phone call and began conversing with what could only have been a child. Michael chalked up his suspicions to paranoia and tried to refocus.

  He continued to the airport and was nearly there when he noticed something that he knew meant trouble. It was the same man from the subway. Of course it was possible that they just both happened to be traveling the same way to the airport, but Michael had learned to trust his instincts and every part of him was saying it wasn't a coincidence.

  Michael discreetly scanned the other people around him, trying not to appear alarmed in any way. He spotted two more men in the crowd who could have been watching him. If these men were Mossad, Michael was severely outnumbered. Though he was close enough to walk to the airport at this point he knew he would never make it. He needed to do something fast to distance himself from them.

  Michael decided to take another subway ride. The three men followed him; albeit they were so good at blending in Michael had a hard time keeping track of them, and at one point thought he had lost them. Michael boarded the next train car and watched the men. Two boarded the train while one remained on the platform. They were good, Michael thought. One man stayed behind in case Michael did just what he was about to do.

  Michael waited until the last second before the doors closed to quickly slip though and back onto the platform. The two agents who followed him onto the train did not have enough time to react and were stuck riding it to the next stop. Michael now only had one agent to contend with. That was, until reinforcements arrived. Michael needed to take this guy out if he was going to have any chance of making it to the airport.

  Michael sprinted back up the stairs to the street. The Mossad agent, now making no attempt to hide his presence, was right behind him. Knowing Michael was onto him, he remained in pursuit as Michael hustled down the street at a pace near a jog. He ducked into a dark alley between two buildings and ran as fast as he could to get to the other side. The Mossad agent took off after him. Michael rounded the corner of the building at the end and abruptly stopped and waited. The agent came running full force and didn't see Michael until he ran past. He tried to stop and confront Michael, but those precious few seconds that it took to realize what Michael was doing were just enough to give Michael the advantage. The scuffle was brief and Michael came out on top.

  As the agent lay dazed and trying to regain his bearings, Michael was off. He made his way quickly to the airport. He spotted another possible agent when he stepped through the main entrance. The man appeared to make a phone call and Michael knew that meant more agents would soon be arriving. He hurried to the security checkpoint and was soon gratefully passing into the secure area of the airport. From here on out he was in the clear. Though he would still need to keep his eyes open, there wasn't much Mossad could do to him without risking backlash from local law enforcement. Michael took a seat near his gate and tried to calm his nerves.

  Michael's plane was only a half hour from boarding when his phone rang. Michael knew who it was before he even answered. Only one person had the number.

  “What now?” Michael answered.

  “We may have ID'd Grekov's accomplice,” Gatti announced.

  “Why do you say 'may have'?”

  “We need confirmation.”

  “I'm assuming you're working on that,” Michael said.

  “That's why I'm calling. He's in Moscow. Alexei Ivchenko. I even have an address and phone number.”

  “Why do I feel like you didn't just call to tell me the good news?”

  “I have no one I can send, Michael.”

  “That can't possibly be true.”

  “OK, you're right. I guess I need to be more precise. I have no one I can send right now. It will take a minimum of one week to coordinate and get someone set up who might then be able get Ivchenko to incriminate himself.

  “A week?”

  “Minimum. In actuality, it will probably take longer.”

  “That's the best you can do?” Michael huffed.

  “I'm not going to risk using agents already in play, Michael. We need to create a new back story for whoever we select for this operation. I need to coordinate with the local station chief, fly the guy out there, track down Ivchenko. These kinds of things don't happen overnight. It takes planning and that takes time.

  “What makes me a better option?”

  “You're there, you're briefed, and you already have a back story.”

  “I also have a half-dozen Mossad agents chomping at the bit to take me down. If I don't get on the plane, my chances of leaving this airport not in Mossad custody are almost nil.”

  “There are that many?” Gatti asked.

  “That I can see anyway.”

  Gatti cursed. There was a long pause before he spoke again. “Let me throw this out there. Do you think you could escape from FSB custody?”

  “Tim, are you asking me to choose between FSB and Mossad?” Michael asked like he was out of his mind.

  “We have an asset who should be able to facilitate your escape.”

  “Should?”

  “I wouldn't ask you if I didn't think it was possible.”

  “Possible? How about probable?”

  “Michael, the most likely scenario is that you would end up in the hands of local police before FSB arrives to take you into custody. But if you don't think you're up to it, I won't argue.”

  Michael audibly groaned not liking the direction things were going. “What would you tell them?”

  “I would have an anonymous tip phoned in that you, Michael Cailen, are ready to board a plane back to the US. We already know they want to talk to you since they sent agents to your house. I doubt they really believed you were camping.”

  “So if I somehow manage to escape from Russian custody, I'll have the Russians and Mossad hunting me? Not sure I like that idea.”

  “If you have another idea, I'm all ears.”

  Michael closed his eyes as he gave his answer. “Do it.”

  “You'll need to destroy your phone.”

  “I know.”

  “If you really don't think you can do this, Michael, you don't have to. Dmitri will just need to lay low another few weeks.”

  “I can do it. It just sucks.”

  “I know. I'm sorry.”

  “Do me a favor and don't tell Jess what I'm doing. I don't want her to worry.”

  “That goes without saying,” Gatti agreed.

  “All right. Let the fireworks begin.”

  “Contact me when you can,” Gatti said just before he hung up the phone.

  Michael bought a soda and took a few swigs before discretely removing the battery and SIM card from his phone. With one hand he snapped the card in half and slipped it into his soda. He then wedged the shell of a phone that was left between two seats so it was hardly visible. After that he got up and tossed the soda and battery in a wastebasket.
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  They began calling his plane for boarding. He waited until everyone else boarded before getting in line behind the last person. As he was about to hand his ticket to the clerk he was surrounded by four security guards. On was equipped with an assault rifle and armored head to toe.

  Michael offered no resistance and was led to a back holding room where he was stripped of his belongings and locked up without being told why. The room was empty with just a table and chair, both bolted to the floor, and a camera in the corner of the room.

  Michael knew he would remain in that room until FSB came by to collect him. If he could make it out of the room before that happened, his chances of escape would be much greater.

  After sitting for a few minutes, Michael got up and pounded on the door. He yelled that he needed to use the bathroom. No one came. He pounded and yelled some more but still, no one came. He figured they were given orders not to have any interaction with him. He needed to get their attention so he looked up at the camera and then turned from it and faced a corner. It looked like he was going to pee in the room. and two guards immediately entered shouting at him to stop. Michael ignored them until one grabbed him by the arm.

  Seconds later, Michael was holding the guard's weapon and aiming it at his head. The other guard was completely surprised by how quickly everything happened and had a hard time believing it even had. Using the one guard as a hostage, Michael forced the second guard to drop his weapon and get down on the floor. He stepped out of the room and into a small security office where workers were watching surveillance footage. They were stunned to see their coworker being held hostage.

  “If you do as I say, no one will get hurt,” Michael said calmly. He then ordered everyone into the tiny backroom. A moment later, they were all herded into the small holding room that was barely big enough for all of them. Michael locked them in, taking the security guard's wallet with him.

  He saw from the security footage that there were two very heavily armed men just outside the door leading out of the office. No doubt extra protection provided because of his presence. Michael figured the only reason they weren't in the office itself was because it was so small. He really didn't want to get in a shoot-out with them. They were protected by body armor, he was not. He thought for a minute on how to proceed.