Critical Play (Michael Cailen Book 3)

by Mel LeBrun

  Being grossly outnumbered, Ivchenko’s bodyguards offered no resistance and Ivchenko was taken into custody without incident. He was so stunned he could hardly react. He stared at Osin in utter disbelief as they escorted him from the room.

  Osin never left his seat and continued drinking his wine as the chaos in the room died down. He was soon joined by a stout, older man just a little shorter than Osin with grey hair. The man sat across from him in the same seat Ivchenko had just been sitting in. He looked at Osin who remained emotionless and after a moment of silence finally spoke.

  “I told you not to waste your time investigating this,” the man said. “In fact, I ordered you not to.”

  “You did,” Osin agreed without making eye contact.

  The man sighed and joined Osin in silent admiration of the pool which was a picture of paradise. “Thank you for being insubordinate,” he finally said before standing to leave.

  “What about Kirsanov and his men?” Osin asked. This time he turned to look at the man.

  “I already ordered their immediate release,” he said. “Kirsanov and his men owe you a debt.”

  Seeming unaffected, Osin simply turned away. But as the man left, a small grin of satisfaction crept across his face.

  Chapter 44

  Although Dmitri and his men were cleared of any involvement in terrorist activity, there was still much confusion over what exactly Michael had been doing in their country. There were many Russian politicians who would jump at the chance to capitalize on an American soldier, retired or not, conducting operations on Russian soil. Regardless of Michael’s guilt or innocence, he would be crucified and used as a political pawn. Osin recommended Michael leave the country quickly and quietly, which he gladly did with some help from Gatti. He and Martin were soon gratefully boarding a plane bound for New York.

  As they took their seats and waited for the rest of the passengers to get settled, Martin glanced over at Michael. “Miss it?” he asked.

  “The life?”

  “Yeah.”

  Michael took his time responding. It was almost as if he didn’t know the answer.

  “It’s different now,” Michael finally said. “I do miss the work. But …”

  “It’s hard with a family,” Martin finished his sentence.

  Michael nodded. “I need to be there for them.”

  “Does she know you’re coming home?”

  “I told Tim not to say anything. I’d hate for us to get held up and have her worry.”

  “That’s probably a good idea,” Martin agreed.

  “Have you spoken with Helen?” Michael asked.

  “A few times. She manages without me a little better than Jessica does without you.”

  Michael chuckled and then seemed to lose himself in thought. “You know, although it can be challenging at times … and sometimes a little stressful. I love that she needs me.”

  “Michael, I couldn’t picture you with any other woman.”

  Michael grinned. “Me neither.”

  IT WAS almost midnight when they landed at JFK. They had both slept on the plane so they weren’t as tired as might be expected. They had planned to rent a car to drive home but as they stepped off the plane they were met with two agents from Homeland Security.

  “What’s this about?” Michael asked.

  “Please come with us,” was the only response they received.

  The men escorted them through security and outside to two awaiting black SUVs. Martin was directed to the second vehicle and Michael was asked to enter the first.

  “What is this about?” Michael asked again refusing to set foot in the truck. He stood back as though daring the agents to touch him.

  The back window of the SUV rolled down and Gatti shouted through the window. “Get in the vehicle, Michael.”

  Michael looked back at the agents next to him and wondered what was happening. He looked over at Martin who, knowing he had little choice, offered no resistance as he was ushered into the second vehicle.

  “We need to talk,” Gatti said. “Get in.”

  Michael hesitantly climbed into the back of the truck with Gatti. The agents who escorted them got into the truck with Martin. Gatti ordered the driver to go and then closed the privacy glass separating the driver’s section from the passenger’s, just like what was common in limousines.

  “What’s this about, Tim?” Michael asked, anxious about what was happening. “Is Jessica OK? Did something happen?”

  “They’re fine, Michael. We need to talk about Jeff,” Gatti said bluntly.

  “Jeff? What about Jeff? Is someone blaming us for what happened to him?”

  Gatti took a deep breath before he spoke. “Jeff was invaluable to us in identifying Ivchenko.”

  “How is that possible? What was their connection?”

  Gatti paused again as if there was something else he wanted to say instead of what he was going to say. “They were competitors,” he answered.

  “What’s going on, Tim?” Michael finally asked, sensing there was something Gatti was holding back.

  “Jeff isn’t dead,” Gatti informed him.

  Michael sat for a minute quietly absorbing what Gatti said. “Please explain.”

  “He called us after Dmitri took Jessica away. He offered to trade what he knew in exchange for asylum. He also asked that he be able to see Jessica.”

  “You told her he was dead, Tim,” Michael said with a touch of anger in his voice. “You told all of us that. And to be honest, I was a little relieved.”

  “I know. I told her that because I wanted to discuss it with you privately. It’s up to you if you want Jeff to come back to life. If not, he’ll stay dead. We’ll relocate him and Jess will never know the difference.”

  “I can’t decide that, Tim. It’s her father.”

  “I’m presenting this to you, not Jessica. Part of me wants to stick him in a hole and forget about him. But he is providing some very valuable intel that we would never have otherwise received.”

  “What kind of intel?”

  “Talking in generalities, of course. He’s given us the names of politicians, military personal, police, etc., who are supplying weapons to arms dealers, accepting bribes, assisting with smuggling, and various other things. He’s given us details on how weapons and drugs are being shipped; who the major players are in different illegal activities in countries around the world. A lot of them we already knew, but some we didn’t.”

  “What exactly was Jeff’s connection to all these people? How did he know them?”

  “Jeff was a middleman,” Gatti said. “A very dangerous one at that. He had very powerful connections in countries across the globe that kept him insulated from the authorities. In exchange he connected them with whatever vice they wanted. He helped the corrupt get rich and took home a percentage off the top.”

  “By the looks of it, he was doing quite well with that.”

  “We haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of his organization. Jeff was being protected by big players on both sides of the fence. We don’t believe Grekov knew just who he had targeted when he sent his mercenaries to Bowen’s estate. If Ivchenko hadn’t killed him, it’s likely Jeff or one of his friends would have.”

  “If he was so protected, why did he fake his death?”

  “That’s why we’re talking,” Gatti replied. “He gave up that life, in the hopes of having a relationship with Jessica.”

  “What did you tell him?”

  “I made no promises.”

  “So he gave up everything on the hope that he could have a relationship with Jessica?” Michael almost couldn’t believe it.

  Gatti shrugged.

  “If he’s that desperate to be in Jessica’s life, what makes you think he’ll stay dead if I say no?” Michael asked.

  “His life is in our hands,” Gatti replied. “We seized all his assets. It’s up to us when and how much of it he gets back, if any. With the intel he’s provided, if it ever got out tha
t he was still alive, everyone would know he talked. He would be a target. He has no choice but to do what we tell him.”

  Michael was speechless. He couldn’t process what Gatti was telling him. Jeff sacrificed all his wealth, influence, and power at the mere hope of having a relationship with his daughter. It was incomprehensible to him that Jeff would do such a thing.

  “I just can’t believe he would do that,” Michael remarked. “He must have an angle.”

  “I thought of that,” Gatti agreed. “I can’t find one. Trust me, we have not been gentle with him.”

  Michael gazed pensively out the window as they rode along in silence, pondering this new development.

  “If you need more time, you can take as much as you want,” Gatti offered.

  Michael shook his head. “Tim, I can’t make that decision. As much as I hate the man and don’t want him in my life, he’s Jessica’s father. It has to be her decision.”

  “Michael, are you sure you want to put her in that position?”

  Though he desperately wanted to tell Gatti to send Jeff to the other side of the world, Michael couldn’t bring himself to do it. “It’s her father, Tim. It’s up to her,” he said firmly.

  “OK.” Gatti nodded. “Do you want me to break it to her or do you want to?”

  Michael weighed his options and decided he should talk to her. “I’ll do it,” he said. “She’ll be emotional.”

  “I was hoping you would say that,” Gatti said with a sigh of relief.

  “What if Jessica wants to see him, but doesn’t want him in our life?”

  “She can have as little or as much contact with him as she wants. We will control that.”

  Michael felt grateful for that. At least Jeff wouldn’t be able to insert himself in their life against their wishes as he had done earlier.

  “So is Martin going to be given an explanation for all this?” Michael asked, referring to the cloak-and-dagger pickup at the airport.

  “I was waiting to see what your response was. What would you like me to tell him?” Gatti asked.

  “If it’s all right, I’ll just call him and tell him you needed to talk to me about something. He should at least know that everything is all right.”

  “Of course. However you want to handle it,” Gatti said. “But before that, I have someone who wants to talk to you.” Gatti dialed a number on his cell phone and handed it to Michael as it rang.

  Michael held the phone to his ear, not sure who was going to be on the other end.

  “Allo?” the caller answered in typical Russian fashion. Michael knew his voice immediately.

  “Dmitri?”

  “Hello, Michael. It’s good to hear your voice.”

  “Dmitri, you’re free?” Michael asked. Though Osin had told him Dmitri and his team had been released, Michael had no way of verifying it, especially since he urgently needed to flee the country.

  “I am, thanks to you.”

  “I wasn’t sure it was true,” Michael said. “I’m so glad.”

  “Me too,” Dmitri laughed. “I wish there was some way I could repay you for all you have done for me.”

  “Just knowing you’re safe is all the payment I need.”

  “Michael, I have some things I need to take care of here. And I’m still wanted by every other country on the planet. But perhaps after that, l would like to see you and Jessica again.

  “My door is open, Dmitri. Just don’t break in this time.”

  Dmitri chuckled. “I’ve decided to retire, Michael. So the chances of me getting into trouble like that again are slim.”

  “Careful, Dmitri. I thought I was retired too.”

  They both laughed.

  “Yes, well. Perhaps we can both stay retired this time,” Dmitri replied.

  “That sounds like a plan.”

  “Keep in touch, Michael.”

  “You too, Dmitri.”

  Michael ended the call feeling like a mountain had just been lifted off his shoulders. Dmitri was safe and he was headed home. It was the result Michael had almost lost hope in. Yet it had now become a reality.

  As they drove, Gatti made another call to the agents in the other vehicle and Michael was able to explain that it was Gatti who arranged their transportation. Martin was left with a lot of questions but knew enough from working at the agency not to ask them. The agents were instructed to bring Martin to his home and Gatti continued with Michael to Kevin’s where Jessica and Tatiana were staying.

  They arrived close to 4:00 a.m. The front door opened as Michael approached and he was let in by one of the agents keeping guard at the house. It was dark and everyone was still asleep.

  “Where’s my wife?” were Michael’s first words.

  “Second bedroom upstairs,” the agent replied.

  Michael ran up the stairs two steps at a time and slowed only when he reached the door. He didn’t want to scare her but he was desperate to see her. He quietly opened the door and entered the room. His heart beat fiercely in his chest. The anticipation of holding his wife in his arms once again was overwhelming. He approached the bed and turned on the light on the bedstand. For the first time in more than a month he laid eyes on his wife and daughter. Tatiana was curled up in Jessica’s arms and they were both sleeping peacefully. He reached out and caressed Jessica’s hair and said her name. She opened her eyes and looked up at him. For a moment she didn’t react.

  He smiled warmly. “Hi baby.”

  “Michael?” her eyes filled with tears. She extracted herself from Tatiana and fell into Michael’s arms, squeezing him tight.

  Though no sound was uttered they both expressed how much they loved and missed each other as they tenderly embraced. The tension, apprehension, fear and anxiety they both had suffered just melted away. They were together again at last.

  “I can’t believe you’re here,” Jessica finally said.

  Michael brushed the tears from her face. “I couldn’t wait to see you.”

  Jessica was still in shock. She kept touching his face and chest to make sure he was really there. He finally pulled her towards him and kissed her. The kissing intensified and soon they were searching for a quiet place to themselves.

  “The bathroom,” Jessica suggested between breaths.

  “Ok,” he agreed and then lifted her off the bed.

  He carried her to the nearest bathroom down the hall. He had just pulled off his shirt and was working on Jessica’s when they both heard a faint little voice that stopped them dead in their tracks.

  “Mommy?”

  Michael cursed under his breath. Playtime with Jessica would have to wait. Jessica left the bathroom first while Michael put his shirt back on.

  “Ana, look who’s here,” Jessica said just as Michael came out behind her.

  “Daddy!” she shrieked.

  “Hi, sweetheart.”

  Michael knelt down and held his arms out to her and she ran to them. He lifted her up and held her tight.

  “Daddy, I’m so happy you’re back,” she said in Russian.

  “Me too,” he replied also in Russian. “Is it all right if Mommy and I rest a little bit?”

  Tatiana nodded. “I want to stay with you.”

  “Of course.” Michael smiled and kissed her head.

  Michael lay down on the bed with Tatiana curled up on one side and Jessica on the other. He closed his eyes finally feeling at peace to be back with his family. He pushed thoughts of Jessica’s father from his mind knowing it would have to be addressed eventually. For right now, he just wanted to enjoy being with his wife and daughter.

  Michael and Tatiana fell fast asleep while Jessica remained wide awake. She was elated that Michael was back and every so often gave in to the compulsion to touch his face just to convince herself it was real.

  Hunger finally woke Michael around 7:00 a.m. Tatiana and Jessica were still in his arms but they were both awake.

  “How long you guys been up?” he asked.

  “Ana woke not too
long ago. I never went to sleep,” Jessica answered.

  Michael smiled and kissed the top of her head. “I love you both.”

  “I love you too, Daddy,” Tatiana said and squeezed him tight.

  Jessica moved in closer to him and kissed him on the lips. She looked in his eyes and smiled. “I love you more.”

  Michael was too happy to argue. The three of them went down to the kitchen together to find something to eat. Everyone else was already up. Coffee was ready and Kevin was cooking eggs, bacon and pancakes. All were surprised and excited that Michael was back. Lauren and Emily nearly smothered him. Josh gave him a guy hug while Jinx gave him a real one.

  “Martin’s back too?” Josh asked.

  “Yeah. He went straight home,” Michael answered.

  “I’ll give him a call a little later,” Josh said. “So what happened? How is Dmitri?”

  “Free,” Michael said with a smile. “He’s doing good. They released him and he’s cleared of all charges.”

  “That’s great news,” Jinx chimed in, feeling especially relieved because of what happened at Jeff’s.

  “What about the nuke?” Josh asked.

  Michael shook his head. “Tim’s working on it. Along with every other agency. With the intel they just gained, I don’t think it will be long.”

  Once everyone had finished breakfast, Lauren and Emily wanted to go swimming. Michael encouraged Tatiana to go with them. She was reluctant to leave his side so he promised he would join her shortly. He needed privacy to speak with Jessica about her father. He couldn’t do that with Tatiana clinging to his legs.

  “We need to talk,” Michael said to Jessica.

  She immediately felt anxious, but he offered her a warm reassuring smile and she was left wondering what it could possibly be about. They walked into the study and Michael shut the door behind them.

  “What is it, Michael?” she asked.

  He approached and took her hands in his and squeezed them tight. “It’s about your father, Jessica.”

  Her eyes teared up at the mention of her father which was even more of a sore subject now than it ever was.