by Brad Thor
Fingerprint readers were often problematic even when a person was trying to swipe his own finger. Throw a huge, drugged-up Serb with his hands tied behind his back into the mix and it was no surprise they were having trouble.
Casey removed her folding knife, snapped the blade into position, and cut away Kojic’s restraints.
Jerking his right arm out in front of him, she dropped his hand onto his thigh and then grabbed his index finger. She scanned it across the reader and his fingerprint was accepted.
But while Casey and Ericsson were busy with his right hand, they had not been paying attention to what his left hand was doing.
Kojic brought a lamp crashing into the side of Casey’s head just as he used his other hand to slap the laptop up into Ericsson’s jaw.
Reaching next to the couch, he hit a secondary panic alarm and struggled to stand.
“A panic button has just been activated,” said Rhodes over the radio. “What’s going on in there?”
“Deactivate it,” said Casey as Ericsson tried to grab Kojic.
“I can’t,” she replied.
Casey was about to tell her to at least shut down the elevators when Branko lunged at her.
She was still stunned from being struck with the lamp and that impaired her reaction time. The best she could do was lash out with a quick kick to his knee.
The strike caused him to lose his balance and stumble to the side. Before either Casey or Ericsson could catch him, he went face-first into the glass coffee table.
It all seemed to happen in slow motion as the glass erupted in thousands of gleaming shards.
“Damn it,” Casey yelled. “Damn it, damn it, damn it!”
Ericsson bent down to feel for a pulse, but there was none. Kojic had struck his head on one of the table’s wrought-iron legs. His open, lifeless eyes stared off underneath the couch while a pool of blood began to form on the carpet underneath him.
“Security is on its way up,” said Rhodes. “You need to get out of there. Now.”
It took Casey a moment to snap to.
“Gretch, we’ve got to go,” said Ericsson.
Casey nodded. “Get the laptop,” she replied as she left the room. “I’ll get the tool case so I can get his finger.”
As their elevator raced toward the top floor, Megan Rhodes read out atmospheric data for them. Their exit was going to be even more dangerous than their entrance.
Hitting the access stairs, they burst through the door and ran up two flights. Retrieving their harnesses, they prepped as quickly as possible. Tightening their helmets, they gave their reserve chutes one last check and then gave each other the thumbs-up.
“Security just arrived,” said Megan. “They are one floor below you headed your way.”
Casey and Ericsson ran out onto the roof and went in two different directions. They ran as fast as their legs would propel them, and when they reached the edge of the roof, they leaped out and off into the night.
CHAPTER 47
DENVER
Ben Matthews checked to make sure no one was eavesdropping on their conversation and said, “She’s got someone following me? Since when?”
Dean Pence tore the top off another pack of sugar and dumped the contents into his coffee. “Since she gave you the phones to plant.”
Ben couldn’t believe it. He hadn’t seen anyone. But if Pence said he was being followed, then he was definitely being followed. “So now we know she’s not operating alone.”
“I told you she’d screw up.”
“How many people does she have on me?” asked Matthews.
“At least two that I’ve been able to ID so far.”
“Damn it. I should have seen them.”
Pence motioned for him to relax. “I almost didn’t pick up on them either. These guys are good; real good.”
“So, this operation against the airport is much bigger than we thought.”
“That’s what it looks like.”
Ben leaned forward. “Dean, we’ve got to go back to Mumford right now. We’ve got to tell her what we’ve learned.”
“Already done,” said Pence.
“What?”
“I already spoke with her.”
“Without talking to me first? Are you nuts?” demanded Ben. “We haven’t even gotten our stories straight yet.”
“Well, we’re going to get them straight now,” replied Pence.
“How much did you tell her?”
“What am I, new? How much do you think I told her?”
Ben massaged his eyes with the heels of his hands. “Shit,” he said. “It’s all over, isn’t it?”
“Like hell it is,” replied Pence. “I’m not about to sink one of the biggest espionage cases of the decade. I told you, this is going to make our careers, not end them.”
“So, you lied to Mumford is what you’re telling me.”
“I don’t like the word lie.”
Matthews chuckled.
“I was selective with the truth,” said Pence. “Listen, I told her what she wanted to hear. You know how she is. This is all about her career. Now that she realizes what she stands to gain from all of this, she’s behind it.”
“Now you’re lying to me. There’s no way you could have explained this to her in such a way that she would have completely gone along with it. No way.”
Pence nodded. “There’s going to be some disciplinary action, yes, but—”
Ben leaned back in the restaurant booth. “Now the truth comes out.”
“But we’re still on the case. She’s allocating extra resources now and everything. We can have anything we need.”
“Including our choice of lethal injection or firing squad.”
“You’re speaking metaphorically, I hope,” said Pence.
Matthews reached for his coffee. “I’m speaking about our careers, Dean. We’re done.”
“Ben, we’re not done. Our careers are more than intact. Stop worrying. As far as anyone is concerned, we haven’t broken any laws. Mumford doesn’t know anything about the warrantless eavesdropping.”
“How about me falsifying my employment application to TSA?”
Pence sucked some air in between his teeth and nodded. “Yeah, she knows about that.”
Ben threw his hands up in the air. “Fabulous. Did you take responsibility for anything?”
“Actually, I did. I told her that this was my idea and that I put the entire thing together. And that whatever you had done, you did because I told you it was the right thing to do.
“Then I explained that while we might have bent a few regulations here and there—”
“Dean, we did more than bend a few regulations.”
“She doesn’t know that,” said Pence, “and she’s not going to. I copped to the stuff that we couldn’t cover up. The rest of it never happened.”
“So what’s our story?”
“If you give me five minutes, I’ll explain.”
They actually spent the next forty-five minutes discussing what Pence had told their boss and how the SAC had decided she wanted them to proceed.
When Pence was through, he looked at Ben and said, “So you’re supposed to assume that you’re under complete surveillance, got it?”
Ben nodded. “I understand.”
“That means you don’t stop by the office, you don’t call in, you don’t email. You’re to remain completely in character; completely undercover. Okay?”
“I got it, Dean. I know what not breaking cover means.”
Pence held his hands up in mock surrender. “I’m just trying to help.”
“You’ve helped plenty.”
The elder FBI man looked at his partner. “We did the right thing, you know.”
“No we didn’t, Dean. We’re the good guys. We’re supposed to play by the rules.”
Pence shrugged. “Fine. Beat yourself up all you want. I’m glad we’re going to stick it to those Russian bastards.”
Ben looked at him. “If we�
�re going to stick it to them; if we’re going to load Suffolk’s listening devices up with phony conversations and data, why do I have to even bother with this charade? Who cares how deep I go into the bowels of that airport? Why can’t I just sit my ass in the TSA’s crappy little break room and lie to her?”
Dean Pence returned his partner’s gaze. “Because you’re not exactly a good liar. That’s why.”
“What are you talking about?”
The elder FBI agent took a deep breath. “I know you’ve been sleeping with her, Ben.”
His immediate instinct was to deny the accusation, but Matthews was tired of lying. Instead, he remained silent.
“You’re not the first guy in the Bureau to have slept with a foreign intelligence agent, so don’t feel bad.”
“I don’t.”
This time, it was Pence who chuckled. “It’s written all over your face, Ben. You’re a good man, and good men make lousy liars. Listen, Mumford doesn’t want to risk tipping Suffolk off. For all we know, she’s got a way of monitoring the movement of the devices. Suffolk needs to believe, without the slightest hint of doubt, that you did what she asked. It’s the only way she and the Russians will believe the information that we’ll plant on those phones.”
“And who’s going to do that?”
Pence shrugged. “NSA? CIA? I have no idea. All I know is that this’ll be over soon and we can lock that crazy chick up and all will be well with the world.”
As the waitress came by and topped off their coffee, Ben Matthews hoped his partner was right, but the same voice that told him he never should have slept with Victoria Suffolk was now telling him that he was in a lot more danger than he possibly could have realized.
CHAPTER 48
Ben exited the tiny canyon coffee shop and walked across the parking lot. Most of the vehicles were the same ones that had been there when he had pulled in.
Trying not to appear obvious, Ben observed his surroundings. Even though Pence told him he hadn’t been followed to their meeting, his situational awareness had kicked into overdrive.
Before hopping into his truck, he took once last glance around the lot. If Vicki Suffolk or another operative working with her was out there, he couldn’t tell. But even if someone had been watching him, he’d already taken the precaution of explaining away his meeting with Pence in advance.
He’d told Suffolk he was getting together with a biking colleague who was hoping to recruit Ben to his racing team for next year. There was nothing clandestine or unusual about having coffee.
He powered up his truck’s big diesel engine, pulled out of the parking lot, and navigated his way out onto the highway.
Settling into the middle lane, Ben set the cruise control and studied the cars around him. Somewhat satisfied that he wasn’t being followed, he allowed himself to relax a little.
The movies made undercover life seem glamorous, but it was anything but. It was stressful, and now that he knew he was being watched it was even more stressful. He’d have to be on his guard and keep his wits about him 24/7. He couldn’t trust anyone. The only unguarded moments Ben Matthews was going to get were moments like these when he was alone in his truck.
After making sure his iPod was connected, he turned the stereo on. Gripping the steering wheel, he was hoping to forget who he was and what he had done for a little while. He didn’t want to be an FBI agent who had betrayed his ethical and professional codes of conduct; he didn’t want to be an adult screw-up. He just wanted to be an American killing a few hours before his shift started like everybody else.
Matthews was nearing the employee lot at Denver International when his cell phone rang. He answered the call through his truck’s Bluetooth system, half-expecting it to be Dean Pence with an unnecessary, last-minute pep talk.
“This is Ben,” he said into the truck’s microphone.
“You never called. How’d coffee go?”
It was Vicki.
“It was okay, I guess.”
“What’s that mean?”
“The guy’s kind of an asshole. That’s all. I’m just not in the best of moods.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” said Suffolk. “So you’re not going to ride for him next year?”
“I don’t know,” replied Matthews. “Maybe. We’ll see.”
Vicki was quiet for a moment and he wondered if one of their cells had dropped the call. Just when he was ready to ask her if she was still there she said, “Ben, is everything okay?”
“Sure, why?”
“It’s not like you not to call me. You don’t seem yourself.”
“I’ve got a lot on my mind,” he said. “I’ll be all right. I’m just a bit nervous about going into the belly of the beast.”
“You’re going to do great,” she said. “I’ll be waiting for you when you get home and I’ve got a surprise for you.”
“Really?” he replied. “What is it?”
“I’m going to be naked. Completely naked.”
“Promises, promises,” he said, snapping out of his funk for a moment.
“Ooh, baby,” she purred. “I’ve got the hottest lingerie you’ve ever seen, my high heels, and the air-conditioning is turned all the way up at my place. You’d better hightail it over here after work. If someone else beats you to my bedroom, you’ll only have yourself to blame.”
The woman was an incredible tease. “I’ll text you later,” said Ben.
There was silence on the other end.
“I’ve got to go,” he said as he pulled into the lot. “I’m running late.”
“I’ll see you tonight,” she tried to say, but he had already ended the call.
“Will he plant the devices where you told him to?” asked Peter as he grabbed Vicki Suffolk around her tiny waist and pulled her back into bed.
“Peter,” she cooed to her handler as she tossed the phone to the side. “If you’re not careful, I may lock you up and never let you leave. Maybe I’ll make you my slave for life.”
He buried his mouth in the nape of her neck and gave her a little bite. “Before we drift off into fantasy land,” he said, “let’s deal with our business in the here and now. Today Ben Matthews starts his new position. He now has much greater access at Denver International. Will he do what we’ve asked him to?”
“You mean will he do what I’ve asked him to?” she stressed, running her hands up the inside of his thighs.
“If I didn’t know better,” said Marcus as he leaned back and surrendered himself to her, “I’d say you were trying to seduce me.”
“Would you like me to seduce you?” she asked as she looked up from between his legs and licked her lips.
“I have to send in my report,” he said, trying to untangle himself from her.
“Am I in it?” she asked, narrowing her eyes as she pinched him.
“Maybe,” he replied, grabbing her and kissing her beautiful face.
His answer made her laugh. “Really? Will you begin by talking about how much you love the front of me, or the back of me, which leads to how you both love and hate to see me walk away, right?”
Marcus pulled her on top of him and pressed his lips to her mouth. “I’m not going to tell them a thing about our physical relationship,” he said. “If word gets out about how incredible I am in bed, widows and divorcees from around the world will flock to me.”
“Peter!” she exclaimed, slapping his chest. “You are so vain.”
“What about Matthews?” he asked, changing the subject. “Is he going to get the coordinates we need to strike that underground facility, or not?”
“I don’t think you have anything to worry about,” she replied. “I’ve yet to meet a man who wouldn’t do exactly what I wanted. Present company included.”
Marcus laughed, but his expression softened as he looked up at her. “You were made for this business, you know that?”
Vicki was thrown off-balance by his sudden tenderness. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to answer that,�
� she said looking down at him.
“How about, I wouldn’t be where I am without you, Peter?”
She smiled and kissed his nose. “You’ve been very good to me,” she replied.
The man looked off out the window. He could see planes taking off and landing in the distance. He knew that with their attack, the world was about to change. Things were going to be dramatically different.
Suffolk laid her head on his chest. “What are you thinking about?”
“The two of us taking a nice long vacation when all of this is over.”
“I’ve got a better idea,” she said. “Let’s buy some land; better yet, an island. Let’s pick one way out in the middle of the ocean where no one will ever find us.”
Marcus caressed the side of her face. It was interesting that she had suggested buying an island, as he’d already picked one out. The world was about to be reborn and for some, it was going to be very, very bad. He wanted to be as far away from “civilization” as possible when it happened. He’d already made up his mind about taking Victoria with him, but first they needed to finish their assignment.
“I have big plans, my dear, but before we discuss those, let’s go through why we’re here one last time,” he said. “I want to be certain that none of the evidence ties back to either of us.”
CHAPTER 49
TUZLA
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
TUESDAY
Gretchen Casey had conducted numerous base jumps in her time, but never off the top of an office building in the middle of the night with people shooting at her.
Both she and Julie Ericsson had packed Vonblon steerable chutes as reserves and they had worked perfectly, though they never should have had to use them. The women should have been able to drive right out of Kojic’s building, in Kojic’s car, with Kojic drugged up in the backseat. But as any operative knew, Mr. Murphy, of Murphy’s Law fame, had a way of insinuating himself into even the best-laid plans.