by Robin Mahle
Was he hearing this right? It was beginning to sound as though Mobley drank the Kool-Aid and the idea that he was no longer an ally would present a whole host of new problems. Help was what they needed now, but as he listened, Will began to realize that help might not come. “Of course, sir, I am here to serve the people of this country and protect them.”
“That being said, there are things on which we must follow through and I am entrusting you and your team to make that happen. My support in your efforts to do your job will not waver, as it would not for any other member of the Bureau.” His eyes began to say more than his words could. “SSA Kelly is a team player and you will find he offers a wealth of knowledge. You would do well to take advantage of this.”
With renewed faith, Will understood what had just happened. “Thank you, sir. I appreciate your support. I’ll see to it that SSA Kelly is kept up to speed.”
“Well, then, good luck, Agent Caison, and my door is always open.” Mobley stood and again tendered a greeting.
“Goodbye, sir.” The solid handshake confirmed to Will that the underlying inference of this brief meeting was fully acknowledged. Mobley was still determined to see those responsible pay for their crimes, yet needed to remain stealth in his convictions until such time as the team could prove, with utmost certainty, how far up the Hill this duplicity climbed.
As he departed, Will understood that the charges he wished to bring forth regarding the State Department needed to be impenetrable. Mobley needed absolute certainty. And right now, all they really had was that Turner was promoted and Sajwani was given a visa, but the correlation had not been clear. The central fact in this matter was that Mobley was still in support of their efforts and had essentially handed the baton to Will and SSA Kelly to get what they needed.
♦ ♦ ♦
Will glanced through the window of the restaurant while Lacy finished a phone call.
“Sorry about that. You were saying?”
“My meeting with Mobley this morning. He made it clear that I was to communicate with Kelly rather than bring anything directly to him. I think he’s concerned about exposure.”
“What about our exposure?”
“I understand how you feel, but if Turner gets wind of his involvement, how long do you think it would take for him to garner support for Mobley’s dismissal? We can’t afford that. No matter what we’re doing, he will be the one to pull the trigger with the secretary.”
“Assuming he’s not involved,” she interrupted.
“Or the president. But that brings to mind the other reason why I asked you here. Lacy, I think we’re harming our cause by having you stay at your house. I spoke with Axell last night. I was able to get a crew in to wire your house, but Axell thinks we’re diverting resources and using up too many favors to make it possible for you to stay put. With what we’ve all done to keep 24-hour surveillance, well, he thinks our resources could be put to better use.”
“You all think I should leave?”
“I’m just not sure how effective we’re being.”
“I feel like Jian will find us no matter where we hole up. At least we’re prepared at my house.” She raised a spoon to her lips and gently tipped the soup into her mouth.
With an abrupt, strident boom, the window came crashing down, sending shards of glass inside the restaurant. Tires screeched and smoke billowed from a motorcycle outside before it sped away. Pedestrians scattered, screaming and running, and those inside scrambled for cover.
“Get down!” Will jumped from his chair and lunged toward Lacy, pulling her from her seat and onto the ground. He threw his body over hers, shielding her from the chaos of flying glass and fleeing people. Fragments dropped on his back, the glass slicing through his shirt.
Sirens blared in the distance but grew closer. The restaurant was nearly empty with just a few of the kitchen staff still inside. Patrons fled out of the rear entrance and were now gathered in the front to witness the destruction and offer help to those who were injured.
As the commotion started to subside, Will cast a cautious eye upward and began to climb off of her. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“I’m not hurt.” Lacy began to rise. “But you are.” She pulled his shoulder forward until he twisted enough for her to see. “You’re bleeding. We have to get you some help.”
A man rushed inside. “Are you two okay? What the hell just happened? Was it a drive-by or something?”
“I don’t know. Did you see anything? Anything at all?” Will cringed as he pushed to return to his feet.
“No. There was the usual traffic. I was walking across the street. Then I heard a loud bang and the window just exploded. Sounded like a damn bomb.”
“The man on the bike? Did you see his face?” Will pressed on.
“I’m sorry. I just didn’t see.” The man turned around. “Someone had to have seen something, but sir, you need to go to the hospital.”
“I’m fine. We’re fine.” Will helped Lacy to her feet. “Can you stand up?”
“Yes. I told you, I’m not hurt.” Her face told another story. “It’s Jian. He’s here.”
♦ ♦ ♦
Day had turned into night before the team convened at the apartment that had become the epicenter of their surveillance efforts. Statements had to be given, evidence collected, and by the time it was all said and done, several hours had past.
Lacy was shaken, yet her conviction was unaltered. “Why didn’t we know he was here? Aaron was keeping tabs on Sajwani’s travel. How did he slip past us?”
“We don’t know Sajwani was responsible,” Axell replied.
“He’s been taking out all of those who knew the truth, who were involved in the cover-up. It has to be him,” Aaron said. “He had to have travelled under a different passport and that’s why I missed it. I should’ve known. Staying in Dubai after the murder of the bank president. It didn’t make sense and I fucking blew it.”
“The first thing we need to do is to get you both out of that house.” The irony was that this was the very conversation Will had just had with Lacy. It did, however, present him with a more legitimate case and one she could not ignore. “It’s time for you to leave your home, Lacy, as much as you don’t want to.” He began to look for assurances from Axell and Colburn. “I think we can all agree that staying there is no longer an option. Someone found us at the restaurant. Someone knew we were going to be there.”
“That just proves that he can find me, no matter where I go. So why not be prepared? As we are now, in my own home.”
“You’re a tenacious woman, Merrick,” Colburn said. “You’re right about being prepared. What needs to change, however, is this.” He gestured to the monitors. “This isn’t really going to do us much good. We need boots on the ground. We need to find them before they find us.”
“We have very little time in which to act,” Axell said.
“And what are we supposed to do with what we found out regarding the State Department? Ignore it?” Aaron began to pace the room. “I put my ass on the line for that intel and so did Lacy. What if Jian wasn’t behind today’s attempt? What if it was our very own government? Someone who already knew what we’d found? Will, didn’t you meet with Director Mobley this morning?”
“You want me to believe he had something to do with what happened today?” Will scoffed. “No way. But it does make the possibility seem more likely that someone on the inside knew where we’d be today. Jian couldn’t have known. I just don’t see how. He’s still in Beijing, for Christ’s sake.”
“Then that’s all the more reason to move forward quickly.” Lacy was growing tired of listening to the back and forth. Decisions needed to be made and it would be up to her to make them. She was the one who opted to pursue this and she would be the one to make the call. “Axell’s right. None of this has played out as we intended, so we need to change our plan. The time has come to stop being reactive. We need to be proactive.”
“What are you prop
osing?” Axell asked.
“I believe the deputy secretary is a smart man, smarter than Kendrick. We don’t know his part in all of this yet, or if he has one.”
“You don’t think he was involved? Then or now?” Will asked.
She raised her index finger to make clear her point. “When this reached Mobley and he attempted to arrest Kendrick, the only thing Turner was interested in was covering up what his staff had known. The obvious reason was to ensure relations with China remained intact and more importantly, to cover his ass and the secretary of state, even going so far as to suggest the president was on board with that plan. What if he had no such agreement with the president? Our entire point in moving forward was that it appeared as though someone else had to have known something. That Kendrick couldn’t have acted alone. And that’s why we’re all standing here right now.”
“Mobley would’ve seen through that. And besides, you saw the press conference afterward. What the president said,” Will added.
“Our purpose was to find out who in our own government let Kendrick off the hook. Maybe we’ve been looking at this the wrong way. What if Kendrick was never really let off?”
“You think someone, maybe Turner, was working behind the scenes to get Jian freed after the elections. Let him get rid of those who were intimate with the situation,” Axell said.
“I’m suggesting part of the plan, whoever’s plan it was, was to do exactly that.”
“Where does that leave us, Lacy?” Will asked. “What do you want to do now?”
With her arms folded across her chest and her eyes fixed upon his, Lacy knew what needed to be done. “We’re going to get Turner to work with us.”
Axell unleashed a hearty laugh. “You’re serious? We have no idea if he’s involved in this and you just want to what—ask him? You do remember what happened when I confronted Kendrick, right?”
“Yes. But we knew of his direct involvement. We don’t know where Turner stands.”
“And how do you propose we approach him on this particular subject?”
“We’ll need Aaron to send him a message. One that only he will understand.” She looked to her friend. “It’s the only way we’ll know where his loyalties lie.”
♦ ♦ ♦
Lei Jian dawdled impatiently for the minister who, it seemed, had intentionally kept him waiting.
“The minister will see you now.” A man donning the MSS uniform, which displayed the ministry’s logo prominently on his chest and shoulder, stood at attention before Jian.
It wasn’t so long ago when it was Jian himself giving orders to guards and commanding respect. But all that changed under the new regime. He’d wondered why the premier appointed such a man to this position of power. Jian entered the minister’s office.
“Take a seat, please. Why have you come to see me? Haven’t I done enough for you by giving you back your freedom?”
“Of course, sir, and I am very thankful and remain loyal to your service. However, I’ve come here today to discuss a continuation of our previous efforts.”
“You mean the efforts that led to your detention and to threatened sanctions by the US Government because you were careless? And that also led to my appointment? Perhaps it is the former minister from whom you should seek advice. I released you at the insistence of the State Council.”
“And I am grateful, but if you could see just how successfully executed the idea was. And how it is still within our power to do again. This time, perhaps on a smaller scale and ensuring fewer interlopers.” Jian could see that the minister was considering the idea.
“What do you hope to accomplish, Lei Jian? What can you do to further advance our infiltration into the United States?”
A hint of a smile masked Jian’s face but quickly vanished. “They are still on heightened alert after the attack. I think to attempt such a thing again would be a mistake. However, there are other means of destroying their economic systems. And we’ve done it before, though not on such a scale.” He paused. “As you know, we have operatives, many of whom fill positions within the CIA and the FBI.”
“Yes. Although it wasn’t long ago when thirty of them were returned home, deemed spies for the Communist Party. A mistake that I again have to assume helped to propel my position, along with your debacle.”
Jian rose to anger but regained composure. This was far too important to let his ego get in the way. “That still leaves us with ample resources within the organizations and those who still conduct business inside the US. We have a great many resources to explore.”
“Before you go any further, I’ll need to confer with the premier. The US has focused their efforts into ISIS, Syria, and the growing instability within its own borders. There are several options to consider, yet I am intrigued to continue our efforts on the economic front. Weaken them from that aspect, and we stand to gain much more in the long term. Their dependence upon us will grow.”
“Thank you, sir. I am grateful you will consider my suggestions and take them to the premier.” Jian prepared to leave. “There is one other thing I would like to ask of you, Minister.”
“Yes?”
“I must be able to travel freely in order to continue the work.”
“After speaking with the premier, I will ask that he reconsider that penalty.”
“Thank you, sir. I am most grateful.” A slight bow and Jian departed.
The minister retrieved his cell phone. “I think the time has come to allow Lei Jian freedom of movement.” He paused while the man on the other end spoke. “Yes, and if he is captured, which is an almost certainty, then we let the Americans do what they do best. We want him to be a reminder that we do not take orders from the US and especially from this administration. And if they again threaten sanctions, then perhaps we will remind them what it was they chose to hide from their people.”
♦ ♦ ♦
As he returned to his car, Jian’s phone rang. “Yes, what is it?”
“They’ve been alerted to my arrival.”
“How is that possible? You are traveling under an alias. Not even the hacker would’ve known that.”
“The home—it’s deserted. I just left there.”
“Where are they? What am I paying you for, Ahsan?”
“I will find them. I don’t know why they’re no longer at the Merrick residence.”
“I’ve just had a very productive conversation with the Minister. He is considering the proposal I placed before him. It is up to you to ensure the elimination of our loose ends, as you promised.”
“I understand. There’s one more thing, sir.” He paused. “I’ve just been informed that an attack was carried out where the civilian FBI worker and the agent were having lunch.”
“An attack? By whom?”
“I do not know. But that may have led them to flee the home.”
“Find out who is after them and if it is a friend or enemy.”
11
The last thing Lacy wanted was to leave her home. It was the equivalent of admitting defeat. Once again, her hand was being forced and her desire for retribution was growing stronger with each passing day.
She began her trek to the other side of Headquarters, where she would meet with Will, who’d already gained the support of his new SSA, a concern, which, until Mobley’s assurances, couldn’t be quantified, but was now laid to rest. “Hey.” She stepped into the doorway of Will’s office. “You ready?”
They made their way into Headquarters’ lobby and, finally, outside to Will’s car.
“Shouldn’t take us long to get there. Kelly made the arrangements. I don’t know exactly what information Mobley has entrusted him with, but he got the place and I didn’t ask questions.” Will stepped inside.
“What about Aaron?”
“He’s helping take down the surveillance equipment at the apartment, where he’ll stay in the interim. No one knows he’s there. No one knows of that place at all, so he’ll be safe. Per Axell’s instructions, Aaron
will go about his business as usual, except continue to track down Jian and Sajwani and gain further insight into Turner. His involvement is still key, though I don’t know how much Hunter will find on him.”
“There’s still more to discover in those personnel files. I know there is. Aaron should focus on finding financial ties between Turner and China. That will solidify our assumptions. But I just want confirmation that he’ll be safe.”
“I can’t offer any guarantees, Lacy. I wish I could. But I know Axell and Colburn will do their level best to protect him.”
There was nothing left for her to say. They were on their way to do something she had never envisioned doing. She had joined the FBI to help find terrorists, but in a capacity that never put her own life at risk. Now she’d put her life on the line countless times, it seemed. They were on the hunt and she would not quit until they captured their prey. Just as Lei Jian wouldn’t stop until he did the same. She couldn’t help but wonder who would win.
With miles of silence having passed by, Will’s approach to the suburban row house was somewhat anti-climactic. Lacy had expected a sort of triumphant arrival as though the game was afoot. Instead, the somber mood was amplified, as if no one would win and, in the end, their efforts would be thwarted swiftly and without prejudice.
Will leaned toward her and peered through her passenger window. “This is the place. We should get set up.” He stepped out of the car and grabbed his belongings.
They approached the steps of the front door and Will retrieved the keys from his coat pocket. Upon unlocking it, he pushed it open and stepped in first. “Let me just take a look around. Wait here.” He walked inside, gun at the ready, and searched each room of the modest two-bedroom home. What made this place special was its proximity to the deputy secretary’s home, whose address Lacy had furtively obtained.
“Everything appears in order.” He holstered his gun. “Come on in. We need to get set up quickly. Colburn will be here soon.” He glanced through the curtains of the front room window. “His place is just over there, across the street, two houses down.”