Shadow Rising (A Lacy Merrick Thriller Book 2)

by Robin Mahle

  “Before we jump the gun, I’ll need to get some intel on Delgado,” Axell began. “If he’s got ties to anyone at the MSS, or, and let’s not forget this, anyone inside the State Department. Even if this is the man who’s coming for us, he’s not coming alone. Someone’s given him orders and that’s who I’ll need to find.”

  “What should I do?” Lacy asked.

  “Be careful who you communicate with and how. But, Lacy, you still have a job to do. If you change any behavior, he’ll know we’re onto him. Don’t use your work cell to call any of us, not even Caison. Your laptop at the office? Don’t use it to email any of us or look at anything that might raise a red flag.” Axell began to pace the room. “I’ll find out who he’s working for. Hunter, you’ll look for a way to keep tabs on him. I don’t care how you do it, just get it done.”

  Axell turned to Will. “And as for you, Caison, because he’s now working with your boss, I suggest you stick close to him and find out what information Kelly’s passing along.”

  “We still have Deputy Secretary Turner to consider in all this. I’ll get with Agent Fraser and find out who in Turner’s inner circle knows this guy. I still think this leads to him or his department in some fashion. And since he’s not very forthcoming at the moment…”

  “We still have Lei Jian and Ahsan Sajwani to deal with,” Axell started. “Hunter, look, I know you’re busting your ass in there, but we have to know where they are. What they’re doing. I realize I’m asking a lot here and that the more you do, the more eyes will be on you. But we’ll have to cross that bridge when we get to it. The more we discover, the worse this gets, and I don’t know how much time we have before it blows up in our faces.”

  17

  The shots fired into the restaurant were meant either as a warning for Will and Lacy or the shooter simply didn’t have time to fire off another round with better aim. Regardless, the bullet casing Will recovered in secret needed to be identified and the best place for that was the forensics lab at Headquarters. A vast facility with cutting-edge technology, the technicians there were the best of the best.

  The unit in charge of handling that type of evidence was the FTU, the Firearms-Toolmarks Unit. The idea was to determine if the casing came from the same gun as the one found at Kendrick’s home and then find out to whom the gun belonged.

  “Excuse me?” Will approached a technician who came highly recommended by his friend in the Operations Center, Agent Porter. A man who, for his help with audio surveillance, had been instrumental in proving Kendrick’s involvement in the attack.

  “Yes?”

  “I’ve been told you’re the one to see with regard to ballistics.”

  The man pulled away from his monitor. “Oh yeah? Who you been talking to?”

  “A buddy of mine in the Ops Center.” Will retrieved the plastic bag that contained the casing. “I need to trace the weapon this came from, more specifically, the owner of that weapon.”

  The technician took hold of the bag and began to examine it. “It’s a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber cartridge likely from a Glock 22. Where’d you find it? What case is this for?”

  “I’m working on the restaurant shooting in Downtown D.C. I was the agent there at the time.”

  “Right. I heard about that. And you’ve been assigned to investigate a shooting that you happened to have been involved in?”

  “Can you help me or not?” Will needed to avoid any further inquiries because he had no such authorization.

  “The question isn’t if; it’s when. How soon do you need this?”

  “It’s priority. They want to rule out a lone-wolf terrorist attack.”

  “It has very few indications of that. Single shooter, no dead, few injured. Sounds more like a drive by gang-related shooting rather than terrorism.”

  “Except for one thing. I was the target and I work in CTD.”

  The man appeared sheepish and again examined the casing. “Of course. I can have something to you by tomorrow. I’ll have to analyze the striations, upload the images, and enter the information into NIBIN.”

  Will recalled that from his Quantico days. The National Integrated Ballistics Information Network was a massive database utilized by not only the Bureau, but the ATF and DEA. Details on weapons, bullets, casings; all of it compared and analyzed and then uploaded to find matches to other crimes. That was what Will needed to know. Did the cartridge match the gun used to kill Drew Kendrick and, pending information from Axell, was it also used to kill Agent Colburn?

  “Thank you. I appreciate your help.” He began to walk away. “Oh, and if there is a match to a weapon used in another crime, I ask that you give me a heads-up on that first.”

  “No problem.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  The death of Agent Colburn still haunted Aaron. He’d felt responsible because his job was simple—get a location on Ahsan Sajwani. While no one knew for sure if he was the culprit, it didn’t matter. Agent Axell had entrusted him to find the man. But he was paralyzed with fear of being caught and hadn’t done enough. It would only be a matter of time before they all realized he wasn’t cut out for this job, no matter how highly he touted his own skills. Apparently, it wasn’t as simple as he’d led them to believe.

  “Hey, man.” A colleague brushed past him. “Didn’t mean to startle you. You all right?”

  “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Just concentrating and wasn’t expecting you. Sorry.” He logged off his computer and stood. “I gotta take a piss.” Noting his colleague’s look of growing concern, Aaron quickly departed, making his way to the bathrooms. It was the only place he could be sure he was truly alone. His stomach turned and his head was light. Little sleep, little appetite, and shattered nerves were a dangerous combination.

  He walked into a stall and pressed against the door, locking it quickly. Thoughts of what had already happened: Colburn’s death, the attempt on Lacy and Will’s life. The feelings mixed with his churning gut and he thought he was going to lose it. Why couldn’t they just get this out into the open? Why did every move they made have to be like something from a James Bond movie?

  Cracks in his casual veneer were growing and he wondered how long before everyone else noticed too. What would Lacy think of him? She’d been so strong, losing her husband, sending her children away. And here he was, ready to toss his lunch because he was tinkering around inside highly secure databases. His past was riddled with suspect, borderline illegal dealings, but this was the CI fucking A, and they didn’t screw around. Treason, life in prison. Yeah, he was afraid of Jian and Sajwani, but not nearly as afraid as he was of the people upstairs who glared down at all of them, watching and waiting. “Stop. Just get your shit together and do your job!” He pulled away from the stall door and inhaled a breath to gather himself. Finally, he re-emerged and approached the washbasins, where he splashed water on his face.

  A man appeared from an adjacent stall and regarded Aaron. “Are you okay, sir?”

  “Fine. I’m fine, thank you.” Aaron pressed a paper towel against his face and tossed it into the trash. After a final acknowledgement to the concerned man, he left the restroom. Embarrassed and ashamed for the breakdown, Aaron soon returned and got back to work. His “come to Jesus” moment had arrived. All their lives were at stake and if he cared about Lacy the way he believed he did, then it was time to man up and do what he had come here to do, even if it meant going to prison for it.

  Aaron input Sajwani’s passport number with the knowledge that they believed he was still in Dubai, although at this point, that seemed highly unlikely. The problem lay in the fact that Sajwani could be traveling under a different passport. Running the facial recognition program to determine any aliases he might be travelling under would be the only way to know for sure. That would take time, which meant his work log would reflect the task and offer more ammunition to those who might be watching.

  Aaron scanned the photo from the passport into the database in search of a match to any other passports in
the system. Those in the CIA’s periphery were generally US passport holders who had traveled to Watch List countries. However, those who had arrived in the US from suspect countries were also included, making the search cumbersome, to say the least.

  Several images appeared on the screen with percentages next to them. These percentages were calculated based upon the possibility of an exact match. And as Aaron peered intently at the information, he was certain he had found his target. Sajwani wasn’t traveling under his own passport issued by the UAE, but one issued by the Chinese government. He’d arrived in the US two days ago, according to the stamp from the Reagan International Airport. Which confirmed a more pressing concern—that he was in D.C.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  A knock on his door and the CEO of the Dalian Company, Shen Yang, peered over his glasses. “Yes?”

  A young man wearing a black tie and neatly pressed white oxford opened the door. “Pardon the interruption, sir, but I have Mr. Delgado here to see you. He insists that it’s urgent.”

  With a wave of his hand, Yang signaled his consent and waited for Delgado to be escorted inside. “What is so urgent, Agent Delgado, that you insisted on interrupting my day?”

  Delgado entered the office and waited for the assistant to close the door. “Apologies, sir, but this couldn’t wait.”

  “Have a seat.”

  “I’ve just been informed that Lei Jian is making plans to travel here in the coming days. I’ve been tracking the whereabouts of his right-hand man, Ahsan Sajwani, who is in Washington as we speak. If both are here, I can assure you that this will bring bigger troubles than those we face from the likes of Lacy Merrick and Agent Will Caison.”

  Yang leaned back in his chair and removed his glasses. “You’re missing one crucial element in this equation. The minister has allowed this to happen for a reason. You and I both know Jian has become more trouble than he’s worth. While he performed his tasks, his ego has gotten in the way. He misses the power he used to have and is looking to regain that. The minister knows this.”

  “What are you saying? He wants Jian to come here and cause problems?”

  “What I’m saying, Agent Delgado, is that you’ve been hired to do a job for us. That job now entails handling this situation as you see fit. Or rather, as you know it must be handled. Unfortunately for us, what had started out as a relatively straightforward plan has veered off into a vain effort on the part of Jian to seek retribution for his imprisonment. Now it is up to us, or rather, you to fix the problem.”

  “Of course.” Delgado stood. “Thank you for your time, sir.”

  “Before you leave, what is your progress regarding the letter found on Kendrick’s laptop?”

  “Deputy Secretary Turner’s home has been searched and his server destroyed. If he had a copy of the file, he no longer does.”

  “Thank you, Agent Delgado, and if there’s nothing else…”

  “No, sir. Goodbye, sir.” Delgado left the office and walked through the corridors of the Dalian Company until he finally exited through to the parking garage. He retrieved his cell phone. “I need to see you. Thank you. I’ll be there shortly.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  A black SUV appeared from the parking structure and Lacy recognized it as Delgado’s. With the help of Michelle Vogel, she received his schedule and when she noted an entry that simply indicated “out of office,” following him was priority.

  No one knew she’d followed him to the Dalian Company offices in Alexandria, but somehow, she wasn’t surprised by his arrival here. Their attempts to dominate the space currently occupied by Nova Investments was obvious after the attack. It was, after all, the intent of Lei Jian’s entire agenda to unseat the Arab-held leader and replace it with their own leader in the Asia-Pacific market in retail development.

  What was surprising, however, was that it appeared the Dalian company was pulling Delgado’s strings and that it was likely he was monitoring her as a result of that relationship. She’d believed it was someone in government, perhaps above Turner, who was responsible for Delgado’s surveillance of her every move. And now the battle between the two fronts appeared to be a battle between two factions of the Chinese government. One side with the FBI in its pocket, the other who’d put Lei Jian in charge. Still, none of this could be possible without help from someone in the current administration. There wasn’t a chance in hell someone in State, or higher, didn’t know about this.

  Delgado’s SUV passed by her as she instinctively crouched below her driver’s window and, upon looking up again, noted he was heading north. Perhaps he would now be on his way to whoever else had purchased his sedition.

  She pressed the ignition button and her Lexus purred to life. Lacy headed north and continued to follow him from a safe distance. Will would have been proud of her. No field training and yet she was acting like a field agent. Then again, he just might think her foolish. Delgado was a dangerous man with powerful friends, but she’d faced down these very same people before and she was about to do it again.

  The drive continued for some time and she wondered where he was going. The hour was approaching 3pm and if she wasn’t back at the safe house by six, they’d all come looking for her.

  As Lacy exited the highway with Delgado still three cars ahead, she noted the sign. “Langley?” She’d just exited into the community of McLean in Fairfax County, Virginia. While commonly known as CIA headquarters, Langley was also part of the community of McLean, from which many D.C. workers commuted. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  Delgado finally turned off the main road and onto a smaller residential street. Lacy had to drop farther back to avoid detection. The stately colonial homes with grand circular drives were spaced widely apart, making it all the more difficult for her to remain concealed.

  The SUV pulled onto a cobblestone driveway and around to the front of the home. Lacy stayed back, almost too far back to see, but she’d been prepared. In the center console was a compact pair of binoculars that she purchased only today in anticipation that she might need them. It was a good call.

  The house was shrouded in greenery and tall trees, most of which had shed their leaves, a small measure of luck that provided better visuals. She watched him leave his car and another gentleman stepped out onto the driveway to meet him. The men shook hands. She didn’t recognize the other man and began to take pictures with her cell phone. In that moment, she’d realized the binoculars were a good start, but what she really needed right now was a zoom lens.

  She took a few more shots of the two men and the house. It was the best she could do. There was no way to hear what they were saying and she wasn’t a lip reader and the moment they walked inside, it was over. The door promptly closed.

  Lacy waited a few moments to confirm she was all clear to pull away. The sun was lowering quickly and she was miles away from the safe house. With traffic, it would be close. She decided to leave a message with Aaron, taking every precaution, of course, and utilizing one of many burners she had in her possession. He wasn’t allowed to carry his cell inside the building, so she would leave him a message. “Hey, it’s me. Listen, I might be running a little late. Don’t worry; everything’s fine. I’ll see you later. Bye.”

  Her concern for Aaron had grown considerably since he started at CIA headquarters. And it wasn’t lost on her that she was only minutes from him right now, but in the end, it was far too risky to try to see him. For all she knew, there were eyes on him there, just as there were eyes on her at the Bureau.

  18

  Lacy opened the door of the house to all eyes in her direction. “I’m late, I know. But I have a good reason.”

  “Before you tell us, Hunter found him. Sajwani, and he’s here in Washington. Arrived two days ago, before we were hit at the restaurant,” Will said.

  She looked to Aaron, who seemed reassured and appeared to have regained some of his former confidence. “Good. At least we know he’s here. Not that it puts me at ease. It does lend cred
ence to the fact that we think he was the shooter from the restaurant. Timing’s right, anyway. That means, however, what I’ve got will only muddy the already dirty waters.” She handed her phone to Aaron. “You mind pulling up some of these pictures? They’re from a distance and I can’t say how clear they are, but maybe you can do something with them.”

  Axell paced the room while Aaron manipulated the photos Lacy had taken in an effort to identify the other man. “You took these pictures?”

  “Yes, I was in McLean,” Lacy answered.

  “Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? What could’ve happened to you?”

  “If this guy thinks he can watch my every move, then turnabout’s fair play. Look, I get that you think I took on an unnecessary risk, but what choice was there? We’re that much closer to understanding his role in this now, thanks to me.” She looked to Will and it appeared he was in agreement with Axell. “You think I made a mistake too?”

  “I don’t think you should’ve gone alone, that’s all.”

  “This is the best I can do.” Aaron turned to Lacy. “The resolution of the camera on your phone isn’t great.”

  Axell peered over his shoulder. “You say you were in McLean?”

  “Yes. He was at the Dalian offices first, which makes me think he’s working for them, something we hadn’t considered before, and probably a point of concern. After he left the Dalian offices, this was where he went.”

  Axell continued to stare at it, and in a flash of sudden recognition, he bolted upright. “Holy shit.”

  “What? What is it? You know that guy?” Will asked.

  Axell began shaking his head.

  “Who is it? Trevor, you have to tell us. Who is Delgado working with?” Lacy pressed him for an answer, but he seemed to be in shock.