Despite the clandestine nature of the meeting and the double-oh-seven technology being used, Shannon hadn’t lost sight of the fact that Vincent Drago had tried to kill her and Allison Gracelyn was leveraging the vast, unknowable resources of the National Security Agency against whatever Shannon was trying to find out.
She drove automatically, but she found herself distracted by thoughts of Rafe Santorini. He worked for the NSA. She wondered how much trouble he was going to be in.
“All right,” she said calmly, “I need to know what this story is about.”
“This is the greatest story of all those I’ve given you,” Kwan-Sook said.
That’s a hard promise to deliver, Shannon thought. Over the years she’d gotten some truly stellar news scoops.
“You’re aware that the Athena Academy is privately funded to a large extent?” Kwan-Sook asked.
Shannon did know that.
“Have you heard of Dr. Aldritch Peters?”
The name struck a chord within Shannon’s memory. She thought as she drove and followed the directions. Just when she felt certain she wasn’t going to remember, it came to her.
“He’s a geneticist,” Shannon said. “One of the pioneers on the human genome research.”
“That’s correct. You’ve got a very good mind, Ms. Connor.”
“Just call me Shannon.”
“Thank you.”
“I—we—did a story on one of Dr. Peters’s students who has set up an egg clinic in Dallas, Texas.”
That had been an interesting story. Prepackaged fertilized eggs from select donors were sold to childless couples who had trouble conceiving for one reason or another. Peters’s name and work had come up several times in the interview.
The strange thing was that Peters himself seemed to have disappeared and didn’t have as much research published as the student had believed he did.
“Dr. Peters was involved with an entity known as Lab 33,” Kwan-Sook said.
Lab 33 was easy to remember. It had existed only a short distance from the Athena Academy. In fact, some of the personnel at that lab had taught at the academy as well as maintained research centers on school premises.
A few years ago there had been a fire in Lab 33 that had destroyed nearly everything. Shannon had been surprised that the story wasn’t given more coverage, but it had quietly faded away from public view.
“I’ve heard of Lab 33,” Shannon replied.
“What you don’t know is that Lab 33, under Dr. Peters, was heavily involved with genetic experimentation.”
A tidal wave of pure adrenaline washed over Shannon. She oversteered on the next turn and nearly sideswiped a car parked at the side of the street. She recovered—the car and herself—and kept driving.
“What kind of genetic experimentation?” Shannon asked.
“On human test subjects.”
Shannon couldn’t believe it. Her heart thumped to renewed life. Illegal gene research was a huge story. If it was tied to the Athena Academy, with the political and military connections the school maintained, it was even bigger.
“Did Marion Gracelyn and the other academy heads know about Lab 33?” Shannon asked.
“Yes.”
Shannon smiled. Score! There was no way the Athena Academy or Marion Gracelyn’s sainted memory was going to survive something like that. They’d torpedoed themselves.
“The girls who were kidnapped from Athena were some of the results of that genetic manipulation,” Kwan-Sook went on.
“Why were they taken to Kestonia?”
“They were going to be sold to the highest bidder as research subjects. The young women who’ve been experimented on tend to end up with fantastic abilities.”
Just when Shannon didn’t think her heart could beat any faster, it did.
Athena Academy, one of the United States’ most prestigious schools for girls, is secretly a Nazi-inspired experiment to create a female master race.
Shannon wasn’t content with the wording, but the idea behind it was pure dynamite. The story was going to shatter Athena Academy and all those associated with it.
“This is the story you want me to break?” Shannon asked.
“Yes.”
“I’ll have to get the police to drop their interest in me first,” Shannon said, already making a mental punch list.
“In time. First you’ll need to gather more of the story.”
“More?” Shannon couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“You don’t need anything more than that. That’s enough to bring a government investigation into Athena that will rip them to shreds. We’re talking massively illegal human gene research.”
“You need proof to release a story like that,” Kwan-Sook said.
Unfortunately, that was true.
“You don’t have proof?” Shannon was disappointed.
“No. Most of the proof about Lab 33 was lost in the fire. However, I want to introduce you to a man in Hong Kong that will have more information about the story.”
“Who is he?”
“A man who at one time worked with Dr. Peters.”
“What’s his name?”
“Patience, Shannon. I’ve had to do a lot of things, manipulate many events, to get tonight to happen. Meeting with this man is going to take some finesse. I haven’t gotten all the details worked out yet.”
Shannon made herself breathe out. “You can get me to Hong Kong without getting arrested?”
Kwan-Sook laughed. “That is the plan.”
“It’s a great plan.” Shannon wasn’t looking forward to the long trip, but the story was going to remake her career and put her up for several journalism awards.
Not only that, but she was going to be instrumental in bringing down Athena Academy.
“Control, this is Cerberus Four. We may have a problem.” The woman’s voice was calm and confident. Like the other women on-site there, she was an Athena grad that Allison had called in to work site security.
Tired and frustrated, Allison glanced away from the monitor she was currently working on to the monitor that tied her in to the security systems at the hotel where Rafe and Shannon were staying.
The touch-sensitive monitor allowed her to bring up any of the camera views she wanted. Nothing looked amiss.
“I don’t see anything.”
“Four Asian men just entered the lobby. They were over-dressed for the weather and they didn’t stop at the desk.”
Allison glanced at the screens. She didn’t see any of the individuals in question.
“I’m not seeing them,” she said.
“They just got on the elevator.”
Allison pulled the wireless keyboard over to her as she turned to face the fifty-inch screen to her left. She hit keystrokes to freshen and cycle through the camera views.
All of the views locked up at the same time.
Chill fear crystallized inside Allison. Her system had been hacked. She was blind. If Cerberus Four had spotted a group, it was probable that it wasn’t the only group.
“Everyone get up there,” Allison said. She hit the keys to reboot her hack into the hotel’s security system and got kicked out completely. She didn’t even have access now.
A stick figure of a soldier took shape on the monitor. Words printed beside it.
If you hurry, you’ll get to witness Captain Rafe Santorini’s death. Thanks for playing.
It was signed with a spider icon.
Chapter 14
D ulles International Airport was enjoying a lull when Shannon arrived. She was met at the passenger boarding area by a slim, young Chinese man.
He walked to the rear of the car, stood patiently as the trunk released, then reached inside for a slim valise and a carry-on. He closed the trunk, then handed the valise to Shannon. He waved to a skycap and tipped the young man.
“Please escort her to the Air China gates,” the young Chinese man said. “She is a very important guest.”
The skyca
p nodded and took up the carry-on.
Air China? Shannon was impressed.
“You will have other baggage at your disposal when you arrive in Hong Kong, miss,” the Chinese man said to Shannon. “Your computer and notes are in the valise. You have an e-ticket waiting for you at the desk.”
“Thank you,” Shannon said. She felt more than a little overwhelmed at how fast everything was happening.
“Please enjoy your trip. We will be watching over you.”
Before Shannon could ask him about that, he turned and slid behind the steering wheel of the car. She didn’t know if she should feel protected or threatened.
“Miss,” the skycap said. “If you’re going to make your flight, we’ve got to hurry.”
Shannon nodded.
Inside the terminal, the skycap waved down a cart and put Shannon aboard. Within less than a minute she was speeding through the terminal. The driver used his warning horn liberally. Insolent stares followed in their wake.
The iPhone rang.
Shannon picked up after checking the view screen.
“Hello.”
“I’m sorry everything is so abrupt, but it appears Allison Gracelyn is a much more worthy opponent than I had believed.”
“Why?”
“She’s already discovered the subterfuge at the hotel. Unfortunately for your recent jailer, this might not be soon enough to save him.”
Shannon’s breath stilled in her lungs. “What do you mean?”
“I told you we had other enemies afoot tonight,” Kwan-Sook said. “They have apparently tracked you to that hotel. They just don’t know that you’re already gone. Your decision to trust me may have just saved your life.”
But it may have gotten Rafe killed. Shannon thought about the shape he’d been in when she’d left the hotel room. He’d been unconscious. He wouldn’t be able to defend himself.
Sickness twisted her stomach.
A warning klaxon strobed Rafe Santorini’s brain. He felt as if it had shattered into a million jagged pieces and none of them would ever fit together again.
He blinked open his eyes. They felt thick and stiff. His mouth was dry as a desert. The room was dark except for the bathroom light. He moved his head and the room swam unevenly.
Damn! He felt as if he’d gotten slammed by an eighteen-wheeler. The only good thing out of the woozy feeling that filled him was that the pain in his knee was gone. Then he thought about Shannon.
He rolled over onto his stomach and saw the pillow his head had been resting on. The pillow hadn’t been on the floor before. Someone had put it there.
Damn it!
Although he knew better than to expect Shannon to be there, he looked anyway. The hotel room was empty. He felt that as much as he saw it. The lights and television had been turned off.
Rafe cursed and focused on shrugging off the effects of whatever he’d been given. He knew he’d been drugged. During his imprisonment in North Korea he’d been given drugs to break down his resistance and make him physically ill.
He knew drugs. He also knew pain and betrayal. This felt a whole hell of a lot like all three.
Desperate, he tried to remember the last thing he could. All he remembered was talking to Shannon.
Go slow, he told himself. Don’t panic. How much time have you lost?
He glanced at his watch. It was a few minutes after two in the morning. He hadn’t lost any time. Couldn’t have been out for more than a few minutes after he’d climbed from the tub.
And bought into the little Miss Let’s Be Friends act. You knew she was the bad guy. Allison told you that.
Rafe sighed in exasperation. The whole op wasn’t even three hours old, and he’d already managed to lose Shannon Connor.
Allison is going to be seriously pissed.
Rafe ran a hand through his hair. It made his head hurt. He still felt off from whatever Shannon had given him.
His phone shrilled for attention.
He slid the instrument from his pocket, checked the Caller ID and saw that it was Allison’s number. Terrific. He punched the talk button and held it to his face.
“We have a problem,” Rafe started.
“Stop,” Allison commanded.
Rafe did. His hand automatically slid down for the pistol.
“Someone hacked my computer and looped my access to the hotel’s cameras. A four-man team is headed your way. All Asian. I’ve picked them up now. They’re getting off the elevator on your floor.”
Adrenaline pumped through Rafe’s system and leveraged free the remnants of the drug in his system. He started for the door.
“Get Shannon out of there,” Allison said. “I’ve got an intercept team on the premises. They should be able to help you—”
“Shannon’s not here.” Rafe opened the door and stepped out. He pulled his shirttail out over the holster as he stepped out into the hall. He kept the pistol in his hand. There was nothing in the room that he couldn’t leave behind.
“What?”
Rafe strode down the hallway. If he got trapped in the hotel room, he knew he was a dead man.
“She’s gone,” he said.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know. I think she slipped me something.”
The four Asian men Allison had to have been referring to rounded the corner of the hallway. They remained focused, looking straight ahead. They definitely knew where they were headed.
Rafe kept the pistol out of sight behind his back as he walked past them. He felt the men’s eyes on him, but there was no sign of recognition. Maybe Allison was overreacting.
Almost immediately he retracted that. Allison never overreacted. The fact that Shannon disappeared at the same time the four Asian men decided to show up couldn’t be a coincidence.
In two more strides he was by the men. He resisted the urge to turn around and watch to see if they headed straight to his hotel room. If they did, how did they know where he was staying?
“Do you have access to the cameras back?” Rafe asked.
“Yes.”
Rafe relaxed a little at that. Allison would be watching for him. Still, his back remained tense as he expected a hailstorm of bullets to cut him down at any time.
“Watch my six,” he said.
“I’ve got you,” Allison responded as she watched Rafe walk through the hallway. What he’d done had been gutsy. It was a play not a lot of agents would have thought to do, much less have the courage to implement.
If the four Asian men were there for him—and Allison was inclined to believe they were—walking straight at them would be the last thing they’d expect.
Allison’s eyes roved the monitors in front of her. With all the concentration on the hotel room, she had most of the available monitors focused on that area.
Coverage came from both ends of the hallway so that she was able to watch Rafe or the Asians approach her while they walked away from each other. Other views showed the two women closing on the scene from either end of the hallway. Two more were in the elevator.
The women—all Athena grads that Allison worked with and had called in for double coverage on Shannon—were going to arrive just a moment too late.
“Cerberus Team,” Allison said calmly, “be advised that your target and the suspect force have crossed paths in the hallway.”
“He walked past them?” one of the women in the elevator asked.
“Affirmative,” Allison said. “Cerberus Two, you’re going to have our friendly immediately in your sights when you step out of that fire escape. Be careful.”
“Acknowledged, Control.” The woman raced through the stairwell, taking steps two and three at a time. “I’ll contain the friendly—”
“Negative,” Allison said. She thought of all the time Rafe had spent in the North Korean prison. If someone attempted to take him into custody, there were going to be nasty repercussions.
“Be advised that I want these men alive for questioning if there’s any way pos
sible.”
Even as she said that, Allison knew she was running the risk of breaking cover on her private operation. The four Athena grads could keep quiet, and work with her. Rafe would keep quiet too.
But if the conflict was about to turn as bloody as she thought it was going to…
One of the Asian men lifted his left arm. He slid his sleeve back.
Although Allison couldn’t see what was there, she knew what it was. Special Ops members used wrist-mounted photo viewers to help find target suspects.
The man studied his arm for a moment, then drew a pistol from under his jacket and whipped around. He yelled orders to the other men with him. They unlimbered weapons and came around, as well.
“Rafe,” Allison said, fearing that she was going to be too late.
“They made you.”
On-screen, Rafe spun and brought his pistol up in a two-handed grip. He didn’t try to find cover. In the hallway cover was practically nonexistent.
Allison couldn’t believe he stood there in profile, left hand supporting the right. Since he already had his weapon in hand, it gave him a slight edge.
Despite the hardship of being imprisoned in North Korea and working his way through rehab, Rafe slid easily into position. He profiled in the hallway, standing close and tight so he provided as small a target as possible.
At that moment Allison knew there was no way to stem the violence about to erupt. Automatically she opened her headset microphone and put a call through to one of the guys on the D.C. Police Department who owed her.
With the amount of work and kind of work she did, a lot of people owed her. But a favor like this was heavy and expensive to call in.
On-screen, Rafe started firing. Since there were no audio pickups in the hallway, Allison couldn’t hear any of the pistol reports, but she knew they were there.
“Chief Ginsberg,” a sleepy voice answered.
“Forgive the late call, Chief,” Allison began. “This is Special Agent Allison Gracelyn.” She watched the action breaking loose in the hallway and hoped she hadn’t sent any of her people to their deaths.
Beneath the Surface Page 12