True Deceptions (True Lies)

by Veronica Forand

  “Drop the weapon.” Dane ran into the barn and kicked the gun from the man’s hand as he screamed in pain. He turned to Simon. “Okay?”

  “My crew, every one of them.” He hissed the words through a snarl. “Where’s Cassie?”

  “She was heading to the house.”

  “Shit.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Before she could enter the house, a member of the flight team intercepted her quest for nourishment.

  “Ms. Watson, the pilot needs you to look at the placement of the cargo prior to takeoff.”

  He clasped her by the arm and escorted her to the helicopter.

  Why would the pilot need her? Simon handled transportation logistics. Maybe they wanted to ask her something about securing the drones. Since Dane had also disappeared into the barn with Simon, she walked with the man to find out the problem.

  The rotors were already turning, blowing dirt and making a lot of noise. She ducked under to get to the side door, and away from the mini-sandstorm. The man who told her to go to the copter lifted her inside. The crates were all packed and ready to transport, but something wasn’t right. Before she could ask anything, someone moved quickly from her right side and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her into a seat and restrained her in place with the safety harness.

  She yelled, but the sound from the rotors accelerating into full velocity swallowed her screams. As she struggled to free herself, the men pulled her arms back and secured them with canvas straps. The noise increased. The intensity of the sound rung through her ears. Her eyes began to water in frustration.

  Outside she watched Simon and Dane run full speed toward her. Simon sprinted ahead of Dane and pulled one of the men out of the helicopter before he could slam the door, but the helicopter continued to move. He grabbed for the helicopter a second too late. She was already flying above them.

  Someone pulled the door closed, sat next to her, and secured himself to the bench. Within minutes, they were flying over the ocean. A few fishing boats could be seen in the distance and then nothing but water and sky.

  The draft of the rotors kicked dirt in Simon’s face and temporarily blinded him. When the air settled, he watched in horror as Cassie was spirited away from him.

  “Cassie!” he yelled at the sky. Fury and anger shredded his last thread of control. His captive tried to move away from his side. A mistake. Simon dragged him back and proceeded to punch his face until blood spewed from his nose and mouth onto the ground. Dane pulled his arms back to stop him.

  “Simon, enough. Get him into the kitchen. I’ll drag in the other, if he hasn’t bled out in the barn yet. We’ll figure this out. Get a grip.” Releasing his arms, he walked away.

  Simon remained on the ground for a moment until he heard a moan. He pulled the injured man to his feet by squeezing his neck and yanking him up. He wanted to kill him, but Dane was right. They needed information, or he’d never get Cassie back. He forced the bastard into the house and tied him to the chair, making sure to break his humerus bone along the way. The man’s eyes had swollen shut, and his nose was twisted and deformed. Blood coated his clothes and dripped onto the floor. Simon’s clothes were also stained red.

  Dane arrived a few minutes later dragging the man he’d shot. The asshole’s knee was missing and in its place was a gaping wound. Dane had tied his arms behind his back until his shoulders dislocated. The man’s face had a few adjustments made since Simon had last seen him. His right eye was swollen shut, and a small amount of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. Dane forced him into a chair near the other and secured him to it.

  Simon rinsed off his hands and face in the sink to calm down. His anger needed to be channeled into a functional outlet. He’d be useless to Cassie if he panicked. His actions by the helicopter gave him pause. Never in his life did he want to destroy someone with such rage. If Dane hadn’t pulled him off that son of a bitch, he’d have killed him. He had no doubt about it.

  Dane, still facing the two men, typed into his phone. Simon pulled out his gun again, pointing it at the one without a knee.

  “What the hell is going on?” He struck the wound of the nearest asshole with the butt of his gun.

  The man flinched. His hands and legs shook in mini convulsions. “We were given orders to take the cargo and the girl.”

  “Who did you get your order from?”

  “I don’t know.”

  A gunshot rang out. The man screamed as blood poured from his shoe. Dane pulled back his weapon and stared him down, shouting over the man’s screams. “I don’t think you understood the question. Who are you taking orders from?”

  Simon didn’t react to the loud ringing in his ears from the gunshot. He wanted answers, and he and Dane would dismantle these men piece by piece if they didn’t get them.

  The man couldn’t speak, until Dane lifted his gun again and pointed at his other foot.

  He spit some blood out of his mouth and struggled to talk. “We don’t know. The pilot, Sean, received a large amount of cash for the job. He promised to distribute half now and the other half after everything’s complete.”

  His body began to shut down from the blood loss. Simon, however, needed more answers.

  “What’s the task?” Simon asked.

  “The drones. Deliver them to North Korea. Train the soldiers. Leave the girl.” His voice began to fade, and he passed out.

  Simon’s heart raced. He gripped the side of the table with his left hand to prevent himself from shooting the guy in the head. Leave her in North Korea? She’d be gunned down as a spy. A U.S. spy.

  Dane moved closer to the other traitor, his gun directed at his balls. “Who sent the money?”

  “An English guy. He said Mr. Dunn worked for him.” His words were muffled through the broken nose and teeth.

  Dane turned to Simon. “Tucker. He must have intercepted my request for a helicopter crew and changed out the team. Damn, I’m sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault. It’s Tuckers.” The gun in Simon’s hand grew warm. One bullet through the head of the nearest traitor would relieve his growing stress, but he needed to find an alternative method of keeping his cool. “We’ll focus on his death later. We need to locate Cassie.”

  Dane nodded. “I’m on it. I put new tracers on the drones after I arrived last night. Not that I didn’t trust you, old friend, but things happen.”

  “Trust is overrated. Stay here.” Simon grabbed their bags from the bedroom and packed his essentials.

  When he returned, the two traitors were dead. Simon would never question Dane about his methods. And his friend would never speak about them. That was how they’d both survived for so long.

  Dane picked up his bag from next to the couch and dropped it by front door. He needed to remain behind to eliminate any trace of their encampment. Simon headed into town to charter a boat to North Korea. They’d chosen this location because of its proximity to their destination.

  When he returned, Dane was sitting across from the two corpses, tapping into his phone. He never glanced up.

  “Well?” Simon asked.

  “They landed in Paechon County. Makes sense. It sits on the Demilitarized Zone. I’m going to work on getting some assistance. You need to move quickly. I’ll text you the exact coordinates. Let’s get Cassie, and if we can, I want the drones as well.”

  Simon agreed, although at this moment, he didn’t give a damn about the drones. Cassie’s safety was everything.

  He packed what he needed in a small backpack, slipped on a black knit hat, dressed in dark clothes, and started walking to the village. Dane would be traveling to the mainland on a U.S. Army helicopter from one of the local bases. Even years after he’d changed his name and transformed into a salesman, he still maintained the deepest connections in the government. Professional insurance. How he could mobilize military resources without informing his agency of the trouble brewing around him, Simon had no idea.

  Halfway down the lane to the village,
he saw the helicopter leave the island and then heard the explosives Dane had set in the house. A bright light flashed behind him. He ducked behind a car on the side of the road and watched several pieces of debris flutter past. No evidence of their time in the house remained, and no bodies would be recovered. Dane was always thorough.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  She needed ear protection to shut out the extreme racket caused by the propellers, but no one cared about her health and safety. Could the loud noise hurt Junior? She refused to think about it. To keep sane, she focused on how to get away. A few minutes after take off, the ocean disappeared, and they flew over long stretches of rolling fields. After maybe an hour, they descended. Was this North Korea?

  The men jumped into action when the craft touched down. They ignored her and unloaded the crates. Three men dressed in business suits watched from the ground. One or two of them looked familiar from the meeting in Hong Kong. The pilot was speaking to them and pointing in her direction. They all laughed.

  She’d been a victim in Jordan. She refused to be one here. Every time they moved her to a new location, Simon would have more and more difficulty finding her. Escaping as soon as possible was the only solution. She tried to untie her hands, but they were bound together securely. To make matters worse, the area outside the helicopter appeared flat and rural. If she ran, she’d be an easy target for a high-powered rifle or even a handgun. Escape wouldn’t be easy.

  After the crates were unloaded and the helicopter was shut down, they untied her. Her shoulders hurt from being propped in such an awkward position. She didn’t have time to shake them out before the pilot pushed her to the ground. On hands and knees, she met the businessmen for the second time. She forced herself to stand. Her height, at least four inches taller than the buyers, provided her more confidence and a tactical advantage.

  Mr. Lee stepped forward, wearing more ambition and greed in his demeanor than he had in Hong Kong. His gaze made an appreciative turn around her figure before returning to her face. “Ms. Watson, thank you for agreeing to train the men selected for this assignment. We will compensate you for your efforts.”

  “Thank you.” Arguing would waste her energy and make them keep a closer watch on her actions.

  They moved the crates into two large trucks. Mr. Lee escorted her to the backseat of a black sedan. He sat next to her, placing his hand on her knee. She remembered Dane’s pursuit of her and how she’d made it through. Keep my thoughts calm and my mind active.

  A rumble behind the car caught her attention. Her kidnappers had returned to the helicopter and were leaving. An icy chill spread through her, numbing her emotions. I trained for this. Think. Years of meditation needed to be unleashed. She couldn’t lose it.

  The car traveled only a few miles to a beautiful estate. A pond surrounded by topiaries and a curved bridge welcomed them. She’d lost sight of the drones and hoped they’d arrive soon. She needed a chance to disarm them.

  Mr. Lee helped her from the car. “Come, you must be hungry.”

  She wasn’t hungry any longer. Her stomach had turned to stone as she struggled to keep herself from sinking into despair. Despite her lack of appetite, however, she needed food to remain strong.

  “I’m famished.” Her smile relaxed the leer in his eyes. He appeared only mildly dangerous now. Perhaps she could take him off guard. She wouldn’t kill him, but maybe she could slow him down so she could hide.

  The Spartan surroundings of the Jordanian prison filled her thoughts. Mr. Lee, on the other hand, turned out to be a very generous host. His staff served a lunch of fruit, seafood, and kimchi. She ate as much as could, including the salmon. Energy for her escape. She pretended to drink the sweet liquor he provided. The roses in the center of the dining room table absorbed most of it when he turned to speak to a servant.

  As soon as the meal was over, he led her back to the car, but didn’t get in with her. The driver transported her to a small field where someone had lined up all the drones. They wanted a flight demonstration, but not a sample detonation. That worked for her. She’d programmed the drones that morning to include a remote detonation system she could use from a cell phone. Her phone, however, was back on the island with Simon.

  For three hours, she taught the twenty soldiers, plus two backups, how to lift off, how to hover, and a sequence to detonate the explosives when they reach their targets. The men, with the help of a translator, took her instructions seriously. She neglected to mention that the detonation would only occur with a certain security code typed into each of the controllers. She remained tight lipped about the code. If she needed a bargaining chip, the code would give her something of value to negotiate with.

  Mr. Lee’s car returned after the training and brought her back to his house. At least, she assumed it was his house by the way he ordered the staff around. He was obviously one of the lucky North Koreans favored by the government and given privileges and freedoms normal citizens would never enjoy.

  They shared another meal together, and she was lead by one of the female servants to a beautiful bedroom overlooking the back gardens, more dramatic and extensive than the gardens in front. Curving pines added a whimsical element to the gardens. Iron herons, with wings raised, decorated the edge of a meandering stream. And there were flowers—reds, blues, and yellows throughout the entire area. If she hadn’t been planning on an escape from this potential hell, she would have enjoyed its beauty.

  When the sun dropped into the horizon, she fell into a sound sleep on top of the covers, her hand covering her stomach.

  Speaking the language of money and need, Simon located a fisherman willing to help him off the island. The owner of the wooden fishing boat would only take him so far toward the mainland. When the sky darkened, he paid the man and untied the small dingy that followed the boat. The water had turned choppy as the day turned into night, but he forced the oars through the waves and began his first move in his quest to find Cassie and bring her home.

  The shore didn’t offer too many places to hide, and the darkness didn’t help his ability to navigate.

  He tugged the boat up the beach and hid it in a row of bushes. He may need it for the return trip. Dane had provided him with a phone with the GPS coordinates of the crates. As the only person who understood how to detonate them, Cassie had to be located close by. The signal beamed from a spot about twenty kilometers from his current location. He needed a car. He walked up the coast until he found a few small wooden huts and a house with both a car and a rundown Honda motorcycle. Within five minutes, he had the motorcycle humming down the road toward the signal. His black outfit worked well in the shadows. He hoped he’d only be in the country for one night, but he was prepared for a longer stay if necessary.

  Potholes and caved in curbs made traveling slower than he wanted. At one point, headlights ahead forced him into a field to avoid detection. When he finally hit the road again, he was covered in dirt.

  He found the crates in a warehouse about eight miles from the DMZ. Sneaking past the few men guarding the site, he confirmed all twenty drones had been assembled and flown recently. No sign of Cassie. He used Google Earth and found a few houses in a village about six kilometers from his location.

  After an exhaustive search, peeking in windows and crawling across dirt yards, he came up with nothing. Three kilometers outside the village, a huge house, completely out of place in the impoverished region, stood like Versailles amid French peasants’ hovels. Bingo. Probably part of the compensation package of one of the bigwigs of a North Korean corporation.

  Simon left the bike behind a decorative bridge and slipped past a guard patrolling the grounds. The ground floor was dark, but the upper floors had a few rooms with lights on. He pulled himself up to the edge of one of the ground floor windows, grasped the trim and clipped his feet onto a balcony the next story up—the type of balcony one would have in a master bedroom. He stayed to the side of the open door and saw Mr. Lee curled up with a nude woman with black
hair. Not Cassie. She had to be in the house though. Lee was the main player in this game.

  Simon climbed onto the ledge and moved to the next window. Nothing but a dressing room. Step by step, he crossed window to window, gripping the edge of the house like a rock climber. Two rooms down, he saw her. Asleep in bed, still dressed as she’d been that morning. Part of that knotted feeling in his gut unraveled. She looked healthy.

  He knocked on the window, but turned at the arrival of three helicopters and a distant convoy of trucks. Military, all of them. Shit. He lost his footing and reached out to grab hold of the sill, but missed. His body prepared to hit whatever was under him. He sucked in a breath to stop from bellowing his position to the entire compound. Falling arse over tit, he landed hard on the grass under him. His back ached as a warning of some serious pain that would arrive later. He needed to get to Cassie, before his problems quadrupled.

  Too late. The helicopters landed in an adjacent field. He could hear the troops piling out of the trucks. He ducked behind some tall decorative grass and hid, body flat, face to the ground. There was no way he would win in this situation. Five minutes earlier, and he’d have rescued her and been on the motorcycle back to the beach.

  He turned his head to the side without lifting it off the ground. His view improved, but not perfectly. The soldiers searching the house turned on lights, illuminating room after room as they moved through different areas. He held his breath when they reached the second floor. A flashlight added to the light in Cassie’s room. They were with her.

  Within ten minutes, the troops pulled Lee, the woman in his bed, Cassie, and a dozen staff members out into the yard. They must be holding Lee’s security detail in a separate location. Everyone but Cassie was dressed to sleep. For several minutes the soldiers milled around and Lee argued with them. Cassie edged from the middle to the side of the group and remained silent. Several soldiers lifted their rifles toward the group of people, as if they were lined up for an execution.