Anna ended the call she had just been on. “Hello, Jonathan,” she said pleasantly. Sanchez reached for her hand and kissed it lightly. “Always a true pleasure to see you,” he said while Mapother rolled his eyes.
“And you must be Mike,” Anna managed to say, still blushing. “Great to meet you.”
The next moment she switched into business mode, focusing all her attention on Mapother. “Sir, we are receiving news from Support Four.”
Mapother explained for the two newcomers. “Two gunmen entered and opened fire on students attending the Sunburst Elementary School and the North Toole County High School, both located in Sunburst, Montana. IMSI has an asset presently questioning the fanatic behind this operation. Does the name Dr. Ahmed Khaled ring a bell?”
“Yeah, he’s the Sheik’s personal physician,” Sanchez answered.
“He’s also handling the finances of the Sheik’s terror network, if we’re to believe the latest reports,” Mike added.
“Let me correct you both, gentlemen,” Mapother said. He had just finished reading the short transcript sent to him on his phone. “He used to be the Sheik’s personal physician and financier. Used to be being the keywords.”
“Meaning?” Sanchez pushed.
“Our asset just killed Dr. Ahmed Khaled.”
Mike was dumbfounded. IMSI had killed Khaled? What type of organization am I about to join?
“Why not take him prisoner instead?” Sanchez asked.
Mapother turned to Anna for an explanation. “They say that our asset has successfully extracted himself from the hot zone. He was in the middle of interrogating Khaled when a member of Support Four advised him six of Khaled’s associates had entered the lobby of the hotel they were in.”
“Had to go,” said Sanchez.
“Sure did,” Mapother agreed. “Anna, I want you to work with Jonathan in collaboration with Support Four to ensure that our asset has a clean exit out of the country.”
“Will do, sir.”
“And let me know when the asset is ready for a debrief,” concluded Mapother.
“Understood,” Sanchez and Anna replied at the same time.
“In the meantime, I’ll be in my office with these two,” he said, pointing at Mike and Lisa, who had just entered the bubble.
CHAPTER 19
IMSI headquarters
New York
Mike and Lisa followed Mapother back out into the marble hallway. They didn’t go far, though. The director’s office was right beside the control room. After Mapother had swept his card and entered his code, he pushed the door open, and they followed him inside his office.
Although it was not large, Mapother’s place of work felt comfortable. The walls were painted light gray, and the furniture was expensive. Along one wall was a one-way mirror showing the control room.
“Please, have a seat,” invited Mapother.
Each sat in a chair facing Mapother’s desk and waited for the director of the IMSI to start talking.
“I’m convinced that our best weapons against terror are the terrorists themselves,” Mapother said provocatively.
Mike took the bait. “What do you mean?”
“I think that the best way we can stop Islamic terrorism from spreading is to encourage infighting among different factions and let them destroy themselves. Terrorists by nature are suspicious of one another. It doesn’t take much to use their own paranoia against them. That’s one of the ways IMSI comes in.”
Mike was intrigued. “How exactly do you do that?”
“Sometimes we add money into an account that should be empty. Sometimes we withdraw money from an account that should have been full, always making sure that the balances are leaked to the appropriate paranoid persons. We might send a few e-mails indicating a possible breach of security within their ranks.”
“So they waste time figuring out who is behind the leak or how come their financial sheets aren’t balancing instead of planning future attacks,” Mike finished.
“You got it.”
Mike smiled as a feeling of inner calm washed over him. He hadn’t felt such hope in a long while. He looked at his wife. She was smiling too.
“All right, Charles, what will be our part in all this?”
“I’m glad you asked,” said Mapother. “That’s the reason I wanted to speak with you two.”
The IMSI director took a sip of water before continuing. “I’m sure you realize that we can’t win using only delay tactics and forcing them to kill each other. At some point, we need to get our hands dirty. That’s when you two will come into play.”
“Details, please,” Mike probed. Does he realize Lisa isn’t an operator?
“IMSI has specially trained operators positioned strategically around the world. Their job is to kill the targets assigned to them without leaving any traces.”
“How do you select these operators?” Lisa asked.
“They all have different backgrounds. However, most of them used to be in the military under the Special Operations Command. Right now we have a retired Delta, a former Ranger, two ex-Special Forces soldiers, and a bunch of former Navy SEALs—”
“Where do I fit in, Charles?” Lisa cut in, clearly exasperated. “I’m good at a lot of things, but I don’t have the background Mike or these guys have.”
“I agree,” Mapother replied, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Let me finish, please.”
“Of course. I’m sorry.”
“These assets, or operators if you prefer, that we currently use work solo. They do have a support team to help them with the logistics, but when it’s time to move in, they do so alone. So,” continued Mapother, “understanding that Lisa’s expertise isn’t the same as a trained operator, I’ve decided that you guys will be IMSI’s first two-man team. Or I should say, husband and wife team.”
What? He must be kidding. Lisa will never go for this.
“You can’t be serious, Charles,” Mike said, looking at Lisa for support. He didn’t find any. Is she grinning?
“I love it, Charles,” Lisa said, confirming Mike’s fear. “I think it’s a great idea.”
“I knew you would, Lisa,” Mapother replied. “I told you I had something in store for you, didn’t I?”
This isn’t happening! Are they crazy? “No!” Mike said, standing up. “Are you out of your mind, Lisa?” He turned to Mapother. “And what about you, Mapother? You can’t ask her to do this. And you know it!”
“I can, and I did,” Mapother replied. “Please sit down.”
Mapother waited until he did so before continuing. “I’m not an idiot, Mike. I’ve been in this game much longer than you. I would never send her in the field without proper training.”
“Are you doubting my abilities to adapt, Mike?” Lisa asked. “I might not be able to hit a melon at twenty-five meters with a pistol, but I can fly an airplane and treat bullet wounds. Can you say the same?”
Fuck! I’m losing this. “No,” he admitted. “But this is an entirely different ball game, honey—”
“I know this, Mike,” Lisa said, her voice cracking. “A game I’ve been dragged into when my family was stolen from me.” With an intensity Mike didn’t expect, she said, “And I’ll be damned if I stay on the sidelines while you go hunting the bastards who did this to us.”
Mike sighed loudly. It could be worse, he told himself. At least if she worked with him, he’d be able to protect her.
“Let’s say we proceed,” Mike finally said. “How are the assets given their targets?”
“IMSI can get involved in two ways,” Mapother answered visibly pleased that Mike had somewhat agreed to move forward. “First, when the analysts from the control room find something actionable, they will come up with an operational plan. Among other things, it measures the odds of success and the impact it will cause to the ta
rgeted individual or organization. Once it’s finalized, they come to me for approval. If I give them the green light, they will initiate aggressive measures. Occasionally, we get lucky. When you shake the tree hard enough, sometimes something falls out. When that happens, we send assets to intercept them.”
“Intercept?” Lisa asked.
“More often than not, their order will be to terminate the target. However, from time to time, we will set up surveillance and hope that it will lead us to a bigger fish. You’re still with me?”
“Yeah, we get it,” Lisa replied.
Mike looked at his wife. “This is news to you, too? I thought you’d been briefed on these by the look of it.”
Lisa shook her head. “Let’s put it this way, Mike...I’ve been administratively involved.”
“I see.”
“So let me continue then,” Mapother said. “Where was I? Oh yes, the second way IMSI will get involved is if a terrorist attack occurs close to an asset’s location. All the news channels that we’re monitoring in the control room allow us to know what’s going on around the world. If our asset isn’t involved in another operation, we’ll request that he discreetly investigate the scene and see what he can sniff out.”
“IMSI got a few successes today,” said Mike, thinking about the death of the Sheik’s personal physician.
“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished. But the war is far from over.”
“We want the Sheik,” said Lisa with surprising authority.
Mapother looked at Lisa. “That’s the ultimate objective, yes. But he’s elusive, hard to track. And we haven’t been able to turn anyone within his organization. If he was an easy target, your father-in-law would have been freed a long time ago.”
The Sheik, Mike thought. Not only did he kidnap my father, he’s the sick man behind the attacks that killed the members of our families and the reason why my wife and I are suffering so much. He’s why I’m willing to go to hell to avenge all the wrong he’s done.
So far Mike really liked what he was hearing about IMSI. When he’d been with the ERT, he and the rest of the guys had wet dreams thinking about an organization like this. The team had wanted to do a lot more takedowns on known terrorists, but unfortunately, any procedures were strictly forbidden unless authorized by RCMP lawyers. Mike agreed that law enforcement and intelligence agencies could not be let loose indiscriminately, but at some point, common sense had to govern which decisions were made. He and his team had stopped counting the times when they had missed a target simply because it had taken too long to get the green light.
“What’s our next step?” he asked.
“Mike, I recognize the fact that you went through a multitude of selection and assessment phases during your military and law enforcement careers. What happened at the Ottawa Airport testifies to how well you were trained and how committed you are to achieving your objective no matter what. Lisa, you’re an engineer, a multiengine pilot, a martial arts expert, and great physician but—”
“But what?” Lisa cut in.
“Yeah, there’s always a but,” Mike added.
“But some things you don’t know yet,” pointed out Mapother. “Skills that you’ll have to perform flawlessly to survive in the world you’re about to enter. You must accomplish your missions without leaving a footprint.”
“You don’t think we’re qualified enough?” Mike asked.
“Consider the last decade of your lives as the selection process for what you’re about to start,” the silver-haired man replied. “Are you up for it?” he added before Mike or Lisa could muster a reply.
Mike glanced at his wife. She had her eyes fixed on him, begging him to say yes. Finally, he had a purpose in life again. He had a family to avenge. He would put all of his energy, training, and passion behind this single objective—to inflict as much pain and destruction within the ranks of the people responsible for the death of those he loved. And, best of all, I’ll do it with my wife by my side.
“Am I up for it? More than ever,” he told Mapother.
“Me too,” Lisa said.
“Great. You’re leaving in four days.”
CHAPTER 20
Ottawa, Canada
The flight from La Guardia was uneventful, but Mike had gotten a painful headache that forced him to stop at the airport’s drugstore. He purchased some Advil and a bottle of water and swallowed three of the little brown pills.
“That should help a little,” he said to Lisa, who was waiting for him outside the drugstore.
“You’re ready?” she asked smiling.
“Are you?”
She nodded. “Let’s go, then,” he said.
Mike was pleased to notice that all the damage the airport had sustained during the attacks had been repaired. But the atmosphere was different. Police officers roamed everywhere, and passengers were randomly selected for further screenings. He had recently read an article about how airline occupancy levels had reached a new all-time low since the additional security measures had been put in place, but he doubted that the reason was the security.
Customs was a breeze, and Mike and Lisa quickly exited the terminal. Gray clouds were hanging low, and the temperature was much cooler than in New York. He congratulated himself for thinking to bring a heavier coat.
They jumped in a cab and gave the francophone driver an address in Aylmer, Québec. The man smiled broadly, as it meant a big fare for him.
The cab headed north, toward the home where Melissa was born. Mike felt his throat tighten with emotion at the memory of his daughter, his mother, his unborn child, and his eyes started to fill with tears. The grief he was carrying weighed on him without any letup. He felt Lisa’s hand in his own and gently squeezed it. She was looking away, but he knew she must have been feeling the same way he did. She had been hurt too, but they were together now. They no longer had to live a life of sorrow and misery without each other’s support. Their shared desire to go after the people responsible for their families’ massacre was the fuel they craved to walk the thin black line they were about to encounter. He had no delusions about what Mapother wanted him to be.
Do I really want to become an assassin?
That question kept popping into his head like a blinking streetlight. His heart and soul were fighting each other over it. His heart, where his daughter Melissa and the rest of his family resided, was telling him that he needed to really think about the reasons behind his desire for vengeance. On the other hand, his soul was pushing for retribution for the lives that were taken away from him. Not a day went by when he could close his eyes without reliving the airport’s bloodshed.
Do I really want to become an assassin?
Is that what he truly wished for himself? Or for Lisa? Instead of being part of the solution, wouldn’t he simply be joining the endless circle of violence and despair? He’d sworn to uphold justice and to defend the innocent. How could he even think of turning himself into an executioner? That wasn’t right. That couldn’t be right!
Or could it?
He had one more person to consult with before making up his mind for good. Because once on this path, there will be no coming back.
―
“Monsieur, nous sommes arrivés,” said the driver.
“Merci. Attendez-nous ici, s’il vous plaît,” he replied, handing over ninety dollars. The driver thanked him for the generous tip and agreed to wait.
“So we’re here,” Lisa said.
Mike inhaled deeply. “Yes.”
He had come to this sacred place only once before. Though he felt guilty about staying away, he didn’t have the inner strength to make the trip more often. Visiting his daughters’ graves always made him feel so terribly sad.
Charles Mapother had purchased ten plots to make sure that the whole family could be buried together. Mike led the way and slowly walked the path he
knew would lead them to their daughters’ graves. By the time they reached them, tears were running freely down his cheeks. He didn’t try to wipe them away. He knelt down next to Melissa’s resting place, and he spoke directly to her. Lisa stood behind him, her hands on his shoulders bringing him warmth and comfort.
“I know you’re in a better place now, baby girl. You’re probably having fun with your young sister, so I won’t disturb you for very long. Daddy’s just a little lost right now. I’ve…well, I’ve reached a crossroads. I don’t know what to do. I thought I knew, but now that I’m kneeling here in front of your grave with your mother next to me, I really don’t. I’m afraid that if I follow the path that has been offered to me, I might fall off the cliff.”
Mike took a few deep breaths. The cool air felt good in his lungs.
“I’ll leave you alone with her, my love,” his wife whispered in his ear. “I love you, Michael Powell. Whatever you decide to do, I’ll stand by you. But I’m ready. I’m sure.” He felt her kiss on his cheek and heard her walked away.
Michael Powell. She’s telling me that whatever I choose to do, she’ll do it with me. Mike exhaled loudly and closed his eyes. This is exactly what I needed to hear from her.
“You’re mother is such a great woman, darling,” Mike said. “She’s strong. Stronger than me, perhaps. But there’s so much rage inside me, and I don’t know what to do with it. I try so hard to keep it all in. I’m sure that you see my every move from where you’re playing. I don’t want to disappoint you, Melissa. I’m so afraid of letting you down⎯so afraid of doing things you wouldn’t approve of.”
Mike leaned forward and rested his two hands and his forehead on Melissa’s cold tombstone.
“But what if, because of my inaction, some other little girl’s life gets taken away by these monsters?” he whispered hoarsely. “I don’t think I’d be able to live with myself. You know Daddy’s good at stopping bad people, don’t you? I’ve done it my whole life, and so did your grandpa. I know I’m asking a lot from you, baby, but would you help Daddy and Mommy remain on the road that has been mapped out for us? Will you help us? Please?”
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