“Good timing, Sam,” King answered. “You missed your check-in, by the way.”
“Yeah? Well, some of us are working a mission instead of working a woman.”
It was as if she had full camera access to him at all times. How the hell could she—
“Let me guess, how the hell could I know about that already, right?”
She was a sorceress.
Sam continued. “Well, when I called Director Lucas for the agent-in-place’s number so I could get help taking this bullet out of my shoulder, he put me on hold to bail you out of jail.”
“Bullet?!” King nearly shouted. “Sam, are you—”
“I’m fine. Relax. But we need to talk. Someone’s been flying samples of something out of Barrow, Alaska.”
“Samples? What are you talking about?”
“Not sure yet, but they were important enough to get me caught in a bloody war over them at a hangar in Moscow. If Zhanna hadn’t been there, you and I wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“Zhanna? What the hell was she doing there?” This thing was getting more and more tangled by the minute.
“I’m really not sure.”
“You can’t just ask her?’
“No brainiac, I can’t just ask her,” Sam snapped at him. “She’s being held hostage. She had the only two samples left unbroken when they took her.”
“Hostage?” King looked over at Cali. “I’m leaving right now, Sam. I’ll be in Moscow by morning.”
Cali nodded as if she were ready to help.
“Xander, no you won’t. There is no room for your ‘save everyone’ mentality right now. I’m on it. Trust me. I’ll do everything I can to get her back. We need you there right now. You have got to find out what they are flying out of there, and why. And it needs to be tonight.”
King looked down and realized he was clenching his fist. He took a deep breath and steadied himself. Sam was right. He was right where he needed to be. And now that the nonsense with the locals was over, he could focus his full attention back on the task at hand.
“I’m on it. You sure you’re all right?” King said.
“I’m fine. Just keep me updated. It’s getting late here. By the time you get to your shift tonight, I should have Zhanna back. Then we’ll just need some answers. They could be ready to spread this thing, Xander. I think we are right there.”
“Just focus on getting Zhanna. And keep me updated, Sam. No more missing check-ins.”
“And no more playing hero to whatever her name is and her local thugs.”
“I hear you.”
“I’m sure you do, X. But it isn’t your hearing I’m worried about. It’s your libido.”
“Love you too, Sam.”
Sam ended the call. King looked at Cali. “Tell me more about what it is exactly that your father transports.”
Chapter Nineteen
Josiah had to leave King’s place to go sort out what had happened out front just about a half hour ago. King had a moment to catch his breath. His shift didn’t start for hours, though he didn’t think he could possibly wait that long to make a move. Not with all that was going on in Moscow. King and Cali reheated their coffee and sat back down at the table.
“Well, I gotta say,” Cali said, pausing to take a sip of her coffee, “that went in a direction I didn’t see it going.”
“Yeah, I should still be asleep.”
“Sorry I spoiled your plans in Barrow there, sport.”
“They aren’t spoiled yet, but I imagine this isn’t the first time you derailed a man’s plans.”
She smiled. “I suppose not.” Cali tucked her hair back behind her ear. Though she wasn’t a soft woman, her features were. Her golden skin looked smooth as silk, and the smile she flashed was wide and bright. “I know you’re not supposed to talk about it, but what’s it like being an undercover agent? Don’t you get lonely?”
King set his mug on the table and let out a sigh. “I didn’t used to get lonely. It wasn’t always just me. Not too long ago I had a team and we were always together.”
“That woman on the phone?”
“Yeah. She’s like my sister. My good friend and a few other folks who became close all ran with me.”
“What happened?”
“Long story.”
“I’m sorry.” She sat forward in her seat and placed her hand over King’s. “I know it’s not the same, but I can sort of relate. When my dad moved us here, I left my team too. We moved several times in California, but nothing like this. When you move to a place like this, nothing can prepare you for it.”
“No kidding?” He gave her a smile. “Why did you move with your father? It isn’t like you’re a teenager without a life.”
“When Mom died, he was lost. And I was always a daddy’s girl, so I did what I’d always done and tagged along. Things weren’t going how I’d hoped at home anyway, so I figured a change would be good.”
“I get it,” he said. “You’re right, it isn’t the same, but I can relate too.”
They were quiet for a moment. It seemed the two of them, though not much alike, had several things they found in common. In the quiet moment King worried about Sam and Zhanna. Somehow, even though he was always in the middle of shit, he always found himself too far away to help someone on his team. And Zhanna popping up out of nowhere was the strangest thing. Especially now that she was being held hostage.
“Where’d you go?” Cali broke the silence. She released his hand and continued to sip her coffee.
“Worried about my friends.”
“You’re not used to not being able to save someone, are you?”
“Guess not.” King drank from his mug.
“Listen, I can go if you need time to think, or strategize. I don’t want to be in the way.”
King sat back and ran his fingers through his hair. “You’re fine. Really. It’s nice to have some company. I do want to hear more about your father’s operation, though, if you don’t mind.”
“Sure. It’s not all that interesting, though.”
“My shift doesn’t start for hours.”
Cali laughed. “Okay, well, as you know, there are no roads connecting this town to civilization, so we rely on planes to get supplies in and out. Dad and his friend are the only private source for doing so. The government pays them to carry mail and other supplies, and they are available for emergencies.”
“What type of supplies? Ever anything from Volkov?”
“You trying to imply something,” she asked protectively.
“No. I just need to know what’s happening here. And just because your father flew things for Volkov, that wouldn’t mean he is involved.”
“I’m not sure if things from Volkov Mining have been flown or not, but I know for sure that people have.”
Some flags flew up for King. “Makes sense. Where does your dad usually fly to?”
“Mostly just the cities directly surrounding us, but once a week, if there is enough demand, they fly all the way to Anchorage. Been more demand lately with the uptick in Russians working at Volkov. They pay extra, so Dad doesn’t ask any questions. After meeting you, I’m thinking maybe he should start. Not really sure why they don’t just use the commercial planes that go there. Guess that’s why you’re here.”
King was a step beyond Cali, and he took the conversation in a different direction. “Are there a lot of flights from Anchorage to Moscow?”
“Actually, yeah. It’s a long flight, but it stays busy from what I hear. Why? What’s going on in that head of yours?”
“It’s a dark place you wouldn’t want to see.” King smiled, but both of them knew it was the truth.
“I can’t even imagine the things you’ve seen.
“Don’t try.”
“It can’t be all bad, right?”
King thought first about the fun times he’d had with his team even during the terrible battles they’d faced. Then about the bourbon distillery he’d started years back a
nd about his horses he’d left behind. Then he thought of Natalie Rockwell. “No, not all bad.”
“So there really was a woman named Natalie?”
Cali and Natalie had more in common than just beauty. It seemed as though Cali could see right through him as Natalie had been able to do.
King nodded.
“Lucky girl.”
King thought about how Natalie being tied to him had almost gotten her killed. “Not exactly.”
He stood from the table. “I’m empty, you want some more coffee?”
She stood with him. “No. No more coffee.” She stepped closer and took his hand.
Though it had been a long time for King since he’d seen it, he knew what the look in Cali’s eyes meant. He didn’t want to get involved, but he was tired of always putting work ahead of his heart. And right then, there was nothing more in the world he wanted than to be with Cali. To forget for a moment that the world was sinister. To forget he was responsible for keeping it safe. He just wanted a moment to be free.
So he kissed her.
Chapter Twenty
Washington, DC, 2:45 p.m.
“This is turning into a shitshow, Robert!” President Gibbons shouted at the CIA director.
“These are covert operations, Mr. President. Things get messy. We have the best on this, I assure you.”
“I know we have the best on it. I’ve seen them in action. But that doesn’t make it less of a mess. Shouldn’t we send more people in? I want to help them!”
President Gibbons was as worried as he was angry that things weren’t going well in Alaska or in Moscow. He was worried for his country but, more immediately, for his agents who had become like friends. His mentality from the Marines was “no man left behind.” Sitting at a desk and waiting to see if they could pull themselves out of impossible situations wasn’t sitting well. Especially with so much on the line. It wasn’t a usual occurrence for the director of the CIA to be in the Oval Office so much, but when things were moving as fast and deadly as they seemed to be, things were different.
“All due respect, this isn’t the Marines, sir. Our agents aren’t expecting the cavalry to come and save them. They are used to working this way. We send more people in now, all we do is put them in danger.”
“Danger!” The president gave a sarcastic laugh. “Like there isn’t more than they can handle of that right now.”
“I know. But sending them more agents isn’t the way to help.”
“Well, what the hell is then, Robert?”
“Information. We are processing some of the things that Sam filled us in on, like who came in on the plane with those vials.”
“And what does King plan on doing with Kuznetsov?” the president asked.
“That’s what you and I need to figure out.”
“What are our options?”
“A couple of things really. Now that the sheriff in Barrow has been made aware of King, he might actually be able to find out where Kuznetsov is staying.”
“To take him down, or what?”
“No,” Director Lucas said. “We don’t want to throw up any flags. If he has check-ins, we can’t have him miss one. We might lose our window. I’m certain there is protocol that if he misses check-in, or doesn’t show up at Volkov when he is supposed to, they’ll burn his work. If this has been going on as long as I think it has, whoever is behind this will be patient enough to find a new place to get this work done. Even if it means starting over.”
“So what good does it do to know where Kuznetsov is staying?” the president asked.
“We might be able to get his security badge for Volkov. Which will give us access to what they are working on.”
“But then King will be burned?”
“Right. It’s all or nothing. If he doesn’t find something that helps us, Barrow will be no help in stopping what is being planned. It will tip them off for sure that someone is on to them. We might lose our chance of stopping it altogether.”
The president took all the information in. He had faith that King would find what they needed, if there was something to find. He just didn’t know if it was worth risking tipping their hand. They needed more information. Information that seemed to be eluding them. Someone was in charge of what Kuznetsov was doing. It looked like it could be Russia with what happened at the hangar in Moscow. But there was nothing definite there, yet. They needed some other sort of break.
Director Lucas’s phone began ringing. “It’s Sam.”
“Isn’t it getting late there? And wasn’t she shot?”
“The woman is relentless.”
Lucas answered the phone. “Sam, you’re on speaker with the president.”
“Good, we might need your connections, Mr. President.”
“Whatever you need. You holding up all right?” he asked.
“Do you have any connection to Nigel Warshaw?” Sam bypassed the president’s cordial question and kept it strictly business.
“Well,” the president said, thinking it over, “I don’t have him on speed dial, but I could get him on the phone. Why?”
“Are you aware that after his software firm made him billions, he got into the business of funding vaccinations?”
“Can’t say I am. But like I said, I don’t know him that well.”
“Right, well, one of the labs he is heavily invested in just so happens to be the Wuhan lab in China.”
“Wuhan, as in the coronavirus, Wuhan?”
“That’s the one. He was also seen several months ago having lunch with Dmitry Kuznetsov after the World Health Conference in Seattle, Washington.”
The president looked at Director Lucas. Lucas leaned forward, interested in what was coming next. “And?”
“Aaand,” Sam said, “the tail number on the private plane that the man holding the briefcase of vials walked out of is linked back to a small holding company based out of Seattle, Washington. The LLC doesn’t have Nigel Warshaw’s name on it, but I must say I find it all a bit odd.”
President Gibbons found it all odd as well, but there were a lot of leaps being made. They couldn’t go off half-cocked and start running down one of the wealthiest men in the world. “Let’s be very careful about jumping to conclusions here.”
“Mr. President,” Sam said, “may I speak freely?”
“Please.”
“We don’t have time to play around. If there is a lead, we must follow it. The two men in suits who were after the briefcase were Asian. Now I’m not saying anyone is involved for sure. But I am telling you that you better find out if Warshaw is involved, or if he isn’t so we can check him off the list. This virus, if that is what is being weaponized, could already be on its way to the continental United States. Careful is the opposite of what we should be at this moment. We have to start getting answers. And Director Lucas?”
“Yes, Sam.”
“You have to let X off the leash in Barrow. Kuznetsov is there. Let X find out what else is there. Even if he has to string Kuznetsov up by his neck to get it.”
“Tell us how you really feel,” Director Lucas joked.
“You don’t send me out into these situations to get roses and rainbows in return. Let me know what you find out about Warshaw. I have to go get a bullet removed from my shoulder.”
Sam ended the call.
“I like her,” the president said. “Now get me everything you know about Nigel Warshaw. Stuff only you guys can find out.”
“I didn’t want to talk about it in front of Sam, but we already have a running file on him.”
“Then get me that file. And Sam’s right, we don’t have time to screw around. Let Alexander King off his leash.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Barrow, Alaska, 10:46 a.m.
“Well, that was fun,” Cali said. She rolled out of bed, smacked King on the ass, and started for the bedroom door. “Call me if you need a flight outta here tonight.”
A mischievous grin was the only thing she was wearing as she wal
ked out the door.
“Leaving without your clothes?” King played back. “It’s awfully cold outside.”
Cali popped her head back in the door. “I was just trying to get out of here before you saw through my act.”
“Your act?”
“I didn’t want to hurt your feelings, but since you stopped me, I can no longer lie.” She pointed to the bed and made a circle with her finger. “What happened there? Yeah, it really wasn’t that much fun.”
King jumped out of the bed and sprang for the door. Cali squealed and bolted past the couch toward the kitchen. King jumped the couch, caught her shoulders as he landed, and spun Cali into him. Her warmth wrapped around him as she kissed him through a smile. He lifted her up, fell backward over the back of the couch, and landed with a laugh. He held her tight as she lay on top of him.
“So what’s protocol now, Mr. Special Agent?”
“Forget about you as soon as you walk out that door.”
She kissed him.
“Yeah, is that right? And are you a ‘by the books’ kind of guy?”
She kissed him again.
“I’ve never met a rule I didn’t try to break.”
She kissed him deeper, but before it could go any further, reality came swiftly. His cell phone began ringing on the kitchen table.
“Wow, right on cue,” she said. “Remind me never to tempt fate again.”
He kissed her again, then slid out from under her. It was the last thing he wanted to do, but he couldn’t let a few moments of fun interfere with the biowar someone was trying to wage against his country. A private number, always the case, was flashing on the phone’s screen.
“Hello?”
“X, it’s Director Lucas. We’re going all in tonight.” The tone in the director’s voice made him sound unsure. It didn’t breed confidence.
“You’re going to have to be more specific.”
Cali went in the other room to give him his privacy.
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