Fallen: A Leopold Blake Thriller (A Private Investigator Series of Crime and Suspense Thrillers Book 5)

by Nick Stephenson

  “We’re all set.” Torres turned to address his team. “Move out – we’ve got work to do.”

  The Bomb Squad responded in unison, with a deafening “Yes, sir!” and hustled out of the room. Torres held up the rear, shutting the conference room door closed behind him, with a cursory nod to Mary and Marshall as he departed.

  “You getting your sister in on this?” asked Marshall, once he and Mary were alone. “She could help us coordinate with the CDC if she’s got the contacts. We’re going to need all the help we can get.”

  “Kate was passed out last time I saw her. I don’t know if she can do much from my apartment. And I don’t want her out in the field – I’ve put her in enough danger already.”

  Marshall put one hand on Mary’s shoulder. “We’re going to need her expertise,” he said. “Nobody else understands how nerve agents work better than she does. Kate’s a real asset.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far.”

  “Listen, if we’re going to do this, I need to know – what’s the deal with you two? Anything I should be worried about?”

  Mary pulled away, letting Marshall’s hand drop from her shoulder. “It’s just family business. Nothing that’s going to affect my judgment.”

  “It’s already affected you. If this were anyone else, they’d have had Kate on the phone an hour ago. If we’re going to trust each other, I need to know what’s going on.”

  Mary hesitated.

  “Look, I get it,” said Marshall, looking into her eyes. He still had that annoyingly comforting smile on his face. “Family can suck sometimes. But, take it from me, it’s better to have more people out there watching your back.” He paused. “I never had a family to count on. The bureau has been my only home ever since I was old enough to sign up.”

  “You never had a family?”

  He nodded. “Parents died when I was five, and I never had any brothers or sisters. I’ve been through the system. Believe me when I tell you, family needs to stick together.”

  Mary sighed deeply. Damn, he’s good.

  “So, you know all about me,” said Marshall. “Care to fill me in a little about you?”

  Mary leaned up against one of the desks. “I guess when you put it all in context, it’s not so bad.” She hesitated, collecting her thoughts. “Our dad died a few years ago. Cancer. Kate was on assignment at the time, stuck somewhere in central Africa. She couldn’t get a flight out in time. Missed the funeral. Our mom was crushed, as you can imagine. Losing a husband like that...” She trailed off. “Though we all knew it was coming, when Kate never showed up it just made everything feel so much worse. Like she didn’t care. Like our father meant nothing to her.”

  Marshall didn’t say anything. He just kept quiet.

  Mary continued, “And she could have found a way to get in touch, even if she couldn’t get back home in time. Something, anything. Even just a phone call. Or a letter. But nothing.”

  “Did she ever offer any kind of explanation?”

  Mary shook her head. “Kate and my mom always argued a lot. My sister was a lot more like our dad, and I was more like mom. It created a lot of friction. Stupid stuff. But, the week before Kate shipped off to Africa, she and our mom had a massive fight.”

  “And you blame Kate for that?”

  “Kate can be a little...blunt. Stubborn, too.” Mary felt her eyes tingle, and she fought back the urge to well up. “She was always just like dad.”

  “And you miss him.”

  “Every day. Every goddamm day.” Mary bit her tongue. This isn’t the time to get emotional.

  Marshall put his hand back on Mary’s shoulder. “People always have a need to find someone to blame,” he said. “It’s not your fault. And you shouldn’t feel bad about the way things went down. But I figure Kate’s probably even more torn up about it than you are.”

  “Well, now you know,” said Mary, forcing herself to switch back into cop mode. “I’ll give her a call and get her in on this, if you’re so sure she can help. We won’t have any problems.”

  “Good.”

  “But I meant it when I said I don’t want her in the field. Got it?”

  Marshall smiled and nodded. “You’re the boss.”

  Chapter 57

  THE CIVILIAN CARGO aircraft was a modified Xian Y-7, an old design based on the Soviet Antonov AN-26. The fuselage had been altered to allow for larger fuel reserves, but the airplane was otherwise indistinguishable from any other civilian freight carrier.

  Leopold, Jerome, and Kane were strapped into the Y-7’s uncomfortable seats, and Leopold gripped his armrest a little tighter as the aircraft hit a wave of turbulence. He tried not to think about the hundreds of different ways the plane could fall apart in the sky. They had been cruising over the Atlantic for a little over an hour and the deafening sound of the plane’s twin turbo-props was beginning to grate.

  “We’ve got another nine hours of this,” said Kane, obviously finding Leopold’s discomfort amusing. “So you’d better make yourself comfortable.”

  “Easier said than done,” said Leopold, gritting his teeth. The noise of the engines and the rocking of the cabin were beginning to make him feel nauseous.

  “Well, I’m sorry we couldn’t roll out the red carpet and get you a private jet. But the CIA is working on a budget.”

  Jerome shuffled in his seat. “We’ll be fine. Let’s just try and get some sleep. We’re going to need it.”

  “Easier said than done,” Leopold repeated. He sighed impatiently. “What happens when we land?”

  Kane leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. “Relax. The hard part’s over. You got me some good intel on the Liugongs, I’ll make sure everything goes smooth.”

  “Forgive me if I don’t take your word for it, Isabel.”

  Kane opened her eyes again. “Fine. I probably wouldn’t trust me either.” She took a breath. “We touch down near Spokane to refuel. Then it’s another five hours to New York. I’ve arranged for a vehicle to take us the rest of the way.”

  “We’re going straight to the NYPD?” Leopold asked.

  “My orders are to provide field support. Deputy Director Burke will run interference.”

  “Burke? The FBI are playing ball?”

  Kane grinned. “They tried to shut us out, of course. But nothing stays hidden for long. The CIA doesn’t have any jurisdiction over domestic threats, but we’ve got the expertise in dealing with shit-bags like your dear old dad.” She paused. “No offense.”

  “None taken.

  “What’s the plan once we get back to the city?” asked Jerome.

  “The most recent intel is the NYPD and FBI are stepping up their investigations. Their intelligence suggests a widespread chemical attack is the most likely threat. At last check in, the bomb squad was mobilizing.”

  “Chemical attack?” said Leopold. “What kind of chemical?”

  “Classified,” said Kane. “You don’t need to know the details. You’re useful insofar as you can help us track down your father. Make sure you stay useful.”

  Jerome scowled. “Whatever chemical agent they’re using,” he said, “it’s likely a compound created by Chemworks. In case you forgot, we’re the resident experts. I’d say we definitely need to know, wouldn’t you?”

  Kane held his stare. “Like I told you, last check in confirmed a chemical attack was the most likely outcome. That was all.”

  “So find out more.”

  “The CIA isn’t running a damn chat line,” Kane said. “They send me secure messages, I simply confirm receipt.”

  “Get them to send you the information.”

  “From here? Couldn’t if I wanted to. I need a cell signal.”

  Leopold sighed. “So, we’re going in blind?”

  “If the situation calls for it, I’m sure whoever’s leading the New York team will tell us what we need to know. Until then, assume our priorities are to locate and contain any threat.” She glared at the two men. “And make sure you keep b
ack. I don’t want civilians getting in the way. You’re coming along on an advisory basis only, understand?”

  “We can help,” said Jerome.

  “Like hell you can,” said Kane. “Look what happened last time.”

  Leopold straightened up in his seat. For some reason, the turbulence wasn’t bothering him so much anymore. “Isn’t it time you let that go?” he said. “It’s ancient history.”

  “Your screw up nearly cost me my job. How the hell do you think I wound up in Shanghai? It’s not exactly my idea of a dream destination.”

  “Maybe we should talk about this another time,” said Jerome. “We’re going to need to work together on this. We can go back to hating each other when it’s all over.”

  “I can live with that,” said Kane, looking at Leopold. “I’ll need you to brief Deputy Director Burke when we get to New York. If your father is planning what you think he’s planning, that might help us find him. Assuming you’re right, of course.”

  “It’s the only logical explanation,” said Leopold. “My father has money; that much is obvious. What he doesn’t have is a relationship with Wall Street. He’s got the entire cash reserves of Blake Investments at his fingertips. Which means he’s got access to our hedge funds too. If he’s playing the market, he could stand to make a fortune a hundred times over.”

  Kane frowned. “So, this all comes down to money.”

  “Money, revenge, power, politics. The reasons are always the same. Maybe this is all four.”

  “His motive doesn’t matter. All that matters is we stop the son of a bitch before he gets the chance to hurt anyone else.”

  Leopold felt his stomach clench. He glanced over at Jerome. “We need to warn Mary,” he said.

  “Ah, Sergeant Jordan,” said Kane. “You two make quite the couple.” She smiled. “Another one of your friends left sorting out your messes?”

  “If she’s in danger, she needs to know what’s at stake. This is all my fault. I can’t let her get hurt.”

  “Listen carefully, Blake. I don’t care how you feel about this woman. Even if we could find a cell signal, nobody’s sending any messages without my express permission.” She leaned forward in her chair. “I trust exactly two people in this world. One of them is me.” She paused, looking at the two men sat opposite her. “The other isn’t on this plane.”

  “We’ll brief Mary as soon as we get back to the city,” said Jerome, interjecting. “If she’s involved in the search, she’ll know what’s going on.”

  Leopold took a deep breath and nodded. It wasn’t worth arguing. Kane was their ticket back to New York, and antagonizing her wasn’t going to achieve anything productive. There was too much at risk to let his personal feelings get in the way, regardless of how much danger Mary faced.

  She’s smart enough to figure out what’s going on, he thought, settling back into his seat. She’ll have the situation under control. Just like always.

  He closed his eyes, letting the thrum of the aircraft’s engines take over. As he tried to fall asleep, a single thought played on his mind.

  Forgive me.

  Chapter 58

  EIGHT P.M. HAD come and gone by the time Hawkes returned to Thanatos. His men were still working the streets; hitting the exact coordinates the colonel had given them, moving the truck every twenty minutes. Unloading the cargo, distributing the devices. Keeping a low profile, moving slowly and methodically.

  Hiding in plain sight.

  Robert Blake was waiting for Hawkes in his office. He was pacing the carpet.

  “You’re late,” Blake said, as Hawkes closed the door behind him.

  “Your message came at a bad time. We had to rotate the schedule to take into account NYPD patrols.”

  “I trust your source has been thorough in his reports.”

  “Yes, sir. The police and FBI have mobilized a task force. The bomb squad is working the case too.”

  Blake stopped pacing. “Then it looks like Director Ward is living up to his reputation.”

  “We shouldn’t have let him live.”

  “That was my call, Hawkes. We need him to find the bread crumbs. Everyone needs to know what’s at stake here.” Blake frowned. “Just remember what happened last time you disobeyed an order of mine.”

  Hawkes felt his broken finger start to throb again. “Yes, sir.”

  “With most of the men out on the streets, I need you here to help coordinate our activities.”

  “What did you have in mind, sir?”

  Blake walked to his desk and sat down. “The stock market opens at nine-thirty a.m. tomorrow morning. We’re expecting it to peak a little after midday. We’ve got a lot of work to do in the first few hours to make sure our clients’ investments pay off.”

  “How can I help?”

  “It’s all about timing, Hawkes. It’s imperative that nobody finds the devices until after our little lunchtime show. By the time the news hits, I want the market at its peak. That’s where we stand to make the greatest impact, understand?”

  The colonel nodded. “The devices are primed and ready, sir. There’s little chance anyone will stumble across them before the deadline hits.”

  “Good. Until then, I need you downstairs in the command center. We’re running a skeleton crew, and I want to make sure your men are coordinated properly. If the NYPD are sniffing around, we need to stay one step ahead. Understand?”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll make sure the satellite link is up and running. We’ll have eyes on our people at all times.”

  “And before you leave, I need you to transfer the contents of our cloud server to our clients’ accounts. I think it’s time we paid them their bonus.”

  “Yes, sir.” Hawkes turned to leave. He paused. “Sir, I just wanted you to know, whatever happens tomorrow, it’s been an honor.” He snapped a salute.

  “The honor is all mine, Colonel,” said Blake. “This country’s government has betrayed us both.” He smiled, the soft light highlighting his scars. “I think it’s time they find out what that feels like.”

  Chapter 59

  MARY SUCKED DOWN a deep breath of cold New York City air and kept moving, trying to warm herself up. She and Marshall had taken a team of eight police officers and were combing a six-block area just off West 42nd and 10th Avenue, a short walk from the Lincoln Tunnel. It was their second search perimeter of the evening, and, so far, they’d turned up nothing.

  “Briggs, I need you to keep your head down,” said Mary, catching up to one of the rookies. He was rifling through a dumpster, making too much noise.

  Briggs looked up. “Sarge, we’re a little in the dark here.” He looked up at the glass-black sky. “Literally.”

  Mary nodded. The streetlamps seemed a little dimmer in this part of town, away from the more residential areas of Hell’s Kitchen a little further north.

  “Do what you can with what we’ve got,” she said. “We can’t risk anyone finding out what we’re doing here. If we start a panic, God only knows how this is going to work.”

  “Yes, Sarge.”

  Mary left him to it. Briggs continued his search of the dumpster, a little quieter than before. As she crossed the street, Mary caught sight of Marshall up ahead, deep in conversation with one of the other officers, a man named Harris. He stalked off in the opposite direction as she drew closer, muttering something under his breath.

  “What’s his problem?” Mary asked.

  Marshall sighed. “I guess he doesn’t like taking orders from a Fed.”

  “Tell him to talk to me if he’s got a problem. We’re a team here. It needs to stay that way.”

  The special agent changed the subject. “Found anything?”

  “Zip. We’re either looking in the wrong places, or we’re not looking hard enough.”

  “If the devices we’re looking for are anything like the ones we saw in New Jersey, they’re small enough to be stashed anywhere.”

  Mary frowned. “There must be something we can do to speed t
his up.”

  “The analysts are working on it. They’ve already tried scanning for wireless frequencies, heat signatures, that sort of thing. But, whatever these things are using, they’re running cold.”

  “For now,” said Mary.

  “I guess we’re just going to have to start thinking out of the box.”

  Mary nodded. “We’ve got a wide area to sweep. Even if we all work all night, we don’t have enough people to cover all the areas Ward highlighted. If we can find one of these damn bombs, maybe Kate can help us figure out what to do next. Until then, we’re flying blind. We’re just going to have to hope we get lucky.”

  “I usually find that people make their own luck,” said Marshall. “If we follow protocol, we’ll find something.”

  “You hope.”

  Marshall smiled. Even in the low light, Mary could see his face light up. Despite everything that had happened, she was glad for his company. The only thing she couldn’t figure out is how he still managed to look so good after the day they’d had.

  Mary shook the thoughts out of her head. Now’s not the time for fantasizing.

  “We’ve got a long night ahead of us,” Marshall said, breaking the silence. “How about we check out the next area together. Two eyes are better than one, right?”

  “Sounds good to me,” said Mary, smiling back at him. The special agent turned and headed down the street and Mary followed, suddenly not feeling quite so cold any more.

  Chapter 60

  THE SUN HAD risen fully when the old cargo plane touched down outside Fairfield, New Jersey, and Leopold gripped his armrest a little tighter as the aircraft rocked and rattled to a screeching halt. He glanced out the window and noticed they were in the middle of nowhere.

  Kane unbuckled herself and stood up. “Our ride should be waiting outside,” she said. “It’ll take us an hour to get into Manhattan this time of day. Let’s hustle.”