by David Archer
Sam stared at him for another moment, then slowly nodded. “All right, we’ll go ahead with it. Harry, you go with Mom, Kim and the kids, and you make sure they stay safe. We’re putting the plan into action tomorrow morning, and I’m going to do my best to make sure Heinrich and the PAF don’t get away with anything they could use.”
He turned to his mother. “Mom, would you go get the kids? We want to see them before you leave.”
FOURTEEN
Denny pulled into the parking lot just behind Summer and Jade and parked right beside them. They all greeted one another and then stepped into the building and headed directly towards Sam’s office. They were surprised to find him standing there, waiting in the doorway when they arrived, but he only hooked his head at them and led the way to the conference table.
Ron, Jeff Donaldson, Steve, Walter, Darren, Reese and Indie were already waiting there, and there were large cups of coffee on the table in front of each of them. Sam nodded as he took his seat at the table. “I figured we might as well make this as comfortable and informal as we can,” he said. “There have been some changes to the plan since you all left yesterday, and I’m going to bring you up to speed on them.” He picked up a cup and took a sip of the hot liquid.
“This is turning into something of a nightmare,” Jeff said. “We’ve received a warning that we may have set something into motion that could result in the worst terrorist attack in history. Naturally, our hope is to minimize that risk as much as we possibly can before we even begin.”
The team had all taken their seats and gratefully accepted the coffee. Sam took a sip of his own before he answered.
“Here’s the situation,” he said. “Heinrich Wegner wants to get his hands on the Soviet Sixpack, and he’s been trying for as long as rumors of their existence have been floating around. You all know that it turns out Harry was the spy who actually stole them from the Russians and delivered them to the secret base in Arizona. Our plan is to turn the tables and use his own obsession with these bombs against him. Now, the problem is that he knows I killed his nephew, so we are also adding me to the bait. We’re going to let him believe that I’ve gone rogue, and that I’m working with Mr. Reese to get our hands on the bombs and deliver them to Heinrich. The idea is to convince him that this is a peace offering, that killing Hendricks was nothing but an accident, so I’m trying to get on his good side. We don’t believe he’s going to be very forgiving about that, however; more likely, and this is what we’re counting on, he’s going to see it as an opportunity to not only get what he wants as far as the bombs go, but as a chance to avenge Hendricks’ death on me.”
Sam glanced at Ron, who took over speaking. “The first thing we decided to do was make sure that was truly his nephew that you killed. I’ve been doing a lot of research and calling a lot of favors, and it seems that Mitchell Hendricks is definitely the name of Heinrich’s sister’s youngest son. He was raised here in the U.S.A. by his mother and father, an American soldier she met while he was stationed over there, but after some time in the army, Hendricks became a mercenary. He had spent some time in the special forces as a Green Beret and went into the private sector after his discharge. I managed to find a couple of photographs of him.” He pointed at the monitor on the wall, and pictures appeared there. They showed a young man in military uniform, apparently during his training. “Is that the man you killed in Sheldon?”
Sam looked closely at the pictures, and then nodded. “Definitely,” Sam said. “That’s him. He didn’t look much different from the way he looks there.”
Ron nodded. “Then there’s not much doubt. Heinrich is definitely going to be out for your blood. Apparently, he doted on his younger sister when they were kids, and sent her money quite often after she married her American husband. Unfortunately, Gertrude Hendricks passed away when young Mitchell was only seventeen, and his father died a year later while Mitchell was in the Army. It seems he and his uncle reconnected after he was discharged, and Hendricks took on the occasional job for him. That’s probably why he was recruited for this one, and why Heinrich is so determined to make you pay. You were running the operation, so even though you weren’t the one who shot Hendricks, he holds you responsible.”
Sam nodded. “That’s why we came up with this plan. By adding me into the prize package, we hope to have created an irresistible draw for Heinrich. And if he wants these bombs, he’s going to have to bring a pretty big crew along to get them. Reese, do you have an opinion to offer?”
Reese’s eyebrows went up almost a half inch and his eyes got a bit wider, as well. “Sir, I’m not sure what you’re asking. Will he come after you? I’d say probably, but I don’t really know him all that well. I didn’t even know he had a nephew before this. As for being able to put together a crew to haul those bombs, I’d say he probably can. I know that he’s talked before about being able to get the material to make a nuke, so he’s probably got people who would know how to put them together.”
“I agree,” Sam said. “If he runs PAF himself, or has a lot of influence in it, then he’s undoubtedly got plenty of people he can bring along, and he’s also got connections with other terrorist groups. At least some of them have nuclear weapons technicians, we know that already. It shouldn’t be that difficult for him to find somebody who can make the bombs function once he gets his hands on them. That’s going to be a pretty strong motivator for him to show up, but the opportunity to get his hands on the man who killed his sister’s boy will probably be what tips him over the edge. That’s what I’m counting on.”
“But what happens,” Ron asked, “if he actually manages to kill you or capture you? Sam, we have got to plan this as tightly as possible, look for every possible eventuality.”
Sam shook his head. “Ron, we don’t have time for that. By now, Heinrich is probably getting nervous about Reese. He was supposed to be in touch right after getting the girl, but everything went belly up and it all hit the news. There is no way we can clean up the mess now, so we’ve got to give him a reason to go ahead and swallow the bait. Reese needs to be in touch with him within the next couple of hours, or we may lose the opportunity altogether.”
Denny held a hand up in the air. “Excuse me? What are the rest of us supposed to be doing while you’re out there playing human target?”
Indie looked over at him. “Sam came up with an idea about that,” she said. “We're going to be posing as the technical staff in the facility, along with several of the security guys. Most of us will all be locked up somewhere by the time Heinrich arrives, but with weapons hidden where we can get to them. As soon as Sam gives the word, the idea is that the security guys are going to bust out and surprise the dickens out of everyone, and then you guys go out and make the arrests.”
Denny’s eyes also went wide at this point. “You want us to sit it out while Sam faces Heinrich down alone? That’s not bloody going to happen, mates. Lock the girls up with the soldiers, that’s fine, that makes sense, but if Sam Prichard is going rogue, I’m bloody well going to be right there at his side!” He gave Sam an imploring look. “Come on, Sam, you and I have been through too much together. Remember that last little trip to London, and the side trip to Israel?”
Indie patted him on the shoulder. “Denny, thank you. I’ve been trying to convince him to keep you close to him, because I trust you to keep him alive.”
“Fine, Denny,” Sam said. “I'll be glad to have you with me, but you need to realize that it’s putting you at even greater risk. Heinrich may be aware that you were with us at Sheldon, and he’s liable to be thinking that anyone on my team is equally responsible for Hendricks’ death.”
“That’s fine,” Denny said, “but don’t even think about getting out of my sight, mate. You and I'll run about like we own the bloody joint, but we’ll need a few of the soldier lads if we plan to convince Heinrich and his lot that we captured the place. I vote for Rob, is he back yet?”
“Now, wait a minute,” Darren began. “I want to be
part of the front line on this. I can dress up like one of the mercenaries, and I know how to use the weapons. I can help keep Sam’s back covered.”
Sam started to protest, but Ron cut him off. “He’s right, Sam,” he said. “If anything goes south on this, you’re going to need all the help you can get. While Rob and his men are quite effective, Denny was trained as a commando by the SAS, and Darren’s FBI experience could be just as valuable.”
Indie nodded. “And I'll feel a lot better if both of them are with you,” she said to Sam.
Sam shook his head, but grinned. “Fine, they can pretend to be my lieutenants. Rob and his men were never on camera in Sheldon, so Heinrich shouldn’t have any issues with them. Our story is going to be that we heard Reese talking to Heinrich about some big prize he’s been after for years, and decided we can make a lot more money in the private sector than we could continuing to work for Windlass and the government. Helping Heinrich get hold of these bombs is supposed to be me offering him an olive branch, so that he might throw me some work from time to time. That sort of thing really does happen all the time, right? Shouldn’t be all that hard for Heinrich to believe.”
Denny grinned at Sam. “Don’t you worry, mate,” he said. “I can play the part of the bad guy when I need to. We can convince him we’re just as bad as he is. That’s something he’s bound to understand.”
“Okay, okay, people,” Jeff said. “Let’s get back on topic. Sam, is there anything else we need to discuss?”
Sam nodded his head. “One more thing,” he said. “We’re doing this under the authority of the Department of Homeland Security. What that means, ladies and gentlemen, is that preventing Heinrich from getting those bombs is the number one priority, with arresting him falling into second place. If we can accomplish both at the same time, that’s great, but under no circumstances are any of those bombs to get away from us. That means, if I have to spell it out, that each and every one of us is expendable. The mission has to come first, no matter what.” He turned and looked at his wife, and saw that she understood exactly what he was saying.
“We get it, Sam,” Indie said. “We stop him, or we die trying, all of us.”
“I’m afraid that’s exactly what it means. As soon as we break from the table, Reese is going to make his call. The rest of you get down to the armory and choose weapons. Denny, you go visit Q and see if he’s got any special toys that might help.”
“You got it, mate,” Denny said. “Are we done here, then?”
“We’re done,” Sam said, nodding.
“Hold on,” Steve said. “What about me and Walter? Where do we fit into this plan?”
“I thought that would be obvious,” Sam said. “You will be in the group posing as technicians. Walter’s ability to analyze situations could be invaluable, and you will be there to help him do what he does. When everything really starts, though, we’ll need you to keep Walter out of the line of fire.”
Steve gave a sigh. “All right,” he said. “As long as you weren’t going to try to leave us behind.”
“I wouldn’t dare,” Sam said. “Walter would never forgive me.”
Walter, who normally avoided eye contact with anyone, looked directly into Sam’s eyes. “You are correct,” he said. “I never would.”
Steve, Walter, Denny, Darren, Jade and Summer all got up and left the room. Sam waited until the door was closed, then looked at Reese.
“You ready for this?” he asked.
Reese looked at him for a long moment. “We haven’t really discussed what happens to me after this,” he said. “I think now might be a good time.”
Sam pursed his lips and nodded. “Okay. What have you got in mind?”
Reese shrugged. “Just like I said before,” he said. “A new identity. Evan Reese turns up dead, and I become somebody else. Clean record, a new start somewhere nobody would ever look for me, and you help me get some of the money I’ve got put away. I know we can’t touch all of it, but I got a few million in some secret accounts. I’m pretty sure you guys can find some way to move it to my new identity, right?”
Sam looked at Indie, who nodded, and then he looked at Ron.
“Ron? Are you sure we can do that for him?”
“I can,” Ron said. “Under our contract with DHS, I can use the Witness Protection Service when I feel it necessary.” He turned to Reese. “You do realize that it will mean never talking to anyone from your past, right? You have to walk away from everyone and everything you’ve ever known.”
“Yeah, look, I’m the black sheep of the family. They’ll probably be relieved when they find out I’m supposed to be dead, and I don’t have any friends. I may be a bit young for retirement, but it works for me. I can just kick back and take it easy for the rest of my life. Maybe I'll get a hobby.”
“Something that doesn’t involve dealing with terrorists, I hope,” Indie said. “You do realize that if anything happens to Sam, I’m holding you personally responsible, right?”
“Lady, if anything happens to him, I’m probably going to be just as dead. I have a vested interest in keeping your husband alive and healthy, and you can believe that.”
“That’s fine,” Indie said. “I just want you to know that if anything happens to him, you will be looking over your shoulder the rest of your life for me.”
Reese looked at her for a moment, then turned to Sam. “I think she’s even scarier than Heinrich,” he said.
“I’m pretty sure you’re right,” Sam replied with a grin. “And I guarantee she could track you down, no matter where you went or who you became.”
“Sam, I’m not even going to pretend that I’m happy with this cockamamie idea,” Ron said, “but I don’t think there’s any way that we could come up with anything better. I’ll get started on the witness protection angle, but I agree that it’s time to get this show on the road.”
“Then let’s do it,” Sam said. He went to his desk and took a cell phone from a drawer, then handed it to Reese. “Call him.”
Reese took the phone and dialed, putting it on speaker so that Sam and the others could hear. It rang four times before it was answered, by a gruff voice that simply said, “What?”
“It’s Evan Reese,” Reese said. “Let me talk to Heinrich.”
There was silence on the line for nearly a minute, and then Heinrich’s voice came on. “Why aren’t you dead?” Heinrich asked.
“Because I know which side of the bread has the freaking butter,” Reese replied with a snarl in his voice. “Your idiot boys got trigger-happy and we had to shoot our way out of their little hideout. It’s a miracle I made it out alive, or was that what you had in mind?”
“There was not supposed to be any shooting,” Heinrich said. “They were to turn the girl over to you and be finished. What the hell were the DHS people doing with you?”
“Hey, remember I told you the feds were crawling up my butt? Did you think I was making a joke, maybe? I made a deal with them to get the girl back in order to keep my own ass out of the federal slammer. It’s not my fault one of them recognized Sam Prichard and started shooting.”
“Yes, I know about Prichard. Were you there when Mitchell was killed?”
“Look, Heinrich, I’m sorry about your sister’s boy, but he was the first one who went crazy. He started the shooting, and I don’t know how it could have gone down any differently. Yeah, Prichard killed him, but he didn’t know it was your nephew when it happened. As far as he knew, it was just one of the kidnappers trying to blow his brains out, what would you have done?”
“I'll deal with Prichard,” Heinrich said. “Now, you and I had a deal. Where is my pot of gold?”
“Well, this whole fiasco has changed things a bit on that, too. See, Prichard and some of his people, they figured out what it is you want. Turns out they have the means to get it, where all I had was a rumor of where it might be hidden. In return for keeping me alive and healthy, I had to give them what I knew. They tracked down the one guy who knew
the actual location, and they have a proposal for you.”
“Prichard works for the American government. Why would he help you?”
“Because Uncle Sam doesn’t pay very well,” Reese said. “Prichard and his people are better than any other paramilitary outfit out there. They decided that they’d rather be making the kind of money they can make in the circles you and I run in. You want to hear the proposal, or not?”
Heinrich was silent for a few seconds. “What kind of proposal?”
“The gold is hidden in a special kind of bank, the kind it’s very hard to get into. Prichard and his people know a way to get in and secure the place, so that you can come and pick up your prize. They want something out of the deal for themselves, though, since they are the ones who are going to be taking all the chances. Prichard says you can have what you want, but it’s going to cost you ten million. You pay up, you get your toys and Prichard might be a handy guy to know in the future.”
The silence lasted longer this time, nearly a minute. “That sounds a lot like a trap, Evan. How do I know I can trust you?”
“Give me an email address. I have a little video I want to send you, something that I think will prove that we are men of our word. Once you see it, call me back on this number and we’ll set up the meeting.”