First Target

by Robin Mahle

  “Mr. Ambassador, the history my team and I have with this businessman is extensive. We’ve been tracking his movements since the sanctions were put into place. Even before that time. It was believed his company acted in a manner as to avoid the sanctions and we were tasked with following the money and determining if any illegal actions took place. In the course of our investigation, we discovered Shen Yang, CEO of the Dalian Company, which is headquartered here in Beijing, was working with, and was part of, the Uyghur Separatist Movement. I’m sure you’re familiar with that organization.”

  “I am.”

  “He and others inside the organization were planning a large-scale attack in the city. Our actions were an effort to prevent that attack that would undoubtedly result in greater strains between the two countries. Perhaps worse. And with his death, we believe we succeeded.”

  Lacy looked to Axell and wondered if he would reveal that the president and other high-ranking US officials were footing the bill for the attack.

  “You’d better show me some proof of your claim,” the ambassador replied.

  “I don’t have it here, sir. As a matter of precaution, it is somewhere safe.”

  “Then what am I supposed to tell the president? The Chinese president too? Do you think he’s going to sign off on letting you leave this country without punishment for your actions?”

  “We stopped a terror attack. We saved his people.”

  “Not without proof. Right now, you and your team are murderers and illegals in this country.”

  “They had nothing to do with the incident in Xinjiang,” Maddox stepped in. “I knew the targets. I took them out. All of them. Unfortunately, his terrorist buddies got in the way and I took them down too. So sue me.”

  Axell swung his head around to Maddox. “What the hell are you talking about?” You didn’t…”

  “Mr. Ambassador, you can tell that commie prick of a Chinese president I took care of a problem for him. I’ll take payment in the form of US dollars.”

  “Are you confessing to murdering Chinese citizens?”

  “Did I stutter? I mean, yes, sir. It was my job and I did it.”

  The rest of the team, including Shaw, appeared shocked, mouths agape and in disbelief at what Maddox had done. He just signed his own death warrant.

  “You should let these fine people go home. They’re going to have to answer for a good many things, I imagine, on return. But this, they are not guilty of. They did their jobs and it’s up to the people well above my pay grade to give them the credit they deserve. This man was planning a terrorist attack from the US. Preying on the people of the region who’d been persecuted for years for their beliefs. They did China a big, fat, juicy favor whether you want to believe it or not.”

  “We all did,” Axell replied.

  The ambassador stood again and eyed each of them. “I’ll do what I can to get them to allow the rest of you to leave. Agent Maddox, I’m afraid no amount of CIA pull will get you out of this one. You will have to stay and pay for your crimes. There’s no way around that. And frankly, I can’t assure any of you that they will in fact let you go. You broke their laws. They’ll want something in exchange. Something big. And I imagine it will start with the easing or eliminating of sanctions.” He began to leave. “The price the rest of you pay will be determined by the president on your return.”

  After the ambassador left, Shaw marched to Maddox. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? They’re going to kill you. Why would you do that? Axell said he’s got proof. We all did these assholes a favor.”

  “You really think the president is going to let any of this get out into the open? His administration, the CIA; they all conspired to help Yang plan the attack. They wanted it. Hell, they paid for it.” He shook his head. “This was the only way I could make sure you get home. And to be honest, you’ll all probably be in far more danger there than here, I’m sorry to say.”

  “I can’t let you take the fall for this, Maddox.”

  “I already did, Axell. Besides, I got lucky once before. The time’s come for me to pay the piper.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I’m talking about when the Chinks took out our operatives. I should’ve been there when they found our people. Instead, I went home and visited my father before he passed. When I came back, I was too late. They’d found almost all of us. I found some of them. Shot in the heads. Left to rot in some stinking abandoned safe house. It should’ve been me. This is what I have to do to make it right. Your job.” He looked at the others. “Their job is to make sure the administration doesn’t get away with it. I understand why they did what they did. The mall attack was, well, it was horrific. But this would’ve destroyed so many more lives. At home and here. Look at what’s happening at home right now. Job losses, riots, Chinese Americans getting their asses kicked by idiots who don’t care that it wasn’t their fault.”

  Shaw turned to Axell. “Still doesn’t mean they’ll let us go. Where is this proof?”

  “Not in this country. That’s all I can say right now.” He cast a brief glance to Aaron. “They’ll let us go. They want the sanctions lifted more than they want a few of us to rot in their jails.”

  “Do you think the president will make the deal?” Lacy asked. “Why would he risk exposure?”

  “He’ll make the deal. Because if we tell the Chinese what the US did, that will start a war.”

  The door to the Oval Office opened as the president stood behind his desk. He turned away from the window and peered at the man entering, hoping he had the answers he sought.

  Director Handley’s face masked in defeat. “It was Yang, Mr. President. He’s dead. And his colleagues. All were shot in an apparent gun battle.”

  The president slammed his fist on the desk as objects resting atop it quaked. The noise prompted a secret service agent to open the door. “I’m fine. Go.” His chest rose and fell with increasing momentum. A rising tide of anger swelled beneath his collar and the veins in his neck jutted.

  “I’m sorry, sir. This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

  “No. It wasn’t.” He eyed the director. “What are our options?”

  “With Yang gone,” Handley shook his head. “I don’t see how… the money, the connections. I—it’s over, Mr. President.” The lump in his throat, the taste of defeat, he swallowed down. “One of my operatives took responsibility for the deaths. I can only imagine it was an effort to save the others. He’s being handed over to Chinese authorities as we speak.”

  “Did he do it?”

  “I don’t know. He was there, but I don’t know if he pulled the trigger. It’s possible he was protecting the others.”

  “Agent Axell.”

  “That’s my guess. I wouldn’t have chosen this outcome by any means, sir. And certainly not at the expense of a good agent. But what’s done is done and I’ll need to clean this up.”

  “Where are the others? Still at the embassy?”

  The director nodded.

  “Bring them home. The sooner the better.”

  “There’s one other thing, sir. In my conversations with the ambassador, it was relayed to me that the minister, speaking on behalf of the premier, wants to make a trade for the release of our people.”

  “Well, it wouldn’t be too hard to figure out what they want.”

  “No, sir.”

  “I’ll have to speak with the secretary so we can figure out what we can do and more importantly, consider damage control. Rolling back sanctions is going to require congressional approval. This will end my administration.”

  “It doesn’t have to, sir. We get them back here, they’ll deal. I’m sure of it. Too much has happened in this country over the past year, and if this gets out, they know as well as we do the reaction of the American people. I don’t think anyone wants that. Not even them. I think they thought they were doing the right thing.”

  “What? Letting the Chinese off the hook for killing hundreds of our citizen
s? I thought Merrick, of all people, would’ve wanted retribution. Same as us.” He turned again toward the window overlooking the rose garden. “You’ve swept the agents’ homes? Task force headquarters?”

  “Yes, sir. Nothing we could find that would implicate you or anyone. Like I said, I don’t think they want this out.”

  “Time will tell, won’t it? And the Merrick residence? She will be the one we need to worry about the most. We betrayed them all, and I think she’s all out of forgiveness.”

  “We took care of it. Her children were at school. We made sure the nanny was out. Nothing turned up there either.”

  “Good. Just be sure they don’t bring anything back.”

  Chapter 28

  The drone of the airplane preoccupied Lacy enough to squelch the voice in her head and mask the images that replayed in her mind. They’d done what they’d set out to do, but at what cost? Agent Maddox would be dead, if he wasn’t already. Left to pay the price for their actions. Agent Shaw’s cover was blown. The directive came down to place him elsewhere. Siberia was her best guess. Some miserable place where he would spend the rest of his days pushing papers or who knew what else. His career was over, but at least he’d get to live.

  Soon it would be their turn. And as Lacy turned to Trevor, noting he slept, she worried. Aaron, who stared at the small television screen affixed to the headrest in front of him. And Will, whose career might also be over. In fact, this was likely a career-ending move for all of them, if they were lucky enough to only suffer such recourse.

  Once again, they’d been deceived, and once again, they’d discovered the truth. And it remained uncertain how they would leverage that against a president she believed was trying to do the right thing, but in an unforgivable manner.

  She felt Will’s hand touch her shoulder and turned to him.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “No. You?”

  “Not really. No.”

  “What happens when we get home?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t know the details of the agreement. What the president had to give up to get us home.”

  “Whatever it was, we’ll be paying for it.” She turned away. “What are we going to do, Will?”

  “You did the right thing. We all did. If Yang had gone through with it…”

  “I know. More lives lost. More devastation.” She turned back to him. “But what if we were wrong? What if Yang had done it and the president got what he wanted? A Chinese civil war. Economic collapse. What if that’s what they deserved and we stopped it? They were behind the attack.”

  “Lei Jian was behind the mall attack. Not the entire Chinese government.”

  “Yeah, well, what if we were wrong about that too?”

  The employee returned to the counter with a small package in hand where Director Mobley waited. “Here you go, sir.”

  “Thank you.” Mobley took the package and left the facility.

  He drove back to the office, stealing glances at it, wondering what it contained. Axell had sent it to him for a reason. Postmarked Beijing. And after what he’d witnessed inside the Oval Office several days ago, he could only imagine what it must be.

  On his return, Mobley closed his office door and set the package on his desk. With a pair of scissors, he sliced open the seal. Inside was a flash drive covered in layers of bubble wrap. And a note. Upon retrieving it, he inserted the drive into a secure computer and loaded the contents. He didn’t know exactly what was on there, except that the note indicated it was proof of the conspiracy planned out, in part by CIA Director Handley. But no proof of the president’s involvement. While he’d been left in the dark, he became suspicious after being dismissed from the president’s office that fateful day. So, Axell’s assumption of the president’s involvement was well within reason as far as he was concerned. And when Axell asked that he retrieve the package ahead of their return from Beijing, Mobley figured it was evidence of something terrible.

  Now he was looking at it. Yang’s personal bank accounts with large deposits, shell companies that traced back to Dalian. Money former CIA officer Casper Janz moved from secret accounts to Yang. It was all here. Right in front of him. Proof that the CIA director conspired to fund a terrorist attack spearheaded by a prominent Chinese businessman, whose company had managed a work-around on the sanctions. Thanks once again to Casper Janz and another money man, Malcolm Ford.

  “For God’s sake.” Mobley stared at the evidence before him. Something in him, however, seemed to know this day would come. He didn’t want to believe the president was involved, but it would be impossible to ignore the clues. And by all accounts, this was more an act of revenge than betraying his country. But it made this no less difficult to swallow. In a time when the American people needed a president above reproach, an administration incapable of further deceit, they would learn of yet more. And Axell had sent him this without knowing that he was about to be charged in the murder of Wendell Turner.

  He checked the time and knew what needed to be done. Their flight was due to arrive and they would be sent to Langley and held until the president could get there. However, Mobley would be there too, unbeknownst to the president or the CIA director. He would be there because Axell, Caison, Hunter, and Merrick needed him now. And he would not turn his back on them, not again.

  It was déjà vu all over again. In a secure room, the team waited for the president. Only this time, the circumstances were much different. They were on the receiving end of an administration that wanted nothing more than to keep them quiet. Lacy would not be hailed a hero. She would not be thanked by a grateful president. But what she didn’t know was what he would do to ensure their silence.

  The door opened, revealing CIA Director Handley and the president. This was it. Maddox would give his life for this. Lacy hoped it wasn’t in vain.

  “I can’t tell you what a disappointment it is for me to have to see you all here today.” The president approached the table where the team sat. “I don’t know if you four realize the position you put this country in by doing what you did.”

  Lacy held her tongue.

  “The sanctions placed on China have been all but surrendered as a direct result. Because we certainly couldn’t let it be known that you, Mrs. Merrick, the one bright spot in an otherwise troubling time, were imprisoned in the country responsible for killing your husband, among many other Americans. So my administration and Congress gave in. The price for such a betrayal to the public is as of yet unquantified. And there’s no way to tell how public opinion will regard you as a result. My guess is—unkindly.”

  “And after it’s revealed that you, Agent Axell, were the one responsible for the murder of Deputy Secretary Turner, well, I can only assume the public will turn against you as well. Regardless of what the man did to cover up his involvement, you prevented justice from doing its job,” the director said.

  Lacy shot a look to him. This wasn’t in the plan. “What are they talking about?”

  “We found the weapon in your apartment, Agent Axell. Forensics matched it to the ammunition and shell casings,” Handley continued.

  Axell stared at the men in front of him. Unmoved. Unshaken. He’d been here before.

  “Axell didn’t kill Turner,” Will began. “There’s no way. There were no casings found on scene. I know because I was there. Where’s Agent Fraser? He’ll corroborate my findings.”

  Had she been right? Lacy turned away. She’d suspected him, but to hear it. It didn’t seem possible. Especially now, in light of all they’d just been through. He wasn’t there that morning and it had haunted her ever since. But she just couldn’t believe it was really possible.

  “He’s right, Caison,” Axell replied. “Turner was ultimately responsible for the death of Keith Colburn and Camden Meeks. No one’s been convicted of treason in this country in years. He was going to get off. We didn’t get the proof we needed to pin the murders on him. But we all know he ordered it. Even if Yang’s people carried it out.
”

  Aaron shook his head. “No. There’s no way. You’re only telling them what they want to hear. They want you gone and this is how they’re going to do it.”

  “You’re wrong, Hunter.” Axell stared at his boss, a man he’d once admired. “At least I gave a shit about my brothers.”

  The door opened and the FBI director entered, flanked by several agents. “Director Handley, you’re under arrest.”

  “Excuse me? What the hell are you doing?”

  The agents approached him and grabbed his arms.

  “Mr. President, Director Handley was responsible for funding, through various illegal sources, a planned terror attack against Beijing. Shen Yang was spearheading the operation and using millions of US dollars transferred to him by Casper Janz under Handley’s direction. These people before you now are directly responsible for preventing that attack.”

  “And you have evidence of this?” the president asked, appearing thrown.

  “Yes, sir. I also have evidence that the secretary of state was involved. A judge signed a warrant only hours ago that granted access to the secretary’s phone records and emails. There is evidence he conspired with the director and Yang himself.” He waited for a response, but the president was quiet. “I have a team at the secretary’s office now and he’s being placed under arrest.”

  The corner of Axell’s lip turned up just slightly.

  “Then I assume you’re also here to arrest Agent Axell for the murder of Deputy Secretary Turner?”

  “I’m afraid not, sir. My team, including the agent in charge of that investigation, discovered evidence the actual suspect was involved with an anti-government faction who planned and carried out Turner’s assassination. Apparently, they believed he was behind the mall attack as well.” He quickly eyed Axell.

  Lacy noted the exchange between the men.

  “The murder weapon was found in Agent Axell’s apartment,” Handley said. “How the fuck do you account for that?”