Ultimatum

by Lynda Filler

  48

  Singapore, Malaysia

  BILLY ADMIRED HIS reflection in the full-length mirror. A black Armani suit custom made for his unique body shape actually made Billy look somewhat fashionable. Sying had the account numbers he needed in Singapore, Josh had the codes and was on his way to transfer them to his contact in Washington. It’s not every day a man takes a meeting and receives billions of dollars for his efforts. He took a sip of champagne and frowned at Mei’s reflection.

  “Mei, please cover yourself; you are my woman. When we are in public, I expect you to look elegant. Wear this Dior suit I purchased for you in Paris.”

  Mei nodded as a good geisha would but fuming inwardly at the arrogance of this triad pig.

  “As you wish Billy.” She lowered her head slightly and proceeded to change from a body-hugging white Hervé Léger ribbon dress to the modest black Dior suit. In defiance, the white lace of her sexy bra teased the edges of the opening to her jacket. Billy chose not to comment.

  Mei had been desperate to accompany Billy to Singapore. She’d been a virtual slave inside his home in Hong Kong. Even shopping trips were overseen by armed guards. She was aware how important this trip was to Billy, and she would do her best to make it even more eventful.

  “The Rolls is waiting to take us to the airport. Be quick Mei. You don’t want to keep me waiting, do you?”

  Mei touched up her blood red lips, cloaked her thoughts, and followed Billy towards the door.

  As she stopped to take one last look at her appearance, her maid covertly slipped an envelope inside her Vuitton bag then closed the door behind them.

  49

  Singapore, Malaysia

  THE CONVOY CONVERGED on the barren pot-holed airfield. A burned-out US Military truck lay abandoned by the edge of the dirt trail. The sand blew and swirled against the twin-engine non-descript plane that would take them to a secure private airfield. At their next destination, Tariq and his security would board an ISIS supporters’ Boeing Business jet and proceed to Singapore.

  “Hamza, you are in charge while I’m gone. You have redeemed yourself in my eyes. Follow through with the plans for the USA. I will give you the go ahead when I’m ready. We are finally in a position to get our revenge.”

  Hamza nodded. He’d worked hard since Paris and Brussels, and the minor attacks they’d made around Europe had been successful but insignificant internationally. The actions over the holiday weekend in the United States of America would have all eyes on them. Hamza was proud to be a part of the leadership of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

  He sweated profusely but had tears of gratitude in his eyes and hugged Tariq before he boarded the Cessna 402.

  Tariq brushed off his London tailored linen suit and slicked back his ebony hair, his beard freshly shaven. Appearances were crucial to him for this momentous journey.

  Upon take off, his fingers stroked the thumb drives he carried on his person. He had everything he needed to make the secure transfer of his share of the funds from Mme Sying. He would not be defeated this time.

  He gazed out a window that was caked with dirt and scratched from far too many flights through sandstorms. His bodyguards snored in the serviceable but old seats behind him.

  This was indeed a very special day in the life of the ISIS leader. He knew that America was very close to annihilating ISIS. It had served its purpose for those power-hungry politicians and warmongers.

  The billions Tariq would have access to meant that he could say goodbye to his American handlers and ISIS, change his appearance and live to fight another day.

  50

  Washington, DC area

  LUCI IGNORED THE screech of brakes as Raven turned the truck into the space beside the MacDonald’s refuse area. Exiting the vehicle, she slipped on a strip of ice. A bullet neatly passed by Luci’s left shoulder. She hissed a warning through her microphone, then took a running jump onto the half-closed dumpster. She smoothly rode the momentum up to the ledge surrounding the narrow window on the second floor. She clamped on with a unique device and took five seconds to see who was upstairs. Empty.

  In seconds she’d broken through the glass, caught the latch, opened the window and was inside.

  Old Elvis tunes blared masking any noise she might have made entering the store. She listened to the light chatter from below and smiled at the humorous comments of Raven as they took down both teams of watchers within minutes. It had been a smart move to drop the rest of the team off before the parking lot. The distraction of Luci leaving the SUV was all it took to lure the four men into presenting themselves.

  Her adrenalin pumped at the near miss of the enemy. Someone was paying for that right now.

  Raven peeked through the golden arches that adorned the front door and spotted their man in seconds. He recognized Josh and could see he was in a heated conversation with the man in front of him. The fast food shop was almost empty. No smart family would be looking for a Happy Meal in this blizzard.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Luci move down the stairs, her Sig discreetly by her side. She placed herself to the back of the man in front of Josh. The man looked up sensing eyes on him and in that moment, Luke saw recognition.

  Luke cursed out loud. Luci quickly moved behind the gentleman and bending down like she was tying a shoelace, she shot a vial of meds into his leg. He looked shocked and within a minute was gasping for breath.

  “This man needs help!” Luci screamed. “Heart attack, he can’t breathe!”

  Raven was already beside Josh. Taking his arm forcefully, he caught a sudden movement to his right. His foot came out, and he tripped a man who was raising a weapon. Luci shot from her silenced Sig and caught the bodyguard in the chest.

  “He’s got a gun!” she screamed.

  Raven dropped a harmless smoke grenade, further creating chaos for the few customers and staff. Everyone ducked for cover.

  “Let’s move kid.”

  Josh sputtered, scared, his eyes rolling up in his head.

  “Not now boy. Don’t faint!” Raven slapped him across the face and took Josh’s arms, raising them behind his back.

  “Got your man?” Luci knew she was being teased as she dragged the half passed out traitor and knocked over his pies and a diet coke.

  “Don’t you know that shit will kill you?” She hissed.

  51

  Washington, DC area

  “WE HAD EYES on the location. It happened so quickly no one had a chance.”

  “I thought you had this in the bag, Logan! What happened to our people?”

  “Not sure. We lost contact with my man inside the restaurant. There’s been a report that local police are at the site of a shooting; one dead. Someone else supposedly had a heart attack. A Good Samaritan took him outside. A witness says they saw the flashing red lights of an ambulance. He was our man inside the Embassy, our contact with the kid. The ambulance did not arrive at any local hospital. I checked.” Logan waited for the explosion.

  “And the rest of the team?” Controlled hostility hissed across the airwaves.

  “Assumed dead. Cleaners hit the site at the same time as the cops. Flashed Federal badges, refused to answer any questions, while others drove our vehicles out of the lot. When the storm dies down, there will likely be questions from local PD. But we know how to handle them. The agent who disappeared in the ambulance had, as usual, no ID.”

  “And the codes, the kid?”

  Silence.

  “We’re fucked!”

  “I’ll find them, boss. They can’t have gotten far in this filthy weather.”

  “You do that Logan. Otherwise, you can add your body to the count.”

  52

  Washington, DC Area

  “I’M ON THE run. Got to find out what happened. I’m giving you this call to let you know our deal is off.” Logan inhaled the crisp air and gasped for breath running towards his company vehicle.

  Col. Zhang didn’t like the sound of this at
all. He started to breathe heavy.

  “What? What’s going on?”

  “The codes are gone! The kid has disappeared.”

  “No! That’s impossible! We must have that information.”

  Chen sat across from Zhang waiting impatiently. This was a disaster. His bosses would never accept defeat, nor would the Chairman.

  “How could he disappear? Didn’t you have coverage?”

  “Yes. Yes. I don’t have all the details and no time to talk. I’ve got my own nightmare. The kid is missing and he, and whoever took him, has sensitive US Government information. I must go. Good luck.”

  Zhang dropped the phone on his desk. He looked around his study, his thoughts jumbled and his heart beating in double time.

  Chen watched. There was really nothing to say. He had his own problems. What was he going to say to his people?

  “Send me Little Flower. I want to be alone Chen.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Chen walked out, silently sliding a screen behind him. He raised his eyebrows and nodded at Zhang’s prostitute.

  She lowered her eyes and picked up a drink for the Colonel. She added a little something extra to ease his journey to the other side.

  Chen exited the Colonel’s house. His life, as he knew it, was over.

  He would not go home but instead, make a stop at a location nearby.

  He remembered his training well. Always be prepared for the worst.

  He always had everything he needed in his knapsack in the car. He would immediately disappear from Beijing without a trace.

  53

  Singapore, Malaysia

  SYING’S PARENTS WERE dead to her. That didn’t mean she wasn’t aware of them or their lives in San Francisco. Her parents’ ties to China and their low refugee status only made Sying angry. In essence, she’d disowned them. She’d made a decision to ignore them well before she went to Caltech and became a Raven prodigy.

  The only person she had ever felt something for was Luke Raven. He’d not reciprocated her feelings. If she couldn’t have him, no one would. So, she’d had his wife and child killed. Did he know or suspect? Unlikely, otherwise, she’d be dead.

  Sying wondered how her life would have changed, had she and Raven become a couple. Their superior intelligence could control the world. But Dr. Raven didn’t want her. And she had shown him what happened when she was rejected.

  In her custom-made Yves St. Laurent computer case, Sying placed the devices she needed for Billy and Tariq plus a totally blank Swiss Bankcard and ID. No money could be moved without her code. And only Woo had that information. If she or Woo smelled something funny, Woo would be long gone before her business partners realized how devious she had been.

  If for any reason the deal didn’t go as planned, she and Woo would activate plan B.

  Sying knew from experience that dressing in a sexy, sensual manner always distracted a man and lowered his ability to concentrate on the game at hand. She chose a sleek blood red Coco Chanel dress. Her black silk stockings swished as she walked. Charcoal eyes, ruby lips. Perfect.

  Sying double checked the contents of her briefcase. In an easily accessible outside panel, it now hid a stiletto that would pass through current monitoring devices at the Marina Sands Rooftop Lounge. She also carried a compact revolver. Woo had paid off the right people.

  Either way, she knew she would never be safe from Tariq.

  Her exit strategy was in place.

  Tonight, she would disappear forever.

  54

  In Washington area, undisclosed location

  LUKE HEARD JOSH scream at his captors.

  “Do you know who I am?”

  “Yes, we know you are; a traitor to the United States of America. You are a spy for the People’s Republic of China.”

  “No, you’ve got it wrong. I was working for you, for someone in Washington!”

  Luke watched it all play out on video feed in a secure site near Washington DC. He knew the group that hired him for this job was receiving this broadcast live. He was curious to hear more from the kid.

  “There’s no use trying to play us. We know the man you met worked for the Chinese Embassy. We’ve had you both on our radar for some time.”

  “Look, I don’t know who this man was. I was given instructions to meet with him and transfer something. You were supposed to let the transfer happen, then follow this man to see what he did with the information.”

  “Look, kid, this is not a movie. This is serious business. You will be tried by the US for spying, or not. Maybe they will throw away the key after we’ve got all the info we need. No one knows where you went. We left no trace.” The black ops group stood waiting. It was only a matter of time.

  “Look. Here’s the truth.” Josh looked around for a camera he knew had to be there. “I was forced into this work because of my family in China. I never wanted it. The government is holding them hostage. Then some guy in Washington approached me and told me to play along with China; he would help me here in the States, protect me and report everything to the US Government. That’s all I know, I swear.”

  Luke sighed loudly. The team waited for instructions.

  His cell vibrated.

  “Yes, I know you’re watching. Okay, we will get all Josh's contact information, but I’m sure they know by now what’s happened and have cut communications. Let me see what I can get.”

  Luke nodded and closed his phone.

  “Bring him in.” Zach left the room.

  The door opened in Josh’s interrogation room.

  “Oh my God! Cai! I thought you were dead!” Josh struggled against his restraints, his heart racing, tears streaming down his face.

  Cai stood by looking at the ground.

  “I’m sorry Josh. You lied to me. These men saved me. They told me about the hidden safe. You were going to leave me and return to China.”

  “No! Cai! I love you. I would never leave you. I kept the information and the second safe from you in case something bad happened to me. Then they would come for you. I had a message that would be activated thirty days after I disappeared so you would know what to do. You could truly say you didn’t know anything! I kept you in the dark for your own safety.”

  Cai stared into Josh’s eyes.

  “What have you done Josh? I thought this was some kind of money scam, that we would make a score from cartels or something and then retire to somewhere in the sun.” His eyes pleaded to understand.

  “Cai. What can I say to you? I couldn’t tell you everything. It would have frightened you. My family…they are a triad.”

  Cai sighed deeply.

  “Then no matter what you do, we will die.”

  Fear clouded both their faces. Then they turned suddenly as the door to the interrogation room swung open. Luke Raven walked in.

  “I think I might be able to help. Now give me everything you know.”

  55

  Hong Kong to Singapore

  THE SLEEK GULFSTREAM was appointed with all that the rich and famous might require. Black onyx touches, cream leather couches, and attractive hostesses who carried glasses of champagne and tangy Asian hors-d'oeuvres. Mei took a drink of pink champagne and settled in for the comfortable flight to Singapore. The plane rose over Hong Kong as the ocean shimmered in the afternoon sun, banked left and headed towards the East.

  Mei studied Billy as he conversed with his security detail, drinking, joking and enjoying what promised to be a very lucrative journey. She reached into her handbag extracting a novel when her fingers caught on the edge of something she’d forgotten about. She hesitated, then rose from her seat and made her way to the private bathroom located in the master suite.

  “Mei, where are you going? Didn’t you get enough before we left?” Billy questioned. His security detail smirked and laughed. Billy joined in.

  “Freshening up Billy. Don’t get too excited!” She smiled.

  Billy turned back to his boys settling in for war games on the big s
creen TV before Mei had reached the private quarters. She slipped into the elegant bathroom, closed and secured the lock before opening her handbag.

  She tore open the envelope and read the contents.

  Her hands shook, tears formed in her eyes.

  She slammed her fist on the black onyx counter and closed her eyes in pain.

  Another smaller envelope lay on the counter unopened. Mei recognized the handwriting and held it close to her chest. How they had managed to secrete this message and send it to her, she would never know.

  “I will avenge her death if it’s the last thing I do on this earth.”

  She cautiously opened the final document.

  56

  Washington, DC

  THE RAVEN TEAM was ready. They did a last-minute check while Raven tapped in coordinates on his cell phone. The Air Force prototype was on standby. Their first journey was a success. Now they would test the plane’s ability for longer flight: Washington to Singapore in the shortest time ever recorded. Its specs and tests were top-secret classified. Monitoring was being done at the highest military combat level.

  But none of this was of interest to Raven’s Team. Get us there and make it quick was all they cared about.

  Raven pulled the team in tight.

  “Listen up. We’ve got the kid’s codes. But we’re missing a big part of the picture. Sying is meeting with the leaders of ISIS and the largest triad in the world. These three could destroy our economy, our military, and our country. Failure is not an option.”