by David Archer
“All right,” Jenny said. “Just bear in mind that, should anything happen to either of us, there are some people who will take action. I don’t think there’s any way you could hide from them.”
“As long as you don’t try anything stupid, no harm will come to either of you. Remember, Victoria, we are hoping to begin a long-term relationship with you. That’s the only reason we agreed to this at all. I will see you tomorrow morning.”
The phone went dead, and Jenny laid it on the table.
“Okay,” she said, “this throws a bit of a monkey wrench into the works. I was hoping to be able to identify each of them and leave somebody to take care of them when we moved on to the next. How do we handle this? He said no electronic devices, so we won’t even be able to send you email.”
“You just get names,” Noah said. “Unfortunately, your little contact lens camera won’t be of any use, because there won’t be anything to record the images it captures. Just concentrate on getting as much information as possible, including any identifying information at all, so that we can track them after you get back. Since you’re going to be busy with Newsom for a week, the rest of us are going back to Neverland for a few days. I want to discuss some of these things with Allison, and maybe Wally can think of some solutions. As soon as you’re free of Newsom, we’ll get started working on taking them out.”
“Okay,” Jenny said. “Just understand that I’ll go completely postal on all of them if they try anything. Any threat to Neil, and people start dying.”
Noah looked at her. “I understand, but the mission has to take priority, Jenny. We have to identify and eliminate all of these people in order to shut down the PRA.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” Jenny said. “If they set me off, there won’t be any of them left standing.”
Noah took out his phone and dialed Allison’s number, and she answered almost immediately.
“Camelot, report.”
“Newsom is insisting on taking Jenny and Neil alone,” Noah said. “They’ll be going to meet with the PRA Board of Directors, so hopefully Jenny will be able to get enough identifying information that we can track them down and take them out. I’m going to bring the rest of the team back to Neverland, to start planning and logistics. Is that okay?”
“Yes, we can get together and go over the ideal situations. I’d like to get Molly involved on planning, and you might want to talk to Wally about any new ideas he’s come up with. Are they going to be okay out there on their own?”
“Well, Newsom is insisting they take no weapons or electronics, so they may find it boring, but I don’t think they’ll be at much risk unless one of these people can actually prove that Jenny isn’t Victoria. I doubt that’s likely, but I’m counting on Jenny to handle it if it happens. She’s capable enough without a weapon, and won’t hesitate to take one off someone else if she has to.”
“All right,” Allison said. “It’s your call, Noah, but we do need to shut these people down if we can. Tell Jenny I said to come back safely.”
“I will,” Noah said, but he was speaking into a dead line.
* * * * *
Noah arranged a charter flight for early the following morning, and he, Sarah and Marco flew out before Jenny and Neil were even out of bed. They had given Noah their weapons and electronics, including the video contact lens. Jenny didn’t want to risk losing it and Noah agreed. She wouldn’t be able to use it, so there was no point in simply carrying it around.
Jenny and Neil were up at seven and went down for breakfast.
“What’s frustrating is not having any way to communicate with Noah and the rest,” Neil said. “I don’t like that, not one little bit.”
“Neither do I,” Jenny said. “Unfortunately, they’d be scanning for any kind of electronic signatures so we don’t dare even try to smuggle in a cell phone. I’m afraid we’re on our own, this time. Don’t worry, babe, I’ll take care of you.”
Neil stuck his tongue out at her. “I just wasn’t expecting to be in a position where we couldn’t even send out an email. This Newsom is paranoid, in my opinion.”
“Well, considering I plan to kill him,” Jenny said with a grin, “he probably has reason.”
They finished breakfast and went back to the rooms to pack, then headed out for Heathrow. By the time Newsom arrived, they were waiting patiently in the charter terminal area. Newsom himself came into the terminal to look for them, and smiled when he saw them sitting there.
“Are you ready for this?” he asked.
Jenny gave him a sour look. “Let’s just get this show on the road,” she said. “I don’t like sitting around doing nothing. I’m ready to get onto the next job, but I can’t do that until I’m sure of who I’m working for.”
Newsom shot her a grin, then beckoned with his finger. “Then let’s go,” he said. “The plane is waiting and time is wasting.” He started to rise, and then paused. “Incidentally, I want you not to bring electronic devices. There is a system on the airplane that can detect even the smallest electronic field. If you’ve tried to smuggle something along, I’m afraid your journey will end right here.”
“Neil to Jenny,” Jenny heard suddenly inside her head. “Shut down subcoms, now. When they’re off, they shouldn’t be detectable.”
“Jenny to Neil, you got it. Shutting off now.”
With their subcoms deactivated, Neil and Jenny got up, grabbed their luggage and followed Newsom out to the plane. It was a Gulfstream, similar to the ones they often used on their missions. Two men were waiting at the bottom of the steps to escort them inside, while another one took the luggage and stowed it away.
“I’ll be honest,” Newsom said, once they were seated. “I can’t quite understand why you are so insistent on meeting our directors. I’m not sure that you’re actually going to gain anything from it, so would you mind explaining it to me?”
Jenny grinned at him. “Here it is,” she said. “I want to ask each of them a question, and compare their answers. There’s got to be some reason you people came looking for me, and while I know I’m one of the best at what I do, I’m not the only one who would be willing to take on a job like the one you got coming up. I just want to know why me. Is that too much to understand?”
“Well, then, why didn’t you ask me? I can answer that. The reason we want you is because you always manage to get the job done, but without any collateral damage. Believe it or not, we are not entirely monstrous. We don’t like killing innocent people when it isn’t absolutely necessary. You have always had a reputation for not taking an innocent life, other than your targets. That’s the reason we want you.”
Jenny shrugged and smiled at him. “Then, let’s hope that your directors all give me the same answer. Because, if I think there’s not a unanimous decision behind it, I’m probably going to walk. I’m not going to work for people if I can’t trust any one of them.” She glanced out the window, then turned back to Newsom again. “So, where are we going first?”
Newsom looked at her, but then just rolled his eyes. A few moments later, the hatch was shut and the engines started up, and the plane began to taxi to the runway.
The flight lasted just slightly less than two hours, and touched down again at the Berlin Schoenefeld airport. Jenny and Neil had spent the time relaxing, while Newsom seemed to be asleep. When the flight crew announced that they could depart the plane, a couple of Newsom’s men gathered all the luggage and followed them off the airplane and through the terminal building.
Neil looked around like a typical tourist, but he was actually seeking out as many video cameras as he possibly could, and making a point of looking directly at each one. He was quite certain that Neverland would be scanning all major airport security videos, and he wanted to be as helpful in that regard as he could.
A car was waiting out front, and Newsom indicated that Jenny and Neil should get into the back seat with him. Another vehicle was waiting for the rest of his men and the luggage, and they drove out as soon
as everyone was inside.
The drive lasted about forty minutes, and they pulled into the parking lot at a medium quality hotel. Rooms apparently had already been arranged, and Jenny and Neil were given a key to one of their own.
“You can go to your room and freshen up if you like,” Newsom said. “We’ll be going to our first meeting in about twenty minutes, but you should be aware that you won’t be able to leave your room or wander around while we’re here. It’s not that you are prisoners, but we need to be certain of what you’re doing for right now. I’m sure you understand.”
Jenny smiled sweetly. “Oh, of course,” she said. “I just want you to understand that if I get the slightest feeling that anything is going sideways, you’re going to find out that I don’t need weapons to kill you. Other than that, we’re all good.”
Newsom grinned, but there was a nervousness in it. “Of course,” he said. “I assure you, we are doing everything we possibly can to accommodate you. Remember that you are the one who requested these meetings.”
They went to their rooms and relaxed for a little while, but the knock came only about fifteen minutes later. Newsom was waiting at the door, and they followed him out the building and back into the car.
This time, the drive lasted about half an hour, and they found themselves at a large house. The driver pulled up in front of it and got out to open the back door for them. Newsom climbed out first, followed by Jenny and then Neil. The security men got out of the other vehicle and gathered around them.
“We are about to meet with Klaus Niemeier,” Newsom said. “For the record, this is not his home, but belongs to some associate of his. The owner is out of the country so he borrowed it strictly for the purpose of this meeting. For some reason, he has decided to allow your friend to come along with you. This is not the way these things usually go, so don’t get comfortable with it.”
A man came out the door of the house and led them inside, and they were shown to the dining room. A number of men stood around the room, obviously security, and Newsom’s own people took up similar positions. A large man with white hair was sitting at the table, and Newsom led Neil and Jenny to chairs on the gentleman’s right.
“Herr Niemeier,” Newsom said, “I should like to introduce Madame Victoria and her associate.”
The old man looked up and smiled at Jenny, then scowled at Neil. “Sit, sit,” he said. “The kitchen staff is preparing us a light lunch, because I prefer to discuss business over food. I understand they are giving us roast duck with orange sauce. I hope that will be satisfactory?”
“I’m sure it will be fine,” Jenny said. “Thank you for taking the time to meet with me. I understand this is not common for you, but I like to be sure of who I’m dealing with.”
Niemeier nodded. “Of course, of course,” he said. “The things that we do, they are always involving danger, yes? We must always be certain of the decisions we make. I am in fact grateful for the opportunity to meet you. I was given to understand that you do not meet clients face-to-face.”
“I do when we’re talking about potentially major dealings,” Jenny said. “I’m also interested in cultivating certain business relationships, and it strikes me that you might have work for me on a fairly regular basis. In a case like that, I think we each need to know the other, don’t you?”
The old man smiled. “I agree,” he said. “And I would say yes to you, that there could be very much work for you. As you probably already know, we are not simply the terrorism backers that others think we are; our goal is to change the face of the world, by manipulating not the governments, but the people. No matter how dictatorial any government may be, it is always the people who can force the decisions we want. Terror, as distasteful as it may be, is an effective tool in shaping the public opinion.”
Jenny grinned at him. “I would have to agree,” she said. “It is indeed. And may I ask toward what end you are shaping those public opinions?”
“Why, toward sanity, of course,” Niemeier said. “The entire world has gone quite mad in the past few decades, and we are watching it self-destruct. There can be no return to days of peace as long as madmen rule the world. There must be disarmament, both on national and individual levels. In your own home country, the people pride themselves on owning weapons, and yet you have more mass killings than almost every other nation. Children are shot dead weekly even when they are in school, innocents die in bloodshed that is motivated more by the anger of the individual than by political views. As long as the people can have their guns, this will only escalate. Look at Europe, where guns are carefully regulated; they have only a small fraction of the violent crimes that America experiences. Is it not wise to want limits on such things througout the world?”
Jenny looked at him appraisingly. “It may be,” she said. “And you’ve obviously given this a lot of thought. I take it all of you on the board are in agreement?”
“Oh, most certainly,” Niemeier said. “We have been making these plans for some years, and are now putting them to action. You can be a major benefit to us in making it a reality.”
Jenny smiled brightly. “I certainly hope so,” she said.
* * * * *
The flight from London to Kirtland took something over eight hours, and arrived at just after eight thirty that evening. Noah waited until they were all in Sarah’s car, then called Allison’s cell.
“Camelot, report,” she said as soon as she’d answered.
“Jenny and Neil are off with Newsom to meet the PRA Board of Directors,” Noah said. “I brought the rest of us back here to work out planning and logistics. Is there any way we can track where Jenny and Neil go?”
“I’ve already got every facial recognition system on the planet looking for them,” Allison said. “In fact, they turned up four hours ago in Berlin, spotted by security cameras at the airport there. We’re not sure where they went after that, but CIA is keeping all the cameras looking.”
“At least we know roughly where they are. We’re all going to get some rest and get back on the job tomorrow morning. Any particular time you want us at your office?”
“Make it eight-thirty,” Allison said. “I’ll try to have any updates on them ready to share with you.”
The line was dead, so Noah put the phone away and drove on to their house. Marco had left his Mustang there, and was planning on surprising his girlfriend, Renée, by showing up unexpectedly. He grabbed his bags when they pulled up at Noah’s garage, tossed them into his back seat and drove away.
* * * * *
“You’re early,” Jefferson said the next morning. He, Allison and Molly were already in the briefing room when Noah, Sarah and Marco arrived.
“We just had breakfast at the Waffle House,” Noah said, “so we could get an early start.”
“Then I’ve got something for you,” Allison said. “One of the analysts over at Langley ran across a report he thought we ought to see. It seems a source in Rome has heard that his people have identified the head of E & E.”
“And they had your name?” Noah asked.
“Of course,” Allison replied. “Unfortunately, that’s all we got. No indication of how they might’ve gotten their information, but it still leads me to believe there’s a leak inside our organization.”
“I think there has to be,” Noah said. “There’s just no other way I can imagine anyone getting your name. Most of our other agencies don’t even know who you are, do they?”
“As far as I know,” said Allison. “You and your people are going to have to work fast to put a stop to PRA before this goes too far. However, while you’re here, I can use any insight you can give us on finding the leak. Having any kind of a security breach inside our organization is extremely bad news, Noah, but I know I don’t need to tell you that.”
“And we’ve still got to carry out the actual mission, right?” Sarah asked.
“Absolutely. This mission genuinely is of critical importance, so it has to be completed. The PRA has be
en instrumental in numerous terrorist attacks, and now we know that they have been involved in assassinations, as well. They might not be as big and spread out as Al Qaeda, but they’re still a major problem when it comes to terrorism around the world.”
The three of them sat on one of the couches and Noah leaned toward Allison. “Do you have any suspects at all, as far as the leak goes?”
“We’ve got over six thousand people who work in this organization,” Allison said. “On the other hand, less than three hundred of them actually know who I am. That still leaves more possible leaks than we can possibly speculate about, but we’ve got to find some way to narrow down the possibilities. That’s why I asked Molly to step in here.”
“I’ve been looking at everything I can think of,” Molly said, “on every single person who is aware of Allison’s identity. I’ve been checking all of their social media, hacking their emails, scanning their phone calls, you name it. So far, all I can tell you is that whoever’s letting this information out is pretty clever about covering their tracks.”
“They have to be,” Noah said. “They also have to be fully aware of the consequences if they’re caught. This isn’t the kind of outfit that goes for indictments or fair trials, so they know they’re looking at a bullet to the head. The incentive to take that risk would have to be pretty great. I’m betting that it has nothing to do with money, so I think we should look at other kinds of motivation.”
Molly nodded. “I have to agree. One of the things I’ve been looking at is the background checks that are done on every employee. So far, I can’t find anybody who would have any kind of political motivation to try to shut us down, but there has to be something. On the other hand, other than politics or personal gain, I can’t think of any kind of motivation that could possibly be big enough to justify the risk.”
“Revenge,” Marco said. “What about people who might have some connection to any previous targets? I mean, we’ve taken out quite a few people around the world, and not even a small number right here in the good old U.S. of A. It’s always possible we stepped on somebody’s toes, somebody who had enough connections to worm their way into the outfit.”