The Money Trail
Page 28
The Russian recoiled from the encounter and tried to step around Knoll. His attempt stopped when the retired Special Forces Major grabbed his arm.
Kruger looked across the river as the nine men emerged from Orlov’s building. One hurried to the driver’s window of the first car and gestured toward the cathedral’s courtyard. “Uh-oh, Dimitri, looks like they know where you are.”
Orlov struggled to free himself from Knoll’s grip, but the big man held him in place.
Jimmie Gibbs, now at Kruger’s side, chuckled. “Looks like I get to practice my Russian.”
Kruger’s mouth twitched as he watched the three cars speed across the Rue de la Cite bridge and skid to a halt in the circle drive in front of the courtyard. The nine men emerged from the cars, leaving a driver in each. All were dressed in dark business suits and moved with the practiced precision of trained military men as they spread out in a semi-circle to confront the four men near the concrete park benches where Kruger’s party stood.
Gibbs turned to Orlov and said, “These guys look pissed, Dmitri. Sucks for you.”
Kruger barely suppressed his smile as he watched the senior member of the group approach ahead of the other. He was Kruger’s height, blond with dark blue eyes, slender face and an air of authority. When he was ten feet away, he pointed at Orlov and spoke in Russian.
Gibbs nodded and replied in the same language.
The leader smiled and motioned for his men to stand down.
Gibbs turned to Kruger and explained, “He told me they were here to help Mr. Orlov find his way back home and for us not to interfere with their task. It wasn’t quite that friendly, but you get the point.”
“What did you tell him?”
“I told him we were there to make sure Dmitri waited for them. That’s when he smiled.”
“I noticed.” Kruger turned to Knoll and nodded.
The big man released Orlov’s arm and the banker stood still, a defiant look spread across his face. He began speaking in Russian, but before he could finish his speech, three young men appeared by his side and started walking him toward the waiting cars. The Russian who Gibbs had spoken to returned his attention to the three Americans and gave them a quick bow, then turned and followed Orlov to the cars. A minute later the cars disappeared into the Paris traffic.
Kruger turned to Gibbs and asked, “What did Orlov say there at the end?”
“Something about being a Colonel in the FSB and reporting only to the president. I don’t think they gave a shit.”
“Apparently not.” Kruger looked around. Tourists wandered the courtyard as they flowed in and out of the historical cathedral. “Once again, we find ourselves in this beautiful city having an afternoon spoiled by Dmitri Orlov.” Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a familiar woman standing on the steps of Notre Dame. She smiled when he looked at her. He turned to Gibbs.
“I thought Alexia didn’t like Paris.”
“She loves Paris. With her new identity, she can move freely around without worrying about being arrested.”
“Huh.”
Knoll chuckled, “Tell him the real reason she’s here.”
Gibbs waved at her and then turned to Kruger.
“She wants to get married in Notre Dame.”
Smiling, Kruger looked back at Alexia. “To whom?”
Knoll laughed and Gibbs shook his head.
Epilogue
Southwestern Missouri
Five Months Later
Joseph leaned against the wood railing facing all the activity occurring on his large backyard deck. He held a crystal highball glass with ice and twelve-year-old Glenfiddich. As he took a sip, he watched JR, Jimmie Gibbs, and Sandy Knoll standing next to a large charcoal grill attending to steaks, chicken and burgers. JR’s son and Sean’s children ran in the yard playing tag. Mary, Mia, Alexia, Linda and Stephanie stood in a huddle, laughing and gossiping. A smile came to his face as he realized this was his family. A group of people he loved and enjoyed being around.
Sean Kruger walked up and leaned against the railing next to him. “How long do you and Mary plan to be here?”
Joseph glanced at Kruger. “A week. Unless some crisis occurs. Why?”
“Just curious.”
Nodding was Joseph’s reply. The two old friends surveyed the activities on the deck. As the first warm weekend since winter, it was a perfect Saturday afternoon to gather and be together in a social setting. He looked at Jimmie Gibbs and then at his bride, Alexia. He turned to Kruger. “When is Jimmie and Alexia’s baby due?”
“Sometime in late July.”
“She doesn’t resemble the woman you first brought here at all.”
“No, she doesn’t. She’s no longer the gaunt person we found in the Mexican apartment. The weight she’s gained looks healthy on her, she smiles and laughs more, adores Jimmie, loves being around children and continues to be a valuable asset for JR’s company.”
“Good. I’m glad it worked out for both of them.”
“So’s Jimmie.”
Joseph smiled. “How’s Stephanie doing?”
“No ill effects from the accident. She’s more aware of what’s going on around her and a more defensive driver.” Kruger smiled. “I believe she finally realized my constant reminders about being cognizant of her surroundings were a noble endeavor and not harassment.”
Joseph chuckled. “I haven’t had an opportunity to talk to Mia. Is she doing okay?”
“Seems to be. She’s like JR, doesn’t talk about it much.”
“I noticed she has a slight limp.”
“Occasionally, only when she’s been on her feet too long. Doctor told her that would eventually disappear.” He turned to Joseph. “What about you? Are you and Mary coming back soon? You’re six months into your one-year commitment to Roy.”
With a grim smile, Joseph nodded. “Yes, I know. Mary and I miss this place and the solitude. But…”
“Uh-oh, the dreaded, ‘but’…”
“It’s complicated, Sean. Griffin is making a difference. Even he’s surprised. He’s got a new Cabinet with competent men and women, plus Congress is working with him.”
Chuckling, Kruger sipped his scotch. “How long will that last?”
Returning the smile, Joseph answered. “Who knows? It could fall apart tomorrow.”
“You didn’t answer my original question.”
“To be honest with you, we don’t know. Mary is involved with the First Lady in several women’s advocacy councils. I have this funny feeling we will be there longer than a year, maybe two. I really don’t know. It’s up to her.”
“What about this place?”
“I spoke to Jimmie about it.”
“And?”
“They asked permission to convert one of the upstairs bedrooms into a nursery.”
Kruger smiled. “I take it they will be staying.”
Joseph nodded. “For a while. They bought land near Stockton, did you know that?’
“No. Good for them.”
“They’re going to build. From what Jimmie told me he inherited a little money when his father passed and is going to use it to start construction.”
The two old friends fell into silence as they watched the activity on the deck. After several comfortable moments of quiet, Joseph said, “The President is very pleased with the work you’re doing.”
“Tell him I’m glad he’s pleased.”
“Are there more threats out there like Orlov?”
“We think so.”
“How bad?”
“Hard to tell. After Orlov was taken back to Moscow, all the internet chatter went silent. JR thinks they are retrenching and trying to determine their next steps.”
“That’s scary.”
Kruger nodded. “Yes, it is.”
Joseph turned to Kruger again. “How much longer are you planning to do this, Sean?”
The right side of Kruger’s mouth twitched.
“Right now, I’m not traveling much. I lik
e that. As long as the travel is limited, I’ll stick around. Why?”
“The president asked me to find out. He wants your team to start looking into other threats.”
Raising an eyebrow, Kruger looked back at Joseph. “Such as?”
“The increasing number of lone gunmen attacking random public gatherings.”
“I thought that was our original mandate.”
“It was, but after we disbanded when Bryant became president, the mandate disappeared. Roy is concerned about the increasing number of mass shootings. They’re becoming more frequent each year.”
Kruger sipped his scotch, but did not respond.
Joseph continued. “Any ideas?”
“No, but with Alexia working for the company and JR taking a less active role, he’ll have more time to think about it.”
“Probably be a good idea to put several proposals together.”
Frowning, Kruger looked at Joseph. “Okay. Do you know something I don’t?”
“The President is tired of saying his thoughts and prayers are with the families and not having an answer for them. He wants a definitive action plan.”
“What’s Congress going to say?”
“As long as it doesn’t include taking guns away from people, they will approve anything.”
“That ship sailed a long time ago, Joseph. Taking guns away isn’t the answer. Being able to identify vulnerable individuals and then providing mental health care may be one way, but it’s not the only solution. Will Congress approve funds?”
“We won’t know until the president asks them.”
“Is that why he wants the proposals?”
Joseph nodded.
“Guess I’d better get busy.”
About the Author
J.C. Fields is an award-winning author living in Southwest Missouri. He is an associate member of the International Thriller Writers, a member of Sleuth’s Ink Mystery Writers and serves on the board of the Springfield Writers' Guild.
J.C. has published five novels, The Fugitive's Trail (2015), The Assassin's Trail (2016), The Imposter's Trail, (2017), The Cold Trail (2018) and in 2019, The Money Trail. All are available on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Booksamillian.com and Audible.com. He is currently working on a stand-alone novel to be released Summer 2019.
The Sean Kruger Series has won numerous awards. His first four novels have been awarded the Literary Titan Gold Book Award, The Imposter's Trail was awarded Best Mystery/Thriller at the 2017 Ozark Indie Book Fest, and in 2018, Readers' Favorite awarded The Fugitive's Trail a Silver Medal in the Fiction - Suspense genre.