“Jesus, Ron,” Val said, pulling one of the rolling chairs over and helping me sit. “How bad is it?”
“You need to ask?”
“Your ribs are broken, now, no question. We’ve got to get you to a doctor. You might have a punctured lung. Take a deep breath for me.”
I did as my wife instructed.
“No. No lung punctures. Leecy, grab that flashlight and see if you can find any bandages.”
“On it,” she said, grabbing the light lying on the floor next to Hector and began searching both men and the immediate area. “Lee’s phone was broken in the fall. It’s useless now. Hector only had some cash on him. I’ve got your bandages. Good thing they didn’t cut them off of you like your clothes. We can use them.”
“Now I need you to strip off Lee’s shirt,” I said. “He’s the bigger of the two. Then use their belts to bind their hands together behind their backs.”
“Mom, I need some help with that last request.”
“Okay, but first you help me wrap Ron’s ribcage. We’ll deal with those two in a minute.”
With my ribcage wrapped up tight, and wearing Lee’s shirt and sweater, I said, “Leecy, unhook the chain from the wall and walk that hoist closer to the bodies.”
“That thing moves?” she asked.
“Yes, it’s a trolley engine block hoist. It’s designed to serve two sides of the building or two inline pits. Shine your light up there and you’ll see there are three of them mounted in the rafters. I’ve been staring up at them for over an hour.”
“Oh yeah, I see. So you think it’ll move?”
“Only one way to find out.”
With both Val and Leecy pulling on the chain, the trolley slowly moved into position over the two unconscious men.
“Okay,” Leecy said, breathing heavily, “now what?”
“Pull the chain I was suspended from down to the floor.”
“Okay.”
The chain moved more freely than the hoist had, because Hector and Lee had broken it free from the rust that was hampering its movement.
“Ron,” Val said between breaths, “why are we doing this?”
Ignoring her question, I said, “Now sit those two up back to back and wrap the chain around them. Make it as secure as you can.”
“What the hell?” Lee asked, coming around.
“Yeah,” Hector said. “What the hell is going on?”
“I told you two the first day we met not to make this relationship adversarial,” I said. “Do you remember that conversation?”
“Yes, I do,” Lee said. “But we were just following orders. Besides, Furukawa’s the one that shocked you with the battery and the jumper cables, not us.”
“Yes, that is true, but he’s not here and you two are. The question is, do you want to help me get you your money, or do you want me to leave you here? You two talk it over. I’ll be back.”
Standing and leaning heavily on Valerie and Leecy, we walked toward the exit and the fresh night air. Once outside, I stood under my own power and breathed in as deeply as the pain would allow.
“Now what about this report Tia claims to have?” Val asked.
“Do you think she really hacked the CIA?” Leecy asked.
“I don’t know,” I said, rubbing my wrist, “and it really doesn’t matter. All we can do is try to convince her otherwise.”
“Disinformation campaign?” Leecy asked.
“Yes, exactly,” I said. “I laid the foundation while she had me trussed up, and even though I saw her start to doubt herself, we’ve got more work to do.”
“That’s if we can get close to her again,” Val said.
“We can, and we will,” I said.
“How?” Leecy asked. “We’re out here in the middle of nowhere without a ride.”
“Yeah, that’s a problem,” I said, looking around the moonlit shipping yard. “Nothing here’s been used in decades. We’ll just have to wait on the cavalry, I guess.”
“Leecy,” Val began, “I want you to follow this road back to the main highway and find somewhere to wait that’s out of sight. Someone from our team will be coming for us. When help arrives, prep whoever it is to play the role of a passerby you flagged down for help. We don’t want Hector and Lee getting suspicious. We need them to help us get close to Tia.”
“Roger that,” she said, turning and running away from us in the moonlight.
“Ron,” Val said, “we’ve got to get those two muscle heads on our side. You ready?”
“Yes, and I think Lee’s ready to join us. Hector, not so much.”
“That’s fine. I know what to do. Come on, and just follow my lead.”
“Boys, boys,” Val said, walking into the rectangle of light and pulling a chair close to the bound men before having a seat. “Have you reached a decision?”
“Of course, we want to get paid,” Lee said.
“But that doesn’t mean I want to help you,” Hector said.
“That’s too bad,” Valerie said. “I guess we’ll be seeing you.”
“You can’t leave us here,” Hector said.
“Sure we can,” I said. “Weren’t you going to rape the women and then kill all three of us a few minutes ago?”
“That was just talk,” Lee said. “We were just trying to scare you, that’s all.”
“You two,” Valerie said, rolling forward in her chair, “are as dumb as you look, you know that?”
“Come on, lady,” Hector said. “Don’t leave me here.”
“You want to leave, then you have to help me.”
“How can I help you?”
“We want to get even with Tia for trying to kill us,” I answered. “I know you guys were just following orders. I, too, follow orders, but what she did tonight crossed the line, and that doesn’t sit right with me.”
“That’s right, man. We just follow orders,” Lee agreed. “She’s calling the shots not us. Hey, count me in. I’ll help you.”
“Hold up,” Hector said. “First, let’s talk money. If I agree to get you inside CCP, then I’m double-crossing Tia, and if I’m going to do that, then I need getaway-type money.”
“Are you really in a position to negotiate?” Val asked.
“The way I see it, I die if you leave me here and I die if I cross Tia without having enough cash to run very far away. You want my help, pay me for it.”
“How much money is getaway money, Hector?” I asked.
“Me and Lee split half the take, you and your team split the other half.”
“I don’t know. Doesn’t seem fair. I mean, if I leave you and break into CCP, I can keep all the money.”
Laughing, he said, “You do that, Mr. Heely, and she’ll see you coming and disappear. You forget you’re dealing with a very paranoid woman.”
“And just how would she disappear?”
“No, no, no,” Hector said, shaking his head from side to side and smiling. “No more answers till we have an agreement on the money and you let us go.”
“And give me back my shirt,” Lee said. “I’m freezing.”
Standing and walking toward the exit behind Val, I said, “Don’t go anywhere, boys. We’ll be right back.”
The hum of the engine grew louder the closer we got to the exit, and there in the darkness, I spotted the outline of the van we’d been using since landing in Cologne. Standing next to it, I saw Leecy talking to the undeniable shape of Hodges.
“Glad to see you,” I said, extending my hand.
“You, too, all of you. I guess you heard about Franks?”
“Yes,” Val said. “We’re sorry. We had no idea she…”
“No,” he said, raising a hand. “I don’t blame you guys. It’s the job. It can happen to any of us at any time. I thought we’d lost you three tonight, too, but I’m glad you’re okay.”
Placing a hand on his shoulder, I asked, “What’s been happening since we lost contact?”
We listened as he brought us up to speed with the team??
?s movements and positions, then we followed suit, telling him all that we’d been through.
“Jesus,” he said, rubbing his face. “And to think all this could’ve been avoided if Ryan had just stayed in position.”
“Yeah,” I said, “that’s crossed my mind a time or two.”
“Me, too,” Leecy said.
“I’d be lying if I said otherwise,” Val offered. “But we can’t change what’s happened.”
“No we can’t,” Hodges said. “So now what?”
“We’ll be bringing Hector and Lee along,” I began, “but we need to keep the conversation in front of them to a minimum and make certain we stick to our covers. When we reach the airport, we’ll leave the two men with you unless you need Leecy, and meet with Wakefield and the other inbound agents. Then we’ll figure out what’s going to happen next.”
“Okay, sounds good. I can handle them by myself,” Hodges agreed. “Do you want me to back the van up inside there or wait here?”
“You and the kid stay right here and check in with the boss,” Val said. “Wait inside the van. We’ll be right back.”
*
“What’s that?” Wakefield asked. “Say again.”
“I’ve got movement in front of the CCP building,” Zach repeated. “A big sedan. A lady is getting out and entering the building.”
“Are you recording?” she asked, her phone vibrating against her ear, indicating another call was incoming.
“Yes.”
“Good. Stay on it, and let me know the moment you see any other movement,” she said, ending the call and accepting the new one, expecting it to be Agent Ryan. She said, “Yes, Ryan?”
“No, it’s Hodges here, and I’ve got good news. The Grangers are all present and accounted for, and only slightly worse for wear.”
“Brilliant.”
“We’ll be heading to your location soon.”
“Why here?”
“I’ll let the Grangers explain when we arrive.”
“Oh no, it’s one of those, is it?”
“Yes, it is. They’re on the scent of something, and you know how they are once that starts.”
“Yes, I know all too well, but this time it may be out of our hands.”
“Is that right?” he said, looking at Leecy in the rearview mirror. “They won’t like that.”
“They may not have a choice.”
“Well, that’s why they pay you the big bucks, Boss. You can handle them. See you in half an hour or more. And you can break the news.”
“Great,” she said, rubbing her eyes with her fingers. “Regardless, I’m glad they’re okay.”
“That the boss?” Leecy asked.
“Yes; she’s glad you three are okay.”
“But not that we’re coming to see her?”
“No, I don’t think she is.”
“Can’t say I blame her. This mission’s been one bad turn after another. I’m sure she just wants it to be over.”
“Yes, I’m sure she does. I know I do.”
*
“Okay,” I said, unwrapping the chains, “you’ve got yourselves a deal. One million dollars to split between the two of you for helping us get to Tia.”
“Fantastic,” Lee said, taking his sweater from me, leaving me wearing his long sleeve t-shirt, “but how do we get back to town?”
“Yeah,” Hector agreed, replacing his belt. “I’m not walking fifteen miles in these shoes.”
“No one’s walking anywhere,” Val said. “The young lady flagged down a passerby, and he agreed to give us a lift to the airport where we can rent a car.”
“That’s awesome,” Lee said. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
“Hold on,” Hector said, grabbing my arm, “let’s get something straight before we go anywhere.”
“What’s that?” I asked, grabbing his fingers as he tightened his grip on my arm.
“You try and double-cross me, and I’ll kill you, Old Man.”
I tore his fingers away from my arm.
“That’ll be harder than you think.”
Grabbing my shoulder with his free hand, he started driving his knee toward my ribs, screaming.
“Fuck you, CIA!”
Releasing my grip on his fingers and blocking the fast-rising knee with both forearms, I decided in an instant to send a message by quickly ending Hector. Swinging my left forearm up under his jutting jaw, I snapped his head back, then stepped forward and slammed a right cross into his exposed trachea. He was dead before his back hit the concrete floor.
I stood over Hector, looking at Lee.
“That’s a million, all for you now, or you can take your place beside him. What’s it going to be?”
Holding his hands up, he said, “Hey man, I was with you from the beginning. I never believed you were CIA. I just want my money.”
“So you won’t be giving us any trouble?”
“None. Zero. For a cool million, you’ll have my total cooperation.”
“Well,” Val said, “if we’re done playing around, can we get out of here? Our good Samaritan isn’t going to wait all night.”
“One question for Lee before we go,” I said.
“What, man?”
“Hector mentioned Tia would disappear if we broke into CCP. How would she do that?”
“Oh, yeah,” Lee answered. “She has an escape door that leads to the courtyard. It’s hidden at the back of the building, concealed by a white trellis.”
“And how does she gain access to the door from inside the building?”
“The door is hidden behind the curtains at the bottom of the stairs leading to Laird’s room.”
“Can the door be opened from the outside?”
“After you unlock it from the inside.”
“Thank you, Lee,” I said. “Now we can go.”
Climbing in the van, Leecy introduced Lee to the man he would only know as Hodges, the passerby, and then she asked, “Where’s Hector?”
“He decided to stay,” Val said. “Let’s get going.” Closing the front passenger side door and taking her seat, she added, “Thank you so much, Mr. Hodges. I hope we’re not putting you out. Did you call your family and explain to them you’ll be late?”
Driving through the shipping yard, Hodges said, “Talked to the wife or, as I call her, the boss. She’s expecting me to be a little late, but just glad you folks are all in one piece after your accident. She’s glad I’m here to help. She’s a big believer in karma.”
“And you don’t mind driving us to the airport?”
“Like I said, I’m happy to help. Just sit back and relax; we’ll be there in thirty minutes or so.”
CHAPTER TEN
RETALIATION
“MR. HODGES,” VAL SAID, “do you mind our troubling you for a little while longer while we check on the availability of a rental car?”
“Happy to wait.”
“This may take a few minutes. Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Take all the time you need. Don’t give it another thought. I don’t see many Americans, and it’s been nice talking to you. I’m happy to wait for as long as you need.”
Climbing down out of the van, Val said, “Thanks so much.”
“Lee,” I said, opening the sliding door, “stay here with our new friend. We’ll be back as soon as we can.”
“Yeah, man. Sure, no problem. It’s warm in here.”
Walking toward the airport, I asked, “Laying it on a bit thick, aren’t we?”
“No.” Then Val smiled and added, “Well, maybe a little.”
“Where are we going?” Leecy asked. “I know we’re not renting a car.”
“No, we’re not,” I said. “We’re headed toward the FBO, or fixed base operator section, of the airport. It’s a separate section of the airport grounds where the private planes can refuel and hangar as needed. That’s where Wakefield will be.”
“I knew that,” Leecy said, “but I thought FBO was strictly an American th
ing.”
“It was, but it’s catching on overseas,” I answered. “This way. Come on; we don’t have a lot of time, it’s after eleven.”
Pushing through the doors leading to the FBO offices, we jogged across the open tarmac toward the small glass and steel building a hundred yards away. A small private jet was landing in the distance, and I wondered if it was the CIA team Wakefield said would be joining us. Reaching the building, I could see Agent Wakefield through the glass doors. She was alone and seated on the couch, sipping coffee from a disposable coffee cup.
“Wakefield,” I said, entering the lobby, “we need to talk.”
Turning her head in our direction, Wakefield did a spit take at the sight of us spraying the floor with coffee, “My God,” she said, “what in the hell happened to you three?”
“Long story,” Val said, “but right now we need to talk about Tia.”
“What’s that on your clothes and faces?”
“Decades-old motor oil and grease,” Leecy said. “Bonus is, it smells worse than it looks.”
The pungent aromas replacing the warm fresh air of the small waiting room finally reached her nose.
“Christ, that’s awful, but only half as bad as you look. Ron, you’re pale and sweating like a pig. What gives?”
“Slow down,” I said, raising my hands, “just pump the brakes on all this worry. I’m solid. What we need to worry about is Tia. It’s worse than we first thought.”
“How so?” She asked, reaching into her jacket pocket and retrieving her vibrating mobile phone.
“There’s no more questioning the silent partner’s influence over her. This person has enough cachet to convince her she’s in total control of the operation they were conducting together. She said as much herself. We need to pursue this thing.”
Looking at her phone, Wakefield spoke to us while reading a text.
“Yes, I know what you want to do, but the fact remains that we follow orders, and your feelings about this operation don’t change a thing.” She waved her phone at us and added, “CIA computer boys and Agent Leeds of Interpol have landed. Game’s over. We take Tia and her people down, confiscate her gear as instructed, and we’ll be out of here by midnight.”
“Did you hear what Ron said?” Valerie asked. “This thing, whatever it is, is bigger than just her, now.”