Bloody Truth: A Granger Spy Novel

  “End of discussion,” Wakefield said, walking toward the door of the FBO. “We have our orders.”

  “Would it change your mind to know Tia claims to have hacked the CIA? She tried to kill us because she discovered Peter Heely was a name in the CIA database.”

  With one hand on the door, she stopped and looked at us in the reflection of the glass.

  “Impossible. Now drop it, and follow me.”

  Walking toward the taxiing silver Gulfstream 5, growing more determined to make my case, I decided I wasn’t going to give up so easily.

  After collecting our old friend Robert Leeds and the two-person CIA computer forensic team, we were walking toward the main airport when I made my play.

  “Agent Leeds,” I said, “there’s new information you need to be made aware of.”

  “Can’t this wait till we’ve left the very public airfield?”

  “No, sir,” I answered. “It can’t.”

  He looked around, spreading his arms wide before checking the time on his Rolex.

  “Well we’re out here on the tarmac, and I doubt anyone is listening. I’ll give you five minutes. Please proceed.” He placed his hands in his pants pockets.

  I tried not to make eye contact with Wakefield because I knew she was fuming with anger over my act of insubordination.

  “As you may or may not be aware, we were taken prisoner by the target earlier this evening and held for several hours.”

  Shuffling his stance, clasping his hands behind his back, he said, “That explains it, then.”

  “Explains what?” Leecy asked.

  “You’re… well, I wasn’t going to say anything, but it explains the dreadful smell and attire.”

  “Yeah, well, fieldwork’s not all tuxedos and cocktail dresses,” Leecy snapped. “That crap only happens in James Bond movies. What we’ve been dealing with is real life.”

  “Please continue, Mr. Granger,” Leeds said, smiling that megawatt smile of his.

  “While we were being held,” I said, “Tia revealed she’s about to improve her standing in the organization she’s a part of. She also claims to have hacked the CIA and discovered my cover identity in the process.”

  Shuffling his stance again, unclasping his hands and rubbing his chin, he said, “I must admit I was curious as to how you, of all people, came to be a prisoner. So, she got the drop on you because of the information derived from the hack.”

  “Hold on a second,” Wakefield said over her vibrating mobile phone, “there’s no evidence of any hack on the CIA or any of its various databases.”

  “Then how do you explain her knowledge of the name Peter Heely?” Agent Leeds asked, turning to face Wakefield.

  “Excuse me,” she said, placing the phone to her ear.

  “They’re any number of explanations,” I said, answering for Tammy. I realized that her defensive posture meant there might be some truth to Tia’s claim of hacking the CIA. “The one explanation I worked very hard to get Tia to believe was that her new partner planted the info by dummying up a CIA website for Tia and her hackers to access.”

  With his eyes on Tammy, he asked me, “Do you think Tia bought it?”

  “Yes. Well, almost. Enough to justify pushing her harder on the subject, and maybe getting the name of her partner in the process.”

  “That’s risky,” he said, turning to face me.

  “Sure it is,” Val said. “But we’ve risked everything getting this far. Give us a chance at bringing this home for you.”

  “You really believe you can pull a fast one on her?”

  “Tia’s paranoid,” Leecy said. “I don’t think it’ll take much of a push. From what Ron’s told us she’s halfway there.”

  “I can give you half an hour with her, but not a minute longer,” he said, looking at his watch again. “I have a schedule I must keep. People to answer to.”

  “Believe me, I know, and thirty minutes is more than enough time,” I said. “But there is one other thing you should be aware of.”

  “Sorry about that,” Wakefield said, ending the call. “One of my other agents reporting in. He’s got eyes on the CCP building. What’s this other thing you’re talking about, Ron?”

  “It’s nothing. Really, it isn’t. It’s just we can’t walk in the front door of CCP without spooking Tia.”

  “Tell me you’ve found a way in, or this entire conversation’s been a colossal waste of time,” Agent Leeds said.

  “I’ve got a plan, but it involves one of Tia’s henchman and a payoff.” Sensing push back coming, I quickly added, “The money isn’t a problem. Tia has it, and the guy we’re going to use to access the building knows where it is.”

  “Then, why do I sense a major ‘but’ coming my way?”

  “Because we need to let the guy go, or make him think we’re letting him go, for this plan to work.”

  “Ron,” Wakefield said, “I’m calling an end to this right now. We don’t have the manpower to tail this guy.”

  “We don’t want you to tail the guy,” Val said. “Just let him walk out of the building and pick him up a few blocks away.”

  “I say again, we don’t have the manpower for that. The guy could go in any number of directions.”

  “Jesus,” Leecy said, “just have Zach meet us and tell him to bring his microdots. You’ll be able to track the bag of money wherever it goes.”

  “Okay,” Wakefield said, “and when he ditches the bag, then what? And now that I’m thinking about it, how do you know this guy will even cooperate with you?”

  “First, he won’t ditch a bag containing a million dollars, and to answer your second question, we know he’ll cooperate because he’s in the van with Hodges right now, waiting for us.”

  “And when, exactly, were you three planning on telling me all of this?”

  “We tried to tell you in the FBO lobby, but you shut us down.”

  Agent Robert Jeffery Leeds’ laughter filled the void that followed our arguing with Wakefield and said, “Okay, okay, you have your thirty minutes. You Americans are nothing if not entertaining, but,” he slowly regained his composure, “also effective. Come on, let’s get on with it. Wakefield, you ride with me.”

  “Yeah,” I said, “don’t drive off just yet, ‘cause you’ll need to make room for Hodges, too.”

  “Really, and why is that?”

  “We’re going to need to stage a little carjacking to sell this thing to Tia’s boy.”

  Walking toward the main airport, he quipped, “Pulling out all the stops to sell the charade, are we?”

  “Yeah, something like that,” I said, bracing against the cold. “Tammy, you guys can take up position west of CCP on the corner nearest the bank. Have Zach meet our van under the walkway next to the museum. Tell him to bring the bag and the microdots.”

  “Anything else?” she asked. “Like maybe a jacket?”

  “No, don’t want one.”

  “Suit yourself. I’ll let Ryan know we’re in play and bring him up to speed. I don’t want him panicking when he sees you three on scene.”

  “Just make sure he holds his position,” I said. “I don’t need him running off half-cocked on this.”

  “Neither do I.”

  *

  Arriving at the rendezvous point beneath the walkway connecting the museum and the Cathedral, Lee asked, “Why are we stopping here?”

  “What?” I asked. “Did you really think we’re walking in the CCP building to see sword lady unarmed?”

  “I didn’t really think about it. After what you did to poor Mr. Hodges back at the airport, not to mention Hector, I didn’t think you needed any weapons.”

  “Well, we do,” Leecy said. “We’re meeting a contact here to make a quick purchase and then we’ll be on our way. Just sit tight and think about all that money you’ll be counting soon.”

  “Yeah, whatever. Just hurry up. The sooner we get where we’re going, the sooner I can get out of town. I mean that’s the deal, right? I
get the door open, see you three get inside, and then I get to bolt with the money.”

  “That’s exactly what we’re thinking,” Val agreed.

  “Good. I was hoping you wouldn’t make me stick around.”

  “Flashing headlights,” I said. “That’s our contact. Let’s go. Lee?”

  “Yeah, man, what’s up?”

  “We’re leaving you unguarded while we meet with this guy,” I said, opening the driver’s side door. “If you run, not only will you not get paid, but in addition to your pockets being empty you’ll be hunted by the three of us.”

  “I’m the least of your concerns, my man,” he said, stretching out across the rear bench seat.

  Walking toward the car that flashed its headlights, I said, “Zach, that you?”

  Opening the door of the smart electric car, he said, “I know. Don’t say it. The hotel lets guests use it as a courtesy.”

  “Some perk,” Leecy said. “It looks good on you.”

  I don’t know why that comment struck me as odd, but it did. Looking between the two of them, Leecy playfully punching Zach in the arm, I had to push my daddy thoughts aside.

  “Did you bring the bag?”

  “Yep,” he said, catching a whiff of us. “What’s that smell?”

  “Long story,” I answered. Unzipping the bag, I handed Leecy a Sig Saur and Val a Glock. “Microdots?”

  “Oh,” he said, reaching into his jacket pocket. “I almost forgot. Here.” He offered each us an earpiece and a microdot.

  “But I thought she could jam our earpieces,” Leecy said, looking at the two objects in the palm of her hand. “And why three microdots? We only need one.”

  “I’ve been making a workaround. The earpieces have been reengineered to function over my cell phone frequency. I just used the Bluetooth feature on the phone to pair with the earpieces, and by using three way…”

  “Zach,” I said, interrupting him. “Sorry, buddy, but we don’t care about the how.”

  “I care, Zach,” Leecy said, touching his shoulder.

  “Thanks, I know you do, but Granger’s right. I get carried away sometimes. You’ll be patched in and able to hear everything that’s said. Now, as far as the microdots are concerned, they’ve always been an unreliable technology, so I’m just covering our collective asses by using three.”

  “Good, then,” I said, walking away. “See you when it’s done.”

  Climbing inside the van, Lee asked, “You guys all geared up and ready to go, now?”

  “Yeah,” I said, “we’re ready. You’ll be a rich man in about ten minutes.”

  I parked the van one block south of the CCP building. Leecy, Val, Lee, and I began walking north toward Portalsgasse. I could hear the sounds of music playing and the voices of the dwindling crowds in the shopping district two blocks west. The smell of stale beer and cigarettes had replaced the aroma of fried dough and French fries I remembered from the day before.

  We walked by the van I knew held Wakefield, Leeds, Zach, and the two CIA computer forensics teammates. “Lee,” I said, “the three of us will hold in front of the bank. I don’t want to be spotted by the camera mounted on the CCP building. Someone might be watching.”

  “Yeah, man, I get it,” Lee said. “But you see that car? That’s Tia’s car. What if she’s in the lobby when I go inside?”

  “That’s why you’re here. Run interference, and know we’ll be right behind you,” Leecy assured him. “You can always tell her you’re there for your money. Where’s the money being kept, anyway?”

  “Yeah, I can do that. The last place I saw the money was in the downstairs office.”

  “Great. That’s our first stop,” Leecy continued, focusing Lee’s mind on the money. “Let’s get you paid and get you the hell out of there as quickly as we can.”

  We watched as Lee waved his keycard in front of the door sensor. Entering the building, I said, “Move in five, four, three…”

  But Lee opening the door and calling to us cut me off. “Come on. No one’s here.”

  We joined Lee in the lobby and followed him through the doors leading to the downstairs office. Val said, “That wasn’t part of the plan.”

  Walking through Laird’s mini history museum toward the office manager’s door, Lee responded. “Yeah, I know, but we’re in. That’s what you wanted.”

  “Let’s just get the money and get you out of here,” I said, brushing past him and opening the door to the office. Seeing the two black duffel bags on the desktop, I said, “Great, they’re exactly where you said they’d be.” I unzipped one of the bags, thrusting my hand inside like I was checking the contents. I dropped a microdot. “And the money is inside,” I confirmed.

  Pushing past Lee to unzip the other bag, following my example, Leecy said, “This one looks good, too, and you know what that means, don’t you, Lee?”

  “No. What’re you talking about?” Lee asked.

  Slapping him on the back, affixing her microdot to the fabric of his wool sweater, Val said, “It’s all yours. All two million.”

  He walked toward the desk, looking inside both bags before zipping them closed and lifting them over his shoulders. “That’s awesome. Thank you so much. It’s been a pleasure doing business with you.”

  We followed him out of the office toward the lobby, opening the front door for him, and watched him leave the building. I asked, “Zach? You there?”

  “Reading you loud and clear.”

  “Money bags just left the building.”

  “We’ve got the signals,” Wakefield said. “Hodges is on it.”

  “Now,” I said, turning to face Leecy and Val, “let’s find Tia.”

  *

  Typing feverishly on the wireless keyboard, Tia paused, reading the results of her labor, and said, “So that’s who I was sleeping with.”

  Removing her cell phone from her pocket she called Taka and said, “Where are you? Have you loaded the MI5 components?”

  “I’m doing that now, Miss Reins.”

  “I’m leaving soon. Make sure I don’t leave without them.”

  She leaned back in the chair before pushing off the tabletop to stand, and walked forward toward the mostly empty computer cages. She briefly flashed on her father. He would be asleep now. She wondered what he’d do when he woke up tomorrow and found himself alone, but laughed away the concern, saying to no one, “He’ll just check his balance sheet like always, and call his masseuse. He’ll never even know I’m gone.”

  “Oh, sure he will,” I said. “After all, you’re Daddy’s little girl assassin, aren’t you?”

  Spinning around and drawing her sword in one swift motion, she was running in our direction, covering the thirty meters of floor between us in a furious rage.

  “Impossible!”

  Aiming her Glock, Val said, “Stop, or I’ll shoot.”

  Tia was six feet away when the shot rang out. It echoed loudly off the concrete floor and ceiling, knocking the sword from Tia’s hand and sending her sprawling across the floor on her back. The bullet, having ricocheted off the hilt of Tia’s sword, exploded the iPad into hundreds of pieces.

  “She said stop,” Leecy barked, holstering her gun and running toward the downed Tia. She kicked the sword away. “What, you got a death wish all of a sudden?”

  “I heard what she said,” Tia seethed, cradling her injured right hand in her left. “But why’d you shoot me in my hand?” Then, smelling Leecy, she added, “You stink.”

  “Yeah, well you put me down in that hole, so it’s your fault I smell like raccoon piss and shit.” Grabbing Tia’s left arm and helping her to her feet, she added, “Don’t worry; we’re not going to kill you right away. We’ve got some questions for you.”

  “Can I at least have something to wrap my hand with?” Tia asked.

  “Come on,” Leecy answered, “I thought you were tough. It’s just a little flesh wound. The iPad took more of a hit than you.”

  “Yeah, but I’m bleeding.”
>
  “Wrap it up in your shirt. That’s as good as it’s going to get.”

  Tia stopped walking and bent down, retrieving a piece of paper from the floor and placing it over the wound in her hand. She asked, “How’d you three escape?”

  Picking the overturned desk chair up off the floor, and righting the small desk that once held the now shattered iPad, I said, “Here, sit down.” I pointed at the busted iPad. “I hope nothing too important was saved on that thing.”

  Tia shrugged, looking over her shoulder in my direction, and said, “You’ll never know. I’ve got nothing else to say, so just get to it. Kill me.”

  “I don’t think so,” Val said. “That’s not what you had planned for us.”

  I heard Wakefield coming in loud and clear over Zach’s new earpiece. She announced that Hodges had picked up Lee and the money. The two men were waiting in the van I’d driven from the airport.

  “You should know Hector and Lee are dead,” I said. “You’ll be joining them in the afterlife, but not before I learn the name of the man you met yesterday.”

  Pressing the piece of paper into the fleshy part of her hand between the thumb and forefinger, she looked at me and said, “Go to hell.”

  I walked toward the broken pieces of the iPad, bending down and selecting the largest piece. I handed it to Val. “You of all people should know that everyone talks.”

  “We want to know the name of the man you’re working with,” Leecy said.

  “I don’t know his name. He never told me who he was.”

  Val sat down on Tia’s lap. She pinned Tia’s hands beneath her thighs one at a time, and then grabbed hold of her hair with one hand while she pressed the piece of broken iPad into the skin below her left eye. “We need a name or I’m going to pop your eyeball out of your head like a cork out of a bottle,” she said. “Do you feel the pressure building at the base of your eyeball?”

  “Yes, yes,” Tia said. She tried to turn her head, but Valerie’s grip was too strong.

  “All it takes is sixteen pounds of pressure to dislodge your eye from its socket, and I’m about halfway there. Who are you working with? Is losing your sight really worth keeping his name a secret?”