Out of the Shadows (Falcon) (26 page)

“Hell
, yes, I’m sorry. Don’t know why you ever agreed to let me take her out of the country.”

Jake straightene
d and turned to Brody. “Me? You’re blaming me for this?”

Brody rubbed his eyes
and let out a frustrated breath. “No, it’s all on me.” He’d lost his goddamn mind.

“Ca
ll Zoe and tell her we need medical as soon as we hit El Paso. She’ll set up everything,” Jake instructed.

“Yeah, including chewing me up and spitting me out.”

“Not Zoe, but Frank sure the hell will.”

***

Wearing casual jeans, a black T-shirt, and comfortable shoes, Falcon agent John ‘Mac’ McKinsey crawled from one corner of Chamizal Park to another but couldn’t find a decent place for a shooter to take out a target at the podium. Too much greenery, no high area for a straight-line hit, and no good escape routes. Even with a military quality scope it would be impossible for a shooter to be inside the park and take out a hit.

He widened his search to the outer perimeter
, but still couldn’t find a good perch. Mac took out his cell phone and called his boss. “No sight here.” Mac said. “I can’t find a single place I’d set up shop. Could be by accident or deliberate, but it would be really hard to take out the president in the park.”

“What do you think?”

“My bet is on the Convention Center.”

“Inside?”

“If planned right, a person could pull it off. I’m on my way there now. I’ll let you know what I find.”

“Mac
, to your knowledge has Burr ever taken an inside shot?”

“No.
” Few assassins took that kind of risk unless the mark was in a house alone. “But that doesn’t mean he can’t change his MO. Lots of times these guys shake it up a little and do something completely unexpected,” Mac said.

“If it happens at dinner
, there could be a lot of collateral damage.”

Mac continued to meticul
ously scan the area. “Depends on his target. We’ve been concerned about President Davis. What about President Gomez?”

“
We sure as hell don’t want anything to happen to him. That could cause an international incident. But its Davis I’m worried about.”

“Has Tony heard any rumblings?”

“He has his ear to the ground, but he’s also trying to find Chavez. He left Mexico with A.J. earlier this morning.”

Mac let out a deep breath
, and licked his lips with weary hope. “Okay, I’ll keep checking. I’ll also try to find Burr. It’s best I try to contain him before tomorrow night.

“Do you think he’s the type of assassin that would mow down a room full of people?”

Mac thought briefly. Killers were hard to figure out. Some were methodical, while others played it loose, and some just did what had to be done. Burr didn’t fit any of those. “He’s ex-military. He’s precise, educated, and damn good. Only someone with a minimal amount of skill would tear up a room full of people. Burr has his orders, and he knows what he’s doing. The only people he’ll take out will be the target and anyone who stands in his way.”

“Keep in touch. I’ll let you know as soon as we find a break.”

The frustration in Frank’s voice touched Mac’s chest and he wished things could be different, but in his line of work it rarely got better before turning ugly. Usually things went to hell pretty fast in the jobs Falcon agents did. Frank spent more sleepless nights than anyone Mac knew. But it was all in the game.

***

Zoe had just finished faxing Albin Burr’s flight schedule to Frank when the phone rang. “Falcon Securities, this is Zoe. How can I help you?”

“Zoe,
this is Brody. Kate’s been hurt. She’ll need medical treatment as soon as we land.”

“How serious?”

“It’s a flesh wound, but she’s lost some blood and she doesn’t look good.”

“Thanks
,” Kate murmured in the background.

“
Is Jake landing in the remote area of the terminal or Fort Bliss?” Zoe asked, gulping air and talking faster than a two-year-old.

“Airport
.”

“I’ll have a doctor standing by when you land. You don’t happen to know her blood type do you?”

His hand covered the voice speaker. “A positive.”

“Got it. Tell her she’s in good hands
. I’ll have the best doctor there when you land.”

“One thing more,” Brody said. “Can you get her a change of clothes? Something comfortable.”

“You have a size?”

“Maybe a six?”

After disconnecting, Zoe took out her private file and turned to the list of emergency doctors that specialized in caring for Falcon agents. Before continuing, Zoe stopped and took several deep, cleansing breaths. Closed her eyes and imagined Kate Stone surrounded by white healing light.

Now much calmer, and positive all would turn out well, she opened her eyes and picked up the phone.
“Hello,” she said to the receptionist. “This is Zoe with Falcon Securities. I wonder if Doctor Hall might be available today?”

When the receptionist came back on the phone everything had be
en confirmed and Zoe hung up. Knowing Kate would be taken care of eased her mind and her naturally peaceful calm returned.

She’d gone
back to compiling a background check on the Swede when the phone rang again. This time a woman asked for Frank.

“I’m sorry
, but he’s out of the office at the moment. Can I help you with something?”

“Yes, you can give him this number and tell him it’s very important to his assignment that he return my call.”

The phone went dead.

After r
eversing the information from the call and learning where it originated from, Zoe immediately contacted her boss.

“Hello
, Frank?”

“Yes, Zoe
.”

“I just received a call from a phone listed to a Monique Sutherland
in Georgetown, D.C.. I checked her out, and she works for Intercommunication Services in the White House. And she’s also the woman Tony discovered was having affairs with Ben Reed and Ron Rafferty.”

“
Did she say what she wanted?”

“Just gave me a number for you to call.”

“Hold on, Zoe.” Frank must’ve turned to Tony because she heard him say, “Monique Sutherland called the office. Says she wants me to call her.”

Tony replied, “Could be that break we’re looking for.”

“Text the number Zoe, and we’ll take care of it from here.”

“B
y the way, Kate Stone has been wounded. I have a doctor waiting for her at the airfield.”

“How bad?”

“I don’t know. Brody mentioned loss of blood but nothing serious.”

“Okay,
keep me posted.”

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

Exhaustion seeped into
Kate’s body as if she’d run a twenty-six mile marathon and finished last. Her head pounded like the chapel bells of Norte Dame, and her stomach churned. The arm with the bandage didn’t hurt that much, but Kate knew something wasn’t right.

She didn’t feel herself. And yes, she’d lost a lot of blood, but not that much. Brody mentioned
adrenalin, but she’d come down off too many missions not to know what that felt like.

No, her eyelids were heavy and begged to close
. She knew that couldn’t happen. She struggled to remain conscious.

Brody put his hand on her knee. “You’re going to be okay.”

“I know,” she barely whispered. “What’s wrong with me? I feel weird.”

“Did Ang
el give you anything? Pills, an injection?”

“No, but
I think el Jibar might have. We struggled and the next thing I knew, the gun went off and hit me in the arm.”

“What did he give you?”

“I don’t know. I - I can’t think clearly.”

“Try Kate, this is important.”

“I’m trying.” She massaged her forehead. “When we reached La Hacienda we struggled and he took out a needle. I think he gave me a shot.”

“Where?”

“Maybe in my neck.” She rubbed behind her head and winced. “Here”

“Okay, don’t worry we’re only a few minutes out and I have a doctor waiting.”

“Okay.” Her eyelashes fluttered. “I need a drink of water.”

“There
are several cold bottles in that cooler,” Jake said, anxious to make Kate comfortable.

The next thing she knew, the most delicious tasting liquid rolled down her parched throat
, and she swallowed. Nothing had ever tasted so good in her life.

S
he looked at Brody and saw his worried expression, and then her eyes closed as the tires of the plane touched down.

***

Face buried in his hands, Brody felt the walls he’d carefully and methodically built crumble around him. Dread and shame bowed his head and forced him to rethink his entire life.

Jake’s comforting hand touched his shoulder. “She’ll be
okay. The Doc said the tranquilizer was mild, and she should be able to sleep it off.”

Brody snorted. “Yeah, after all the shit she’s been through
, all she needs is rest.” Unable to control his rage, Brody stood, grabbed a wooden chair and crashed it against the wall of the hotel room.

“Stop beating yourself up
, Brody, and go find that bastard and kill him.”

“Oh, I’m going to kill him, al
l right.”

Jake
reached in his pocket and took out the tracker. “I have a twenty on A.J. I’m going to get him.”

“
I should stay with Kate, but I’d love to be going with you.”

A knock sounded on the door. Jake drew his weapon and Brody stepped next to the door
and called out. “Who is it?”

“Special Agent Nancy Goldberg, CIA.”

Jake nodded, and Brody cracked the door. A woman no more than five feet tall and weighing less than a hundred pounds stood in the hall wearing a grey suit and low heels.

Hair in a long ponytail, she looked like a smile would crack her face.

She flipped out her CIA ID badge and asked to enter. Brody pushed the door wide, and the agent stepped inside.

He
smiled. “That gun’s bigger than you are, Nancy.” He reached out and shook her hand.

“Stop teasing me ab
out my height,” she said with a scowl. “You know it makes me mad enough to shoot you.”

Laughing,
Brody held up his hands. “Oh, please, Miss CIA lady, don’t shoot me.”

Jake snorted. “I should shoot you for using that silly voice.”

They all chuckled. Brody and Jake had been acquainted with Nancy Goldberg since a case they worked on in England three years ago. He liked her, but more importantly, he trusted her.

After clearing her throat, she said, “I’m here to take custody of agent Kate Stone as ordered by the Director of the CIA, Vince Colanglo.”

“Don’t take her anywhere. She’s been drugged, and she’s sleeping off the effects.”

The agent
stubbornly took the chair next to the bed where Kate lay. “Then I’ll wait here until she wakes up. Agent Ortega will be here soon.”

“
Okay, just keep her safe. And order some food. She might be hungry,” Brody suggested.

The agent didn
’t budge. “I’ll follow my orders, as always.”

The room suddenly shrunk
, and Brody could hardly breathe. His hands shook, and his eyes burned. “Take care of her, okay?”

“I will
.”

“M
ake sure no one enters this room but me or Jake.”

She blinked several times
and then nodded. “Only Ortega.” Nancy narrowed her eyes. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but she’s safe on my watch.”

Brody picked up his backpack and loaded his guns. “Okay, I’m going hunting for a few hours.” He scribbled on a piece of hotel stationary. “Here is my cell number. Call me the minute she wakes up.”

Agent Goldberg looked at the number then at him. “I will.”

Brody and Jake ran toward the
Taurus parked outside the hotel. Jake jumped behind the wheel and they drove south.

***

Frank slipped his cell phone back in his pocket. “I just had a very interesting conversation with a Miss Monique Sutherland.”

“Did you record it?”
Tony asked.

Frank patted his pocket. “You don’t doubt that for a minute, do you?”

Looking at his iPad, Tony smiled. Then his eyes grew wide. “We’ve been compromised. Our sensors are out, our optics useless, and every bit of our communications are gone.”

“What?”
Frank shouted.