Out Of The Night (16 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY

Georgetown

Anita paced her kitchen, wishing she didn’t have to face her husband’s boss tomorrow. But she must. The time had come for Vince to know everything, so he could contain Brad.

The Falcon agent, Mia Mendoza, had promised she’d let
Anita deal with everything as long as she stayed safe.

Brad evidently was long gone because Mia called
, and the creep hadn’t shown back up at work. No doubt he didn’t have the nerve to face anyone. With a Falcon agent involved, Anita knew nothing would go unreported. Frank Hamilton didn’t work that way.

She chewed her bottom lip and wanted to kick her own rear for spending the night with one of her husband’s colleagues. It had been stupid and dangerous. She just hadn’t known it would turn out so badly. Never in a million years did she think Brad actually loved her.

No, she’d thought he’d only wanted a fling, like her. Nothing serious should have come from their liaison. She simply wanted to forget it and act like it’d never happened.

Stopping at the kitchen table, she pulled out a chair and sat down, burying her face in her hands. Poor Joe, he would be the one to suffer the most from this scandal and that’s the last thing she wanted to happen.

Her phone rang and she stood and went to the counter where it vibrated. UNKNOWN flashed across the screen. Could it be Brad? Dare she answer it? She had little choice. Joe often called from blocked numbers, and she prayed it was him. She wanted to talk.

“Hello.”

“Anita, it’s Brad, and before you hang up, just listen.”

“I told you to leave me alone.”

“I’m going to tell you something, and if you do anything, Joe will die. Do you hear me?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Right now, Joe is in a very dangerous place. One call from me and he’s a dead man.”

“What do you want?”

“You keep your mouth shut. Don’t go to Vince or anyone else. Meet me tomorrow for lunch at Iron Chefs and don’t bother with the recorder. You won’t need it.”

“I don’t believe you, Brad. I think you’re making this all up to keep me from turning you into Vince.”

He laughed. “Go ahead and slit your husband’s throat. I don’t care.” A long pause stretched between them. “Be there.”

The phone went dead. Anita knew she couldn’t go through with all this. She didn’t know what to do
, but she had an ace in the hole few people knew about.

Now, she decided was the time to play that card.

Damascus

Slowly, Joe drifted from unconsciousness to reality. He should be dead, but the smell of dirt and his cold dinner spoke volumes. He’d failed. Again.

His eyes fluttered open
, and he looked into the eyes of a man he’d never seen before. “Who are you?” He could barely be heard.

“That is not important. What matters is that you are not dead. Do you realize the harm that would come to Hana and Hussein if you died?”

Joe tried to chuckle. “I don’t give a damn. You saved me so el Jibar can torture me? Your lives mean nothing to me because my life means little to you.”

He caught the disappointed look in Hana’s dark eyes. Sadness centered in his chest and spread out. “I’d rather kill myself than give el Jibar the privilege of torturing me until I die. This way I can be spared a lot of pain.”

“You just have to tell him what he wants to know.”

Joe looked at the stranger. “Then you think he will let me go back to my family?”

The man couldn’t meet his gaze. He knew as well as Joe that el Jibar planned to kill him no matter what.

“El Jibar is on his way here now. Soon
, you will not be our problem. You will be guarded until then.”

Joe put his arm over his face and let out a tired breath. Slowly
, he raised his shoulders off the ground. With Hussein and Hana watching, Joe wadded up the chain and swung at the stranger, striking him in the face.

The heaviness of the chain spun Joe all the way around
, as the man on the ground struggled to rise. Joe stomped on his back and hit him in the head with the chain. Blood spurted, and Hana screamed.

Joe beat the man at his feet until he stopped moving, then he staggered back against the wall. His gaze moved to the couple clutching each other.

Wiping his mouth, Joe glared at them with contempt. “Did you honestly think this would be so easy? That you could kidnap a man, turn him over to a terrorist, and you’d get your money to live happily ever after?”

Hussein stared.

“Did you?” Joe shouted and pointed to the man in a crumpled heap at his feet. “This is real life. This is the situation you created.” He pointed a damning finger. “You caused this, Hussein. You and your dead friend.”

“No, I didn’t mean for Nadir to die.”

Joe gasped for air. “What? Only me? You just expected me to die?”

“We didn’t want anyone to get hurt.” Hana
palmed her hands. “Now, we want you to leave.”

“No, Hana. We cannot release him. El Jibar is coming
…”

She turned and struck her husband in the chest. “To what? Kill some more?”

“They will kill us.”

“You’re going to die no matter what happens to me. Do you think el Jibar is foolish enough to leave witnesses behind? Think on it, Hussein. The man is a cold-blooded murderer. Don’t you worry what will happen to your children?”

“If I let you go, we’re all dead.” Hussein pleaded with his hands. “We wanted no part in your killing.”

Joe looked down at the bloody chains, his splattered clothes and his bare feet. “But you took part in kidnapping me. You chained me to this fucking wall.”

“We were not sure el Jibar would actually kill you.”

“Liar
s!” Joe staggered. “You are fools if you think your hands are clean. You are murders just like el Jibar.”

“No, n
o, no,” Hussein insisted.

Joe took a calming breath and looked at the two who had kept him prisoner for three weeks. “Then let me go.”

“They will kill us.”

“I can get you to a safe place
, give you money, and you will be free.”

Hana and Hussein shared a questioning look.

“It’s the only way you can cleanse your hands of my death. The only way.”

Hussein inched forward while fear widened his eyes and quickened his breath. He stared at
Joe. “If we let you go, we want nothing.”

At last, a shred of hope. “Okay, I will disappear.”

Hana put her hands to her mouth. “Hussein, I am frightened.”

The hesitance in Hussein’s willingness had Joe praying.

Come on, come on.
“I wish you and Hana no harm. I will never see you again. I promise.”

“Let him go, Hussein
, and we’ll go to my family’s home.”

After a final look at his wife, Hussein unlocked the chains and stepped back. “Go, leave us in peace.”

Joe shoved the shackles aside and stepped toward the couple. “Do as your wife says. Don’t stay here. El Jibar will kill you for sure.”

Touching Hussein on the shoulder, he stepped over the dead body and exited into the blinding sunlight.

Freedom
.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Moscow

Boris knew he was in big trouble. No one messed with Viktor Pertinolf. The man went beyond dangerous to a fucking murderer.

After dragging
Boris from Lubyanka, Viktor and Petr had thrown him in the backseat of a car to drive him to the money. They pulled in front of his apartment building, and Boris was glad Dmitry had to work tonight. At least he wouldn’t be killed. As for himself, he didn’t stand a chance.

Petr turned and looked at him over his shoulder. “Get out. We will follow.”

Boris did as Petr demanded and stepped from the warm vehicle into the cold, frigid air. Outside, he hunkered down in his jacket and wished he could run.

Petr got out of the car. Obviously, Viktor had no plans of joining them. He’d wait in the car for Petr to kill him
. Then they would drive away with the money. His money.

Petr shoved him toward the entrance
, and Boris stumbled into the building. With Petr behind him, Boris went inside and up the two flights of stairs. He removed his key to open the door and turned to Petr. “Is there any way you and I can make a deal? You take half the money and I’ll take the other half.”

Petr laughed. “You think I am fool enough to double-cross Viktor?”

Boris shrugged. He’d hoped because that was all he had.

Petr pushed him into the apartment and slammed the door. “No one is that big a fool.”

The Russian man who’d offered Boris the money to help get the American out of jail stood with a gun pointed at them. “Well, if it isn’t my old friend, Petr Solovyov. I thought you’d be dead and six feet under by now.”

Petr lost his smile. His face grew black with anger. “Nicholas Belskavia.”

Boris’s heart thudded loudly.

The Russian was a large man with hands the size of a basketball. Taller, broader and meaner looking than Petr. “What are you doing here? You come to steal my money?”

Petr pointed to Boris. “You paid him to get Archuletta free?”

Nicholas smiled. “I did.” He motioned Petr to come further into the room. “Well, not me exactly. I was paid handsomely to make the offer. Frank Hamilton put up the money.”

“You betrayed your own country.”

Nicholas laughed. “You don’t think our country has betrayed us?”

“No, and Viktor will kill you for what you have done.”

“Fuck, Viktor. He
’s a rotten son-of-a-bitch that should have had a bullet put in his brain years ago.”

Petr reached inside his coat for his gun. Nicholas fired and the bullet struck
Petr in the chest. He looked down at the wound in stunned disbelief
.
.

Boris raised his hands. “I don’t want any trouble. Take the money and leave me in peace. I beg you.”

Nicholas put the gun away and walked over to pat Boris on the shoulder. “Get your money, collect your friend, and get out of Moscow. You earned the money, and it is not mine to take. But you must hurry.”

“You
’re not going to shoot me?”

“Why should I do that? You did exactly what I asked you to do.”

Before Nicholas could change his mind, Boris went to the closet, grabbed the bag with the money, and came back into the living room.

“Thank you for not killing me.”

Nicholas shrugged. “I don’t kill at random. A person must do something before I seek my revenge.” He pointed at Petr. “This man, he killed a young girl last year that I was very fond of.” He kicked the corpse then spit. “She was my daughter’s best friend. It took me a while to learn it was Petr. But when I did, I knew I had to kill him.”

“What about Viktor?”

“I’m going to save him for Archuletta.”

“He would be a fool to return to Moscow.”

“Oh, I know this man well enough to know he will not be able to stay away. It is close to the time for Viktor to die.”

“Let’s leave the back way. No one will see us.”

“You go. I’ll walk out the front door. Viktor doesn’t want to kill me. He’s not that stupid.”

Washington, DC

Brad didn’t show up at the office until
late that morning. He knew no one would question him. With Vince out of the office, Brad had nothing to worry about.

But he had received a very disturbing call from Parker this morning. Apparently Bea had been snooping around where she didn’t belong.

He looked out at her and his lips curled with disgust. What could that conniving bitch be up to now?

He pressed his intercom. “Can you come in here, Bea?”

She glanced up at him, caught his glare, removed her glasses, and rose from her chair. She entered his office and stood in front of his desk.

“Yes, Brad?” She tugged at the bottom of her blouse. “What can I do for you?”

“I want to talk to you about last night.”

She looked at him and wrinkled her brow. “Last night?”

“Yes, I received a phone call from someone who said you were at the Harrington Hotel.”

She tilted her head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.
Besides, why do you care about where I go?”

“I received a call you were snooping around.” Brad knew the old woman was prying, and they didn’t need that. “Can someone vouch for your whereabouts?”

She stepped closer. “I don’t need anyone to vouch for me. I haven’t done anything wrong, and you can’t prove I have.”

“You won’t get away with this.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. But I must ask, who told you I was at a hotel?” Bea straightened her spine.

“You need to mind your own business.”

“I think you’ve become a little paranoid.”

“You’re sneaky.”

Bea grinned. “Exactly.” She turned with her hand on the doorknob and said, “If you continue to harass me, I’ll have to take the matter up with Vince.” She left his office and headed toward the file room.

Brad took his government issued gun from his desk then replaced it. He’d use another weapon for this mission. Nosey Ms. Waters had very little time left on this earth. And if she thought she could get anything on him or Parker, the old bitch had more problems than he’d first imagined. She’d never get the opportunity to screw up his well-executed plan.

No, he’d been at this too long, and the time had come to get exactly what he’d waited for. He’d planned years to bring this country to its knees. First Senator Parker was going down for making a deal with a terrorist. He’d fixed the paperwork to show Parker had known exactly who had received the money from the contract to Green Gulf Construction.

Also, he’d made a deal with el Jibar that Joe’s capture had to look like Tony Archuletta’s fault, and evidence would be left behind to prove the Falcon
agent spearheaded Joe’s capture. Tony knew where Joe would be, so it would be easy for him to make a deal to deliver Joe. Millions had been set up in a dummy account under the agent’s name.

Archuletta getting captured at the airport hadn’t been part of
Brad’s plan, and he wondered how in the hell the Russians even knew he’d be in Cairo. But now that Tony had escaped and was back in Cairo, Joe Mitchell needed to die.

He’d send men to kill Archuletta as soon as Joe spilled his guts and died. Then Brad would show the president how inept Vince Colanglo ran the CIA, how unessential Frank Hamilton’s Falcon Securities were, and how easily he could step into the director’s shoes.

A busybody like Bea Waters could spoil everything, and no fucking way would he allow that to happen.

Karla walked into his office with her familiar
“come fuck me” smile. “What’s up?”

“Parker called to say that Waters followed him last night.” He brushed back his hair. “I wonder what she’s up to.”

Karla laughed a phony little giggle he found annoying and insulting. “Brad, you and Parker have gone to the far side.” She turned. “Look at her. She’s so old she smells like moldy clothes. My guess is if Parker was at the Harrington it was an hour past her bedtime.”

“Don’t be fooled.”

Karla dropped the smile and gritted her teeth. “I’m not, but I’m not chasing shadows either. We do something stupid at this point, and we could lose everything.”

He looked at her and wondered about her loyalties. Yes, she’d helped him change all the paperwork to frame Parker, but had it all been for the money? That bitch in heat would switch sides in the time it’d taken him to come while having sex with Anita two nights ago. “I guess you’re right. Did you make sure everything in that top security file looks exactly the way we planned?”

“Everything is right on track.” She looked back at him and crossed her arms. “I think I’m going to ask Bea to lunch today. I need to pump her about Archuletta. I heard her on the phone with Frank Hamilton’s secretary earlier.”

“We have to make sure this goes down exactly as planned. With Archuletta out there unaccounted for
, we’re at a standstill. He can’t die before Mitchell. That might look suspicious.”

“You have your guys looking for him, right?”

“Yes, but the Middle East is a large place.”

She rubbed his arm. “Don’t worry. I’ll pump Bea at lunch
, and we’ll know exactly where Archuletta is.”

***

Senator Parker drove through the tunnel toward Capital Hall. He was running late today. Somehow his wife had found out about his mistress, and she’d threatened to go to the press if he didn’t break it off. And she didn’t even know about Karla yet, but once this all broke, his little infidelity wouldn’t mean shit.

He
exited the car and entered the building. He walked straight to his office, mentally preparing a speech he would deliver to his mistress before the day ended. He questioned how in the hell his wife found out. They’d been very careful. He kept his private life separate from his affairs and his office.

Well, time for damage control. He just had to do a little cleaning up
, and everything would be back to normal in a matter of days. He wasn’t that crazy about Louise anyway. Great sex, but nothing beyond that. On the other hand, he cared about Karla.

As he neared his office
, he stopped and stared. Jason Lamb sat outside the door to his office, his impatience evident as the morning sunshine.

Fuck me.

Why hadn’t that goddamn reporter been taken care of last night? Someone screwed up royally.

Nick
forced a smile and greeted the reporter with a heavy handshake. “Jason, I’m surprised to see you.”

“You shouldn’t be. Yesterday
, you said you’d have those files for me.”

With a briefcase in one hand,
Nick guided the reporter inside with his other. “I checked into getting those files released, but they’re confidential and we’re going to need to go through some paperwork.”

Jason
stepped aside to face him. “I wish I’d known that yesterday when we spoke.”

Nick
chuckled and shrugged. “You know how we are about paperwork.”

“The thing is that contract isn’t on the
confidential list. It’s public knowledge, and I was assured downstairs that’s exactly the way it should be.”

“I suggest you go downstairs and apply for a public records release
, and when that’s approved, you’ll get the papers.” Nick put his briefcase on his desk and sat. “You didn’t think I could just hand them over to you, did you?”

“I didn’t expect that. For that reason
, I’ve already filed to see those records. I’ll get my reply soon.”

“Good luck, Jason.”

Jason walked to the door. He turned and said, “I made sure if I didn’t see the papers, they went to my editor. I know I was followed last night, and I snapped a picture of the car and the license plate. I sent it to the police.”

Nick
held up his hands. “What does that have to do with me?”

“I’m just saying, I have a man watching my back now should anyone get it in
his head to harm me in any way.” Jason opened the door. “I think we understand each other, don’t you, Senator?”

“Good-bye, Mr. Lamb.”

“How’s your wife today?” Jason grinned and closed the door.

Nick
slumped back and stared at the ceiling. This wasn’t shaping up to be a good day, and he still had to dump his mistress.

Couldn’t a man get a break any
more?