The Gemini Deception (36 page)

“I didn’t kill anyone. They set me up.”

“Who did?”

“Some rich woman.”

“And Moore was in on it.”

“I don’t know what his involvement is, exactly,” Wagner replied, “but he works for her. That’s why he was all over me.”

“Why the president?” Shield couldn’t believe any of this. “I mean, this is ludicrous.”

“Apparently Thomas’s agenda against the illegal-weapons trade is inconvenient for this woman who’s behind it all, and she wanted me to take Thomas’s place to stop it.”

“And you simply agreed?” Shield was so exasperated her accent suddenly sounded much more Italian than she allowed when on a job.

“I didn’t have a choice,” Wagner curtly replied. “They were going to give me the death penalty for something I didn’t do.”

“Let me guess. They promised you a get-out-of-jail-free card, money, a new life, and a pony.”

Wagner didn’t answer right away. “I needed to believe them. It was either join them and live or certain death.”

She remembered how Wagner had stared at the news reports about herself. The image of her mug shot sprang to mind. The cute bookworm type with the thick glasses. “The florist in the news looked nothing like you.”

“They had me…altered.”

“But still—”

“It was a bad picture, okay?”

“How long had they been grooming you?” A florist would need plenty of preparation time to pass so effectively and convincingly as the chief executive.

“More than two months of operations and lessons in…everything.”

Who the hell was the woman behind all this? And where did she find the financial and other resources to accomplish such a scheme? “I can’t believe you agreed to this,” Shield finally said. “And I can’t believe you acted the part so well.”

“Look, I’m going to talk to them when we get out, explain to them you—”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Don’t you think I wanted to? Moore would have killed us both if he so much as suspected I’d said anything. For the longest time, he even had me believing you were put there to spy on me. I had no idea Jason was the one hired to do that. Moore kept telling me I was surrounded by people involved in the plan.”

“You even fooled Thomas’s family.” That was a weak consolation for Shield’s own failure to see through the guise.

“I almost blew it when the sister got personal, but Moore stepped in.”

“I just can’t believe you didn’t tell me. I could have gotten us out of there. I could’ve exposed Moore and the rest. Instead you lied and lied and led me to believe you…” What was the point? This woman was clearly too involved and too much of a coward to understand a word she was saying. She sighed. “Forget it.”

They sat in darkness and silence for a long while.

“Where are they taking us?” Wagner asked.

“What does it matter?” Shield replied.

“I’m sorry.”

“Really? Because that makes it better.”

“I’m not going to leave you with them,” Wagner said. “I’ll tell them you have nothing to do with this.”

“With what, exactly?”

“The plan. That you were never part of anything, knew nothing about me or Thomas or who’s involved or why they did this.”

“Is it because you’re that naïve or because you’re from the great state of denial that you think these people give a damn?” Shield tried to control the anger that for some reason outweighed her worry. “If I didn’t know what was going on before, I know now. And aside from that, Moore is aware I suspected something was up and that I’d realize something was wrong the minute the real president returned. I would have landed here anyway. They’re not going to let me, or you, for that matter, go anywhere.”

“But they—”

“Does this look like a ride to freedom?”

“But they promised me—”

“Do you think they’re going to leave any evidence or witnesses to what they’ve managed to pull?”

“I…”

“We’re talking about the U.S. president, not some boyfriend you lied to about his ability to give you amazing orgasms. You’ve deceived the nation. The whole damn world. They’re not going to let us walk and risk you or me talking.”

“That was the deal, and excuse me for not choosing a lethal injection.”

“That was never the deal.”

“You’re not listening. They—”

“They’re taking us to a nice remote place to kill us.”

Wagner shifted loudly. “Listen to me—”

“Stop,” Shield said. “Just…stop talking. I can’t listen to you anymore.”

Jack could hear occasional yelling from the back of the van, and she was pretty sure it was Kennedy. The two women either didn’t know their captors could hear them or they didn’t care. What was clear was that Kennedy was pretty damn pissed, and for good reason. Although Wagner had sealed her own fate and probably deserved what was coming to her, Jack had to find a way to get the op out alive. It wouldn’t be easy; the sedan with TQ’s two backup goons was still on their bumper.

She turned to the driver. “Did TQ tell you one of the women is a contractor for a private organization?”

“So?”

“I’ve dealt with companies like that. They won’t rest until they find out what happened to her.”

Bill shrugged. “So? What if they do? No one can touch that crazy bitch.”

“And by that, you mean TQ.”

“Who else?”

“You don’t like her?”

He shrugged again. “I like her enough to want her alive and kicking so she can continue to pay me what she does. The woman pays well.”

“But you know she’s deranged.”

“I have a cousin who thinks he’s Napoleon. He used to run through Central Park wrapped in nothing but the French flag.” He paused, eyebrows furrowed as if trying to remember something. “Oh, yeah. He ate bugs, too. Anyway, he’s in the psych ward now. Straitjacket, padded walls, the works, and shit.” He chuckled and turned to look at her.

“Okay,” Jack replied.

Bill stopped laughing. “TQ puts him to shame,” he said seriously.

“Look, I don’t want trouble with the authorities. My record’s a mile long, and they’ll use anything to lock me up for life. I can’t afford to have some money-hungry contractor looking for me. Why not let this one walk?”

“Because I enjoy breathing. I’ve done three years in Attica and I can tell you, it’s nothing compared to how the bitch handles treason. She’d never buy some broad got away from the four of us.”

The van pulled into an industrial complex on the edge of Alexandria, Virginia. The streets were vacant, the buildings closed and shuttered. This wasn’t looking at all good, and Jack was running out of ideas.

“You know, scar aside, you’re one fine-looking woman,” Bill said.

“Say what?”

“I’m just saying, maybe we could get together later and fuck.” He glanced at her. “What do you say?”

“I say, I’d rather fuck my hand for all eternity.”

Bill smiled, as though oblivious to Jack’s answer. “Well, think about it.” He nodded toward a warehouse just ahead. “We’re here.”

Jack peered out the window at the dark, abandoned building as they parked. Both got out, and once Bill had retrieved an assault rifle from behind his seat, he opened the back. The sedan that had been following parked as well, several yards behind, its headlights illuminating the scene.

“Let’s go, ladies,” he said.

Wagner got out first and looked around, her expression one of terror.

Once she got her first good look at Wagner, Jack understood a great deal more about the exchange she’d witnessed earlier. The woman was a dead ringer for the president. What had she been assigned to do for TQ? The possibilities were mind-boggling.

“Where are you taking us?” Wagner asked.

“No questions,” Bill replied.

“I was promised money and freedom,” Wagner insisted. “I did what you people asked me to. I kept my word. Now you had better keep yours.”

“Or what?” He pointed his AK-47 at her.

Kennedy jumped out of the van and stood in front of Wagner. She placed her hand on the weapon’s muzzle. “Relax. She’s afraid, that’s all.”

Bill pulled the automatic away and pointed it at Kennedy. “Don’t touch my shit.”

Kennedy raised her hands. “No offense.”

He poked the muzzle in Kennedy’s stomach. “You don’t seem too worried. I can change that.”

Jack could tell he was getting irritated. Their orders were to off the two inside, but if Kennedy pushed, Jack didn’t put it beyond the idiot to shoot. It wasn’t like anyone would hear them out here. Just then, the two goons from the sedan came to stand next to them.

Kennedy stared Bill straight in the eye. “You look pretty stupid pointing your
shit
at two defenseless women.”

The two guys from the sedan laughed, which irritated Bill even more.

“Who the fuck are you calling stupid, Kennedy?” He shifted the muzzle from Kennedy’s stomach to her head. “If anyone looks stupid, it’s a fucking private contractor with a gun pointed at her head.”

Maybe the words rang too true to Kennedy, because her stance said she was about to pounce, which would be a disaster.

“Whoa, big guy.” Jack went to stand next to him, grateful he was too distracted to notice her hand slip in and out of his pocket. She looked intently at Kennedy. “Same goes for you.”

Bill lowered his weapon. “Fucking contractor.”

“Understand?” Jack asked, her serious gaze still on the op.

Kennedy continued to look at Jack as if trying to follow her.

“My people use
whatever means necessary
.” Jack used the EOO motto.

“So do mine.” Kennedy looked confused.

“I’m scared,” Bill said, oblivious to what was taking place. “This way.” He gestured with his assault rifle toward the dark building.

Kennedy looked at Jack one last time and moved forward with Wagner, one hand on her elbow.

“I want to talk to my lawyer,” Wagner shouted. “We had a deal.”

“Hold on, I’ll get him on the phone for you.” Bill laughed.

Wagner pleaded. “Kennedy had nothing to do with this.”

“Don’t know what her deal is, but I’d take her out for the fun of it,” he replied.

Wagner stopped walking and turned around. “Let her go, she hasn’t done—”

He slapped her so hard across the face that Wagner fell down. “You don’t tell me what to do, bitch. Now shut the fuck up.”

Kennedy helped her back on her feet. “You have very bad timing when it comes to telling the truth.”

Wagner was bleeding from her lip and nose. “I kept my mouth shut to protect both of us.”

“Keep walking,” Bill said. They moved forward again as a small group, with the two guys from the sedan following all of them from behind.

Once in the building, Bill turned on a flashlight and led everyone down a short, dark stairwell to the basement. While he covered the two women, one of TQ’s men from the sedan flipped a switch and a single dangling light bulb came to life, casting shadows in the cavernous room.

The beams above their heads were damp with moisture, and large dark stains marred the concrete floor, both contributing to the rank, stale air. A few broken pallets lay beside a small half-wall of concrete to Jack’s left, and stacks of metal barrels were bunched in groups around the perimeter, but the center of the room was empty. The E
MERGENCY
E
XIT
sign above a heavy door at the far end of the room illuminated it.

The second man from the sedan walked over to the most foreboding feature of the room, the massive industrial furnace that dominated one wall. He turned on the burner and opened the heavy steel door. “Should be nice and toasty in a few minutes.”

TQ’s three henchmen had clearly all been here before; separately, or together, they had used this building for similar purposes. Their expressions and demeanor indicated this was just another day at the office for them.

Wagner looked terrified. “What’s going on? Why are we here?”

One of TQ’s men laughed and turned to Jack. “Tell her. It’s your show, after all.”

Jack looked at Kennedy. “It would appear my new boss likes to haze her newcomers.”

Kennedy simply nodded once.

Wagner stepped forward. “What does that mean?”

“It means Silent Death here is new, and this is her first test,” one of the men said. He looked at the furnace and back to Jack, then crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re on.” He smiled as if anxious to see her perform.

Bill took the pistol from his shoulder holster and handed it to Jack. He stood to her right, facing Wagner and Kennedy, while TQ’s two other goons stood to her left.

Jack stared at Kennedy. “Showtime.”

Bill patted her on the back. “Damn right, and no worries about the contractor. She’s all words. Take her out, and you never have to worry about her or her people coming after you.”

*

Shield stared intently at the dark-haired woman with the scar, trying to anticipate her intentions as she checked the pistol her associate had given her. Was she reading her right? Was this mysterious stranger trying to help them? She seemed to be their only possible way out of this situation.

“This is crazy,” Wagner said with a trembling voice from her right. “Kennedy hasn’t done anything.” She went to step in front of Shield, but Shield quickly pulled her back behind her as the woman raised the weapon and pointed it at them. They were only ten feet apart.

Shield could feel Wagner’s trembling hand on her back, and her rapid breathing from behind filled her ears.

The woman aimed the gun not at her, but over her shoulder, at Wagner. Her gaze, though, was fixed on Shield. She had expressive eyes—and they conveyed a clear, pleading message to play along. When Shield stared unflinchingly back with understanding, the woman gave the slightest, subtlest nod.

“I told you, they don’t care,” Shield said over her shoulder to Wagner. “Look at them. It’s obvious they don’t have a mind of their own. They’re too stupid to know right from wrong or to realize what my organization will do to them.”

The woman facing them lowered her gun. “You know, before I met one of you fucked-up contractors I used to care about these threats.” She stepped forward until she was only two feet away. “But now,” she continued, as she lifted the gun to Shield’s forehead, “not so much.”