“Brigitte is not exactly his girlfriend. They are dating, but I don’t think their exclusive yet.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m just so full of emotions right now. And, I don’t even know how to face him. I just hope I haven’t ruined our friendship. It means a lot to me.”
“Brian is a pretty level-headed guy. I know he cares about you a great deal, and obviously you really care about him, too.”
Jessie took a deep breath. It felt good to finally talk about everything that happened all those years ago and to be honest with her feelings. Téa was right about so many things but mostly about feeling guilty about living. Antonio would never have wanted this for her. He would have wanted her to be happy. The problem was Jessie had no idea how to be happy.
“Thank you for always being there Téa.”
“No thanks is necessary. You are the reason I’m here today. I owe you so much for saving my life. The least I can do is offer whatever comfort I can.”
Jessie was about to hug her again, but Téa stopped her, “Wait…can you hug me after your shower because my goodness, you need a good long one?”
For the first time in a long time, Jessie was going to face her demons and she was determined they weren’t going to win.
Chapter 14
It was late afternoon before Jessie finally made it down the stairs to visit with her friends. Téa and Michael were outside on the patio and Brian was sitting with his head bowed over his desk looking intently at some documents. More than likely, he was still going over his script.
Jessie took a few more minutes as she stood outside of his door to gather her courage. She couldn’t hide out in her room all day. She needed to get this over with. So, Jessie took a deep breath and cleared her throat to get Brian’s attention.
His head snapped up, “Hey.”
“I know you’re busy but is it okay if I come in?”
Brian stood up from his desk and waved her inside, “Of course, please come inside. I’m glad you came down because I was sitting here wondering if I should come up to check on you.”
Concern was evident in his eyes.
Jessie walked past the sofa where they’d almost made love and did her best to ignore the feelings that came along with that memory.
She sat down in the chair in front of his desk. Brian sat down, too.
“Jessie is everything okay? Michael said he’d seen you in tears. I hope it wasn’t because of….last night.”
“No, it wasn’t; however, my mind has been very heavy. Today is the anniversary of a very difficult time in my life.”
Brian got up and walked around the front of his desk so that he could be closer to her. He looked deeply into Jessie’s eyes.
“Talk to me. Please. I hate what I see in your eyes. I just want to help.”
“I know you do but maybe another time. Not today, not about that.”
Emotionally, Jessie could only deal with one thing at a time. Right now, she just wanted to be honest with him about her feelings and lay her cards out on the table. She could feel her heart beating through her clothes, “I suppose we should acknowledge the elephant in the room about what happened between us last night.”
Brian could see that Jessie was carrying a huge burden and all he wanted to do was wrap her up in his arms to make that look in her eyes go away. Instead, he gave her a half-smile.
Jessie continued before she lost her nerve, “You are a very important person in my life. I would never want to do anything to…”
Brian cut Jessie off and exhaled loudly, “Oh thank god, me either! I would never want to lose you as a friend. I thought I’d really messed that up. You’re one of the most important people in my life and I’d never do anything to hurt or disrespect you. So, yeah, I agree we should just be friends.”
That wasn’t remotely what Jessie was going to confess. She wanted to tell him that she didn’t want to do anything to make him distrust her. Especially by using his script as an excuse for her behavior last night and that…she’d fallen in love with him. But, he was pretty relieved to think all she wanted was a friendship. Jessie plastered a smile on her face, hoping he wouldn’t see that she was hurt. If all he wanted was a friendship, she’d promised herself that she would bury her feelings and continue to be what he needed.
“Of course…friends. It would probably be better if we just forgot last night even happened.”
Although Brian was relieved that they’d made the decision that their friendship was too important to jeopardize, he still felt….disappointed. His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Yeah, you’re right.”
Brian stood up from leaning against his desk at the same time Jessie stood up from her chair. It happened so fast that he almost knocked her back into the chair. Brian caught her before she fell backwards. He held her in his arms for a minute longer than necessary. For just an unguarded moment, Brian could see the vulnerability in Jessie’s eyes.
Although they had made the decision to just be friends, his instincts were to wrap her in his arms and kiss her senseless.
Jessie couldn’t look away and neither could Brian. It was as if time stood still and nothing existed except for them.
Michael and Téa came inside from the patio. It was obvious they were interrupting something important. But, the moment was lost.
Brian quickly let Jessie go as if they’d been caught doing something they shouldn’t have. Then he rubbed his jaw, “I’m just glad we were able to clear it all up.”
Jessie was slightly breathless, “Me too.”
Téa thought it was a good sign they were in each other’s arms when they came inside. She’d hoped Jessie was going to tell her that she and Brian were an official couple. You’d have to be blind not to see the energy between them.
Jessie’s cell phone vibrated and completely broke the spell in the room. She looked to see who was calling. After knowing Jessie for years, Téa could tell that was a call from MEGA-AX1 headquarters.
“Excuse me guys, I’ve got to take this call.” Jessie stepped out onto the patio for privacy.
She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose trying to get it together, “What’s up, Max?”
We got a call from a John Wellington through one of our secured lines. He said it was urgent and that he would only speak with you.
Téa stepped out onto the patio to find out what was going on.
“I spoke to him before I left yesterday to set up a meeting. We’re meeting in a few days after I leave here. How did he get through our secured phone line? Make sure you look into that, and did his summary background check come through?”
“We’re looking into how he got through on our secured line now, and yes, the report is here. Did you want me to download it to you?”
“Yes. We’ll need to change all the security codes for the phone system right away. I’ll call you if I have any more questions.”
Téa had been standing their quietly listening intently. “What did Max want? I thought he knew better than to call us when you’re on vacation.”
“He called to tell me about an urgent message from a potential client, Mr. John Wellington.”
Téa wrapped her arms around her waist, “Who is he? And why haven’t I heard anything about him yet?”
Jessie hadn’t said anything to Téa about this potential client because information regarding him was still too sketchy to discuss. All the pieces of Intel hadn’t come through. She’d hoped their conversation yesterday would clear some things up, but it actually created more questions than it answered.
“Can’t say just yet. I’ve got to go over the summary report to see who I’m really dealing with. But, if the cursory investigation appears to be in order, I’ll need to do a little more follow up which will require me to fly to Mongolia.”
“It must be a big deal if you’re thinking of handling it personally.”
Jessie’s phone buzzed letting her know that Max had downloaded Mr. Wellington’s information. His message was that it w
as urgent he speak with her. She dialed his private telephone number and he picked up on the first ring.
“Wellington speaking.”
“Mr. Wellington, I received a message that it was urgent you speak with me. How can I help you?”
“Is this Command from Mega-AX1?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you for calling me right away. It was difficult to track you down, but I desperately need your help. It’s a matter of life and death.”
Jessie heard the urgency in his voice.
Sometimes Téa hated when Jessie flipped the switch to work mode because she was an entirely different person. She was also so hard to read. Jessie wasn’t giving much away in her response to Mr. Wellington and Téa couldn’t hear what he was saying. They spoke briefly, but after Jessie ended the call, she turned to Téa, “Looks like I’ll be flying out to Mongolia tonight.”
Chapter 15
Jessie had only been back to the MEGA-AX1 headquarters for a couple of days since returning from her trip to Mongolia. She was on a flight two hours after the phone call with Wellington. Téa was disappointed that she had to cut her visit short, but it had actually worked out in Jessie’s favor. Jessie needed time—and a distraction—from all the emotions she was feeling.
Gray had just left her office with the comprehensive follow-up report she’d requested after her meeting with John Wellington. His references checked out, he’d easily agreed to her exorbitant fee and wired half the money into the offshore account. Nothing really seemed out of order. There was no reason not to take the assignment. It was basically an extraction, but something still felt…off. Any third-rate company could carry out this request. Yet, he’d come to MEGA-AX1 and requested that Jessie’s elite team handle this job personally.
Jessie continued to review the report. She’d had some of his profile information before her trip to his office.
Mr. Wellington, a 54-year-old self-made billionaire, was a widower and didn’t have any children. He graduated from the London School of Economics and was raised as an only child in Dublin, Ireland to a single mother. It seemed Mr. Wellington grew up dirt poor and used his wits to stay just slightly above the law and out of jail.
His vast portfolio consisted of mineral and diamond mines, oil, a couple of hedge funds, and many other smaller businesses. Most of them were above board. Although, he did have a few shadier things in his background like selling arms to a couple of small militant groups.
Everybody had something they might want to hide in their background. Jessie had only one rule. She drew the line and would not work with people or governments that supported human trafficking. Gray was always thorough and didn’t turn up anything like that in his investigation.
Jessie had flown unannounced to Mongolia the same night she received Wellington’s urgent request and put him under surveillance for a couple of days before setting up their initial appointment. She’d taken a photo diary of everyone he’d met during that brief time from his mistresses to his chauffeur to his business acquaintances, and then downloaded them to Gray to do thorough background checks so that he could pick up where Jessie left off.
When she arrived at his office building, she was dressed in an all-black Dolce & Gabbana single-breasted power pantsuit. The wide-leg pants were tailored to fit Jessie’s body perfectly. The suit harkened back to old Hollywood. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun and she wore a minimal amount of makeup. Jessie also kept her accessories to a minimum except for one…her Kel-Tec P32 smart gun which she wore on her ankle. This gun was all power and would only fire if she fired it. That’s what made it so smart. Jessie was all business and ready for anything.
For an urgent matter, Jessie was frustrated that Mr. Wellington made her wait for the better part of twenty minutes to see him.
“Excuse me. You’re Mr. Wellington’s Administrative Assistant, April, correct?”
“Yes I am.”
“My appointment with Mr. Wellington was twenty minutes ago. Please let him know my time is important, if he can’t see me immediately, I can have an associate recommend someone else for him.”
It was obvious that no one talked to Mr. Wellington in such a manner. The assistant was a bit nervous but nodded her understanding and went into his office to relay the message. A moment later, April opened the door, “Mr. Wellington will see you now.”
Jessie walked through the double doors as he was finishing up a call. She’d heard him say, “She’s here,” in Mongolian.
The office was set up to intimidate all visitors. There was a large desk that put more space than necessary between himself and whoever sat across from him. Jessie smiled to herself that the chair was positioned much lower than his. The room was decorated with fine art on the walls and the furniture was different shades of brown. The warm colors should have made the room less threatening but somehow managed to do just the opposite.
“Would you like something to drink, Ms. Ramsey?”
Jessie looked at her watch, “Sorry, but no.”
“My apologies for keeping you waiting.”
Jessie nodded, “Mr. Wellington, let’s be clear. This is an interview and I’m making the determination if I want to work with you. So far, your power moves are falling flat.”
He stood, walked over to his bar, and poured himself a drink. “Are you sure you don’t want a drink?”
Jessie shook her head no. John Wellington was a very attractive man. His broad shoulders and six-foot frame could be intimidating to some. He actually reminded Jessie of a younger version of Liam Neeson.
“I’m prepared to pay you millions of dollars for this assignment.”
“You’re a smart man so I’m sure you’ve done your homework on Mega-AX1. Money has never been the main motivating factor behind our work. Although, we expect to be paid accordingly for the work we do.” Jessie got up to leave, “I think I’ve wasted your time this afternoon.”
“Wait! Please don’t leave. Let’s start over. Please accept my apology.”
Jessie slowly turned back around, “Convince me why I should take you on as a client?”
“You should take me on as a client because I need to save the life of one of my employees but also a man who is like a brother to me, Dr. Jerrod Sheitz.”
Mr. Wellington walked back over to his desk and pulled out a photo of his friend, “He’s missing. I think someone may have abducted him.”
Jessie took the envelope out of his hand and sat back down, “Why? What would make you think that?”
I’ve known Jerrod for more than twenty years. He’s a disciplined man who follows a strict routine. In all this time he’s shown up for work at 7:10 a.m. every day; however, a few days ago he didn’t call or show up.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s been abducted.”
“No, it doesn’t. However, my staff became worried when he didn’t show up for two days in a row. I can count the times on one hand that he’s been off sick. So, for him to miss two days in a row was very worrisome. I sent one of my security guys to go to Jerrod’s home and check on him. The place had been ransacked.”
“Why didn’t you call the police?”
“I run a multi-billion dollar business, Ms. Ramsey. The moment there was a hint of scandal, the stock in my hedge funds would plummet.”
Jessie wasn’t sure if she bought that explanation.
“If he was abducted, do you have any idea who would want to take him?”
Mr. Wellington pulled out another envelope, “I’m not sure, but you could start with these men, the Jalanni Militia out of Tanzania.”
Before Jessie could ask why, John Wellington answered the question for her, “We believe he may have been taken by these men because they are angry that a business deal between us went badly for them.”
“Have they contacted you yet?”
“No, but I fully expect them to.”
“Why is that?”
“Because I’m a rich man. A very rich man...isn’t that enough?”
Jessie gave him a skeptical and piercing glare to let him know that her patience was running out for his bullshit.
Mr. Wellington exhaled and rubbed his forehead, “I honestly don’t know. It may be them or someone else. My enemies list is pretty long. I’m just begging you to please help me save the life of my friend.”
If Jessie were going to take this assignment it would be because of the anguish she’d finally heard in his voice. She stood, “I’ll call you in a couple of hours with either instructions or a recommendation for someone else.”
Mr. Wellington nodded, “Thank you for your consideration.”
Chapter 16
For the past several hours, Jessie continued to go over all the information that had been gathered regarding the Wellington assignment.
Gray knocked on her door. “Hey, I was able to verify the final two references for Mr. John Wellington. Sheik Muhammad Ali and Prime Minister Noir both worked with him personally and vouched for him.”
“They authenticated the visual and voice recognition information we sent?”
“You’re good at what you do, and I’m good at what I do. Of course there was a visual and voice recognition authentication.”
Jessie laughed, “Okay, okay. Then, I guess it’s time to assemble the team.” Jessie got her personal assistant on the phone, “Liz, please contact Elite Team One, I’m going to need them here at Mega Headquarters in the next six to eight hours. Thanks.”
*****
Six hours later Tony, Jake, Max, Gray, and Téa were assembled in her office at the round table. Max and Téa were the only ones who needed to fly into Phoenix.
Liz had prepared a dossier on the client and the target for each member.
“We’re already starting behind the eight ball in that our target has been missing for at least seventy-two hours….”
Tony was confused, “So, wait, is this a missing persons case?”
“Yes.”
Everyone looked slightly confused and finally Max spoke out, “According to this dossier, John Wellington is a civilian looking for Dr. Jerrod Sheitz. Why aren’t the police handling this?”
MEGA-AX1 The Inferno Page 8
