Forced to Kill

by Andrew Peterson

  His cell rang. An unavailable number. Should he answer it? He doubted it could be anyone threatening. No one but his men had this number. With irritation he asked, “Who is this?”

  “It’s Julio. We’ve got trouble.”

  “What phone are you using? Where’s Hector?” Montez put the call on speaker so Duane Dalton could hear it.

  “Two men broke in here and started shooting the place up. They killed Hector and Pablo!”

  “Calm down. What’s your status?”

  “I’m okay, but Miguel is hurt bad.”

  “Where are the gunmen?”

  “I shot them from the second floor office, they didn’t see me in time. They’re both dead. We can’t stay here, the police could be coming.”

  “Who were they?”

  “I don’t know. Big guys. No uniform or IDs.”

  “By big you mean tall?”

  “Yes.”

  “What phone are you using?”

  “Hector’s phone is broken. I’m using a dead guy’s phone.”

  “Kill the woman and leave immediately. Don’t leave Hector and Pablo there. Put them in the van. Miguel too. Torch the warehouse and get down here right away.”

  He ended the call and turned his attention back to what was left of Duane Dalton. He yanked the gag from Dalton’s mouth.

  “Wait! Don’t kill her.”

  Montez smiled. “Oh? And I suppose you had nothing to do with this latest attack?”

  “I didn’t. I swear.”

  “You have lied to me for the last time.”

  “Please, she’s no threat to you.”

  “I don’t give a damn about your ex-wife.”

  “Please, I’ll tell you—”

  “Tell me what?”

  “Everything. Call your man back. Don’t kill Nichole. Please!”

  Montez took several steps away and pretended to dial his phone. He had no intention of sparing Dalton’s ex-wife. He’d been betrayed for the last time.

  “Julio, change of plans. Don’t kill the woman,” he feigned. “Take her with you. Call me when you’re almost here.” He completed the act by pressing the end button, then turned back to Dalton. “All right, you have my complete attention. Conceal nothing, color no facts this time, or I promise I’ll let my men have their way with your precious little girls. Many, many, times.”

  Montez inserted a thumb drive into the laptop, opened the video recording program, and turned on the camera. “From the beginning, please.”

  ***

  Satisfied, Nathan took his cell back from the mercenary and tucked it into his pocket.

  It took several minutes to secure the wounded men and leave the warehouse. With Grangeland and Nichole Dalton following in her sedan, Nathan again pulled his phone and dialed the number Cantrell had given him at the hospital.

  “Cantrell.”

  “It’s echo five.”

  “You’re using your cell. Find a payphone and call me back.”

  The signal ended. “She wants me to call back on a payphone.”

  “Let’s clear this area first,” Harv said. “We’ll find something near the freeway.”

  Nathan radioed Grangeland. “We’re stopping at a payphone.”

  “Copy.”

  “How is Ms. Dalton doing?”

  “She’s in a lot of pain. She can’t stop thanking us for saving her, but she’s frantic about her girls.”

  “Tell her to hang in there.”

  His radio clicked once.

  A few blocks from the freeway, Harv pulled into a Circle K convenience store. In the side mirror, Nathan saw Grangeland’s headlights make the turn. She rolled her passenger window down.

  “I’ll be right back,” Nathan said. “This shouldn’t take long.” He headed for the payphone and reached into his pocket. No friggin’ quarters. What a pain in the ass. He returned to the sedan.

  Harv grabbed a handful of coins from an Altoids tin in the Mercedes’s center console. “This should be enough.”

  He kept the filthy handset away from his mouth, dialed the number, and waited for the impersonal electronic voice to indicate the charge. He jammed the quarters in and waited.

  “Cantrell.”

  “It’s me.”

  “What’s your status?”

  It took a minute to brief her.

  Cantrell’s voice had an edge. “I thought we’d agreed you’d keep me in the loop.”

  “You are in the loop, that’s why I’m calling. Three of the four mercenaries are still there. One won’t be answering any questions, the second has a bullet wound to the shoulder, and the third, head trauma. Both will live with proper medical care. We’re taking the fourth with us.”

  “That’s highly irregular and unacceptable.”

  “It’s not negotiable. He’s ours. If I were you, I’d get my people over to the warehouse a-sap.”

  “I’ve had dozens of agents standing by in different areas of the country for just this situation. My people can be there in twenty minutes. I just assumed you’d inform me of any field operations you planned to conduct.”

  “You know damned well I didn’t agree to that.”

  “Let’s keep things civil. What’s the woman’s condition?”

  “Moderate shock. Montez lacerated her torso.”

  “Like yours?”

  “Not as severely.”

  “Is she in any immediate danger?”

  “No, but she needs several hundred stitches, antibiotics. The works.”

  “Protect the scene until my people arrive.”

  “Negative. Harv and I are already on the move. We made sure the prisoners were secure before we left.”

  She started to object.

  “Again, not negotiable.”

  “What about the woman? We need to debrief her.”

  “I told her your people will want to talk to her. You’ll have her soon. What I’m about to tell you doesn’t go any further than the two of us.”

  No response.

  “Do we have a deal? If not, I’m hanging up.”

  “Deal.”

  “We have an FBI special agent with us tonight.”

  “Grangeland, from Fresno’s resident office.”

  Nathan paused at hearing that. “As you seem to know, she’s been with us since Salt Lake where we looked at Kramer’s body. She’s off the books. Totally. And you need to keep her that way to protect both her and SAC Simpson. Grangeland has custody of Nichole Dalton. Harvey and I are personally arranging for Nichole’s medical care. A plastic surgeon is going to suture her wounds.”

  “How much does Grangeland know?”

  “About what?”

  “You know what I’m asking.”

  “No, Director, I don’t, because I don’t know what’s going on. Care to enlighten me?”

  “At the hospital I told you I couldn’t… wouldn’t reveal everything to you.”

  “Who is Duane Dalton, and how is he connected with Arthur Kramer and a clean coal negotiation in Hungary?”

  “Nathan, listen to me very carefully. You never heard those names. Clear? Do not pursue this further. Let my people handle it from here.”

  “Not likely. Montez knows where I live, maybe Harv too.”

  “We can protect you.”

  “For how long?”

  “This is a CIA operation.”

  “On U.S. soil? Care to explain that?”

  “With all due respect, I don’t owe you an explanation.”

  He didn’t respond.

  “Your involvement ends now.”

  “The hell it does. We’re just warming up.”

  “Nathan, please. I’m asking you. Do not pursue Montez. It’s a—”

  He cut her off. “A what? An issue of national security?”

  “Yes.”

  “Has Congress been informed of this national security issue?”

  No answer.

  “I didn’t think so.” He waited, saying nothing.

  “Why are you taking
Montez’s man with you? What’s he—” Her voice took on a hard edge. “He knows where Montez is. You’re going after him.”

  “And if I am?

  “Then I have to do everything within my power to dissuade you.”

  “In my hospital room you said you wouldn’t try to stop us. What’s changed?”

  “Let’s stop dancing. Your ass is on the line here, soldier. Big time. You screw this up and not even your father will be able to bail you out. Are we clear on that?”

  “Crystal. My turn. My ass isn’t the only one on the line. I suspect there are lots of asses on the line. Asses higher up on the food chain. How am I doing? Maybe I’ll ask my father to get more deeply involved. I’m sure he’ll be able to uncover a grave or two.”

  “Nathan, please. I’m asking you as a personal favor not to do that.”

  “Why would I agree to that?”

  “Damn it, Nathan, you think you’re under pressure? You haven’t a clue.”

  “I know about pressure, Rebecca.”

  “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

  He waited.

  “I’m trying to protect you.”

  “What do you mean, protect me?”

  “I have orders to ensure, by any means necessary, the successful capture and interrogation of Montez. Remember those people in high places I mentioned in the hospital?”

  “Are we talking about what I think we’re talking about?”

  “Yes.”

  He didn’t respond, didn’t trust himself.

  She softened her tone. “Look, this isn’t a black or white directive. It’s my call.”

  “Will you level with me?”

  “To the extent I can, yes.”

  “Would you actually do it?”

  There was a long pause. For a second, he thought she’d hung up.

  “No. I’d resign first.”

  “That means a lot to me, Rebecca. And not for the obvious reason.”

  “There are certain lines I won’t cross. Will you tell me generally where you’re going so I can have my people standing by?”

  “San Diego. I can’t be more specific than that. There’s video equipment on the roof of the warehouse. Make sure your people retrieve it.”

  “I will. Nathan, if you get killed, your father’s going to have my head on a pole. He has the president’s ear. I like my job.”

  “I’ll talk to him. Tonight. I’ll make sure you’re insulated.”

  “It’s after midnight out here.”

  “He’ll take my call.”

  “Will you keep me in the loop, please?”

  “That’s a given. We’re on the same side, Rebecca.”

  “I know we are. Be careful.”

  Harv climbed out of the Mercedes. Grangeland joined them, hugging herself in the damp air.

  “We need to get you and Nichole on your way to San Diego,” Nathan said. “We’ll call you from the road with a location. Keep assuring her we’ll find her daughters.”

  “It doesn’t feel right abandoning you guys.”

  “You’re not abandoning us. Don’t think of it like that.”

  She gave them both hugs and turned to go.

  “Grangeland, if you ever want it, you’ve got an ownership position with us.”

  “After tonight, I just might need it.”

  Chapter 32

  Julio was in considerable pain, but the bandage they’d applied to his hip showed minimal bleeding. They’d driven a few miles when Harv said, “Let’s pull over so we can call Dr. Reavie. I don’t want our guest to hear the conversation.”

  At the curb, they both stepped out and walked a few steps away. Nathan kept a close eye on Julio. Harv used 411 to get Dr. Reavie’s office number. He listened to the recorded office message, then pressed zero to be connected to the doctor’s answering service. Because it was an emergency, Harv was transferred directly to Reavie’s cell phone. It took some explaining, but Reavie agreed to treat Nichole. From what Nathan could discern from the call, Reavie’s biggest was about Ms. Dalton’s condition, not any legal issues.

  Nathan said, “We should call Grangeland and give her Reavie’s phone number and address. After she’s recovered from the anesthesia, we’ll have Grangeland secure her in a hotel. I want Grangeland to be the only person in the world other than us who knows where Nichole Dalton is staying.”

  He made the call to Grangeland, then paused before making the next call. It had the potential of becoming confrontational.

  His father answered, sounding perfectly awake and alert. “Nathan? Is everything okay?”

  It took several minutes to update him about the warehouse raid and their plans to assault the San Diego safe house and to insulate Cantrell from any negative fallout should things go south.

  “Of course I’ll protect her, to the extent I can. I don’t need to say this, but accepting the director’s advice of turning this over to her people sounds like a good idea.”

  “I appreciate that, Dad, but Harv and I have the element of surprise on our side. We’ll be okay.”

  “As you requested, I’ve placed calls to the secretary of the navy and the secretary of defense. So far, I’ve yet to get a return call. I haven’t dropped the ball, but I can’t push too hard. It’s a fine line.”

  “We need to talk about that. Cantrell doesn’t want you inquiring into this. She didn’t come right out and say it, but I know she’s worried about leaks.”

  “It’s too late, I’ve already made the calls.”

  “When they call back, can you say it was a false alarm?”

  “No, that won’t work.”

  Nathan said nothing.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll think of something. I don’t want you distracted over this. You need to be focused. Will you call me later, no matter what time it is?”

  “Yes.”

  “Thanks for including me.”

  “You’re the chairman of the CDT.”

  “I’m speaking as your father.”

  “I know you are.”

  “You’re a good man, Nathan.”

  “I’ll call you later.”

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  He hung up, feeling relieved that he’d fulfilled his end of the bargain with Cantrell. She was officially off the hook if things went sour. He’d been tempted to ask his dad how the CIA skirted the issue of conducting covert operations on U.S. soil, but he already knew the answer. They hadn’t. And tonight’s operation would never be revealed—especially to Congress—unless it blew up in all their faces. Not a nice thought. Regardless of his political leaning, he had no desire to see the current administration mired in scandal. When the president looked bad, the entire nation looked bad.

  “Let’s get going,” Nathan said. They climbed into Harv’s Mercedes and headed for the I-405 south. With Julio in the backseat, Nathan spoke to Harv in Russian. “Cantrell told me she has a green light to eliminate us.”

  “Are you serious?” Harv answered, also in Russian.

  “Yes.”

  “Is she going to do it?”

  “She said she’d resign first.”

  “I hate to admit this, but I like her,” Harv said.

  “Yeah, me too.” They drove in silence for a few minutes. Still in Russian, Nathan asked, “What could Montez possibly know that’s so dangerous? And what could’ve gotten so personal between him and Kramer? Certainly more than just a clean coal negotiation?”

  “All good questions, Nate, but until we grab Montez, we’ll probably never know. Right now we need to be more concerned for Nichole Dalton’s girls. They could be in the safe house, probably are. We need to be extra careful. We have to worry about friendly fire penetrating walls and a potential hostage situation.”

  “Like you said, we’ll just have to be extra careful.”

  ***

  They arrived on the outskirts of San Diego after midnight. Sparse traffic enabled Harv to drive eighty miles per hour most of the way. Not much discussion took place. Nathan k
new they’d be facing another dangerous set of unknowns. Except to its occupants, a safe house was anything but. All safe houses—by definition—survived on anonymity, and many of them employed secondary measures when their locations were blown. Booby traps. Fortifications. Secret escape tunnels. You name it.

  He’d heard Montez’s voice on the other end of the call Julio made from the warehouse. Montez ordered Julio to kill Nichole Dalton, and if he was willing to be that cold-blooded, he probably planned on killing her daughters as well. He hoped they weren’t already dead.

  By now, Cantrell’s people would be crawling all over the warehouse and questioning the two wounded mercenaries. If either of them knew the location of the safe house, all bets were off. They might arrive at a raided location with the CIA crawling all over the—

  “Damn it.” Nathan spoke in English now.

  “What’s wrong?” Harv asked, following suit.

  “Our vehicle. Montez won’t be expecting his man to arrive in it.”

  “We should’ve thought of that.”

  “Options?”

  “We’ll have to park at a safe distance and approach on foot.”

  Nathan pivoted toward Julio. “What’s your procedure when you approach the safe house?”

  “We’re supposed to call just before we get there.”

  “I have an idea,” Harv said. “We disabled their vehicle. He had to use ours. If Montez asks, he found it by using the remote switch on the keychain. It was parked down the street.”

  “That might work.” He turned toward Julio. “You got that straight?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Play along and you’ll live through the evening. If you don’t, the world won’t miss you.”

  “Who are you guys?”

  “We’re the guys asking the questions.”

  Julio didn’t respond.

  “Are the two little girls in there?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “What about dogs?”

  “No.”

  “Are there any motion sensor lights on the outside?”

  “No.”

  “How many men are usually in there besides your boss?”

  “Two.”

  “Is anyone else in there, like someone your boss tortured with a knife?”

  “I don’t know.”