SECRET OF THE ICON (Donavan Chronicles Book 3)

by Tom Haase

  Mike’s mind raced, perhaps the time to return to Russia had arrived and there he would eliminate the bastard and take over the business. He needed to prepare to return and do that as soon as this shipment got delivered, so he packed and decided he would take his icon with him on the exchange. He would not return to his apartment, as someone knew about it, someone who shouldn’t have, and he would leave immediately with the bodyguard on a pretense to go and talk to his uncle. Dmitri’s reign would soon be over.

  CHAPTER 43

  St. Petersburg, Russia

  Dmitri Alexandrovitch paced in a circle around his palatial office after hanging up on Michael, his nephew. Gold sconces adorned the area near the fireplace, priceless paintings hung on the walls, and the window gave a grand view of the Neva River. He rarely paid attention to his finer decorative surroundings except for two paintings he had a fondness for hanging over his desk. Only women provided the right type of beauty to engender a response from him.

  Michael’s phone call caused him to examine in detail his operations in America. He’d ordered Michael to increase his earnings by twenty-five percent. So far, the young man failed to achieve even a modicum of improvement in profits. Even though he promised, nothing had materialized in the coffers. He hated to contemplate punishing his only living relative, but business was business, and profits needed to be made.

  He’d always taken care of and provided for Michael since his brother’s death, but the boy lacked strict discipline and seemed to believe that their blood connection would always protect him. That youth was now a man and not pulling his weight in the organization. His earlier hopes that Michael might one day take over the business were now proving unfounded and this involved a great disappointment to him. A first cousin of Michael’s, who betrayed them at the factory under interrogation, had been an up-and-comer in his opinion, but the lad broke. After that event, he exercised his choice to eliminate him, so now Michael remained his only blood relative in the business. This made it very difficult to envision removing him entirely.

  Should he have him killed? He didn’t like that option as a beginning position. Should he order him home for some “counseling”? That option would at least give him a chance to reach the boy and get him to focus on the business. Dmitri’s thought process, when he at last finished running the options through his mind, decided on the latter course.

  He opened his laptop and sent a text message to the bodyguard on the ship with the weapons for Savannah. The man should be close to the port by now and would be able to receive messages on his phone. He typed:

  After delivery of the goods, bring the family member home. No excuses accepted.

  He would give his nephew one last chance.

  * * * *

  In Washington, D.C., Liz Garcia spent most of her time in the monitoring station to catch any activity on the cell phones of Karim or Michael Alexandro, aka Alexandrovitch. She managed to catch only three hours of sleep the previous night. The early morning sunlight began to peek into the room through the half-open blinds.

  Suddenly, the IT tech’s hand went up in the air. He waved at her to approach. She rushed over to his desk and put on the extra headset and listened to the entire conversation. When the call ended, she rushed to the director’s office.

  “Sir, we picked up a phone conversation between Karim and Michael Alexandro. They set the location of the weapon’s delivery for tomorrow at an abandoned filling station off Route 17 near Jacksonville, Florida. The exchange is set for three in the afternoon. The call only lasted thirty five seconds.”

  “This is great information. Did you learn anything else?” the director queried.

  “Actually, we did. The GPS tracker on Karim’s phone gave us a surprise. He is in Savannah, Georgia. I can’t figure that out,” Liz said.

  “Give Matt a call and update him,” the director ordered. “Get a team ready to intercept the shipment at the location you — No, wait. If we do that, everyone will know about it. Let’s hold off for now. We have a SWAT team in Savannah, and they can be deployed if we need them tomorrow.”

  “If the weapons exchange goes down, I suggest we have them on immediate standby, because Matt and Bridget will need help to take down an unknown number of terrorists,” Liz said.

  “Agreed. I’ll call the on-site commander there, get him on standby, and order him to tell no one, not even his team about the target. Keep me informed immediately if you learn anything else.”

  Liz walked back to the monitoring station thinking, “Who the hell else would she keep informed?” She called Matt and brought him up to date as the director ordered.

  When she opened the station door, the IT tech’s hand waved the signal for her to get on the extra headphone.

  CHAPTER 44

  Savannah, Georgia

  Karim put down the phone after he completed his conversation with Alexandro. He produced a thin smile that didn’t extend up to his eyes. If the man intended to deliver the weapons tomorrow, then he must have them in his possession today. That only made sense. He wouldn’t want to unload and store them somewhere for fear of discovery. He wouldn’t want to take them out of the container once off loaded from the ship. Consequently, Karim concluded, he would receive the container at the port, check the cargo at some predetermined site, and proceed on to the specified rendezvous and never actually unload the weapons until he delivered them.

  Karim now believed his plan to intercept the weapons at the port made imminent sense. By implementing his action he believed that Alexandro would never anticipate such a bold stroke nor would he be prepared for it. He would have the goods, perhaps dispense with Alexandro permanently, and then set up his own network, as the leader of Dmitri’s organization, for future operations.

  He needed to know if the FBI or another agency monitored the shipment or planned to intercept it. Would they be watching him and, if for some reason, his plans at the port didn’t work out, would there be any FBI or ATF agents at the Jacksonville location to intercept the exchange?

  He wanted to cover all bases, which meant he required the information that only Alexandro’s source could provide. One goal he established for himself was to acquire the name of the source so he might continue to pay this valuable asset after Alexandro’s elimination. He called Alexandro for the second time that morning.

  On hearing Alexandro answer, he asked, “What is the latest on any government agents for tomorrow?”

  Alexandro unloaded on him. “You’re a nobody to me, Karim. I have people at the highest levels to keep me informed. If you need to know anything, I’ll call you. Don’t call me again.” He hung up.

  * * * *

  Matt and Bridget arrived in the city late the previous night, earlier than originally planned. The FBI supplied jet took care of that. They went directly to the hotel where Scott and Gerti stayed and met them in the hotel lounge.

  “What the hell were you doing?” Bridget demanded on seeing Scott.

  “We only did what we told you we would,” Scott said.

  “Not exactly,” Bridget said.” I didn’t tell you to attempt to break into Alexandro’s apartment. That you did on your own after we told you to stand down and wait. You had the FBI arrest you. What were you thinking?” she demanded.

  “We wanted to see if he had the icon,” Gerti said. “We had to do something and it seemed a good idea at the time.”

  “Sis, listen,” Scott interjected. “We saw the icon. The same one you showed us from Matt’s picture on his phone. It’s in the apartment. We tried to get it but couldn’t because of the way he’d secured it to the fireplace mantel. Because we broke down the door, the security alarm was blaring, so we had to get out of there before the police arrived. We just couldn’t get it out before the cops came. So we bolted, but we saw it. It’s there.”

  Bridget quickly glanced at Matt. “This could be my salvation.”

  “Not yet, but maybe soon. In the meantime we might again need your help. It has been a long day and we’re all a
little tired. Let’s get some sleep and meet in the morning.”

  Matt and Bridget went to the hotel Liz arranged for them and the next day they met for breakfast. The four of them were talking all at once to formulate a plan for the day. Matt’s phone rang and he raised his hand for quiet.

  Liz told him the latest information on the exchange, and the fact Karim was in Savannah. Matt shared this information with his tablemates and waited for their reaction.

  “I believe the weapons are already here,” Gerti said.

  “That doesn’t seem right to me,” Scott opined.

  “Why not?” Bridget asked her brother.

  “I don’t believe Alexandro would dally before turning them over. He wouldn’t want to have them in his possession, even for a short time. Besides, we’ve been here for two days and he hasn’t done anything to indicate he has them. No visits to check on any goods, no going to the port, nothing,” Scott said.

  “Matt,” Bridget said, “could you call Liz and ask her to check if any cargo is arriving for the Alexandro Import and Export business. That might give us something to go on. He has to have them by tomorrow. Maybe they’re arriving today. After all, this is the third largest port on the East Coast.”

  “Good idea,” Matt said. He got up and went outside to call Liz. It would be quieter there and he needed some fresh air.

  Liz picked up on the first ring. “Matt, I just started to call you. New information. I haven’t even been to the director. This just happened.”

  “Tell me,” Matt said.

  “Karim just called Alexandro for the second time. He is demanding he check with his source to see if the FBI might interfere with the arms exchange. He doesn’t want another Roanoke. From the sounds of it, Alexandro seemed confident he could get it.”

  CHAPTER 45

  WASHINGTON, D.C.

  When Liz returned from the director’s office, she thought, maybe hoped would be a better description, that things would settle down. No such luck. On opening the door, she saw the IT tech beckoning her over, frantically waving his hands. She ran to pick up the headset.

  “I don’t give a damn about your concerns. If there was anything to tell you I would’ve called you. I told you never to call this office. Never,” a voice shouted.

  “You don’t tell me what to do. I’ll call you anytime I need to. I pay you remember? Got that?” Alexandro hung up.

  Liz looked at the tech. He pointed at the two numbers on his screen. The first one, Liz recognized as Alexandro’s. The second number she didn’t know, but the tech already busy to find out who it belonged to.

  Liz asked him to play back the conversation from the beginning.

  “You know who this is?” she heard.

  “Yes.”

  “I need to know if there’s anything I have to worry about tomorrow. I don’t want a repeat of Virginia.”

  Alexandro seemed to be confident the man on the other end of his phone would have the assets to know about FBI operations. She wondered how any federal agency would have learned about the exchange. They had told no one. Only the members of the team knew that Alexandro’s arms shipment was in play. No one else, not even homeland security.

  The IT tech handed her a piece of paper. It contained a name written on it.

  “Are you sure?”

  “No doubt. It’s a private number. It’s not listed in any directory.”

  “Holy shit,” Liz exclaimed. She hurriedly exited and deliberately walked slowly to the director’s office. Her mind raced at the implications of what she now must tell the director. In the vernacular, the shit was about to hit the fan. The pieces of the puzzle were beginning to come together in her mind. She now understood how the arms dealer knew when and where the FBI agents would be operating. When she shared the information with the FBI director she would be handing him a nuclear weapon set for immediate detonation.

  CHAPTER 46

  Washington D.C.

  “No. This can’t be.” The director slowly rose from his desk. He walked over to the window that looked out on the city. “I’ve known Rose for over twenty-five years. He’s the deputy director, for Christ’s sake.”

  Liz didn’t say anything as she allowed the director to absorb the devastating news she just delivered. On the way to this office, she’d formulated what she thought would be the next steps in this disastrous sequence, and now patiently waited for the director to come to a decision.

  “I must have more evidence. We can’t go accusing him on what we have. It’s too spotty and could be interpreted in different ways by a lawyer.” The director reseated himself. “We audit all high-level employees, and nothing’s ever shown up on him. If he’s guilty, he’s done a damn good job of covering his ass.”

  “I submit we can’t wait. Lives are on the line and he is a traitor,” Liz said.

  Liz’s phone buzzed. She looked at the ID and saw who it came from.

  “It’s Matt,” she told the director.

  “Take it. Tell him about this.”

  When she answered, Matt skipped the preamble. “Liz, I need to know if there is a container arriving for Alexandro’s Import/Export business today.”

  “Matt, hold up. We have something to tell you.”

  She related the high points of the phone call between Karim and Alexandro and then the call from Alexandro to his source.

  “Let me have the phone,” ordered the director. She handed it to him.

  “Matt, what I’m about to tell you, if proven true, could be devastating to the agency. We have a mole at the FBI, and evidence suggests it’s Deputy Director Rose.”

  “Oh, my god,” Matt exclaimed.

  “We must get more evidence as soon as possible. That will be my first task.”

  “May I suggest something?” Matt asked.

  “Go.”

  “Have a meeting with him and bring him in on the SOE operation you’re directing. Then include him in a conference call with me. I suggest you use a fake name when you call. If he learns I am still an active agent it might spook him that something is up. The call will be to alert me to go to Jacksonville based on a NSA intercept. My mission is to intercept the arms shipment being delivered by Alexandro.” Matt stopped.

  “That might work, because it would force him to call and give that information to his contact,” the director said. “We could monitor it all and have proof positive of his betrayal. It might cause them to change the place for the exchange, but we are monitoring the phones.” He looked up at Liz. “Can you handle that, Liz?”

  “No problem,” her reply. She knew what to do and how to do it.

  “I’m still trying to get over the shock of the deputy director betraying his country,” said the director. “This may cost me my job, but I’ll carry out my duty. Expect a conference call within the hour. You’ll have the local SWAT team at your disposal.” He disconnected the call.

  “Liz, I want the Inspector General in your office when you conduct the monitoring of the call. I want it ironclad. No mistakes.”

  She nodded and headed for the door. The director followed her out and proceeded down the hall where he entered the deputy director’s office. Liz suddenly remembered to get the information Matt requested. In ten minutes she called Matt with his answer.

  “There’s a container scheduled to arrive in Savannah at noon today for Alexandro’s business.”

  CHAPTER 47

  Savannah, Georgia

  Matt sat back down at the breakfast table with Bridget, Scott and Gerti. He could tell that Bridget suspected something had happened. He didn’t understand how she did it, but she possessed an uncanny knack of reading his expressions.

  “What’s wrong?” Bridget asked.

  He took his time before answering. “I don’t know exactly how to tell you all what has happened in the last few minutes.” He took a moment to collect his thoughts, then spilled the beans, although he kept his personal feelings to himself. That bastard, the one who betrayed the operation in Roanoke, got his p
artner killed. And he would pay for that.

  “Lastly, the container ship with a consignment for Alexandro’s company will arrive at noon. We must be at the port to observe. I want to have eyes on that thing every minute,” Matt said.

  “How are we going to do that?” Gerti asked.

  “I think we split up. Matt and I have a car and we can get inside the port with his creds,” Bridget said. “You two rent a car and you can be outside the port area to give us the ability to follow the container in case we get hung up for some reason inside. We’ll be able to stay in cell contact throughout.”

  “By the way, Gerti had some of her firm’s local contacts deliver two Glocks for us,” Scott said. “We aren’t going to be around these guys without some hardware.”

  “I don’t want us getting into a gunfight,” Matt said. “I plan on letting the FBI SWAT team take them down. So no heroics.”

  All nodded agreement before Scott and Gerti left to rent a car.

  “So the mole is the deputy director? Isn’t he the one who reamed your ass for the Roanoke event? Are you secretly gloating?”

  “I don’t gloat. I’m having an emotional train ride that puts me somewhere between happiness and glee.” He stood up and headed for the exit as Bridget’s face broke into a wide smile.

  She grabbed his hand to slow him down, pulled him close and gave him a hug.

  “What?” Matt said. He pushed her back to full arm’s length and looked at her. Then he pulled her close and captured her lips in a searing kiss.

  CHAPTER 48

  Washington, D.C.

  FBI Headquarters

  Liz waited in the monitoring office. The room’s dimensions seemed quite small with only two desks and room for a few people to stand. The Inspector General sat at the empty desk. The setup here didn’t compare to the elaborate intercept point like those at NSA, but functioned satisfactorily for the small operation she planned on conducting.