Deadly Deception

by Tami Kidd

  “Yes, sir.” Walden picked up his cap and placed it on his smooth head. He saluted the president and walked out the door.

  Riley took his seat and felt his shoulders droop, heavy with sadness and exhaustion. Staring at the intercom, he pushed the button again. “Margie, please get in touch with Special Agent Reece Carter.”

  “Yes, sir, right away.”

  ****

  Reece Carter studied the floor plans for the MTG building. The team of men surrounding him watched as he pointed out the entry areas and the positions the men outside would take. Ten men, including him, all wore black flak jackets with FBI stamped on the back. Besides the entry team, another team would stay behind to monitor the events from strategically positioned cameras.

  “I think that covers it,” Reece said as he glanced around the room at the team of agents. They nodded and then he turned to Alan Roland who stood beside him. “Alan, do you have anything to add? Have I missed anything?”

  Alan glanced around the table. “I would like to press upon everyone the importance of safety. Both yours and the civilians inside. We don’t want anyone injured or worse. So be vigilant and keep a sharp eye out. Even though these guys are researchers and doctors doesn’t mean they can’t be a threat.”

  The group answered in unison, “Yes, sir.”

  Reece studied the serious faces of the agents and then glanced at his watch. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have two hours before go time. I suggest you examine your weapons, make final preps, and get in the zone.”

  The agents looked to Alan who nodded before they dispersed.

  Reece watched the exchange between them and felt a twinge of anger. His mind flashed to his men in Pensacola and knew they would react the same way if an outsider had come from another office to lead an operation they could have managed themselves. I still don’t understand why Franks thought I had to be here. His cell phone vibrated in his pants pocket. Pulling it out, he looked at the display. Not recognizing the number, he hesitated before he connected the call. “Hello?”

  “Mr. Carter, please hold for the president,” Margie said. “Go ahead, sir.”

  “Carter, Richard Riley here. Sorry to bother you, but it’s imperative that you and your team abort mission. I do not, I repeat, do not want you to destroy the facility. You are to go in and take custody of the occupants. Detain them until further instruction. Do you understand?”

  Reeling, Reece pulled a chair up and sat slowly. He stammered and finally uttered, “Uh—yes sir. I understand. May I ask why?”

  “Carter, do you always question direct orders?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Good. Then do the job as instructed and be safe.”

  The line went quiet. Reece stared at the phone as if it were a foreign object. He slid it back into his pocket and glanced around the room. “Can I get everyone’s attention?” All eyes trained on him. “I’ve just received new orders. The target facility shall remain intact. Do not detonate any explosives. Our new instructions are to detain those inside until further notice. So, continue as planned; however, the building will remain undamaged.” He scanned the room and saw confusion and even anger in the team’s expressions. They looked to Alan for guidance.

  “You heard the man, now get back to work.” Alan gave Reece a thumbs-up.

  The group answered, “Yes, sir.”

  Two hours later, Reece glanced at his watch. He twirled his arm above his head in a circular motion. “All right team, let’s load up and head out.”

  His stomach churned. The butterflies inside his gut felt like bats—giant bats. Something about the mission bothered him. Apprehension chipped away at his insides like a sculptor slowly chiseling away at a chunk of marble.

  Fifty

  Harlan Franks munched on a cheese puff while he played Candy Crush, cursing when a bomb exploded, ending the game. A knock on the office door rattled his nerves. He brushed the orange dust off his hands and minimized the game window. “Come in.” Before the visitor entered, he grabbed the bag of snacks off his desk and stuffed it inside a drawer.

  General Ralph Walden entered the room, his face solemn. “Good afternoon, Harlan. Sorry to barge in, but your secretary isn’t at her desk.”

  “She has a doctor’s appointment, so she won’t be back till tomorrow. What can I do for you?”

  “The president asked me to come fetch you. He’d like to speak to you.”

  Gazing at the general with a twinkle in his eye, he smiled and said, “Oh, did he say why he wants to see me?” He probably wants to thank me for my participation in the Boston operation. Perhaps he’ll thank me with a promotion.

  The general held the deputy director’s gaze. “No, he didn’t say. He asked if I’d escort you to him, so of course I complied.”

  “Certainly, let me grab my jacket out of the closet and we’ll be on our way.”

  ****

  Harlan sat on the couch in the Oval Office opposite the president. The general asked to be excused, as he needed to keep a prior appointment.

  Richard Riley crossed his long legs and studied the man sitting across from him. “Harlan, you have been a patriot. I want you to know how much I appreciate all you’ve done for your country.”

  Harlan smiled and crossed his legs, mimicking the president. “Thank you, sir, it means a great deal.”

  The president stared squarely at him. “That’s why it pains me a great deal to have to ask for your resignation.”

  Harlan’s face contorted in confusion. “Excuse me? Did you say you want my resignation?”

  “Yes, I did.”

  “Why? I did exactly what you wanted. Ruiz said you’d be grateful for my help with the Boston operation. Did something go wrong?”

  “David Ruiz did not have my authority to order the operation in Boston. He concocted the plan on his own accord and convinced you to go along.”

  The redhead leaned forward and put his head in his hands. “I thought I was carrying out your wishes.”

  “Does that sound like something I would order? The destruction of a facility working on something so important? The possibility of harming the researchers inside would be too risky. I don’t operate like that.

  “Sir, with all due respect, worse actions have been carried out in this country by sitting presidents.”

  “Not on my watch.”

  “Sir, I can’t resign. I have three years to serve until my retirement with the agency. Since Ruiz tricked me into believing I was following your orders, couldn’t you show me a little mercy?”

  Leaning his head against the back of the couch, the president closed his eyes. A minute passed before he looked at Franks. “Would you be willing to relocate?”

  “Yes, sir. I can endure anything for three more years.”

  “Put in a transfer request to Alaska.”

  Harlan’s jaw dropped, but he recovered and said, “Yes, sir. You have my word. What do I tell the director if she asks why I want to transfer?”

  “Tell her living in Alaska is on your bucket list.” The president stood and held out his hand to Harlan. “You’re lucky I’m feeling generous. David Ruiz is resigning by COB today. You’re not to speak of this to anyone.”

  “You have my word.” Harlan grasped the president’s hand in agreement.

  The president stared at the man and said, “Leave before I change my mind.”

  ****

  The convoy of SUVs rolled into the parking lot and skidded into position. An army of agents carrying weapons, wearing FBI flak jackets, stormed the MTG building from all entrances. Catching the staff off guard, it took less time to take control of the facility than they had anticipated. Ordering lunch at a fast-food joint would have taken longer. The teams gathered the workers and confined them to a single room until they cleared the entire building.

  Looking around, Reece asked, “Where’s Alan and Jacobs?”

  One agent stepped up to answer. “Clearing the last section on the east side upstairs.”

  Reece o
pened his mouth to order two members of the team to go check on them, but stopped mid sentence when he saw them descending the staircase. Alan escorted a man and Jacobs escorted an older woman. Reece squinted to focus on the man Alan held by the arm. The captive struggled to break free, but his emaciated body could not fight the brute strength of the agent. Reece stumbled back when he recognized him, no mistaking the frail body as Thomas Byrne. Holy Shit!

  ****

  Thomas adjusted his position on the steel chair to find a more comfortable position. “Mind if I stand? This chair is killing me?”

  “Whatever floats your boat,” Reece said.

  Thomas stood and flexed his muscles to increase his circulation. He glared at the woman seated next to him. Her long gray hair pulled back in a ponytail and tanned complexion gave her an appearance of an aged flower child.

  “I’m really surprised to find you here, Mr. Byrne,” Reece said. He turned to the woman. “You are even more of a surprise. Are you aware that your actions caused a good man to lose his life?”

  She looked down at her hands clasped in her lap. “I never intended for anyone to be harmed. I regret it deeply. Sometimes sacrifices must be made to benefit the world’s betterment.”

  “Doctor Hildegard, you didn’t sacrifice anything, he did. He gave up his life. His children gave up their father and his wife gave up her husband. They weren’t given a chance to choose whether to help your cause.”

  Thomas nodded his head in the direction of the other room where the bulk of the detainees waited. “What’s going to happen to them?”

  “After a full investigation, if they committed no crimes, they’ll be released. You two, however, aren’t as lucky. Both of you have committed numerous crimes and will probably be charged with murder, kidnapping, and a boat load of other charges I won’t even discuss.”

  Thomas exhaled. “You don’t understand. What we are doing is crucial work. We are working on a drug that will cure disease, lengthen people’s lives.”

  “Let me guess. In order to further your cause, you faked your death. You have something going on with Dr. Foster on the side. You’ve been deceiving your wife for God knows how long, and you have no remorse for the people who died to advance your work—all at the whim of a crazy woman. How do you know this drug even works?”

  “Jessica cured herself of cancer. Other doctors and scientists have performed extensive tests on the drug to confirm her findings. With a little more research and testing, it can be used to help people…for the right price, of course. We cannot afford to distribute it to everyone. A lot of hard work and cash went into the development of this drug.”

  Not to mention several lives. “And there it is. Greed.” Reece felt the anger rise inside him like a fever. He wanted to take the two arrogant and unsympathetic robots by their throats and squeeze the oxygen out of them. Usually, he managed his anger. After years of meditation exercises, he learned that he could only control himself and not those around him. His eyes squeezed shut as he counted to ten. It’s not helping. He left the room, walked out of the building, and inhaled fresh air to calm his fury. He reached inside his pocket for his cell.

  ****

  Harlan Franks’s cellphone rang as he was about to exit the Oval Office. He looked at the display. Recognizing Reece Carter’s number, he turned to the president and asked, “It’s Carter calling from Boston. Should I answer?”

  “Yes, let’s see what Reece has to say.”

  Putting the phone on speaker, Harlan answered, “Hello.

  “Mr. Franks, I’m reporting in as requested. The workers inside the MTG facility have been detained. The building is intact and the contents undamaged. I have two detainees that I feel you should be made aware of—Thomas Byrne and Sophie Hildegard. Ms. Hildegard was thought deceased as a result of the ambush at her residence in Florida. Sir, what would you like me to do with them?”

  “Carter, I—uh have been taken off the case. Let me call you back. I’ll give you an answer then.” He didn’t wait for Reece to respond before ending the call.

  Turning to address the president, Harlan said, “As you heard, Carter is awaiting orders concerning Byrne and Hildegard.”

  His mouth still agape, Riley focused his attention on Harlan.

  Noticing the president’s reaction, Franks asked, “Do those names mean something to you?”

  “Yes, they do.” Riley took his seat as if in slow motion. “Call Director Chan and ask her to call Agent Carter. Tell her that I would like him to escort the two here immediately. Do you think you can handle that?” The president slapped his hand down on his desk, his eyes flaring at Harlan.

  Stricken by the tone the last sentence carried, Harlan said, “Yes, sir.”

  Fifty-One

  Mara drove Noah and Asher to the Pensacola airport, wanting to spend as much time as possible with them before Wally flew everyone back to Arkansas. She parked her rental in the short-term parking lot and walked with them to the terminal.

  “You know Patty is going to be so disappointed that you aren’t coming back with us,” Noah said.

  “She’ll understand. We have to take care of some business before we move. I have to put my house up for sale. My agent will want to know my plans. It’s not an easy process. It’ll take some time. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”

  “Why don’t you hire someone to take care of it for you?”

  Mara laughed. “What? Do you think I’m made of money?”

  “Hey, you’re a big-time writer, Aunt Mara,” Asher chimed in.

  “Honey, I’m a writer, big time, hardly.” Mara kissed his cheek. “But thanks for the vote of confidence.”

  Noah leaned down to kiss his sister and give her a hug. “Well, don’t take too long. We want you back where you belong.”

  Squeezing Noah, she said, “I am so looking forward to a fresh start. Living a simpler life. Sitting on the front porch and watching the cars go by on the dusty dirt road out front. Remember that game we used to play when we were kids?”

  “Oh yeah. We’d pick a number and then the car that passed by corresponding to that number would be ours.” He chuckled. “Sometimes we’d wait hours before the car we picked would drive by.”

  “It kept us occupied.”

  “Well, I hate to tell you, but our road is paved and you’d have a hard time keeping up with the cars zipping by. ’Sides you’d need binoculars to see them.”

  “That’s okay. I think I’ll be happy just sitting on your porch, at least till I find one of my own.”

  “Pop, I think we need to head in that direction,” Asher urged his father. “I’m ready to get home. I have to go back to work tomorrow.”

  Mara hugged Asher. “You take care and I’ll see you soon. Give everybody a hug for me.”

  “I will, Aunt Mara. Get your business done and come home.”

  Mara nodded, tears forming in her eyes.

  “Now what’s the waterworks for?” Noah smiled and pushed an errant strand of hair behind her ears. “It’s not like this is the last time you’ll see us.”

  “I don’t know why I’m getting emotional. I guess I just missed you more than I realized.” Mara pushed him forward. “Now go on. Wally’s waiting.”

  “Bye, sis. Love you.” Noah turned, waving goodbye as he walked away.

  Returning to her rental, Mara let the warm Florida sun seep into her skin. She glanced up at the cloudless sky and then squinted at the passenger plane taxiing down the runway. She considered waiting to see if she could watch Wally’s Cessna take off when her cell phone rang. Without looking at the display, she answered, “Hello.”

  “Mara, this is Richard Riley. Am I calling at a bad time?”

  Mara froze in mid stride. How could a call from the president ever be considered a bad time? Realizing she stood in the middle of the street between the terminals and the parking garage, she trotted to the sidewalk and stopped. “Uh, no, sir. I’m just leaving the airport after dropping off my brother and nephew.”


  “I have a favor to ask of you. Can you come to Washington? There have been some developments. I think you will want to be here.”

  “Well, this is quite the turn of events. You’re asking me to meet with you instead of yanking me off a plane and flying me to see you.” Feeling guilty for her impulsive reaction to his request, she said, “I’m sorry, that was uncalled for.”

  “No, you have every right to be angry. I could have handled the situation differently.”

  Mara exhaled. “When would you like me to be there?”

  “I had my secretary book a flight for you leaving in three hours. Is that time enough to check out of your hotel and get to the airport?”

  “Tell your secretary to book another flight for Alex. He’ll be coming with me.”

  “Of course.”

  “Please text me the flight information.”

  “Thank you.”

  ****

  Mara felt a twinge of déjà vu when she took her seat on the plane, except, this time Alex sat beside her. Things were right with the world. Finally. Buckling her seatbelt in preparation for takeoff, she glanced at Alex and noticed his head resting on the back of his seat, his eyes closed. She felt her heart swell. She loved him more at this moment than she could ever have imagined loving anyone.

  She removed her notebook from her carry-on and started taking notes. The opportunity to write had evaded her for over a week. She was eager to get something down, whether on her laptop or a notebook. Oftentimes pen and paper helped the creative juices flow more than when her fingers raced across a keyboard. During the uneventful flight, Mara filled several pages with ideas and notes. Conversation had remained light between her and Alex. She got the feeling that he let her have space to write.

  Later, after she and Alex disembarked, they picked up their luggage at the baggage claim and headed toward the exit. Then she saw him standing there smiling with a grin as wide and bright as the sun. Mara smiled back and walked up to him. “Well, I have to say this is a pleasant surprise, Michael. How are you?” She put her arms around his neck, feeling perfectly comfortable giving him a friendly hug.