Vendetta

by Iris Johansen

  “But if it was true, why would it be convenient for him to be there?”

  “I have no idea. We’ll have to find out. I’m still leaning toward him working for Huber.”

  “And I’m leaning toward him trying to trap my father.” She gazed down at the computer. “Huber is going to do something tomorrow, isn’t he, Brandon? I thought we had time, but he’s going to make his move.”

  He nodded. “That’s what it sounds like, but it won’t be the big one. I think Nemesis was telling the truth there. Otherwise, he wouldn’t make it his opening gambit. He’d go for the big bucks.”

  “It will probably be bad enough.” She crossed her arms across her chest to stop her shivering. “How can we find out how to stop it?”

  “First, we have to find Nemesis. I’ll go into your computer and try to trace his message.”

  “Can you do that?”

  “Probably not, but it’s possible. I had Monty put a bug device into your hard drive while we were on the helicopter taking Maria to the hospital. Chances are Nemesis is too savvy not to have that covered but there’s a slight possibility.”

  “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Rachel asked dryly. “Like Nemesis, you were too savvy not to make sure that you’d get everything I had to give.”

  “Yes, I was. I couldn’t be certain that you’d be willing to go along with me.” He added grimly, “That was before we agreed to work together. Don’t start backing away. I’m being honest with you. I could have taken the computer and pretended that I was having it gone over by some high-tech Silicon Valley guru. But I said I wouldn’t lie to you.”

  And he hadn’t lied, but he hadn’t told her about that bug before he had to do it.

  He nodded as if he’d read her thoughts. “We’re very fragilely balanced, Rachel. I wasn’t going to do anything to rock the boat.”

  She waved her hand dismissingly. “I guess I should have expected it. It’s exactly how my father would have handled the situation. It’s very familiar.” Her lips twisted. “Need to know all the way.”

  He muttered a curse. “I’m not Venable, Rachel, and I don’t appreciate your comparing me to him. He told me before he died that he had regrets about the way he treated you. Let me make mistakes of my own and not have to shoulder Venable’s.”

  She shrugged. “I only remarked on the similarity. You both have a military mind-set, you’re both warriors. It’s hard to accept for me.” But she had to accept it if she was going to deal with Huber and now Nemesis, who also seemed a threat. She made a dismissing gesture. “But I’ll get used to it. Our psychological differences are the least of my worries. All that’s important is what’s going to happen. I don’t want anyone killed. How can we stop it?”

  “I’ll see if I can locate Nemesis’s IP address. If I can’t do it myself, I’ll call in Monty. Like I told you, he’s close to genius with anything to do with computers or high-tech stuff. You call Catherine Ling and tell her we need her to come here right away. We need to know if there’s been any chatter about a possible target in the next few days.” He looked back over his shoulder. “I don’t suppose I can talk you into an hour’s nap before we go into full throttle?”

  She gazed him in disbelief.

  “I didn’t think so.” He headed for the door. “Dry your hair and get dressed. Then grab some toast and a cup of black coffee to keep awake. Call me when Catherine gets here.”

  She stared after him and reached up to touch her still-sodden hair. She’d forgotten all about it when she’d come out of the bathroom and seen that message light on the computer. Not that it made any difference. Or maybe it did, Brandon might have realized that she would feel and function better if she wasn’t looking and feeling like a Holocaust survivor. At the moment, she was ready to take any advice that would make her feel more in control and moving forward.

  She placed the call to Catherine and headed for the bathroom to dry her hair and get dressed.

  EAGLES REST

  CANADA

  Yes!

  It was about time.

  Kraus pressed the disconnect on his phone and turned and strode into Huber’s library.

  “I’ve just heard from my contact,” he said as he dropped down in the leather visitor’s chair in front of Huber’s desk. “Rachel Venable is in San Francisco.”

  “Where? How do you know?” Huber asked eagerly. “You said I’d have her before this. You should never have let Morales lose her. When can I get my hands on her?”

  “One question at a time.” Kraus held up his hand. He should have known that Huber would expect the world if he gave him even a hint of information. “I haven’t gotten a precise location as yet. My contact is still working on that. But he assures me that she is in San Francisco. He’s managed to hack into her computer and monitor a text she just received. He says she’s definitely in that city and that she’s looking for you. She appears to be a bit bitter about your killing her father.”

  Huber cursed. “What about what the bitch did to my father? Then let her find me. I’m waiting for her. When can you take her, Kraus?”

  “Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. It seems there has to be a monetary compensation. He’s willing to hand her over to us, but he wants us to give him enough money so that he can lose himself where the CIA can never find him.”

  “And how much is that?”

  “Thirty million. But I can negotiate.”

  “Pay it. I don’t want any slipups. You can get it back later.” He smiled sardonically. “The CIA might not be able to find him, but I have faith in you, Kraus.”

  “When it suits you,” Kraus said sarcastically. “But you should have faith, I’ve never failed you. I promised I’d find her for you, and soon I’ll give her to you, gift-wrapped.”

  “I don’t like the word soon. I want her now. I want to see her suffer before she dies.” He frowned. “You should let me do the negotiating with your contact. I told you that before.”

  “I seem to be managing fairly well. And he only wants to talk to me. He’s probably afraid of you.” He stood up. “I’ll tell him that he’ll get his price, and you want the woman as soon as possible.” He headed for the door. “I guarantee you’ll have her to play with long before it’s time to do the final kill.”

  Huber still looked discontented. “It’s all too … remote. I don’t feel like being patient. I don’t want to wait. I want her to know what’s in store for her.”

  “Surprise ambush is always the best plan.”

  “Not when I want it another way,” Huber said pettishly. “I want to talk to her. Set it up so that I can do that without her tracing the call. You can do that, can’t you?”

  “With difficulty, now that she might be aware we think she’s a threat. My way would be better.” He added persuasively, “Just let me handle it. I’ve already got a plan in the works that will bring her to you on her knees.”

  Huber frowned. “This wonderful contact of yours? Thirty million isn’t at all humble, Kraus.”

  “No, another backup that will please you even more.”

  “Nothing would please me more than to tell that bitch what I’m going to do to her.”

  And the prick was stuck in a groove and wouldn’t be moved. Okay, give him what he wanted and make the adjustment that would suit himself. “Then, of course, I’ll give you what you want. Don’t I always?”

  “When?”

  “Soon. I promise you.” He glanced back over his shoulder. “You’re not planning on being in San Francisco tomorrow? I’ll have to arrange special protection if you are.”

  “No.” He shook his head regretfully. “It’s tempting, I’d like to see it close-up. But it’s only a minor event, and I trust that you’ve made it memorable. I believe I’ll wait until the twenty-fifth to make my appearance. That’s the grand occasion that will make everyone realize that no one can touch me. Is everything going forward as planned for that?”

  He nodded. “As you planned. Lawrence Fasrain was never my choice. I do
n’t trust those mongrels. I believe them all to be a little mad. But I’ve done as you’ve asked me to do. He’ll be ready by next week. Between the drugs we’ve furnished and those last three weeks of religious instructions the Imam has given him, he’s been honed to a fine edge. He can’t wait for his chance to go to Paradise. You’ll probably be pleased.” He opened the door. “But if you’re interested in watching the excitement generated by your surprise play tomorrow, tune in to CNN at noon. They should have the best coverage.”

  “Wait.”

  He glanced back at Huber. “Yes?”

  “I want his name,” he said impatiently. “You’re being entirely too secretive about this damn contact. You must know more than you’re telling me. There must be a way you can contact him.”

  “He calls me. I’ve tried to trace the calls, but I’ve come up with zilch. He said he’d call tonight for a yes or no to his proposal. Maybe I can get more information then.”

  “See that you do.”

  “As for his name … that would make it entirely too easy for me to track him.” He turned to leave. “He calls himself Nemesis.”

  * * *

  “Nemesis,” Catherine repeated. “It sounds like he’s no better than Huber.” She glanced at Brandon. “And you weren’t able to trace his IP address?”

  Brandon shook his head. “It bounced off half a dozen satellites in Europe and the Middle East. It’s tremendously well crafted. I have Monty working on it, but even if he cracks it, there’s a chance it might be too late.” He paused. “We might need all the luck we can get. And chatter. What have you heard about a possible incident occurring in the next few days?”

  “Nothing.” She glanced at Rachel. “As soon as you told me about that damn email, I tried to gather every bit of info I could from our sources here on the West Coast. Nothing definitive. In high-risk situations, there are always alerts because everyone is on guard, but I can’t see a threat to any specific place or person.”

  “But there has to be a threat,” Rachel said. “And I don’t want to find out when the threat becomes reality.”

  “Do you think I do?” Catherine’s eyes shifted to Brandon. “You’re certain that Venable thought that Nemesis was the real McCoy?”

  “He got himself shot trying to get information from him. You can’t have much more faith than that,” Brandon said dryly. “He was very closemouthed about Nemesis. But whether Nemesis is as crooked as Huber or not, Venable thought his information was valid and could tip the scales.”

  “And Venable must have been ready to set up a funds transfer before he was killed,” Catherine said. “That amount of money isn’t exorbitant for the company to pay in circumstances like this, but they would have had to trust the operative who was dispensing it. Only someone as powerful as Venable would have that kind of clout.” She paused. “But it’s not likely he’d be able to do it alone.”

  “Claire Warren?” Brandon asked.

  “Maybe. She does have clout. And who the hell knows what she’s doing at any given time.”

  “Who, indeed?” he murmured.

  “Then would she know more than we do about Nemesis?” Rachel asked. “Could she help us reach him and make him talk?”

  “I doubt if she can if he was Venable’s asset.” She added grimly, “But I think we’re going to have to try to find out. It’s too dangerous not to do it. Not only might she have information we need, but she can bring in all the technical skill of the Company to try to trace him. No insult to your Monty, but he’s in Neanderthal category compared to our tech center.”

  “You’d be surprised. Monty would definitely consider that an insult.” He grimaced. “Though I agree that Venable got some amazing results using them on occasion. But with Claire, there’s always a trade-off. I was hoping we wouldn’t have to deal with her.”

  “But this could be an emergency,” Rachel said. “She’s CIA, like my father. Surely she wouldn’t play games with so much at stake.”

  “She likes games,” Catherine said dryly. “How do you think she climbed so high in the CIA? And we have nothing concrete to give her. Nemesis’s email was incredibly lacking in details, and he didn’t even say outright that he was talking about a terrorist event tomorrow. She could believe it or not. If she chooses to believe it, then her duty would involve going after the terrorists full-scale. That would mean bringing in the FBI and Homeland Security, which becomes very complicated and a big headache. At that point, she’s going to want something for sticking her neck out and taking the risk.”

  “My father wouldn’t,” Rachel said. “He’d take the chance because it was the right thing to do.”

  “Yes, he would,” Catherine said quietly. “But then he was a patriot. There aren’t that many around. Claire Warren will do her job, but you can bet she’s going to bargain to get all she can that will help her climb the ladder.”

  “And you believe you know what the bargaining point is going to be,” Brandon said slowly.

  “And so do you,” Catherine said. “She’s going to want Rachel.”

  “No way,” he said flatly.

  “I agree,” Catherine said. “But we’ve got to be prepared for it. She knows Huber wants her, and she’ll assume she can use her.” She smiled crookedly. “She’s well versed in the art of using people. Of course, she doesn’t know our Rachel. She thinks she’s a do-gooder who was probably manipulated by Venable. She might have a few surprises coming.”

  “Those surprises could ignite a number of uncomfortable actions on Claire’s part. I’d prefer that Rachel not have to face them.”

  “Are you quite through talking about me as if I weren’t here?” Rachel asked in exasperation. “It’s my decision if I judge it worth it. Can Claire Warren be of value?”

  “There’s a chance she might be,” Brandon said.

  “Is there anyone else who will give us a better chance?”

  He was silent. “Not that I can confirm positively at this time.”

  She looked at Catherine.

  Catherine shook her head.

  “Then we go to see Claire Warren,” Rachel said. “Right away. Will you call her and see if she’s available to see us?”

  “Oh, she’ll be available if she knows you’re coming,” Catherine said wryly. “She’ll consider you a lamb I’m leading to the slaughter. She might even write me a letter of commendation.”

  “You’re going to do this?” Brandon asked Rachel.

  “Yes. I’ve got to see what she’s got to offer. She’s CIA. I can’t believe she won’t try to help when she realizes what it could mean,” Rachel said. “There’s not much time. Less than twenty-four hours.”

  Brandon turned back to Catherine. “Then we meet with Claire at one of the sidewalk cafes in the Mission District. Alone. No hotel. Crowds of people all around.”

  “I’ll take care of it. Though it’s not likely that Claire will try to—”

  “I’m not taking chances,” he said. “I don’t like the idea of Rachel’s being used.” He smiled mockingly. “Though she will tell you that I have a tendency in that direction myself. But I’ve always been a selfish bastard. I don’t like to share.”

  “Whatever,” Catherine said. “My job will be to make sure neither of you causes Rachel problems.” She got to her feet and took out her phone. “And now I’ll go tell her the lamb is ready to be presented to her.” She strolled out onto the veranda as she punched the number. “And warn her that presentation is all she’s going to take away from the meeting.”

  Rachel watched her pace across the veranda as she talked to Claire. “It might not be that easy to resolve if Claire’s anything like my father,” she murmured. “He seldom took no for an answer.”

  “She’s nothing like Venable,” Brandon said. “The only thing they had in common was that they both have a bulldog perseverance. Claire is very political, and her efforts are usually aimed in that direction. She often takes a step beyond to get what she wants. Venable kept his efforts within bounds becau
se his ambitions weren’t focused on his career but on the current mission.”

  “You know them both very well.” Her gaze was narrowed on his face. “You’ve told me about the relationship with my father. But not about Claire Warren.”

  He shrugged. “I admit I explored that possibility. I thought at one time she might be more valuable to me than Venable. Ambition can be hard and ruthless and jump-start everything in its path. I wanted to move faster.”

  “But you changed your mind?”

  “We played games with each other for a few weeks, then I decided that she was taking too much of my time trying to manipulate me. It was easier and more efficient dealing with Venable.”

  “Games?”

  “We slept together,” he said bluntly. “I told you that she has no problem going the step beyond. She thought that would seal the deal.”

  She felt a ripple of shock. “And I’m certain you had no problem. Catherine said that she’s attractive.”

  “No problem at all. I told you, with us it was a game.” He added quietly, “I’m trying to be honest with you. I realize that you might not be able to look upon sex in that light considering what you went through.”

  “No, I can’t.” She moistened her lips. “It took me a long time, but I’ve gotten to the point where I accept sex as joy, but I couldn’t regard it as a competitive game.” She shrugged. “But there are all kinds of people in the world. I guess you can, Brandon. It’s not my business.”

  “If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t be mentioning it. Everything we do together from now on has to do with us. Since Claire Warren is a factor, then you have the right to know everything I know about her.” His lips twisted. “Even though I didn’t want to tell you. I was afraid you’d take it like this. You just had to be aware that I know Claire and that you should pay attention to me if I tell you we have to walk away from that table this afternoon. And if I tell you to run away from that table, you do it.”

  She nodded. “Of course I will. I don’t believe your relationship with her would make you abandon me. I just had a little trouble understanding the nuances.”

  “There were no nuances. It was just a game where sex was just another— Never mind. Just try to forget it.” He got to his feet. “I’ve got a call to make to Monty. Let me know when Catherine has the meeting set up.”