by J. C. Fields
Neither Joseph nor JR commented.
“When Nadia appeared in my crosshairs, I realized something was horribly wrong. My first reaction was to get to her as quickly as possible. When I got there, she stared up at me and said something, I don’t remember what because I was too busy getting her out of the chair. That’s the only reason the bullet didn’t hit her. It hit the sidewalk behind her as we ran.”
The room was silent as Wolfe stared at Nadia. She bowed her head and nodded. “He saved my life.”
“Okay, Nadia, why were you there?”
She looked at Joseph. “An assignment by my new controller.”
“Who was he?”
“He was a she. I was never introduced. I was told someone would be in touch and I would know who by the contact procedures.”
“Did you ever see her?”
“No, I only had one phone conversation. It was short and she didn’t elaborate.”
“Is that normal?”
“What’s normal? I am not exactly in a normal business, Joseph. It was within standard parameters of contact. Her contact protocols were precise and she answered the challenge questions correctly.”
Joseph nodded. “Okay, what then?”
“She explained I needed to be in Barcelona to meet an undercover agent who had knowledge of an ISIS attack on Tel Aviv.”
“How were you supposed to know this agent?”
“He was to ask directions to a specific restaurant.”
“No picture?”
“No.”
“I take it no one at the rendezvous asked about the restaurant.”
She shook her head. “No. Next thing I know, I see Michael running toward me. When he got there, I stared at him and asked what he was doing. He grabbed my arm and pulled me into the crowd. I felt the sting of the bullet and heard it ricochet behind me.”
“Was there another shot?”
“I have no idea. I followed Michael and we ran. If he had not grabbed my arm and pulled me away…”
“I understand.” Joseph turned to Michael. “I take it you realized something was wrong when you saw Nadia?”
He nodded. “Yeah, by the time I got to her, I knew we’d been set up. I knew where the shot would come from. I knew when the shot would be fired and I realized I had been played. The shot would not come until I was in the range of the scope. That was why I pulled her out of the chair so hard. It was the only thing I could do to disrupt the plan.”
Wolfe took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Nadia hugged his arm.
He continued. “With that one rifle shot, the fog clogging my brain after leaving Israel melted away. My reactions were back and the ability to anticipate the moves of my opponent heightened. I awoke from a three-year nightmare and was not going to let anyone take Nadia away again.”
JR noticed tears pooling in Nadia’s eyes. He asked, “If both of you were so miserable about being apart, why did you allow it?”
Wolfe shook his head, “I felt my presence in Israel was endangering Nadia. She was told a similar lie.”
“Glad you figured it out.”
“We were manipulated by an individual or individuals with ulterior motives.”
Joseph frowned. “Motive of the state or personal motives?”
Nadia looked at Joseph. “We don’t know.”
“Do either of you believe the set up in Barcelona was because of your personal relationship?”
Wolfe glanced at Nadia. Both shrugged. He said, “We don’t know. Asa Gerlis was dead by that time and so was Geoffrey Canfield, though I didn’t know it at the time.”
Joseph smiled and tilted his head. “Are you sure Asa Gerlis is dead?”
Nadia crossed her arms. “Do you know something we don’t know?”
“Maybe.”
Wolfe narrowed his eyes and glared at Joseph. “Don’t start lying to me now, not after all these years.”
“There’s a rumor, mind you, it’s only a rumor, that Asa was not beheaded in the video circulated by ISIS.”
“It looked real to me.” Wolfe frowned. He turned to Nadia. “Did you see it?”
She shook her head.
He turned back to Joseph. “What evidence do you have it wasn’t Asa on the video?”
JR answered, “Computer graphics.”
“How?”
Joseph turned to JR. “Want to show them?”
With a grin, JR opened his laptop and pressed the enter key. After several moments of typing, he turned the computer around so that Nadia and Wolfe could see. There was no sound as the video started. The masked figure dressed in black stood behind a kneeling subject, his knife pointing at the camera as his mouth moved. Suddenly, the knife went to the kneeling man’s throat and the video froze. JR turned the computer around and typed furiously. Smiling, he turned it around again. The same video played, only this time, the person kneeling was Asa Gerlis. Nadia gasped and Wolfe leaned over to study it closer.
JR turned it back and said, “It took me less than a minute to change the face of the victim. What if I took my time to make it more realistic?”
Wolfe nodded and Nadia’s face grew crimson. “They faked his death,” they said in unison.
JR turned his attention to them. “I believe someone did. I haven’t looked at the original video, but it would be easy to do. I would even venture a guess the video wasn’t circulated by ISIS.”
“What do you mean?” This from Nadia.
“Why would ISIS help a Mossad agent fake his own death?”
Wolfe nodded. He was quiet for a few more moments. “You’re right—it doesn’t make sense. But what if he was an ISIS mole?”
JR shook his head. “Gerlis was in Israel long before ISIS was even a concept.”
“Well, there is that.”
Joseph stood and walked to the breakfast bar. After seeing the coffee pot was empty, he started preparing a new batch. When he was done, he turned and leaned against the edge. “I spoke to one of my contacts with MI6. There is skepticism about Geoffrey’s death as well. Apparently, he kept in touch with some of his old mates and told one of them he’d passed a stress test in September with flying colors.”
Wolfe raised an eyebrow. “Is anyone looking into it?”
“Kind of hard. His family had him cremated.”
“What do you think, Joseph?”
“I hadn’t seen Geoffrey for a long time. The individual I spoke to had, however. He told me Geoffrey took care of himself, didn’t drink to excess and had never smoked. He wasn’t overweight and walked his dog every morning, rain or shine.”
“If Asa Gerlis’ death was fake and Geoffrey Canfield’s death was suspicious, Nadia and I have a bigger problem than I originally thought.”
Joseph nodded. “I would agree. What do you think, JR?”
Looking up from his computer, he said, “Whoever set you up in Barcelona knows you escaped. That’s a given. Once we plant the seed you two were killed in Mexico City, it should give you a little freedom to move around. Particularly with your new status as citizens of Missouri.”
Wolfe stood and walked toward the window in the front room. He stood there with his hands behind his back. Nadia did not follow him. Several minutes passed before he said anything. “What is the address on my driver’s license, JR?”
“For lack of a better idea, I used a condo complex on Table Rock Lake.”
“Good. We’ll drive there tomorrow and find one to rent. Then we can change our address when we get the new licenses.” He heard JR typing. “How hard would it be to set up a satellite internet connection here?”
“Easier than you think. Register it at the place you rent on Table Rock Lake.”
Wolfe nodded. “Would you set it up?”
“Be happy to.”
“I’m going to buy a new computer. We need to do some research.” He turned, his eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed. “I’m tired of running and hiding. We’ll let things settle down for a while, then we’ll start looking for answers.”
<
br /> Nadia smiled and nodded ever so slightly.
Chapter 6
Branson, MO
L ocated in a strip mall on the north end of Branson, the local Department of Motor Vehicles licensing office sat next to a large grocery store. Operated by an independent contractor, long lines were the norm. This day was no exception. Wolfe and Nadia stood patiently waiting for one of the minimum-wage clerks to be available. Inching their way forward in the line, their wait lasted thirty minutes.
Delaying their trip to Branson for two weeks had given Wolfe time to grow a goatee and mustache. His hair was longer and he wore non-prescription glasses. Nadia had dyed her dark brown hair to a light brown and also wore glasses. While not drastic these small changes would help make subtle differences with their license photos.
The overweight clerk appeared to be in her early twenties. Sitting behind a chest-high counter with a computer screen and a keyboard in front of her, she looked at Wolfe and then at Nadia with bored eyes. “Renewal?”
Michael smiled. “No, we lost our licenses.”
“Stolen?”
“No, lost.”
“Name?”
Handing the woman his new birth certificate, he stated the name and smiled again.
The young woman stared at the document and then typed on her keyboard. “Okay.” She looked at Nadia. “Name?”
Nadia followed the same procedure and stated her name.
“Yup, there they are.” She typed again and then looked up. “I’ll need your social security numbers and proof of residence. Do you want new license numbers?”
Both Wolfe and Nadia said yes and offered the utility bill provided by JR for the address currently on file.
“Okay. Sit over there and I’ll take your pictures.”
Ten minutes later, Michael and Nadia walked out of the DMV with brand new driver’s licenses. Michael studied his and shook his head. “Amazing.”
“Do you think getting new passports will be as easy?”
“I don’t see why they wouldn’t be. Joseph said JR’s work is always solid.” He stared at the plastic card and shook his head. “I still can’t believe it.”
The view off the back deck was breathtaking. A hundred feet below, the trees on the opposite side of the cove were brilliant in their fall golds, reds, and yellows. Michael leaned against the wood railing and stared out over the lake. It was the third condo on their list and this one felt right. He turned to Nadia, who was also spellbound by the view. “What do you think?”
“Is it always this beautiful here?”
“No, we have four distinct seasons in this part of Missouri. Fall is my favorite and I like spring, too. But summers can be brutal as are the winters. Winters are pretty on occasion with freshly fallen snow, but as a rule, it’s brown and colorless.”
Nadia turned toward him. “What if we forget about our past and move on with the identities JR created for us? If they think we are dead, they will not look for us.” She paused briefly. “It is so beautiful here, Michael. I could get used to it.”
He gave her a half smile. “Yes, so could I. But I really don’t want to be looking over my shoulder for the rest of our lives.”
“The rest of our lives?”
He nodded as he returned his gaze to the lake. “Yes, ours.”
She smiled. “I like this one.”
“So, do I. Let’s sign the paperwork.”
It took a few days to finalize the one-year lease. Now with the completion of the paperwork and buying furniture for the condo, Nadia and Wolfe sat at their kitchen table, listening to JR Diminski explain how to set up their satellite internet connection.
Nadia absorbed every word while it went right over Wolfe’s head. His mind wandered while JR explained.
When Diminski finished, he asked. “Does that make sense?”
Nodding and looking at her notes, Nadia said, “It’s simple when you think about it.”
“Yes, it is. What about you, Michael?”
He did not answer right away as he stared out the sliding glass door leading to the deck. “As long as Nadia understands, we’re good.”
JR followed Wolfe’s gaze. “Great location.”
Wolfe nodded.
Nadia placed her hand on his. “What is wrong, Michael?”
He shook his head. “Nothing.”
Crossing his arms, JR straightened in his chair. “Joseph heard from one of his contacts at the agency.”
This brought Wolfe’s attention back to the conversation. He looked at JR. “And?”
“The Mossad thinks one of their agents and a former member of the CIA met with foul play in Mexico City. They wanted to know if the agency knew anything.”
“What else?”
“A Mossad safe house was ransacked and it appeared two individuals were shot while in bed. No bodies, but the blood was analyzed. That’s how they knew who the victims were.”
Wolfe smiled. “Twenty-two hollow point to the head? Not a lot of blood that way.”
Diminski shrugged. “Don’t know the details. Joseph was told the agency would be cooperating with Mossad in trying to find out what happened.”
Returning his gaze to the glass door, Wolfe remained quiet for several moments. “Without bodies, they will have doubts. But it should slow their efforts to locate us for a while.”
“Joseph believes it will stop the search completely.”
“Why?” Wolfe looked at JR again.
“A couple of passports washed ashore a couple of miles apart in the providence of Veracruz. They’d been in the Gulf for about a week.”
“Ours?”
JR nodded.
Wolfe’s smile returned. “Even better. It won’t convince them completely, but it should help.”
Nadia raised her eyebrows. “What about Asa Gerlis?”
Standing, Wolfe walked over to the glass door and watched a hawk soar above the condo. “He’s the wild card. We know he faked his own death and more than likely orchestrated the events in Barcelona. He might not be so easily fooled by our ruse in Mexico City.”
JR asked, “Why do you think he would fake his own death?”
“Don’t know, unless he really was a double agent.”
After thinking about Wolfe’s comment, Nadia narrowed her eyes. “He said something the last time I saw him. I thought it strange at the time, but now it makes sense.”
Turning to look at Nadia, Wolfe asked. “What did he say?”
“Something about the guardians of the state needed to be more vigilant because Israel was on the edge of a precipice.”
“When was this?”
“Two weeks before he disappeared.”
“We need to find out where he is.”
Nadia frowned. “That would mean traveling overseas. I’m not sure I want to right now.”
Nodding, Wolfe said, “I really don’t want to either.”
JR placed the laptop into his backpack and stood. “Want some advice?”
Turning slowly, Wolfe looked at JR. “Depends.”
“Joseph thinks you should both forget what happened and move on. I disagree.”
Nadia narrowed her eyes. “Why do you disagree?”
“Personal experience. If they’re still looking for you, they will eventually find you, no matter how well you’ve covered your tracks.”
“How will we know if they’re looking for us?”
With a sly grin, JR tapped his backpack. “You won’t. Without Joseph’s knowledge, I’ve placed a few tripwires in a couple of high-level computers at Langley and in Tel-Aviv. If anyone uses your real names in an email or places them into a database search, I’ll know about it.”
Wolfe raised an eyebrow. “Thank you.” He paused for a heartbeat. “Why are you helping us?”
The hacker shrugged. “I needed to disappear a few years ago myself. Couple of people helped me. It’s time I paid the favor forward. Besides…” He gave them a sly grin. “The system is rigged against the individual. I enjoy making th
e odds better for the little guy.”
Without another word, he slipped the backpack over his shoulder and left the condo.
Chapter 7
Virginia Countryside, Southeast of Alexandria
G erald Reid watched the security camera video on the forty-inch flat screen monitor for the third time. “Play it again, slower this time.”
Kendra Burges used a mouse to move the video’s progress bar back and to slow the presentation rate. She then played the clip again.
Reid was concentrating on the screen when he held his hand up. “Freeze at 11:03:23.”
“Yes, sir.”
Leaning closer to the monitor, he pointed at the image. “He knows where the shooter is. Right there, he glances up to his left. Amazing. He knew what was going to happen. Go to the same timestamp on the bank camera video, please.”
The scene was the same, just from a different perspective. “There, he knows.”
“I would agree, Gerald.”
Sitting straighter, Reid pursed his lips. “How did he know?”
“Training?”
Reid didn’t answer. After several minutes, he crossed his arms and raised his right hand to his chin. “He knew because he was also there as a sniper. He knew where all the best hides were located. Someone set them both up. They knew Wolfe wouldn’t shoot her—he’d run to her and both would be the real sniper’s crosshairs. His grabbing her arm saved her life.”
Burges looked up from her laptop she was using to control the video. “Why were they set up?”
Reid shook his head. “A good question. I don’t know. But I intend to find out.”
As a twenty-five-year veteran of the CIA, Gerald Reid currently held the position of an assistant director in the counter-terrorism division. A graduate of West Point, he left the army after two years and joined the CIA just before the events of Operation Desert Shield. Currently, he faced the daunting task of finding a man who was well-trained at being invisible and hiding in plain sight: ex-CIA employee, Michael Wolfe.
