“The boy is on to you,” A female voice called from the shadows of the room.
Franklin took a deep breath, “I thought it was understood that I got some privacy. I keep my babysitter nearby as instructed when I am out. I don’t appreciate one being in my home.”
“I’m not here to babysit you, I am here to warn you.”
“Then you can do it during business hours,” Franklin said, taking a long sip of his brandy.
“You need to watch your tone. You have been placed where you are for a reason. You let on to the boy that you know about him. That is a very dangerous thing to do,” the woman replied.
“Okay, I get your whole dramatics thing, but I am in no mood. I know what is at stake and you can tell your boss that I know my job and how to do it. I don’t report to her, she doesn’t call the shots,” Franklin barked back, “and if you want, I can go to mine and tell them that yours is interfering and overstepping boundaries.”
The woman laughed, “You presume to know everything. You need to watch your back. You don’t want to end up on the wrong side of this.”
A sharp stabbing pain struck Franklin in his neck. It was a dart. He felt the room starting to spin as he lost consciousness. When he came to, the woman was gone. He never saw her face, but he knew she had to be one of Ming’s girls. The dart was still sticking from his neck. He pulled it out and looked at the markings on the side, ‘Soldat Ind’ it read on the side. Franklin felt his hands shake as he threw it on the floor. The dart bounced and landed under his desk. Franklin’s entire body was shaking as he ran from the room. He moved quickly to his bedroom and slammed the door behind him. He would contact his bosses in the morning.
Chapter
22
James had the same mindset as Franklin when he woke up. He needed to contact Ray. James made his way to the phone and rapidly dialed the number Ray had given them to contact.
The phone rang three times before a very sleepy Ray answered the phone, “Hello?” he questioned.
“Oh, shit, I forgot about the time difference. It’s the middle of the night isn’t it?” James asked, concerned.
“Yes it is,” Ray replied getting his bearings. “But what’s going on?”
James couldn’t stop himself from blurting it out, “The prime minister knew my mother.”
There was a long pause on the other side of the line, then Ray responded, “How do you know that?”
“I asked him about her and he had this look on his face. He knew her.” James rushed through his words.
“And what is significant about this in your mission to keep an eye on the ambassador?” Ray asked, almost annoyed.
James realized he was focusing on the wrong thing, he was there to do a job and that should be his focus. “I’m sorry, sir, the ambassador is a womanizing jerk, but seems pretty harmless. We haven’t seen anything to implicate him as being corrupt or a danger.”
Ray was silent for a moment, “Okay, thank you for the update. Please stay focused on your mission and I will stay on the other matter.”
James understood him clearly, “Yes, sir.” He heard the phone click on Ray’s end.
James also hung the phone up and looked around. Both Chessy and Greg were still asleep, so he figured he would do the same and returned to his bedroom back to sleep.
Ray, on the other hand, couldn’t fall back asleep. He lay there in his bed just staring at his black ceiling fan as it spun over his head. The moonlight was gleaming through the window to his left. Ray sat up in the bed and looked to the window. He couldn’t sit still anymore so he got out of bed. Ray pulled his hands through his blonde hair and rubbed his neck. The moonlight struck his body as he stood, his bare chest was revealed showing a large tattoo on his left upper chest, the mark of a navy seal. Ray made his way to the window and stared out into the darkness. Ray had been struggling to sleep ever since he met James for the first time. He had been holding onto his secrets. He couldn’t let James know what he knew. James wasn’t responsible for all of it and it was still coming around to plague him. “Franklin knew her,” Ray let out as he stared out the window.
“Who else’s life did she effect?” He questioned aloud. Ray clenched his eyes shut as Marie’s face came to his mind. He couldn’t forget her. About a year and a half after she went missing, his unit had been sent after her. Gold had used his resources within the government to get the best to capture her. Ray could remember the mission so clearly. They were told she was a risk to national security and that she needed to be brought in alive to see what she knew and who she had told. She knew things, they told him, things they couldn’t even tell him. The day they caught up with her, they found her in an abandoned warehouse in upstate New York. They thought they would take her by surprise, but it was almost as though she knew they were coming. They had set up two snipers, himself included. Ray could remember taking his position in the upper rafters of the building and making visual contact with his partner placed on the other side of the building. They had found the heat signature indicating that she was in an old office in the back of the building. Ray sighted his gun on the office to try to make a visual of her through the frosted glass, but couldn’t.
He radioed to his unit, “No visual, be prepared to go in by force.”
He waited silently for the rest of the unit to storm the building. The remaining four members of his unit entered the building moments later, dressed for combat, automatic rifles in their hands. They had been ordered to bring her back alive, but were warned that she was a physical threat and to be prepared to wound her to subdue her. They swiftly busted the glass of the window and threw a tear gas canister though the window and moved back, guns readied. Ray could still not get visual.
“United States Government, come out and surrender. You are surrounded!” one of his team members called out.
“You know it’s hard for me to surrender when I’m behind you,” Marie replied as she appeared from behind the soldiers.
They had all quickly turned and pointed their guns. Ray had been taken off guard as well. He re-positioned himself to have her in his sights. She was not what he had imagined. Dressed all in black, a black tank top with black shorts, her short dark hair lay flat to her head, Ray spotted two knives holstered on her back. Marie held her hands in the air as she faced the soldiers.
“Now, I have no desire for this to get messy, so it’s time for you boys to leave.”
“We are not going anywhere. We are bringing you in,” one of the soldiers replied.
Marie lowered her hands to her side, “You are not in charge, sweetie, so I wasn’t talking to you. I want to talk to the one in charge if you want me to even consider surrendering.”
Ray knew that meant him, she wanted to talk to him.
One soldier looked up toward Ray.
Marie followed his line of sight, “So, the boss is upstairs. Come down sweetie, so we can talk.”
Ray knew she was dangerous and the thought of losing any of his men in her apprehension made his choice easy, “Okay, I am coming down,” Ray said, standing up and revealing himself to her.
Marie smiled at him, her eyes locked onto his.
Ray moved down from his post to the ground and stepped in front of his men.
“Mask off, I won’t talk to anyone wearing a costume,” Marie said, pointing to the black mask that was covering Ray’s face and leaving only his blue eyes visible.
Ray pulled the mask off his face. “Okay, my mask is off. Let’s talk this out. What do I have to do to get you to surrender peacefully?”
Marie had a sly smile on her face, “Seals, right? What does the US Military want with me, huh?”
“You have been deemed a threat to national security.”
“Well, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. You are errand boys out to clean up someone else’s mess. I am not going back and you are not supposed to kill me. So, I can put you all in the hospital or you can let me walk out of here.”
Ray was about to respond when the sol
dier standing to his left shot a round at Marie, grazing her in the right thigh.
Marie didn’t move.
Ray yelled at the soldier, “Hold your fire!” As Ray turned back to Marie, he could see her face had changed, her eyes were dark and her playful smile was gone. However, his eyes were drawn to her leg. The bleeding had stopped. Ray looked back to her eyes, “What are you?” he questioned.
“The wrong person to fuck with!” Marie barked as she attacked. That was the last thing Ray remembered. When he came to, she was gone and all of his men were either dead or unconscious. That scene played over in Ray’s head every day since it happened. He had spent the rest of his career searching for more information on her. It took him joining the CIA to get the access he needed to learn about Soldat Industries and the truth behind who she was and why they had wanted her. He had learned about her death, but her body had been burned before they could retrieve it for testing. He had heard rumors that she had a child, but never actually expected to come into contact with him. James telling him about his memories of his mother just fit the information he had on Marie. James was Marie’s son. But she was dead. Why were people still talking about her? Ray continued to stare out the window. Could James hold the same power to heal as her? Did his superiors know who James really was? Was that why they recruited him in the first place? Ray shook his head. He knew that if that was true, James would become a target if he wasn’t one already. Ray had to keep it from him. It was the only way to protect him.
Chapter
23
James stayed on track as Ray had instructed him. Huntsman had a real affinity for James and had him by his side as often as he could. James played along. Chessy and Greg were kept separate from James while they were at the Embassy. They didn’t mind getting to spend less time with Huntsman, but were regularly getting placed on petty assignments. Chessy’s least favorite was babysitting the interns. However, she noticed an oddity when it came to the interns. Blossom had almost been promoted. She worked as Huntsman’s assistant. Leaving her and James regularly working side by side.
“He’s sleeping with her,” Chessy blurted out as the three of them returned to the apartment after a long week at the Embassy.
“Who’s sleeping with her and who are you talking about?” Greg asked, opening the refrigerator and grabbing a beer.
“Blossom. Huntsman is sleeping with her,” Chessy replied.
James laughed, “You have got to let that go. We have been at the Embassy for six months and I have never seen her and him do anything inappropriate.”
“Besides, she appears to be stuck on you, James,” Greg replied taking a drink.
James smiled, “Yah, no, I am good. She’s cute and all, but not my type.” James winked at Chessy.
“You’re not cute, so stop. Something is up with her. She has him like under a spell or something. Huntsman is obsessed with her.”
“She’s pretty and young, and he’s a dirty bird. Why are you so suspicious of this?” Greg questioned.
“She is stretching to find something because we have found nothing. Six months and nothing, but hours of playing nice with him. He’s not up to anything, this has been a waste of time. I am still more curious about Franklin,” James added.
“Personally I say go for it. Get a meeting with him and talk with him one on one. Huntsman seems to be in love with you, too, so I am sure he can arrange it,” Greg chuckled.
“Your thoughts?” James looked to Chessy.
“Go for it, but I still think she is up to something,” Chessy said as she retrieved a beer for herself. She grabbed a second one and tossed it to James, “You’re of age here,” she said with a laugh.
James smiled as he twisted the top off. He lifted it in the air, “To the most boring assignment they could have possibly of given us.”
Chessy and Greg raised their beers and laughed.
The following morning, they were awakened before the sun came up with the phone ringing. Chessy made it to the phone first. Greg and James heard it but pretended not to.
Chessy answered the phone, “Yes sir. We are on our way. I understand.”
James could hear Chessy running down the hallway, “Guys, we gotta move now!”
“What are you talking about?” James slurred out.
“That was Ray. The ambassador in France has been attacked. He’s dead. We have to report to Huntsman now!”
James and Greg jumped from their beds and the three got dressed in a hurry.
“There is a car waiting,” Chessy yelled, finishing getting dressed and readying her gun. Their suits on and guns readied, they quickly made their way to the awaiting car. They loaded up into the car and sat in silence as the car made its way to Huntsman’s residence.
“Did he say anything about Tim?” Greg questioned to Chessy.
James felt his heart drop; he had forgotten that Tim was stationed there.
“No, he said nothing. Just that the ambassador was killed and his wife was missing,” Chessy replied.
“So they think there is an attack on all of our ambassadors or do they have some intel?” James questioned.
“He didn’t say. Just that we were to get to Huntsman immediately and await further instructions,” Chessy replied calmly.
As calmly as they were trying to talk to each other, Tim's fate was weighing heavily on all three of them. As the car pulled up at the estate, they could see security was in full force.
They were waved through the gate and greeted by Angela at the front door. “The ambassador is still sleeping. He was awakened and informed of the situation but returned to bed shortly after. I ask that you remain quiet,” she instructed, as she lead them into the home.
They made their way up the stairs and to the room next to Huntsman’s bedroom.
“I have stationed agents and Marines around the perimeter. You are tasked with staying by his side.”
“Do you have any information on what the threat is?” James inquired.
“No, we don’t. Only that we lost an Ambassador today. I don’t intend to lose another,” Angela chided.
“Yes, ma’am,” Chessy replied.
“You are not to wake him. However, I have a camera in his room so you can watch him.” Angela handed Greg a tablet.
The three of them looked at it and saw Huntsman asleep in his bed.
“I will leave you three to it,” Angela said, walking from the room.
Greg looked up from the tablet to James and Chessy, “They have no intel on the possible threat? They have no idea what happened to our Ambassador in France? That makes no sense. Tim and Elliot are there. This feels really suspicious.”
“I agree, they must know something. Why are they keeping it from us? It is putting Huntsman in potential danger with us not having all the information,” Chessy said.
“Well, let’s just stay focused on keeping him alive. Hopefully we will hear from Ray at some point and will find out what happened. I just hope Tim is okay,” James added, taking the tablet from Greg and sitting down on the bed.
James looked at the bed, then back to Chessy and Greg. “They must have a surplus of these comforters,” James said with a grin, trying to lighten the mood.
Neither Chessy nor Greg looked amused. James looked back at the tablet screen. Huntsman was moving, he was getting up. “He’s up, let’s go,” James said, tossing the tablet down on the bed.
James left the room with Chessy and Greg in tow. He knocked on Huntsman’s door.
“Yes, who is it?” Huntsman yelled back.
“Sir, it’s James, Greg, and Franchesca. May we come in?”
“Well, she certainly can.” Huntsman said with a laugh.
Chessy rolled her eyes.
“Of course, come on in.”
James turned the doorknob and opened the door. Huntsman was standing next to his bed, wearing nothing but a red bathrobe. “So now the three of you get to spend all your time at my home? Do we have any evidence I am actually in danger?” Huntsman inqu
ired, walking over to his oak desk.
“Sir, we have very little information right now, but a US Ambassador has been killed and his wife is missing,” Greg replied.
Huntsman looked to James. He could tell James was not paying attention, “James, wake up. You are out of it today. You aren’t scared are you?”
James looked to Huntsman, “No sir, but one of my friends was stationed at that Embassy. I am worried about him. I am sorry if I appear absent. I am here to protect you and will do my job,” James said, standing up straight.
Huntsman’s eyes softened, as he ran his hand through his hair again. “I’m sorry to hear that. I hope that he is alright. Which is more than I can say for poor William. And his wife is missing, correct?”
Chessy stepped forward, “Yes, sir.”
Huntsman huffed, “If you ask me, she killed him. I never liked Katrina. She was very demanding with him, always seemed like she had him by the balls.”
Chessy looked away.
Huntsman noticed and looked to James, “She probably caught him cheating and did away with him,” Huntsman said, as he walked to his bathroom. “I’m getting dressed. Please let me know when Blossom arrives.”
“Yes, sir,” James replied.
“I hate to say it, but I am praying Huntsman is right,” Greg said, looking at Chessy and James. They both nodded, but they had no faith that it was just a cheating husband taken out by his wife.
Chapter
24
Their fears were well justified. Ray had boarded a plane as soon as he got the call of the attack. He had arrived in France and was taken to the ambassador’s residence. The three story beige building with dark grey roof was the picture of old world elegance, but was now a crime scene. The grounds were littered with police tape. Members of both French and US authorities were present, conducting interviews and taking evidence. The car pulled around the front of the residence and before the car could even come to a full stop, Ray threw open the door and stepped out of the car and raced up to the front door. He was stopped at the doorway by a tall African American man in a black suit. “Sir, it is a bloodbath in there. I need to brief you before you go in.”
James (Teumessian Trilogy Book 2) Page 9
