by Robin Mahle
“Yeah. Will and I are going to take a trip to see the kids. I won’t be back until late tonight, possibly tomorrow morning.”
“You’re going to New York? Now?”
“I have to, Aaron. I have to see them and know for myself that they’re going to be okay. That they are okay.”
“I’ll make sure she’s safe.” Will returned from the restroom, running his fingers through the waves of his sandy-blonde hair.
“You’ll keep in touch? When you arrive and when you’re on your way back?” he continued.
“Of course. Don’t worry. We’ll be fine. This is just something I have to do.”
Aaron nodded. “If I get any hits on a location for Jian or new intel on Turner, I’ll let you and Delgado know.”
“What about Agent Fraser? Will, you said he was our eyes and ears?”
“I haven’t heard from him yet. I’ll reach out for an update. You should go, Aaron. Don’t want to be late.”
“Right.” A final glance to Lacy. “I’ll see you later. Be safe.”
♦ ♦ ♦
The early start out of D.C. was slowed by traffic but only until they made it farther north. Flying wasn’t an option, as they couldn’t be sure who was watching the airports. And it was only a five-hour drive. By noon or so, they’d arrive.
What Lacy hadn’t worked out yet was whether she would meet with Megan first or go to the school and stay in the background, hoping for a glimpse of them. “I’m not sure they’ll want to see me.”
“Of course they will. You’re their mother.” Will kept his eyes on the road.
“I don’t feel like much of one and I haven’t been for the last six months or so. I’ve put them through so much already. They lost Jay, then I sent Celeste away, and now they’re living with cousins and an aunt and uncle they barely knew. I’ve let them down in so many ways, Will.”
“I’ve never known anyone to be so hard on themselves as you are, Lacy. You shoulder the blame for this entire thing. Right from the beginning, I saw that about you. You didn’t make them blow up the mall. You didn’t cause Jay’s death and you certainly aren’t responsible for what’s happening in our own government.” He looked to her. “And you aren’t responsible for Keith Colburn’s death.”
“I could’ve stopped. I could’ve stopped all of this just like you suggested months ago, but I didn’t. I kept at it and kept at it and now you’ve changed your life. Aaron’s changed his and Trevor? He’s in prison, or about to be.”
“You can say what you want, Lacy. But I won’t let you sink down into this pit of despair. You won’t get out of this if you do.”
“Nothing in this life matters without my kids.” She turned away, not wanting him to see her emotions rise to the surface. “You’d understand if you had children.” She could feel his stare and regretted the words the moment they left her lips. But her heart ached and she couldn’t bring herself to apologize.
Several minutes passed, when her phone alerted her to an incoming call. “It’s Aaron.” She answered. “Hey, is everything okay?”
“I found Lei Jian. He arrived in D.C. the day before Sajwani was killed.”
“Why didn’t we know about this sooner?”
“He was issued a new passport by his government. It was essentially a clean slate and so it wasn’t even in the system at all. I ran a check this morning and it finally popped up.”
“Do you know where he is, exactly?”
“No, but I informed Agent Delgado and he’s going to meet with Fraser. Hopefully, he’ll know something from that meeting Turner had last night. Maybe they talked about Jian. Where are you guys?”
“About an hour outside of the city.”
“Are you coming back tonight?”
“In light of this news, I think we’d better.” She looked to Will. “I’ll see what Will thinks and let you know.”
“Okay. Listen, I got to go. I’m outside on the burner, but who the hell knows if they’re listening. Let me know when you arrive, just so I know you’re safe.”
“You be careful, Aaron. Please. I’ll be in touch. Thanks for the update. Goodbye.” She ended the call and looked to Will. “He found Jian.”
“I gathered. Sounds like he’s in D.C.?”
“Yes. He said Delgado and Fraser will be meeting up soon. Should know something after that.”
“Good. I have faith that they’ll find him. Don’t worry. They’ll be all right. I had my doubts about both those guys, Delgado and Fraser, but I think they’ve got our backs.”
“I hope you’re right. If Delgado is playing us, Aaron will be dead before we return.”
“If he was, we’d all be dead. You think I would’ve left Aaron there if I thought he was in that type of immediate danger?”
“I don’t know what I think anymore. I guess that’s the real problem. We’ve been deceived at every turn.”
“You know you can trust me, or are you questioning that now too?”
“No, I’m not. Maybe you’re right. I’m sliding down this slippery slope of lies and deceit and it’s starting to feel like everyone around me is part of it.”
“I think once you see your kids, you’ll find the strength to continue. That’s what you need right now.”
♦ ♦ ♦
Agents Delgado and Fraser waited in their car outside the hotel where Deputy Secretary Turner was holed up.
“You don’t think he’s caught on to you?” Delgado said.
“Not a chance. This guy is fairly oblivious to the dangers that he’s found himself in. He has no idea the lengths to which Lei Jian is willing to go to get what he wants. The dangerous part is that he believes he’s the one in control.”
“Let’s just hope his arrogance continues, because we need to find Jian and I have no doubt Turner will lead us to him.”
“The meeting last night only included a man by the name of Dunn. He works with Turner in some capacity. I’d hoped to get something of use, but I guess Turner doesn’t trust me well enough to reveal much. If we find Jian, where do we go from there?”
“I could take him into custody because he’s not supposed to be in this country at all, but I think that would be a mistake. Somehow, he got in and the tricky part is finding out who helped him. And we need to see him with Turner. Know, without a doubt, the two are colluding. So our only chance at resolution is to keep a tail on him—for now.” Delgado peered through the windshield. “Hang on. Is that him? Is that Jian?”
The two watched a man in a dark suit, medium build, and black hair step out of a Mercedes at the lobby of the hotel.
“Can’t tell from here. Call Hunter on his landline and have him get into their CCTV and see if he can get images for confirmation.”
He made the call. “Hunter, it’s Delgado. I need you to get into the security cameras at the Hotel International. We think Jian’s just arrived.”
“That’s going to take some time.”
“You don’t have it. Just do what you can now!” Delgado waited on the line while Aaron processed the request.
Jian was still inside the lobby.
“I think he’s waiting for Turner to come down,” Fraser said. “What’s he doing? He needs to get that footage now.”
“He’s working on it,” Delgado replied. “Hunter, we’re running out of time. I need confirmation on Jian’s identity.”
“I’m in. Just running it through facial recognition. Give me one minute.” He typed furiously on the other end of the line. “Got it! It’s him!”
“Good. We’ll take it from here.” Delgado ended the call. “I’ll go in. You stay here in case they leave. Follow them. Don’t wait for me. I’ll catch up. We can’t afford to lose him.”
Delgado stepped out of the car and walked from the opposite side of the street toward the hotel. So far, Jian still waited alone in the lobby.
He approached the entrance and slipped in, walking alongside a couple opposite Jian. Staying out of sight, Delgado waited until he finally spotted Turner
approaching. He retrieved his cell phone and began to take pictures of the two together. After only a few minutes, they both walked toward the elevators and disappeared inside.
Delgado hurried back out and approached the car where Fraser still waited. “I got them together.” He slipped into the driver’s seat.
“What now?”
“We wait to see where they go, or if Jian goes alone. And we follow him. He’s planning something.”
♦ ♦ ♦
Will pulled the car alongside the curb and stopped. “What do you want to do?”
Lacy turned to him. “What I want to do is go inside that school and get my children and bring them home with me. That’s what I want to do. What I’m going to do is sit here and stare at the playground until they come out for lunch.” She glanced at her watch. “Which should be any time now. And then I’m going to ask the front desk if I can go back and see them.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“Isn’t that why we’re here? Why we drove for the past five hours? Did you think I was just going to look at them from afar?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know what you wanted to do.”
“Damn it. I shouldn’t be snapping at you. I don’t know what I should do. Hang back, or talk to my sister-in-law. I guess I’m just flying by the seat of my pants right now and I’m taking it out on you.”
“You’re right about what you said before, about me not having kids. While I try to empathize, I can’t. Not really. You’re a mother who’s had to make some extremely difficult choices. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. I’ll stay here. You go on in and see if they’ll let you back.”
“They’ll probably have to call Megan. That’ll be a shock to her, but I know she’ll say yes.” Lacy opened the door. “I won’t be long.”
“Take as much time as you need. I’ll be right here when you get back.”
Lacy smiled and stepped out into the brisk afternoon air. The grey clouds appeared weighty and the winds blustery. She pulled her coat around her waist and walked toward the main entrance of the school, which was secured by a gate across the entire perimeter.
Inside, Lacy approached one of the administrators sitting behind the counter. “Excuse me? My name is Lacy Merrick. My children go to this school. Olivia and Jackson Merrick?”
“Yes. How can I help, ma’am?”
“I’d like to request permission to sit with them at their lunch recess, which I believe is coming up.”
“Are you on the list?”
“No. I’m not. But if you can call my sister-in-law, Megan Butler, she’s their guardian, and she’ll verify my identity.”
The woman regarded her with some concern. “I’ll just be a moment, then, ma’am. Please have a seat.”
Lacy sat down and waited, having no idea if Megan would give permission, but she thought she would. Megan was a good person and while Lacy’s arrival might cause some confusion, she doubted her sister-in-law would deny the request.
“Mrs. Merrick?” The woman peered over her desk. “If you’ll just allow me to copy your identification, you have permission for a visit. I’ll have the children brought here and you may then sit with them for a few minutes, if that will be acceptable?”
“Yes. Yes, very acceptable. Thank you.” Her heart soared at the news. She would at least get a few minutes with them and that would make all the difference. Lacy stared at the door, waiting for them and, for a moment, she forgot everything else.
Her eyes welled when they were escorted inside. Lacy placed her hand over her mouth in disbelief. It had been only ten days, but they were the longest ten days of her entire life. “Oh my goodness.” She opened her arms wide.
“Mommy!” Jackson ran toward her, almost knocking her over with the force of his embrace. “I can’t believe you’re here! I’ve missed you so much!” He pulled back. “Does this mean we’re going home now?”
She looked in his eyes. They lit up with such a sparkle she could hardly believe it. But before she answered, Lacy looked upon her daughter, who stayed several steps away. “Liv.” She stood and walked toward her. “Oh, sweetheart.” Lacy wrapped her arms around her, but Olivia didn’t return the embrace.
“What are you doing here?”
“I—I came to see you.”
“We’re going home! We’re going home!” Jackson shouted.
“Oh no, baby. Not yet. Not just yet, but soon. Very soon.”
“What?” The boy stepped back in disbelief.
“See? I knew it. Why did you bother coming at all?” Olivia asked.
“I wanted to see you.” She looked to the woman. “May I take them out into the hall for a moment?”
The woman nodded, noting the exchange.
Lacy ushered them into the hall where a bench was nearby. “Come here. Sit down for a minute.”
The children sat on the bench, while she crouched down to meet them eye to eye. “I just needed to see you. I didn’t mean to upset you, either of you. My heart has ached every single day we’ve been apart.”
“Why aren’t we going home?” Jackson asked.
“I still have some things to work out. But I promise you, it won’t be long now. How are things with Aunt Megan and Uncle Eric?”
“Fine,” Olivia replied. “They’re nice.”
“I’m so glad to hear that. I knew you’d like them.”
“But, Mommy, I don’t get why we can’t come home yet,” Jackson said.
“I know you don’t, baby, and I wish I could explain it to you, but it’s just not yet the right time. I wish it wasn’t this way, but it is. And I had to see you both just to tell you how much I missed you and how much I love you.”
“Well, you shouldn’t have bothered. Me and Jack are doing just fine without you. Come on Jack, it’s time to have lunch. Aunt Megan packed us a good lunch.”
Lacy stood and watched as Olivia pulled Jack down the hall. He turned back and waved to her. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she waved back. “Goodbye, babies. I love you.”
25
The wind blew Lacy’s hair against her face, but it could not conceal her pained expression and reddened eyes. Will’s heart sank as he watched her approach the car, the outcome of the reunion having manifested clearly in her expression. She stepped inside and closed the door, saying nothing.
“Did you want to drive back or stay here for the night?” he asked.
“I want to go back. Just get this the hell over with.” She peered through the passenger window as she spoke.
Will started the engine and headed back onto the highway, back to D.C. where they would face powerful enemies.
Almost an hour into the drive had passed before Lacy pulled her sights away from the window and toward Will. She placed her hand over his, which rested on the gearshift. “Thank you for coming with me. Thank you for taking me to see my kids. God only knows if it’ll be for the last time.”
“It won’t be, Lacy. You will see them again.”
A final squeeze of his hand and she released it, returning her attention to the landscape as it sailed past the window in a colorful haze.
It wasn’t until Lacy’s phone rang with an incoming text that the silence in the car had finally broken. “It’s from Agent Fraser,” she continued. “Oh my God. It’s a picture of Lei Jian with Deputy Turner. They are working together. And here’s the proof. This gives us some ammunition.” She peered at the phone again. “He says he and Delgado have been tailing Jian since this morning. They’ve got a location on him now.”
“Finally, some good news. Let him know we’re on our way back and should be there by dark.”
♦ ♦ ♦
Inside the cramped workspace surrounded by glass partitions, Aaron focused on the job he’d been hired to do. His mind never drifted from the idea that at any moment, the people upstairs would discover what he’d accessed for Delgado earlier. Unauthorized access of a private hotel security video from their servers would be easily traceable back to him. And they�
��d called him on his landline, knowing full well they monitored all calls. It was a brash move he hadn’t thoroughly vetted out of the simple fact that the agents needed the information quickly. And it appeared his time had just run out.
Several senior staff had already begun their approach. A momentary lapse of judgment would have him running like hell, but there was no escaping this. So, the only option was to offer an explanation and hope that they would accept it. If not, then Agent Axell wouldn’t be the only one in jail.
“Mr. Hunter? Could we see you for a moment?” A woman in grey dress pants and a white blouse approached. This was not his supervisor and appeared to be a department head or someone else with far more authority than Renee Childs.
“Sure.” He began to follow them as they headed to an area of the building he hadn’t the clearance to visit. This was bad and, in moments, he would find out just how bad.
“Please, come in and take a seat.” The woman showed him in while the others filed inside afterward. Upon closing the door, she sat down and retrieved a tablet. “Mr. Hunter, it has come to our attention that at 10:55am, you accessed the cloud server of a hotel located in Washington D.C. and reviewed their closed circuit video. Is that correct?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And were you authorized to view that private information? Did someone give you a directive to do so?”
“No, ma’am.”
“I see. Can you tell me who this man is?” She turned the tablet toward Aaron.
“I believe that is the former Chinese ambassador Lei Jian.”
“Yes, it is. Did you know he was here in the US? Why were you attempting to locate him via the passport database and facial recognition? Do you have reason to be concerned about Mr. Jian?”
“I suggest you tell us the truth, Mr. Hunter.” The man beside her spoke. “I’m sure you’re aware of the tragedy concerning a high-ranking CIA official and the fact that one of our own is being held in custody for his murder. A man who I believe you also know—quite well, in fact.”
