“I thought he was reaching for a gun,” Sam said to Patrick. “He put his hand behind his back while he was unlocking the door.”
Patrick carried him over to the sofa in the middle of the room, bent him over it, and reached for the small of Leather Man’s back. Leather Man shouted again. Patrick pulled out a bag of something white.
“No gun,” Patrick said. “But here’s why he looked paranoid.”
Sam hung her head and put away her gun. She knew he’d looked suspicious, but it wasn’t for the reason she’d hoped.
Patrick let the man go, and he ran to the other side of the room, begging in his native tongue. Patrick tossed down the bag of cocaine and turned to Sam. “You didn’t really think they’d be dumb enough to keep your girl here where they told you to meet, did you?’
“Wishful thinking is a powerful thing.”
“So you think those guys you tied up are just a couple of creeps?”
“Guys?” Sam hadn’t given the two men she had duct taped together a second thought. “The guys!”
Sam bolted out of the man’s apartment. As soon as she hit the hallway, a man was walking into the apartment at the end of the hall where she’d left the two men. She motioned Patrick forward as she raced down the hallway to the door. She heard a man’s voice say something in Russian, his tone sounding surprised. Sam nodded to Patrick who was now holding his own gun, and she turned the corner. The man who Sam had seen walk in before them was bent over the subdued men, and had just removed the first guy’s duct tape from his mouth. The man who’d been groping her not long ago nodded in Sam’s direction and shouted something. The man trying to free them looked up and started reaching for his gun. But he stopped and froze with a surprised look on his face. Sam thought it was because she was already holding her gun on him. Then she heard Patrick behind her.
“Agent Huang? What the hell are you doing here, Vince?”
Chapter Forty-One
Washington, DC, 6:54 p.m.
President Gibbons paced laps around his desk in the Oval Office. He hadn’t received an update from Director Lucas in almost an hour. Nothing about Warshaw, nothing about Sam, and nothing about Alexander King. If patience was a virtue, he was lacking. He couldn’t stand not knowing what was going on. He had some devastating decisions to make, and he needed to know more before he could make a move. He was ready to send a team to strike down Volkov Mining in Barrow. He was ready to ground Nigel Warshaw, regardless of political backlash if Warshaw had no involvement. And he was a knuckle hair away from waking up the Russian government to get answers for everything their people seemed to be sticking their noses into.
“Here, honey, you have got to calm down.”
Gibbons jumped when he heard his wife’s voice. He was so much inside his own head he hadn’t even noticed her walk in. She wore a pitying grin as she reached a glass toward him.
“Sorry, I’m in my own world here,” he said as he walked over, kissed her on the cheek, and took the glass. He could tell by the sweet aroma that it was bourbon. Normally he was a scotch guy, but ever since the meeting with King a few weeks ago when they’d shared some of Kentucky’s finest, he’d been on a bourbon kick. The hardest part was not overdoing it as he dealt with all the world’s problems.
“It’s all right.” Beth rubbed his arm as she tried to console him. “I just thought you could probably use a drink. Everything’s going to be all right, you know? You have the best on it. And you have the American people’s best interest at heart.”
“Yeah, but you know what they say. The path to hell is paved with good intentions.”
She patted him on the arm and turned to walk away. “Just don’t go cynical on me, okay?”
He gave her a nod. “Thanks for the drink, sweetheart.” After his first two weeks on the job, he couldn’t imagine a president could be anything but cynical after being in office.
Finally, his phone began ringing. When he saw it was Director Lucas, he took the bourbon down in one slug and answered. “Talk to me.”
“It was smoke and mirrors.”
“Kuznetsov?” the president said.
“No, Warshaw having his pilot go to the airport. And the car they left in from Warshaw’s house.”
“Break it down for me, Robert.”
“Warshaw wasn’t in the car we thought he took to the airport where his plane and his pilot are. When the SUV got to the airport, it was only the driver inside.”
“So now that your agent approached the empty SUV, his driver definitely called Warshaw and tipped him off. Now Warshaw knows we are watching him. Damn it!”
“Sir, he clearly already knew. He played my agent because of it.”
“So where is he now? We have reason enough to detain him now, right?’
“If we didn’t because of that, we do for another reason,” Lucas said.
“Well?”
“We’ve been combing his accounts. We found two large bank transfers to a medical company in China. We’ve got him dead to rights.”
“Not if we don’t know where he is. Don’t let him leave this country, Robert. You hear me?’
“We’re on it.”
Gibbons rubbed his eyes at the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. He couldn’t believe what was happening. “Anything from Sam Harrison or King?”
“Just got off the phone with King. That’s what took me so long to call. He’s okay. And he has Kuznetsov and samples of both the virus and the vaccine with him.”
“Wow. This is huge, right?”
“It’s hopeful,” Director Lucas said. “We don’t know for certain if there aren’t more samples like the ones that showed up in Moscow floating around. And King says Kuznetsov claims to have nothing to do with weaponizing a virus. He wants to know what to do with Kuznetsov and the samples.”
“Does King think Kuznetsov is telling the truth?”
“He doesn’t know what to believe.”
Gibbons was about to respond when his secretary interrupted by calling in.
“Hold on, Robert.” He pressed the button for the other line. “I’m busy, Allison, hold my calls.”
“Sir, it’s someone saying it’s extremely urgent. Says you call him X?”
Gibbons didn’t know why, but hearing that King was calling him directly and not going through Robert made his spine tingle. “All right. Put him through.”
Gibbons switched back to Director Lucas. “I’ll call you right back, something came up.”
He didn’t wait for a response. Gibbons clicked the blinking light on the phone. “X? This really you?”
“Sorry to call you direct, but I don’t have a choice.”
“Well, shit, out with it already. You all right?”
“Can I speak freely?”
Gibbons didn’t like that question. “Uh oh. Of course, son.”
Then King shocked him. “Do you trust Director Lucas?”
Gibbons had no idea how to answer that question. His knee-jerk reaction was to say of course, but he knew if King was asking, there must be a reason. “Do I have a reason not to?”
“I don’t know, but we have to find out. I need to know where Lucas was on the evening of August 3 last year. If you can tell me that, I can tell you if we can trust him.”
“I don’t like this, X. This is your superior.”
“Do you trust me?” King said.
There was no hesitation. “You know I do. You’ve proved your loyalty.”
“Then find out where Lucas was on August 3 as soon as possible. For now, I have to figure out what the hell to do next. I’m out here with no one to trust. I have no idea who is involved with this mess, and my partner in crime is fighting for her life in Moscow. I need some hard answers or this thing is going to get away from us, sir.”
“Say no more,” the president said. “I’ll call you back as soon as I can. What are you going to do with Kuznetsov and the samples?”
Gibbons heard King let out a sigh. “Good question.”
Barrow, Alaska, 2:54 p.m.
King ended the call with the president. He didn’t want to go over Director Lucas’s head, but he didn’t have a choice. He needed to make some progress on what was happening.
King, Josiah, and Kuznetsov were only a couple of minutes from the airport. The snow had almost come to a complete stop, giving King hope that Cali could fly them out of there. Josiah had radioed ahead to his men there to let Cali know to get the plane ready. Josiah didn’t say anything after that; he was probably in shock after losing his friend. And Kuznetsov’s mind was most likely too blown to speak after the carnage he’d just witnessed. So all were silent on the ride through the dying twilight.
The quiet time gave King a chance to organize his thoughts. There were several things that needed to be addressed, not the least of which was where he was going to tell Cali to fly. But the first thing burning in his head wasn’t where but who. According to everything that Kuznetsov was saying, it was the US government that was responsible for hiring him to work on the virus. If that was actually the case, the president had no idea, or he would have told King when he asked about Director Lucas. But what did that mean when the president didn’t say the US was responsible? Did it mean Lucas actually was the one pulling the strings? Did it mean Kuznetsov was lying about everything? Or did it mean someone like Nigel Warshaw had fooled Kuznetsov into believing he was working for the United States in order to keep everything quiet?
The key to some of that entire mess was if Director Lucas was actually in Seattle and if he really did meet with Kuznetsov. Hopefully President Gibbons could shine some light on that. However, King had to figure out what to do until then. If he left for Moscow now, he still wouldn’t make it in time to help Sam. Not unless he could charter a plane from Anchorage that would be waiting to fly him through the night. That was a possible option. But what about Kuznetsov? And what about the man who’d been flying to the nearby towns and releasing the virus? Could he be the quickest route to finding out who was really behind this entire operation?
“Kuznetsov,” King said, breaking the silence in the truck. “You said the same man had left the lab with samples each time you saw them go. Who was he, and where did he go last?”
“His name is Vince Huang. He—”
“He’s Asian?”
“Chinese American I believe,” Kuznetsov said. “Never got too friendly with anyone. But that is the nature of his work.”
“What do you mean by ‘the nature of his work’?”
“Like you, I have no idea what his true identity is.”
King was confused. “You mean he is an American operative?”
“That’s what I was told, but it seems I have been lied to often over the past six months.”
“Okay, so you were told this Vince Huang works for the CIA?” King said.
“He is who I report through. My liaison, if you will.”
“But you said there were three scientists working with you.” Something wasn’t adding up for King. This was really the first time he’d found a flaw in Kuznetsov’s story. “You didn’t say anything about a CIA man there with you. And I certainly don’t know of one who was supposed to be there. Why didn’t you mention him before?’
“Because how do I know I can trust you?” Kuznetsov was getting defensive. “No one from US government told me you were coming here. Someone is lying to you.”
King turned around in his seat and looked Kuznetsov in the eyes. “No shit someone is lying to me. I’m just trying to figure out if that someone is you.”
Josiah interrupted the staring contest. “We’re right around the corner, X. What do you want to do?”
King was quiet. He had some big decisions to make, and he had to make them a lot quicker than he wanted and with a lot less information than he needed. He had to handle what was in front of him first, before he could move on to anything else. And the closest thing he could have an effect on was running down this Vince Huang. If King could make him talk, the pieces of the puzzle might come together a whole lot faster.
“X?” Josiah prompted.
“I need your help,” King said.
“I’m here. What do you need?”
“I can’t take Kuznetsov with me. So I need you to watch him for me.”
“Okay, done.” Josiah was eager.
“But I don’t know who might come looking for him, so it might put you in danger.”
“You mean more than I already have been?” Josiah laughed as he put on his turn signal. The airport was just ahead on the left.
“Maybe. I have no idea really.”
Kuznetsov spoke up. “You think people want me?”
King turned and pointed to the floor of the SUV. “I know they want what’s in that briefcase. That’s enough for me.”
“Then you must take me with you. I am not safe here.”
“I can’t do that. But there’s one place I think you will be safe.”
“Where? They’ll find me!” Kuznetsov was frightened.
“I’m not taking him to my house,” Josiah said. “I have a kid. I can’t put her in danger.”
“Not your house, Josiah. You’re going to take him to jail.”
Needless to say, Kuznetsov was not happy. Josiah turned into the airport to a chorus of screaming and shouting by Kuznetsov.
“I am a world-renowned scientist! And I’ve done nothing wrong. I will not sit in a prison cell!”
“Would you rather die?” King said. “Because that is a real possibility.”
That shut Kuznetsov up. Josiah passed through the security gate and drove right over to Cali’s dad’s plane. It was a King Air, and the props were already turning.
Now King just needed to decide where he was going. Atqasuk seemed to be the only logical place if that’s where the supposed American operative went. He pulled out his phone and dialed Dbie.
“I’m sorry, X,” Dbie answered. “I don’t have anything yet.”
King bypassed her apology. “I need everything there is to know about a Vince Huang. And I need it STAT.”
“So this is my new priority?”
“It’s your only priority, Dbie.”
“You got it. Just so I have a direction, does it have anything to do with Nigel Warshaw whom you also have me looking into?”
King hadn’t thought about it, but if Kuznetsov was lying, and maybe working for Warshaw, the two could absolutely be connected. “Could be. Not sure, but run it down.”
“Will do. I’ll call back as soon as I have anything for you.”
King got out of the SUV, but not before he took the briefcase from the back.
“You can’t take that!” Kuznetsov shouted.
“I’m not leaving this with you. Just lay low, hopefully I won’t be long.”
Kuznetsov banged the seat in front of him. King walked around to Josiah who had also gotten out.
“I’ll make sure he is safe,” Josiah shouted over the sound of the propellers.
“Thanks, Josiah. For everything. Sorry about your friend.”
Josiah nodded, then shook King’s hand. “Go stop whoever is doing this. That’s all I ask. Then his death will mean something at least.”
“I’ll do everything I can.”
Josiah let go of his hand, and when King turned away, he saw Cali coming. All he could see were her eyes; she was so bundled up, she looked like she was getting ready for night skiing. But so did everyone else in that frozen town.
She ran up and wrapped her arms around him. “The guys told me it was bad!” she shouted. “I’m glad you’re okay! Where we headed?”
“Atqasuk!” he shouted. The plane was even louder as they approached the door.
Her face slumped. “Sorry, I can’t take you there! The snow storm has it all covered up!”
Chapter Forty-Three
Moscow, Russia, 1:55 a.m.
Sam looked back at Patrick in shock. “You know him?”
The two men taped tog
ether on the floor had the same look Sam did, only they were looking at the man trying to free them.
“What the hell is going on?” Patrick said.
Sam didn’t lower her weapon. Vince Huang didn’t say a word. Below his black spiky hair his very soft Asian features wore a worried look. No one knew who was going to break the silence first.
Sam was quiet long enough. She had a friend to save. “Well, if no one wants to talk, then I’ll just start shooting. Your choice.”
“How you know these people?” the Russian man without the duct tape on his mouth said to Vince.
Vince replaced the duct tape, then walked toward Sam.
“Not another step.”
Vince put up his hands. “Look, I’m on your team. Can we go out in the hall and talk?”
Sam looked back at Patrick. Patrick nodded. The three of them went back out the door to a chorus of grunts and groans from the subdued men.
“What the hell is going on?” Patrick said to Vince.
“They are my informants. I stopped by after something went down at the airport earlier to see if they knew anything.”
“Informants?” Sam said. She turned to Patrick. “Who the hell is he?”
“When I first got with the FBI several years ago, Vince and I worked a few cases together.”
“So you’re FBI?” Sam asked Vince.
“Yes. We are investigating a human trafficking ring involving a lot of US citizens. We are about to bring one of the big ones down. Please don’t mess this up for me.”
She had no trouble believing the two creeps could be involved in a human trafficking ring. However, what this Vince Huang didn’t know was that Sam was involved in the something that went wrong at the airport, and it didn’t have a thing to do with human trafficking. But for the time being, she kept her mouth shut. She needed to get Patrick alone to see what kind of guy Vince was.
“We certainly don’t want to mess up a trafficking investigation,” Sam said. “If they are your informants, just let them know that we were hired privately and that you took care of it. If this is all about human trafficking, we were wrong to be here anyway.”
Alexander King Thriller Series: Books 1-3 Page 40
