Takedown

by L. T. Ryan

  “That’s not suspicious at all.”

  “Best Winters could do for now,” she said. “He’s alone, so hopefully he’ll recognize the situation and come quietly.”

  “Doubtful,” Bear said, “but it’s good to remain positive.”

  Sadie offered a noncommittal sound and the two of them remained silent for the rest of the ride. Bear kept shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Aside from the obvious wounds, he had a couple killer bruises. He tried closing his eyes, but every time he was nearly asleep, they’d hit a bump in the road and he’d be once again reminded of how much pain he was in.

  Luckily, they didn’t have to go far. The airfield was just outside the city, close enough that hotshots could make their way to London in record time but far enough away that they wouldn’t have to rub elbows with commoners as they deplaned.

  Or at least that’s what Bear imagined they were like. You were either rich or up to no good if you used a private airfield. He’d done it on occasion, but he usually fell into the latter category.

  Their approach to the hangar was shielded by a line of trees. There was a surprising amount of forest around the big open field where the planes landed, but Bear assumed that was to help add to the whole isolation effect.

  Sadie parked the car in the lot and pointed toward the building. The front office had a large window they could look into. There was a man behind a computer on one side of a desk and another man in a baseball cap and camo jacket on the other side.

  “That’s our guy,” Sadie said. “You should stay here.”

  Bear was halfway out of the car already. “Why?”

  “He knows who you are,” Sadie said, leveling Bear with a stern gaze. “I might actually be able to get a drop on him if you’re not standing next to me.”

  Bear gave a look but didn’t argue. As much as he wanted to go toe to toe with this guy, he wasn’t exactly in the best condition for a fist fight. “Fine. But if it goes sideways, I’m not going to hesitate.”

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  Sadie left Bear behind and made her way toward the office. The man behind the counter glanced at her approach but his body language never gave anything away. Bear assumed he knew who Sadie was, but if he was former military, he knew enough not to tip off their target.

  As for Miller, his body language was practically screaming. His arms were crossed tightly over his chest and Bear could tell he was red in the face even from his vantage point in the car. Miller likely knew he had to get out of the country fast and wasn’t too happy at the excuses their man behind the counter kept coming up with.

  Sadie entered the office and Bear absently moved his hand to the door handle, ready to throw it open and barge his way into the office if it looked like she was in any trouble. He had no doubt Sadie could handle herself, but they also didn’t know what kind of loose cannon Miller was yet. He was clearly off his rocker, but how far was he willing to go to escape the law?

  Bear had his answer soon enough.

  As soon as Sadie entered the office, Miller reacted. Bear wasn’t sure if he recognized Sadie, or just knew instinctively that she was there to take him in. Either way, he knocked her to the ground, grabbed a backpack that had been sitting at his feet, and barreled his way out of the room.

  Miller had been heading toward the parking lot, presumably where he had parked his car, but upon looking up and seeing Bear standing next to Sadie’s vehicle, he did an about-face and took off running toward the plane parked in the hangar.

  Bear ran toward the office to make sure Sadie wasn’t seriously injured, but she had popped back up to her feet and was shouting something at the man behind the counter. Then she threw open the office door, pulled her sidearm, and started chasing after Miller. Bear was right on her heels.

  Their target had initially made his way toward the plane, but upon seeing it wasn’t even ready for takeoff, he veered off to the right and made a beeline for the forest surrounding the airfield.

  “We’re going to lose him,” Bear shouted.

  “No, we’re not,” Sadie yelled back. She put on an extra burst of speed, and it was all Bear could do to keep up. He could feel the skin around his stitches pulling in different directions. He ignored the discomfort.

  Miller headed straight into the trees. Sadie made a gesture for Bear to go right while she went left. They’d find a way to either flank him or head him off if he decided to go in one direction or another. Bear absently wondered if he had another vehicle stashed nearby or if he was just hoping to outmaneuver or outlast them. The guy had proven he could survive on the run.

  Bear ignored the pain and kept his pace steady. Miller was a solid guy, but still smaller than Bear. He looked lean, but that didn’t always translate to being a particularly fast or steady runner.

  Sadie was already several lengths ahead of Bear. She was quick on her feet, but Bear wasn’t sure about her stamina. He’d be able to stay on track for some time even if he was falling behind. They made a good team and balanced each other out.

  In the distance Bear could see Miller slowing down. The man kept his head on a swivel. He was trying to figure out what direction would give him the best chance at escaping his pursuers. He must’ve seen Bear further behind him out of the corner of his eye because he took a sharp turn to the right in an attempt to put more distance between him and Sadie.

  But she was gaining on him. A few more minutes and she’d have him tackled to the ground.

  That’s when Bear’s worst nightmare came true.

  Miller skidded to a halt and faced his pursuers. He drew his pistol and within a second drew aim on his target. Then he lined up a shot, aiming the barrel directly at Sadie’s chest, center mass, and pulled the trigger.

  25

  Sadie dove out of the way and the bullet hit the tree behind her. Bark and wood chips sprayed in all directions. Miller froze and tried to fire again, but Sadie had rolled through and took cover behind a thick oak.

  Bear sprinted toward Miller. As the man turned to find his next target, Bear slammed into him. Miller managed a shot but not before Bear had control of the man’s arm. Bear knocked the pistol from Miller’s hand and tackled him to the ground.

  Even under Bear’s control, Miller never stopped moving. And he was stronger than Bear gave him credit for. Miller rolled to the side, putting Bear on his back. Then he pulled a knife from an ankle sheath and sliced at Bear’s face. Bear blocked the attack, but the point of the blade was only inches from his left eye. Miller might’ve been half Bear’s size, but he was all muscle. Bear struggled to push him off.

  The sound of a gunshot made both of them freeze. Bear could’ve sworn he saw Miller’s hair flutter in the wake of the bullet. They both turned to see Sadie on one knee, her gun trained on Miller’s forehead.

  “Drop the knife,” she yelled out.

  Miller hesitated. Bear took the opportunity to twist Miller’s arms to the side, throwing him off balance and knocking the knife from his hand. Bear scrambled out of the way, just in case Sadie decided to put Miller down for good.

  “Hands up,” Sadie shouted. “I’m not shooting to kill, so just keep that in mind.”

  Miller slowly raised his hands while Bear made his way over to Sadie’s side. He leaned in close to her.

  “Were you trying to hit him or did you miss on purpose?”

  Sadie gave an incredulous look without ever taking her eyes off their target.

  “Right,” Bear muttered. “Stupid question.”

  “Face down,” Sadie called out. “Hands behind your back.”

  Miller followed orders. His face hardened like stone.

  Sadie handed Bear a pair of handcuffs and kept her aim trained on Miller while Bear secured him. When Bear hauled the guy to his feet, Miller resisted. Bear landed a punch to his gut. Miller groaned but managed to keep himself upright.

  Bear led Miller back to the office at the airfield while Sadie hung back, grabbed his backpack, and kept him in her sights. T
he guy had resigned himself to the situation and followed Bear’s orders. Was he giving up? Or biding his time until he saw another opportunity to escape? Either way, they weren’t going to take any chances.

  The man behind the counter, who introduced himself as Benedict Corbyn, was surprised when they returned with Miller in tow but quickly fetched a rope they could use to secure him. When Bear was done tying Miller to a pillar in the hangar, Corbyn gestured for the three of them to huddle out of earshot.

  “Not quite sure what you two are up to,” Corbyn said, “but I know you’re the good guys. If you need anything, let me know. Otherwise, I’ll leave you to do, uh, whatever it takes.”

  Bear shook his hand. “Appreciate that. I’m sorry for the trouble.”

  Corbyn shook his head. “A patriot never stops serving their country, even when they’re retired, like me.”

  “Thank you for your help,” Sadie said, shaking his hand too. “I’ll make sure we’re out of your hair soon enough.”

  Bear waited until Corbyn walked away before turning back to Sadie. “I’m not sure I believe him.”

  Sadie’s eyebrows pinched together. “About what?”

  “About how patriots never stop serving their country.” Bear hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “Just look at Miller.”

  “He was never a patriot,” Sadie said. “He only ever served himself. He wanted violence and he got it overseas.”

  “Until he didn’t,” Bear said. “And then he found other ways to get his fix.”

  “Exactly.” Sadie stood a little taller, squaring her shoulders in the process. “Come on. Let’s get this done.”

  The two of them walked up to Miller, who had been struggling against his bonds while they were having their private conversation. He stilled when they stopped in front of him and leveled a glare at Sadie.

  “I’m feeling a lot of hostility emanating from you, Mr. Miller,” she said. “There’s no need for that. I’d like this to be a quick, civilized conversation.”

  “He’s just pissed he missed his shot,” Bear said. They had never decided on playing good cop, bad cop, but he fell into the role with ease. “Twice.”

  “Got you, though,” Miller said, turning to Bear. There was a subtle Southern twang to his voice. “Nearly took out your eye.”

  “I’m lucky my friend here is a better shot than you, then,” Bear said. He didn’t have any problem admitting Miller got the best of him, especially if it got under the other man’s skin. Besides, the fight had only just begun.

  “Untie me and let’s go again,” Miller spat. “Bet you won’t be so lucky next time.”

  “There’s not going to be a next time, so you two can stop comparing dick sizes.” Sadie stared down Miller until she regained his attention. “We’re less interested in you than who you work for.”

  “Not a chance,” he said. “I’m no snitch.”

  “Too bad,” Bear said, stepping closer. “Because one way or another we’re going to find out what you’ve been up to and why.”

  “Is this where you tell me I can choose the easy way or the hard way?” Miller grinned.

  Bear landed a blow against Miller’s cheek. “I can’t see any reason why anyone would give a lowlife piece of shit like you an option. There’s only one way to do this.”

  Sadie held up her hand stopping Bear mid-strike. “Look, I’m going to be straight with you. You’re in deep shit. We know who you are. We know you were discharged from the military under less than desirable conditions. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what you got up to once you were back home.”

  Miller laughed. “Clearly.”

  Sadie ignored him. “We’ve got you at the scene of a crime and can tie you to a larger conspiracy. You’re gonna do time. It’s up to you how much.”

  “What crime scene?” Miller asked. He looked calm despite his predicament. “What conspiracy?”

  “We know you set fire to the apartment building that was once used as a safe house for the CIA. One of them was found dead inside. Even if you didn’t pull the trigger, and I’m not totally convinced you didn’t, you’ll be charged with obstruction of justice.”

  “Not such a big deal,” Bear continued, “unless you factor in that those agents were part of a bigger conspiracy. We’re talking terrorism, which is going to make things a lot worse for you.”

  For the first time, Miller looked uncomfortable. He shifted against the pillar to get better footing. “You can’t prove any of that.”

  “Actually, we can,” Sadie said. “We’ve got a couple of witnesses, plenty of physical evidence, and more dead bodies than we know what to do with.”

  “We’re not interested in you,” Bear said. “You’re not even chicken shit to us. You’re the little white speck on top of chicken shit. We want to know where the other two agents are and we want to know where the terrorists have been holed up. You help us with that, and we have no problem working to get you a nice roommate in your institution of choice. It beats the alternative.”

  “Which is what, exactly?”

  “You take the fall for all of this.” Sadie sounded nonchalant, but Bear could see the fire in her. “I have no problem weaving a very convincing tale about how you were the point man for all of this. Our judicial system will have no problem believing that a disillusioned soldier who hates his country decided to get into bed with a bunch of terrorists to teach the government a lesson. We’ve got dead and missing CIA agents, a brand-new militant organization, and plenty of motive to up the ante by taking those plans to bomb a tunnel Stateside.”

  Miller was turning red in the face. “I don’t hate my country.”

  “Believe it or not, I know that.” Sadie spread her arms wide. “But someone’s gotta go down for all of this, and right now you’re on point.”

  Miller looked between Bear and Sadie for several seconds before he spoke again. “Say I was coerced, what then?”

  “Bullshit,” Bear said.

  Sadie held up her hand and motioned for Miller to continue.

  Miller threw Bear a sly grin. “Maybe a big shot CIA agent got into contact with me and I felt it was my patriotic duty to help him out. It was too late before I realized something sinister was going on.”

  Sadie exchanged a look with Bear before she returned to Miller. “I’m listening.”

  26

  “Start at the beginning,” Bear said. He didn’t like that they were entertaining the idea that Miller was spinning this to make him look like a victim, but if it led them to the big fish, it would be worth it. Miller was still going to go down for his part in the deal, and that would have to be enough.

  “I’d been doing odd jobs here and there. Got most of them through mutual friends. Some of them were legit, others teetered on the line of legality.” Miller smiled, but neither Sadie nor Bear reacted. “Then one day I got a call from this guy named Weber who wanted me to travel overseas for a job.”

  “Was that normal?” Bear asked. “To go overseas?”

  Miller shrugged as best he could while still tied to the pillar in the hangar. “It’s happened on occasion. Nothing as big as this, though. He told me I might be gone for a while.”

  “And you accepted the job, just like that?” Bear asked.

  “Like I said, most of these jobs came through from mutual friends, important people. They were people I trusted. Plus, I was bored. Hadn’t done anything in a while. Needed to get out of the house.”

  “So, you thought planning a terrorist attack was a good alternative?” Sadie asked.

  “Oh, I had no idea that’s what this was going to turn into,” Miller said. His face was a mask of mock innocence. “By the time I realized what it truly was, it was too late.”

  Bear bit his tongue to keep from derailing the story. Luckily, Miller didn’t notice.

  “Who was the friend?” Sadie asked.

  “Nah, I’m not going to tell you that. Gotta protect my contacts.”

  “It could only help you,” Sadie said. “Th
ink about it. If your friend is important, if he’s legitimate, it’ll be much easier to convince a court you had no idea what you were getting into.”

  For the first time Miller looked like he was taking this seriously. “I doubt he even knew about the job. He was just a waypoint for Weber and I to meet and ensure we could trust each other.”

  “Even better,” Sadie said. “If he didn’t know about the job, he could act as a character witness.”

  Miller looked between Bear and Sadie for a moment. Bear saw the moment when he decided to spill the beans. What he wasn’t expecting was the name that dropped from Miller’s mouth.

  “Daniel Thorne.”

  Sadie stepped in before Bear even had a chance to react. “Even better. Thorne’s a friend of ours, too.”

  Miller looked surprised. “Yeah?”

  She nodded. Almost convinced Bear she was telling the truth, too. “We’re both CIA. We’ve worked together in the past.”

  “Thorne’s a good guy.” Any trace of the cockiness from before had left Miller. “He’s watched out for me over the years.”

  Bear couldn’t stop himself from asking, “And Thorne had no idea why you were being summoned to London?”

  Miller shook his head. “He’s a busy guy. Has much more important things going on. Haven’t seen him in a while, but if Weber knew him, then I knew I was in good hands.”

  Bear decided not to point out the fallacies in that statement. Maybe Weber knew of Thorne and just name-dropped someone he knew that would get Miller to believe they were on the same side. If that were the case, then Miller hopped on the plane under false pretenses. Not that it made up for anything he had done since.

  But Bear knew the truth. It was much more likely that Thorne was involved in all of this from the beginning. And now they could link Thorne with everything going on with the missing agents through both Maria and Miller.