First Target

by Robin Mahle

  “Safety.” She sipped again on her coffee.

  “What can you tell us, Elizabeth?” Axell pressed on.

  She retrieved a flash drive from her coat pocket and slid it across the table toward Axell. “Take a look. I think you’ll find something interesting on here.”

  Axell picked it up and began studying it. “What’s on here? Forgive me, but I don’t have time for the cloak and dagger routine. We’ve had enough of that lately.”

  “Surveillance from Janz’s home. You know, the home you searched and found nothing? I’m trying to help you and your team, Trevor. Things are happening in Beijing and they’re stemming from here. I’m doing this because our operatives in Beijing need your help as much as you need mine.” She began to rise. “Take a look at what’s on there. I’ll be in touch soon.”

  The sound of the back door shutting hard against the frame reverberated through the office.

  “They’re back.” Aaron pulled away from his computer and looked at Will. “Axell’s going to be pissed I haven’t come up with anything new.”

  “Don’t worry about it, man. I think he’s just under pressure right now. We all are. You’re doing the best you can. That’s all any of us can do.”

  “I guess.” Aaron spotted the two emerge from the hall, but before he could say anything, Axell approached him.

  “We need to know what’s on here.” He handed Aaron the thumb drive.

  “Where did you get this?”

  “D.C. Station Chief Elizabeth Ward. You remember her?”

  “I do.” Aaron inserted the drive and waited for the files to load. “What the hell is this?”

  “Casper Janz’s home, by the looks of it.” Axell pulled in closer. “Can you project that to the monitors up there?”

  “Hang on.” Aaron pressed a button and the video flashed on the two large monitors mounted on the wall. “The images are a little distorted now, but it looks okay. Not the best quality I’ve ever seen.”

  “Doesn’t matter. I just want to see something.” Axell folded his arms and walked toward the monitors.

  “I thought the sweep was a bust?” Will asked.

  “For us it was. Guess someone else hit the mother lode.”

  They all watched with intense scrutiny, but so far, the only thing on the screen was Janz coming and going through different parts of his house.

  “Hey, we got audio on this thing?” Axell was growing impatient.

  “It’s turned up. He’s alone and not saying anything,” Aaron replied.

  Several minutes in and nothing. Janz sitting on his couch watching television was about the extent of it.

  Will cast an anxious eye to Lacy, appearing to wonder what was so important.

  “Lights.” Axell pointed to the monitor. “Headlights just passed in front of the window.” Thirty seconds passed. “Someone’s there. Did you hear the knock?”

  In a split second, everyone’s eyes fixed firmly on the screen as they watched Janz get off his couch and walk toward the front door. He pulled it open.

  “Holy shit.” Axell whipped his head toward the other three, who seemed to catch on to what he’d just seen.

  “It’s the director,” Axell began. “Director Handley.”

  “Oh shit,” Will said.

  They continued to listen as Janz let him into his house. The two walked back into the living room.

  “Turn it up!” Axell said.

  With the volume at full, the men on the video began speaking.

  “He’s been watching you closely,” Handley said.

  “I know. I’ve been careful. I promise you,” Janz replied.

  “If Axell gets one whiff of what we’re up to, it’s over. You understand that, right?”

  “I understand. I’ll be sure he stays a few steps behind. It’s worked so far. You just keep to your end of the deal and I’ll keep to mine. I know he went to Beijing, but he won’t get anything there.”

  “He’d better not. We’re much too close and can’t afford for him to figure out your part in this. Just see to it you keep ahead of him. He’s good. And so is his team.”

  Lacy’s mouth hung slightly ajar at the troubling scene. “What the hell? Trevor, what is he talking about?”

  “Son of a bitch. I suspected it—but now—seeing it right there.” Axell looked to his team. “Shaw warned me something was going down. But I don’t think even he knew for sure.”

  “How did Ward get this?” Will asked.

  “She’s high on the food chain. Must’ve got word from Shaw and started looking into it. Janz was working with Handley on something. And the moment he even hinted at letting me in on it, he was shot dead.”

  “By Handley?” Lacy pressed on.

  “That’s the million dollar question of the day.”

  Chapter 17

  The depth of the betrayal seemed to know no bounds. But this? The CIA director himself? This seemed incomprehensible.

  “My God,” Lacy began. “Is this why Camden Meeks was killed? And Keith?” She watched Trevor’s face grow red with anger. “We’re outnumbered. This is never going to be over. We can’t win this.”

  Axell shook his head, his gaze aimed at his feet. “We’re being played. Each and every one of us.” He eyed the three people who’d been through so much with him. “If the Agency is behind this, something big is about to happen. That’s why Janz was killed. He was talking to me and they couldn’t afford that. Shaw warned me. Asked me to think about what we were doing and why. Why it’s been so hard for us to get a leg up on tracking Janz, or Greiner, or whatever the hell you want to call him.”

  “If Janz was working for Handley, we have to assume Yang was in on it too, don’t we?” Aaron asked.

  “Honestly, I couldn’t tell you. We have Janz-slash-Greiner who worked for SynDyn. Gets chummy with Yang, gets chummy with the MMS, then what? He turns on them?” Will added.

  “I don’t think so. I think the director must’ve had something on Janz and threatened him with it. There’s no other reason Janz would’ve given up the money train. Handley knew what Janz was like. Knew he sold his services and was ready to throw the book at him, unless of course, he did this one thing for him. And that thing could’ve been to help Yang keep Dalian out of our sights. But for what reason?” Axell replied. “Hide the video. Make sure no one finds it. I don’t care what you do. Don’t let anyone else near it, you understand me?”

  “Yeah,” Aaron replied.

  “I’m also going to need you to work outside the lines, Hunter. Can you do that?”

  “You know I can. I just need access. I’ll stay hidden.”

  “Good. You’re going to need to find all financial accounts tied to Yang. Not just Dalian. Yang, himself. If the CIA is giving him money, via Janz or Malcolm Ford or anyone else, I need you to find it. Got it?”

  He nodded.

  “We’ve been running in circles and that ends now. Something else is at play and I think the only way to get answers is to see Yang.”

  “No way, Axell. Not after this. Not after Janz was killed,” Will said. “You go and see him and you won’t make it home. No matter what we’ve just seen. I can’t believe the director is helping Yang. It just doesn’t make sense. There has to be another way to get answers.”

  “What if we talk to Mobley?” Lacy asked. “Show him the video.”

  “We can’t be sure if he’s involved too,” Axell continued. “It’s too risky. There’s no doubt in my mind that we’re on our own, once again. I’ll hold off on Yang—for now. Agent Shaw is our only other option. I might be able to get word to him via Elizabeth.”

  Lacy studied her colleagues before continuing. “If this goes as high up the ladder as it appears, we’ll be silenced before we get close enough to find out.”

  Armed with this new and troubling information, the time had come for Axell to meet again with Elizabeth and try to get word to Agent Shaw in Beijing.

  “I’m going with you.” Lacy grabbed her bag. “There’s nothi
ng else for me to do here, Trevor. I can be of use.”

  Axell looked to Caison. “Get back to HQ and talk to SSA Kelly. But make sure it’s in reference to Turner. See if he’s authorized surveillance on Yang or anyone in his employ. Don’t let him know about the task force or what you think is going on. It’s just got to be us on this, for now, understood?”

  “Ten-four.”

  “We’ll reconvene here later today. Everyone keep your heads down. Hunter, if you get any clue you’ve been compromised, destroy everything. Including the video.”

  “Got it.” He looked to Lacy with growing concern. “Stay in touch.”

  Lacy followed Axell outside and both entered his car. She waited for him to pull onto the road. “Listen, I’m sorry about what I said earlier, about Turner. We’re supposed to be a team. None of this probably matters in light of everything, but I just wanted you to know that.”

  He peered at her briefly. “I don’t hold it against you, but you and me? We need to keep trusting one another. And from this point forward, we work together, just like we have been for the past several months. We keep open the lines of communication. And if there’s something you want to know, ask. I don’t ever want you to be afraid to ask me anything.”

  “Okay.”

  “I asked Elizabeth to meet us here.” Axell pulled alongside the curb and cut the engine.

  Lacy noticed that the line of buildings ahead appeared to be offices and tucked between two of them was a small café. “In there?” She gestured to the café with the green awning that hung over a patio, though it appeared near-empty.

  “Yep.” He stepped outside and approached the sidewalk.

  Lacy joined him and the two walked the twenty or so paces to the café. “I don’t see her car. Is she here yet?”

  “Yes. She just texted me. She’s inside.” Axell pulled open the door and waited for Lacy to enter.

  “Did she close the place just for us?” she asked as she entered the empty café having only spotted one employee behind the counter.

  “As a matter of fact, I did.” Elizabeth approached and offered her hand. “I’m glad to see you again so soon. Just wish it was under different circumstances.” She turned on her heel and walked toward the back of the room. “A friend of mine owns the place. Please, have a seat.”

  Lacy was the first to sit, followed by Axell.

  “Either of you want a coffee? Something to eat? They’ve got the best bagels in town.”

  “I’m fine, thank you,” Lacy replied.

  “Same here.”

  “Okay, then.” Elizabeth sat across from them. “I’m sure you were surprised at the video. Same as me.”

  “That would be an understatement,” Axell replied.

  “I passed along the message you requested to Agent Shaw.” She eyed both of them. “He’ll continue to monitor the increased activity inside the Movement. As we all discussed months ago, we knew this could be a concern. And it appears that that concern has grown exponentially. They’ve seen an uptick in chatter in the region and Shaw and his team have worked to figure out what they’re planning. He believes a bomb that exploded in a subway station more than a week ago was the work of the Movement. And most likely, Yang was involved.”

  “Any chance you know where Shaw is right now? I need to speak to him,” Axell replied.

  “He figured that would be the case. For right now, all I can tell you is that he believes CIA is funding Yang’s operations in Uyghur. Based on what he and the few key operatives have discovered is that Handley has people loyal to him. Operatives who agree with what he wants to do.”

  “And that is?” Axell continued.

  “To fund the Separatist Movement with Yang at the helm.”

  “He wants to destabilize the region with attacks in Beijing,” Lacy said.

  Elizabeth touched the tip of her nose. “What better way to retaliate for the mall attack?”

  Mehmut dropped the front room curtain and made his way to the door. “He’s here.”

  His associate quickly joined him, “Open it.”

  “Salom, men kiramanmi?” (Hello, may I come in?). With a briefcase in hand, the guest entered.

  “I speak English,” Mehmut replied.

  “Thank you. My apologies, but my Turkic is rusty.” He peered over his shoulder where another waited at the car. With a nod, his partner stayed behind.

  “You have what was requested?”

  “Of course. May I?” He set the briefcase on a kitchen table that appeared ready to collapse under the weight. With a click of the lock, it opened. “As promised, three million US dollars.”

  “And the rest?”

  “When we’ve received confirmation the deal has been made, you’ll receive the other half and the hardware.”

  “Hardware?” His associate appeared confused.

  “Weapons,” Mehmut replied. “I will inform Shen Yang when the necessary arrangements are finalized as well. In the meantime, I cannot travel to Beijing without arms.”

  “Of course not. My associate outside has what you will need in the interim. You understand this cannot be delayed any longer. The time is now for the trial run and as I understand it, Mr. Yang is also aware of our new timeline.”

  “He is.” Mehmut closed the briefcase and carried it to the living room. “The first phase will be to disrupt the broadcast, replacing it with our morning prayer. When that is shut down, and it will be, the people will take to the streets. Removing the banners, dismantling the Party’s statues and symbols that I’m sure you noticed on your arrival. This will be the beginning.”

  “And after that?”

  “I will go to Beijing for the transfer and finalize the planning.”

  “How long will it take?”

  “It’s likely we will be under surveillance; however, with Mr. Yang’s connections, we should complete the planning in time for the proposed date,” Mehmut continued.

  The man began to leave but was stopped short.

  “Why are you doing this?” Mehmut asked. “To what benefit will the CIA get for allowing the Movement free rein?”

  He turned on his heel. “Make no mistake. This money does not allow you free rein. That said, the United States believes in freedom of religion. The Party has all but extinguished your beliefs in this region. That cannot stand.”

  He began to nod. “A very noble effort on behalf of the Americans. Thank you.”

  “Goodbye and good luck.” The man opened the door and walked toward his car. His partner was already keying the engine, waiting for him to enter.

  The men inside peered out again as they watched the CIA agents drive away.

  In Turkic, Mehmut’s colleague asked, “How do you know we can trust them?”

  “I don’t. I trust Yang. He knows what the United States is after and he has agreed because it will benefit us here.”

  “I hope you are right.”

  Chapter 18

  What had been a mission to bring justice to the Dalian company and have them ousted from the US had appeared to become something much more sinister. A covert attempt at destabilization of the world’s second largest economic and third largest military superpower—China.

  Lacy and Axell returned to their state-of-the-art facility, which was intended to monitor Dalian and other companies, but was now something else. Axell would now use their resources against the very people who had authorized the resources in the first place.

  “We can’t let this happen, Lacy.” Axell pushed his way through the rear entrance. “What Shaw said? I just can’t wrap my head around it.”

  “I don’t know how we stop it. There are very powerful people willing to go to any lengths for what now seems to be retribution for the attack.”

  “Yes. Retribution. That’s what this is. But the question remains, is the president aware? This will bring war if it comes to light the US assisted and in fact funded the Uyghurs in committing terrorist attacks in China.”

  They arrived in the bullpen area whe
re Aaron continued working at his desk.

  “You find anything on Ford yet?” Axell approached him.

  “What’s wrong? Something happened. I can see it in your face.” He turned to Lacy. “What is it?”

  “Did you find money tied to Yang?” Axell asked in a forceful tone.

  “We’ve got two things happening right now,” Aaron began. “First of all, I discovered funds from a variety of shell companies dumping right into several personal accounts of Yang’s set up in London, New York, and Panama. This must’ve been the reason the DOJ filed the FinCen forms. They were already aware.”

  “And of course, sat on it. But London and New York?” Lacy said.

  “That was my reaction. Not your typical hiding place for money, until I figured out why. The larger banking systems appear to be in the money laundering business too. They’re willing to pay the huge fines imposed by the DOJ and others because they make two or three times more money than that by allowing the cartels to launder and looking the other way at a host of other suspicious transactions.”

  “Cartels, terrorists. Guess it doesn’t matter to them,” Axell continued. “So Yang’s getting money from presumably shell companies set up by who? The US or China?”

  “I’m still working on the origins. The money’s been bounced around between so many different companies, including SynDyn.”

  “Okay, so he’s got all this money. Did you find evidence he’s sending it overseas? Beijing or any other province? That will tell us where they plan on taking their stand,” Axell said.

  “Taking their stand?” Aaron replied.

  “We knew early on that Yang had possible ties to the Uyghur Separatist Movement,” Lacy began. “Well, wherever he’s getting the money, he’ll be using it to fund potential terror attacks. Likely in Beijing, but we haven’t gotten that far yet.”

  “And what Lacy’s leaving out is the fact that it appears funding could be coming from the US. Maybe from our elusive Malcolm Ford. And most likely from our own CIA. Who knows? They could be one in the same.”