Dead and Gone

by Tina Glasneck

  Nutsbe turned his way. “What’s she doing?” He leaned over to look at the screen.

  “Looks like she’s sending a text again.”

  “Why’d she walk over there to send it?” Lynx asked, leaning in from the other side.

  “The hall light shines down on that spot, and you can read the screen without turning on the living room or office lights. She’s normally at Sophia’s to pick up something for Sophia’s boys. Toys, clothes, what have you.” Brian flipped to his newly placed camera, the one that captured that corner of the room. “Son of a bitch.” He tapped the phone to take a picture. He used his fingers to make the image large enough that they could read the nine-digit alphanumeric code on the screen. “You guys got this?”

  He pointed to Sophia. “I’m going to her house to see what the mice are doing when the cats away.”

  “I’ll head back to the war room.” Nutsbe stood. “See if I can figure out a correlation between Miss Lana’s visits and anything interesting.”

  Brian made the twenty-minute drive in fifteen minutes flat. Still, he missed Lana. Mr. Rochester’s body had been removed from Sophia’s gardens. The police must have finished up their crime scene investigation. The yellow tape was gone. So were the patrol cars. They’d left a pile of dirt sitting to one side. Brian would try to shovel it back in place, maybe put the rest of the flowers in before Sophia came home. A cold buzz crawled over his scalp as he realized that very probably wouldn’t be happening. It didn’t feel to him like Sophia was being forthcoming and compliant with the FBI. It seemed to him she was too measured and calculating about her word choices. He could see in the special agents’ body posture that they were making up their minds about her future—and it was looking bleak.

  Brian had put his own code into the security system during the installation. It allowed him to disengage everything from his phone. That way, if he ever needed to sneak into her house, there would be no alarm or image of him being telegraphed to Sophia or the computer. He tapped the button, waited for the lights on the lock to turn green then went up the steps and into the house.

  His first stop was the curio cabinet. He’d already given it a quick shake. Time to be more thorough. He pulled up the picture of Lana and positioned himself exactly as he had seen her, then lowered himself from his six foot two height to her diminutive five feet. He squatted until his head was exactly in line with where her head appeared in the image and looked in the direction she looked when she was texting. At exactly this spot, a beam of light hit his phone screen, making it much easier to text. Also true, when he was at this angle he could see a slot that held the PIN code developer. He took pictures of what he saw.

  He moved to Sophia’s desk, facing the coder, and slid down in the chair until he had a good visual. This would be about Sophia and Nadia’s height, when seated. They were both about five foot five. They could turn, read it, and enter it into the computer without moving it from its hiding spot. He waited for the code to change, and then typed it into the computer. Bam, he was in.

  He pulled his phone out and dialed Nutsbe. “The code’s for the computer, not a phone code like Sophia was using.”

  “Yeah, I came to that conclusion too. I wish we had Lana’s phone bill. I’d like to see where the codes went. I’m looking at her on video. She texts, waits, texts again. Seems like the calls Sophia was getting on her house phone. A check to see that she was there, then a follow up call. Could be Lana texted to get someone’s attention, waited for the number to change and typed it in quick. They only have forty-five seconds to make that turn around once the coder puts up the new number.”

  “With the spyware we installed, can we check the computer for other malware? Something that would let someone in behind a blank screen?”

  “No can do until we get a warrant and get the hard drive into forensics. I’m sure I can get Finley to hand me one before you leave, so you can pack everything up and bring it in with you.” Nutsbe’s voice had the hollow sound of someone on speakerphone. “But I can tell you this, looking at the texting times that we have on video, and comparing it to the computer history, there’s a direct pattern of log-ons. And I can also tell you that, off the top of my head, I know some of these were times when Nadia and Sophia were with either you or Thorn. I’m not sure how this information is going to pop Sophia out of the trap she’s in though. Short of chewing off her own foot, I think she’s been bagged.” There was a pause before he added, “Sorry, man.”

  The phone rang on Sophia’s desk. Brian picked up the receiver and listened as the beeps sounded once, twice, three times. “Sophia Abadi is in FBI custody at Iniquus Headquarters in Washington DC. She is being interrogated as I speak.”

  There was a pause and then, “Do you know the names of the special agents conducting the interrogation?” It was the same woman’s voice that Panther Force had picked up over surveillance.

  “Stephen Finley and Alandria Andersson.”

  “I’ll take care of it.” The woman hung up.

  “Dude, what did you just do? We don’t know who that woman is, and we certainly don’t know what she means by take care of it.” The incredulity in Nutsbe’s voice coming over the speaker on Brian’s cellphone perfectly matched Brian’s disbelief.

  What the heck had he just done?

  33

  Sophia

  Monday Afternoon

  Finley’s cellphone rang, and he ignored it. Andersson’s phone rang, and she ignored it. Both phones rang simultaneously, and they moved out of the room. Sophia assumed that they were finally taking the calls.

  Sophia was glad that her hands were cuffed in front of her rather than behind. She was glad that someone had adjusted the temperature of the room and her nose wasn’t running anymore. And she sent up a prayer of absolute thanksgiving for Lana. No matter what happened to her, no matter how long she was going to be away, Sophia knew her boys were safe. Okay, that wasn’t a good path for her thoughts to wander down. The metal cage around her ribs tightened and her breathing came in short little puffs. Sophia blinked her eyes as the white walls began to oscillate in and out, each time pushing a little closer, boxing her in. There was no sound. Nothing to focus on. Nothing to distract her brain from its downward slide.

  The door behind her slammed open and a sharp, “Sophia,” echoed somewhere behind her. Sophia couldn’t turn her head. Her muscles were locked.

  A voice murmured beside her. A fairy godmother voice that spun magic in pink swirls around her. Sophia felt warmth on her back, it crackled through her icy cocoon.

  “Sophia, stay with me,” the fairy queen whispered in her ear.

  Like a spell, the voice whirled through her consciousness, pulling the gray mist away, and flicking it to the side. Warmth pulsed over her back, up and down, side to side. “This is my hand on you, Sophia. Focus. Can you feel my hand on your back?”

  Sophia could feel the heaviness of her lids as they stayed open and tears slid down her cheeks. They were gently wiped away. Sophia could feel the texture of the tissue. She could see the red fingernail polish on a distinctly feminine hand. After a long moment, she could shift her head and see Lynx sitting beside her.

  “That wasn’t bad,” Lynx said. “You were gone less than a minute. Come on. You need to be completely settled in your body. Rub your feet on the floor.” Lynx tilted her head up and spoke to the air. “Let’s dim the lights a bit to lower the glare, please. And can someone bring in some color and texture for her to focus on?”

  Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, the lights immediately dimmed, and the shiny white lost its overpowering glow. The door opened, and Thorn came in. He had a large potted plant in one hand and a red mug in the other. He set them on the table in front of her. It was jarring to have this sudden influx of color.

  It was just what she needed.

  Thorn must have been on the other side of the mirrors for him to have reacted so quickly. He must have grabbed the first things he saw. Sophia tried to send him a look of gratitu
de but had a sudden thought. Thorn was in on this? Did that mean Brian was too?

  “You were supposed to protect me.” Sophia’s words had a weird ringing to them.

  Thorn focused on Lynx. “What else?”

  “How about a cup of tea? Something with a lot of taste. And a pillow.”

  Thorn left. Sophia wasn’t trusting herself or the environment. She’d been told no lawyers. That meant she needed to wait for someone to figure out that something was wrong. Nadia had been taken. Jael had been taken. Red? No. Lana? Yes. Lana would freak out when neither she nor her sister checked in. She’d start making calls. She’d probably start with Thorn and Brian. Would they tell her the truth? Would Lana think to call AACP so they could get them some help? Maybe. Her brain was foggy and her thoughts came mostly as animated pictures and not words.

  Sophia drank the tea Thorn set in front of her. She rested her head on the pillow he provided. Lynx, who had kept her hands on her the whole time with that magical touch of hers, encouraged her to close her eyes and rest. It was a cramped kind of nap with her arms and hands forced into an odd configuration by the handcuffs holding her to the table. But it felt good to shut her eyes. Sleep stole over her.

  When she woke up, Lynx was still by her side, murmuring, “Sophia, you need to wake up now. Slowly. Slowly.”

  Sophia realized that Lynx was not the only one in the room. The Special Agents were there too. She sat up and Lynx reached over to brush her hair back into place and pull down her blouse. She pulled the throw pillow from the table and tossed it into the corner. “How about a glass of water?” Lynx asked as she moved a cup in front of Sophia. It had a lid and straw that would make drinking easier while handcuffed.

  She was cuffed.

  Under arrest.

  Nadia. Jael. He had missed his plane. Since he had to travel on diplomatic flights, Sophia wondered if he’d be stuck here in the US for a while. Well, they might be accusing him of something to do with terror too. He may not ever get home.

  “Stay present time,” Lynx said.

  That was a good reminder. Sophia leaned forward and focused on the slick plastic of the straw, the sensation of sucking and the cool water as it filled her mouth. Survival techniques taught to her on the therapist’s couch. She wasn’t sure they were strong enough to combat today’s events though. Sophia found herself wishing for Brian. Where was he?

  The door opened again. Sophia saw that more chairs had been added to the table since she’d gone to sleep.

  A man stepped forward and shook hands with Andersson and Finley. “Good to see you again,” he said without an ounce of warmth. He had a bald head and his gaze was as sharp as the blade of his nose. Everything about this man seemed distant and cold. “Thank you for waiting, it will be just another moment.” The door opened to the sound of sniffling. “Ah, here we are.”

  A man in a dark suit led Lana into the room. Her hands were handcuffed as well.

  Sophia felt the blood drain from her face, her neck, her torso. There wasn’t enough blood for her heart to pump, and the room began to spin.

  Lynx leaned in. “Stay present. Touch your thumb to your pinky.” She waited for Sophia to comply “Now your index finger. Now your ring finger.”

  The simple physical task was a puzzle her brain had to work through. By the time Lynx said to touch her middle finger, Sophia’s blood rushed to her face and made it blaze with heat. Sophia had no idea what was going on, but Lana was her safety net. If Lana was here, who had her boys? Sophia reached out to touch the ring and remind Ashtart of their agreement, but of course, the ring was gone.

  Sophia turned when the door opened. Titus was standing just behind her with his shoulder pressed into the wall.

  Brian walked in with Thorn. They pulled their chairs around to face her. This only added to her conflicting emotions. She wished he wasn’t here, seeing her like this, and yet she was so glad he was nearby.

  The newcomer turned to Sophia. “I’m John Black with the CIA.”

  “Oh, thank God,” Sophia said, clasping her hands together.

  Black continued as if she had said nothing. “I was sent by CIA Officer Johnna Red to intervene on the part of our asset, Dr. Abadi. It seems the FBI has entangled itself in our intelligence operation.”

  “Or the CIA has stuck its foot in an FBI sting,” Finley countered. There was an underlying current brewing between the two that wasn’t hard to miss.

  Titus came into her line of sight and leaned his back on the wall. He crossed his arms over his chest, making his arm muscles bulge. He was obviously asserting himself as alpha supreme in this room brimming with alphas. “Iniquus has a long history of working with both the CIA and the FBI. We know, as does everyone in this room, that communication is often a challenge. We are all working to keep America safe. It doesn’t surprise me that both the FBI and the CIA would be highly interested in Dr. Dajani and Dr. Abadi. They have unique skillsets that set them apart from most. From what Mr. Black has explained to me, Dr. Abadi has an ongoing relationship assisting the CIA and has recently come under the scrutiny of the FBI. Can we all agree that it would be the best plan of action to try to lay out a timeline and figure out what’s going on?”

  “I’ll begin,” Black said. “We became aware that Dr. Farid Dajani was involved with Hamas several years ago. In the summer of 2011, the Israeli government offered assistance in tracking Farid Dajani through Jael Cohen, an Israeli special operative. Cohen had contact with the Dajani family since his youth, and his presence would raise no one’s suspicions. I believe the FBI is also holding Mr. Cohen?” Black sent a scathing look toward the FBI agents but didn’t wait for a reply. “Sophia and Nadia, at the time both university students, were kidnapped by Hamas and Jael found them and effected their escape. While being held, our operative spoke with Sophia, explaining that Hamas was trying to extort information from the archaeological team, raising money for terrorist activities, and that we at the CIA would like to have an ongoing relationship with her to thwart the pillaging of ancient artifacts.”

  “Sophia, not Nadia?” Thorn asked.

  “Nadia didn’t have the same force of character as Sophia. We had been watching the girls closely. We believed that Nadia would have told her father and thus informed Hamas that we were on their trail. It had to be Sophia. She was younger, but stronger.”

  Sophia thought she was being talked about like a horse for sale. Next thing they’d do was check her teeth. And why was Lana here? That question had been looping through her mind. Sophia tried to listen, to puzzle through this situation. She wished her brain was clearer.

  “With Sophia Abadi’s assistance, we’ve been following the black market monies for years. We had certain members of the Gilchrest family in Tulsa, Oklahoma in our sights. We wanted to show how they were funding ISIS through their purchase of antiquities for a museum they’re constructing. Sophia found the perfect means to our end. It came to her attention that a fake tablet was ‘found’ in Syria. She could provide the paperwork and it could be brought to America. Once the Gilchrests—thinking it was a true artifact being brought to them disguised as a reproduction—paid the money and it was tracked to an ISIS affiliate, then we could work through our channels to freeze the accounts and starve ISIS of their funding.”

  “Sophia, how did you know that piece was a fake?” Brian asked.

  “There are only five examples of that kind of tablet known to exist. That particular tablet was worn in the center, as it was used as a threshold. It would be inconceivable that another example would have the same tread marks. Also, it would be odd for another tablet to have changed one of the commandments the way this one had.”

  “Where is the original for this piece now?” Finley asked, shooting a look at Andersson.

  “The Torah Museum in Brooklyn.”

  “Brooklyn?” Finley shook his head. “So you established this was a fake. Then, when you were told the information had been sent to you erroneously, you acted on it.”

  “I
told my handler, yes.”

  “You told no one else?” Andersson pushed.

  “The tablet data was on my computer. I researched the piece and took notes. I plotted it on the grid. All of that was information I called in to Red.”

  “Lana, would you like to tell us how you found that information on the AACP computer?”

  “I didn’t.” Lana’s left shoulder jerked and a nervous tic had started on the left side of her lip.

  Brian leaned in. “Of course, you didn’t,” he said softly. “You have no idea what is on that computer. But you gave access information to someone who could look at it. Didn’t you?”

  Lana’s head drooped. “I had to.”

  “Tell us about why you had to.” Brian’s voice was like a silk ribbon that wanted to wrap around the truth and draw it out. Sophia almost wished she had something to confess to, so she could answer Brian’s request. What a strange thought. Sophia wished, again, that her brain was functioning properly.

  “My family in Gaza was being threatened. My grandparents, aunts and uncles, my cousins. Dad had been giving Hamas information to protect our family, but he had a stroke and they needed another way to get information. At first, I took it from Nadia’s computer. But after Sophia began working with AACP, I used her computer instead. Sophia didn’t have familial connections to Palestinians and Hamas, so I thought it would be safer for everyone.” She peeked up at Sophia. “I’m so sorry.”

  “That confirms what Nadia said in interrogation. Hamas approached her in February of 2012 after her father’s health crisis. She said that she wouldn’t help, thinking it was probably a bluff. When she didn’t hear anything further, she decided that she was right. It seems they just moved on and tapped Lana instead.”