The Vanishing Angle

by Linda Ladd

  “What about Trident Point? Who owns it?”

  “Who do you think? The Senator, of course. He’ll stay down here a while in the Keys on that yacht. He likes the weather here.”

  “They think you killed Irina, right? Is that what got you back in their good graces?”

  “I was never out of favor. They trust me and have no reason not to. I told them I was going to befriend you. They wanted me to. They wanted to find out what you knew. Especially Petrov. He seemed to remember you somehow, but couldn’t remember where.”

  Lori looked angry. “That’s right, we saw you whispering in his ear this afternoon, all cozy-like. You’re working with him, and you’ve been two-timing us all along.”

  “I was playing everybody. I’m a trained spy. That’s what I do. Think about this. It’s to my advantage to land on your side. They took my child. I’m only here in the States to find her. I had no choice but to play along with them or I’d never find her.”

  Novak kept trying to gauge how much of this story he was willing to believe. Lots of lies had come out of the Russian’s mouth since he had entered the picture. No way could Novak believe everything he said. That would be stupid. “Tell us more about Petrov’s pipeline. Are the drug shipments coming up from Mexico?”

  Sokolov was not holding back anymore. He was spilling out everything with no reserve. “Yes, and from Guatemala and Nicaragua, as well. All of it passes through Cuba. The fentanyl is manufactured in China. That’s where it comes from. There’s a little seaport down the coast from Havana. That’s where they transfer the drugs to a fishing boat, which then takes it out to sea. All of it goes up the coast to Nantucket Island off Cape Cod.”

  “It’s passed from boat to boat, right?”

  “The Trident Point meets that Cuban vessel somewhere out in the Florida Straits. It’s always a different area, and always in international waters. It’s been going on for years now.”

  “Causing the deaths of thousands of Americans, mostly kids in high school or college. You proud of that, Sokolov? You proud of all the families you’ve destroyed?”

  “I haven’t been involved in it long enough to be responsible. I only want my daughter back. She’s my only child, and she’s headed for a life of hell, just like Irina’s. If they know she’s mine, they’ll know why I’m here, and we’ll both end up dead. That’s why I had to take my time, earn their trust, and do it this way. I had to look like I was one of them.”

  “How many drugs are we talking about?”

  “More than you could ever imagine. The boats at those resorts? They make transfers every other day, all of them. Mainly it’s opioids, especially heroin. Some is cut with other stuff, too, even fentanyl. I know they’re also dealing oxycodone, crystal meth, and marijuana.”

  “You know for a fact that the fentanyl comes out of China? You can prove that?” Novak asked.

  “Yes, it’s a particular synthetic they make, twice as powerful and twice as deadly. I don’t know how they get it into Cuba, but it comes up here by the crate.”

  Now Lori was interested. “So they pass these drugs onto Blackwood’s yacht and take it back to Key West? Is that what you’re telling us?”

  “Yeah, Blackwood’s a famous senator. The Coast Guard’s not going to board his boat without absolute proof. Why would they even suspect him? Blackwood moves it out fast because he doesn’t want to endanger himself. Except for the Nantucket compound, he keeps his hands pretty clean.”

  “How long has this been going on?” Novak asked.

  “Years, I guess. At least a decade, but that’s just a guess. I don’t really know. Law enforcement hasn’t been suspicious, or they would’ve busted them by now. Petrov set up the system himself. He personally recruited all the mules. All of them also have legitimate jobs during the week.”

  “Tell us exactly how they do it?”

  “I think you’ve already guessed. Those families pretend to be vacationing, but they use different popular beaches where they won’t be noticed. They move around so nobody gets suspicious.”

  “We saw a drop, but I want to know more information about those couriers.”

  “It runs like clockwork. I’ve been up and down the coast with Petrov enough times to know where most of the couriers show up. You can follow them home and bust them there. There might be some couriers that I don’t know about. It’s a big operation. Petrov keeps things under wraps so he can stay in charge. Blackwood doesn’t talk about it at all. He knows it’s going on and pockets billions, but he’s going for deniability if things fall apart.”

  “Are they looking for us now? Do they know we’re here, or that we’re on to them?”

  “No. Petrov got shook up for a while because he flubbed the Jeep accident and was seen shooting Justin. It shocked him when you opened fire, because he told his men to take your gun at the jail. You got him in the leg, but it was just a flesh wound. He says he’ll find you someday and make sure you pay for that scar. They don’t know where you are, or they would have sent somebody out here by now.”

  “Well, I hope you’re right.” Lori rose and looked out the porthole at the yacht. “It’s still quiet at the dock.”

  “Don’t get too relaxed. They’re looking for you. That’s what I’m supposed to be doing.”

  “How soon will they know you didn’t arrive in Nantucket?”

  “I report in every night. So we have until tomorrow night. Or I could just lie, but I would probably be found out if they called the guys on the island. If they catch me lying, they’ll suspect you’re involved. Petrov feels threatened by you.”

  “Tell me about every drug transfer that you’ve seen personally—time, place, routine, the whole works.”

  “I’d be naming nearly every beach resort on the Atlantic. It’s big, I tell you. I have no idea how many mules are operating at any given time.”

  “Be specific. Going north from here in Key West.”

  “It would be easier to identify the families they’re using. Couriers know little about their counterparts and just meet up with them because they’re flying a certain kind of flag. Always different people but the same procedure. Petrov keeps everybody in the dark. You know, they only know their part of the equation.”

  “What kind of flags?”

  “White trident on black flags. Actually, the ones I’ve seen are pennants.”

  Novak knew that was true. The rest of the story he wasn’t so sure about. A lot of it corresponded with what they’d already found out, so it was beginning to look legitimate.

  “And you think one of these mules has your daughter as part of his fake family?”

  Sokolov nodded. “I have her last school picture in my wallet. Look at it. I’m telling you the truth.”

  “How old is she?”

  “Eight.”

  “So you would recognize her if you saw her?”

  Sokolov looked indignant. “Of course, I’d recognize her. Why wouldn’t I?”

  “Because we’ve snapped pictures of some of these people, and she might be one of them.”

  That got Sokolov excited. “Really? Let me look at them! Please, Novak. You’ve been following the pipeline? How did you know to do that?”

  “They’ve become overconfident, and we’ve been careful. We changed boats right along with them, keeping our distance. It’s a well-considered operation. That doesn’t mean we can’t bring it down.”

  “I don’t think you can.”

  “Why?”

  “There are too many pieces to the big puzzle. None of them knows everybody else, probably not even their real names. How can you prove anything?”

  “I don’t have to prove it. I just have to find enough evidence to give the Feds about the times and locations and method of transport, and let them do the rest of the work. They’ll salivate at the idea of catching these people, especially when they hear th
ey can get Blackwood. They’ve conjectured the Senator was dirty for years but never could prove it.”

  “It’s going to be hard to catch all of them.”

  “That’s where you come in, Sokolov. You’re going to tell us names, dates, places, everything you know.”

  Sokolov’s eyes narrowed. “And what happens to me if I do that?”

  “You give us what we need? Show us where to go? We’ll find your kid and get you both safe passage out of the country. Anywhere you want to go, name your destination.”

  Lori took umbrage. “Wait just a minute, Novak. That’s a little much for me to swallow.”

  “I’m willing to agree to that,” Sokolov said quickly. “I know a lot I can give you, but not everything you want.”

  “You help us bring these guys down? You’ve got a new life with your kid.”

  “That’s worth everything to me. Petrov will be difficult to corner. He moves around a lot. He just watches, keeping his fingerprints off the actual drops, just like Blackwood. Make no mistake, he is calling all the shots, but it’s unlikely you can tie him to anything.”

  “We’ve got photographic evidence that he runs with Blackwood and visits all his beach houses. If you think the Senator won’t turn evidence on him when he gets caught, you’re mistaken. He’ll save his own neck, trust me. They’ll all make deals.”

  “He’s his personal bodyguard and lieutenant. That’s his cover and safeguard. He’ll say that’s why he’s with him. He’s made sure he’ll come out clean if the pipeline goes down.”

  “Yeah, that might work, until the Feds find out who he really is and what he’s done in the past, that his own people in Russia want him dead. Do you still have the tapes of them inside his mansion at the horse farm?”

  “Yes, but I can’t give them to you without incriminating myself.”

  “We’ll find a way.”

  Lori said, “Does he have any kind of routine? Petrov, I mean?”

  “He moves around. He’ll take a flight out soon, probably up to Nantucket, maybe a couple of stops first in Boston or New York. He’s got safe houses all over the place, just like I do. He’s learned to be careful. That’s why he’s still walking around with nobody the wiser.”

  “You said the Kremlin is after him. You sure about that?”

  Sokolov nodded.

  “Maybe we’ll help them find him.”

  “We better do it soon. He’s a formidable enemy, Novak.”

  “Tell me all the stops you know about. Lori, get everything he says on record. I want your voice on tape, Sokolov, as an insurance policy, since you’re known for double-crossing people.”

  She got out her phone and set it to record. Novak did the same with his cell, not taking any chances. Sokolov started talking. “Key West first, and then it goes north up the coast, step by step. The route changes every time. I’ve seen transfers done both at Daytona Beach and Jacksonville, but they usually skip Miami. Too much heat and drug interdiction going on there. Amelia Island, sometimes. Fripp Island, Hilton Head, Nags Head, Atlantic City. I’m telling you, they have no constant routine for their drops. Different families travel to different places and rent boats. It’s been working for years without a hitch. If anything, it works better now.”

  “That’s all the places you’ve seen yourself?”

  “No, I heard Newport mentioned a couple of times.”

  “Anywhere in Virginia?”

  “Virginia Beach. They alternate marinas where they rent boats and always use false names. No family goes back to the same place twice in a row. It’ll take a hell of a lot of surveillance and following these people around to nail down everybody. That, or just catch Petrov and force it all out of him. It’s his baby. He makes it tick.”

  “That would be my preference.”

  “I’ll help you do that,” Lori said.

  “Me, too,” said Sokolov.

  “You do know that we can’t—and don’t—believe everything you say. Why would we?”

  Sokolov studied them. “I can prove what I say is true.”

  “Be my guest.”

  “I’ve got a tracker hidden on Trident Point.”

  “Okay, now I’m interested.”

  “I put one inside Petrov’s backpack, too, sewn into the lining. He’s smart, but he’ll never think anybody can get that close to him. He carries that bag everywhere.”

  “Where do you come up with all these trackers?”

  “Where do you come up with yours?”

  Novak looked at Lori. She appeared encouraged, eager to get a final takedown in the works.

  “Look, Novak, both of you—listen to me. I used to be a spook for two decades. I keep what I need close at hand. Don’t you?”

  Of course Novak did. He hadn’t been a spy, but he kept an emergency backpack with him most of the time, just like Petrov did. One full of anything he might need on the run. “Prove it. Show us the GPS positions.”

  “Give me my phone, and I will. No problem.”

  Novak knew that finding Sokolov’s daughter was the key to his cooperation. He believed that was Sokolov’s only reason for taking a chance by sneaking into the United States. That had to be the major priority for him. And now they had the means to find out. If Sokolov’s picture matched one that Lori had snapped on their surveillance runs, it would be proof he was telling the truth. If they got her location, they could get her back for him. But the fact that Novak now had the means to track Petrov’s every movement was too good to be true. He wanted that guy, and now he could find him in whatever filthy hole he crawled down.

  Chapter 20

  “Okay, Sokolov, what’s your phone’s password?”

  “Let me loose, and I’ll show you what I’ve got. I’m on your side now. What’s it going to take to make you believe me?”

  “Nothing’s going to make me believe everything you say.”

  Novak took a moment to consider. He glanced over at Lori to get her take. She nodded okay. “All right, I’m going to cut you free, but I’m going to keep a gun to your head, so don’t try to give us up to them. You understand?”

  “Oh, yeah, don’t worry.”

  Novak pulled his weapon and kept it pointed at the Russian. Lori grabbed a steak knife from the galley and cut through the tape bindings. Once he was free, Sokolov stood up, stretched, rubbed his wrists, bent down and back up, trying to get his blood circulating again. “My hands are numb, man. Why’d you make it so tight? I can barely feel them.”

  Lori did not commiserate. “Well, boo hoo, Sokolov.”

  Sokolov sighed. “I hope I can soon convince the two of you of my good intentions. I’ve never had complete loyalty to Petrov, and especially not to Blackwood. I just want my daughter back, that’s the only reason I came here. I had no other choice but to work for them until I found out what they did with her. After she’s safe, I’ll be happy to put a bullet in both their heads and never think twice about it.”

  “You would probably do the same thing to us,” Novak said. “You have no idea where Katerina is now?”

  “Of course not. If I did, I’d have her with me and be long gone by now. I couldn’t question them about her, you know that. I had to wait and see if I could find out where she was on my own. I now think she’s with one of the courier families. That’s all I have to go on. She’s not on the yacht, because I searched it when I set up the GPS on Petrov and the boat. If he finds them and thinks it’s my doing, he’ll come for me.”

  “Okay, let’s get this over with.” Novak handed Sokolov the phone he’d taken off him earlier. When Sokolov pulled up a screen, Novak pressed his gun against his temple. “Don’t even think about alerting them to us. You won’t live for another second if you do.”

  “Stop with the constant threats, already. I get it,” Sokolov grumbled as he poked in commands.

  Novak watched the
screen carefully. Within seconds, two dots popped up, blinking with steady signals. They were nearly on top of each other.

  “That’s the yacht with the backpack on board. It’ll stay this way until Petrov disembarks for his flight north.”

  “You’re positive?”

  “Absolutely. They’re going out soon to meet the Jose Blanco. That’s the name of the Cuban vessel that brings out the drugs from that port near Havana. I think it’s called Matanzas, or something like that. Check it out if you’ve got a way to do it. They make these transfers regularly, but out in open water.”

  “Let me see that,” Lori said. Novak handed the phone to her. She was the resident computer guru, so Novak let her do her thing. She examined the screen, punched in commands, then nodded. “He’s got that ship bugged all right. Ditto for Petrov—or his luggage, I should say. High-quality GPS signal, too. Right now, anyway. Better than yours are.”

  Sokolov smiled. “I’ll give you my dealer’s name in Portugal, if you like. We’ll know exactly where they are until the batteries run out, and that won’t be for a couple of weeks, so we don’t need to waste time.” Sokolov appeared pleased with himself. “Now are you satisfied, Novak?”

  “Looks legit, but don’t think it makes us buddies.”

  “Oh, I would not think so. Do you trust anybody, my friend?”

  “Not you.” Trustworthy friends had been few and far between in Novak’s life. Lori, Claire Morgan and Nicholas Black, his SEAL buddies, and a few from the NYPD, but that was about it.

  “Have you ever been on the yacht during a Cuban transfer?”

  “Yes, one time. Before you suggest it, don’t follow them out there. If you do, they’ll spot you. They’re heavily armed in case they’re stopped, and that’s when they’re the most careful. But it’s the same boat every time, and now you’ve got its name. Petrov trusts no one. The next time Trident Point ventures offshore, all you have to do is call the U. S. Coast Guard and their jig is up, as you Americans like to say.”

  “You believing any of this?” Novak asked Lori.

  “I’m beginning to. I can’t believe I do, though. Not with this two-timing little weasel.”