by Tom Haase
The man rounded the corner, and in a flash Matt saw that his initial assessment of the situation proved correct. The man weighed over two hundred and fifty pounds. A revolver protruded around the corner ahead of him.
“Freeze, FBI,” Matt shouted.
Matt heard the cocking of the hammer as the overweight man turned and swung the weapon toward Matt.
“Drop it,” Matt commanded.
The weapon continued on toward his position with no interruption. The man apparently intended to kill him. Matt fired two rounds into the man’s head. He didn’t have time to do anything different. He needed to get the girl and leave the place before Dmitri arrived.
He ran upstairs and opened the only door that remained closed on the second floor. Tasha sat on the bed and looked startled on his entry.
“Matt? Did my father send you?”
“We have to go before more of Schultz’s men arrive. Let’s go,” he urged.
He preceded her down the stairs as fast as he could. She followed him and he guided her as they hurried up the street to his car. When they were seated inside the vehicle, he started the engine. Before he could shift it into drive, he saw a minivan speeding in from the opposite direction and approaching the front of the house.
In his rearview mirror, he noticed two black SUVs that flew past him while he sat in the car. The SUVs rolled up and six men got out. The minivan he’d observed approaching from the opposite direction had stopped. The occupants of the van exited the vehicle with lightning speed and opened fire on the exposed men from the SUVs, who were grabbing for their guns. The hail of automatic fire ripped into the men in the open and some went down. The remaining men in the van jumped out and ran toward the house.
“We need to leave. Whoever they are, they’re going in to get you. I don’t know whose side they’re on. We’ll find out who won later. Not a good time to confront aggressive shooters,” Matt said to Tasha as he shifted into gear and did a U-turn in the road.
“Where are we going?”
“To a safe house.”
“So far your safe houses haven’t exactly worked out,” Tasha scolded.
Before he could react, Tasha held the phone to her ear and announced, “Papa, I’ve just been rescued. He is—”
43
Confrontation with Dmitri
Matt grabbed the phone and shut it down before he gave it back. He couldn’t have Dmitri knowing about him at this time. He had to formulate other plans, but at the moment, he didn’t know what they were. First, he had to get Tasha safely into Scott and Gerti’s hands. Next, he needed to reach Karim before Dmitri did. He assumed that one of the groups in the firefight belonged to Dmitri and was trying to rescue his daughter, and the other to Schultz, who was attempting to use her to get to Dmitri for some reason he didn’t comprehend.
“Why did you do that?” Tasha asked.
“I need to keep you safe. I found you when you used that phone, and anyone listening to you talk on it would acquire the same information you would give him. We don’t need another bloodbath. I’m taking you to a safe place, and we’ll work out how to contact your father. You know he’s nearby, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Let’s be careful for now.” At least that logic might make her go along with his evolving plan.
Matt drove to meet Scott and Gerti at the location Liz had texted him. Once he reached them and delivered Tasha into their care, he raced off to get to Karim before Dmitri determined the attempt to rescue his daughter had failed. Then he would continue to go after the snitch while he attempted to find his daughter. Matt wanted to plan a trap for him at Karim’s place. If he could get there first and set up inside with Liz covering the outside, he might take Dmitri when he came in to confront Karim. At least that constituted a basic action plan. He drove in excess of the speed limit to arrive before Dmitri, and to set a trap to ensnare him. Few plans, however, survived first contact with the enemy. Matt realized that truism from experience in the Middle East.
* * *
Dmitri shook his head in bewilderment at the results of the gun battle he watched from a block away. The Russians had been mauled, but they had fought Schultz’s men to a standstill before his three men had fallen, with Andreas the only one to escape. Both sides had lost three or four before the gunfire ceased, and the remnants gathered up the wounded and dead before speeding off. No one came out of the house. Dmitri knew that his daughter couldn’t be there if no one had emerged from the building after the loud firefight, especially since Schultz’s men had actually won.
Dmitri ordered Yuri to take him immediately to the address he provided. They left for Karim’s location as soon as Andreas reached his car.
He called Artur and gave him a situation report. He knew the man’s men were dead, but he needed him to have more operatives available for planned future needs. He requested two men immediately to meet him at Karim’s address.
“I can get them there in less than ten minutes.”
“Good. I’ll be there at that time. Have them prepared for action on my arrival.” Dmitri ended the call.
He arrived at the address and noticed two men pile out of a car parked opposite the building. Now he would find out who had killed his nephew, and use these new assets to eliminate that person. Things were now looking good. Dmitri smiled as he exited the car. He walked over to meet Artur’s men to give them his instructions.
“You”—he pointed at one of the men, who looked to be the biggest and strongest—“go in front of me into the store. Have that rifle ready, but do not fire unless I tell you or someone fires at you.”
The Russian mobster nodded his understanding. Dmitri pointed to the other. “Stay outside and provide cover. I don’t trust this man. I have a feeling there may be some FBI involvement, and this target might be under surveillance.” The man nodded. Dmitri wasn’t sure about the connection to the FBI, but he had found out from a source that one of the men who had come to his home in St. Petersburg did have some kind of connection with the FBI. He believed in always being prepared for the worst.
Heading for the entrance to Karim’s place, they crossed the street.
44
Karim’s Office
Looking out the front window, Karim could see three men approaching as they traversed the street. It had to be Dmitri. He dialed the one-touch number to reach Matt, and on hearing his voice, he shouted, “They are here.” He placed the phone on his desk without disconnecting when the first man pulled the front door open.
If this went well, he started to believe, he could actually get the money before Matt arrived. Then he could really escape. His mind danced with that delightful thought. He had covered up his ultimate plan by playing ball with the FBI, and in keeping with his escape plan, he had always kept Matt advised to allay any suspicions that might arise. At present, the best course of action would be to tell Dmitri about what had happened in Savannah and hope he received the money. With the cash, he could flee out the back door and disappear into the jihadist underground in the States. That now became his total focus.
His hands were trembling a little, and he could feel his heart rate increase. The moment had arrived, the one he’d waited for since the FBI had grabbed him in Savannah. He had engineered his own escape, and he would use the opportunity to his advantage. In his mind, he had covered himself no matter which way this played out.
He stood up to meet the men entering the store and simultaneously placed a wide smile on his face. Yes, he could pull this off before Matt arrived.
* * *
The guard exited the front of the vehicle and opened the door to Karim’s place for Dmitri. He stepped into the office, remaining slightly to the right side of his principal. From there he had a clear line of sight on Karim. Dmitri carefully eyed the man in front of him and decided he could be a dangerous threat in many circumstances, but there appeared to be no weapon on the man, and none were visible anywhere near him. Dmitri proceeded with his question.
“Do you have the name of the per
son responsible for the murder of my nephew?”
“Yes, I do.” The man looked directly at him when he responded. Dmitri estimated that this individual could be a fearsome opponent in any case. He did not know of Karim’s background in the Revolutionary Guard of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
“You demanded that I come here in person to deliver you the money. Quite an unusual request, I must say. How do I know the information you will provide is legitimate?” He noticed his guard move further to the side for a clearer shot at Karim if needed, with his semiautomatic slung over his shoulder. His movements would keep Dmitri out of any danger of being in his line of fire. Smart man, a lot better than the previous hires Artur sent, Dmitri thought. He might have further use for this man.
“First of all, in Savannah, I saw what happened because I was there. And more importantly, if I lied to you, I would be a dead man. You know what I look like. Your men could find me anywhere I tried to hide. The information is accurate. And my money?”
“In this case,” Dmitri said, placing it on the desk and opening it, “is half of the money I agreed to pay. The other half will be delivered by cashier’s check to whatever address you provide, once I obtain what I want. I think that is a reasonable arrangement for conducting business with someone I don’t know. Now, who killed my nephew?”
“Matt Higgins,” he said as Matt had instructed him.
* * *
As Matt raced to Karim’s location, he called Liz.
“Matt, the men are here. Two went into the office and one is acting as an exterior guard,” she said when she answered.
“I know. Get into position to take out the outside man. I’ll go straight in and get the ones inside.”
“That’s your plan?”
“It’s the best I can do on the fly. You have anything better?”
“Damn it, it’s too late to call for backup. I’ll be ready to take him out. He has a weapon in his hand now.”
“When you see me drive up, take him down, no hesitation, and then cover me as I go in. Thirty seconds.”
“Got it,” Liz said and closed the connection.
The director would have a hissy fit over this type of takedown, but he couldn’t let Dmitri escape. He believed someone else had hired Dmitri to put out the contract on him and Bridget and if it wasn’t his initiative to start with, Matt needed to know who paid him to do it.
Now only a half a block away from the store, Matt prepared himself mentally as best he could. On reaching the front door of the import-export business, he slammed on the brakes, pushed open his door, and got out, pulling his weapon as he did.
“Hey, you,” he heard coming from a man rushing toward him with a weapon drawn.
Two shots rang out, and the man tumbled forward. He turned and saw Liz rushing toward the downed man and kicking the weapon out of his reach.
Matt swung rapidly back toward the entrance. He thought he heard Liz running behind him. He figured she would stop outside to secure his back as he plowed in. He flung the door open. A man with a semiautomatic rifle swiveled it toward him and opened fire.
45
Dmitri’s Delight
Dmitri stood dumbfounded at the revelation that Matt Higgins happened to be the one who had killed Alex Alexander. Reluctantly, he had come to believe that this informant knew what he was talking about. It made sense to him now, but the best part of the entire operation was the fact that Schultz would pay him back the money he would give Karim, and then he would have the satisfaction of exacting his own vengeance on Matt Higgins. He smiled at the realization of his double victory. He would kill the murderer of his nephew, and get paid for it by the supposedly elusive Robocop as a sweetener before he eliminated Schultz.
Karim picked up the case with the money and started for the back door. At that moment, the sound of gunfire erupted outside. Dmitri twisted his head in the direction of the sounds. He saw the familiar face of the FBI agent Matt Higgins rushing toward the entrance. The face that Schultz had provided him with the first email appeared clearly in the store window.
“It’s a trap. The FBI is here. Kill him.” He pointed at the fleeing Karim as he shouted the order.
The gunman didn’t hesitate a second. He swung the automatic weapon at the figure of Karim, who now ran at full steam to the exit. The rifle erupted, spraying the man’s back with multiple rounds. The body smashed against the door and collapsed.
“Get the case,” he ordered as he saw the man talking into some device on his wrist.
Dmitri pulled his own pistol and moved toward the rear door. His man retrieved the case, handed it to him, and now turned to face the threat coming through the front door. He let loose a fusillade of rounds at the attacking FBI figure as the target barged through the door, but the bullets went wide of the moving agent and shattered the window behind him. The sound of shattering and collapsing glass filled the room intermingled with a deafening cacophony of sounds.
“Cover me,” Dmitri said as he stood by his gunman who now prepared to fire again. The gun came up directly in front of his torso, pointing at his stomach.
“Duck,” he heard the man command. As he fell to his knees, bullets whipped over his head. He crawled low toward the rear exit, and the weapon over his head unleashed another blistering discharge of multiple rounds.
Dmitri glanced backwards to see that the man had fired at the entrance and not at the location where the FBI agent remained behind a desk, where he had taken cover from the initial volley of automatic fire. Before he turned back, he observed a woman falling to the ground in front of the doorway.
“Get out. The car is coming around. I called for it,” the man shouted into his ear. He swung his weapon to his target behind the desk and unleashed multiple rounds at the location where the FBI agent attempted to hide. That volley would keep him down for a few seconds, and those seconds were all they would need to escape the building.
Dmitri ran out the door with the case in his hand. As soon as he exited the building, his SUV came screeching to a halt a few feet away. Andreas pushed open the doors, and Dmitri and the man jumped in. The vehicle accelerated and peeled rubber for half a block.
* * *
Matt saw the weapon and dove behind a metal desk near the door into Karim’s office. He started to rise up to return fire when he heard the door open again. Liz appeared with her weapon drawn. She fired two shots toward the man with the automatic weapon without taking time to aim. She must be trying to divert their attention away from him. She had certainly seen him dive for cover as the rounds came close to his head. Her intention became obvious to Matt—she wanted to force them to swing toward her to give Matt time to reach a firing position.
In what seemed like a microsecond, rounds from the automatic weapon plowed into Liz after she entered the door. Matt started to rise to return fire, but the shooter swiveled the rifle and more bullets impacted the desk where he hid. He dove back, crawled to a position a few feet from where he had been, and rose up to fire. There wasn’t anything to shoot at. The back door slammed shut behind the last fleeing man. He vaulted up and ran to the rear door. On the way, he heard the screaming of tires of a vehicle and knew that he couldn’t get them.
He rushed back to where Liz lay prone on the floor. He felt for a pulse. After a few seconds of agony as he prayed and attempted to locate one on her neck, he finally found one. On speed dial, he requested an ambulance and told the operator of the shooting that had taken place at his location. He checked Karim but found no pulse. The locals would have to be involved with a man shot out in the street, an FBI agent down with multiple gunshots, and the corpse of Karim.
He went to Liz and held her until the sound of the sirens reached him.
“You’ll be okay. Just hang on,” he whispered into her ear. He moved to rest her head in his lap. He rose only when the EMTs and the local police arrived. The medics took over and rushed Liz out on a gurney.
What a mess, flashed through Matt’s mind.
46
<
br /> Tasha Calls
In the bathroom of the safe house in Alexandria, Tasha used the phone, which she kept in her purse. She wanted desperately to tell Papa she remained all right after the firefight at the house where they had detained her. She realized that her father must have sent one of the groups that had engaged in the firefight outside the house. He would be worried about her, since she had not been at the house.
“Papa,” she said as soon as she heard his voice, “I wanted to tell you I’m safe. I saw the gunfight, but Matt Higgins rescued me from the kidnappers and got me away.” She stopped and waited.
“Tasha, I’m so glad to hear from you. Where are you?”
“I’m in an apartment in Alexandria, Virginia. Scott and Gerti Donavan are giving me protection until you can come and get me. I wanna go home.”
“Listen, Tasha, I can’t come there. I want you to come to me. I’m in great danger here in the States. Some people are after me, trying to kill me, and I need to get on my plane to take us home. If you are safe, stay there and I can come back later to get you.”
“No, wait. I’m sure I can sneak away from here. I can take a taxi to meet you. But the men who took me said you are a Russian gangster. Why would they say that, Papa?”
“No idea. I’ve always been a businessman, and a good one. One day you will take over the business I have built for you.”
She heard someone approaching the bathroom.
“Where are you?”
“I’m on my way to the Manassas Regional Airport, to a hangar at the far end of the runway. There is no other building around us. Come as quickly as you can. We will be on the way home in a few hours. I can’t be at the hangar for another hour, as I am obliged to make one stop on the way to reimburse a creditor. I’ll wait on you.”
