The Mole, page 7
“No. Though I could be running on a little bit of adrenaline still. There’s something going on at the office that I really should be there for.”
“Well, I think they can do without you.”
“You would think.”
The woman chuckled as she headed for the door. “Oh, honey, I hear that.” She left then Tong opened the card again, rereading the bad poetry from Nathan. He was bold, there was no doubt about it. It made her wonder if he was a player chasing down every woman he could, hoping to play the odds that someone would eventually say yes.
She cursed herself.
Was it so hard to believe that a man could actually be interested in her? What had she presented to him? A well-dressed, attractive professional who lived in a nice neighborhood, who had invited him to sit with her. It was brief encounters like that that led to many of the great romances in books and movies. Why couldn’t it be in real life?
She sighed, leaning back and closing her eyes, holding the card against her chest.
Please let this be the beginning of something wonderful. I deserve to be happy.
16 |
Chan Safe House Beijing, China
“It’s safe.”
Kane sat up as the driver’s side door opened and Chan climbed out, the van shaking slightly. The rear doors opened and Kane slid out, slapping Chan on the arm. “Thanks for the save, buddy.”
Chan grunted. “I wasn’t there for you, I was there for my wife, but I figured you wouldn’t use the escape route alone if there was any chance of saving her.”
“You’re right about that. Like I said, she saved me.”
“And now it’s time for us to save her.” Chan led him through a door and into what was the second half of a converted garage, a small bachelor pad set up. There was a bed, a walled-off bathroom in the back corner, and a kitchenette with a sink, hot plate, and rice cooker. Along one wall were bins of supplies.
“Looks like you’re well provisioned.”
“We could stay in here for months without leaving, if we have to.” Chan pointed at a large cabinet against the far wall. “Guns, body armor, comms, pretty much everything you can think of are in there. Leftovers from scrapped missions and operators that never showed. The CIA always instructed me to dispose of anything not used, but I don’t believe in wasting perfectly good equipment.”
“Okay, we could start a small war, but that’s not really going to help us get your wife out. What do you want to do?”
Chan dropped into a chair, his shoulders slumping as he exhaled loudly. “I don’t know. This is where you and your agency are supposed to be helping, but with this damn Sierra Protocol, we’re on our own.”
Kane sat beside the man in a chair likely normally occupied by Bing. “How much time do you think we have?”
“It depends on what’s going on. You know I’ve always had the shop set up so that we could bail on a moment’s notice. As soon as Sierra Protocol was announced, I moved everything into my van and brought it to a storage location. There are no cameras in the back alley so they shouldn’t know to trace it. I picked up that thing”—he jerked a thumb toward the wall behind which the van that had brought them here was parked—“then came back to get her, but it was too late. Bottom line is, they should find no evidence in the shop of what we’re involved in. She’ll stick to the story that you were just a customer and plead ignorance as to where you went.”
“What if they know who you are and what you are, which we have to assume they do,” interjected Kane.
Chan frowned. “Yes, you’re right, I guess we have to assume that, so they’re not going to believe anything she says.”
“Do you think they’ll torture her?”
Chan squeezed his eyes shut, fighting tears. “With this leadership, absolutely. What I don’t understand is why did they act now?”
Kane regarded his friend. The man deserved the truth. “What I’m about to tell you is highly classified, and I can’t even confirm it’s true. This morning, Langley local, one of our analyst supervisors, think Control Actual, was found dead. It looks like she committed suicide, and the note she left behind suggested she had betrayed the Agency. She’s been involved in any number of ops. That triggered Sierra Protocol. Until the Agency can figure out the extent of the damage and how far it was compromised, we’re on our own. If she was working for the Chinese, they could simply be taking advantage of what intel they do have before it becomes useless, rounding up any of our assets and operatives before everything was changed. Or”—Kane patted his pocket with the USB key—“this could have nothing to do with that, and instead have to do with this intel.”
“Just what is this intel?” asked Chan as he rose and grabbed two bottles of water from a nearby fridge, handing one to Kane.
“I don’t know. All I know is it’s supposed to be huge. It’s critical that I get this transmitted to Langley. If your government catches up to us before I get a chance to do that, all of this will have been for nothing.”
Chan took a swig of his water, screwing the cap back in place. “Unfortunately, with Sierra Protocol initiated, they won’t be accepting any transmission from me. They’ll assume I’m compromised.” He scratched the stubble on his chin. “You said you have to get it into Langley’s hands, but that’s not necessarily true, is it?”
Kane’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you just need to get it out of this country. Why don’t we transmit it to that little operations center you have, then it’s secure in the United States on one of your servers. Then just make sure someone you trust knows it’s there, and then we don’t have to worry about it anymore.”
Kane smiled slightly at the idea. “You’re right. I’ve been looking at this from the wrong direction. Do you have the equipment for us to transmit?”
“I’ve got everything you could imagine here.”
Kane rose with a grin. “Then let’s get to work so we can save your wife.”
17 |
Kane/Lee Residence, Fairfax Towers Falls Church, Virginia
Lee Fang stood in the shower, letting the water run over her ripped body as she rinsed off the sweat from an intense workout. She had always had a rigid routine that kept her in top physical shape, but when the man she loved was on a mission, she always picked up the pace a bit more in an attempt to distract herself. Add to that the fact Tong had been shot and the added weight of seeing how Leroux had reacted to the news, she had thrown in an extra workout, giving her a chance to process things.
The words she had said to Leroux were true. It wasn’t his fault for the way he felt, and it certainly wasn’t his fault for the feelings Tong had for him. If Sherrie weren’t her best friend, she wouldn’t give it a second thought. She had made a promise to Leroux that she wouldn’t say anything to his girlfriend, and she intended to keep her word. They were all friends, the four of them, and they all knew how they felt about each other. Leroux was devoted to Sherrie and would never dream of betraying her, but according to Dylan, he was inexperienced when it came to love, and most men had no experience with being loved by two women at the same time. The poor guy shouldn’t be punished for that, and Sherrie shouldn’t be made to worry unnecessarily.
She grabbed her sponge and squeezed it several times under the water before shooting a generous dollop of body wash onto it. The secret was safe, and she had nothing to feel guilty about in keeping it from her friend. In a way, she was protecting Sherrie. She lathered up, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply, enjoying the pomegranate scent. She rinsed off and stepped out of the shower, glancing at her phone to see a message had come in over Kane’s encrypted network. She dried her hands and brought up the app, reading what her boyfriend had sent. Her eyebrows shot up, and a smile spread.
Action.
18 |
Trinh/Granger Residence St. Paul, Maryland
Tommy Granger groaned as his fiancé, Mai Trinh, smeared her naked body over his. What had begun as an innocent massage of his shoulder where he had been shot several weeks ago had soon turned into something more.
“How does that feel?”
“Like I was never shot.”
She giggled. “Roll over.”
“If you insist.” He did as told and smiled as he stared up into the eyes of the woman he loved. She was incredible, and he couldn’t believe how lucky he was to have found her. She was beautiful, intelligent, funny, sensual, sexual, the total package. And she was his best friend. In fact, she was the best friend he had ever had.
She leaned in and kissed him, and he lost himself in the moment.
His phone demanded his attention.
“Don’t you dare!” gasped Mai as their oiled bodies intertwined.
“That could be God calling and I’d tell him to wait.”
She cried out and so did he, the intensity incredible. She collapsed atop him, spent, as his entire body oozed into the memory foam.
“You’re incredible.”
She pushed up on her elbows and grinned at him. “You’re not so bad yourself.” She rolled off and he groaned. “I bet you’re not thinking about your shoulder now, are you?”
He laughed, slowly rotating it, feeling no pain. “You give the best massages.”
She hopped out of the bed, heading for the bathroom. “And you’re the only man who’ll ever know.”
“Thank God for that.” He grabbed his phone off the nightstand, his eyebrows shooting up at who had called—Lee Fang, Dylan Kane’s girlfriend. There was no voicemail, but there was no way it was a misdial. Something was up, and the fact it was Fang calling suggested Kane was in trouble.
He redialed the number and Fang answered immediately. “Hi, Tommy, thanks for getting back to me.”
“No problem. What’s up?”
“I need your help. I can’t explain it over the phone, but are you up for a few days’ work?”
He smiled. “Absolutely.”
“Then you know where to meet me. When can you be there?”
“Two hours?”
“Okay, I’ll meet you there.”
“See you then. Oh, can I bring Mai?”
There was a pause. “Does she know her way around a computer?”
“She can follow instructions, but no, she’s not at my level.”
“Well, I’m sure there are other things we can find for her to help with. If she wants to come, then fine. Just make it quick.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Tommy ended the call and headed for the bathroom where the shower was already running, doing the mental math of whether there was enough time for round two.
19 |
Duan Residence Beijing, China
Duan parked his car then strode quickly toward the entrance of the apartment building his family called home. His entire body was shaking with what he had done, and Kane’s warning they were probably being watched had occupied his thoughts entirely since it had been given. He had spent more time watching his rearview mirror than what was happening in front of him, but had spotted no one following him. Yet he was involved in intelligence, and he was well aware they could be following him by drone or satellite. Or they simply planted a tracker on his car. Anything was possible.
If they knew what the intel was that he was handing over, he had to think they would have taken him down by now. It was too important for them to risk letting it get into the hands of the Americans, yet the handover had happened. Had that been by design, or because they hadn’t known? And why had Kane given the warning? What did the American know that he didn’t? Something was going on, and what that was, he had no idea, but every minute that went by where he wasn’t arrested suggested whatever had Kane concerned was on the American side of things and not the Chinese.
He stepped into the lobby and headed for the elevators, his head on a swivel. He had to get control of himself. He was acting suspiciously. The last thing he needed was a nosy neighbor aware of where he worked to make a call. He rode up the elevator in silence with several others, then stepped off on the ninth floor. He’d feel better when he was within the walls of his home.
His key hit the lock and his eyes narrowed when there was no flurry of activity on the other side of the door that usually accompanied the signal of his arrival. Something was wrong. His family should be home. His daughters and his grandchildren were visiting. He was coming home much later than usual, but that should have only added to the excitement.
But there was nothing. Absolute silence.
Could they have left for some reason? He dismissed the thought. He pressed an ear to the door and, at first, heard nothing. The fact he could hear sounds from his neighbors through their closed doors, yet nothing through his own, suggested volumes. Either his family wasn’t home, or there was something wrong. And the only thing he could think of that would keep his family silent was that the authorities were on the other side of the door waiting for him.
The question was, what to do?
There was nothing he could do to save his family by passing through that door. Once he was arrested, it was over for all of them. If he fled, everyone he loved would be arrested and thrown in prison, used as leverage to get him to surrender. Yet if he could reach Kane and tell him what happened, perhaps the Americans could get his family out.
It was their only hope.
He withdrew the key and placed a hand on the door.
Please forgive me.
The door jerked opened and he gasped at the man now facing him. “Is there a reason you’re not joining your family, Mr. Duan?”
20 |
Kane’s Off-the-Books Operations Center Outside Bethesda, Maryland
Tommy kept a wary eye on his surroundings as Fang entered the code on the hidden keypad of Kane’s off-the-books operations center, two conjoined shipping containers buried in a storage yard in the middle of nowhere. The door hissed open and he breathed a little easier when they were inside and the door was secured behind him.
Fang had told them nothing on the drive here, though before they put on the requisite hoods after climbing in her car, he had seen the concern on her face. Something was definitely going on and it had to involve Kane. What he didn’t understand was why Leroux or Tong weren’t here. A thought had occurred to him when they had arrived and he had removed his hood. He had once asked why Kane had his own operations center if he were one of the good guys, and he had been told it was in case the shit hit the fan and the good guys could no longer be trusted.
Could there be something wrong at the CIA? The thought terrified him. If something was going on at the CIA, then getting involved could be extremely dangerous. He glanced over at Mai, her excitement at being here obvious. He shouldn’t have brought her.
Fang headed for the main control room and Tommy followed. “Get us up and running as quickly as you can. I’m going to do a perimeter sweep.”
“What can I do?” asked Mai.
Fang grabbed a clipboard from the wall and handed it to her. “Inventory. Make sure this list matches what we’ve actually got. It’ll give you a good opportunity to familiarize yourself with where everything is.”
Mai smiled. “I’m on it.”
Both women left the room and Tommy went to work flipping switches and pressing buttons, and within minutes had the now familiar operations center ready for whatever might come. And the message that sat in the queue from a coded sender he recognized as Kane, addressed to another that he recognized as Fang, had to be what this was all about. He was tempted to open it, but he didn’t dare. Fang was in charge and the message was addressed to her.
He brought up the security cameras on the rear wall then turned in his chair. He spotted Fang returning, and as she approached the door, he pressed the button to buzz her in. She waved at the camera. The door hissed down the hall, the containers slightly pressurized to keep any noxious substances on the outside.
“Are we up?” she called from down the corridor.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good. Is there a message there for me?”
“Yes, there is.”
“What does it say?”
Tommy hesitated. “I didn’t look. I was afraid you’d shoot me.”
Fang chuckled as she entered the room. “And you might just be right. Mai, join us. We’re all in this together so we should all see this. We’re a team now.”
Mai hurried into the room, the clipboard clutched to her chest as Tommy brought up the message. They all leaned in and read it. It was from Kane.
“What’s Sierra Protocol?” asked Mai.
Fang held up a finger, finishing the message. “It means the Agency believes it might have been compromised. They announce Sierra Protocol to all their operatives and assets. It shuts down all communications until the protocol is lifted. It means Dylan and Sherrie and everyone else are left to fend for themselves.”
“What could have gone wrong?”
“There could have been a security breach of some sort.”
“Would Leroux know?”
“Probably, but we can’t risk reaching out to him right now because we could get him in trouble with what’s going on.” She wagged a finger at the message. “This is more important than what’s going on at the Agency. Dylan’s op has been compromised, one of his assets has been arrested, and he’s now in hiding with her husband. But this piece of intel he referred to is critical.”
“What intel?” asked Mai.
Fang gestured at the screen. “Bring up the attachment.”
Tommy double-clicked on the file and a series of screenshots appeared, all in Chinese. Fang leaned closer, reading them, then her jaw dropped. “Unbelievable!”
Tommy eyed her, certain he had detected a hint of fear in her voice. “What is it?”
“Evidence that just might bring down the President of China.”
Mai stepped back. “That sounds dangerous.”
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