Red Eagle Read online

  “Yes, sir,” murmured Child as he attacked his keyboard.

  Leroux faced the room, the tears and the sniffling of the others illustrating the pain they were all going through. “People, Thorn might still be alive, and it’s our responsibility to find her. We need to keep focused. We’ll grieve when this op is finished. Understood?”

  Heads bobbed unconvincingly, so he put them to work.

  “Notify our Helsinki office to send in a retrieval team for our people. Notify our contact at the embassy so they’re aware of what’s happened. And I want everything we’ve got, tracking those vehicles.” He headed for the door.

  “Where are you going, sir?” asked Tong.

  “I have to go and tell the Director what’s happened.” He pressed down on the door handle, the secure facility’s positive air pressure causing a hiss, then pushed the door open.

  And his heart leaped into his throat at the sight of two armed guards standing there, blocking his path.

  “I’m sorry, sir, this room is under lockdown.”

  Child cursed behind Leroux, then several others did as well. He turned toward his team. “What’s the problem?”

  “All of our terminals just shut down!” cried Tong, furiously typing away.

  “What the hell are you talking about? Reboot them!”

  “I’m trying that, sir,” replied Child. “But it’s a security lockdown!”

  Leroux spun at the two guards. “What the hell is going on? We’re in the middle of an op! People are dying!”

  “I’m sorry, sir, I have my orders. Are you Chris Leroux?”

  “Yes.”

  “The Director has ordered us to take you to her office.”

  “I was just heading there.”

  The man reached for his arm and Leroux batted it away. “I know where the hell it is. Keep your hands off me.” He turned to Tong. “You’re in charge. Try to get our systems back on line if you’re allowed. Otherwise, I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He stepped through the door as four more armed guards arrived, heading inside the operations center, accompanied by a suit. “Just what the hell is going on?”

  But the suit was as helpful as the guards.

  3 |

  Director McQuay’s Office, CIA Headquarters Langley, Virginia

  Leroux’s heart pounded as he wiped his sweaty palms yet again on his pant legs. He checked his watch and cursed as another intolerable minute passed while he waited outside of the Director of the CIA’s office. He had been in several briefings with Gladys McQuay before, however had never been introduced. After all, he was merely an analyst supervisor with minimal powers outside of an active operation, and this was the head of the entire Central Intelligence Agency.

  The phone buzzed on the aide’s desk and she answered it. “Yes, ma’am.” She hung up the phone then nodded toward the door. “Director McQuay will see you now, Mr. Leroux.”

  Leroux rose, heading inside, the guards that had accompanied him standing on either side of the door. A warm smile greeted him.

  “Mr. Leroux, good to see you again. I know we haven’t been formally introduced, and I wish it were under better circumstances, but I hear nothing but good things about you and your team from Leif.”

  “Yes, ma’am. Umm, about that. I have to ask that you lift the lockdown on my team.”

  “And why is that?”

  “Because we’re in the middle of an op and the Chief has just been shot four times. If I don’t get my team off lockdown, he’s dead and so is Thorn.”

  She sat in a comfortable chair in one corner of the room, and indicated for Leroux to sit opposite her, showing no sense of urgency. Leroux sat, confused.

  “From my understanding, Leif is dead, so is his entire security detail, and Thorn is either dead or lost.”

  “I’m not willing to write the Chief off just yet, and we can still track Thorn.”

  “I doubt that, not for long, anyway. You’ll agree with me once you hear what I have to say.”

  “So, we’re just going to leave him there?”

  “Not at all. I’ve already ordered teams into the area to recover our personnel, and we will, of course, be tracking the hostiles as long as we can, but I doubt that will be for more than a few minutes.”

  He couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Ma’am, what the hell is going on? Why have we been locked down?”

  “Red Eagle.”

  Leroux stared at her. “What about it?”

  “What do you know about it?”

  “Nothing. The first time I ever heard those two words put together was over the comm, when the Chief said it just after he was shot.”

  “So, you know nothing?”

  “Nothing at all.”

  “And what about your team member, this Randy Child, who began a search on it?”

  “He did that under my orders.” His eyes narrowed. “That’s what this is all about it, isn’t it? This Red Eagle reference?”

  “Yes.”

  “Ma’am, as many as ten people are dead today on my watch, and it must have to do with this Red Eagle, whatever the hell that is. Are you going to tell me?”

  She leaned closer. “How familiar are you with Bev Thorn’s history?”

  He shrugged. “I’ve dealt with her in my new position, but I can’t say I know much about her. Her file is need-to-know, and I’ve never needed to know.”

  “I’m going to give you access to her file. When you leave here, I want you to thoroughly familiarize yourself with it.”

  “Yes, ma’am, but can I get the executive summary so I can return to work?”

  “Let’s just say she’s one of our most experienced assets. She was recruited straight out of college and became an agent. Her mother was Russian, so she spoke the language fluently. Her career started during the Cold War, so needless to say, she was assigned to the Soviet Union. Her specialty was dealing with black market goods. And I don’t mean an extra bag of rice, I mean luxury goods that senior members of the Communist Party desired. It gave her leverage over them, gave her access to the parties and social events, and allowed her to plant seeds that sometimes led to defections and double agents. Red Eagle is one of those double agents.”

  Leroux’s eyes shot wide. “But the Soviet Union has been defunct for almost thirty years. Why would a double agent from a country that no longer exists be involved in what happened today?”

  “Yesterday, she contacted your chief, indicating she had urgent intel that he needed to be made aware of, intel that was so time-critical and so sensitive, the Chief had to go to her, because once her mission was approved, there would be no time for a return flight.”

  “Do we know what this intel is?”

  McQuay shook her head. “No. All I do know is that everything I’ve been told about her is that she doesn’t get this excited about anything. For her to insist on an immediate meeting with the Chief is completely out of character, and until your team searched the term ‘Red Eagle,’ we had no idea what was going on. We need to find Thorn, find out what this intel is that involves Red Eagle, and take down whoever massacred our people. What happened can’t be allowed to stand. A message needs to be sent that if you kill Americans, you will die, otherwise it will be open season on us.”

  “We don’t even know if Thorn is alive.”

  McQuay tapped her ear, indicating she had a comm inserted. “The moment we shut your team down, another took over. They’ve been providing me with updates. She was put into a vehicle alive. Unfortunately, we’ve already lost them, as I predicted.”

  “Ma’am, you need to let my team back on this. Those people were lost on my watch. Give me a chance to make it right.”

  “That was always my intention, Mr. Leroux. Leif always spoke very highly of you, and said you and your team are the best. Since you’ve already been exposed to Red Eagle, it makes sense for you to continue. We need to keep Red Eagle’s existence compartmentalized, however. Limit your team.”

  “I’m going to need boots on the ground.”


  “Recommendations?”

  “Dylan Kane, of course. She was his handler. If he’s not part of the op, he’ll just make himself part of it anyway. It’s better to have him controlled.”

  She chuckled. “If he weren’t so damn good, I’d have benched him years ago.”

  “And we might need more muscle. I think we need a Delta team on standby.”

  She frowned, chewing her cheek. “From what I’ve read, you have a lot of experience with Bravo Team. Do you trust them implicitly?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Then I’ll make the call, but with what we’re dealing with, you’ll have to keep them on a tight leash.”

  “Do we know who we are dealing with?”

  She regarded him. “Isn’t it obvious?”

  Leroux’s eyes narrowed as he processed the limited information he had. Red Eagle was a double agent from the Cold War, so he had been a citizen of the Soviet Union, and today was likely Russian. The Chief and the eight-man security detail were taken out expertly in a highly coordinated operation, which meant well-trained personnel. His eyes shot wide. “Wait a minute! Are you saying we’re dealing with the Russians?”

  “I’m saying it’s quite possible we are. Whether that’s with the knowledge of the Russian government, I can’t be sure. What I am saying is, be very careful, because the rabbit hole we’re about to go down could have grave consequences.”

  4 |

  Operations Center 3, CIA Headquarters Langley, Virginia

  Leroux burst into the operations center, gasping for breath, having sprinted the entire way. “Report!”

  Sonya Tong motioned toward the displays. “We’re back on line as of a few minutes ago. What the hell happened?”

  Leroux took up position at his station, staring at the displays. “Forget that. I want a status report.”

  “We just completed the handover from the lockdown team. They tracked Thorn to an underground parking structure approximately two kilometers away from the abduction point, and they lost them there. Units have been dispatched, but I suspect we’re going to find the vehicles abandoned.”

  “And the Chief?”

  “The secondary team has just gone in, and we have additional units on the way to recover our people.”

  Leroux grabbed his headset and fit it in place. “Watchdog, this is Control Actual. Report, over.”

  “Control, this is Watchdog Zero-One. Good to hear you’re back on the case. We’ve secured the area temporarily, though the locals are starting to go apeshit. Confirmed six deceased, three wounded.”

  Murmurs of excitement rippled through the room at the word not everyone was dead.

  “Status on the Chief?” asked Leroux.

  “Badly wounded. His vest protected him for the first two shots, but the other two point-blank ones penetrated it. He’s lost a lot of blood. I don’t think he’s going to make it.”

  “Is he conscious?”

  “Negative.”

  Leroux glanced over his shoulder at Tong. “What’s the nearest secure medical facility?”

  She tapped at her keyboard. “We have one that’s three klicks away.”

  “Send them the coordinates.”

  She tapped at her keyboard. “Done.”

  “Watchdog, we just sent you a set of coordinates for a secure medical facility. Get the Chief in your vehicle and get him there. We don’t know how long it’ll take for an actual ambulance to arrive.”

  “I don’t know if it’s safe to move him.”

  “If you don’t, do you think he’ll survive a half-hour wait?”

  “Negative, Control. He’s got minutes.”

  “Then you have your orders.”

  “Roger that. Watchdog, out.”

  Leroux turned to Tong. “Start reviewing the footage we missed and find any cameras we can access from the area where the other team lost Thorn. If there’s any chance of finding her, we have to do it fast.”

  Child raised a hand as if he were still in high school. “Umm, what about that Red Eagle thing? Should I look into that again?”

  “That’s what triggered the lockdown. I know this goes without saying, but those two words are extremely classified, and you’re to forget you ever heard them. Never, under any circumstances, repeat them or go home and Google them, because you’ll be in for a world of hurt. And it will end your careers. Understood?”

  Everyone in the room nodded.

  “And now, my apologies, but anyone with a security clearance less than Level Five will have to transfer to Operations Center Two. We’ll be funneling you information that you can track down that fits in with your security clearance, however, by order of the Director, you can’t be privy to what’s about to happen.”

  More than half the room rose to leave, and he was certain they were disappointed, however that was the nature of this business. As they gained more experience, more years on the job, they would earn the security clearances of those that remained, and it would be them staying behind.

  Leroux held out a finger at Child, shaking his head. “Not you. I got you temporary clearance.”

  Child dropped back in his seat with a smile. “Cool!”

  As soon as the door hissed shut, Leroux turned to the few that remained. They were now a team of four instead of ten. It would make things more difficult, but they had no choice. “Like I said, Red Eagle is highly classified. The Director brought me up to speed and has unlocked certain files that only those in this room and Special Agent Kane will have access to.”

  “So just what is Red Eagle?” asked Child.

  “Red Eagle was the code name for a Soviet double agent during the Cold War. Thorn turned him in the early eighties.”

  “So, this has something to do with a Cold War asset?” asked Tong.

  “Yes. Those two words are all we have to go on, so there’s no way this person isn’t involved in some way. For some reason, thirty years after the Soviet Union collapsed, somebody decided to take out our team and abduct Thorn, and it must have to do with Red Eagle.”

  “But what does it mean? Is Red Eagle the one who abducted her, or was she abducted because of Red Eagle?”

  “There’s no way to know. Not yet.”

  “What about the intel the Chief was there to be briefed on? Do we know anything about it?”

  He shook his head. “No more than we already knew, except that the Chief was taking it very seriously, and time was of the essence, so much so, there was no time for a return flight. Apparently, if the Chief approved what she wanted to do, she would be taking action immediately.”

  “That suggests that whatever needed to be actioned is in the area,” said Tong.

  Leroux agreed. “See if we can track down any type of travel itinerary on her. I doubt we’ll find anything as she’s too good for that, but you never know. Have the team start to backtrack her movements over the past two weeks. See if we can get any hints on where she’s been, who she’s been talking to.” He smacked his hands together. “Okay, let’s get to work. Every minute counts.”

  Leroux sat at his station and sent a coded message to his best friend, CIA Special Agent Dylan Kane, then leaned back and stared at the displays, wondering just what the hell was going on.

  5 |

  Helsinki, Finland

  Quentin Jackson tore the door off its hinges and threw it onto the ground beside the dying man. One member of his team kept watch as the other two helped lift the Chief onto the door. He grabbed one end of the makeshift stretcher and Isaac Herrera the other. They all rushed toward their vehicle, bullet-riddled but still operable, at the end of the alleyway. One of his men opened the rear door and Jackson positioned one end of the stretcher on the back seat. He ran around to the other side and yanked the door open then reached in, pulling the Chief by his suit jacket onto the back seat, blood smearing across the dull green paint of the door in a macabre combination of Christmas colors.

  The Chief groaned, the sound at least indicating the man was still alive, tho
ugh for how long he had no idea. He pointed at Herrera. “You drive. The rest of you stay here until backup arrives.”

  “Roger that.”

  The doors slammed shut as he remained positioned over the Chief. The vehicle surged forward and he read off the GPS coordinates of the secure medical facility as Herrera entered them into the navigation system.

  “ETA, five minutes, but who the hell knows with this traffic.”

  “I don’t care what you have to do, but get us there. Just try not to kill any of the locals.”

  “But injuring them is fine?”

  He thought to himself for a moment. “It’s your call.”

  Herrera cursed. “Way to pass the buck.”

  Jackson ignored him as he ripped open the Chief’s shirt, revealing a pristine bulletproof vest. He released the Velcro straps and the Chief sighed. Jackson prayed it was a good sign. He grabbed the first aid kit from under the passenger seat and pulled out the scissors, cutting off the man’s jacket at the sleeves and then the shoulders. He removed it, exposing the entire front of the bulletproof vest. “I’m sorry, Chief, but this is going to hurt.” He rolled him onto his side, then cut away the remaining clothing. He stripped away the vest, finding four distinct holes in the back, two with the bullets still visible, and two with no bullet in sight.

  They had made it through.

  He grabbed an XSTAT syringe and yanked off the top, jamming it into the first wound and squeezing, the tiny sponges rapidly expanding in the bullet tract. He repeated it with the other wound, then grabbed some saline to wash away the blood so he could see if the emergency dressing was working. The hemostatic device had saved countless lives on the modern battlefields, and he just prayed it saved one more.

  As he worked, Herrera expertly guided them toward their destination, and so far Jackson hadn’t heard any thuds of pedestrians being hit, though the constantly honked horn accompanied by curses shouted out the window, suggested Herrera felt their pace was far too slow.