Extraordinary Rendition Page 5

  “I don’t see no ring on that finger. If your woman loves you so much, she should mark her territory.” She gave him another once over. “Now, if you were my man, I’d have a ring on that finger and my name tattooed across that cute booty of yours.” She swiped her pass to the locker room. “Wait here so I make sure everyone is decent.” She winked. “Not everyone is as openminded as I am.”

  Kane nodded but blocked the door from closing with his foot so he could hear what was going on. His escort reappeared and waved him in.

  “Is she here?”

  His escort shook her head, leading him to a woman tying her shoes. “She says she just left a few minutes ago.”

  Kane cursed. “Does she have a car?”

  The woman finished tying one of her shoes with a tug. “No, I don’t think so. I think she takes the bus.”

  24 |

  Operations Center 2, CIA Headquarters Langley, Virginia

  “I’m in!” announced Child with both arms extended toward the ceiling, his chair spinning in victory.

  “Good. Get me any footage from that parking garage or the plane.”

  “Give me a minute.” Child attacked his keyboard when Tong gasped.

  “Look!”

  Leroux turned to see her pointing at the displays at the front of the room. “What?”

  “The plane. It’s gone.”

  Leroux’s eyes widened as he strode toward the displays. “What?”

  “We’re no longer tracking it.”

  He stared at the screens, his hands on his hips. “Did it go down?”

  “No, it just disappeared. One minute it was there, the next it wasn’t.”

  “Check with NORAD. See if they have it on their scopes.” He turned to Tong. “And get me the Chief. There’s no way us getting access to the footage, and their transponder going dark isn’t connected.” He jabbed a finger at the screen. “That plane is definitely involved.”

  25 |

  Unknown Location

  Sherrie woke, her head throbbing, her entire body afire with pain. She was getting worse. If she didn’t get to a hospital soon, she’d be dead. And the thought filled her with an overwhelming sadness. Not for herself, but for Leroux. He would be lost without her, and she couldn’t let that happen.

  Not while an ounce of strength remained.

  Voices in the distance had her straining to hear what was being said. She couldn’t make out the words, but they sounded calm. And was that traffic? Could she be outside?

  She forced her swollen eyes open and spotted a sliver of light just above her, to her left. She reached up, the effort excruciating, and pushed against what must be the lid of whatever she was inside, but could barely budge it before her arm dropped, her energy spent.

  “Help!” she cried, but it was barely a hoarse whisper.

  Try again!

  She steeled herself then reached up once again, her goal changed, for there was no possible way she was lifting the heavy lid above her. Instead, she pushed her hand through the narrow opening, then passed out from the torturous pain.

  26 |

  Dulles International Airport

  Kane held his phone in front of him as he memorized their witness’ face, running beside the buses as they lined up, some pulling away as he raced down the platform, his escort at his side, adding a second set of eyes.

  “That’s her!”

  Kane looked to see where his escort was pointing, and spotted their target taking a seat on one of the buses as it pulled away. He sprinted toward the front door then hammered on the glass, scaring the shit out of the driver who floored the gas. Kane pressed his ID against the glass and the driver jammed on the brakes in a panic, opening the door.

  Kane boarded, flashing the poor man a smile. “Thanks. I’ll just be a moment.” He headed down the aisle. “Everyone remain calm, I’m with Homeland Security. This will only take a moment of your time. There’s no danger.” He stopped in front of his witness who pulled her earphones out. “Are you Soledad Martínez?”

  She paled. “Yes.”

  He held up his ID. “Come with me.”

  27 |

  Unknown Location

  Fang’s head pounded, her mind a fog of confusion as she slowly woke from being gassed. She struggled to focus, to cut through the white noise of her impaired mind, and suddenly everything came back into focus with a rush.

  She was still in her coffin, still bound and gagged, though no longer at the airport—the sound of jets and the smell of fuel was gone.

  And she wasn’t in an airplane.

  The familiar drone she would expect wasn’t there. Instead, there was nothing. No engine sounds whatsoever. Had they just left her somewhere? Was she awake sooner than expected? Was she now alone, waiting to be picked up like an innocent package, to be delivered back to China by some international courier company unaware of what the package contained?

  Her stomach fluttered as she was suddenly lifted, by whom she couldn’t know, yet she had to take the chance, despite the gag.

  “Help! I’m in here!”

  “Shut up!” was the reply, again in Chinese.

  Her heart sank as the false hope she had a moment ago was shattered. She was still a captive of those who had taken her, and her confusion grew as she wondered why she wasn’t on an airplane back to China.

  She gasped as her coffin was dropped unceremoniously, then she strained to listen to a conversation nearby.

  “Confirm the orders.”

  There was a pause. “They’re confirmed. Proceed.”

  “General Zhang Quanguo thanks you for your service, bitch.”

  Her mind raced. General Zhang? She knew who he was, of course. He was one of the most powerful men in China. He had brought order to Tibet, and was now doing the same, ruthlessly, in western China. Yet she had never dealt with him. Never had any involvement with him whatsoever in her entire career, nor did she know anyone who had.

  I thought this had to do with the coup!

  The sound of liquid pouring from a container sent her heart racing as the fumes reached her nostrils—gas, or some sort of accelerant.

  What it was didn’t matter.

  What was about to happen did.

  “Time to pay your debt!”

  The air outside gasped as the fuel was lit, the smell of burning wood reaching her nostrils.

  And she screamed.

  “No! Please! Let me out!”

  Laughter was the response.

  “Please! I’ll do anything you want! Please just shoot me! Don’t let me die like this! Please!”

  Tears filled her eyes then poured down her cheeks as she struggled as hard as she could to break free of her bonds. But it was no use—the space was simply too confined to gain any sort of leverage.

  She could feel the heat now, the smell overwhelming her. She closed her eyes and steadied her breathing as she realized her pleas were falling on the ears of those who merely delighted in her terror. Instead, she denied them the satisfaction and lay as calmly as she could manage, picturing those she loved.

  Her parents.

  Her grandparents.

  Her brother and sisters.

  Sherrie.

  Chris.

  And Dylan.

  Oh, Dylan! I’m so sorry!

  She sighed as the smell of smoke surrounded her. And as she took her final breaths before the agony to come, she smiled in satisfaction in knowing those responsible would pay.

  For she knew the man she loved.

  And he would stop at nothing to ensure justice was delivered.

  Brutally.

  28 |

  Operations Center 2, CIA Headquarters Langley, Virginia

  “This is Falcon-One. Five minutes to intercept, over.”

  Leroux sat at his station as they listened in on the Pentagon operation, his team only observers of the interception of the aircraft they had found. An aircraft they still couldn’t confirm was involved. Again, miraculously, the cameras showing the plane’s boarding malfunctioned for the crucial minutes that might have provided them with desperate answers.

  And it was that miraculous timing that had him convinced this aircraft was absolutely involved.

  At least his gut was convinced, and that was usually enough for him and the powers that be.

  Tong broke the tense silence filling the room. “We’ve found the gray van.”

  Leroux tore his eyes away from the screen. “Where?”

  “It went into an abandoned warehouse in Fairfax. Should I dispatch Echo Team?”

  “Yes.”

  Tong sent the order. “Oh, this is odd.”

  Leroux detected the concern in her voice, giving her his full attention. “What?”

  “There’s already a local emergency call to that location.”

  Leroux tensed. “What kind of call?”

  Tong looked at him, pale. “Fire.”

  29 |

  Over Fairfax, Virginia

  “Ma’am, you’re going to want to see this.”

  Tanner rose from her seat and leaned into the cockpit, staring down at the scene below. And cursed. All manner of emergency personnel were already swarming the area including police, fire, and paramedics. “I’m guessing we’re too late.” She pointed at an empty area away from the action. “Set us down there. No need to alarm anyone.”

  “Roger that.”

  She sat back down. “This place is swarming with LEOs. Everyone stay with the chopper. Mike, you’re with me.”

  Lyons grinned. “Expecting trouble?”

  “I seem to remember the last time there was trouble, it was me who bailed you out.”

  Lyons shrugged. “What can I say? I can’t hold my liquor. You all knew that going into that pub crawl.”

  The chopper landed
as the team laughed at the memory. Tanner and Lyons hopped out and she surveyed the area, her eyes settling on a notorious British sportscar parked all alone in the sketchy parking lot. “He’s brave.”

  Lyons glanced over at the pristine automobile. “Not really. Even the thieves know not to bother. It’s liable to break down as they’re making their getaway.”

  Tanner chuckled. “If it isn’t already.”

  They strode toward the active scene, the fire crews still operating hoses inside the large warehouse. A police officer approached and they showed their Homeland IDs.

  “Homeland? What are you guys doing here?”

  “It’s a national security matter.” Tanner gestured toward the warehouse, smoke still billowing out the shattered windows. “What’s the situation?”

  “We had reports of smoke. They found a van inside on fire. The fire guys say some sort of accelerant was used. They’re having a hard time putting it out.”

  “Anybody inside?”

  “If there was, they’re dead now. One of our guys thinks he spotted a foot, but we haven’t confirmed that yet. Once the fire’s out, we’ll know more.”

  Tanner nodded. “Okay, let me know as soon as we can get a look. A forensics team will be here shortly.”

  The officer’s interest was piqued, his eyebrows shooting up. “Any idea who it is? If Homeland is involved, it must be important.”

  Tanner chuckled. “Buddy, I only work here. Do you think the guys in Washington tell me anything?”

  The officer laughed. “Happy to hear it’s the same all over.”

  Tanner headed for the chopper, activating her comms. “Control, Echo-Zero-One. We might have a body, over.”

  30 |

  Security Holding Room Dulles International Airport

  Kane sat across from an unconvincingly defiant Soledad Martínez. Though her folded arms and pronounced scowl indicated attitude, her hopping foot and constant fidgeting suggested otherwise.

  This woman was scared.

  Kane pointed toward the camera in the corner of the room. “I asked them to turn it off. Do you want to know why?”

  Soledad shrugged, saying nothing.

  He held up his Homeland ID. “See this?”

  A glance, and again nothing.

  “This says I’m Homeland Security.” He put it on the table. “You wanna know something no one else knows?”

  Another shrug.

  “I’m not Homeland Security. This ID is bullshit.”

  Her eyes widened for a moment.

  “Do you know what that means?”

  She looked away, staring at the camera, as if hoping there was someone else watching.

  “It means that the rules don’t apply to me like they do for most people.” He leaned forward. “And here’s another thing. The person I’m looking for is my girlfriend. She’s the only woman I have ever loved. And do you know what a person like me does to people who get in my way?”

  She paled slightly, her lip trembling.

  “I think you do.” Kane leaned back in his chair. “Now, I’m going to ask this once, and only once. If I have to ask a second time, I’m going to leave this room, then the next time we meet, I won’t be so…pleasant.”

  A dripping sound followed by the smell of urine confirmed his message had gotten through.

  “Speak.”

  And she did, the verbal diarrhea rapid. “I-I didn’t have a choice! I’m sorry, but I didn’t.”

  He remained silent, letting her speak freely, his experience showing once someone started to spill what they knew, his talking would only get in the way.

  There would be plenty of time for that.

  “I was out for drinks with some friends a couple of weeks ago. I went out behind the bar to have a garden party, then some man approached me. He flashed me his badge, said he was FBI, and that if he reported what he had seen, I’d lose my job.” She leaned forward, pleading with him. “I can’t afford to lose my job! I have a kid at home and a deadbeat ex-husband. I need this job!”

  Kane remained silent. His phone vibrated with a message. He checked it, feigning disinterest with what the woman was saying, spurring her on with the fear she wasn’t telling him enough to avoid a torturous end at a later date.

  CAP interception in two minutes.

  He suppressed a smile. They might have Fang shortly, or perhaps Sherrie. His preference was obvious and selfish, though he wasn’t going to apologize for human nature. He hoped for his friend’s sake both of them were safe and sound, on board the aircraft. He just prayed whoever had them didn’t decide it was better to kill them and face the consequences, rather than hand them over alive and face lesser charges.

  If it was the Chinese, their operatives were fanatical enough to die for their cause. It wasn’t a religious motivation like an Islamist, though it was in a way. The Communist doctrine had been drummed into them since birth, their entire education system designed to not only teach them the fundamentals that some would say the American education system had failed to do with its own children, but to also indoctrinate them into the system they lived under.

  Then there was the ultimate motivation.

  Do what we tell you, or your family pays the price.

  “Are you even listening to me?

  Kane continued to stare at his phone. “When you say something interesting, I might.”

  She threw her hands up in frustration. “Well, what do you want to know?”

  “You already know the answer to that.” He put his phone down on the table. “I’m getting bored, and you’re clearly not motivated. I think I’ll be leaving now.”

  She reached across the table, grabbing his arm, panic on her face. “No! Wait! Listen, he gave me a choice. Either he reported me, or I did what he asked.”

  Kane no longer had time to toy with her. “And that was?”

  “He said I’d get a phone call within a few weeks. I actually got it this morning. He told me to do what the person on the phone asked me to.”

  “And that was?”

  “To have my cigarette break in the parking garage. A specific spot, right where you guys found that van. I was to watch what happened, then when you guys arrived, tell them what I saw, then say I was too sick to finish my shift. I was supposed to leave then take a few days off.”

  Kane stared at her. “You’re forgetting something.”

  “What?”

  “What did he pay you?”

  Her shoulders slumped. “How did you know?”

  “Because a woman like you, desperate for money with a child at home and a deadbeat ex-husband, doesn’t just take a few days off without pay. And”—he pointed at a shiny new watch on her wrist—“a woman like you, desperate for money, doesn’t wear a brand new five-hundred-dollar watch.”

  Her jaw dropped, then snapped shut after a few moments. She sighed. “Fine. Ten grand. Cash.”

  “When?”

  “That night.”

  “So, he was prepared when he met you.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Yet it did. It meant everything. It meant it wasn’t a chance encounter, it was a planned encounter. They knew she’d be there that night, they knew exactly who she was, where she worked, and that she was a habitual marijuana smoker, a fireable offense they could blackmail her with.

  Again, perfectly planned, and it meant access to personnel files of a federally run organization.

  “Would you recognize him?”

  She shook her head. “No, it was an alleyway at night. He was in the shadows the whole time.”

  “White? Black?”

  “He was Asian. That much I could tell.”

  Kane pursed his lips. “Anything else you’re not telling me?”

  “No.”

  “Are you sure? If I find out later that you’re lying to me—”

  “No! I swear that’s it. I’ve told you everything.”

  Kane stood. “You can go.”

  Her eyes bulged. “Umm, I can?”

  “Yes.”

  “Umm, what about the money.”

  Kane’s eyes bore into her. “Return the watch, and spend it all on your kid.”