True Lies - Redux Ch. 10

Maybe we should have listened to Jim's warning about finding a NEW place after making those calls from the same phone I had used to leave that voicemail. The one to Jim's old and so well known work number...

As we finally exited the approximately 200 foot tunnel, Allie pulled the hoodie and face covering part of his overalls over his head and face and told me to do the same.

"Is this a chem suit?" I asked.

"No. Heat suppression. Invisible to IR "night vision" goggles or scopes. Be very quiet now while I scout around a little."

I could still hear an automatic gunfire firefight going on at the house we had just left. Then suddenly it all stopped. I don't think "our guys" - the three I thought were still there - won.

Allie came back and he looked very serious, a combination of sad and righteously furious. We were actually in another house not directly across the street from the one being attacked but one more further removed, facing a street around the block, in other words. We got into an older model dark blue Toyota Highlander with very dark windows parked in that garage before opening the garage door and slowly driving away with our lights off.

Now it was my turn to grieve silently with Allie over the loss of his friends, not just professional associates. While also still grieving myself and now returned to a state of fear, uncertainty, and doubt. But at least we seemed to have gotten away, for now. More deaths caused by me, though? I cried as silently as I could as Allie drove stoically.

******************

Jim - next morning -

I was up by 6 AM again. My new normal, I guess. I started the coffee brewing and then started breakfast for me, Elaine, and Rob, who spent the night again in Elaine's bed, as soon as I heard the noise of running water from their bathroom.

Rob and I left for "work" the same time. Rob had several different offices he could work out of. I merely headed for some crowded public places where I could Bluejack "borrow" someone else's cell phone to check my previous phone voicemail and email and messaging.

There was a single email to me with some URL's listed and nothing else. I hit a few of those web sites using "borrowed" cell connections and discovered they were all little known blogs that all carried our "full story" on the Grayson-Iran affair.

I just kept pretty mobile myself the rest of the day. It was a waiting game now. Later today I'd call Brad and squeeze him a little and see if the meeting with Harrera was set up yet. I'd try to determine if he knew Rachel was free yet, or not. I'd sweat him about his own wife and daughters, too.

About 1:30PM I finally used one of my burner phones to call Adel for an update.

"Hey, I got the email and saw some of the links. Looked very good and complete. Any nibbles yet?"

"It went up at Wikileaks right after noon today and Twitter did take notice. Our mutual friend received several interesting calls about it already. We need to talk in person and review what's happening with that interesting audio recording he also gave you."

We met in a bar about an hour later.

"The most interesting call was from Jeb Jameson himself. Basically Jeb was pretty pissed and totally blamed Grayson for the info getting out. Grayson denied it, of course. Then Jeb asked him what he was going to say if the New York Times wanted to interview him? Grayson got smart, maybe, and then started negotiating for that promised $50 million. I'll deny everything forever IF the $50 mil materializes "pretty damn quick" he said.

"Jeb was sounding angrier and angrier. He said Grayson would get it but it had to REALLY be scrubbed first, now - and if Grayson knew what was good for him he'd be sure to always say the right things from here on out.

"I think Mr. Jameson here is acting way too emotionally involved to not be in it neck deep."

"Interesting. So, it's looking like Brad reporting to Harrera, Harrera maybe directly to Jameson or through Broadwell? And quite possibly any number of other quite high up enablers...shit!

"We really need some leverage on Harrera. Or maybe we just kidnap him and waterboard him? Fuck it."

Adel cautioned me, "Maybe tread these muddy waters just a little carefully until we know for sure a little more?"

"Yeah, I'm just a tad frustrated and still worried sick about Rachel. I'm going to really push Brad today for that meeting with Harrera. How's his wife and kids?"

"The girls are just fine and Mom is getting madder and madder at her husband. She's willing to help us in any way she can. But honestly I'm not sure she could pull off being scared in even another skype call. We'd better ship 'em to the Caribbean pretty soon."

"Keep her handy until I meet with Brad and hopefully Harrera the next time. Then we'll decide that. It just feels like time is dragging right now..."

By now it was almost 3 PM and I went ahead and called Brad. That call went amazingly well. The meet with Harrera was already arranged for tomorrow at 10 AM but at a different location. Evidently another house. I was given the address. Brad pleaded for his wife and kids to be returned and I just said, "After this meeting. And you better be ready and willing to do whatever it takes to back ME up in that meeting. Am I clear enough on this? Should I overnnight one of your wife's fingers to make sure you understand? Or maybe just a video of MY guys having some fun with her tonight?"

Brad got real serious and stopped whining. "I'll back you all the way. Please don't hurt my wife or daughters. You don't have to do that."

I didn't hear anything from Rachel today but wasn't all that concerned. Brad didn't say a word about her and Grayson didn't call me either on any of the burner phones I held just for him to call on. I could only assume she was just hunkering down. I really had no way to contact her either, other than two names Grayson had given me. And I was planning on keeping them in reserve for when I could personally head out there and get her.

The next morning Jennifer and I headed for the meeting with Brad and Harrera. I figured just Jennifer with me would be enough to show good faith. It was yet another kind of Brownstone condo in Georgetown. Adel and all his guys were around on oversight for just protection. We weren't planning on an actual operation against Harrera yet. I wanted to try and shake him maybe a little through the old standbyes: lies, veiled threats, equally veiled promises, and more lies, as required. And I wouldn't let him keep Jenn today - explaining that I needed her to get Elaine and especially this Cowboy Rob guy roped in for our next in person meeting.

We were walking to the condo entrance together when it went to shit. Jennifer's head exploded from an obvious sniper's bullet. I immediately sprinted away, bobbing and weaving. But I still heard what sounded like two quick handgun shots from inside the condo. The sniper snapped a shot off at me but only kicked up some concrete shards which caused a little superficial damage, instead of the large caliber bullet taking part of my leg off and making me an easy target for the kill shot. Instead I dived behind some trash cans and then kept crawling and scrambling behind a car and put a wheel at my back.

God damn it. I felt enraged and like crying at the same time. Beautiful Jennifer was dead. My oldest and bestest friend at the agency. Those fuckers were going to pay. I was going to burn their house down even if it WAS the White House, itself.

I didn't know it at that time but those two gun shots I'd heard from inside the meeting house was first Brad shooting Harrera right in the back of the head, then one of Harrera's security detail doing the same to Brad. Brad kept his word and backed me up, as best he could.

What the fuck was going on???

No more shots rang out from that fucking sniper. Our old beat up van came around the corner and the driver ducked down while the side door slid open for me to enter while out of the sightline of the shooter. Adel was inside and absolutely white. Obviously he knew Jenn was dead, Beautiful and lovely Jenn.

Oh, fuck...