Authors: Murray McDonald
In less than twenty-four hours, Surkov would secure the final piece in his jigsaw and the work he had commenced a lifetime earlier would enter a new and exciting phase. A phase that would create a world Surkov wanted to be part of, a world he had known only too briefly many years before.
Chapter 74
Jane fussed alongside Vincent all the way to the Director’s office. Had he not stopped and insisted she wait for him outside of the office, she would have followed him in.
“Remember if you even feel the slightest unwell, just give me a call and we’ll get the doctor here,” she whispered in his ear as she handed him his file.
“Ah Vincent, you made it!” chastised the director of CIA, Vincent’s boss.
“Yes Charles, sorry I’m late,” he offered taking a seat next to the other directorate heads.
After a perfunctory run through of previous meeting action points, they moved on to new business. Each ran though their current areas of concern and issues they believed needed to be brought to the group. Vincent considered, as it neared his turn, alerting them to, if Mike were correct, the greatest risk to democracy since, well, ever. However, as the Director of the Intelligence Division took the floor, all hell broke loose. Yet another disaster in the pass-off of intelligence from the CIA to Homeland and the FBI had resulted in a terrorist cell fleeing the country. The CIA Director adjourned the meeting and headed for the phone. He’d spend the next few hours in heated debates with the Head of the FBI, Homeland and would no doubt involve the President. If nothing else, to cover his ass.
Jane stood and rushed over as Vincent exited the office. He threw her a look of don’t even think about it, as she was going to offer him her arm for support. He handed her his file to cover her action.
“Any news?”
“Sean called, they’re about to board the flight!” she replied.
“How did he manage that?” asked Vincent.
“He said he charmed him!” said Jane with a smile, believing Sean could charm anyone. Sean in her eyes could do no wrong.
“Bullshit, he bloody well told him!” replied Vincent.
Jane looked at him as though he was being unfair.
Vincent nodded to the clock on the wall. “They weren’t scheduled to leave 'til five. They’re leaving two hours early! He’s definitely told him,” he explained.
“What’s next?” he asked.
“Rest and the doctor!” she replied firmly.
“I don’t think so!” he replied. “There is far too much happening!”
She left his side and walked back to the Director of the CIA’s PA, a good friend of hers. “Hi Shirley, can I have a quick minute with Charles, please?”
“Of course,” she began to check his diary and eyed Vincent carefully.
Vincent caught her eye and accepted her terms. She won. If he didn’t, she would be in telling Charles about his minor heart attack and would be out the office for at least a month on doctor’s orders. He didn’t have time to be sick.
“Oh, it’s OK Shirley, he’s busy, another time,” she said with a smile.
“Are you sure, Dear, I’ll get you in there!” she promised throwing Vincent a look of disgust.
Jane caught the look and suddenly realized Shirley must have thought she wanted to complain about Vincent’s behavior. Why else would she be wanting a meeting with Charles?
“Good God, no!” she laughed patting Shirley’s arm before catching up with Vincent and leading him back to the office.
“Sean’s on an eleven hour flight and you are going to sleep for each and every one of them,” she ordered. Closing the blinds in his office as the doctor checked his heart rate and blood pressure.
As the fussing stopped, he closed his eyes and was rewarded with the sound of his office door closing. Peace at last he thought. Eleven hours to work out how he was going to keep Sean from prison. A prospect that was dwindling. An email had arrived from the US Attorney’s office, detailing the name of the prosecutor who would be leading the case and requesting a time and date for Sean to be arrested on his return from Moscow. The speed with which they were moving was stunning and added credence to the warning he had received earlier, to say his goodbyes to Sean. All of this was, of course, academic. Unless he succeeded in Moscow.
Chapter 75
The Boeing 747-800 VIP was Governor Rick Brown’s latest toy. As a man with more money than sense, the aircraft was the ultimate gadget for the billionaire and Sean tried his best to keep his cool. It was a truly amazing piece of equipment and should, as everyone expected, the Governor win the election, totally surplus to requirements. Despite being newer and far more luxurious than Air Force One, it had none of the hi-tech defensive or command structure capabilities that made Air Force One unique.
Sean jokingly offered to look after it for the governor for the four or eight years he wouldn’t be needing it. The governor thanked him but pointed out that leasing it while not in use actually made him a tidy profit and by tidy, he meant a few million.
Money did beget money thought Sean, it really was true.
As they settled in for the flight, the Governor caught Sean’s eye and nodded towards his private study. As they made their way towards the door, Katherine stood up to join them.
“Do you mind, Katherine?” asked the Governor, guiding Sean in. “This is rather personal,” before shutting the door on his Chief of Staff.
Personal, thought Katherine as she retook her seat. She had a few hours and a night flight to get to know Sean a lot better. She’d find out soon enough what was being discussed. She sat back and relaxed.
“Sean please take a seat,” suggested the Governor, the friendliness in his tone had become slightly more business like.
He handed Sean a sheet of paper and waited for Sean to read through it.
The header was not one Sean was overly pleased to see.
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v’s MR SEAN FOX
Sean scrolled down the list of charges that had been leveled against him. Drug smuggling being possibly the only one he actually had any idea of the seriousness of.
“Quite a list!” said Sean.
“Indeed, is it true?” asked the Governor.
“Technically, yes!” replied Sean shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
“Jesus,” and I’ve taken you on this trip. “I’ll get crucified by the press!” The Governor had put his grief aside until after Moscow and as such was very much back in work mode and work mode at that time meant campaign mode.
“I can explain,” offered Sean.
“I’m tough on crime, especially drugs. It’s why they love me, Sean. I can’t help you with this!” he said shaking the sheets of charges.
“I’m not asking you to,” replied Sean indignantly which caught the Governor’s attention.
“OK, go, explain!” he suggested, taking a seat opposite Sean.
Governor Rick Brown stayed silent throughout, although his facial expressions gave away plenty. Sean detailed everything that had happened to him since arriving home.
As Sean stopped talking, the Governor remained speechless, not knowing what to say. Sean sat in anticipation before the Governor finally spoke.
“Holy shit, that is some explanation!” he offered shaking his head. “I’m not sure a jury in the land will believe it, mind you,” he added.
“But do you?” asked Sean.
“Yes!”
“Thank you,” replied Sean.
“Sean, they’re going to throw away the key!” he offered as a friend.
“We’ll see. What will, be will be.”
“And this Torres guy, the new boss, he still wants you dead?”
“Yep, I believe after they missed me in Mexico, he raised it to $30 million bucks. I don’t think I’m his favorite person,” smiled Sean.
“These guys come and go,” offered the Governor as some reassurance.
“This guy’s smarter than average. Trust me, he’s ensured that even when he’s dead they’ll still be hunting me down!”
“Sorry?”
“Escrow fund, pays on proof of my death!”
“Jesus, he is a smart cookie, so even you killing him doesn’t stop it!”
“Exactly, in fact killing him ensures it can’t be stopped! I think that’s one of the reasons the government’s so pissed. I’ve put this guy in charge and he is way smarter than them.”
“You’re remarkably calm for a man with one of the world’s most dangerous cartels after his head,” said the Governor.
“They have to be alive to collect and they’re going to get one hell of a fight from me. We’ll see how their resolve holds up after I’ve stopped a few!” replied Sean confidently, leaving the Governor in no doubt that he meant it.
The Governor got up. The chat was over. Sean got up and as he walked to the door, the Governor added. “Obviously, with all this, you can’t possibly accompany me to the Kremlin. We’ll get you a flight back when we land!”
Sean had the handle of the door in his hand as the Governor delivered the news. News that meant he’d get nowhere near Surkov nor be able to keep an eye on the Governor.
Sean released the handle and returned to the Governor’s desk.
“Do I just dial normally?” he asked as he picked up the phone.
The Governor nodded. Sean was, after all, a big powerful guy. If he wanted to use your phone, you’d let him.
Sean spoke first before handing the phone to the Governor. A heated conversation ensued before he thrust the handset towards Sean and stormed out of the room.
“Vincent, are you still there?” asked Sean.
“Yes, he doesn’t like not getting his way,” he said with a laugh.
“So what’s happening?”
“You’re back on. I told him if he refused I’d inform the Russians your plane had been hijacked and was going to be used as a weapon against the Kremlin!”
“Bit extreme?”
“So’s worry about fucking votes with Surkov around!” exclaimed Vincent.
“You realize when we land, the threat’s gone?!”
“Don’t worry about that. I also suggested I’d release details of a sordid affair to the papers!”
“Jesus ,V, is that why he stormed out!” realized Sean.
“Partly, it was when I mentioned it would be with a guy that he lost it!”
“He’s going to be the next President!” reminded Sean.
“And if we’re right, it’s a presidency he would never want to win!”
Chapter 76
Thanks to Vincent’s foray into team building, the remainder of the flight was uneventful. The Governor went to his room and didn’t surface until the captain announced they were twenty minutes from landing. Sean similarly crashed out. Having slept little, he fell into a deep and all consuming sleep. He had imagined a tap tap tapping at his door at some point during the night but it wasn’t until he received an exceedingly cold reception from Katherine that he realized it hadn’t been a dream. He had missed out on, he admired the view, something truly exceptional. He dropped hints about how deeply he can sleep when he is in safe areas but she wasn’t biting, a woman scorned.
As the wheels touched down, Sean took up his position next to the Governor. A position he would remain for the next twenty-four hours.
“Sean!” said the Governor.
“Governor,” replied Sean.
“Would he really have done it?” he asked.
Sean didn’t know whether he was referring to the terrorist threat or the affair. “Definitely!” replied Sean. Vincent would have done both in a heartbeat.
“Jesus, he’s some guy,” replied the Governor, shaking his head.
“To have on your side!” defended Sean.
The Governor considered Sean’s point and smiled. He clapped Sean on the back. “Let’s do it!” he said exiting the plane to a sea of photographers.
Katherine breathed in the Moscow air as she exited at the back of the entourage. After all these years, her motherland. She wanted to bend down and kiss the tarmac but smiled warmly just in case any of the paparazzi caught her. She had an image to portray and as much as her heart leapt, she had to remain calm and lady like.
Sean had instructed the other bodyguards to fan out. He alone remained next to the Governor. If anything were to happen, he didn’t want anyone getting in his way; particularly guys he didn’t know. The drivers took a circuitous route to the Kremlin; obviously the impressive route, as each building outshone the previous before they finally reached the Kremlin.
Katherine sat and soaked in the images that her mother had described to her as she grew up. It was everything and more that she had promised. Katherine was home, her real home. Her part meant she would never get to know her home. Her sacrifice to her homeland was never knowing her homeland. As Katherine’s breath was caught by the beauty and splendor of the Kremlin, she almost asked herself if it was worth it.
“Have you been before?” asked Sean, as Katherine’s face lit up.
Katherine was too engrossed in the view and didn’t hear Sean.
The Governor, nudged her, “Sean’s asking if you’ve been before!” he repeated.
“No but…” she caught herself. “I’ve read about it, it’s beautiful.”
Sean thought he was getting the serious silent treatment when she hadn’t answered but the twinkle in her eye as she answered him, suggested she hadn’t heard him and more importantly there was still a chance, thought Sean.
“What about you, Governor?”
“Never, I’m really looking forward to meeting President Gagarin as well. I’m a bit of a techy and space geek.”
“I’d never have guessed,” replied Sean hiding his sarcasm. He’d just stepped off the ultimate gadget!
As the cars pulled into the Ritz Carlton’s entrance, the entourage and their baggage filled the entranceway.
“You staying for the month?” asked Sean looking at the number of items in Katherine’s bundle as he walked the Governor to his suite.
“One never knows what to wear!” she joked.
Sean checked the suite and allowed the Governor to enter; it was stunning and just a little smaller than the plane thought Sean, but not by much. Five minutes later, with her bags safely in her room, Katherine joined them to run through the final itinerary. Room Service delivered a lunch Katherine had ordered and the three sat blankly as the Russian-speaking waiter tried to explain what each course was.
“I had the same problem ordering,” laughed Katherine. “I’ve no idea what anything is!”
Whatever she had ordered went down very well and, as the three sat back for coffee, Katherine felt a slight vibration in her bag. She excused herself and headed back to her room where she removed the telecoms device and called Dr Surkov back.