Out Of The Past (6 page)

She disappeared into the bathroom, and he ordered room service. Then he called Frank with an update. “We’re in the Worthington, and after breakfast, we’re heading out to a safe house. We’ll stay there until this is all over. They’ll never find us. Zoe will be safe.”

“Good. I’ve been worried sick. I think I know the identity of the Croatian. He’s Casmir Slavko, a mercenary who’s trying to make a name by gaining Gabric’s freedom. I met him once. He’s as dangerous as they come. Don’t cross his path.”

“I know who he is too. If I’m not mistaken, Jake had a run in with him in the Ukraine.” A.J. finger combed his hair. “I’ll keep you posted.”

The knock so soon after placing the food order surprised A.J., and made him pause before opening the door. He removed the gun from beneath his pillow and walked across the room. With the chain still intact, he looked through the peephole before cracking the door.

A man dressed in a waiter’s uniform stood with a food cart. He looked harmless enough, so A.J. motioned him in after putting the gun in the waistband of his jeans. He signed for the food then said, “Hey, do you happen to have an extra shirt? Mine got a little messed up in a bar fight.”

“I can get one. People leave things behind, and we save them.” The man didn’t seem fazed by the bloody clothes A.J. wore.

“I’d appreciate if you’d see what you could do. I’ll make it worth your while.”

The waiter bowed and walked toward the elevator.

Zoe stepped from the bathroom, and her eyes widened at the food. “Looks like you took my suggestion seriously.”

“An army travels on their stomach.”

They carried the food and pot of coffee to the table and ate in silence. Before long, they’d have to get out of the hotel and head for Decatur.

As they finished the meal, a knock sounded at the door.

A.J. held up his hand. “I think it’s the waiter. He’s getting me a shirt.”

True to his word, the hotel employee stood holding out a Cowboy’s tee shirt. A.J. gave him a couple of twenties then gathered up Zoe, and they took the elevator to the lobby.

He’d ordered a rental car, and a white Toyota Camry sat parked outside waiting. With everything under an assumed name, he didn’t worry about meeting up with anyone.

The first stop was to get them a few items they would need over the next two days. A nearby discount store provided them with clothing and provisions.

In the car, A.J. headed northwest, and within an hour, they were in Decatur and only a few miles from the house Falcon used. It stood off the path a considerable distance and couldn’t be seen from the road.

As he turned into the driveway, he noticed a parked car off to the left in the brush that shouldn’t be there. Cautioning Zoe to stay in the car, he stepped out and moved through the wooded area where he saw the house.

There was movement inside, and he guessed the Croatian’s men had found their hideout. He returned to the Zoe and backed the car out of the driveway.

“They’ve compromised the safe house,” he said. “We’ll go to another one just outside of Weatherford.”

“If they learned about one house, what makes you think they don’t know them all?”

“That’s my fear. But no one has that information, except other Falcon agents and Frank. I know with every fiber of my being, no Falcon agent would turn.”

“Then what?”

“Let’s see what we find in Weatherford.”

“I hope it isn’t more of the same.”

W
ith everything that had happened, Zoe had never been so frightened in her life. And as a former prostitute that was saying a lot. She never expected to be on the run with A.J. or anyone else. And having her life on the line had her tense as a prisoner walking to the gallows.

She’d be glad when Monday came. Her confidence in A.J. was through the roof, but she honestly suspected all the places had been compromised. If the Croatian knew where one was, he knew them all.

It sickened her that A.J. was in such pain and was probably exhausted from running. “Maybe we should hop on a plane and get out of here?” she suggested.

“The only problem with that is it’s too easy to learn who’s flying where. I know because I’ve done it a dozen times.”

“But what if there is no safe house?”

“We’ll have to come up with another plan.”

She twisted her hands in her lap. “I don’t know what to do.”

A.J. gently touched her arm. “We’ll get through this. Even if we have to drive around Texas for the next two days.”

Tired and feeling helpless, Zoe pushed her hair back behind her ears. “That sounds like fun.”

“I talked to Frank, and he’s pulled Brody off an assignment. Brody’s headed here to help us. With another agent, we’ll have a better chance.”

“When will he get here?”

“I’m not sure. But, rest assured, he’ll get here as fast as he can.”

“I want Monday to hurry up.”

“Me too.”

They drove past the residential safe house in Weatherford. The curtains were closed, and they both spotted a man on the roof with a gun. “Looks like you were right. They know every hideout.”

“What next?”

“I’m not sure.” With the car idling, A.J. called Frank. “They have the position of every Falcon haven.”

“I suspected that.”

“Who knows that besides you, the agents, and Zoe?”

“Only one other department. Homeland Security.”

“Seriously?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“Damn, that makes it tough.”

“I know, and I’m heading to the Director’s office now. But, no matter what happens, if they know, then there isn’t anything we can do at the moment.”

“That sucks.”

“Keep Zoe safe.”

Just as A.J turned around the car and headed back to Fort Worth, two cars cut him off. His first instinct was to go for his gun, but not with Zoe in the car.

Reluctantly, he raised his hands. “Stay calm and do what they say. Do everything you can to stay alive.”

***

A
rough looking guy with a beard jerked Zoe out of the car along with A.J. Guns at their backs, they marched toward the Falcon house. She was scared, but refused to show any sign of weakness.

Inside, the Croatian waited, impeccably dressed as usual. “The game is over. If either of you makes the wrong move, you’re dead. I don’t want to kill you, but I will.”

“Cut the shit, Slavko. You planned to kill Zoe from the start. She can identify you.”

“You’re right; she can. But I will be long gone before they find her. We all know my government will never turn me over to the Americans.”

“Now, you’re talking stupid,” A.J. said. “You and I both know when this is over we’ll hunt you down no matter where you hide.”

A tall man, skinny as an anorexic teenager, punched A.J. in the jaw. Blood flowed from his lip.

She screamed, “Stop! Don’t hurt him. We won’t do anything.”

“I know he won’t.”

Two muscular men with blond hair pushed aside the skinny one. A.J. and Zoe were roughly shoved into chairs and tied back-to-back. The bastard yanked on the knot, grinning as he pulled tighter.

“Do you think he’s telling the truth?” she asked A.J.

He shook his head. “No way in hell.” He spit. “They don’t play fair, Zoe.”

She wanted to believe the man who said they’d let them live, but she knew in her heart that A.J. was correct. What reason would they have for keeping them alive?

None.

She counted the armed men and came up with five, not counting the Croatian. Then there was a man on the roof. So, the two of them were unarmed and restrained against seven killers. Did they even remotely stand a chance?

The man A.J. referred to as Casmir Slavko took a cell phone from his pocket and spoke a language she didn’t understand. He was probably telling his boss he finally had them in custody.

What plans were they making? She didn’t know, but her guess was it wouldn’t end well for them.

***

F
rank stood outside the door of Homeland Security and realized they were closed on Saturday. With his guard detail at a distance, he took out his phone to called Vince Colanglo, his friend and Director of the CIA, to see what he could find out, but his phone rang before he could dial.

“Yes?”

“We have the girl and your Falcon agent. They will both die if you take the stand Monday.”

“Who is this?”

“It doesn’t matter. Just realize what I say is the truth. We will kill them in cold blood and send you the video. Are you prepared to have two innocent peoples death on your hands?”

His stomach turned and he clenched his fist. He wanted to hurt someone really bad. But he had to remain calm. They wanted a violent reaction. Threats, coercion, perhaps even promises. “I’m prepared to do whatever necessary to rid the world of Gabric.”

Frank hung up. His heart broke, but he couldn’t give in to terrorists. If you did it once, before long you became so weak that killers ruled the world.

With trembling hands, he got Vince Colanglo on the phone. “Yeah, I’m in a serious jam.”

“When aren’t you?”

“Gabric has managed to kidnap Zoe and A.J. and is holding them as security, so I won’t testify Monday.”

“Jesus, Frank. What have you gotten into?”

“Not me, them.”

“I’ll notify my men in Dallas. Do you have any idea where they might be?”

“Could be in a safe house in Weatherford, but they’d be fools to keep them there long.”

“Okay, I’m on it.”

“Brody is on the way too and should arrive in Dallas this afternoon. He’ll be in on the hunt.”

“I think you should say something to the President about this.”

“Not yet. I need a little more information before I involve him. He has enough on his plate at the moment.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean.”

“I’ll get my people out of there.” Frank rubbed the back of his neck. “I think someone in Homeland Security gave Gabric’s people the location of Falcon’s safe houses.”

“Really?” An uncomfortable pause had Frank gritting his teeth. “Who runs the Dallas office?”

“Lee Stallworth. Homeland is the only one outside of my staff who has that information.”

“You trust your agents that much?”

“I’d trust them with my life. They’d never turn.”

“I’m on that information immediately. If Homeland is behind this, heads will roll.”

“All I want is my people back safely.”

“I know. But, Frank, be careful. Don’t do anything foolish. And no matter what, don’t leave your security guards. Coming after you might be the other angle they’re working.”

“I realized that from the start. I’ll keep you posted.”

L
eaving the Homeland Securities section in DC, Frank walked back to his private room with three armed Secret Service agents behind him. Because the crimes against humanity that Gabric had committed were carried out by the military, the trial had been moved from the UN in New York to DC.

Frank knew one of the guards personally. “Hey, Rick.”

“Sir?”

“Order some beer. We can all watch TV tonight.”

Rick chuckled. “We’re on duty. No alcohol.”

Frank stopped. “I’m not, and I want a beer.”

Rick smiled good-naturedly and slapped him on the back. “I’ll see it happens.” The agent leaned closer. “You look worried. Anything we should know about?”

“No, it’s just I hate being confined, that’s all.”

“President Davis feels the same way. Every once and a while he sneaks away just to feel human.”

“I’ve been with him on a few of those occasions.”

“Yes, you have. We figured you instigated the escape.”

Frank laughed, remembering the times he and President Davis used to hit the local bars. “I suppose I did. But I always had a few agents close by.”

Sliding Frank a smirk, Rick lifted his chin and winked. “We knew that too.”

“Guess I didn’t fool anyone then.”

Rick shook his head.

Entering the suite he’d been assigned during his stay in Washington, Frank thought back to the time his and Zoe’s lives crossed. Her father had been his partner in the CIA for over twenty years. When his wife died of the big C, Gene threw himself into his work and forgot he had a daughter.

By the time he tried to reach out to his only child, Zoe was deep into the dark side of life. She had a pimp, was hooked on heroin, and only half alive.

When Gene lay on his deathbed, he’d begged Frank to take care of Zoe. A childless man, Frank often wondered at how easily he’d stepped up to the plate and changed Zoe’s life before she could even realize he’d taken control.

Taking in a young girl who’d been on the streets for years wasn’t the easiest thing he’d ever done. It seemed every day Frank struggled just to keep from sticking her head in the toilet and flushing. She had a smart mouth and lied like a gangbanger.

But, with the passage of time, things became easier for both of them, and before he knew what hit him, he was acting like a real dad. That meant loving her so much it hurt and beating the hell out of her ex-pimp when he was released from prison and thought he could force her back to work.

The scumbag landed in the hospital for two weeks.

First, Zoe battled the effects of heroine withdrawal in rehab. Second, she underwent a total attitude adjustment. Lastly, she became his right hand person. He loved her as a daughter. If anything happened to her, Frank had no doubts about how far he’d go to seek revenge.

***

U
nder no grand illusion, A.J. knew he had no value to the group of Croatians. To them, he was just an extra body to lug around because he knew they were too smart to stay here long. With Brody on his way, it only made sense that he’d check out the safe houses. Since Slavko didn’t know what agents were in the area, he’d do the smart thing and get A.J. and Zoe to his own turf in hopes of avoiding any other Falcon agents.

Pretending not to understand their conversation, A.J. learned they planned to put a bullet in his head and dump the body in the back of the house. He had to prevent that from happening.

He needed a reason for them to want him alive. Clearing his throat, A.J. spoke up, “I know I’m extra baggage, but Frank may be more concerned that you have one of his agents.” He was Zoe’s only hope against these creeps.