Chapter 10
Author's Note: I'd be remiss in posting this chapter if I did not take a moment to thank those that have supported and helped me with this story.
Goddess Evie, thank you. You've greatly improved so many parts and helped me remember that Jonny is not lost to us or Jessie. He needs to hang on to what little he has. Thank you for your help with the scene in this chapter and all the rest of your help throughout.
ForeverWells, woman you are the best! You know this! You've given me so much to think about while developing this story. Many things have changed or been altered based on your feedback and suggestions. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in writing action scenes that I forget the core of this tale is Jessie and Jonny and their fight to be back together. So, again, thank you.
TJ, I hope you enjoy the tale up to this point. I'm sorry for causing emotional distress, I truly am, but Jonny needs to hurt in order to get better. Does that even make sense? Your story has shown me that one can blend romance with action and make it work. That is what I've tried to achieve with these stories. Please continue to enjoy!
Other readers and guests, I hope you all continue to enjoy this tale.
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"This guy is even slimier than his photo and file led me to believe." Race grumbled.
He was seated alongside Jade at a secluded, large rounded booth in the hotel bar. Drinking a high priced scotch, he observed Martucci saunter into the establishment with an air about him that would lead one to believe he owned the place. His look and demeanor made Race's skin crawl.
"Guys like him usually are." Jade purred, sipping her wine.
Martucci made eye contact and made his way over to their table. Standing, Race greeted the banker with his best smile. "Signor Martucci, thank you for taking the time to meet with me."
"Of course, Signor Blackburn." The man replied.
"Care for a drink?" Race asked, motioning for the new arrival to take a seat and then gestured for the waitress' attention.
"Yes, thank you." When the waitress arrived, Martucci smiled grossly at the woman and ordered a glass of wine.
"This is my friend, Miss Jade." Race indicated Jade who smiled seductively at the banker.
Martucci beamed and kissed the woman's hand. Jade hoped her cringe wasn't noticeable. "Signorina Jade. A pleasure."
Jade smiled back, but said nothing. The waitress returned, deposited the man's drink, then left.
"So, Signor Blackburn. I was told you were interested in some real estate ventures?"
Race nodded. "I have my eye on some available properties in and around Rome. Having heard that you were the best at what you do, I wanted to give you an opportunity for consignment in my interests."
Martucci nodded as Race spoke. He ran a finger along the stem of his glass while shooting sideways glances towards Jade every few seconds. Looking back at Race, the man replied, "What would these properties be used for?"
"That's my business, Signor." Race replied evenly.
"I see," Martucci hummed. "It was only a question."
"My business with you is strictly financial. Other than that, I think it's best we don't ask too many questions."
Martucci sipped his wine. "I can appreciate a man that values his privacy, Signor Blackburn."
"As do I." Race replied. He was having difficulty reading the banker.
"I heard of your arrival, Signor." Martucci stated. "They say you possess a fine automobile."
Race grinned. "I like to live on the wild side."
Martucci eyed Jade again. "In more ways than one, I see."
In response, Race leaned over and pecked Jade on the cheek. "We both have a bit of a wild side. I hear the same about you, Signor Martucci. They say you have quite a fine collection of classic automobiles and vehicles yourself."
"I do." Martucci answered. "There are many things that capture my attention and fine cars is just one of those interests."
"And fine women?" Jade asked playfully.
Martucci shrugged, "At times. Both can be considered wise investments." He turned his attention back to Race. "Tell me what made you interested in vehicles, Signor Blackburn."
Race saw the man was relaxing, so he decided to lay it on a bit thicker. "I remember it like it was yesterday. I was fifteen years old and running with the wrong crowd as we say in America. I stole my first care on a dare."
"A dare?" Martucci inquired.
"Like a bet." Race explained. "My friends said I didn't have the guts to do it. There was this old geezer that lived in the nicer part of town and his prize possession was a 1969 Ford Mustang Mach I, totally restored. One night we snuck onto his property and I hotwired the car and took it for a joyride."
"Interesting." The banker grinned. "What happened?"
Race laughed. "I was at the front of the pack in a high speed chase with the local cops. Bastards finally got me when I lost control and wrapped the car around a telephone pole. Amazingly, I was unhurt for the most part, but I spent some time in lock up for my crazy antics. The judge reduced my sentence to joyriding versus grand theft auto. The moment I was released, I was the leader of my little gang of friends and we spent our free time finding more cars to boost."
"You went from a car thief to a millionaire real estate broker? Quite a dramatic turn, Signor Blackburn."
"Well, I never lost my love of cars and I knew I'd need money to support my interests. I grew up as they say. Real estate came as naturally to me as heisting cars. I just channeled my talents into that in order to stay out of prison."
Martucci sipped his wine then let out a bellowing laugh. "That is quite a story, Signor Blackburn. A man with guts and determination is a man I'd be interested in doing business with. You are a risk taker, as am I."
"I appreciate that, Signor Martucci."
"Come to my villa, Signor Blackburn. The evening after tomorrow I am hosting a party. I would be honored to have you and Signorina Jade as my guests. I'd like to show you my own collection. However you must promise not to steal any of them."
Race laughed and downed his drink. "I'll try my best, Signor."
Martucci stood. "Then it is settled. You will be my guests Friday evening. I ask that you bring your Gumpert Apollo. Perhaps you would allow me to take it for a test drive. I've always wanted to get my hands on one, yet they are so rare."
"Of course." Race nodded.
"Until Friday evening then." Martucci grinned, then bowed his head slightly. "Signor Blackburn." He then kissed Jade's hand again, "Signorina."
"Looking forward to it." Race stated.
Once Martucci departed, they paid for their drinks and made their way back to Race's suite.
Once inside the luxurious room, Jade shook her head. "I need to wash my hands. In fact, I think I need a full shower. The creep factor vibes coming off of that guy was too much."
Race laughed a little. "Yeah. But we have our in. He obviously had an eye for you, Jade."
"Can you blame him?" Jade asked with a wink. "But I thought his interests were in a much younger type of companion and one of the same gender as you two."
"From what I can tell it appears Martucci is willing to take whatever he can get." Race shuddered. "Either way, I may need you to show him a bit more attention Friday night."
Jade groaned and rolled her eyes. "I just have to remind myself that I'm doing this for Jonny."
"And me." Race added with a smile.
"You owe me, handsome." Jade laughed.
"You want payment now or later?" Race grinned and wrapped the woman up in his arms, kissing her lightly on the lips. Her perfume was intoxicating.
Guiding him into the bedroom, Jade turned to face him again and leaned into his body, running her hands along his chest to push his suit jacket from his shoulders. Their mouths were mere inches apart, she was so close, Race's mind shot into overdrive. Their lips touched, lightly grazing each other as she replied, ""Now." Jade purred.
Grabbing her waist, Race pulled her into him, pressing his lips with aggressive desire onto hers, their tongues intertwining as she moaned against him. He growled at the sweet taste of her lips, the faint traces of wine stinging his tongue.
Her fingers pulled at the knot of his tie then worked to unbutton his shirt. Within seconds his jacket, tie, and shirt were gone, exposing his perfect pecs. A lustful growl escaped her lips as she ran her tongue down the center of his chest, moving towards a nipple to playfully tease him. She could feel the increased beating of his heart as his strong, powerful hands tussled her hair. Her tongue tasted him, as she moved back up to meet his waiting lips.
Kissing her deeply, Race felt her hands travelling down his abdomen. Unbuckling his belt, Jade pressed herself against his erection, moving and groaning with desire against him. A moment later, she pushed his pants down so she could wrap her hands around him, stroke him. She smiled as their lips continued to explore each other and Race's eyes closed.
Kneeling, Jade felt her own wants coursing through her as Race looked down and watched her pleasure him. Teasing him at first, she ran her tongue along him, making him moan and ache in her grasp. She moaned as she took him in her mouth, pleasing him and fulfilling his desires. Race threw his head back, groaning like an animal. "Yeah." He muttered as he ran his fingers through her hair, lacing the silky locks between his thumb and forefinger. "Keep going." He moaned as she increased her rhythm, causing Race to rock his hips, her lips pushing him to the brink.
When he felt he was only moments away, he pulled back. Reaching down he lifted Jade to her feet. Kissing her again, he enjoyed the moistness of her lips. Without parting their mouths, Race somehow managed to strip off the rest of his clothes.
"Make love to me, Bannon" Jade breathed in his ear as her hand once again moved to stroke him. "But don't be gentle."
His hands clamped down on her hips and he turned and pinned her against the wall with his own body. Jade moaned, her mouth open, breathing heavily as Race's lips sucked on her earlobe as he rocked against her.
He growled unintelligibly as he hiked up her dress and used his thumbs to remove her panties. Pressing his lips against hers again, a hand on her throat, he lifted her off her feet while at the same time pushing inside her.
Jade inhaled sharply when she felt him enter her. Immediately, she tightened around him as he thrust against her. Her arms wrapped around his neck, her legs around his waist, Jade held on to her lover, moaning his name over and over as he took her with a ferociousness she'd never experienced with him before.
His thrusts were hard, forceful and he alternated between quick movements and deliberate, aggressive drives. He kept one hand on her neck, his other holding her leg firmly. His fingers traced her lips as her tongue ran along the tips of them. She moaned heavily with each of Race's pushes, "Oh yeah," She mumbled as he picked up his pace. "This is how I like it."
He responded by increasing both his speed and his thrusts. His hand tightened around her throat and he pushed her harder against the wall. Jade bit down on her lower lip as he continued to take her in a way that sent shockwaves coursing through her entire body.
"Yes!" She screamed, her breathing increasing along with his pace. Race felt her tighten around him. Without leaving her, he pulled her away from the wall, turned and fell on top of her on to the bed.
"I need this so bad." Race gazed into her eyes as he pushed against her with one deep thrust.
Jade locked her gaze with his and she saw a furious animalistic demeanor in his eyes. She leaned up and kissed him, "I know you do."
Her words soaked into his brain. Losing himself, he gave into his wants and let himself go. She couldn't keep her hands off of him when he moved back to free her of her dress and once she was naked he was back on top of her. Pushing faster against her, he drove deeper with each of Jade responsive moans. Her arms were tight around his neck, pulling him down against her body.
Her whimpers grew louder until she finally threw her head back and cried out his name. He enjoyed it, he enjoyed feeling her trembling beneath his body and around him. He kept going, not letting Jade move, and as he kept driving into her, he finally climaxed himself.
With one final thrust, he pushed against her, deep inside her. With a long grunt, he growled her name with desire. Feeling the last of him, Jade's trembles and shakes began to subside.
The moment he finished he moved off and collapsed onto the bed next to her. Jade's entire body was awash with flurries. They had shared themselves with each other countless times in the past, but never had Jade felt such a deep connection based on Race's actions. Something had ignited inside of him and while the result was pure bliss, she also couldn't help but think he needed the release to expel all of the built up stress and pain he'd been suffering as of late.
In the end, she didn't know what to think. She had enjoyed it, she had thoroughly enjoyed it, but she also felt something that she had never felt before when she was with Race Bannon; for a few moments, when their eyes locked, it was as if she didn't know him.
Leaning over he kissed her lightly on the lips, then on the forehead. "I'm going to take a shower." He spoke softly as he traced a finger along the side of her face.
Jade kissed his lips in return. "Alright."
"You okay?" He asked as their lips parted.
Jade nodded and put on her best smile. "Yes I am, Race. Whenever I'm with you, I'm okay."
He seemed to accept her answer and with another smile and peck on the lips, he stood then headed for the bathroom.
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"What information do you have for me?" Temple asked the moment his contact walked into the apartment.
"Bannon is in Rome, along with a woman named Jade." The contact, a thin Ukrainian in an expensive suit replied.
"I know Jade." Temple shut the door.
The Ukrainian made his way to the kitchen and sat down at the round table, acting like he owned the place. He nodded at Temple's remark, then took one of the American's cigarettes and lit it.
"Help yourself." Temple grumbled. He took a seat next to the man.
A smile spread across the newcomers face. Puffing on the smoke, he withdrew two envelopes and tossed it on the table in Temple's direction. Opening the manila folder, Temple studied the documents. The other envelope was filled with cash.
"Your friend Bannon is going to learn more than you wish him to know." The man stated, drawing Temple's gaze away from the documents.
"I can handle Bannon. I just need somewhere I can…work."
The informant nodded. "There is an abandoned military installation in Bavaria. The story goes that it was once used by the Nazis to perform interrogations and experiments. Some of the equipment remains."
Temple grinned his approval.
"How do you anticipate going after Bannon when The Consortium needs you in Moscow?"
Temple frowned. "Bannon is a problem that the board doesn't want to deal with at the moment. But he needs to be dealt with and quickly before he learns too much. I have people that can keep an eye on him for the time being. Where is he staying?"
"Near Vatican City. The details are in the packet, Mister Temple." The Ukrainian answered.
"Good. I'm looking forward to this reunion." Temple chuckled deeply.
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Jessie…
Last night had been…amazing. Every time they were together it just got better.
Jonny reached for her, but found only empty bed. His mind rocketed immediately into full consciousness.
"Ugh." Jonny moaned, opening his eyes. His head pounded, the inside of his mouth felt like it was caked with salt and his entire body was sore. Blinking, he wiped the crust from his eyes and looked around; he was back in the bedroom of the Kiev safe house; he had no recollection of leaving the brothel.
And of course there was no Jessie. He'd not been with her last night. It had been that brunette.
'Could've had a red head.'
A part of him had wanted to. Would've served Jessie right for all she'd put him through. But the sight of the woman had turned his stomach.
Jonny found himself thinking back on the whole of the events of the previous night. He'd given in so easily to Temple's insistences at the brothel and Jonny couldn't figure out why. He assumed part of it had to do with the drugs and alcohol, but why he'd decided to sleep with the young brunette was somewhat perplexing. Besides Jessie, the brunette was the only other woman he'd ever gone all the way with…and he hadn't even bother to ask her for her name.
He remembered waking up from his impromptu nap the day prior and feeling uncomfortable. While he couldn't recall the contents of his dream, either then or now, he knew that whatever he'd dreamt about had disturbed him. The dreams he could recall were also confusing; it was like he was remembering his past more so than dreaming, but the memories didn't seem real, especially the ones about Jessie and Hadji.
Was he remembering them wrong?
Shaking his head, he forced the questioning thoughts away. Jessie left him. He knew that. Temple and Kreed had even shown him that not only had Jessie left him at the mercy of the traffickers, but she ran into the arms of his brother. Jonny could have found a way to justify Jessie's abandonment, it was all about survival back then, but for her to then betray him and run to his brother was more than Jonny was willing to tolerate.
'No,' he told himself. 'Temple is right. They don't love me. They never did. None of them ever did. Not dad or Hadji or even Race. But especially Jessie. If Jessie truly loved me she wouldn't have stabbed a knife through my fucking heart.'
Frowning, Jonny pushed the thoughts away. None of that matter at the moment. He'd deal with the betrayals when the time was right. He heard voices coming from the front room. Forcing himself out of the bed, he quickly threw on a pair of pants and a long sleeve shirt, made a quick stop at the bathroom, then went to find the source of the voices.
Making his way to the kitchen, Jonny heard the voices growing louder, one was Temple. He also inhaled the aroma of freshly brew Turkish coffee and turned his nose up at the stench of cigarettes; he wished Temple hadn't taken up smoking.
"Hey, looks who's awake?" Temple chuckled as Jonny emerged in the doorway, frowned and then made a beeline for the coffee.
The view beyond the windows was bleak; a dreary scene of concrete tenements and grey skies. "Is it always so depressing looking here?" Jonny asked as he poured himself some java then leaned against the counter.
Greg was seated at the kitchen table. He was wearing jeans and boots, but no shirt. Jonny was impressed by his mentor's muscled frame, especially for a man his age. Old military style tattoos intermixed with evil looking skulls and snakes adorned one of his well-defined upper arms. His other arm sported a strange symbol; an intricate tattoo that represented his affiliation with The Consortium. His Colt 1911 was holstered on his hip. Temple was smoking and drinking coffee. He was counting a large number of bills that were stacked on the table.
The other occupant of the room was an operator for The Consortium, but Jonny had never seen him before. He was a thin man, much younger than Temple, but possessed the look of a sadistic killer. He wore an expensive suit and Jonny noticed he also wore combat boots beneath his well-tailored trousers. He wore his dark hair long on the top, yet partially shaved on the sides and his brown eyes revealed his nefarious nature. Also smoking, he grinned at Jonny's statement as he took a drag from his cigarette.
"Kiev is unforgiving to foreigners. Soon you shall feel her wintery bite." The man stated.
Temple shook his head and smirked. "Ivan here fancies himself a poet or something."
The man sneered at Temple and replied. "My name is not Ivan, you ignorant American."
Temple laughed as he continued to count the money. To Jonny it appeared the two men were something akin to friends and their insults nothing more than playful jabs at each other. Sipping his coffee, Jonny glanced out the window.
"Did you enjoy yourself with my ladies last night, young Quest?" Ivan asked.
Jonny gave the man a nod, if for no other reason than to get him off the subject of Jonny and his all night romp with his companion.
"See," Temple said as he stubbed out his smoke, "That's why I don't want him going back to work for Kreed. I wonder about that dainty Brit sometimes."
"I'm not a kid," Jonny scoffed. "You said so yourself."
Temple huffed. "You know what I mean."
Jonny sneered in response as he sipped his coffee.
Looking back at the handsome visitor Temple got back to business. "Tell me about the Moscow job."
"It is an elimination and recovery job. The target will be in possession of a formula that can be very detrimental to The Consortium's efforts. Your role is to eliminate the target. A second operative will make the recovery." Ivan replied casually. "The details are in the packet."
"When do we leave?"
"The day after tomorrow. That should give you sufficient time to scout the best areas within the Red Square to conduct the hit." Ivan answered. "The target is meeting with dignitaries at the Kremlin sometime in the coming weeks. You cannot allow him to make the exchange. He needs to be stopped before that time, however we do not have the exact time and date as of yet."
"Then we should hit him now." Temple countered.
Ivan shook his head. "We do not believe he has the formula at this time or if he does have it, he has hidden it too well. We know for a fact that he will have it in his possession when he goes to the meeting. That is when you must take him out."
Temple grumbled his reply. "Fine."
Ivan nodded as he stood. He fastened one of the buttons on his suit jacket, then extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray on the table. "I do hope you enjoy the rest of your stay in beautiful Kiev, Mister Quest."
Grabbing a number of bills off of one of the stacks, Temple held them out to Ivan. "For last night."
Ivan smiled and waved him off, then locked his eyes on Jonny. "That is not necessary. Consider it a gift for young Quest for his mission and the completion of his training. We need more men like him in our ranks." Stepping forward, he moved in front of Jonny and placed his hand on Jonny's arm, "But next time, it will cost you."
Jonny shrugged away from the man. Laughing, Ivan headed for the door. "Gentlemen, watch your backs…as always."
After Ivan departed Temple kicked out one of the chairs, indicating for Jonny to sit. After refilling his coffee and getting a fresh one for Greg, Jonny joined him at the table.
"How you feeling, Jonny?" Temple asked, sipping the coffee.
"Sore." Jonny answered honestly.
A sly smile appeared on Temple's lips. Then he asked, "What about your head?"
Jonny turned his eyes away. "I've never done drugs before. It was different…but…I liked it."
Temple tsked. "You've never done drugs willingly."
"What?" Jonny asked.
"Kreed's concoctions." Temple grumbled with a frown. If Jonny hadn't known better, he'd think that Temple was almost remorseful about his role in force feeding those drugs to Jonny. "But that doesn't matter anymore. I just wanted to make sure you had a good time."
"I did." Jonny answered. "Honestly, I did."
"Good." Temple leaned back in his chair. "Because it's back to business."
"Moscow?"
Temple scratched his stubble as he replied. "Yep."
Jonny caught a slight waver in his mentor's eyes. Temple was hiding something. "Is that it? What were you two talking about before I came out here?"
Temple wasn't about to share his plans for Bannon with Jonny at the moment. "That was unrelated to our assignment, Jonny. Forget about it. It was nothing."
If Jonny had learned anything about Greg Temple, it was that it was best not to pry too much with the man. Whatever Temple was hiding, Jonny had to assume it was unrelated to their next mission. However, that still didn't stop him from wondering what else was really going on.
He decided to change the subject. "Where's Kreed?"
Temple shrugged. "Off doing whatever it is he does. Lucius Kreed prefers not to get his hands dirty. His biggest contribution to The Consortium is he brings in money and other assets; it goes back to his days as a smuggler and arms dealer. He's cunning and the rest of the board gives him the leeway to operate in his own strange ways because he gets results."
"So when am I going to meet the rest of the board members?"
"Soon enough, kid. I'm actually looking forward to it." Temple remarked cryptically.
"Why's that?"
"Because you already know them." Temple answered with a laugh.
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Corbin tossed the folder onto the conference room table. Velk, Dugger, and Altine pilfered through the documents, assembling the reports into separate categories for filing.
"These punks had a hell of an arsenal in that shithole apartment." Velk grumbled. Piled in front of him were crime scene photos of the assortment of weapons that were found in the apartment. "I'm sure ballistics will match this MP5 to the one they used to kill the third assailant." He tapped his fingers on the appropriate picture.
"No doubt." Phil scratched the side of his face, thinking. "We need to start tracing these weapons to the source. I'm sure each and every one is illegal and if we can figure out who supplied these weapons that might get us one step closer." Turning to Altine, he asked. "What about the drugs?"
The Hispanic woman shook her head, "Just about every illicit drug on the street was found in that apartment; marijuana, speed, meth, cocaine, even heroin and bath salts. It's amazing those two were even still alive if they were consuming these drugs."
"Probably distributing on top of using." Dugger interjected.
Phil grabbed one of the photos. It pictured twelve small individual packets. Inside each packet was a powdery substance. "Any luck on identifying what these contained?"
"The initial field test was inconclusive." Karla replied with a look of disappointment. "From what the lab can tell it's a combination of a multitude of different narcotics. They're having difficultly separating and analyzing the samples in order to identify each individual component."
"It's a cocktail of some kind." Dugger replied. "Back in the swamps, I knew guys that would mix all sorts of different drugs in order to achieve the best and most long lasting high they could. Some ended up pretty bad off, frying their brains completely. Shit was scary down there, one of the reasons I got the hell out when I could. Maybe this is something similar."
"Could be." Phil nodded. "Tell the lab to keep pushing forward. If this is what The Consortium is using to control the people it purchases or kidnaps, knowing what is in it will help us determine if there's a way to reverse the damage it causes."
"You sound almost sympathetic, boss." Velk remarked. "These guys did try to kidnap your family and you saw what that one creep was doing."
"I know," Phil replied flatly. "These two are more than likely a lost cause. I'm concerned with Jonny. If The Consortium is turning these kids into criminals and killers I want to know one, why they are doing it and two, if it's going to be possible to bring them back from the effects of this stuff."
Velk nodded. "Got it."
"For now, keep at it and tell the lab to keep working its angle as well. Dugger, come with me."
"Where are we going?" Pete asked as he stood.
"Let's go have a chat with our new friends." Phil answered, causing the Cajun to smile.
Staring through the observation window, Corbin and Dugger watched the first man. His name was Timothy Sterns and he was the man Phil pulled off the teenage girl back in the apartment. Sterns' face was darkened and he stared at the window in a way that made it seem like he knew he was currently being observed. Every now and again, Sterns would twitch, bite his tongue, and then lick his lips. Corbin figured it was a reaction of not taking the drugs.
When he and Dugger walked into the room, the man continued to stare at the window, ignoring the two men completely. Neither Agent sat down, instead they stood just in front of the door once Dugger closed it.
"You ready to talk, Tim?" Corbin asked.
The man stopped fidgeting when he heard his name. Slowly turning his head, he stared at the two Agents with a look of hate. His face was drawn, with bloodshot eyes and cracked lips. Leaning back in his chair, he jerked on the chains that secured his hands and feet to the floor.
"Take these off, tough guy, and let's talk man to man." Sterns growled.
"Not happening." Corbin answered.
"Fucking coward." Sterns laughed.
"Give me a minute with him, boss." Dugger grunted, popping his knuckles.
Phil held a hand up to quiet his Agent. "One chance, Mister Sterns. As you can see, we know who you are. I want to know about The Consortium."
Sterns leered at the Agents. With a look of contempt, he snorted, then spit on the floor. "There's my answer, pigs."
"Whatever you're on, I imagine the detox is going to be very unpleasant." Corbin replied. "Enjoy your suffering." Turning to Dugger, he said, "Let's go."
Without another look back, the Agents left the defiant young man and made their way to the second interrogation room. "You have no idea how much I want to break that snot-nosed punk's face right now, boss."
"Oh, believe me, I do, Dug." Phil answered. "Probably almost as much as I want to break it too."
The second man, Stephen Hayes, appeared much more reserved and scared. He shook visibly, rocking in his chair, his lips moving. Phil studied the man's packet. "This one's much younger and from the missing persons report, he's only been gone two years."
Entering the second room, the Agents studied the younger criminal, his eyes wide with uncertainty when he looked at the two Government Agents.
This time, Phil sat down across from the prisoner. Smoothing his tie with his hand, he took a seat. Dugger hovered to Phil's right and smiled when the prisoner looked at him before quickly turning away.
"Stephen Hayes," Phil started, reading the file he set out before him. "Two years ago you left your after school job where you worked to help support your single mother, Lucy, and your little brother, Paul. However, you never made it home from work that night. Your mother reported you missing the following day, but the police never found you and chalked you up as a runaway. But that's not what happened, was it, Stephen?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Hayes' voice was shaky. He'd stopped rocking, but now picked at the edge of the table with his fingernails.
"You coming down off of something, Stephen?" Phil asked, trying to sound sympathetic to the man's plight.
"What?" Hayes asked.
"You're behaving pretty antsy right now. Weed doesn't do that to you." Phil replied casually. "What else are you on?"
Hayes shrugged and looked away.
"Is it something you take willingly or did Sterns make you take it? It's obvious he's the leader of your little band…well, what's left of it anyways."
Hayes looked at Corbin and shook his head. "It's just an adrenaline booster, that's all."
"Is that what Sterns told you?"
"Not Sterns."
"Then who? One of the other members of your crew?"
Again, Hayes shrugged noncommittally.
Corbin changed his tactic. Thumbing through the folder, he found a scanned copy of an old photograph of Hayes, his mother and his little brother. "That's your mom and Paul. Do you remember them?"
Hayes stared at the photo, his eyes were murky, but recognition slowly began to form before disappearing in a flash. "I…I can't remember."
"That's because The Consortium damaged your brain with whatever drugs they've been feeding you for the past two years."
Hayes shook his head. "No, that's not true. The Consortium takes care of us. They're my family, not these people."
Phil sighed. "No, Stephen. These people are your family. Do you remember why your father isn't in this picture? It's because he was a drunk and would hit you and your mom. Then when he started hitting Paul, you finally stood up to him. Remember that? Remember standing up to your old man? Standing up for what was right? To protect people, not hurt them? Do you remember the night your old man beat your mom and when he went after Paul you beat him half to death with a baseball bat? The police showed up that night and took your father away. I have the report here in your file."
Hayes looked at the photo again. Corbin glanced at Dugger briefly, then continued. "Stephen Hayes Sr. died in prison, son. He was knifed by a rival gang member as an initiation ritual. He can't hurt you, your mom or your brother anymore. And neither can The Consortium, but only if you let me help you. And I can only help you if you help me."
"Can I have some water? Maybe a smoke?" Hayes asked. He was trying to fight back tears.
"Sure." Corbin nodded. Dugger waved at the window; he wouldn't leave Phil alone with the prisoner.
A minute later, another Agent entered. He opened a bottle of water and set it on the table, then looked at Phil. "It's alright, give him the cigarettes."
The Agent nodded and set a pack of cigarettes, a lighter, and a disposable ashtray in front of the man. Taking one of the smokes, Hayes had to work a little due to his restraints, but he managed to light it and inhaled deeply. Then he took the bottle of water and shook it.
Phil studied his actions. "Why did you just do that?"
"Do what?" Hayes asked.
"Why did you shake the bottle? Its only water."
Hayes appeared caught off guard by the question, yet he simply shrugged and replied. "I don't know."
Phil let it go. "Okay, that's fine. No big deal. Tell me about the other night in D.C."
Hayes tensed. "I was just the driver. I had no idea what was going to happen, I swear."
"How could you not know?" Dugger asked suspiciously.
"Sterns was in charge and that's how he ran the operations. He learned it from his mentor. Each guy had a role and they only knew what that role was, nothing else. I only found out about the rest of it after we fled. That's when Sterns filled me in."
"Explain this to me. Explain to me these roles." Phil stated.
"Like I said, I was the driver. Sterns was in charge. The two guys on the street, they were to distract you and snatch the women while the third guy…" Hayes trailed off, looking away.
"He was supposed to come up from behind while I was distracted and kill me. Got it." Phil answered for him.
"Yeah." Hayes nodded a little. "But it obviously didn't work out."
"Obviously." Phil rolled his eyes.
"I didn't even know Sterns was going to shoot the other guy. That freaked me out, man. He just gunned him down like it was nothing. After that I was scared. I mean, I didn't know if he was going to shoot me next. He said to drive back to Richmond and I did. That's it, I swear to you, that's it."
"What did you do between getting back to Richmond and us arresting you?" Dugger inquired.
Hayes shrugged and lit another cigarette. "Sterns called in his report and it wasn't pleasant. The Consortium doesn't tolerate fuck ups, you know? He was hot, super amped you. He wanted to get high, so that's what we did. We got some booze and drugs and got wasted."
"Along with some underage girls." Pete grumbled.
"I didn't touch those girls, man." Hayes injected quickly. "That was all Sterns. He wanted those girls. The one on the couch with me was just getting stoned. I swear I didn't mess with her. You can do whatever tests you need to, I swear."
Phil held up a hand, he could tell the man was getting worked up. "Okay, calm down."
Hayes relaxed slightly.
"Tell me more about The Consortium. You said Sterns called in his report. Who did he call it in to? The same person who ordered the hit on me?"
Hayes' shoulders slumped at the question. Phil noted the prisoner's behavior was all over the place, but whenever The Consortium was mentioned he became agitated. "I assume so." The man finally answered in a low tone.
"Who was it? Do you have a name?" Corbin pushed.
"I only know code names. I didn't get the opportunity to train where Tim trained. I was at a different camp." Hayes replied.
"Okay, so give me the code name of Sterns' contact." Phil stated.
Hayes looked Phil dead in the eyes and replied. "They call him The Viper. He's an American, ex-military or spook like you guys. That's all I know."
"You said something about training camps. Where did they take you?" Dugger asked.
"The desert."
"Which one?" Dugger grumbled. "There's lots of deserts, boy."
Hayes eyed Dugger with a hint of fear. Sighing he replied, "I don't know for sure. They didn't tell us where we were. But I do remember seeing signs in what I think was Arabic. That's all I remember. It was a long time ago. I've been with Sterns for almost a year."
"What else can you tell us?" Phil asked.
Hayes put out his cigarette. "Can I see the picture again?"
Phil handed Hayes the family photo. The young man stared for a long moment at it. His face was forlorn and tired all of a sudden. Setting the photo down, Hayes said, "Will I be able to see them?"
Phil nodded. "We'll make arrangements. Look, Stephen, what happened to you isn't your fault. The Consortium did this to you. But it just as easily could have been Paul. How would you feel about that? If they did to your little brother what they did to you?"
Shaking his head, Hayes reached for another smoke. Corbin observed him shaking again. "It's fucked up, man."
"I'm not going to lie to you, Stephen. You're going to end up doing time. But I can arrange for it to be a reduced sentence and somewhere The Consortium can't get to you. I can have your identity changed. If you help me, I can help you have some sort of life after all this is over. I need to know where this man called The Viper can be found."
"Shit, man," Hayes stated. "I don't know. Seriously, I want to help, but I don't know. He moves around a lot."
"Alright," Phil stood, gathering up his paperwork. He took the photo back from Hayes. "My Agents will take you back to your cell. Think about it and if you can recall anything else, let my men know and they'll come find me."
Hayes nodded. "Can I keep the smokes?"
Phil shook his head. "You can have one more in here. You can't take the lighter with you. Sorry, this is my building and I only bend the rules so much. You can have them back next time we talk."
With a huff, Hayes nodded. "Are you going to tell my family what I did?"
"They're going to find out one way or another." Phil stated.
"When you find them, if they want to see me, can you let me tell them what I'm in for?"
"I'll see. We'll discuss this more later." Phil remarked then left.
Outside the cell, he gave Dugger his orders as they headed back upstairs. "Start searching every available source for this man called The Viper. Cross reference that name with desert training camps and The Consortium. Find out what our friends at the Embassies in Kuwait City, Baghdad, Cairo and Dubai can tell us. He mentioned he thought this man was ex-military or possibly a Government Agent. Look into those angles as well."
"Got it, boss."
"We recovered a number of cell phones and devices at the scene. Have the techs run trace analyses on those, see if we can narrow down a number or contact information for this man called The Viper."
"If we get a hit, we can put a tap on it and track him."
"That's the plan."
Dugger nodded, "What about you?"
"I need to call Bannon. I'll join you guys in the conference room in a little bit. Have Agents Hendricks and Woods watch this guy and ensure they keep him and Sterns away from each other. No more contact between the two. Got all that?"
"Yeah, got it."
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Race opened his eyes with a groan. The room was dark and Jade was fast asleep at his side. They'd explored each other two more times throughout the night and by the end Race was completely exhausted. Emerging from such a deep sleep, it took him a few seconds to realize it was his phone buzzing on the nightstand that had pulled him back into consciousness.
Grabbing the device, he saw it was Phil calling.
'Fuck.' He'd completely forgotten to check in.
Phone in hand, he got out of bed, found his pants and pulled them on while at the same time answering the phone and moving into the sitting room.
"Race, where the hell have you been?" Phil demanded the moment Race answered. "This is the third time I've called you."
"Sorry, Corbin," Race stifled a yawn. "I forgot the phone was on vibrate. I was dead asleep, man."
Having been there himself, Corbin seemed to accept Race's answer. "What's your status? Did you make contact with Martucci?"
"I did. I met with him last night. I don't think he's suspicious, he seemed to buy the back story. I've been invited to his villa Friday night for a party."
"Good. What's your plan of action?"
"Find the opportune time to slip away during the party, locate his home office, and get whatever I can from there. I imagine whatever business he does with the traffickers and The Consortium is done from home and not from his office at the bank. Less suspicious that way."
"Agreed."
"What about you? You guys learn anything yet?"
"We found and arrested the two members of The Consortium that fled the scene in D.C. One's not talking, but the other gave us a bit of information on training camps and a guy that seems to be in charge, at least at some higher level of the organization. No real name, just a code name, The Viper. He put the hit out on me and my family."
"Any ideas as to his identity?" Race asked.
"We're still doing cross checks on the name and the training camps. We think he's either ex-military or ex-Government. Definitely American by what the hitman told us."
"You think this is the guy that has Jonny?"
"It sounds plausible, wouldn't you say?" Phil replied.
"Yeah, I think so. Anything else?"
"We found some drugs at the scene, but the lab is having difficulty identifying the mixture. I'm going to take a trip up to Maine to check in and ask Benton if he can take a shot at it."
"Wouldn't hurt." Race agreed with the plan.
"Based on the hitman's physical mannerisms, I think The Consortium uses whatever this drug is to control these kids and turn them into killers. We'll keep at it. I think I got through to the one kid. I'm hoping he'll remember more and keep talking."
"The Consortium obviously has a huge network. It's hard to believe we haven't heard of them before now." Race mused out loud. "But the thing that keeps nagging at me is what is their end game? What do they want? And why did they take Jonny? Do you think they even know who he is? I mean they have to. They killed the entire crew of that shipping vessel just to get to him."
"I wish we knew, Race." Phil answered, his tone supportive of his friend. "Keep your eyes and ears open for any hint of this guy they call The Viper. Maybe once you get what you want from Martucci's office, you'll have the opportunity to squeeze some information out of him once he knows he's done for."
"I'd love to squeeze the life out of that disgusting weasel."
"There's a lot of those types running around in The Consortium it seems." Phil threw in. "I'll call you from Maine, so make sure you answer your damn phone, Bannon."
Race chuckled. "Sure thing, Phil. Hey, you think if Jessie's there when you call I can talk to her for a few minutes on your phone since it's secure."
"I don't see a problem with that." Phil answered. "Good luck and remember to watch your ass, Bannon. These dirtbags are everywhere."
"Got it, brother." Race remarked then hung up.
Tossing the phone down, he ran his hands over his head.
"What was that all about?"
Looking up, he saw Jade standing in the doorway in nothing but his dress shirt. He smiled at the sight of her tussled hair and sleepy eyes. "Nothing, just Phil. I missed my earlier check in."
"Did you tell him why you missed the call?" Jade winked and teasingly bit the end of her finger while staring him down.
"He doesn't need those kinds of details." Race stood and went to her. Hand on her chin, he turned her eyes up to meet his. "That's just between you and me, babe."
"I'm ready for my next payment." Jade breathed.
"And I'm ready to make good on that payment." Race responded and kissed her deeply and passionately on the lips.
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"Estella, is everything alright?"
Estella looked up from her book; she hadn't heard Benton enter the living room.
She fumbled through her response. "Oh, Benton, yes I'm sorry, what were you saying?"
Taking a seat across from her, Benton gave Estella a compassionate smile. "I asked if everything is alright. You seem…distracted."
Sighing, Estella closed the book and set it down on the coffee table. "I suppose I am, which doesn't really help you, Benton. I'm sorry."
"Don't be, Estella. We are all in this ordeal together. If one of us is hurting, then all of us are hurting. I've noticed Jessie has gone back to working in the lighthouse by herself again."
"I tried to talk with her, but she just doesn't want to listen. It seems she'll only listen to Race at the moment."
"Jessie and Race are very close." Benton nodded. "She idolizes him. Jonny does too."
"He is a good man." Estella agreed. "Which makes it so much harder to get through to Jessie without him. She blames me for the divorce and thinks I'm not interested in helping find Jonny. Benton, I hope you do not think that is the case."
Benton moved to sit next to her. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Benton replied, "Of course I don't think that, Estella. I know you are here to watch after me and I appreciate the sacrifices you've made to do that. We all want Jonny back safe and sound. I want my son back and Jessie wants her boyfriend back."
Estella nodded. Wiping away a solitary tear, she said, "That must have been difficult for you, Jonny and Jessie starting to date. I know it was for me, knowing my little girl was growing into a woman."
Benton laughed. "Was it ever! But Jessie's a great kid and I want to see both her and Jonny happy. And they are happy together. I want that happiness back."
"Race and I have had our difference of opinions on many issues, but one thing we've always agreed on was our desires to see our daughter happy. We both know Jessie is happy with Jonny. It pains me that they've been torn apart so viciously right when their love for each other was starting to blossom."
"You know something, Estella? Perhaps that is what you need to tell Jessie." Benton suggested. "She needs to hear that from you."
Estella paused. "I never thought of it that way, but you're right. You're absolutely right, Benton."
Wrapping her arms around him, Estella embraced her friend in a tight, loving hug. Out of everyone, Benton was probably suffering the most, yet he still was able to recognize her pain and help.
Benton's cell phone rang. Pulling back from Estella, he reached into his pocket. "It's Corbin."
"Put it on speaker." Estella suggested.
Benton nodded and answered the call. "Phil, I have you on speaker. Estella's with me. Any news?"
"Good evening, Doctor. Estella." Phil replied. "We've made some progress, but I need your help."
"What is it?" Benton asked.
"I'd like to come up and discuss it with you in person, Doctor. We haven't found Jonny yet, but we did manage to arrest the thugs that attacked me. We recovered a substance that my lab techs are having a hell of a time identifying. I think it's what The Consortium is using to drug these kids, but without proper identification I can't be sure. Can I bring you a sample so you can take a look?"
"Of course, Phil." Benton gave Estella a look. He didn't like the news that The Consortium was drugging its captives, but if the information would help Jonny, then Benton was all for it.
"Thank you, Doctor. I'll leave at once and call you when I arrive at the airstrip."
"Phil, any news from Race?" Estella asked into the phone.
"We can talk more when I arrive." Phil replied then hung up.
Estella frowned. "You know, that man needs to learn better interpersonal skills. I've known him for years and he can be so vague at times."
Benton chuckled. He agreed with Estella assessment. "Comes with the job I suppose, Estella. He'll be here in a couple hours and I have a few things to finish before he arrives."
"Benton, thank you." Estella said, patting the scientist's hand. "Really. Thank you."
"Of course." Benton smiled back.
"I'll go tell Jessie that Phil is on his way. She'll probably want to hear any updates he has too."
Benton agreed. "Undoubtedly."
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"Terry, what are you doing back?" Phil paused midstride in his office. He was getting ready to head to Maine to speak with Benton and was surprised by the appearance of his linguist in the doorway.
"I wanted to spend the last few days of my vacation back here." Roberts answered.
Corbin sat back down, Roberts took a seat across from his superior. Terry looked better, probably from the combination of relaxation and the fresh country air of his parents' ranch in Montana. Terry Roberts was born and raised a cowboy, so the fact that he had excelled in foreign languages at Montana State University and became one of the best linguists to work for Intelligence One was always something that perplexed his friends and co-workers.
"How are your parents?" Phil asked kindly.
"They're fine, still working the ranch. Heather is good too. She and her husband just found out they're expecting."
"That's good to hear, Terry." Phil remarked truthfully.
"I heard about what's been going on here, Sir. I heard about what happened to you. I'm sorry. I should have been here to provide support."
Phil nodded a quick thanks. "There's nothing you could have done, my friend. They're fine, that's all that matters. But it would seem I need to speak to Agent Altine about her talks with you. You were supposed to be on vacation."
"Come on, man." Roberts started, but stopped when he saw Phil's grin.
"Enjoy the rest of your vacation time before you head out to Moscow. I'm sure if you ask nicely, Matt and Pete will cover down for Karla so she can spend some time with you before you depart."
"Thanks, Sir."
Phil stood. "I'm heading to Maine to update Doctor Quest and go over a few things. I probably won't be back until late this evening. Once your vacation time is up, we'll go over the mission set for the Moscow tasking."
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Seated at the Questworld workstation, Jessie attempted to lay out her plan. She'd hooked back into the I-1 databanks, but so far she hadn't learned much from Corbin's computer. She was starting to think that it wasn't the best course of action she could have taken.
"They have to be communicating somehow." Jessie mumbled to herself. She just couldn't believe her dad was out there and completely cut off from the I-1 support back in the states.
Glancing around, her eyes fell on her cell phone. She could really use some words of encouragement at the moment. Not used to doing these covert planning sessions alone, she definitely needed a sounding board. Typing in her passcode, she was about to call Hadji when realization hit her in the face like a brick.
"Jeez, Bannon. Are you that dense?" She mocked herself. If her dad and Phil weren't communicating by email, they were probably doing it the old fashion way, by telephone. She could hack a phone easy enough, but she needed to find the numbers first. Typing away, her call to Hadji forgotten, Jessie dug in to her search.
The rattling of the outer door handled jarred Jessie from her concentration. "Shit." She muttered. Slamming the laptop shut, she unplugged the network cable and stashed the computer under the seat and out of sight for the time being.
The banging on the door caused her to quicken her step. "Jessie, why is this door locked?"
It was her mother.
Groaning with annoyance, she hurried to the door and unlocked it. "Sorry, mom, I must have accidently locked it when I came in."
"Jessie," Estella started, but remembering Benton's advice she softened her tone. "Jess, I thought you'd want to know that Agent Corbin is on his way up here to speak with Benton."
"News on Jonny?" Jessie was hopeful. "Or dad?"
"He said something about needing Benton's help on some lab tests. Other than that, he said he'd fill us in on the rest once he arrived. He should be here in a of couple hours."
Jessie nodded. "Let me finish up in here and I'll be right in."
"Do you need some help, honey?"
Jessie shook her head. "No, mom, I've got this. It won't take me long."
Sighing, Estella acquiesced. "Alright, just don't take too long. You know you can get caught up in things out here and lose track of time."
"IRIS will announce his arrival." Jessie stated, "But I'll be in well before that. I promise, mom."
"Okay, dear. I'll be in the kitchen." Estella told her then turned, giving one of the roaming Agents a nod and a smile on her way back down the path.
Shutting the door, Jessie leaned against it and exhaled. "That was too close."
Moving quickly, she hid the laptop and powered down the systems. Grabbing her phone, she stuffed in her pocket. She needed to talk to Corbin. She had his personal cell number, but that wouldn't do, she needed the number for his secure phone.
"Now I just need to figure out how to covertly extract intel out of an Intelligence Operative." Jessie laughed to herself; it wasn't going to be easy.
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To Be Continued…