Chapter 36
In the van. . .
"I'm very sorry about this," apologized a suited man in the back of the van while putting on his seat belt. Annie stared at him with a "what gives" look.
"Seat belt?" he suggested with a weak smile.
Annie had immediately recognized her old nemesis of sorts, FBI Agent Vincent Rossabi when he reached in from behind her to lift her suitcase off the belt. She had been thinking about what he wanted except when she worried about what Ryan was thinking now that she disappeared from baggage claim.
"Hello Vincent," said Annie coolly as she played with the locket around her neck.
"Annie, you're looking well for a corpse," said Vincent.
"That's old news, Vincent," laughed Annie.
"By the time news traveled that you had returned, I tried to see you, but then you were gone again," said Rossabi.
Annie gave him a surprised look.
"Yeah I came around and wanted to thank you for what you did. I mean taking out that SOB, that was you right?"
Annie gave Vincent a look as if to say, he should know better than to ask about Henry Wilcox.
"What is this about?" asked Annie firmly.
"Russia, we have an on-going investigation that you could shed some light on."
Annie laughed.
"Oh Lord, you're kidding right?"
Agent Rossabi shook his head seriously. "I know, what are the chances that we'd be sitting here together?"
Annie laughed. She needed to play this out. She and Vincent were always at odds, but somehow Joan and the CIA always got her out. Their last encounter, Vince was in the way of her efforts to nail Henry Wilcox, but it looks like he now knew something of what she had gone through.
"You've been out of the States for a while, but the big news here is. . ."
"I've kept up with current events," said Annie.
"We're investigating Russian influence that continues to this day," said Rossabi.
Annie nodded.
"Why do you need me?"
"Really? After all we've been through you're going to play dumb again?"
Annie let out a chuckle and looked out the window.
"My. . . there was someone meeting me at the airport," said Annie.
Vincent smiled.
"Ryan McQuaid?"
Annie nodded concerned that the FBI was into her business and her personal life.
"How did you know I'd be at the airport today?"
Vincent gave her a look, "You do your thing and we do ours."
"Look, this shouldn't take more than a day or two if you cooperate."
Annie looked over, "And if I don't?"
"I think you will," said Vincent smiling confidently.
"Let me make a phone call," said Annie taking out her phone.
Vincent shook his head. "I don't want anyone interrupting us,"
"You need to let me contact people," said Annie.
"Oh so they can waltz in and get you off?"
"I know what you and your agency are capable of," said Vince.
"I'm no longer on the payroll," said Annie. "I've been working for Mossad as you must know," said Annie.
"There's how things appear and how things really are, you've taught me that over the years," said Vince.
"Listen, I'm sorry about the things I had to do, there were reasons behind it and you were in the crosshairs," said Annie.
"I went to your funeral you know," said Vince.
That surprised Annie and caught her off guard.
"I genuinely felt terrible when I heard you died and I knew it was Wilcox who ordered it," said Vince. "I was sorry that I couldn't do more to stop that bastard and I'm glad you did."
/
Ryan paced frantically at the airport looking around at the security cameras with Noah loyally panting by his side. He was trying to examine all the possibilities, yet none of his thoughts were coherent because he kept thinking about Annie and her safety. Finally, he took Noah to his car and called Jim.
"Anything?"
"Not yet," said Jim.
"What about the cameras at the airport baggage area?"
"I'll look into it, where are you now?"
"I'm going to Langley, can you have Arthur call me?"
/
"Ma'am, sir, we have a lead," said Eric.
"Where, where is she?" demanded Ryan.
"The truck headed towards Baltimore, but we have no known black sites in this area over here," he said as he pointed to a map on his screen.
"This is not the homecoming I pictured for her," said Ryan.
"Wait a minute," said Ryan. "Do you think that Mossad?"
"I don't think so, that's not their style, if they wanted to stop her, they would have before she left Israel, besides Eyal would never let anything happen to her, you know that. She's like his little sister."
They both looked at each other and at the same time said, "Russians?"
"Fuck fuck fuck," said Ryan as he threw a stapler he found across the room.
"Let's not jump to conclusions. The Russians typically don't take people in public like this," said Joan.
"Then what the hell is going on Joan?" asked Ryan.
"Guys, the surveillance at the airport picked this man up, it's just his backside, but he's here helping Annie with her bag," said Eric.
Joan studies the back of the man. Can you look at other feeds to get us a better shot at this man.
"Do you recognize him?" asked Ryan.
"I'm not quite sure," she said before she left the room to make a phone call.
"Eric, give me a copy of that picture," demanded Ryan. "And give the van's route."
Eric looked over to Joan.
"Ryan, I know you're worried about Annie, but let me remind you that you're here as a guest and you don't get to," said Joan before Ryan cut her off.
"It's not just Annie. She's pregnant and if anything happens to her or our baby, I am going to unleash hell, so you better give me all the access and everything you have," yelled Ryan.