“I sent them!” she blubbered.
Sean just made out what she had said. “Well in that case, thank you. They saved Katie’s life and mine and as a result young James’s too.” He knew the latter was not a given but he’d do everything in his power to make sure it was.
“Sean?” a voice replaced the blubbering Jane, a voice that Sean had never heard before.
“Yes, who’s this?”
“Mike Ritter, I was working with Vincent this morning,” he replied.
“OK, anything I should know about?”
“Lots!” replied Mike, very much surprising Sean. He had only been in the country for 24 hours and was no longer a member of CIA.
“Sorry?” questioned Sean, wondering if he had heard Mike correctly.
“I need you to get to Langley,” ordered Mike, adding firmly, “ASAP.”
Sean looked at Katie. He had business to finish in Laredo. He wasn’t going anywhere until James was back safe in his mother’s arms.
“You do know I’m no longer a CIA agent?” clarified Sean.
“Yes,” replied Mike.
“So why the hell would I come to Langley?”
“Because, if I’m right, you may be our only hope in stopping the next world war!”
Chapter 52
“What the hell are you talking about?” replied Sean skeptically, comments like that weren’t exactly rare at Langley.
“We don’t have time for this and this line is not secure. There’s a flight from Laredo at…” His voice became muffled. “Jane, what’s the first flight we can get Sean on?” Before returning to Sean. “Jane is just checking…”
“Just slow down a little,” suggested Sean calmly. “I have unfinished business here!”
“It will have to wait…” replied Mike, his voice becoming agitated.
“No,” interrupted Sean angrily. “It won’t. Whatever little crisis you’re computer models have told you are on the horizon, will have to wait. I’ve got business to resolve here!”
“We have very little time,” pleaded Mike.
“And thousands of agents to help you solve your problem, remember I’m not even one of them!”
Mike took a breath, he was getting nowhere.
“Sean,” he said, his voice more relaxed. “I can’t emphasize how important this is, we really need your help.”
“OK, let’s start this conversation again,” offered Sean reasonably. “Hi Mike, I’m Sean Fox, I’ve retired from the CIA.”
Mike realized what Sean wanted. “Hi Sean I’m Mike Ritter, the former Head of Station in Moscow. I’m also retired from the CIA.”
The realization that Mike was like Sean, not an active CIA staff member, only added to his credence as far as Sean was concerned and had Sean far more intrigued.
“That was unexpected and I have to say, somewhat surprising.”
“V called me last night and I came in. There are some very disturbing incidences occurring, obviously quite a few around yourself and if I’m right, this is massive!”
“And what does V think?” asked Sean, far more receptive to the conversation.
“I was on my way to bring him up to speed when he collapsed. He doesn’t know.”
“So who does?”
“Nobody but me and I don’t have the evidence to take it anywhere!” replied Mike exasperated.
“I’m sorry Mike but I really do need to sort something out here first. A young boy’s life is hanging by a thread,” explained Mike to help him understand he was not being awkward.
“Vincent had given me some background as to why you were there. How long will it take?”
“Without Vincent, it could be a few days!”
“Sean, if I’m right and I hope I’m wrong, we don’t have a few days!”
“Seriously Mike, are you not being a little over dramatic?”
“No!” replied Mike succinctly. “How was V going to help you?”
Sean explained what he had asked Vincent to get him. Mike listened despairingly. There was absolutely nothing he could do to help. His entire working life had been spent overseas. He had few if any contacts and certainly nothing like the network Vincent Black had built up over the years.
“You’re talking DEA and FBI, I’m sorry Sean I can’t help,” replied Mike dejected at the prospect of any hopes of stopping what was happening slipping through his hands. First Vincent collapsed and then Sean was stuck in Laredo.
“I’ll be as quick…”
“Sorry, Sean,” interrupted Mike. “Jane wants a word.”
“Sean, it’s Jane,” she offered unnecessarily but one thing was clear she had regained her composure. “Whatever’s going on, it’s put Vincent in hospital. You tell me what you need and I promise I’ll move mountains to get it for you.”
Sean explained half-heartedly that it needed Vincent. There was no way that without his clout they’d be able to get what he wanted.
“OK,” she said noting down every detail. “Give me an hour or so!” she said confidently.
“An hour?” asked Sean bemused. Vincent was going to spend the day calling in favors across Washington to get what Sean needed.
“Or less. Now, if I can get this in place by this afternoon. Can you do what you need to, this evening?”
“I suppose!” offered Sean. If she could do that in a few hours how could Sean say no.
“Good, I’ll have a company jet waiting at Laredo for you from midnight tonight,” confirmed Jane before hanging up. To be honest, keeping busy was about the only thing that would keep her going and Sean’s list of requirements certainly fitted the bill.
Jane clicked open her contacts list. First up, the personal assistant to the Attorney General of the United States, responsible for both the FBI and DEA. Sean was about to discover where the real power lay in federal government.
Chapter 53
A shout of “Oh my God!” from Katie had Sean rushing into the kitchen, the small screen she was staring at had Breaking News flashing in the top corner of the screen. The story of the Governor’s wife dying had been made public.
Sean could hardly believe it himself. He had just met the governor less than hours earlier and he had quite possibly been one of the happiest people he had ever met. The poor guy had no idea what that day would bring. Sean suddenly thought of Vincent. What if he wasn’t strong enough to pull through the heart attack? He shook his head. If Sean knew one thing, it really was that Vincent Black wasn’t going to let a heart attack get the better of him.
“Looks like I may not be going to Moscow after all!” said Sean, more to himself than to Katie.
“Sorry,” she asked.
“The governor wanted me to go to Moscow with him,” explained Sean.
“What about James?” she asked, despite the fact that Sean had said he probably wouldn’t be going.
“I was only going if we had him back,” explained Sean.
“But should we not talk about things like that before you say yes?” she asked.
Sean suddenly realized she was talking to him like he was her Sean. She had so easily slipped into the comfortable world of him being there for her. The strangest part for Sean was that he actually thought for a second that maybe he should have spoken to her first. He really needed to get James back and to get to a beach very soon.
A thud from the living room allowed him to change the subject. “Any idea of when the builders are likely to return across the road?”
Luis was struggling to empty the house, for a second time, of its bodies. This time, however, there were far more and thanks to the daylight, they would not be unceremoniously dumped in the lake. Sean had already cranked the air conditioning in Katie’s garage as low as it would go and had laid his fallen colleagues carefully side by side, covering each with a blanket or sheet. They would be picked up later by a local coroner, courtesy of the CIA, to be flown to their respective families.