“Four thirty, in 3, 2, 1, check,”
“Check,” said Luis in time with Sean, having been well trained in time checks over the previous hour.
“Pull over!” ordered Sean. “Right, you’re on your own from here!”
Luis nodded.
“And remember one thing.”
“Yes?” asked Luis, nervously.
“Screw me and I will hunt you for the rest of your very short life. And trust me what your uncle would do to you would pale into insignificance!” smiled Sean and with his pep talk over, he disappeared into the shrubbery at the side of the road. The ranch lay just over a mile away and James’s life was ebbing away.
Chapter 58
As the final police crime scene unit pulled out of the drive, Katherine turned and walked back towards the Governor’s office. As she entered the room, she could see he hadn’t moved. Just as he hadn’t over the previous three hours. The glass of whisky she had poured for him, remained grasped in his hand untouched, as he sat in his sofa staring at the empty fireplace. How on earth she was supposed to get him to Moscow in forty-eight hours, God alone knew. He had always been immune to her womanly charms and was the sole reason she had taken Nicole as her lover. If she couldn’t have him, she’d have the only thing that kept him from her. It helped but she had to admit the fact he didn’t want her, made her want him all the more. None of this was helping work out how she would get him to Moscow but with an extremely high sex drive, she was going to need to replace Nicole somehow and soon and discretely. She had to leave the option open for the Governor just in case.
“How are you Rick?” she asked, extracting the glass carefully from his hand.
“I can’t believe it!” He shook his head in despair and a tear trickled down his cheek.
She took him in her arms and sitting on his lap began to rock him gently. She knew Nicole used to do this for him. She had done it for Katherine.
He rocked gently with her and soon the sleep came, just as Nicole had said it would, before joining Katherine for one of their wonderful love making sessions. How Rick had never guessed, she’d never know and with Nicole up for trying a threesome, he had no idea what he had missed out on. But anytime Nicole had broached the subject with him of them trying something different, he had shot it down before she had a chance to try. They had thought of letting him walk in on them but Nicole had worried that rather than join in, he may have stormed out and never gone back.
As he slept on his office sofa, Katherine sent a message to Surkov. There was no way she’d get him to Moscow.
The answer bounced back almost instantly. He didn’t care; she had to make it happen.
Governor Rick Brown had to visit Moscow.
The doorbell interrupted her train of thought, not that it was doing her any good.
She arrived at the door just as the courier was handing the package to another member of staff.
“I don’t know, it’s from Washington,” said the courier in answer to whatever question the other staff member had asked.
“I’ll take it,” demanded Katherine, taking the package noting the Russian embassy stamp.
She returned to the study and checking the governor was still asleep, she moved across to his desk and using the letter opener, sliced open the package. A number of documents were enclosed. The documents, passes and details of their trip to Moscow. The photo id for Nicole Brown fell on the desk, her beautiful eyes stared back at her lover and killer. Katherine turned the pass over. The next document detailed the latest itinerary. There had been a couple of minor changes but nothing of any real note. The final document was one she knew nothing about.
An emergency VISA in the name of Sean Fox. Expedited that day and already at the mansion. Katherine looked at the photo, handsome guy but she had no idea who he was or why all of a sudden he was in the party. As she read on, the VISA detailed him as a bodyguard and Katherine lost interest, probably just a replacement for some other State Department security guy.
“Nicole, is that you?” asked a weary sounding Rick Brown.
Katherine dropped the documents and rushed to remind the Governor of his wife’s death. It was bad enough telling him once, enough already. Her guilt and sympathy had waned. Katherine after all had a reputation to uphold, whatever she wanted and she wanted the Governor to go to Moscow.
Mike’s arrival back at Langley coincided with the first call in relation to Jane’s foray into cross agency co-operation. A very flustered Jane thrust the phone at Mike as he entered the office.
“Hello?” said Mike into the mouthpiece.
“Vincent, is that you?” screamed a voice. Mike looked at Jane as she scribbled 'FBI Director’ on a pad.
“I’m afraid there’s been a ter…” Jane hit his arm and scribbled I’ve not told anyone about heart attack.
Mike couldn’t believe it and had no idea what to do. “I’m sorry he’s not here at present,” he mumbled and promptly hung up.
“You realize we are totally fucked,” he concluded succinctly sitting on the end of Jane’s desk. The phone rang. They both looked at it and ignored it.
“We need Vincent!” they both concluded as one.
They both smiled. Vincent, they knew, would smooth things over. They just had to get through the rest of the day.
“Wait a minute,” thought Mike. “What have you told people about Vincent?”
“He’ll be back tomorrow and is out for the rest of the day!’ she said.
“But the air ambulance and being stretchered out?”
“We’re on the exec floor at the end of the corridor, there’s a chopper pad out that door,” she pointed half way down the hallway. “Most of the other execs are out today, nobody knows!”
“And if he’s not here tomorrow,” queried Mike intrigued how far ahead she had planned.
“Let’s not go there,” she suggested with a look of concern.
“He has had a heart attack!” exclaimed Mike.
“I know Vincent, he’ll be in here tomorrow,” she said taking $20 from her purse and slapping it on the desk.
Mike looked at the offer of the bet. “Are you mad? I’d be as well throwing my money out the window!” he smiled.
The phone rang again. They both looked at each other before grabbing their jackets and left the office and phones as they closed the door.
“Where to?” asked Mike.
“I’m going to Bethesda,” announced Jane.
Mike smiled knowingly.
Jane caught the smile. “Have to make sure the old goat’s here tomorrow to save our asses!”
Mike’s smile instantly disappeared. He hadn’t made any of the calls, what did she mean our asses!
Chapter 59
As the day had progressed into the evening, Borodin’s mood had darkened. He began to fixate on the phone. Willing it to ring. Willing Pushkin to call and confirm that Sean Fox and his family had been dealt with. He hadn’t and they had not.
After four hours, he assumed the worst and after six hours stopped even looking at the phone. The added issue of the VISA played on his mind. How on earth was he going to explain that one to Surkov? Instead of eliminating the Sean Fox, he had in fact authorized his VISA to attend the state banquet. Not only that, he had authorized for him to be armed.
After nearly eight hours of no contact, he was about to head home. He buried his head in his hands as Vasiliy entered with another vodka. He had told Vasiliy he needed at least one every 30 minutes. Both had stayed on into the night, just in case. However, the chances of not receiving a call after a successful mission by this hour from at least one of the ten-man team was inconceivable. The mission had obviously failed.
Vasiliy laid the glass of vodka down tentatively and remained standing. Borodin looked up. The concern on Vasiliy’s face was not comforting.