“Not really sure. I can’t see any benefit to U.S. interests. It’s a real strange mission. Not sure who’s running the mission or why. It could be Russia.”
“You mean this Condor guy is working for the Russians now?”
“I don’t know.”
“Unless the U.S. is somehow aware or backing it, I wouldn’t bet on this guy Condor living a very long life.”
“You’ve got that right.”
Max bit his lip in deep thought before he asked, “Do you have a plan?”
“I have a couple of ideas. We have to first ID the players — I want to know who we’re dealing with and who the likely target is. My guess is we’ll be reacting to the situation as we get new information.”
“Is it going to be just you and me?”
“It looks that way, my friend. We’ll need some equipment.”
“Not a problem. I can get pretty much whatever we need from the base as long as we can get it into and back out of the country.”
“I can take care of that. Let’s start making a list.”
The men continued their conversation for the next hour. Having both stalked that deadly sniper unarmed months before, they shared a brotherhood. That dark, perilous night at Fort Benning bonded the two men’s confidence that they could survive under fire or die knowing each had the other’s back.
Chapter 22
The sea bags each man carried were heavy with equipment as Wade and Max entered the pilot’s lounge at Ellington. The copilot Wade had befriended on his last flight was checking items off a list.
At Wade’s approach, the copilot commented, “Well stranger, couldn’t resist another visit to the tropics, huh.”
“They keep sending me back. This time I’m taking a diving buddy and some scuba equipment. I’d like you to meet my cohort in crime here — Max. He works with me at the Agency.”
Max and the copilot exchanged greetings and handshakes.
The copilot turned to Wade and asked, “You going down to do more interviews?”
“Yeah, D.C. wants some follow-up interviews and a bunch of paperwork filled out.”
The copilot identified with Wade’s frustration. “Everything is paperwork around here.”
The flight sergeant walked in the front door from the tarmac with a clipboard under his arm and turned to the copilot. “Sir, we’re almost loaded. It’ll be another half hour. I don’t have a flight requisition for these two men.”
The copilot quickly responded, “These men are CIA, Sergeant. They fly with me on a regular basis. I received the call yesterday. Don’t worry about them. Just add them to the list under Intelligence Personnel.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll let you know when we’re ready to depart.”
The copilot turned back to Wade and Max. “You see? Everything runs on paperwork. I’ve got to finish my flight check now. I’ll see you onboard in a few minutes. Help yourself to some coffee.”
As usual, the two-and-a-half-hour flight was noisy. It was impossible for Wade and Max to hear each other past the ear-cupped head gear. Communicating with hand signals and the occasional shout made pieces of their conversation somewhat intelligible. After thanking the copilot for a good flight, the two boarded a navy bus for a ride to the city center and the car rental agency. Initially they would only rent one car, but Wade thought they would need a second car by the time the other operatives arrived.
Before going to the motel to check in, Wade drove Max by the safe house on Adam Roy Avenue. All was quiet and closed since Mashburn’s departure. Only a few parked cars dotted the neighborhood as the afternoon sun bore down on the quiet street.
Wade spent the rest of the day showing Max around Belize City. Max was immediately mesmerized by the natural beauty and ambiance of the historic city, and made more than one comment about how easy it would be for him to move there. They made a stop at the storage rental facility where Wade had stashed Mashburn’s weapons, ammunitions, and supplies. Max commented that the weapons grade was high end. He couldn’t believe all the documentation, although neither of them could interpret the Spanish papers.
The next stop was to the newsstand to get the local paper. Wade wanted to see if the Adam Roy house had been put back on the market since the robbery and Mashburn’s departure. If the house had been relisted, it might mean the mission had been terminated by Stephan or Condor or they had changed the safe house location. They walked into one of Wade’s favorite local restaurants while he was reading the rental ads. The isolated table in the corner with a nice view was perfect. Wade looked up from the newspaper.
“I don’t see the house listed.”
Max was quick to jump in. “That doesn’t mean anything. It may be vacant or rented to someone else. We’ll have to actually stake it out to be sure. ”
“I agree. I want to try something after lunch. I’ll need you to cover me.”
“Not a problem.”
“We’ll need to bring our radios.”
Max quickly became a connoisseur of conch ceviche and local flounder. They both ate like there was no tomorrow and applauded the chef’s skills during the three-block walk back to the car.
After leaving the motel they parked the rental car at one of Wade’s side street observation points. The Adam Roy house looked vacant without a car in the driveway and no visible lights on. It was early afternoon. They waited for signs of life but saw nothing. Belize residents really took their siesta time seriously. The early afternoon sun was blazing and no one was stirring on the sidewalk or the side streets.
Each man took time to chamber a round in his 9mm semi-automatic Sig. Wade was in disguise when he reached for the set of keys he had, hoping they had not changed the locks. They coordinated radio frequencies.
As he opened the door, Wade turned to Max who would stand sentry from the car. “I’ll have the radio on, so alert me if anyone approaches.”
“You’re covered.”
Max turned the radio dial to the right frequency and checked that Wade’s receiver picked up his tone. Wade’s disguise was back-up in case anyone he knew, like the maid or real estate agent, happened by. He felt he could talk himself out of the situation if he had to. The fact that Wade already knew the house and grounds made his approach through the garden door into the courtyard seamless.
Thinking they may have changed the locks after the robbery, he had brought tools to pick the lock. He was surprised to find that the door unlocked with his old key. Wade cracked the door, slightly feeling around the edges for wires which might be connected to a Claymore.
With his gun drawn, he eased inside, looking carefully for signs of alarms, cameras, and booby traps, then he quickly surveyed each room. The house was sterile except for an unmade bed in the front bedroom.
He looked in the refrigerator, searching for signs of occupancy. There were two bottles of local beer that hadn’t been there when Mashburn left. All the kitchen cabinets were empty and cleaned. He remembered the next day was cleaning day, so they could observe the maid’s movements. Wade wondered where Stephan was. After searching each room, he retraced his steps to the rear of the house and exited through the same door he entered before heading to the car.
“What did you see?”
“Nothing noteworthy except for one unmade bed and two bottles of beer. Everything else is clean. I think our man has been here, but I don’t think he’s using this as his main operation hub. If they kept the same cleaning schedule, the maid should be here tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.”
Max knew what Wade was thinking. We’ll be waiting when she arrives.
That evening the men went to another of Wade’s favorite local restaurants. This time they feasted on the conch ceviche, local lobster, and roasted mashed plantains. The next stop was the local library, where Max stood nearby as Wade dialed Yari’s secure number from the phone in the outer lobby.