James (Teumessian Trilogy Book 2) (16 page)

“Yes, Sergei what can I do for you?” The voice asked.

“Mr. President, can you explain why you placed CIA agents in your embassies without approval?”

President Warren took a deep breath. “Because I don’t trust Ming’s girls to do their job. They need to be kept in check.”

“Then why didn’t you put our men on it? Why assemble your own team?” Sergei barked.

“Because I need protection, too. They report to me, all of them. I selected them myself. I am not a big fan of how Ming’s girl killed three of them. She opened the girls up to exposure. My teams just found out about it.”

“Explain Gold’s son. You were not supposed to be involved in that endeavor and yet you took it upon yourself to add him to your team.”

“He is an American and I get control of the American side of things. You appointed me to this and I am doing my job. I am keeping him close.”

“So it was you who paid to have him protected.”

Warren was frozen, “No, I didn’t. Do we have another interested party?”

Sergei felt his blood run cold, “I am fearing we do. All eyes and ears open. We will not let this fall apart now. I want James Gold brought to me.”

Warren was feeling the rush as well, “Yes, sir,” he replied as he hung up the phone.

Sergei slowly set the phone down and took a deep breath. He had been planning this his whole life, everything had been building to where he was now. He had his players in place. He was not going to let the mistakes at Soldat ruin his plans. Warren would hand over James; it was time.

Warren, on the other end, had gently placed his phone back on the receiver and smiled. “He’s nervous,” he laughed quietly to himself. Warren was smiling, but his nerves were rattled. His plans were in jeopardy as well if an outside source was meddling. Warren knew he had to get his plans into action soon or he could risk losing everything. He wouldn’t hand James over, it was time to recruit him.

Chapter

28

James felt himself slowly coming to as he was shaken by Chessy.

“James, are you okay?” she called out to him.

He sat up slowly and looked to both Greg and Chessy, who were kneeling over him. James could feel a burning sensation around his neck from being choked.

“She got away,” Greg said as calmly as he could.

“Did she say anything to you?” Chessy inquired.

James nodded, “Yes, that she wasn’t here to hurt us, but that she was here to protect me.” James stared into Chessy’s eyes as the words came out of his mouth.

“Protect you?” Greg questioned, confused.

“I don’t get it. She had me in a choke and could have snapped my neck, but she didn’t. She said Katrina was never meant to kill Tim’s team.”

Chessy sat down on the floor next to James, “Why would she tell you all that?”

“I don’t know, but I don’t believe her. She set up that assassination. I know it. She was trying to cover herself so we wouldn’t go after her.”

“Well, that’s all well and good, but we need to get back to Ray and let him know what is going on in case she is after Huntsman,” Greg added.

“Shit! Huntsman,” James exclaimed, jumping to his feet.

“We gotta move fast,” Chessy added, moving toward the door.

James pulled his phone out from his pocket and began to dial as he followed behind Chessy. Greg wasn’t far behind, slamming the door as he left. James was able to make contact with Ray as they reached the elevator.

James didn’t wait for Ray to even speak, “Sir, she is one of them. She attacked us and ran out. She is gone. We have no idea where she went or how to track her.”

Ray listened with heightened awareness. “Get back here now. We will re-group and figure it out.”

“Yes, sir,” James replied as he hung up the phone. “He wants us to re-group with him.”

“Not to go after her?” Greg questioned.

“No, and he sounded like he meant it. We are following his lead. We are obviously out of our league here,” James calmly said.

“Glad to see you are thinking level headed,” Chessy added.

“You can call it that. I just know what he will have us do. Hunt that bitch down and I will do it with pleasure,” James said with a grin.

“And that was creepy, please stop,” Chessy replied, confused.

James shook her comment off. This is what he signed up for. Protecting his country, and Blossom was a threat. He was going to make his father proud.

              They arrived back to a fast moving Ray. He was instructing several secret service officers. He saw the three of them as they entered the house. “We are leaving and now,” he ordered.

“Wait what?” Greg questioned.

“I have been contacted by the President himself and I am to bring you three with me to Washington DC immediately.”

“What about Blossom?” James questioned.

Ray was annoyed, “The President of the United States has demanded I bring you three to Washington DC. You are going to Washington DC. I put out a watch order on Blossom, but she is not your concern right now.”

“The President of the United States wants to see the three of us?” Chessy was confused.

“He put this program together himself. We report to him and if he wants to speak with you three, he will speak with you three. Is that clear?” Ray was annoyed.

“Yes, sir,” they replied in unison.

“Then let’s go. A car is waiting.”

Chapter

29

The four of them arrived in Washington DC by the following day. The car ride from the airport was silent. James was nervous. President Calvin Warren was an idol of not just him, but of everyone he knew. He was a great leader and the audience was always mesmerized when he spoke. He showed strength and pride and inspired confidence in the American public. He had strengthened the military all the while providing confidence that protection was the goal and not war. His approval ratings were in the high nineties and it didn’t look like it was dropping anytime soon. He was only the second African American President to be elected and had brought unity to the racial divides with his ability to appeal to all classes and races. James was wringing his hands. They were nobodies. Why did he want to speak with them? Why did Warren choose him to join in the first place? They pulled into the White House drive and up to the front door. The door opened, and they were escorted out of the car and into the White House. They were taken straight to the Oval Office. No knocking. Taken right in and presented to President Warren. There he was, just sitting calmly at his desk. President Warren looked up at the three of them and smiled. Ray stepped up to the desk first with Chessy, James, and Greg standing behind him. Warren peered around Ray to get a look at James, then looked back to Ray.

“Mr. Clayton, it is a pleasure to finally meet you in person,” Warren stated, standing up and extending his hand across the desk for Ray to shake.

Ray accepted, “Mr. President, it is a great honor to meet you. I appreciate your confidence in me to head up this team and I plan to make this country proud.”

“My faith has not been disappointed yet.” Warren waved his hand for all his aids and secret service to leave the room. They did, closing the door behind them. “Please, have a seat.” Warren waved to the couches in front of the desk.

All four rapidly sat down on the couches before them. James had seen President Warren on TV, but never in person. He was more physically impressive than he appeared to be on TV. Clean and pristine, he looked like he could either hold his own in a fight or smooth talk his way out of it. James was in awe.

Warren turned his gaze directly to James. “James Gold?”

James sat up straighter, “Yes, sir.”

Warren smiled, “You have not disappointed me at all. You scored top of your group physically and near the top academically. Youngest of the group and yet physically the best. I would expect nothing less of Ulysses Gold’s son.”

James smiled, “You knew my father, sir?

Warren took a seat across from the four of them looking straight at James, “He placed me on my path. He was a role model. His death was devastating for me. I swore I would do what I had to do to make sure his son found his place. Where he belonged.”

James couldn’t restrain a full smile as his eyes lit up. “I am here to make him proud and I don’t plan on disappointing my family name.”

“That is just what I wanted to hear.” Warren looked to Ray. “So, I hear things haven’t gone very well at our Embassy in France.”

“No sir, we lost our ambassador there and we are hunting for his killer. His wife, Katrina, is the highest priority for our agents.”

Warren half smiled, “She is not a priority anymore.”

“Why not?” Chessy questioned.

“Because she is dead.” Warren got up and went to his desk and picked up a file and brought it back to the couches. He handed it to Ray, “While you four were in transit, the London police department picked her body from the Thames River. She died of asphyxiation and was dumped in the river.”

“What was she doing in London?” Greg questioned, looking over Ray’s shoulder at the file.

“That’s a good question. Any theories, James?” Warren made direct eye contact with James.

“Blossom,” James responded.

“Very good.”

“Wait, how do you know that? Did she leave evidence?” Greg was curious.

Warren looked to Ray, “I think you have a suspicion of what was going on or you wouldn’t have tasked your teams to watch young women. You saw something that unnerved you in France. I have ears everywhere. I know you were alarmed by what happened to Drake.”

Ray nodded, “It was a signature execution. I had seen it before on an assignment in China.”

“Katrina was part of a team or group. That is the connection you made, correct?”

“Yes, but sir, it was only a theory until Blossom attacked them when they tried to bring her in.”

“Well, what if I told you that you were right?”

They were all fixated on Warren. He knew about Katrina and Blossom and moreover, he knew where they came from. Warren got up again and went to his desk. He pulled open the top drawer and pulled out a thick accordion file. He walked back to the four of them and handed the file to Ray.

“What is this, sir?” Ray inquired.

“That is what you are looking for. That is the intelligence of every operative Madame Ming has in the field, including Blossom.”

“Madame Ming?” James questioned.

“Ming runs a ring of female assassins. She kidnaps them as little girls and trains them not only in the art of murder, but of seduction as well. She has girls everywhere, placed strategically to keep control of the men her employers need to keep a tight leash on. Oh, don’t get me wrong, she has many other businesses, but her prime work is control.”

“If the US government knows about this, why aren’t they doing anything about it?” Ray asked, annoyed.

“We have. Why do you think I put your team together? I knew you would figure it out. I couldn’t let on that we knew or our sources would be in jeopardy. I had to let it come to light through another means. As I anticipated, she was ordered to have one of her girls take out an assignment. I had hoped your teams would have discovered it before we lost any lives, but we are now at this point anyway.”

“We lost a friend because we didn’t know about this,” Greg replied, annoyed.

“We could have lost a lot more if I had outed our source.”

James and Chessy were in stunned silence. Ray was sorting through the pictures and files. “How far reaching is this?”

“Very. She has girls everywhere. If we go head to head, we are looking at a blood bath on both sides. We need to monitor them and only intervene when they strike. However, I have another task for your group.”

“All my team members or just these three?”

“Keep your teams where they are. I just want you and these three.”

“Yes, sir. What do you need from us?” James could finally speak.

Warren’s face hardened, “War is coming if we don’t move to make sure it doesn’t. I pride myself on keeping the peace and I won’t stand for those who seek to run this world into the ground. I need intelligence to stop the incoming attacks. Intelligence only you can get me, James.”

James was in shock, “Me, sir? I don’t have any sources that Ray doesn’t or you don’t.”

“That is where you are wrong. Your father had secrets and I need to know what he knew.”

“My father?”

“Yes, I think it’s time you went home and talked to your uncle. He is unwell and I think he is ready to tell you what he knows about your father.”

“Uncle Finn isn’t well?” James could feel his heart drop from his chest.

“Yes, he didn’t want to worry you. That was why he didn’t contact you, but my sources say he is not doing well.”

James immediately stood up, “Sir, I want to go to him now.”

“Yes, son, we have a car ready for you. The drive will help you clear your head.”

“Thank you.” James bee lined to the door. He didn’t stop to say goodbye to Greg or Chessy. His mind was focused on Uncle Finn.

As James left, Warren’s attention was back on Chessy and Greg. “I have a task for the two of you. James could not handle this so it will be tasked to the two of you. I need you to travel to California to the former Soldat Industries manufacturing facility. I need any information you can get me on what was going on there.”

“Yes, sir. Is there anything in particular you are searching for?”

“Information on human experimentation.”

Ray felt a chill down his spin. He was referring to the mysterious woman who Ray now believed was James’s mother. She was a product of Soldat. “Can I accompany them on this mission, sir?” Ray requested, worried about their safety.

“They will be fine. It is an old abandoned factory, not a war zone.” Warren could see Ray’s concern for the danger.

“I understand.”

“I will have a jet readied for you two to leave in the am. Until then, I need for you to read up on Soldat Industries. Ray here, I believe, can get you both access to the files.”

Now Ray was really worried. Should he give them the information that would tie James’s mother to Soldat or the possible experiments she was a part of?

“I have a free office down the hall the three of you may use.”

Ray instantly stood up, “Thank you, sir.” Ray hustled toward the door, Greg and Chessy rushed to follow behind. They were escorted to the office and Ray slammed the door behind them. They could both tell Ray was stressed and annoyed.

“Sir, where can we find the files?” Chessy asked gently.

“You don’t need the damn files. I know everything about that fucking company,” Ray replied, rubbing his temples.

“Sir, are you alright?” Chessy continued.

Ray looked up and locked eyes with Chessy’s soft blue eyes. “He wants you to find more information on James’s mother.” Ray couldn’t stop himself. He heard the words leaving his lips, but couldn’t stop them from coming out.

“James’s mother?!” Chessy exclaimed.

“What does she have to do with all this?” Greg questioned, confused.

Ray took a deep breath, “His mother was the product of an experiment designed to create the perfect soldier. One who could heal far beyond the capacity of a normal person.”

A look a complete disbelief fell over Chessy and Greg’s faces.

“Does James know?” Greg asked.

“No, he doesn’t. I was not prepared to tell him as I wasn’t sure he was her son. But now with everyone being so damn obsessed with him, I am in no doubt. He is her son.”

“I don’t understand. Even if he was the son of a genetically modified killer, what does that have to do with him?” Chessy stated, then paused as the color left her face. “Genetically modified….”

“Yes. The president must think he holds the key to duplicating it.”

“He’s in danger,” Greg added.

“No, if they want him, they need him alive. I don’t know for sure what the motives are, but we play along for now. Go to Soldat and try to uncover anything.”

“Yes, sir,” Greg replied and turned away from Ray.

Chessy was frozen in place, “You said she could heal. Is she really dead?”

Ray looked to the ceiling and then back to Chessy, “I believe so. She was a monster. She was single handedly responsible for the deaths of countless men. She killed with no remorse or care. Her death was a relief to many. James should never suffer through knowing what kind of person she was, but I know it will come out and he will need you two.”

Chessy felt a weight on her shoulders. She then felt Greg’s hand touch it. She looked to him, “Come on, we can plan and get some sleep.”

Chessy nodded as she looked back to Ray for approval. Ray nodded and watched silently as Greg and Chessy left. There was more at play than he knew and what President Warren was willing to tell him. Ray knew he had to stay sharp. James was a target, that was for sure, but he wasn't sure to what extent. He had to find out more about James’s mother if he was going to protect him. Ray made his way out of the White House. He knew where he had to go for answers.