Rogue Asset (Book 3 of the Wade Hanna Series) (2 page)

It was good he wasn’t looking for her coat or scarf because somehow Emily’s attire had changed. The yellow scarf, which made Emily easy to identify, was no longer yellow. She had reversed the scarf to a blue and red pattern. The tan raincoat she wore had been reversed and was now black. The only thing she hadn’t changed was her shoes.

He reported what he found over the radio but failed to get a response. The two other team members flanking the outside of the crowd were bobbing up and down like kids on a pogo stick trying to see where Emily had gone.

The approaching bus to pick up the crowded line of passengers was now only two blocks away. Anticipation caused the crowd to gather closer. Emily’s red shoes had made their way to the edge of one side of the crowd. Each of the surveillance team members took positions on the outside of the bus crowd like wranglers trying to herd sheep. Wade felt his team wasn’t in any coordinated formation much less a diamond pattern. As the bus approached, his earpiece rang with the wingman’s voice, “She’s getting on the bus. I’m following.”

A second member chimed in the conversation, “Copy. I’ll follow her onboard as well.”

The agent pushed ahead surging until he got to the first step past the bus door. Wade thought getting on the bus was a mistake. Their team would be reduced to two members, and Emily would be much harder to track with only two following.

Wade leaned over to the speaker under his coat collar, “Negative on the bus. I don’t think she’s getting on the bus. She has already moved to the side of the crowd and is now wearing a red and blue patterned scarf and black raincoat. Over.”

There was no reply, as both team members seemed locked into the line of waiting passengers that flooded onto the bus like being swept downstream in a tidal wave. Wade followed along the outside of the crowd from a short distance. His angle made it impossible to ID the color of shoes, so he followed black coats. He counted five black coats that were cramming the bus door. Looking down as each black coat stepped on the bus Wade confirmed none were wearing red shoes. Emily was somewhere else in that crowd. Wade went around the outer rim of the crowd to get a different angle. She had to be close to the door but hadn’t crossed that threshold.

Wade circled back to the other side of the crowd. He saw a black coat with red shoes hugging the side of the bus. Passengers were pushing around the stationary body to get onboard. With her face pressed uncomfortably against the side of the bus she was either begging for mercy or telling people to go around.

He radioed the new status. “Target is not on the bus. I repeat, target has not gotten on the bus.”

Two team members already onboard the bus looked at each other, still feeling certain of their decision and ignoring Wade’s explanation. A look of disbelief came over their faces as they searched the seated and standing passengers. Finally satisfying themselves that she wasn’t onboard they shoved back through the standing-only crowd trying to get to the door. The driver wouldn’t have it.

Already tense about his overcrowded bus he hit the close button and pulled out on to the street with passengers grabbing for any handhold they could find. The two operatives had dumb looks on their faces as the bus pulled away.

As one bus left, another was pulling in to pick up the dozen passengers who were still waiting. Wade carefully scanned the remaining passengers. His target wasn’t in the crowd.

A shadowy movement to his left caught his attention. He only saw the shadow of a moving body going down a small alleyway between two buildings. His instincts told him it might be his target.

Before reporting an unsupported sighting, Wade moved quickly to the alley. The shadow was a black raincoat and red high heel shoes halfway to the other end. He radioed to his only remaining team member.

“She’s in the alley between the two buildings. She’s coming out on the other side of Towne Street. I’ll follow from this end.”

The response was quick, “I see where the alley goes. I’ll cut her off on the other side and report back.”

Wade and his partner moved quickly. Emily’s ploy was a clever decoy that caused the team to lose two men. It would take some time before the men would be able to catch another bus back to rejoin the team. They couldn’t wait, or they would lose Emily completely.

The team’s diamond pattern had unraveled. The only remaining man on his team was approaching the other side of the alley. It was now up to the two of them to keep Emily in their sights. Emily had the advantage of knowing she only had two men on her tail and was determined to put their skills to the test.

After a few silent but tense moments had passed, Wade heard the voice of his last remaining partner, “Target identified without a scarf leaving the alley on Towne Street. I will proceed to follow.”

Wade broke into a jog to cover the remaining 60-feet of the alleyway. Reaching Towne Street, he turned his head in both directions looking for signs of Emily. She seemed to have disappeared again. A few moments passed before Wade’s earpiece crackled and popped with unintelligible voices. There was confusion for a moment. Wade spoke into his microphone, “Last message was not understood. I am on Towne Street at the alley. No signs of the target. Report your position.”

His closest partner had also lost Emily. He searched the surrounding storefronts catching a mere glimpse of a black coat as it passed through a doorway. “I believe target has entered the hardware store just east of the alley. Have not confirmed complete visual.”

Wade quickly replied, “There’s another outlet off the alley to the hardware store parking lot. I’ll cover the back door.”

Now both the front and rear of the hardware store were covered. The front door point radioed back to Wade, “She is milling through shelves checking for tails.”

“I am on the outside patio on the west side covering the rear door to the hardware store. Are there any other exits?”

“Negative, none that I can see.”

“I think we have her.”

“I’m never sure about this woman.”

The two men felt good about the fact that the target was boxed between them in the hardware store. Wade thought it was safe to enter the rear door. He mingled through the aisles.

“I’m in the third aisle with plumbing parts. Where did you say she was?”

“She was one aisle over from you just a minute ago.”

Wade lowered his head to see between the stacked shelves. “She’s not there now.”

“What the hell? Has she left the store?”

“I don’t think so.”

There was a pause as both men looked around the store. Wade was first to respond, “Look in the far west corner. I just saw the door close at the top of the stairs.”

The sign on the door at the top of the stairs said “Employees Only.”

Wade was closest to the stairs. “I’ll take the stairs. You cover the back and front entrances.”

When Wade opened the door at the top of the stairs, he saw everything he expected to see in a large private office, shelves of parts, but there was no Emily. In the back corner of the large room, a door stood ajar. Wade rushed over and looked down an empty fire escape stairway leading down the side of the building. Emily was nowhere in sight.

The instructor soon radioed that the exercise was over and asked the team members to reassemble at the park for pick-up back to the training center and debriefing.

Emily came in during the debriefing session and assessed the team’s performance. She explained where she thought the team performed poorly and how she easily could have evaded them if the situation had been real. Overall, Emily gave Wade and his team members a higher score than deserved with a stern warning about the lack of practice and leadership.

After the day’s session, Wade went up to meet Emily and thanked her for participating, “I just wanted to say thank you for the training session. I learned a lot. It’s obvious you have lots of experience.”

“You’re welcome. These exercises keep me in practice.”

“Are you going to be in D.C. long?”

“No. I’m done with my meetings here. My plane leaves at 11:00 p.m. tonight.”

“Are you from D.C.?”

“No, I live in Alabama. Just out here for the training.”

“You made a couple of moves I’d like to learn more about.”

“I have some time. Would you like to grab a cup of coffee?”

“Sure, that sounds great.”

The training facility had thinned out and was ready to close for the day. There was a coffee shop just three doors away. The two smiled at each other as they added different amounts of cream and sugar.

Emily spoke first, “So, you had some questions about my surveillance moves?”

“Yeah, there were two that got me. How did you get from the bus stop line to the alley and how did you disappear inside the hardware store?”

Emily just smiled knowing that she had lost Wade on both moves, “Do you remember the woman pushing the baby carriage?”

“Yeah, she went around the line of people at the bus stop not wanting to get caught up in the crowd.”

“I offered to help her. I was the one pushing the carriage.”

“That’s amazing. What about the hardware store? We checked the exits and had them covered.”

“There was a fire escape out the second story. The stairs were behind the counter near the restrooms.”

“That’s even more amazing.”

“You were the only one on your team that came close to tracking me. Where did you get your training?”

“Here with the Agency. This is my third surveillance class, but I wasn’t going on anything taught in those classes. Just instincts.”

“Instincts are the best. You are a natural at this.”

“Thank you. I think my instincts come from being raised in the swamps of Louisiana.”

“Maybe we should send U.S. agents there for training.”

“Our instructor said you were stationed in the Soviet Bloc countries.”

“Well, technically that’s not correct. I’m stationed in Brussels and work primarily in two Soviet Bloc countries.”

“How did you come to be stationed in Brussels?”

“I grew up in Brussels. My father was a diplomat stationed there.

“You speak perfect English without an accent.”

“I went to an English speaking grade school in Brussels, then went to a boarding school in England, and then I went to the University of Colorado.”

“You must be very fluent in several languages.”

“Yes, it’s not difficult when you learn them as a child.”

Wade thought it was a long shot, but he thought he might as well throw out a question that had never been answered from his last mission. He didn’t want to raise any suspicions.

“You mentioned Brussels. I was in an international law class for the Agency and the person I met in the class mentioned that he worked with an operative by the name of Condor. Does that name ring a bell with you?”

“Yes, Condor has been an independent operative who used to be with the Agency. He does contract work for the Agency. Why do you ask?”

“I was just doing some research for my classmate who was asking if anyone knew him and no one in the D.C. office that I spoke to knew of him.”

“Yes, he did some work for our office a couple of years ago.”

“Do you recall his name? I think his first name is Myles.”

“Yes, it’s Myles Limerick. I think he’s retired now. Would you like me to see if I can get a contact number for him?”

“No. I don’t need to contact him. I was just trying to find out for my classmate if he was still around.”

Wade changed the subject quickly. The rest of the coffee break was spent talking about the upcoming ski season around Brussels.

Chapter 2

Washington, D.C.

Wade headed to Agency headquarters in Washington D.C. after coffee with Emily. It was his first face-to-face meeting with Megan, and he felt an awkward nervousness that made him feel uncomfortable. Perhaps there was shyness from being in unaccustomed surroundings showing through. He spoke to himself trying to calm the jitters.

This is a woman he had known and worked with over the phone daily for almost four years. He couldn’t understand why he was nervous. For the first time since he had known Megan words escaped him like a silly child. He wanted everything to go perfectly, but uncertainty about the outcome kept creeping in.
Stop it
, he told himself,
everything is going to be ok
.

The building was glass braced between steel and granite pillars and looked like any downtown building in any large city. He walked up to the stainless steel and dark wooden reception desk topped with shining black granite. A host of uniformed private guards stood in front of three banks of elevators.

Wade told the guard at the receptionist desk he had an appointment with Megan Winslow and showed him his driver’s license. The guard’s finger ran down a long printed list followed by a phone call to confirm the appointment. After being issued a security badge, he was ushered with a guard on each side to a single elevator door. The guard held the door open while he inserted a key card and pushed the 18th floor, barely removing his arm before the door closed.

The ultra-fast elevator ride only contributed to the weakness in Wade’s knees. When the door opened, his feet felt like they were attached to lead shoes as he slowly approached the receptionist desk of the Agency offices. Standing between him and the receptionist desk was another security guard who checked his badge before allowing him to approach the receptionist desk.

Wade preferred swampy bayous and was never a big fan of the concrete, steel and glass jungles of larger downtown cities. He seemed out of place in them. The receptionist was occupied on her headphone. As he waited, his stomach quivered with jitters. He kept telling himself it was the fast elevator ride. How could he possibly be nervous meeting Megan for the first time?

He looked around, waiting for the receptionist to finish her conversation. There were no corporate or government logos for names adorning the space that told you where you were. Wade wasn’t sure what an intelligence agency headquarters building was supposed to look like, but this wasn’t what came to mind.

The receptionist area otherwise looked like what he had imagined. It was a large financial services company or investment firm without the trappings of corporate identity. Beautiful furniture and large tropical plants surrounded the lobby. There were no windows nearby. Wade wondered how the plants got enough light on the 18
th
floor to grow. The receptionist’s call ended, and Wade thought he should speak up quickly before another call came in.

“My name is Wade Hanna. I am here to see Megan Winslow.”

The receptionist smiled as though she knew he was coming. She made a quick call on her headset. The door behind the receptionist swung open, and the voice said, “Wade.”

Wade instantly recognized the voice but wasn’t prepared for the gorgeous woman with open arms that greeted him.

He extended his hand for a handshake and Megan ignored the gesture walking right through his handshake. She hugged him in front of the receptionist, guard and all worldly beings looking through the windows of the 18
th
floor.

Totally caught off guard by the welcoming hug he put his arm gently around her as he felt Megan’s firmer hug. Wade’s shyness was clearly showing.

Megan turned to the receptionist, “This is my friend, Cindy.”

Wade reached out and shook Cindy’s hand, “Nice to meet you.”

Wade breathed a sigh of relief as Megan took control. He didn’t have a clue what to say or do next.

“Come; let me show you my office area. I’d like you to meet a few people.”

Megan signaled, and Cindy pressed a button that unlocked the door behind her. Megan grabbed Wade’s hand, and they proceeded through the double doors to a large room lined with cubicles on both sides. Outer more senior offices lined the perimeter of the office encircling the cubicles. Megan pointed to a large cubicle twice the size of the others around it. 

“This is my area.”

Wade stood in awe of the size of the facility that would require binoculars to see clearly to the other side. Megan’s desk was piled with lots of files and paperwork. She took her seat and pointed to a chair beside her desk. Wade pulled up the chair and sat across from Megan. There were two phones on Megan’s desk; one had regular black buttons and the other contained red buttons that Wade knew was her secure line.

“A lot of people are out of the office preparing for tomorrow’s reception.” She pointed in the direction of all the empty private offices lining the large room.

“Tomorrow’s reception is a big deal. A lot of agents will be coming in from around the world. The timing is designed to coordinate with UN Security Council meetings and a lot of Pentagon activities. It’s your chance to meet lots of Agency people.”

Megan’s comment didn’t make Wade feel any more comfortable. He thought to himself,
A large crowded room with Agency dignitaries isn’t my thing.

“We have dinner reservations at Capitto’s tonight. There are a couple of senior people that want to meet you while you’re here. I set up those meetings for late tomorrow afternoon. I also confirmed your polygraph exam for Sunday before you go back.”

“Tell me again. What’s that polygraph about?”

“Every agent has to take it before they graduate.”

“I already took one of those when I came into the Agency.”

“Oh, that’s the little one. This one is much more extensive. We all have to take the big one before we graduate. You’ll get through it fine. How did your session go today?”

“It went fine. There’s a lot more to learn about surveillance.”

“Who did you have as a target today?”

“Emily.”

“Isn’t she great? I worked with her on another assignment. They alternate targets, so you never know what target you’re going to get. She’s very good at surveillance from what I hear.”

“She’s good all right. She kept us on our toes the whole day.”

“By the way, I forgot to mention you have a telephone message from earlier today. It’s right here on my desk.” Megan sorted through some loose papers on her desk.

“Here it is. It’s from a Milton Janis. He asked if you could please give him a call when you get in.”

Wade didn’t know anyone by the name of Milton Janis, but he recognized the number as being Yari’s secured line.

“This is from one my team members at Fort Benning. Is there another phone I can use?”

“Sure, why don’t you make the call from one of the empty offices. None of these guys are expected to return this afternoon. All of the offices have secure phones on their desks you can use. I have a few things to get caught up on at my desk before we leave.”

Megan walked Wade to one of the offices whose desk was clear of paperwork. She showed Wade how to activate the secure line for an outside call and returned to her desk.

Wade dialed the number, and a familiar voice answered, “Hello.”

“Yari, is that you?”

“It sure is Wade. Good to hear your voice. I thought it best not to leave my real name. So you finally made it to D.C?”

“Yeah. I’m here with a busy schedule. Any news from our friends from Belize?”

“Not a sound. I presume the operatives won’t be using phone lines down there anytime soon.”

“What about Condor?”

“Nothing from him either.”

“What about Mashburn?”

“Not a sound.”

“What about Gabe Morrison and the Lockhart case?”

“Morrison subpoenaed records from Fort Benning to get Lockhart’s personnel and medical records. They’re squabbling over production.”

“I may have a lead on Condor’s full name I got from another agent I met from Brussels - Myles Limerick. See if you can find out anything about that name.”

“Will do, partner. Are you going to have time to get together for lunch while you’re here?”

“I don’t think so. I’m booked solid and with the Agency reception tomorrow evening, my time is very limited. I’ll give you a call if I get freed up.”

“That would be great but if it doesn’t work this trip, let’s get together on your next trip to D.C.”

“Roger that. Be well.”

“Talk soon.”

Wade stared at the blank wall as he hung up the phone with Yari. Something was bothering him.

Megan entered, “Hello, stranger. There’s nothing on that wall for you to see.”

Wade came out of his trance. Megan was curious, “What was that call about? You look like you just saw a ghost.”

“No, it was nothing. I think I just made one of those out of the blue connections. It was from one of my team members at Fort Benning.”

Megan broke the awkward silence that followed, “Are you ready to take me to dinner? Actually, I’m taking you to dinner.”

“I sure am. I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time.” Wade’s face broke into a smile as he held the door open for Megan to pass. They walked towards her desk.

“Let me get my things.”

She gathered what seemed like a lot of files and loose papers to take home. Wade thought,
Perhaps the evening with Megan will be shorter than expected
. He followed as Megan led the way to the elevator. She inserted her control card and pressed the code. They descended to the garage floor. Megan lifted Wade’s security badge from around his neck.

“You won’t need this. I’ll see it gets to the front desk.”

Megan’s late model silver sedan was in the underground parking structure near the elevator door exit. As they got in the car, Megan turned to Wade, “We’re a little early for our reservation. Would you mind if we went to my place so I can freshen up? I’m not far from the restaurant.”

“That’s fine.”

As they drove, Wade was thrilled finally to be in Megan’s presence but still found himself a little shy and nervous. She picked up on is his quiet demeanor and glanced over.

“You seemed to be staring into space again. Something still on your mind from that phone call?”

Wade replied in a not completely truthful manner, “I was thinking about tomorrow and all the scheduled activities.”

“Didn’t you get the itinerary I sent?”

“Yes, although the polygraph session wasn’t listed as such for the afternoon session, and there wasn’t much detail on the reception. I’m just a little uneasy about everything.”

“We all have to go through the polygraph session before we graduate. Just visualize humming.”

“What?”

“You know when you’re meditating. You hum as in chant from the pit of your stomach. When you take a polygraph test or are under interrogation, you can’t make the humming sound. You just visualize it. You’ll feel the vibration in your stomach. The humming keeps you in a relaxed state of mind. You hear the questions being asked, and you answer them truthfully, but you do so always maintaining your meditative state. Humming helps you do that.”

“Where did you learn that?

“I was taught by an old pro that was held captive by the Russians for many years. It’s what got him through the process and saved his life. It worked for me when I did my poly. You should try it. Practice it before you go in.”

“I don’t see why I have to take another poly. I had taken one before I came into the Agency.”

“This poly is a little more extensive. It covers different areas than the previous test. The company also uses it as a baseline reading for all agents. It’s not something you have to worry about. There have only been a couple of cases over the last several years where the final poly disqualified a candidate but don’t worry about that. Just answer the questions honestly and don’t try to over-think the questions. You’ll do fine.”

Wade shook his head accepting Megan’s explanation. She could see he was still preoccupied.

“What did you want to know about the reception?”

“I read the memo on what the reception is about. I assume I just show up at the hotel.”

“For the reception you’ll just check-in at the lobby of the hotel. They’ll provide directions to the assembly hall at the front desk. You’ll go downstairs to get your badge. The reception is in the large ballroom on the bottom floor. That’s where I’ll be. I’m in charge of coordinating some of the activities and the arrival schedules of a few agents. Many of the agents will be coming in from international posts. Most of them will be staying at the hotel. I’ll be working during most of the reception so I may not get to see you very much.”

“Will the hotel need any special documentation from me when I check in?”

“The front desk will have everything they need. Security will be heavy, and you’ll be on camera from the time you enter the hotel. You just need to show up with a smile.”