Rogue Asset (Book 3 of the Wade Hanna Series) (21 page)

Wade silently replied to himself, “I see how Leo wants this extraction to go.”

Jesse broke Wade’s concentration. “Mr. Hess, do you find that everything is complete?”

“I think I can live with this.”

“Mr. Hess, there is one more package for you on the back seat.”

“What is it?”

“I was instructed to go to a men’s clothing shop in the old city. The tailor there said he knew you and knew your size and what you liked. I waited for him to hem the clothes. He provided me with a set of clothes. I hope these clothes please you, Mr. Hess.”

Wade reached in the back seat for the box and opened it to find new but similar clothes to those he had previously purchased. They were a shade or two different in tone but almost identical to his outfit he got with Angéle.

“These will work just fine. Thank you, Jesse.”

“The pleasure was mine, Mr. Hess.”

They had driven for a while before Wade asked, “Are you taking the most direct route to the ferry?”

“But, of course, Mr. Hess.”

“I would prefer you didn’t do that, Jesse. Let’s take a roundabout way. I want to check to see if we are being followed. Make a sharp right at the next corner. Don’t signal that you are going to turn.”

“But, of course, Mr. Hess.”

After the turn, Wade told Jesse, “Right now we don’t have any tails but take a roundabout route to the ferry.”

“But, of course, Mr. Hess.”

The two men chatted mostly about Jesse’s family that remained in Turkey as Wade kept checking the rear and side mirrors in the car for tails.

Frequent observation checks and the circuitous route satisfied Wade that they had not been followed as they approached the ferry terminal. Jesse got in the short line with ten other cars and trucks as Wade carefully looked around for anything looking suspicious.

Once they parked on the ferry, Wade said, “Stay here while I take a look around.” Before Jesse could reply, Wade was out of the car and walking down the lanes of cars looking at individuals sitting in vehicles. All appeared to be normal passengers. Wade broke off his lane inspection and slipped through a doorway to the stairs that took him to the upper decks. He took keen notice of how the doors opened, the position of stairs, and corridors leading to the open deck in case he had to use them quickly.

Nothing appeared out of order or suspicious. As Wade moved away from the stairs, a door quickly opened to his right, and he heard the loud sound of engines coming from below. An engineer in coveralls and grease partially covering his face glanced at him and proceeded walking past. Wade noticed the large wrench sticking out of his rear pocket. Wade remained alert for any unusual movement from the man. As he passed, Wade hurried up the stairs to the upper deck maintaining a quickened gait and eyes on the engineer.

Ascending two more flights of stairs landed Wade on the upper observation deck in front of the wheelhouse. He had a good overview of the landing area, lines of cars and walking passengers still coming on board.

He carefully scanned the passengers who had formed a single line to get their tickets stamped. Wade made mental notes of vehicles he wanted to check after they parked. Nothing seemed suspicious.

Wade retraced the route he took to the upper deck, walking down the aisle of new vehicles that arrived before reaching his car. He opened the passenger door and slid into the seat next to Jesse.

“Everything looks clear.”

Jesse nodded with a curious look on his face, “What could be suspicious about a simple ferry ride?”

The ferry ride across the Straights of Gibraltar to Algeciras, Spain, took just over an hour. The two men enjoyed sandwiches and drinks while taking in some fresh salt air at the railing. They even laughed together at a few of Jesse’s stories. For the first time in weeks, Wade started to relax. He thought it was nice to end an assignment and exit a country. He hoped his evacuation would continue drawing minimal attention.

This was a daily commuter ferry with a few scattered tourists. Customs was lightly staffed, and passports were processed quickly without fanfare when they arrived in Spain. They drove from the ferry landing at Algeciras to the train station. Jesse insisted on coming into the station to attend to anything Wade might need.

There was over a two-hour wait before Wade’s departure. Knowing Jesse’s growing interest in the spy trade, Wade took a little time to explain a few principles of surveillance. Wade pointed Jesse to a chair that would allow good observation of people going in and out of the restrooms. He gave him a newspaper and told him to look carefully at anyone coming into the restroom behind him.

He showed Jesse how to hold the newspaper and peer over the edges while pretending to read. Jesse practiced a few times while Wade gave pointers, smiling at Jesse’s amateurish technique. Wade entered the restroom with his box of new clothes under his arm. Minutes later Wade emerged clean and hardly recognizable in his new clothes. Wade thanked Jesse for covering him, and the two men chatted more about surveillance technique.

“Where are the payphones in this building?”

Jesse replied, “They are right around this corner against the wall.”

“You no longer have to wait around, I am fine now.”

“I have nowhere to go now until the ferry is ready to leave again. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to stay and keep you covered.”

Wade appreciated Jesse’s interest and willingness to help, “That would be fine.”

Pointing to a row of seats 30 feet away from the phone bank Wade said, “Why don’t you wait over there while I make my call to Mr. Leopold. Maintain your same protocol.”

“Yes, sir,” Jesse replied taking his newspaper over to the designated seats and resuming his covert espionage pose. Wade smiled as Jesse took on his obvious unnatural posture looking around like his head was on a swivel while trying to peer unnoticed over the top of the newspaper.

The bank of payphones lined the entire wall. There were only three phones in use and Wade picked one near the corner with four empty spaces separating him from the next user. Wade dialed the secure number and heard more static than usual before a familiar raspy voice of Leo replied, “Hello!”

“I’m at the train station with Jesse. No problems with customs. Did the last location get cleaned up?”

“Affirmative. Kalim is still in interrogation now. We found the diamonds in a metal box welded under one of his vans.”

“What about the other problem child?”

“He has been patched up and will be sent to another country for interrogation.”

“Another country?”

“Yes, we contract out interrogators in several countries that use a variety of methods for extracting information. Some U.S. and U.K. intelligence folks will be paying him a visit to ensure they get the information they need.” Leo changed the subject. “Are you ready for your trip back?”

“I’m not going directly back. I have some other company business to attend to before flying back.”

“Where is this business of yours going to take place?”

“Spain.”

“Interesting. I have men in Spain in case you need any assistance.”

“That shouldn’t be necessary. It’s not a big deal. I can handle it.”

“Suit yourself. Just letting you know that I’m here if you need me.

“Where the hell are you now? Our connection sounds a little rough.”

“I’m out fishing right now.”

“What do you mean fishing?

“As in on the water trying to catch fish. That’s the only way I know how to fish. You’re always asking me where I am. I’m everywhere, I told you.”

“The last place I thought you would be is fishing. I’m glad you got to take some time off.”

“You remember the vessel at the dock you eyeballed all day?”

“Yeah, I sure do.”

“That rust bucket is less than a quarter of a mile ahead of me on the port side. I’m on a commercial fishing boat just trolling the ocean in its wake.”

“Are you following it to its destination?”

“You ask too many damn questions. Since you’re such an electronics genius are you familiar with an electronics model called WDT 256-80?”

“Let me think. Is that the new Army wireless detonation device? We covered that in my explosives class.”

“Very good. You paid attention for a change.”

Wade paused for a moment thinking about Leo’s last comment. His mind went to the shadowy figures he saw on the stairs leading under the dock and remembered Leo said those men were friendly.

“This wouldn’t have anything to do with the friendlies under the dock?”

“It does. I also had men that were part of the purveyor company that resupplied the vessel with fuel.”

“You must be quite a ways out to sea by now.”

“After midnight we’ll be over what they call the Alboran Trench. I’m told there are excellent fish to catch here and the water is very deep.”

“I wish you happy fishing, Captain.”

“When you get to New York I would like you to stop at the Agency and give a friend of mine a debriefing on our mission. His name is Phil Damien. He worked with me years ago and then decided to go back to the firm. You can trust him.”

“I’ll be glad to. Do I need a special appointment?”

“Just call the New York office. I’ll let him know to expect your call.”

“Where do you go from here?”

“You ask too many damn questions. My fishing buddies will drop me off in Portugal. There is a wonderful resort on the coast. I like to use it just get away. You’ll have to try it sometime.”

“Is there anything else you need me to do before I leave?”

“You’re all done, kiddo. Just be safe and don’t encourage my driver to try to become an operative. I’ll never get him back to normal.”

“He’s having fun. Don’t worry. I wouldn’t put him in the field anytime soon.”

“Be safe.”

After Wade had hung up with Leo, he looked around and saw Jesse peering over his newspaper. Wade walked over to him and said, “Good job.”

Chapter 21

New York City

The rhythm of the train relaxed Wade to the point he fell asleep and missed the dining car call. It was 1:00 in the morning when he woke up. His brow was covered in sweat from a nightmare. He had a feeling he hadn’t experienced for some time. Most of his life starting with childhood in the swamps had premonitions of events. A few were good, but most were bad. Some events he saw occurred in the past and some in the future. His instincts told him he just had one of those events, but he was still groggy trying to remember his dream.

Sometimes his visions came in the form of dreams and other times in the middle of the day when he stared into shadowy parts of the swamp or at a collection of fog resting just above the water’s surface. Images would be clear and vivid. His call with Leo at the train station brought back memories. It was now 1:00 a.m. when Wade caught himself staring at his watch.

His dream was penetrating his groggy mind. Wade looked out the train window and saw small spots of city lights blurred by the speed of the moving train. The black-framed train window acted like a moving screen replaying the images of his recent dream.

The
Hariba
slowly plowed through small three-foot seas under an overcast sky. Indistinguishable patterns of light reflected back stars over the unobstructed expanse of the black ocean. The quarter moon hung over the ship’s quarterdeck. Everyone was asleep except for the skeleton crew on watch.

A bright flash of light from an explosion inside the radio room caught the attention of the seaman at the wheel that called out for help. The first explosion was followed by three larger blasts in rapid succession. Two of the blasts came from below the waterline that muffled their sound.

Explosions opened a gaping hole in the ship’s hull covering one-third of the ship’s length. Without radio or steerage, the ship quickly lurched forward and over on its starboard side. The
Hariba
began sinking almost immediately as she rapidly tilted more to starboard. The cargo of grain and weapons shifted and increased the starboard list.

Within 20 minutes,
Hariba’s
main deck was awash. A fishing vessel nearby put out a Mayday call for help to other ships in the area. The radio reply confirmed radar distances that the closest ship was over three hours sailing time away.

The ship quickly sank below blackened waves and sky. Within the hour, only a few wooden pieces remained floating among white foam on the surface. Golden pieces of grain from the ship’s hold floated on the surface reflecting off the moonlight. The grain swirled around in the white foam looking for a host to land before they joined the ship below.

Escaping air made loud trumpeting noises combined with a sucking vacuum as water replaced air in hollow compartments. High-pitched voices from collapsing steel rang out in the night sky as the ship’s hull gave way to the black water that demanded her soul. Now gentle splashes of small waves took the place of the large hull. Only a few pieces of wooden debris floating on the surface were left to tell the story of what happened. Calm was soon restored to the ocean surface, displacing the large metal sea creature that plowed her surface never to return.

When the fishing boat arrived on the scene, the only sounds heard were small colliding waves over the gravesite where the ship once stood. The fishing vessel circled the area several times looking for survivors. When it found none, the fishermen radioed their findings to shore and turned on a northwestern course headed for the coast of Portugal.

Wade heard in his dream the screams of men waking from a dead sleep to cold Atlantic waters cutting off all possible escape routes. He was brought back to his experience on the
USS Prowfish
and shuddered at the helplessness of being trapped in an undersea grave.

Wade brought himself out of his stare by asking a passing attendant to please make up his bed while he used the restroom down the hallway. The rest of the night Wade tossed wondering if his imagined dream had been real. He wondered if the crew had time to pray before the ship gave up its men and cargo to the sea.

His watch read 2:00 in the morning. The estimated 7-8-hour train trip to Madrid often turned out much longer due to frequent stops and weather conditions. This particular train route went over, through, and around the Sierra Nevada and Sierra Morena mountain ranges in Spain as it meandered north to Madrid. The rest of the night Wade drifted in and out of sleep, a dream he also knew was a reality.

The next morning Wade’s joints and muscles were at odds with the rest of his body as they pulled into Madrid station. He needed to stretch his legs and be away from trains for a while. Departing the train Wade searched vendor stands looking for maps and someone who spoke English. A shop merchant selling sandwiches, coffee, and tourist items had a friendly enough face. Wade approached the shop and asked, “Habla Ingles?”

The shop owner replied, “Yes, I speak English.”

“Great. I am looking for a city road map of Madrid and where I might find the best rental car company in town.”

“I have a good map of Madrid here showing the major streets and highways. As for the car rental, you should take a taxi into town and go to Continental Car Rental Agency. They have the best cars and the best rates.”

“I’ll take the map and thank you for the advice on the car rental company.”

Wade considered taking cabs but decided against it. A rental car would give him more control over the limited time he had remaining. After being dropped off at the car rental agency, Wade decided to use one of his other passports to rent the car.

He knew that Barcelona’s international airports and New York would have him on camera. Having left Tangier and all his luggage behind at the hotel, Wade’s instincts told him he needed to replace his disguises before he left Madrid. He didn’t know the local language or how to navigate the city’s streets. He had to rely on his ingenuity.

He started by selecting the most mundane looking sedan he could find. It was mid-morning, and Wade heard how bad the Madrid traffic got in the afternoon. He had to run his errands and be back to the train depot in three hours to make his train for Barcelona.

The attendant at the car rental agency had been nice and spoke good English. Wade prodded him for everything he could soon after getting the keys to his car.

“Sir, I have a strange request. Could you help me with some directions?”

“Certainly, sir. Where would you like to go?”

“The strange thing is my wife is coming in on a late flight into Madrid tonight. She is an actress in a play tomorrow, and she said they seemed to have lost some of her baggage in the United States. I need to find a wig shop for her and some make-up to replace her lost belongings. Could you help me find shops that carry those items?”

After thinking about the strange request and items he didn’t know anything about, he replied, “Let me put you in touch with one of our female agents who speaks very good English. She is also big on shopping here in Madrid. I think she might be able to help you. Her name is Danielle, and I will bring her over to you.”

“Thank you very much.”

Danielle and Wade huddled over his city map. Danielle had to look up a few addresses, but soon there were circles all over Wade’s map. Danielle even gave Wade the order in which he should approach the stores to incur the least amount of local traffic.

Wade was soon back at the rental agency turning in his car. He had with him a luggage case with all he needed. After turning in the car, he got a ride back to the train station in plenty of time to board the train to Barcelona.

Aside from sleep, Wade’s preoccupation during the flight to New York was about Megan. He realized how much he missed her and looked forward to her smile and being in her arms. The thought of calling her at the airport in Barcelona or when he landed in New York crossed his mind, but he decided against it for security reasons. Neither, he concluded, would be a smart idea. Besides, an in-person surprise at her office in Washington would have the greatest impact, and there was plenty of time to make that happen.

The red-eye flight from Barcelona landed in New York at 7:00 a.m. In New York, Wade checked for tails and once clear made his way through customs and downtown Manhattan during morning rush hour. He stopped at a coffee shop he knew near the CIA building and called the office of Phil Damien.

“Mr. Damien’s office,” the secretary answered.

“This is Wade Hanna. I am supposed to see Mr. Damien on my way back through New York.”

Phil’s secretary was quick to reply, “Mr. Damien has been expecting your call. He can see you in an hour. Just come to the main desk in the lobby and I will have a pass ready for you.”

“That works great.”

Wade realized he was still in disguise that might present a problem. He went into the coffee shop restroom and cleaned up. For the first time in weeks, he felt like Wade Hanna again.

He reported to the security desk to the main lobby of the large high-rise office building. Phone calls were exchanged, and it wasn’t long before Wade was pinned with a badge that made him look very official. A security guard accompanied him to the 37
th
floor where he emerged from the elevator into a highly polished chrome and glass reception area. Sitting behind a large contemporary desk of wood and chrome was an attractive red headed woman that met Wade’s presence with a smile.

“Hello, I am Dana, Mr. Damian’s administrative assistant. Please have a seat. Mr. Damien should be off his long distance call in a moment.”

Wade looked around at how much the décor looked more like an investment bank or some financial institutions rather than the workings of a federal secret agency.

After a short wait, the secretary came out and said, “Mr. Damien will see you now.”

The two gentlemen greeted and shook hands. Damien’s trim, good looks, and plush suit were striking to Wade. The tall, slender, impeccably dressed gentleman with short gray hair looked like a Wall Street financial executive suited for the posh surroundings. There was no sign of dirty coveralls that might be at home in a dingy warehouse.

“Please come in. Leo told me you would be in town today.”

Phil guided them over to a sitting area consisting of two small gray leather sofas and two contemporary easy chairs arranged around a square chrome and glass coffee table. Before the meeting, Wade had decided to keep his briefing general and only answer specific questions if asked.

The plush surroundings and having a meeting with a senior member of the CIA made Wade feel uncomfortable. Damian looked easy enough to talk to. He hoped the questions remained general. He didn’t want to get into details. Wade resolved himself that he was a small pawn in this whole scheme just doing as he was ordered. He reminded himself that this meeting was just part of that mission and something he just had to get used to.

“How was your flight back?”

“Good. I slept most of the way back. Leo asked me to brief you on the operation. How would you like me to start?”

“What was your role?”

“At the beginning of the assignment I just served as surveillance for the vessel
Hariba
as it came into port to unload its grain cargo. I managed to find a hide in the warehouse and found a good position on the second floor to observe the ship’s activity and report to Leo. I radioed those activities as they occurred. There were no problems until delays occurred, and Mabuto’s men started getting restless.”

“What happened then?”

“The first delay was that the ship’s captain didn’t have the proper certification for the grain he was carrying. The port wouldn’t let him unload. When the ship finally got a docking position Mabuto’s men were on the vessel for inspection.”

“Please go on.”

“Once the grain unloading was underway I was asked to extract from the first warehouse position and immediately taken to a second warehouse position. The second warehouse position was where the money transaction was to take place. I was surveillance to Leo and provided cover for two friendly operatives also in that building.”

Wade hoped that his description was enough to satisfied Damien. He waited and sipped from the coffee cup Dana had just brought in. Damien was not in a rush but soon asked the next question that almost caused Wade to choke on his coffee.

“And did that transaction ever take place?”

Wade thought Damien might already know the answer to the question he posed, so he thought through his response before speaking.

“The transaction didn’t go as planned but ended up all coming out okay.”

Damien allowed dead silence between them to hang in the air before he spoke up. “Don’t assume I know anything. Just tell me the details.”

Wade had cleared his throat before he continued.

“A firefight broke out between Sikes’ men and Mabuto’s men. Several men on both sides were hit or dead.”

There was another pause and dead air between them. Damien saw that Wade was struggling with some uncertainty. He waited for him to finish his next sip of coffee before asking the next questions.

“Why did the firefight break out?”

“Well, it seems Mabuto had only come with a portion of the money and had not received confirmation from the ship that the cargo had been inspected.”