Rogue Ghost (CIA Ghost Series Book 1) (20 page)

Nazarov lost consciousness almost immediately. Cole checked his pulse to make sure he was still alive.

“That was good work,” Cole told her. “You know, you really had me going there for a few minutes. I really thought you were gonna cut his junk off,” he said with a smile.

Parker gave him a devilish smile and tilted her head, indicating that she actually might have.

“You really weren’t gonna do it, were you?” Cole asked.

“I dunno. I guess we’ll never really know, will we?” she answered, smiling like she was planning on it.

“All right, I guess we can get rid of this guy now. We’ll take him back to the club and dump him back in his own car. He’ll wake up tomorrow with no memory of anything that happened.”

Cole was looking at surveillance footage while eating a sandwich when a call came in. It was a quick conversation, only lasting a minute. After he hung up he looked a little disturbed at what he’d just heard. He then called Parker to let her know the news.

“Hey. Where you at?” Cole asked.

“Just out getting a few things,” she answered. “Why? What’s up?”

“Just got word that Nazarov’s body was just found about an hour ago.”

“What?!”

“Inside his house in his own bed with three bullet holes in his chest,” Cole informed her.

“Heath might be trying to clean things up,” Parker stated.

“That means he’s close to packing up and leaving. We gotta get to him soon.”

“If he killed Nazarov, that means he might know he talked to us.”

“Not necessarily. We drugged him so he wouldn’t remember anything. He couldn’t cop out to talking to us even if he wanted to,” Cole replied. “It could’ve been something Davis was planning on anyway.”

“You’re right.”

“Get back here so we can go over stuff.”

“On my way,” Parker said. She was sitting in the GameTech parking lot, wondering about calling Turner to see if he wanted to go to lunch. She was going to tell him she just happened to be in the area. She’d been wondering if she was doing the right thing by just letting him go and not fighting for him. It wasn’t her style to give up easily, though love and relationships were something she clearly struggled with. Parker woke up that morning, still thinking about her actions with Nazarov the night before. It was clear to her that Turner wasn’t out of her system and that no matter how much she denied it, she wanted to somehow make it work with him. She thought that maybe she could talk to him further at lunch but that plan seemed to have gone out the window now. She turned her car back on and went home to meet Cole, where they spent the rest of the afternoon going over the layout of the warehouse.

Turner had just finished work and was walking out to his car. Ever since Davis surprised him the one day, Turner had a habit of looking all around to make sure no one was there. Turner hit the unlock button on his key ring and got into his car. He put the key in the ignition but was quickly startled, and jumped a little in his seat, when his passenger door opened, revealing Davis once again.

“What is wrong with you?!” Turner asked. “Have you not ever heard of just jumping into peoples’ cars?”

“Sorry,” Davis said with a laugh. “Seemed like the best way to talk to you.”

“And where did you come from? I looked everywhere to make sure this didn’t happen again!”

“You just don’t know where to look.”

“Apparently,” Turner said. “I’m assuming you want me for something else again?”

Davis sighed, almost regretting what he was there for. “I’m afraid so.”

“What this time?”

“I need you to come with me.”

“What? Where?”

“If you just come with me, I promise you this will be the last time you’ll ever see me. I’ll be gone after this,” Davis told him.

Turner wasn’t quite sure about his request. Something about being the last time he’d ever see him didn’t quite sit well with him. It almost seemed like a death notice or something.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure I’d rather not do that,” Turner said.

“Unfortunately Ryan, this isn’t a request. You’re coming.”

“And just how are you gonna make me?”

“I’m pretty sure this’ll do it,” Davis said, pulling a gun out of his pocket.

“Yeah. Yeah, that’ll work all right,” Turner agreed. “So where we going?”

“I got a deal going down at a warehouse in a couple hours.”

“So what do you need me for?”

“Protection.”

“I couldn’t protect anybody,” Turner admitted. “I’m pretty sure you could find someone better for that type of thing. Violence isn’t my forte.”

“Not that type of protection.”

“What other kind is there?”

“Alex and Cole are getting close. They abducted one of my acquaintances yesterday and I think learned of my plans tonight,” Davis said.

“I’m still not seeing where I fit in all of this.”

“Well you see, if they show up, I need an advantage to get out of the situation.”

“And you think that advantage is me?” Turner asked.

“I do. I’m banking on that they’ve gotten somewhat attached to you and won’t let something bad happen to you.”

“Like what?”

“Well, you may be strapped to a chair rigged with explosives,” Davis told him. “I’m betting that they’d rather save you first as opposed to following me, giving me enough time to escape.”

“Uhh, I really don’t think all that is necessary,” Turner nervously said.

“Maybe not. But it’s better to be ready just in case.”

Turner put his hand on the door handle, thinking about jumping out of the car and running. Davis noticed his actions and sought to quell his aspirations quickly.

“Just in case you’re having some delusions of running away right now, realize that I’m an expert shot and would kill you before you get five feet out of that door,” Davis said.

“Why? Why would you do this to me?” he asked, taking his hand off the door.

“Ryan, I don’t want you to take this personally. It’s nothing personal. I like you a lot. Always have. It’s just…I like me better. So unfortunately, I have to use you to my advantage.”

“Why use me at all? Why not just cancel your plans tonight if you think they’re getting close?” Turner wondered.

“Can’t. The people I’m meeting, you don’t just cancel on. Besides, some of the money has already been transferred. If I cancelled, they may think I’m trying to back out and swindle them. So unfortunately for you, that’s not an option,” Davis responded. “I just need to make this deal and then I’m out of the country for good. And then you can go back to your normal life.”

“How satisfying for me. What makes you think they’d even come for me anyway?”

“You think any of this was by accident? I’ve been planning these contingencies just in case I needed them. I knew they’d send Alex after me. Nobody knows me better than her. But by the same token, nobody knows her better than me. I didn’t just choose you cause of our past, Ryan. I saw the way you two looked at each other in that theatre.”

“Well she is a beautiful woman, but I fail to see how that would help me,” Turner replied.

“I also chose you because Alex is getting tired of the spy life. She’s getting ready to give it up, whether she knows it or not. If she were to ever fall for a guy, you’re the type of guy she’d give it up for. The nice, sweet, and caring type. I was kind of banking on that when you two met. So if the situation arises, I’m betting that she’d choose rescuing you…over killing me.”

“How can you do all this? This isn’t the guy I went to school with.”

“A lot’s changed since we were in college, Ryan. I’ve been through a lot. This profession changes a person. Changes their outlook, their view on life, their view on everything. I’m not evil. I’m not a bad person. I just want enough money to retire and disappear forever,” Davis explained.

“Obviously in the most ethical way possible.”

“You do it your way and I’ll do it mine.”

Davis then instructed Turner to start driving, giving him turn-by-turn directions as Davis led him to the warehouse. Davis kept the gun firmly entrenched in his hand so Turner would see it and not get any ideas about escaping, though Davis didn’t directly point the gun at him. Once there, Davis got his prisoner out of the car and tied his hands behind his back as he took him from the empty parking lot and walked him inside the building.

“So when’s all this going down?” Turner asked, looking around at all the boxes.

“About an hour,” Davis responded, nudging Turner to move.

Davis pushed Turner forward to keep him walking as they made their way to the back of the warehouse. There was a door that led to a flight of steps, Davis continually pushing Turner to keep him moving. Once they got up to the second floor there was a hallway with several doors on each side to be used as offices. Davis picked one in the middle and led Turner inside, sitting him down in a chair behind a desk. Though Turner’s hands were already tied behind his back, Davis tied him up even further, wrapping rope around Turner’s chest and tying it to the chair. Davis then grabbed a black box from a bookshelf and placed it on the desk in front of Turner.

“What’s that?” Turner nervously wondered.

“Oh, just a little explosive. Nothing to worry about,” Davis laughed.

“Glad to see you haven’t lost your sense of humor.”

“Hey, if everything goes according to plan, you’ll be home before you know it. Scout’s honor.”

“You were in the boy scouts?”

“No,” Davis laughed again. He then left the room and went down to the main level to get ready for his visitors.

It was seven o’clock and Parker and Cole were getting ready to leave. They left Parker’s apartment and started walking to Cole’s truck when Parker suddenly stopped as she noticed Turner’s friend, Mark, sitting on his porch. She looked at the parking lot and didn’t see Turner’s car. Parker thought it was a little strange that Mark was sitting there and Turner wasn’t home yet. She tugged on Cole’s arm to stop him as the two of them approached him.

“Mark,” Parker greeted. “What’s going on?”

“Hey Alex. Just waiting for Ryan,” Mark replied.

“Where is he?”

“Beats me.”

“He’s probably just working late,” Parker assumed. “Or maybe he’s out with Marissa.”

“Nope. I talked to him on his lunch. He said Marissa was working tonight and that he had a light workload today and was gonna knock off around five, then come home and we’d cook some burgers then watch Return of the Jedi,” he explained.

Parker looked at Cole, concerned that something had happened to Turner.

“It’s not like him to be late and not let me know. I got no texts, no calls, nothing,” Mark said. “Seems strange.”

“I, uhh, gotta check something,” Cole said, going back to his apartment, leaving Parker and Mark on the porch.

Cole went over to his computer and activated the tracker that he’d previously placed on Turner’s car. Once the location came up on his screen he immediately recognized that it was the same address that Nazarov had given them. He shook his head and sighed before rushing out the door to tell Parker.

“We gotta go,” Cole told Parker.

“I’ll let you know if I hear something,” Parker said to Mark as she quickly followed her partner. “What’s up?” she asked, getting inside Cole’s SUV.

“I activated the tracking chip I put on Turner’s car.”

“Don’t tell me.”

“It’s right where we’re already headed. Davis must’ve picked him up as he left work and took him to the warehouse with him,” Cole said.

“Why would he do that?”

“Protection. Leverage of some sort. Maybe something to bargain with,” Cole reasoned.

Parker was quiet for a few minutes, looking out the window, worried about whether Turner was OK. Cole briefly looked over and could tell she was troubled.

“Don’t worry,” he told her. “We’ll get him out of there.”

“I just hope we’re in time.”

Cole put his foot down on the gas pedal and raced down the highway. They got to the warehouse in half an hour. They parked across the street and sat there for a few minutes, sizing up the situation.

“Looks pretty quiet,” Parker stated.

“You know what they say about looks,” Cole replied.

“I don’t see anything out of the ordinary. No lights or anything.”

“Let’s just give it a few more minutes.”

They sat there for five more minutes, waiting for any sign that someone was already in the building. They eventually got it when they saw a light turn on in an upstairs window.

“Well it seems someone’s there,” Cole said, noticing the light.

“All right, let’s get in there,” Parker said, putting her radio earpiece in.

“Wait,” Cole said, grabbing her arm.

Three expensive looking cars then pulled into the warehouse parking lot. Four men, most wearing suits, got out of each car. A few seconds later another car pulled in. One of the men opened the passenger door to let a man out. Parker and Cole assumed this guy was the leader of the bunch. They noticed the man give the signal to the rest of his bunch to go into the warehouse. Several of the men took guns out of the insides of their suit jackets as they proceeded. That was all Parker and Cole needed to see. Something was about to go down and they needed to get in there. They needed to get over there quickly and didn’t feel they had enough time to go around the back of the building for cover.

Once the group of men entered the warehouse, Davis came down the flight of steps to greet them.

“Victor,” Davis greeted, shaking his hand. “How are you?”

“I’ll be much better once I have the information you promised.”

“It’s right here,” Davis said, giving him a CD.

“You don’t mind if I just double check the contents?”

“Not at all.”

Victor grabbed it and handed it to one of his men, who set up a computer on a nearby desk.

“Is this all your men here?” Davis asked.

“Yes. Why?”

“I got word a couple CIA agents may have found out about our meeting and try to disrupt it. You may wanna put someone outside on the door.”

Victor motioned for a couple of his men to go outside, who complied with his wishes. He then turned his attention to the laptop.