"We will keep him locked in our mini-Rendition container for forty-eight hours. There he will be subjected to mind numbing noise, hot and cold water sprays intended to keep him awake and afraid of what will happen next. We might even fill it with water. Drowning is an effective incentive. It would be interesting to see how a Kazak trained person would handle it."
"No, thank you. I'm not that bored."
Eighteen hours later, Mr. Tibour was dragged into the room. He made feeble attempts at being honest which didn't work, so off he went to another container. The containers were sound proof. You couldn't hear anything from outside; however, Catherine had a camera, ears, and speakers in each one. In less than twenty-four hours, both were screaming to talk. She ignored them. When they were released, they were eager to talk. While her team verified each statement, they were placed together in waiting containers with beds, and were served three meals a day. Of course, the container was monitored. The chatter between them was interesting as they speculated on who we were, revenge, and future schemes-just like any businessman.
Over the next several days, Mr. Liu, and Ms. Ottella arrived and the result was pretty much the same. Lodged in the same container, they slowly realized the mysterious group wasn't searching for some act of terrorism, nor their various connections to the underworld or illegal activities, and that cooperation was in their best interest. They did not seem to realize Catherine searched for an information leak, not some plot to blow up some federal building.
***
"Got it!" Catherine shouted as she exploded out of her chair, knocking it to the floor. "One million dollars-cash-goes missing each month. It's a payoff."
"Mr. Liu said it was money laundering, and it looks like it. Besides, there is no way to prove it isn't," Samantha said.
"Yes, Liu was very brave lying to us. Maybe he suspected that's what we were looking for. Money laundering requires you get some portion back. I can't see where he does, and his explanation doesn't hold water, although I couldn't prove it in a court of law. But...it coincides with several favorable events for him, which would have required inside information. And, payments stopped for three months just after the murder of a Committee member. Liu is our connection. Go get him."
Max and Sam were out the door and back in less than five minutes. Liu's eyes were darting around the room trying to identify who was in the room.
"Mr. Liu, you lied to me. As you have already figured out, I'm not after you or your activities. You will give me the name or contact information. I may kill you or I may let you go after I get what I want. That will depend on you. The only question is will it be quick and painless or take months of agonizing pain."
Liu sat there for a long time sweating, feet shuffling, and swallowing. Sam handed him a bottle of water, which he starred at for several minutes before taking a sip. Finally, the thought of months of pain like the two days he had been subjected to won out-probably because he had seen men tortured at his orders.
"Laurence Lee Sun," exploded out of him like a bursting dam that he'd been holding it back.
"Who is he?"
"He signs it Leesun now days. He's responsible for black ops...CIA. We were in the same Tong when we were young."
***
It was fascinating to watch Catherine's folks work. Leesun didn't appear to have a permanent office or staff, but they found a secretary who made his appointments and took his calls. That lead to the discovery that he was unmarried, a qualified pilot, and owned a Cessna Mustang. Further research revealed that he often flew to Millinocket, Maine, after missions. There they found he had a cabin somewhere on Lake Ouakish. Catherine decided to put a stake out on his plane and another at the Millinocket airport. Then we waited.
As usual, it was boring. Her two new security guards rotated with Max and Sam on twelve-hour shifts. With Mr. Liu and the other three still captive and Mr. Leesun out of town, Catherine relaxed somewhat and occasionally ate out. I knew Max had talked with the two new men, Eddy and Chuck, as they had a tendency to sneak looks at me when they thought my attention elsewhere. Even Catherine did it. The call finally came two weeks later.
"Nora, informs me that Leesun in back in town and has filed a flight plan for Millinocket tomorrow. Get packed, we leave in two hours."
I wondered what would happen when we finally caught up with Leesun-kill or capture. More importantly, what part would Catherine play, since it was my responsibility to protect her? Mr. Leesun didn't sound like the reckless type to go unprotected. When we arrived in Millinocket, it was late and the airport all but deserted. We arranged for parking and pretended to leave but stayed within sight of the airport. As his plane began its approach, we returned, arriving shortly after he had exited the plane and had just entered the hanger. Eddy and Chuck had intercepted the person bringing Leesun's car to ensure there were no bodyguards.
We approached four strong. Catherine strode a step ahead of everyone. I walked to her left, Max to her right and Sam to my left. I think she intended capture him. We were still twenty feet away when Leesun recognized the threat. He grinned.
"Max, Sam, Lynn," he shouted. "Catherine has betrayed the Committee. Kill her."
Impulses clashed. She was a traitor and deserved to die-she was my client. Protecting my client won. I was a Kazak, protecting clients was my life. Sam and Max were drawing their guns. They meant to kill my client-but-they were Catherine's guards. If I killed them... Max stepped towards Catherine, ignoring me. As his gun cleared the holster. I grabbed his wrist and elbow and spun him into Catherine, causing her and Max to stumble backward into Sam, pinning his gun between him and her momentarily. While continuing to push the three, I twisted Max's wrist, forcing his arm straight and threw my full weight onto his elbow. It dislocated and his gun came loose in my hand, and I managed to push him away from Catherine. He staggered off to the side cradling his arm, tripped, and fell. I continued pushing. Although off balance, Sam managed to raise his Glock towards Catherine's head. I pushed her head into Sam's face, since we were all stumbling backward with tenuous balance. It had the desired effect. Sam lost consciousness for a second, and I pushed Catherine away. She landed face down on the floor. I landed on top of Sam, driving my elbow into his head.
Pain seared my hip. I twisted off Sam, located Leesun, and fired twice hitting him in the chest. He staggered backward into the nose of the Mustang. He fired again, missing this time. Cement chips seared my arm as I rolled over and over locating Leesun in the process. I fired and he jerked back against the plane and fired again. Pain seared my right arm and Sam's gun came loose. I rolled in the opposite direction freeing a throwing knife with my left hand. I threw it backhanded at him. It wasn't a good throw but it did cause him to duck and ruined his next shot. I rolled again this time freeing my backup gun with my left hand. As I sighted for a shot, one of Leesun's next two shots hit me in the leg. As I prepared to shoot, Leesun's head spewed blood and brains as a bullet hit him in the head. Catherine stood twenty feet away with a gun in her hand. Sam was out cold. Max stood holding his arm, and starring at Catherine.
Clare is going to be pissed.
***
The emergency vehicles arrived within minutes and whisked us to the Millinocket Regional Hospital, located only minutes away. I went straight into surgery. It was evening before I woke. Catherine was half asleep in a chair by the window. She looked worn out.
"How are you feeling?" a middle-aged woman in a white jacket and stethoscope asked. "The operation went well. The bullet missed the hip joint and lodged up against the pelvis. The second bullet passed cleanly through the upper bicep and the third bullet to the calf muscle also passed cleanly through. You were lucky-again-judging from your impressive array of scars."
"You're awake!" Catherine jumped out of her chair and rushed over to the bed. "Why didn't you shoot me? Max and Sam told me they would've if you hadn't stopped them."
"Witton would be pissed if I shot my client."
"Damn you. Max and Sam have been with me for years, and if it hadn't been for you, they would have killed me.
"Liar Assassins are believable unless they hit a nerve. Max and Sam normally wouldn't believe you were the traitor. But they've been involved with you looking for a traitor for months, so it was easy to confuse them with a plausible lie. In my case, he was asking me to kill a client, which is abhorrent to me. I'm a Kazak sworn to give my life to protecting my client, so the lie wasn't believable. It's ironic-my client saved me. I still can't understand how Leesun managed to survive. I'd swear I put three rounds in his chest."
"You did. He had on a flack jacket. But he was still impressive. Those three bullets hit him in the heart area. That would have normally dropped most men. And I only beat you by a second. By the way, the Committee wants you and me to return to Maine. They want to interview us."
***
Five days later, I sat in front of a camera talking to an animated man on a television screen. He, probably they, dragged every detail from the time I met Catherine at the Setai Hotel to the shootout. It took hours. Catherine went after me and spent over four hours in the room. When she came out, she looked like she had been in one of her containers.
"I'm glad that's over. The Committee is extremely pleased with the results. They are giving us a bonus and a month's paid vacation, including a friend," she smiled. "If you ever need anything, call me. Here's my private number."
Catherine's private plane dropped me off at Regan International the next day. I had decided to take a few days to recover before I called Clare. After I washed and changed clothes, I wandered up to Witton's office.
"Go on in, Lynn. Witton's free," Ann Marie said as I approached his office. "Going to recuperate before braving Clare?"
"Facing Assassins is nothing compared to a scolding from Clare." She could really make me feel guilty, although she wasn't really mad at me-most the time. I knocked once, and then proceed in.
"Hi, boss." Witton was sitting back in his chair with a cup in his hand. He looked relaxed with only a white shirt, red and brown paisley tie, and no suit jacket.
"I heard that you killed one of your employers," he said, as I sat.
"He wouldn't give me a raise. Have you seen the price of maids and chauffeurs lately."
"The tactic proved very effective. Have you looked at your bank account?"
"No."
"Two years salary," he nodded approval. I couldn't believe it-a half million dollars for doing what they already overpaid me to do. "And three more Assassin kills. I've already had twenty requests to be paired with you and your next assignment. I personally wouldn't want to be within a hundred miles of you and your client," Witton said and didn't smile.
"I scheduled a debriefing for tomorrow morning. All the Kazaks in the area want to hear your account of the incidents. That extra day should give you time to get up enough nerve to call Clare."
"You think so?" I hoped so. "This last Assassin, the Liar, was stupid or doesn't understand the weakness in his talent. Telling a Kazak to kill her client isn't terribly smart. If he had told the others to kill me, he might have succeeded. There was three of them and one my client. Whoever was left would have been an easy kill."
Witton sat quietly for a minute. "Yes, I understand. He told to you to do the one thing you would never do. Interesting."
***
The briefing was fun, and I was introduced to some Kazaks I hadn't met. By the afternoon, I had enough nerve to call Clare. The Company plane wasn't readily available and I didn't want to bother Gendel, so I had Ann Marie book me first class to Denver. I thought that might convince Clare I hadn't been seriously wounded. Of course, having my arm in a sling and using a cane might not help. I have to admit she took it very well. Something had happened on the Hill that made her far more into the moment-she was happy I was alive and nothing else mattered.
"I guess there is a story that goes with the holes in your ass, leg, and arm," Clare said trying to suppress a smile. We had changed into nightwear and sat on the couch drinking hot chocolate and listing to elevator music.
"There is an interesting story but you can't print the real one. If you can rearrange the facts a bit, maybe I can get permission to run it. It started with the Committee's trouble shooter, Catherine..."
"Wow. That's a Pulitzer award-winning story. Do you really think we can get permission to print it?"
"Not the real story, but something that preserves the essence but leaves out any connection to the Committee and probably the crime bosses and their torture." I said with a snort-so much for preserving the essence. Clare and I worked on revising the details for the next three days. When I was satisfied, I called Catherine's private number.
"You need a favor all ready?" She laughed. "Well, what is it?"
I explained what I wanted and sent her an encrypted copy of the intended interview-Clare's questions and my responses.
"Since you've given me most of the credit, I like it and I'll run it by the Committee." She got back to me two days later.
"The Committee loved making them an International foundation that supports individuals and organizations worldwide and provides for the stability of democratic governments. And that one of the organization members was subverting money for criminal activities and profit. It obscures and yet captures their intent. They believe it will enhance their image with those who are in the know. You have permission to give the interview."
The Post was ecstatic and decided to run it in three installments. And agreed to give Clare additional time off. She was their golden girl. Since she had started the Kazak series, they had received national attention, tripled their readership, and begun a very well funded charity, selling the video interviews to the local TV station. As a result, they had made important connections across the country. We decided to do the interview before taking the time off in order to give me extra time to heal. The interview took three days to complete.