Monster (55 page)

“Yep.”

“Well?”

“Well what? They were relieved. It’s not like I hadn’t already told you how they’d react. They think I’m having second thoughts. After figuring out you’re the infamous Cold Mountain, they’re glad.”

“Infamous, huh? Aren’t you going to see them at all this Christmas season?”

“We don’t do Christmas. Besides, Christmas is over. We don’t do New Years either.”

“Oh… I’m sorry we can’t do New Years, Red.”

Reskova reached over and took McDaniels’ hand in hers.

“I know. Maybe next year will be completely different for us.”

“For one thing, we’ll be married,” McDaniels agreed, squeezing her hand gently. “The moment I get back from Iraq, it’s a done deal.”

“Are you going to stay in touch with us this time over?”

“Nope.”

“You have to, Cold. You’ll be on a mission for us. “I’m going to make sure I’m your contact too.”

“That’s a conflict of interest, Red. You’ll have to… wait a minute… would you be doing the contacting naked?”

* * *

McDaniels jogged beside a happily prancing Dino, scanning the darkened streets and surrounding buildings for movement. Although only slightly after ten o’clock at night, the street was quiet due to the continued cold front. Having been through his pre-deployment physical earlier in the day, McDaniels had not been able to return to work on Tuesday as he had hoped. Reskova’s call to him an hour earlier confirmed she would not be back to the apartment. In overseeing the electronic pursuit of tendrils emanating from Mero’s overseas money font, Reskova had sounded tense but optimistic. McDaniels’s cell-phone rang. He stopped jogging, beckoning Dino to a halt.

“McDaniels here.”

“The mouse is on his way to the trap,” Rasheed said simply. “I am on the throwaway phone you gave me, my friend.”

“Good.” McDaniels immediately perked up, his mind racing ahead. “Anyone going to be watching the trap?”

“No one is to tip the mouse off by getting too close.”

“They’ll be checking it out with audio and video only,” McDaniels mused. “You busy tonight?”

“I am at your service.”

“Walk around the block in…” McDaniels glanced at his watch, “about an hour and a half from now. I have to get the ride I have stashed and call Pete.”

“I have 10:15.”

“Check.” McDaniels set his watch as Rasheed ended the call.

McDaniels quickly took out another cell-phone from his jacket pocket. Donaldson answered on the second ring.

“Pete, you have the item we talked about?”

“Yes.”

“Take a walk with it in one hour, same direction as your girlfriend went before. I have 10:18. Make sure you’re not followed.”

“Will do,” Donaldson replied. “Can I come?”

“No can do. Too many eyes and ears on your place.”

“I understand. See you in a few.”

McDaniels ran Dino back to Reskova’s apartment. He dressed in the all black outfit he had stashed in the closet section Reskova allotted him. McDaniels stuffed a black ski mask into a dark gray trench coat he pulled on over his clothes. After petting Dino who lay watching him intently, McDaniels hastily left the apartment building. He walked around the block to where a beat up blue Chevrolet sedan was parked in a line of other cars.

McDaniels quickly unlocked the car. He reached under the seat with gloved hand to retrieve a long handled scraper. After scraping accumulated snow and ice from the windows of the Chevrolet, McDaniels started the engine. When he was sure it would not stall, McDaniels drove away toward his meeting with Donaldson. Nearly half an hour later he idled the car alongside Donaldson. Pete opened the backdoor of the sedan and set a large bag on the backseat of the Chevrolet. Donaldson looked forward at McDaniels in the driver’s seat.

“Remember, Colonel, use it sparingly. What about the audio and video in the apartment? If you use the weapon on our stuff, they’ll know.”

“Kay gave me a diagram of where they have the cameras hidden and the visual parameters of what they cover. We both know what happens when the surveillance team monitors a place like this and the lights go out. What did you do with Nancy?”

“I handcuffed her to the bed. I told her it’s a game and I’m pretending to be a serial rapist keeping her locked up while I prowl the area.”

“And she bought that?

“Hey, you told me in no uncertain terms to make sure she could not get near a phone during my absence. It will be up to me to make my ploy convincing when I get back up there.”

“What about the people watching you?”

“They’ll be watching a looped vid of us sleeping.”

“Thanks, Pete.”

“Call me if you need me. Please don’t let anything happen to my little light baby there. They’ll execute me tomorrow if it’s not in perfect shape when I return it.”

“I will be here at four-thirty,” McDaniels promised.

Donaldson saluted and closed the door.

McDaniels slowed near a trudging Rasheed at precisely 11:45. Rasheed went around to the driver’s side as McDaniels quickly stepped out of the car. As Rasheed slipped behind the steering wheel, McDaniels went around to the passenger side. A few seconds later Rasheed sped away toward Marisol’s townhouse in Georgetown.

“This car will be like a beacon, drawing the distrust of everyone who sees it in an area like Georgetown,
Shaun of the Dead
.”

“It’s always something with you, Kay.”

“You are lucky Mero’s girlfriend does not live in one of those gated apartment buildings with omnipresent guards.”

“She doesn’t need it with the security system she has. Unfortunately for her, it relies a little too much on power.”

“Will they not immediately connect this with you when her security system is disabled using Pete’s high-tech gun?”

“Not with the way I plan for our buddy Mero to achieve room temperature,” McDaniels replied. “It will appear to even the most trained eye that Mero died of natural causes. Without reason to believe otherwise, I will be home free.”

“Except with every person in Homeland Security who knows you, Shaun.”

“Will you knock off that
Shaun of the Dead
stuff? I can’t be held accountable for the suspicious nature of people I work with. We all know Mero must die. I’ll let the right man know about Mero’s untimely demise.”

“Do you plan to ask Mero anything important before he… how did you say… ah, achieves room temperature?” I know you plan to have the Marisol woman sleeping a little deeper than normal.”

“There’s not much time for an interrogation. We don’t have audio and visual in the bedroom. Unless he screams, I don’t see why I couldn’t ask him a pertinent question about the Syrian border guy.”

“Like how to make contact with him and still remain alive?”

“Exactly. There must be a couple of other guys who filter people through to al Zoubi. I can’t just stroll in there and ask where he is. Mero must know the guard routine at least.”

“Speaking of which, that assignment is a suicide mission.”

“Gee, Kay, thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“You may be
Shaun of the Dead
but you are not Superman,” Rasheed said, frustration in his voice. “Tell me you have some plan in mind for how you will accomplish this impossible task.”

“I’m working on every angle. The Syrian border mission will be a work of art.”

“Another lie.”

Chapter 39

Deadly Visit

“Hello, Mr. Mero,” McDaniels whispered in Mero’s ear.

Mero looked up into McDaniels’ unmasked face in the darkness with complete shock. He could not move his arms which were trapped under the sheet and blanket. The bulk of McDaniels’ body completely engulfed Mero. When Mero tried to twist under McDaniels he felt a sudden sharp pain just under his breastbone. Within seconds, Mero was gasping for breath. Mero immediately stopped moving. McDaniels eased the thumb pressure he had at Mero’s solar plexus.

“I have a few questions for you,” McDaniels whispered in Arabic.

Nearly an hour later, McDaniels fixed the sheet and blanket loosely around Mero’s body. McDaniels tilted the man’s head up slightly and placed Mero’s hands in a clutching manner over his left breast. Stepping back slightly, McDaniels shone a light over Mero’s face and body disposition, noting with satisfaction the wide-eyed, gasping look on Mero’s face. Walking around the bed to where Marisol snored rather noisily, McDaniels took a baby-wipe from the small travel package he had. Gently, McDaniels wiped the woman’s face, concentrating in particular on her nose and mouth area where he had administered the ether.

“Damn, Erica.” McDaniels grinned down at the bed scene he had arranged approvingly, “You snore louder than Red.”

Ten minutes later, McDaniels opened the passenger side door as Rasheed brought the Chevrolet to a halt momentarily next to him two streets over from Marisol’s townhouse. Rasheed drove for a few moments in silence, waiting for McDaniels to say something. Finally, Rasheed glanced over at McDaniels with some exasperation.

“Well?”

“Well what? Mero’s dead, Marisol snores nearly as loud as Reskova, and I have a guard schedule for al Zoubi’s encampment.”

“You are truly the luckiest man who has ever lived.” Rasheed chuckled. “I will not forget the snoring remark.”

“I make my own luck. Mention the snoring and you’ll be in the same shape Mero’s in,” McDaniels warned.

“Do not think to threaten me into silence. Truly, the woman makes more noise than the Boss did on the plane ride we all took together?”

“I said nearly as loud. Let’s get going. You’ll need some sleep so you look bright eyed and alert as if you did actually sleep through the night rather than assist on this superlative black-ops mission. No need for anyone to know about my information gathering until I tell them.”

“You are far too complacent, Shaun. At least wait until we read how Mero’s sudden demise is accepted before you do this arrogant end-zone victory dance of yours. It is very unprofessional.”

“Arro… hey… you watch football too? What does Ansa think of you camping out in front of the TV to watch football?”

“She screams so loudly when the Redskins do something I look outside to see if the neighbors notice. My Ansa curses them in Arabic when one of them makes any mistake with Suraya trying to calm her and the little Cold laughing. It is very entertaining,” Rasheed confided, taking pleasure in seeing McDaniels choked with laughter as Rasheed described his family’s football watching habits.

* * *

Reskova’s exhaustion showed clearly on her face as McDaniels walked into Aginson’s office. Aginson gestured angrily for McDaniels to sit down. When McDaniels was seated next to Reskova in front of Aginson’s desk Aginson stood up. He turned his back to the couple, his hands locked tightly together behind his back.

“Colonel, what part of do not sanction Mero did you not understand?” Aginson’s voice was a monotone mask of rage.

“I understood the order completely, Sir.” McDaniels saw Reskova glancing at him worriedly. “I’m going overseas in a few days. I needed a little more information than I had for the mission in Iraq. Mero gave me information about the guard routine I believe will be valuable. Mero visited the camp not more than two months ago. His information is up to date. I have to make the approach through the encampment some way. I don’t need any more surprises than I have under consideration already.”

“And what of our ongoing investigation into his cell here, Colonel?” Aginson continued without turning.

“I killed it,” McDaniels answered simply. “I read the papers this morning. Marisol woke up next to her dead lover. Speculation has it Mero died of heart failure. You have the names and addresses of every member in his cell already. Anyone contacting any of them will instantly be suspect. If you have something logical to climb on my ass about spit it out, Sir. Otherwise, I need to get a few things in order before my deployment.”

Aginson spun around, slamming his hands on the desk. “You arrogant bastard! What the hell makes you think I won’t have you imprisoned for the rest of your pathetic life?”

McDaniels stood up. “I met with Senator Hokanson this morning before I came in. He doesn’t share your view of Mero’s unfortunate demise. He said he’d be glad to talk this over with you after we get through here. If I get back from Iraq and you and the Senator feel my part in Homeland Security is at an end I’ll resign. Remember, Sir, you and Hokanson didn’t recruit me to investigate Terrorists. Mero was an unpredictable danger.”

“I thought this idea of having a man who went beyond the usual parameters under our command would give us a valuable option.” Aginson sat down finally in his chair. “I see now, like all methods of…”

In the blink of an eye, McDaniels grasped the right side of Aginson’s desk. With one brutal heave he flung the desk and all its contents against the wall. The sheer ferocity of what McDaniels did caused Aginson to spill his chair over and back warily against the wall behind his desk. Reskova left her seat, retreating to a spot next to the entrance. She waited tensely, but made no move to interfere.