36. Angel
Chapter thirty-six
Angel
We’re pulling into the hangar when Owen claps his hands and then rubs them in glee. “Who’s the man?!” He points to himself. “This guy! I just hacked into the onboard entertainment system of the plane my sister is on. November-seven-four-two-Oscar-India is now owned by yours truly!”
Roger rolls his eyes. “Can you please put their comms on speaker?”
“I’ll do you one better. Once we’re airborne, I’ll tap into their cameras and get us video footage.”
When Owen pulls up the audio, all we hear is the sound of ice clinking in a glass.
Owen is the first to get out of the vehicle and head to the aircraft so he can get to work.
The rest of us unload our equipment that the FBI commandeered from our cabin while we were executing our operation.
We couldn’t take it with us from the start because we needed Bennett to believe that he wasn’t a suspect.
Turns out Daisy’s vision was correct, though I don’t think anyone truly doubted her.
I turn around as my brother’s SUV pulls up behind ours, followed by my father’s 1990 M998 Humvee. Jordan exits the driver’s seat, followed by my brothers. Mom and Dad emerge from their vehicle and begin unloading gear.
“Did you drive all the way from Klamath Falls just to say goodbye?” I ask.
Jordan removes two rifle cases from the Humvee. “Don’t flatter yourself. We’re coming with you. Our ‘go bags’ are in the back of Dad’s vehicle, so make yourself useful.”
“You’re not coming. It’s too dangerous and you’re not federal agents.”
Seth grabs a duffle bag and heads toward the plane. “How is this any different from Colombia? When one of our own is in trouble, borders don’t matter.”
“That’s because it was our sister who was in trouble in Colombia. Daisy isn’t family.”
Benjamin laughs as he carries a rifle case and duffle past me.
He stops, spins around, and sets his equipment on the ground.
Placing his hands on my shoulders, he says, “Angel, you might be the oldest, but you clearly aren’t the smartest. We’ve all seen how you look at Daisy.
It’s only a matter of time before she is officially family, and we’re here to ensure it happens. I’m literally betting my life on it.”
Faith takes my hand and pulls me toward the plane. “Let’s not dally any longer or argue over a lost cause. Roger already gave them the green light and is putting them on the payroll as contractors to make it legal.”
Dad slaps my back as he and Mom sneak up behind me.
“We’d do it for free, Son. Daisy and this team risked their lives to save Faith.
I’m even getting a son-in-law out of the deal.
Now, we’re praying that this endeavor will prove just as fruitful, assuming you put a ring on Daisy’s finger the first chance you get.
Then she and Faith can duke it out to give us our first grandbabies! ”
Mom pinches my reddened cheeks. “You’re still so cute when you blush.”
“It’s not blushing. It’s a tactical response to parental interference.”
She pats them one more time as she laughs. “Fine, we’ll let the matter lie for now. When you’re ready to pop the question and lock down the woman who’s perfect for you, then know that I have your grandmother’s wedding ring waiting on standby.”
I board the plane last, shaking my head as I traverse the stairs and close the door. It’s going to be a long flight.
The engines roar to life, and the plane taxis out of the hangar. Within minutes, we’re airborne. I’m sitting next to Owen, who is waiting until we pass through 18,000 feet to link up to the mission-ready SATCOM system on board and start hacking a plane that’s two hours ahead of us.
“I have visual,” he says, pulling up a camera feed from the onboard security system of the Gulfstream.
We watch as Daisy slowly comes out of a state of unconsciousness and tests the restraints. Ten minutes later, she utters the words, “How long have you known?”
Bennett swirls whiskey in his glass, which explains the clinking of ice we heard earlier.
“Known what? That you’re Sadie? Since the beginning. You definitely weren’t the 14-year-old girl sniveling in her own snot, but it’s the necklace that gave you away. I wasn’t a hundred percent sure though until you mumbled words I’d said to you 20 years ago.”
Daisy repeats the words, and we listen to the conversation unfold. “Please tell me you didn’t forget to hit the record button,” I say quietly. “This is the confession we need.”
“Yes, Brad will be happy to know that he’s been exonerated.”
Brad was left behind in FBI custody and will remain there until after the story hits the front page of the news.
With Director Ludlow willing to throw himself under the bus to help us, there’s a spark of hope flickering inside me that maybe all is not lost for the future of the CIA.
I’m still glad I resigned, but with a man like Ludlow at the helm, there’s a chance that organization will be viewed as one with integrity.
It’s a slim chance, but a chance nonetheless.
All we can do is reveal the truth and minimize the fallout.
In the meantime, we don’t need Brad running around and telling a story where he doesn’t have all the facts.
Nor do we want to paint a target on his back.
When the conversation between Daisy and Bennett is over, I watch in horror as he jams a needle into her neck and then does the same thing to Eva when she begins to stir.
Dear God, please be with them both, and let us get to them before something worse happens.
We touch down in LaGuardia and immediately transfer to another plane that’s fueled and ready to go. Finnegan delivered on his promise to have a team monitor the Gulfstream without engaging, noting that they only stopped to refuel and file another flight plan.
Roger and Owen are talking with Director Finnegan on an encrypted satellite link, while Vinny is doing the same with Director Ludlow.
Roger runs a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair, frustration and fatigue written all over him as he says, “I don’t like it anymore than you do, but with the plane set to land in Scotland, we don’t have a choice but to let the CIA take over…
. Do not sideline me, Robert. It’s my team member who’s in danger. ”
While the call isn’t on speaker, I can hear Finnegan loud and clear. “You’re too close to this, Roger. Frankly, I am too. Owen is a given since it’s his sister. As for the rest of your team….”
“We’re all dialed in, Robert, and ready to go. Our heads are clear, as are our hearts. This one has to be by the book. I know your reluctance doesn’t have anything to do with a lack of faith in me or my team. So, what is it?”
“Not only are you my best friend and protégé; you’re married to my daughter and are the father of my grandson,” Finnegan says. “Call me selfish, but I don’t want Harper and Tanner to mourn you. We currently don’t know Dominion’s capabilities, who we can trust, or what you’ll be up against.”
“I need you to trust me and to have faith in the Almighty. Daisy has traveled a long road to get here, and we’re meant to be part of the journey. Do not rob my team or me of that privilege. Please.”
“Fine, but we’ll do it together. I’m catching a flight to Glasgow in an hour. I’ll see you soon.”
Roger clears his throat. “I need a favor from you before you leave. I need you to contact the FAA and have them redirect Bennett’s aircraft and lower its cruising altitude.
This will buy us some time to catch up. They can claim the need to reroute due to storms, or something.
I don’t care. We need to slow them down and close the distance. ”
After hanging up, Roger says, “We’re cleared to proceed.”
Vinny hangs up with Director Ludlow. “There’s a team on the ground at Glasgow, and he deployed his secret weapon as soon as the flight plan was filed. We’re pinning everything on Bennett believing he got away with it and left us none the wiser.”
“Bennett’s going to go underground if we don’t stop him,” I say.
Roger confirms this. “As you know, Jerry didn’t actually go to Colorado.
The ruse to pressure Bennett into action was a gamble that worked.
However, Jerry has been monitoring the offshore account that was put in Brad’s name, and as of an hour ago, the funds were transferred.
Bennett’s going to make a run for it, likely get surgery to change his appearance, and disappear into some non-extradition country that hates America. ”
Looking down at his watch and then up at the night sky, he says, “Jerry can have the funds traced by the time we land in Scotland, but he doesn’t have the authority to freeze those funds once he does.”
Vinny writes down a name and number, handing it to Roger. “You have been granted full access to whatever you need by Ludlow. Give this name to Jerry and tell him to use the codeword: Southpaw. The person on the other end of the line will handle asset management.”
Owen snorts. “Jerry’s going to love that. Owing the CIA a favor is about the furthest thing on his list of life goals.”
“Just tell him that the CIA is going to take the heat when all of this makes the front-page news. The sooner that happens, the happier he’ll be,” Vinny jokes.
I chuckle because I know Vinny isn’t joking, and that Owen will jump at the opportunity to deliver the news to Jerry.
For the next few hours, we all get some sleep except for Owen. He’s busy pounding coffee and staring at the screen.
“You should get some rest,” I say when I wake up. “I can take over for a bit.”
“I couldn’t sleep if I tried,” Owen replies. “I’m not sure how you did it.”
“Did what? Sleep? I just closed my eyes and let my body take over.”
Owen leans back and closes his eyes. “No, that’s not what I mean. How did you not lose your mind when Faith was taken and held by the cartel? I feel so helpless now, while you seemed so composed back then.”
“I was far from composed then, and I’m far from composed right now. I love Daisy, and I’d burn the world down to get to her if it were in my power to do so. But this is her fight, and we’re just along for the ride.”
He cracks an eye open to look at me. “My sister is pretty resilient, isn’t she?”
“Daisy is resilient, hard-headed, and stubborn to a fault.”
Owen smiles at my assessment. “That she is. It’s a family trait.”
“She’s also tender-hearted, compassionate, loyal, and devoted to those she loves. Those qualities combined with the others make her a force to be reckoned with.”
“Also family traits.” Owen twiddles his thumbs as he formulates his thoughts. “Daisy loves you, too. When you hurt her with your callous words, I wanted to hate you. A kiss should mean everything, yet you told her it meant nothing.”
I figured this conversation would eventually happen, though I didn’t expect it on a plane full of operators and family members. “You said that you ‘wanted to hate me.’ Does that mean you didn’t?”
He opens his eyes and lolls his head toward me. “No, I didn’t hate you. I could see the same look in your eye then that I see now. That kiss did mean something to you. You just hadn’t figured out what it was yet. I had that same look once.”
Just as I close my eyes to get a little more sleep, Bennett’s voice pierces the air loud enough to wake everyone up. I move next to Owen so I can see the video feed.
“Good, you’re both awake. We’re about to land in about half an hour.”
“Where are we?” Eva asks groggily.
“At the end of the line,” Bennett replies.
I lean over and ask Owen, “Are they on the descent into Glasgow?”
He clicks away on his laptop, pulling up a small box at the top of the screen to verify what he already knows. It has the transponder code for the Gulfstream and a dot moving east above Ireland. “Yes, Glasgow still appears to be the final destination.”
Vinny answers my question before I can ask it. “The team is in position and will follow at a minimum distance of one kilometer. There’s a satellite overhead that will keep their transport in sight at all times.”
Daisy glances out the window and frowns. “We certainly aren’t in Kansas anymore.”
“Have you ever been to Scotland, Daisy?” Bennett asks. “It’s quite lovely, even when it’s a little rainy this time of year.”
At his mention of Scotland, Eva fights against the restraints with all her might. “I’m not going back! Let me go!”
Bennett squats down in front of Eva and caresses her cheek. “You need to be rehabilitated. It’s up to you how long that will take.”
Then he moves in front of Daisy. “Are you ready for those answers I promised you?”
Vinny gets on the sat phone and calls Ludlow while I’m trying to listen to the conversation happening on the other plane.
He gets up and moves to the back of the aircraft and talks in a hushed voice.
“Is the package in place?... Good. From what little we know, they’re heading to Dominion…
. Yes, sir. I’ll let them know right away. Thank you, sir.”
Roger asks, “Vinny, you look like the cat who got the cream. Care to share?”
“The asset is already on the Dominion premises at Loch Monar. Once Daisy is inside and thoroughly checked for bugs and listening devices, then a transmitter will be slipped into her pocket and activated. There will be an E-6B Mercury picking up the Very Low Frequency transmission and retransmitting it to us via encrypted VHF. We’ve been ordered to change course and land at Inverness. ”
Roger’s mouth stretches into a thin line. “VLF is used for submarines and deep rock penetration, and the transmitters for that aren’t small.”
“Not usually, but this one is. The Southern Knights don’t have all the cool toys,” Vinny replies. “Here’s the stitch. There’s only one way in or out, and we’re going to have to do some hiking. Schematics should be coming to Owen shortly.”
Sure enough, Owen’s laptop pings with an encrypted email. He looks it over, and then his eyes widen as big as saucer plates.
“It’s underwater? We aren’t equipped for that.”
“There’s an entrance on the south side of the loch. According to Ludlow’s intel, it looks benign, like nothing more than a small power station for the hydro-electric dam to the east. Owen, you’ll need to hack the feed and loop the cameras. That’s their primary means of security.”
Owen barks a laugh, but it’s the kind that is devoid of any humor. “Yeah, why would anyone need security when they’re in the middle of nowhere?”