Chapter 14
Chapter fourteen
Roger
Jessie scowls at her screen. “You have bad news. I just know it! Rip off the bandage and give it to us straight.”
Ben growls, but Ethan schools his features and takes a few deep inhalations to calm himself. “Director Whitman told us to stand down. The FBI will officially take over the case, and we’re not to interfere.”
I pound my fist on the coffee table. “We’re in a position to recover the uranium before it gets into the wrong hands. Why wouldn’t he want to utilize us to handle this? There’s no way he can have agents here by the time the boat docks.”
Ben throws his hands up in the air. “He’s got several agents working this case who are at a field office in Miami.
They can get there by helicopter and be at your location within the hour.
It will be cutting it close, but it’s doable.
Whitman wants the six of you to hang tight until he can get a full debrief; then, he expects you to walk away. ”
“You can’t be serious!” Harper exclaims. “I’m not walking away from this.
I’ll turn in my badge before that happens.
All we know so far is that this resort is being used to smuggle people and nuclear materials.
We have no idea if this is just one of many locations being used, who is behind this, or why someone would need uranium in the first place. ”
Jessie snorts. “They’re building a bomb, Harper.”
Harper rolls her eyes. “Yes, I know. But why are they building the bomb? Who or what is the intended target? Is it a terrorist group or a lone wolf? What are their motiva…”
Bang! Pow! Pew! Pew! Bang!
The sound of shots being fired burst through the speakers, and my eyes zero in on the big screen.
Until this point, the men on the boat had remained silent as they navigated the waters with radioactive material on board.
It was as if they were afraid the vibrations from their voices would disturb the volatile material and cause an explosion.
I watch in awe as the crew falls one by one, and four men clad in all black climb onto the deck.
The assailants are clearly communicating with one another, although we can’t pick up their words through the camera.
One of them points to the stairwell that leads below deck, motioning his partner to go.
I pull up the camera from the small office area and have it viewable side-by-side with the footage from the camera facing the deck.
A man pulls back the false wall and removes the box of Uranium before slowly turning around.
He glances up at where our camera is supposedly hidden and grins so that his white teeth gleaming against the black paint covering his face.
“There is no way he could have known where the camera was! The office is grimy, and the walls are coated in filth, hiding the tiny spec perfectly,” Jessie says, annoyed.
“Unless…” I start to say.
Jessie’s hands go to her hips, and she cocks her head. “Unless what, Roger?”
“Unless they already had a camera of their own and had been watching you,” Harper answers instead. “That was Zurkowski.”
“How do you know?” Savannah asks.
Harper shrugs. “When you date someone for more than a year, you get to know their smile. He’s got a small chip on his right canine. You can’t miss it.”
This is not the time to let jealousy get in the way, but I am jealous.
I’m jealous that Harper has dated other men even though she’s almost 30 years old and a grown woman.
I’m jealous that she gazed upon Zurkowski’s smile long enough to notice a tiny crack in a tooth.
I force the feeling deep into my stomach and focus on what matters.
“If it’s the same guy from earlier, then it explains why he wanted me to get you someplace safe. He still cares about you,” I say, feeling a tinge of bile rise in my throat.
“It doesn’t matter. What I want to know is why he is on that boat stealing twelve vials of uranium. Is he working for my dad or against him?”
Ben mumbles the name Zurkowski over and over again.
He snaps his fingers. “Zurkowski! I knew that name rang a bell when I read his file. I crossed paths with him on several ops while I was a ranger. We weren’t in the same Battalion, but we were in the same Regiment at one point. He bled red, white, and blue.”
“Maybe he’s bleeding green now,” Jerry retorts. “Maybe they all are, and Finnegan found out about it.”
“They’re getting away,” Leanna nearly shouts. “I can’t believe they killed those men, and for what? A couple of pounds of uranium at most? How much does a nuclear bomb require, anyway?”
“Between 30 and 40 pounds for a small bomb,” Patrick replies.
“Those tubes weren’t more than six or seven inches long and an inch wide. There couldn’t be enough to make a nuclear weapon,” Leanna says hopefully.
Carter shakes his head and embraces his wife. “I love your optimism, but enriched uranium is dense, and one pound of it takes up less than one and a half cubic inches. If those cylinders are full, then there is more than enough for a small nuclear bomb.”
Leanna holds her stomach and heads for the bathroom. “I think I’m going to throw up.” I don’t blame her. I feel sick to my stomach as well.
I zoom in on one of the men lying on the deck and notice the slow rise and fall of his chest. “Leanna will be happy to know that they didn’t kill the crew. They just tranquilized them.”
Ethan pushes his chair back. “Patrick, I want you to find out where Carlos lives and then send the information to Carter as soon as you can. I want that family on their way up here, stat. Carter, you and Leanna need to pack your bags. If Carlos and his family agree to help, I want you to escort them. This is too dangerous for a civilian to be involved, and as tough as Leanna is, she is a civilian. I want her out of harm’s way. ”
Carter nods, and his shoulders slump in relief. “On it. If you hadn’t made the suggestion, I was going to. I want Leanna safe regardless of whether or not Carlos and his family agree to help us.”
“Of course. I’ll be sending Dr. Blackstone with any equipment he may need to transport Carlos’ sibling in case there’s an emergency while en route. I’ll also get a safehouse prepped and ready for the family,” Ethan declares.
Harper scrunches her nose and furrows her brows. “I thought we were supposed to be standing down?”
“We are. Sort of,” I tell her. “When Whitman sends his agents and doesn’t find anything on the boat, he’ll still need our help.
We’ll give it to him under the condition he allows us to see this through to the end.
If he wants the glory, then he can have it.
We just want answers and to find your parents. ”
Several hours later, the crew wakes up and navigates the boat toward the dock.
They’re greeted by four federal agents waiting for them.
The young captain of the boat argues about illegal searches but is pushed aside when one of the agents shows him a warrant while the other five agents begin scouring the boat.
They come up empty, having no idea that the material has been stolen.
“Where is it?” the agent demands.
“Where’s what?” the young man asks, playing dumb. I’ve got to give the kid credit; he puts on a good show.
“The uranium. We were informed that an illegal transfer of weapons-grade enriched uranium occurred on this vessel.”
The boy shrugs without a care in the world but rubs his neck where the dart had hit him. “If you can find whatever it is you’re looking for, you can have it. My friends and I took the boat out to do some fishing and have a few beers.”
The owner of the resort, a short man with tan, weathered skin, beady eyes, and a hawkish nose, scrutinizes the crew with a hint of disdain.
He admonishes them with a nasal and condescending tone.
“I should fire each and every one of you. Unfortunately, I don’t have anyone to replace you, and we’re booked solid through the holidays.
Lucky you. Consider yourselves on probation.
One more step out of line, and I won’t hesitate to let you go.
Also, you can kiss your Christmas bonus goodbye. ”
Carlos buries his face in his hands. “I needed that bonus to pay for my little brother’s medication.”
The owner sneers. “You should have thought about that before taking my boat out for a joyride. I’ll have my eye on you in the future until you can prove yourselves trustworthy.”
Eventually, the FBI agents let the boys go after tearing the boat apart. The owner does not. He makes the crew clean up the mess and put everything back in its proper place. By the time they are done, the sun is beginning to rise, and there is a knock on our door.
I do a quick check of the outside camera and note two of the agents are standing on the front porch with a laptop in hand. “Mr. Cavenaugh, FBI. Open up,” an agent says while pounding on the door a little harder than before.
I shut off the video feeds to the cameras before opening the door, and they barge inside before I even have a chance to invite them in.
Frustrated by the intrusion, I don’t bother to greet them and instead say, “You do not have a warrant to be here, and I allowed you in as a courtesy. Do not walk in here as if you own the place. I assure you, you do not. During my time in the FBI, we treated all agents with respect, both active and retired. For the time being, this is our home. Please treat it as such.”
“My apologies, Mr. Cavenaugh. It’s been a long day. I’m Agent Simms, and this is Agent Monroe,” he says, gesturing to the tall man next to him. They are both over six feet tall and have dark hair, but Agent Monroe is pushing at least six and a half feet.
Carter and Leanna left shortly after Leanna came out of the bathroom, and once we had a plan in place, Savannah, Patrick, and Jerry disconnected.
Ethan and Ben are still connected to the video conference, even though hours have passed.
Jessie and Elijah also stayed with Harper and me, waiting and watching as everything unfolded.
“You’re absolutely right. It has been a long day, and we could use some sleep. What can I do for the two of you at,” I glance at my watch, “5:12 in the morning?”
Agent Simms opens up his laptop and sets it on the kitchen counter. Director Whitman’s haggard face soon appears on the screen. “Agent Cavenaugh, it’s been a while.” When Harper comes and stands beside me, Whitman frowns. “Agent Finnegan.”
“Director,” she replies.
“Say ‘Hi’ to Marshmallow for me!” Jessie shouts from behind me. She always thought Marshall Whitman was a cream puff and resorted to calling him “Marshmallow” or “Marshy” behind his back. Now that she no longer works for the FBI, she doesn’t care if she says it to his face.
Whitman scowls, but there is a teasing glint in his eye. “I see Jessica Andrews is with you. Only she could come up with a nickname like that.”
“It’s a term of endearment,” she says, joining us so that she, too, can fit in the frame. She waves and blows him a kiss. Surprisingly, he smiles, but it slowly disappears from his face.
“Ethan said you had footage of a package being delivered that contained U-235, yet my agents found absolutely nothing on the boat.”
Ethan speaks up. “That’s because it was stolen.”
Whitman scowls while looking around for Ethan. I point to the television screen. “And you didn’t think that was pertinent information to share before I had my agents tear apart the vessel?”
“You told us to stand down and let you handle the investigation,” Ethan tells him. “You can’t have it both ways, Marshall.”
“I can, Ethan. If you have information that affects national security and is part of an ongoing investigation but refuse to share it, I can charge you with obstruction and destroy your company.”
“Do you have a warrant? Do you have proof that we have vital information?” Ethan asks, playing a dangerous game.
“I thought we were on the same team,” Whitman says, changing his tactics.
Ethan’s face remains blank. “So did I. Look, we’ll share what we have under the condition you keep us on this case.
Our main goal is to find Robert and Eloise, and that hasn’t changed.
The FBI can have all the credit when arrests need to be made, but you need our help.
We can keep this low profile, but if you have a bunch of agents running around and word gets out, panic will spread.
You’ll have a much bigger problem to deal with, and no one wants that. ”
Whitman thinks about it. “Fine. You have a deal. You have full authorization to continue your investigation as long as you share all the information with me. In turn, I’ll do the same.”
Ben hits a button on his computer. “The video footage of the theft is in your inbox, Director.”
We wait as he reviews the contents and then tell him about the four agents who stole the uranium.
Whitman pinches the bridge of his nose and shakes his head.
“A deal’s a deal. I haven’t been forthcoming with you all because of your relationship with Deputy Director Robert Finnegan.
I know you’re close, so what I’m about to tell you may come as a shock. ”
Harper sucks in a deep breath as she waits for Whitman to continue.
“Everything I shared with you regarding our findings is true. We found blood from both Robert Finnegan and Sergio Alvarez, who, as you know, is the new leader of The Demon Kings. However, we do not believe that Finnegan is being held against his will, as I previously told you. We believe that he is working with Sergio, and that’s why they have both disappeared.
He has recruited several agents to work with him, including Ackerman, Walsh, Henrickson, and Zurkowski. ”
“You have to be mistaken,” I say. “Robert Finnegan would never betray his country.”
“I wish I were,” Whitman replies. “The footage you captured further proves it.”
“We checked Finnegan’s financials, and there’s nothing that would indicate he’s capable of funding this kind of operation,” Jessie says, unable to believe what Whitman is saying.
Whitman frowns. “Then you don’t know about his offshore account? I thought you would have discovered that by now.”
“We didn’t have a need to search for one. We thought he and Eloise had been captured by The Demon Kings, not part of a terrorist plot,” Ethan says, shaking his head to clear the idea of Finnegan being a traitor from his mind.
Harper has heard enough and slashes her hand through the air. “I don’t care what you think. I don’t care what you say. My parents are not terrorists!”