Without Options (29 page)

She had a good point, but he wouldn’t tell her that. He needed to take care of this himself. “Even so, they would still just ship him off to Mother Russia and put a bullet in the back of his head. Maybe send him to Siberia.”

“Do they still do that?”

“Haven’t you heard, Alexandra. This is a new Cold War. One the Russians have started with their desire to return to some level of relevance. They want to become a superpower again.”

“So, the shadow game is on again?”

“Afraid so.”

She considered his words carefully and said, “At least let me come with you, Jake.”

He didn’t want her to get hurt, but he also knew that Viktor Pushkin wouldn’t be alone. Especially if he knew Jake was coming. He would have called in all his agents to help. And it wasn’t like Jake could really tell Alexandra what to do. It was her country. Her intelligence responsibility. She was obligated to take down any rogue element in her country.

Jake agreed and they took a few minutes to discuss how they’d approach the Russian.

He thought about his own words to Alexandra. He had not been entirely truthful to her. There were many names on the hit list he didn’t even know. Names he assumed must have been former intelligence officers or agents they had been running. No, this was bigger than Jake Adams, he knew. The Russians were making a major power play. A purge.

33

Having just gotten a call from CIA headquarters, Toni and Franz were on the move heading toward Berlin’s east side.

“Why would Jake turn his phone back on?” Franz asked.

He must have had a good reason, she thought. But she was glad he’d done so. The Agency had been monitoring Jake’s cell phone for days, hoping he would put the battery back into it.

“Why don’t you call him and find out,” Toni said. “But don’t mention you’re with me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Do it now. He’ll turn it off again soon.”

“How do you know?”

“Because if he’s going in somewhere covertly, he won’t want his phone going off. He knew we would be monitoring his phone. Knew we would be checking on him. Especially after having gone to see our station chief in Berlin.”

Franz quickly flipped open his phone and hit Jake’s number in his address book. Two rings later someone picked up on the other end.

“Jake?”

“Franz. Isn’t it past your bedtime?”

“Where are you?”

“Are you driving after dark?”

Without going into great detail, Franz told Jake how he’d just come from a shooting along the river in Berlin.

“What are you doing in Berlin, Franz?”

“Trying to keep you out of trouble. But I seem to be one step behind you at all times.”

“Some things never change. Hey, your voice doesn’t sound right. Are you okay?”

“Wunderbar.”

They were coming to a turn ahead with a choice of left or right, so Toni grabbed onto Franz’s sleeve. Franz pointed to the right.

“Who’s with you? Stefan Beck?”

“No, I’m alone.”

“You’re a terrible liar. I turned on my phone for a reason, Franz. I knew the Agency would be monitoring my line. Since you were the first to call me in the middle of the night, I’m guessing the Agency told you my phone was back on. Why would they do that unless you were with an Agency officer. And there’s only one Agency officer we both know really well. So, why don’t you hand the phone to Toni.”

Franz shook his head and handed the phone to Toni, who was shaking her head. “He knows you’re here,” Franz said.

Releasing a breath of air, Toni took the phone reluctantly. “What the hell have you gotten yourself into this time, Jake?”

“You know me. If I look hard enough, trouble can be found.”

“I’m sorry to hear about Anna,” she said demurely.

“You just found out?”

“Kurt told me a couple days ago. I was working a special project for him until recently. What’s going on here?”

Jake quickly explained what he knew about the case, including his current target.

“He’ll know you’re coming, Jake.”

“I know. That’s why I could us some backup.”

“What about Alexandra?”

“What about her?”

“Why are you two working together?”

“I had everyone coming at me at once,” Jake explained. “Not many people even knew that we knew each other. She’s been invaluable.”

“I see.”

Hesitation from both of them as they sat in silence and as Toni turned onto a major outer ring on Berlin’s east side.

“You all right?” Jake asked.

“Fine.” Was she jealous? Maybe. “How do you want to play this?”

Jake explained the set up, how they’d driven around the outlying roads to check for possible escape routes, and how they were now ready to move in on foot. He gave her an approach route that would put her on the other side of the light industrial building. He agreed to wait until they were in place.

●

Jake flipped his phone shut and glanced at Alexandra in the darkness of the car.

“Invaluable?” she said to Jake.

He reached over and took her hand. “Absolutely. Are you ready?”

“Of course. I’m a little concerned about your approach.”

“It’s not perfect,” Jake admitted. “But it’s also short notice.”

“We could call my people or the Polizei.”

“We’ve discussed that. This guy doesn’t give a crap about the Polizei. Besides, he has diplomatic immunity.”

“But I should go in with you.”

“No. He wants me. If things go all to hell, call in the Polizei at that point.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” Jake looked off down the deserted road. He guessed that during a normal work day there would be trucks making deliveries, workers coming and going, and a few people walking around. But at this hour, there were no cars, no pedestrians. Nothing. He’d really stick out if someone was watching for him. “I better get going. I’ve got five blocks to walk.”

Jake got out, checked his guns, and walked off down the sidewalk. He had one advantage. Clouds and a brisk breeze. Also, the sidewalk was not lit well. There were only dull lights on the corners, and some of them had been either knocked out by young miscreants or burned out and not replaced. He was also dressed in black, with a knit sailor’s watch cap, his hands shoved into his pockets. With every step, he tried his best to change his gate to something unrecognizable—no limp, no steady pace. But each strained step brought great pain from his knee. He didn’t even realize he’d been taking pressure off the knee for the past few days, mostly by riding in cars and trains, but also by limping unconsciously.

As he got closer to the building where he suspected Viktor Pushkin ran his operation, Jake thought about Toni and Franz coming in from the back. She’d said she would wait for him to get in place. He’d text her, without looking, with his phone in his right pocket.

The building was part of a huge structure that ran the entire block, with truck delivery doors along the street at various intervals, and simple signs at entrances indicating the businesses within those sections. Three cars were parked in the area—a VW Passat, an Audi A3, and a new black BMW. They had already done a check with the Polizei and knew the BMW belonged to Viktor Pushkin, registered to a front company at this location—a cell phone distributor.

Without hesitation, Jake cut across the street directly to the business next to the cell phone company. His back to the closed circuit camera, it took him just thirty-five seconds to pick the lock to the door. Not a record for him on that lock type.

He slipped inside and locked the door behind him, his eyes searching for a security system, which he didn’t expect to find. The business seemed to store paper and other office products.

Next he sent a text message to Alexandra, saying he was in the adjoining business and ready to move. Then he turned his phone to vibrate. Now he just needed to find a way into the Russian’s place without making too much noise. It would have helped if he had plans for the building. But every building in every part of the world had at least one vulnerable entrance. Jake clicked on a small LCD headlamp with a red filter and made his way through the building, his eyes scanning.

It didn’t take Jake long to find what he sought. Both businesses had at one time been one, split down the middle with an industrial wall, but with a door between the two locked from both sides. He considered quickly how to proceed. He could pick this lock, but that would take time and might make too much noise. Jake had to believe they would know he was coming, having not heard back from their man at the meet. He had no choice.

Pulling both guns from their holsters, Jake stepped back and with one quick thrust of his right leg, smashed the door right at the dead bolt, sending the door flying inward. He rushed forward, his guns leading the way into near darkness. It was a large storage area with shelves of cell phones. Damn it. Had he been duped? No. The man’s car was out front.

Suddenly there was movement ahead to his right.

Gun.

Jake dove to the floor just as he saw the flash and the loud report from the shots. Two. Three.

He returned fire with two rounds, rolled to his right behind a shelf and rose to his knee. Then he ripped the headlamp off, switched it off, and had an idea. He strapped the lamp around a box on the shelf, turned the lamp on again and turned it toward the shooter, as he simultaneously moved quietly to his right toward the outer wall, crouching lower to see through the other shelves, the gun in his right hand waiting for the response.

It didn’t take long. Three shots. Jake saw the blasts and aimed slightly high, returning fire with three of his own.

Silence.

Jake sat onto the floor and looked to his left at the box that had been shot from the shelf. It would have been his head.

He waited for the next round, which he knew would come soon. But he needed to move. He was pinned down where he was. If someone came around to his left they’d have a clear shot at him down the row, with him having no escape. He could use a little help right now.

34

Toni and Franz both heard the shots coming from inside the building just as they got out of their car and were walking along the back side in near darkness. She contemplated how to make their approach on the building, but now they had no choice. Toni knew they had to hurry. She quickened her pace.

“We have to make a front approach,” Franz said.

“I know. No other choice.”

They ran now around the block, heading toward the front door. It had to be on the next block. This end had no doors, only a few windows. She stopped dead in her tracks.

“Windows,” she said.

Franz looked and understood, racking his brain for a way in. He ripped his jacket off, wrapped it around his arm, and swung with a backhand at the glass. The first strike did nothing. Second did nothing. He pulled his gun and fired twice, then smashed his arm through the window. It gave way this time and shattered around him. He used his jacket-wrapped arm to knock most of the glass from the lower frame and then put the jacket over it so they could get through.

Franz helped Toni through the window with a boost and then climbed in after her.

They were inside an office with a computer and file cabinets. Both had their guns out and moved toward the inner door. Just as they were about to open the door, six more shots rang out. First three and then three more.

Jake, Toni thought. “Let’s go,” she whispered loudly.

As Toni cracked the door open, she could see red overhead lights in the hallway. Then there was movement, followed by shots that busted through the door next to her hand. She shoved the door closed, locked it, and backed against the inner wall.

“Maybe the front door would have been better,” Toni said.

“No,” Franz said. “They would have had that covered with video. This was unexpected.”

“It might divert some fire away from Jake,” she said.

Franz checked his gun and said, “Let me go.”

His determined look was new to her. “They got us pinned down, Franz.”

“I don’t care,” he said and coughed against his shirt sleeve.

“You’re bleeding,” she said. “The glass cut you.”

He didn’t even look at his arm. “They killed my Anna. And they’ll pay for that.”

“Your Anna?”

“She was like a daughter to me.”

With a brush from his large hand, he pushed Toni aside like she was a small child. Determined, Franz opened the door, shoved his gun out and shot twice. Then he rushed out, a man possessed, his gun firing as he went.

Toni heard shots from the other direction, more from Franz, more from the other side, and a couple final shots from Franz, followed by the sound of a body crashing to the ground. Franz came back into the office holding his stomach with his left hand. She locked the door behind him.

“One down,” Franz said, a look of relief on his face. Maybe a slight smile as he slumped to the ground and put a new magazine in his gun.

“Franz,” she said, “you’re hit pretty bad.”

He looked at the desk and said, “Get me that stapler.”

Toni turned and then looked back at him in disbelief.

“I’m kidding,” Franz said. “You have to admit it was funny.” His hand held tight over his wound as his face grimaced and smiled simultaneously.

She checked his back and saw that the bullet had gone through and through. Jesus. He had to be in major pain. She found his cell phone and said, “You need to call the local Polizei and an ambulance. Give them your location.”

“Not until we get these bastards,” he said, his voice gruff and losing strength. “They don’t deserve to go to prison. Besides, the Polizei will only be forced to extradite them.”

She knew he was right. “You call and then we’ll get them.”

Franz agreed with a nod. As he called, she went to the door to peek out. Nothing. She didn’t have a choice. She’d have to leave Franz there and help Jake. She heard tires squealing outside and seconds later a major crash out front. Then the sound of a car alarm.

●

The shots had been muffled, but Alexandra heard them nonetheless. She was supposed to wait for Jake’s signal, which she did, but then the shooting started almost immediately following his text message.