Special Forces Rendezvous (15 page)

Julia sighed. “That’s what we figured you’d say.”

Next to her, Sebastian shoved his hand into his briefcase again and removed a thin stack of documents. He tossed the papers on the table.

“We’ve been authorized to offer you immunity.” He sounded as if he vehemently disapproved of this “offer,” and Julia had to hide a smile. Damn, he was good.

On the armchair, Langley blinked in surprise. “Ridiculous.”

“We’re not fools either,” Sebastian retorted. “You’re a company man. We knew exactly how you would respond, even when faced with irrefutable evidence of your treason. You’ll be granted full immunity for your cooperation. You won’t be held responsible for the selling of the virus, or charged with any related crimes. It’s all outlined in the agreement.”

Langley reached for the papers. Without a word, he read through the documents, then raised his eyebrows when he reached the last page. “This was signed by the secretary of the DHS.”

“Trust me, Gallagher didn’t like doing it,” Sebastian said irritably. “But none of us had much of a choice. Lives are stake. Lives that are far more important than yours.”

“It says here I get immunity in exchange for information leading to the
successful
apprehension of the ULF cell and the
successful
recovery of the virus.”

“Like I said, we’re no fools. If your intel doesn’t help us catch these bastards, then what use are you to us? The agreement becomes null and void in that case.”

Julia leaned forward and met Langley’s eyes. “Your choice, Doctor. You can sign your name on that dotted line, or you can rip up the agreement and come back to DHS headquarters, where I guarantee your lawyer will
not
be waiting to greet you.”

Langley scowled again. “What exactly does ‘cooperation’ entail, Agent Francis?”

“If you were the one who sold the virus, then you would have a protocol for contacting the ULF militant group, would you not?”

“Stands to reason,” he agreed, remaining deliberately vague. “
If
I sold the virus, that is.”

Julia shrugged. She suddenly realized her pulse was steadier than a metronome, and that she was no longer sweating beneath her pantsuit. This play-acting thing was actually kind of fun.

Deadly virus about to be released?

The ominous reminder snapped her into a somber mood. “We would start there,” she told Langley. “You’re going to set up a meeting with your contact—tonight.”

Langley protested. “I can’t arrange a meeting on such short notice.
If
I was able to arrange a meeting at all,” he amended quickly.

“You’re damn well going to try,” Sebastian snapped. “Thirty-six hours, Doctor. In thirty-six hours, that virus will be released. On
American
soil. Has that sunk in yet, or are you still living in a fantasy world where you think you can sell a bioweapon to a group of psychos and there won’t be any consequences?”

When Langley blanched, Julia took control of the conversation once again. “You’ll say whatever you need to say to get your contact to meet with you tonight. Our team will be monitoring the exchange, and if we’re lucky, your terrorist friend will lead us right to
his
terrorist friends.”

“So what’s it going to be?” Sebastian asked amiably. He reached into the inner pocket of his suit jacket, removed a ballpoint pen and placed it next to the immunity agreement.

After several minutes of stonefaced silence, Langley reached for the pen.

* * *

Sebastian never would’ve dreamed that this harebrained scheme would go off without a single hitch. Yet here he was, sitting in the front seat of an unmarked sedan and monitoring the movements of a rogue scientist who was about to meet a bona fide terrorist for a clandestine rendezvous.

To Sebastian’s delight, Langley had folded faster than a cheap tent in a hurricane, and once the man had signed that forged immunity agreement, the floodgates had opened and his story had poured out. He’d told them about the gambling debts he’d accrued over the past few years, admitted to having a wee bit of a cocaine problem, confessed that he’d been paid a substantial amount of dough for his work on Project Aries, yet apparently not substantial enough to put even a chip in his mountain of debt. When the loan sharks and creditors came knocking, Langley had panicked and done the only thing he could think of—sold a deadly virus to a terrorist group.

Right, because that was
always
the solution to money problems.

Sebastian focused on the corner coffee shop, watching Langley’s every move. The scientist was at a table on the outdoor patio, both hands wrapped around a foam cup of coffee. A muffin sat on a napkin next to his cup but he hadn’t taken a single bite.

This entire “operation” had come together at lightning speed. Langley had actually impressed the hell out of Sebastian when he’d contacted the man who’d handled the cash exchange for the virus. Like a true former operative, Langley had lied through his teeth as he’d made a case for why he needed a last-minute meeting.

“Nobody told me the virus was going to be released in America!” Langley had raged. “I didn’t sign up for this! If I’m going to be indirectly responsible for killing my own people, then I want more money, damn it! And if I don’t get it, I’m going to the Pentagon with what I know and telling them all about you and your sadistic little group!”

The speech was so polished that Sebastian had to wonder if Langley had intended all along to hit the ULF up for more money after he’d heard about the Dixie attack.

Langley’s contact had agreed to the meeting at the same coffee shop where the original exchange had apparently taken place. Only this time, Langley was wired and Sebastian could hear every word being spoken across the street. The transmitter was the size of a watch battery, expertly sewn into the starched collar of the scientist’s button-down, and Sebastian had the option to turn it off with the click of a remote, on the off chance that the ULF man swept Langley for wires. The nifty piece of spy equipment had cost more than Sebastian had earned during his entire military career. Good thing Nick could afford it, Richie Rich that he was.

“This is so cruel,” Julia murmured from the passenger seat.

He glanced over in surprise. “What are you talking about?”

She nodded in Langley’s direction. “He thinks he has immunity. He thinks he’ll walk away from all this scot-free.”

“Don’t tell me you think he
should.
”

“No, of course not. Look, what we did was callous—we pretended to be federal agents, we brought a fake immunity agreement with the forged signature of a government official. We played him, Sebastian, and that was a crappy thing to do.” Her delicate features hardened to steel. “But it needed to be done. That man placed a deadly virus in the hands of terrorists who then went on to murder an entire town of people. He deserves to be punished, and he sure as hell deserves to be lied to.”

Admiration soared through him, along with a spark of apprehension. He’d never met anyone like Julia. She was no weak-willed damsel. She didn’t cave under pressure, or get all self-righteous when they were forced to employ less-than-honest tactics to accomplish their goal. Despite her initial trepidation, she’d given an Oscar-worthy performance for her role as “Agent Francis,” and now here she was, refusing to apologize for their underhanded ploy.

No doubt about it, this woman might actually be his perfect match.

But the realization only deepened his apprehension, bringing a tremor of fear and quickening his pulse. Christ. He couldn’t be thinking things like that. Julia was confident and brave and sarcastic and wonderful, but this was a temporary affair. A few days or weeks heating up the sheets, enjoying each other’s company, and then they’d go their separate ways.

That was the only way to keep her safe. The only way to protect her from the goddamn curse he’d been burdened with.

“I think that’s him,” Julia suddenly whispered.

A nondescript black SUV had pulled up at the curb in front of the café. Ignoring the No Parking signs featured prominently all over the street, the SUV stopped a few yards from the outdoor patio, and then a man with tanned skin and a goatee emerged from the driver’s seat. He was clad in khaki pants and a white button-down, but he carried himself like a soldier. Sharp gaze, aggressive stride, precise movements.

“He got here fast,” she added, and Sebastian could see the wheels turning in that sharp brain of hers. “The group’s base has to be close, then. Either an hour’s drive or a short plane ride.”

“Maybe. Or they might have men stationed all over the country, which means the virus could be anywhere.”

Julia bit her lip. “Good point.”

“We don’t have time for your hysteria,” an accented voice crackled in Sebastian’s earpiece.

Across the street, the ULF representative had joined Langley at the table. Sebastian couldn’t see the man’s expression, but the anger staining his tone revealed his precise thoughts about this meeting.

Sounding equally pissed off, Langley recited the same speech he’d given over the phone, ending with, “I want another million. Otherwise I go to the Pentagon with what I know.”

A Spanish expletive echoed in Sebastian’s ear.

“What are they saying?” Julia demanded, looking frustrated that she didn’t have her own link to the feed.

“Arguing about money,” he told her, then held up one finger to silence her. “Wait, the ULF rep is actually agreeing to pay up. Wow. That was fast.”

But Sebastian suspected the decision was more about getting Stephen Langley out of the ULF’s hair than the belief that the scientist raised legitimate concerns.

“Enough,” the soldier snapped. “Stop sniveling. You’ll get your money.”

“Same transfer instructions as before,” Langley ordered. “I expect the funds to be in my account when the banks open tomorrow morning.”

When he noticed the ULF terrorist shifting on the wrought-iron chair in impatience, Sebastian turned to Julia and placed a firm hand on her cheek. “It’s time for you to go.”

She nodded, her expression all business. “Be careful, Seb.”

Leaning close, he lifted up the bottom of her fitted black jacket and gestured to her holstered Beretta. “I know you took an oath, but if Langley tries anything, you shoot the bastard, you hear me?”

She gave another quick nod. “All right.”

Conversation continued to buzz in his ear, one line in particular making him take notice.

“And do yourself a favor, take the money and get out of town. You won’t want to be in this city thirty hours from now.” Sebastian could practically hear the smirk in the terrorist’s voice.

“What is it?” Julia demanded. “What did he say?”

“He told Langley to get out of town.” Sebastian’s jaw went rigid. “Holy hell. I think they plan on releasing the virus in D.C.”

He cut off her answering gasp by planting a hard kiss on her lips. “Go, Doc. I’ll contact you on the prepaid when I know more.”

Without another word, Julia slid out the passenger door of the sedan and casually headed for the unmarked Crown Victoria they’d rented earlier today, which was parked on the curb a dozen yards away. He watched her for a moment, then shifted his gaze in time to see Langley’s contact impatiently rise to his feet.

Sebastian started the engine and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, a rush of adrenaline entering his bloodstream. When the black SUV drove away from the curb, he began his pursuit, hoping this stakeout would actually amount to something. The hours in Escobar’s deadline were slowly dwindling away, and it didn’t seem like the Pentagon was making any headway in finding Escobar and his men.

Sebastian had checked in with Brent earlier in the day, but the DoD agent admitted to having no leads. Video experts were attempting to pinpoint Escobar’s location based on the video he’d sent to the media, but they hadn’t made any progress, and apparently the White House had dozens of scientists racing to develop an antidote in the unwelcome chance that the virus was released to the public. No progress on that front either, but Brent had thanked Sebastian profusely for the sample and research notes he’d provided. He’d also yet again urged Sebastian and Julia to come in as official witnesses, which they’d yet again refused.

Now, as he tailed the SUV through the streets of D.C., he considered bringing Brent into the loop again, then decided it might be prudent to wait. Might as well make sure this entire evening didn’t turn into a wild goose chase before he brought Davidson in on it.

“Come on, man, where the hell are you going?” Sebastian muttered.

He stayed two cars behind the ULF man, growing warier by the second as they headed toward the northeast end of the city. The farther they drove, the worse the neighborhoods became. Dirtier streets, more graffiti, less upkeep of the homes and buildings. They ventured into one of the poorest areas in the city, maneuvering through residential streets bathed in shadows thanks to numerous broken lampposts. Finally, the SUV slowed in front of a dilapidated clapboard house with a saggy roof and an overgrown front yard.

As the SUV pulled into a gravel driveway overrun with weeds, Sebastian drove directly past the detached home, keeping a diligent eye on the rearview mirror. Langley’s contact had hopped out of the SUV and was stalking toward the green front door of the house.

“Have we found your official lair, boys, or is this just a safe house?” Sebastian murmured to himself as he steered toward the end of the street.

He executed a U-turn, parked the sedan at the curb underneath a busted streetlight and rummaged through the go bag he’d stashed in the backseat. He removed his suit jacket and hurriedly unbuttoned his white dress shirt, exchanging them for a snug black long-sleeve made of lightweight material. Then he strapped on a belt and attached the sheath of his bowie knife to it, shoved a pair of field glasses in his pocket and tucked two nine-millimeters into his waistband.

Armed and ready, he slipped out of the car and darted toward a narrow ramshackle house with all its lights off. He disappeared into the shadows, hopping fences and sneaking through yards as he made his way toward the ULF safe house. The street was surprisingly quiet considering it was located in a poverty-stricken, high-crime area. Sebastian heard the faint sounds of rap music wafting from one of the houses in the neighborhood, along with loud laughter and male voices in one of the backyards, but he didn’t encounter any problems as he neared his target.