Dire Distraction Read online

  “I don’t know,” Avery said, tilting back his head on a sigh. “I’ve stared at the thing so much now, I don’t even know what I’m seeing anymore. I mean, I know it’s her, but the picture is grainy and her face is in shadow, so I can’t really tell if she’s aged.”

  “Well, even if it did look that way, that kind of thing can be manipulated too. But the real question here is why someone in Afghanistan, conceivably a terrorist, would have the picture in the first place.”

  Again he was struck by her consideration. She wasn’t asking about his marriage. Or even about Evangeline’s death. She was focusing on the photo and the mission. Of course, that would have been part of her training. At Langley, subtlety was always the key. Still, he couldn’t shake the sense that it was something more. That she was trying to spare him the pain of reliving all the details.

  “That’s the question I’ve been asking since we found the damn thing. My team thinks there’s a possibility the whole thing was a setup. A way to lure us in.”

  “You think it’s Shrum?” The idea clearly surprised her.

  “I don’t think we can rule it out. But there’s nothing in the intel we have on him to indicate he’s in bed with anyone in the Middle East. And nothing that ties him directly to terrorists.”

  “Beyond aiding and abetting the drug trade,” Sydney added. “Although, believe me, if Shrum wants something badly enough, he’ll go to any lengths to obtain it. But that said, I’d have to agree with you. I don’t see Shrum being connected to something that big. Although clearly, somebody has got a bead on him. If they’re close enough to get pictures.”

  Avery nodded his agreement. “There’s a group we’ve been tracking for a few years now. They call themselves the Consortium. We don’t really know that much about them. But we think they’re a highly organized network of arms dealers playing for the highest of stakes. We believe they were behind the assassination attempt in Manhattan and the bombings. As well as a couple other attempts to attack the city. We also linked them to the terrorist camp in Afghanistan.”

  “So you think they wanted you to find the hard drive.”

  “Maybe. Or maybe there’s something bigger at play here and we really uncovered it. But either way, I’d bet my life that the Consortium is involved. They’ve got a hard-on for A-Tac. We’ve been a pretty big thorn in their side for a while now.”

  “And so you think they planted the photo to get you out here.”

  “It wouldn’t surprise me if they were trying to keep us distracted. When they’ve got something big on the burner, they tend to try to use smoke screens to pull us off the scent.”

  “Well, I’d certainly say that this counts as a distraction. Which is obviously why Langley didn’t want your team to come.”

  “Exactly. But even if it is meant as a distraction, that doesn’t mean there’s not something legitimate going on. For all I know, they’re using the photo to try to tip me off to something Shrum is doing.”

  “Distract you while helping you find your wife?”

  “When you put it like that, it sounds crazy. Hell, I don’t know.” He ran a hand across the top of his head, helplessness cascading through him. It wasn’t an emotion he was comfortable with. “Truth is, my gut tells me this is just some kind of macabre joke. A way to throw me off my game. But then I start thinking what if it’s not—what if, for whatever reason, the tip is real?”

  “Then like I said before, you have to find out. It’s as simple as that.” Sydney was quiet for a moment, staring down at her hands, and then she lifted her eyes, her gaze colliding with his. “It was Evangeline you were talking about earlier. When we were talking about true love.”

  “It was.”

  “You loved her very much.” Her voice was soft, almost wistful, and the tone surprised him.

  “I did. Evangeline was an amazing woman. In the beginning, I couldn’t even believe she was interested in me. In fact, I don’t think she was at first. Shrum was the one with all the charm. And he was the one who first approached her. We were in a bar. In Marseilles. She was drinking with a couple of friends. And Shrum bought them a round. We all got drunk and traded war stories…”

  “And the rest is history.”

  “No. It wasn’t that easy, believe me. But perseverance won the day. I wore her down and, in the end, I prevailed. Truth was, I don’t think I ever really realized how lucky I was. Or how easily it could all be ripped away. If I had, I would have handled things differently.”

  “I think most people would say the same. We’re just not programmed to be introspective like that. Life is best lived in the moment. And besides, it’s hard to believe that tomorrow is anything but inevitable. Especially when we’re young.”

  “Well, considering you’re not exactly over the hill yet, I’m going to take that as incredibly insightful.”

  “I’m not as young as I look,” she smiled, but there was a hint of sadness. “Or maybe it’s just that I feel a lot older than I am.”

  “This job will do that to you.” Avery nodded, surprised at the camaraderie he felt in the moment.

  “So what happened, to Evangeline, I mean?” she asked, her eyes telegraphing apology. “I’m assuming you never saw a body or there wouldn’t be any question that the photograph was faked.”

  “You’re right. There was nothing left to see.” His finger moved automatically to the smooth gold of Evangeline’s ring. “She was killed in a roadside bombing in Iraq. The vehicle, and everyone inside it, was destroyed.”

  “But you’re sure she was there?”

  “Yeah.” Pain stabbed through him, the memory bitter. “There were witnesses. People who knew she was in the Humvee. But it was chaotic. An ambush. So anything was possible.”

  “But they found her ring.” Her eyes moved again to the gold band, her voice hesitant, as if she knew that he was trying to tiptoe through the memory.

  “In the rubble. Yes.” He lifted his gaze, pulling free from the past. “When I got it, I still didn’t accept it as truth. But after digging around, interviewing folks on the ground, I finally had to accept that Evangeline was gone.”

  “So if you were working with Shrum, you were already CIA?”

  “Yeah, but still wet behind the ears.”

  “And Evangeline? You said you first met in a bar?”

  He nodded, smiling despite the pain of the memory, seeing her dark eyes and curling hair. “She was a reporter. And the meeting was totally by accident, but it turned out she was working on an investigation that crossed with an op we were running. So we agreed to pool our resources.”

  “Shrum too?”

  Avery’s mood darkened as he thought about the man he’d once considered his friend. “We were like the Three Musketeers in those days. Until Evangeline and I became an item.”

  “I take it Shrum didn’t approve?”

  “More like he wished it were him instead of me. Evangeline drew men like flies to honey. And Martin was no exception. Hell, I wasn’t any different. I just happened to take home the prize.”

  “And that didn’t sit well with Shrum?”

  “He dealt with it. But things were never the same between us after that.”

  “So how did Evangeline end up in Iraq? I know you were stationed in Eastern Europe.”

  “She pulled some strings to get embedded with the troops. It was before the days when that kind of thing was routine. I didn’t even know she’d gone until they notified me about her death.”

  “So you were married, but you weren’t living together?” Sydney was frowning now, clearly trying to put the pieces together.

  “No, we shared an apartment. When we could. But we both had active careers, to say the least, and we were often pulled in opposite directions. It was just part of who we were.” He sighed. “Evangeline was really good at what she did. She was a reporter in her soul. Born to be in the middle of the action, telling people the cold, hard truth. I admired that about her. But it made her reckless.”

  “
And you didn’t want her to take those kinds of risks.”

  “No. It’s perverse, I know, when you consider what I do for a living. But it’s different when it’s someone you love. Anyway, we had a real fight about the possibility of her going into Iraq. Things were really unsettled there at the time. And she wanted me to set her up. Use my military contacts to get her a ticket to the front lines.” He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them.

  “We had a huge fight. I refused to help her. I even refused to let her go—as Neanderthal as that sounds. And before we could resolve the issue, I got called away on a mission. I figured we’d work it out after I got back. After she’d had the chance to cool off.”

  “Only she went in anyway.”

  “And never came back.” He nodded, the pain rocketing through him, as strong now as it had been fourteen years ago. “And the last things I said to her were so damned awful.”

  “Yes, but she knew you loved her.”

  He looked down at the picture. “Maybe. Or maybe she figured she’d chosen the wrong guy.”

  “I’m not following,” Sydney’s eyes darkened with confusion.

  “Shrum was the one who got her the clearance. He’s the one who sent her into Iraq. Hell, I thought he was the one who got her killed. All these years, I’ve blamed him for her death. But what if I got it wrong? What if Evangeline simply decided she didn’t love me anymore? What if she decided she wanted to be with Martin?”

  “You can’t believe that. You said yourself that what the two of you had was special.”

  “What the hell do I know?” He pushed the picture away, his gaze meeting hers. “Maybe I’ve just been lying to myself. I mean, if this photo is to be believed, then my wife is alive and living with Martin Shrum. So tell me, what else am I supposed to think?”

  Chapter 6

  Koln, Germany

  I just got solid confirmation from our people on the ground,” Gregor said, striding into the office. “Avery Solomon is in Laos. And he’s on the move.”

  Michael pushed aside the papers he’d been reading, sitting back to watch his number two, a spark of anticipation igniting in his gut. “You’re sure?”

  “Yes. He took off from Xieng Kok early this morning, Laos time. And he appears to be headed for Myanmar and Shrum. Although thanks to some local militants, he almost didn’t make it.”

  “What happened?” Michael frowned. It wasn’t as if he’d lament Solomon’s loss, but he’d put a hell of a lot of time and energy into creating the opportunity to destroy the man himself. First emotionally, then professionally, and now, considering the man’s propensity to meddle, it was time to take him out physically as well.

  “One of Wai Yan’s patrol on the river had him outmanned and outgunned. But Solomon managed to turn the tables. He blew up his own boat, theoretically killing himself in the process. Wai Yan’s men apparently bought into the ruse. They circled the wreckage once and then left it to burn in the river.”

  “And you’re certain that Avery escaped?”

  “Positive. Our man has been following him since he left China. And he says he saw them crawling out of the river fifteen minutes after the other boat was gone.”

  “Them?”

  “Yes. It seems he’s with another operative.”

  “Someone from his team?” Michael questioned, his mind already trying to figure out which of the A-Tac stooges might also be caught in his trap.

  “No. According to our intel, Solomon arrived on his own. No sign of anyone else from the team. But he immediately contacted a local CIA plant.”

  “And where are they now?”

  “Holed up in a shanty on the Laos side of the river. Do you want our man to take them out? It should be easy enough.”

  “Never underestimate your opponent, Gregor. Especially when it’s Avery Solomon. Best to leave him alone for now. Besides, I want him to have time to dwell on his wife’s potential infidelity.” Michael reached out to adjust the photograph sitting on his desk, his heart twisting as he stared at the laughing face portrayed there. “Let it eat at him for a while.”

  “If that’s what you wish.” The other man’s voice held a trace of doubt.

  “It’s what I order. I’ll not have you questioning my decisions.” He gaze collided with Gregor’s. “If you aren’t up to all of this—”

  “You know that I am,” Gregor said, cutting him off. “It’s just that your quest for vengeance has cost the organization. And there are those that are questioning your leadership. Delafranco’s attempt to take you out is proof of that.”

  “His attempt ended in failure. That’s the important thing to remember. And that’s what the others will take from it. And although it may seem as though my personal goal has overridden my professional one, it’s really quite the contrary—one is simply feeding into the other.”

  “And I support that. I just want you to be careful,” Gregory chided.

  “I am always careful, my friend. Always.”

  “Then take him out now. While it’s easy.”

  “But you forget, there’s still the matter of Shrum. He’s become quite a thorn in our sides of late. He never lets anything go. Just like Avery Solomon. In their own way, they both present a threat to the Consortium. Funny how everything always comes full circle. And now we have the opportunity to take them out in one fell swoop. So we stick to the original plan.” He paused, letting the words sink in, then leaned forward. “Tell me about this other operative.”

  “She’s been in the region for a couple of years now. According to our intel, her cover involves running a ferry service on the river. Solomon was posing as a professor who’d hired her to show him some of the local temples.”

  “So the boat that they blew up was hers.”

  “Seems to be the case,” Gregor agreed with a nod.

  “Could be the attack on the river was about her then. Not that it really matters as long as they think they’re both dead. Do we have a name?” In truth, he really didn’t give a damn, but it wouldn’t hurt to understand the details. If things didn’t go as planned, the girl might be useful somehow. Solomon had always had a weakness when it came to women.

  “Sydney Price,” Gregor said. “I tried to dig up more information, but whoever she is, her cover is solid and her past is buried pretty deep. I don’t even know if that’s her real name.”

  Michael sat back with a smile, remembering a conversation in a sunny vineyard just outside of Vienna. “Oh, it’s real all right.”

  “You know her?” Gregor’s bushy eyebrows rose in surprise.

  “Not personally, no. But I know her father.” He paused for a moment—waiting for effect. “In fact, you know him too. Marshall Walker.”

  “The Austrian ambassador?” If possible, Gregor looked even more surprised. “Could be a fortuitous coincidence.”

  “I don’t believe in coincidence,” Michael responded. “We’ve been trying for months to figure out a way to pull Walker into the fold. Or at least tap into his resources. But the man is squeaky clean and doesn’t seem inclined to play traitor. But maybe we can use his daughter to force his hand. He’s a proud man—agreeing to side with us won’t be an easy decision. But he’s fond of his daughter, and I can’t imagine he’d abandon her for the sake of principle.”

  “But if things go as planned, the girl will die along with Solomon. There’s no time to use her for leverage.”

  “It’s not too late. We still have options,” Michael mused. “Our men have been trained in extraction even under the most difficult of circumstances. I don’t see why we can’t liberate Ms. Price at the same time we obliterate Solomon and Shrum.”

  * * *

  “I don’t buy it.” Syd crossed her arms over her chest, studying Avery, wondering why it was that she wanted so very much to erase the pain from his face. Maybe because he’d saved her out there on the river, or maybe it was something more—something she didn’t want to think about. Especially not now, in light of all that he’d just revealed.
“It’s overkill. If Evangeline was truly that angry, she’d have confronted you with it. Not created some elaborate scam to make you believe she was dead. It just doesn’t make sense.”

  “And yet the photo exists.” He ran a hand across the top of his head, a gesture she was beginning to recognize as a sign that he was distraught. Not that she blamed him.

  The two of them had moved out onto the ramshackle porch of the shack, both of them armed as they talked, at the same time scouring the shadows of the jungle for signs that they weren’t alone.

  “But why would Evangeline go to such elaborate efforts just because you had a fight?”

  He was standing inches away. Close enough that she could feel his body heat. But she resisted the urge to reach out to him, knowing that it was important to maintain her distance.

  “I mean, you’re right,” she continued, “forbidding her to go was a bit Cro-Magnon, but the extreme reaction to that would be divorce, not creating some kind of elaborate scheme to disappear with your ex-partner. It’s just not a plausible scenario. Unless…” she paused, biting her lip, hating to put voice to the words.

  “Unless there’s more to the story?” he finished for her. “No. There’s nothing I haven’t told you. At least as far as I know, that is.”

  “Before Iraq, was there ever anything that made you believe something was going on between Evangeline and Shrum?” She stared out at the night, not willing to face him with the question, but she could feel him tensing next to her, his hand tightening around the porch railing.

  “No. And believe me I’ve been over and over it in my head. Martin, I’m sure, would have liked for me to believe that there was something. But I never saw anything to make me believe my wife was interested in anyone but me.”

  “But you said Shrum was charming.” The idea was repugnant, but somewhere in the recesses of her brain, she could see that it once might have been true.

  “He was. Is…for all I know,” Avery replied. “But Evangeline wasn’t the kind of woman to play games. Once she’d made her choice—that was it.”

  “Which only underscores the fact that her staging her death just to avoid you doesn’t make any sense.”