Calypso Directive (38 page)

He gently set his hands on her shoulders.

“Julie, listen to me. I'm sorry. That came out completely wrong. What I meant to say was that I appreciate your offer. It is very brave of you to want to protect me and to risk yourself for me, but this is something that I need to do.”

She glared at him. He pulled her to his chest until he felt her relax in his arms. “Okay. What time do you want me to tell him?” she mumbled, her face buried in his shirt.

•     •     •

Café Sacher.
7:30 pm

VanCleave's phone buzzed. “He agreed to meet,” he announced. “1930 at the Café Sacher.”

“Game on,” Kalen said and started moving toward the door. “I need to scout the location. C'mon VanCleave, I need your help, and we don't have much time.”

“Give me ten seconds; I'm just sending him an acknowledgement,” VanCleave replied. Then, chasing after Kalen, he added, “I'm taking the BMW, Immel. You're insane if you think I'm riding bitch on the back of your damn motorcycle.”

“
I
STILL DON
'
T
see why I have to play Agent Nelson,” AJ protested. “Because VanCleave will be providing tactical direction from the bird's eye position, I'll be providing emergency egress, and Foster knows Agent Nelson is a dude because I was the one who rescued the roommate at Ponte's apartment,” Kalen said.

“I'm not trained for this shit like you guys are. I'm a lab geek. Not a field operative. You're crazy if you think I'll be able to pull this off.”

“That didn't seem to stop you at Chiarek Norse. You were a pro.”

“Beginner's luck,” AJ whined.

“Enough. You can and you will do this. End of discussion,” Kalen said, sternly.

AJ looked at Albane, protesting, but she shook her head. The decision was final.

Kalen made a “gather round” gesture to the group with his hands and outlined the plan. “In all likelihood, Foster won't approach until he sees our agent first. AJ, you should be seated with your back to the exterior hotel wall so you have good visibility and Foster can see you. We'll text Foster that you'll be wearing a black sport jacket with a blue pocket square. Make sure, AJ, that you maintain a clear line of sight with me at all times. I'll be idling with the Ducati a half block away, ready to jump in, if the situation warrants.”

“What do I do if Ponte is with him?”

“Unless she crashes the party with a police escort, I don't see her being a factor.”

“What if the goons from Ponte's apartment show up?”

“If anything goes awry, anything at all, I can extract you within seconds. I'll be on the Ducati, twenty-five yards away from your position with a clear line of sight. My visor will be up, and I'll be pretending to flirt with Albane and showing off my bike like the testosterone-charged egomaniac that I am. You can signal me covertly by standing and saying ‘This meeting is over' emphatically, or by saying the code words ‘Echo November.'

C. Remy will be the Coordinator for the op. We'll be on open mikes. If we split up, rendezvous back here. The most important thing to remember is that if you can't convince Foster to come with you willingly, then it is imperative that you mark him so we can track him. I will consider this meeting is a success even if the only thing you accomplish is tagging Foster,” Kalen said.

“The primary method for tagging Foster is to get him to accept this bug that looks like a USB memory stick. The bug is equipped with a thirty-day battery, microphone, and GPS transponder. I've loaded it with a subset of Foster's medical files from Chiarek Norse. If he checks them, he'll know we're telling him the truth,” VanCleave explained. “As long as Foster has the USB key in his possession, we can track his movements.”

“What if he plugs it into a computer, but ditches it after he downloads the files?”

“The USB key is also equipped with a virus. If Foster plugs it into any computer with Internet access, I will be notified instantly, and bingo, we have his location.”

“What's the backup tagging method?” AJ asked.

“The back up tagging method is for you to touch Foster's shoe or pant leg with the tip of your shoe. I've applied a radioisotope marker to the toe of your right shoe. If you graze him, it will rub off and I can track him,” VanCleave said.

“What if I actually convince Foster to come with me? What then?” asked AJ.

“That's the goal, AJ. The driver will pick you up in the Seven series and bring you both back to the nest.”

“Okay, so what do we do once we get this guy?”

“Silly boy . . . we interrogate him,” Kalen laughed.

K. Immel—
RS:Physical:
“They're here. Standing behind the corner arch support of the State Opera. Technical, can you see them from your position in the hotel room?”

Kalen had taken station strategically at the northeast corner of Kärntner and Philharmoniker, in front of a Starbucks coffee shop, and catty-corner to where Julie and Will were standing at the Wiener Staatsoper, the Vienna State Opera House. From his location, he would be able to observe the meeting between AJ and Will at the Café Sacher and intervene within seconds if necessary.

VanCleave had rented a room at the Hotel Sacher facing south and positioned almost directly above the hotel's outdoor café. From his bird's eye vantage point, he could see all the players, monitor foot and vehicle traffic in and out of the T-shaped intersection, and use a directional microphone listen to conversations within a seventy-five meter radius.

E. VanCleave—
RS:Technical
: “Got ‘em. Calibrating the directional mike . . . I have good audio . . . Ponte is wishing Foster good luck. She just kissed him.”

K. Immel—
RS:Physical:
“Foster is moving. He's crossing the street. Bio, get ready.”

A. Archer—
RS:Bio
: “Roger.”

The second and third stories of the State Opera overhung the first story, creating a covered walkway and allowing more space for pedestrian traffic along Kärntner. The portico was supported by stone columns that formed a series of arches. Occupying the southwest corner of Kärntner and Philharmoniker, the portico was two arches deep by five arches long. Will and Julie had taken position under the portico and behind one of the many columns.

“I think I see him,” Julie said to Will, peering around a cream-colored stone column toward the Hotel Sacher. “There, in the black jacket with the blue pocket square. He's looking around. . . . He just sat down facing the street.”

“Wish me luck,” Will replied.

Julie leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. “Good luck. I'll be right here watching.”

He crossed Philharmoniker Strasse and walked toward three maroon awnings, each adorned with a printed golden ‘S' encircled by a wreath—the logo of the Sacher hotel and café. Seven small round bistro tables, each with two chairs, formed a modest row along the window front. The brisk evening air made the café's indoor seating a more welcome choice for most diners, so only five people sat outside. Only one sat alone facing the street.

Will paused ten paces from the tables and surveyed the landscape. He scanned the crowd, looking for men in black with curlicue wires dangling from their ears and government-issue overcoats. He found none. Only automobile traffic, wandering tourists, and a man showing off his sport bike to a raven-haired girl in front of a Star-bucks down the sidewalk. Will took a deep breath and walked up to the table where the agent was seated.

A. Mesnil—
RS:Social
: “Talk to him, Bio. Engage him, or we'll lose him.”

“Mr. Foster, my name is Special Agent Nelson. Thank you for coming.”

Will stood motionless, considering. “You look a little young for a federal agent.”

“Would you believe I'm five years out of the academy? My nickname in the Bureau is Babyface. I hate it, but whatcha gonna do,” AJ improvised.

A. Mesnil—
RS:Social
: “That's good, Bio. Keep it up.”

“Please, Mr. Foster. Have a seat. We're just going to talk. That's all,” AJ said.

Will stared into the young man's hazel eyes. AJ met Will's gaze and held the eye contact. After several seconds, satisfied, he pulled back the empty chair and sat down. “You called this meeting. Talk.”

“You asked for proof, so I brought it. This USB key contains data and documentation we've obtained from the Chiarek Norse facility—the very facility where you were detained. Vyrogen Pharmaceuticals took extreme measures to keep these files secret, and now we know why. We're here to help you Mr. Foster, but we need your cooperation.” AJ said and placed the USB key on the table in front of Will.

A. Mesnil—
RS:Social
: “Don't say things like that. You sound like you're setting him up. Tell him your goal is to protect him
and
Julie. Help him get his life back. Empathy, Bio, empathy.”

“Cooperation?” Will said. “So you want me to testify against Vyrogen? Is that the only reason you're here?”

“We're here to protect you
and
Ms. Ponte. I want to help you get your life back. That's our number one priority. From the files we've commandeered, we have a pretty good picture what Vyrogen has been up to. But I'm not going to lie to you, we could definitely use your help to fill in some of the blanks . . .”

A. Mesnil—
RS:Social
: “Good. Now appeal to his sense of duty. We need to protect other innocents like him.”

AJ continued, “We can protect you against Vyrogen, but we also need to know if there are others. Others like you, research subjects who survived and need our help. My job is to make sure that Vyrogen is stopped, and to help the innocent people who they've hurt.”

A. Mesnil—
RS:Social
: “Beautiful, Bio.”

“Assuming I believe you, what are you proposing?” Will asked, still making no move to pick up the USB key.

E. VanCleave—
RS:Technical
: “Bio, he's not going take the USB. Go to secondary marking protocol. Gently swipe your right toe on Foster's leg. Do it now.”

“I'm proposing that you come with me. Ms. Ponte can come too, if she chooses. We'll debrief in a safe location here in Vienna. Then, when you're ready, we'll take you home under protective custody.” As he spoke, AJ slid his right foot forward six inches and hit the table leg, awkwardly. He missed.

“Before I consider going with you, I need to see your credentials,” Will said.

AJ nodded. Below the table, he made another sweep with his right foot, this time successfully brushing Will's left pant leg.

“Have your contact at Orange Telecom ping Ponte's phone again,” Raimond Zurn barked. “I still don't see them.”

“The accuracy is only plus or minus fifty meters, brother. The last triangulation puts their position at these GPS coordinates. We need to be patient. Remember, they could be inside a building. The ping works anywhere that the phone has a signal,” Stefan said.

“There,” Udo said, pointing out the right passenger window of the van. “The girl is there, standing against that stone column.”

“Good eyes, Udo,” Raimond said, pressing the brake pedal and slowing the van to a crawl. “She's alone. Look for Foster.”

“He is there,” Udo said. “At that café on the other side.”

Raimond smirked and brought the van to a stop along the curb. He shifted the automatic transmission into park, flipped on the hazard flashers, and turned to face Udo and Stefan. “Stick to the plan and everything will be fine. In twelve hours, my brothers, we'll be counting our money and drunk on Augustiner.”

K. Immel—
RS:Physical:
“Bio, we have a bogie, incoming, your three o'clock. Grey jacket, blue jeans, black boots.”

AJ turned his head to the right, looking east toward Kärntner Strasse. A man in a grey jacket was walking straight toward them, quickly and deliberately. His face was expressionless and cold.