Lethal Force (28 page)

The redhead nodded. “Jake Adams.”

“Then you know why I'm here.”

“I didn't. . .”

“Shut up. You killed my friend, Toni Contardo. Don't deny it. I know who pays you. I've tracked payments to you from both a company in South Korea, Gang-Ho Industries, and the North Korean government.” He paused to see the man's freckled face turn as red as his hair.

“That bitch deserved it,” the Lobbyist said, his words coming out like spit.

Jake casually raised his aim and shot the man in the forehead with the 9mm. The Lobbyist crumpled onto the bed like a sack of potatoes. He stood up, put the man's gun back into the nightstand drawer, found the spent brass and shoved it into his pocket, and then walked away. After he left the house, he charged the security system again. Then he disposed of the Glock—the barrel in the Potomac River, and other parts scattered around the city as Jake made his way back to Lori's apartment.

Before going to bed, he emptied three bottles of wine into the sink and left the empties as remnants of a wild night that never happened.

In the morning, the late morning, Lori finally woke up and went to the bathroom. Her disposition was a cross between hung over and uncertain as she entered the kitchen from the bedroom.

Jake was drinking his second cup of coffee and checking his e-mail on his phone. “You all right?” he asked her.

She rubbed her hands through her hair and glanced at the empty bottles of wine. “Wow, did we drink all that?”

“I helped a little,” Jake said.

Lori poured herself a cup of coffee and warmed her hands with the mug. “What are your plans today?”

“I have two things,” he said. “First, I have to head over to the Agency and download a copy of the professor's work for them.”

“The Slavs took the copy from your friend, right?”

“Yes. But they'll never break the encryption.”

“Then what?”

“The Agency is having a memorial service for Toni this afternoon. They'll put a star on their wall for her also.”

“Could I go with you?” she asked.

“You probably shouldn't. It will be mostly family and old friends.”

“Well, I don't know if I'll feel better by then anyway. This has never happened to me before.”

“What? Forget what happened the night before?”

She shrugged. “I remember all the sex and the Indian food. But after that. . .”

He felt like shit having to lie to her, but there was no way she could find out what he'd done after leaving her.

Jake's phone buzzed and he checked his text. It was from his brother in Montana asking if he still needed help at the cabin.

“Crap!”

“What?”

“I forgot all about leaving Professor Tramil at my cabin in Montana. I'll need to leave in the morning to retrieve him and deliver him to DARPA.”

“Do you need some company? I could use another trip to Montana.”

He took her coffee cup from her and set it on the counter. Then he hugged her and said, “That would be great, Lori.”

●

That afternoon, after Jake first downloaded the professor's work and handed it over to the Director, Kurt Jenkins, Jake sat in the back while his old friend spoke about Toni and they revealed the star on the Memorial Wall. Although family would know of Toni's heroic service, none would know the specifics of her actions.

While the ceremony took place, Jake tried his best to hold back tears, his thoughts drifting to the good times he and Toni had experienced over the years, from their first meeting in Italy as young officers, to their encounter at the DC hotel recently. He noticed a woman sitting in the front row next to a young Army lieutenant. Jake looked more carefully and saw that it was Toni's sister, whom he had only met a couple of times over the years. CIA operatives usually kept their personal lives secret, but Toni had opened up to Jake. But it had been at least ten years since their last meeting.

After the ceremony, folks wandered about. Those who were still active in the Agency probably went back to their offices to work.

Jake wasn't sure Toni's sister, Francesca, would want to see him. So he started to wander toward the front entrance.

“Jake,” a woman said.

He turned to see Francesca, along with the Army lieutenant, heading his way. She stopped and said something to the young, chiseled man, and he nodded and stood back a ways.

Francesca embraced Jake for a long minute. Then she pulled back and said, “I'm so glad you could make it.”

“I almost didn't,” Jake said. “I was out of the country.”

“I know. Kurt Jenkins told me.” Her eyes glanced back at the soldier and then settled on Jake. She started to say something, but stopped. As if the words were stuck in her throat.

“Are you all right?” Jake asked.

“No, I'm not.”

“Of course not.”

She hesitated, tears streaking her face. For a brief moment she looked like Toni. “Did you love her?”

“Yes. But with our jobs, we just couldn't be together.”

“I know. That's what she told me also.” She took both of Jake's hands in hers. “I need you to meet someone.”

“Is this your son? I didn't know you had a son.”

The soldier came to them and nearly stood at attention.

“This is Toni's son, Karl.”

Confused, Jake shook the young man's hand.

“Nice to meet you, sir,” the soldier said.

Jake looked at Francesca for help. “I didn't know Toni had a son.”

Francesca nearly broke down, but pulled herself together and gathered strength. “I know. She let me raise Karl. She couldn't give up her work with the Agency.”

Feeling completely confused, Jake finally glanced at the young man's black nametag on his uniform. It read, ADAMS.

Francesca nodded her head and smiled. “Toni told me to tell you she was sorry. And to only tell you the truth upon her death. She almost told you last year after some incident in Europe, which she couldn't tell me about. Please forgive her.”

Jake felt like he had been punched in the gut. But he also felt elated somewhat. He had a son he never knew about—a strong, handsome, accomplished son. And he would never know those things that normal fathers knew about their sons. The first steps. Sports accomplishments. Academic achievements. The first date.

Turning to the Army officer, his son, Jake said, “I'm sorry. . .Karl. I never knew.”

The lieutenant nodded and said, “I just found out this morning.”

Now, for the first time, Jake embraced his son.

If you liked this thriller, please consider these fine Salvo Press titles:

Memory Leak
by Trevor Schmidt

Mako
by Clabe Taylor

Crown of Thorns
by Hank Luce

The Seventh Deception
by G. Dedrick Robinson

Spirit Flight
by P.R. Fittante

Codebreaker
by Katherine Myers

Dog Walker
by Heath Kizzier

Hypershot
by Trevor Scott