Shadow Rising (A Lacy Merrick Thriller Book 2) Read online

  “And we’ll be able to pick up on his conversations?”

  “Video and audio surveillance is already in place.”

  “Axell doesn’t mess around,” Lacy added.

  “No. They’ve got the resources to operate more covertly than we do. The CIA has access to more cash than the GDP of a small country.” Will opened his carrier bag and retrieved his laptop, placing it on top of a folding table. The accommodations were sparse. The home, while too rich for his blood, was listed for sale and the owners had already vacated, a spot of good luck of which Kelly had taken full advantage.

  “Now we just need to wait to see who Turner is talking to,” Lacy replied.

  “More importantly, if he knew what Kendrick was doing before the attack.” Will finished the thought that had once seemed unthinkable.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  A young man, short in stature, but exuding the utmost confidence, approached Turner’s office. “Hey, Mary, I’m here to see Mr. Turner. He’s expecting me.”

  “Hey, Bryce, have a seat. I’ll let him know you’re here.” She picked up the headset. “Mr. Turner, Mr. Dunn is here to see you. Thank you, sir.” She returned her attention to him. “He’ll be right with you.”

  Turner appeared only a moment later. “Bryce, thanks for coming. Please come on in.” He nodded while the man walked inside and, with a brief glance into the hall, closed the door to his office. “I understand you were tasked with scrubbing the correspondence from the former undersecretary, Mr. Kendrick?”

  “Yes, sir. As you know, I’ve been working on that for the FBI since they made the request.”

  “I’m sure it’s a very unpleasant task at that. And did you find something of value?”

  “I—I’m not sure, sir. I thought it best to bring this to you directly. Frankly, I’m not sure how to handle this.” He handed over the flash drive.

  Turner flipped the drive between his fingers. “Does anyone else know you have this or is aware of what its contents are?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Then why don’t you enlighten me? You must be greatly concerned by whatever is contained on here.” He moved to his desk and inserted the drive into his computer.

  “There are several documents on there, sir. Would you like for me to pull up the one that brought me here to you today?”

  Turner pushed back in his chair and away from his desk. “Go right ahead.”

  The young man, not older than thirty, approached the desk and leaned in to retrieve the document in question. “This is it, sir.” He stepped away again.

  Turner leaned in closely for a better view and began to read the letter. His previous expression, which revealed only mild concern, now appeared deadpan. “You say you found this on Kendrick’s computer?”

  “Yes, sir. And because his position is still vacant, none of what he had has been scoured in some time. The file had, of course, been deleted, but in accordance with FBI requests for information, I had to restore all the files. They still have the authority, depending on what we find, to confiscate the computers. Which, I imagine, after they see this, they will do so.”

  Turner had intentionally left the position vacant, dependent upon the outcome of the election. It was a decision he now regretted because this information would likely have been discovered much earlier had someone been appointed to the office. Now there was a young staffer, eager to prove his loyalty so that he might one day have his favors repaid, who had brought it to him. “I appreciate you bringing this to my attention. This should and will be forwarded to the agent in-charge. In the meantime, I trust you’ll come to me with any further findings of this nature?”

  “Yes, sir. That is my intention. Undersecretary Kendrick was a good man, in my humble opinion, and I’m sure this wasn’t intended to undermine your position.” The man began to leave.

  “Thank you, Bryce. Your cooperation is very much appreciated.” Turner waited for him to close the door and quickly returned his attention to the screen.

  Dear Mr. Secretary,

  I tender this resignation with a heavy heart. My entire adult life has been in the service of this country and now my time has come to an end. It was never my intention to do harm to any American citizen, but to protect them first with my military service; secondly, with my service as the Undersecretary to the Office of Political Affairs, protecting each and every citizen with the choices I made in this office. However, I succumbed to the temptations that often plague those who choose public office. Power. Plain and simple. My desire for power outweighed my need to do good. I, and I alone, am responsible for the attack on the mall in Fairfax, Virginia. While I did not perform the act myself, I did nothing to prevent it. There were others aware of my actions who chose to stay silent and that, sir, is what I wish to confess to you now.

  Turner could read no more. This was not the letter he’d seen upon Kendrick’s resignation and the one forwarded to the president. It was a clear attempt to preserve his life, made after his resignation. This would do irreparable harm to the department, himself, and the entire administration.

  This indeed had been Kendrick’s insurance policy, meant to be found in the event of his death, which he must’ve surmised would come about sooner rather than later. However, what Kendrick hadn’t banked on was the letter’s discovery by an ambitious young staffer. This was where Turner found luck.

  “Damn it!” He was left with no choice but to finish the job Kendrick had half-heartedly attempted and that was to permanently destroy this letter and pray he could keep the young man on his side and under his control. Kendrick was cunning in his efforts and, had it worked, Turner could no longer hide behind his carefully crafted lie.

  He retrieved the flash drive and placed it in his pocket as he prepared to leave for the day. It had been a long and arduous day filled with questions about Kendrick’s death and post-election appointments when his biggest concern was the return of Lei Jian. Turner grabbed the rest of his things and walked out into the main part of the office. “I’m heading home. Have a good night.”

  “Good night, Mr. Turner.”

  He was already stepping inside the elevators and scarcely heard the reply. His mind was preoccupied with far more pressing matters. It wasn’t until he reached his car and began driving home that he realized he hadn’t shut down his computer. Was there a way someone might be able to see what he’d seen? No, not possible. It was on a USB and he had that drive with him now. Perhaps it was paranoia.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Will noticed Turner’s car pulling onto his driveway. “He’s home.”

  “And still no sign of Sajwani?” Lacy asked.

  “No. Nothing yet. It’s still early.”

  “I just hope we’re right and that it was Sajwani who came after us at the restaurant.”

  “I suppose we’ll know our assumption was correct if we see him there tonight, at Turner’s home. If it isn’t, we’ll have another problem on our hands,” Will continued.

  “There’s no question it would be a huge risk for Sajwani to go after the deputy secretary.”

  “But that doesn’t mean he won’t. Jian is after revenge and Sajwani will do whatever it takes to keep his boss happy.”

  The two began to study the monitor, which panned from different cameras hidden inside Turner’s home. It was a quick and dirty job for which Colburn’s team had been responsible, and had been extremely effective. The unsanctioned surveillance of a high-ranking member of the State Department would see both him and Axell jailed on the grounds of treason if those cameras were discovered before any practical evidence against him was found. Lacy didn’t think even Mobley could help them if that happened.

  Will peered through the window and spotted a car approach. “Colburn’s here. Good timing.” He opened the door. “Turner just arrived home. We’ve been monitoring him for the past several minutes.”

  “How’s Aaron?” Lacy asked.

  “Safe. I confirmed with Axell only a few minutes ago. He dug around and ret
rieved Turner’s records prior to his appointment as Deputy Secretary. Axell thinks there could be a link between him and the Chinese and that’s what Hunter’s working on.” He continued inside, placing takeout bags on the table and shedding his coat. “Thought you guys might be hungry.”

  “I could eat.” Lacy offered a warm smile. “Thank you.”

  Colburn turned in the direction of the window. “Did you see that? It was a light; a flash of something caught my eye. Caison, you seen anything on the monitor?”

  “No.” He moved toward the window to join him and peered down. “I don’t see—wait. I do now.” He looked to Colburn. “You think that’s him? You think that’s Sajwani?”

  12

  When the knock sounded at the door, Turner’s wife glowered at him. “We’re having dinner. You aren’t expecting someone, are you?”

  “No. I’ll see who it is.” Turner pushed away from the table and walked toward the door, rendering a brief glance over his shoulder before opening it. “What are you doing here? My family is home. You need to leave right now.”

  “We need to talk and it can’t wait.”

  “Who is it?” his wife shouted.

  “Just work. I’ll only be a minute.” Turner stepped outside and closed his door. “What is it? What’s so important you needed to come to my home while I’m eating dinner with my family?”

  “I think you know. Are we going to have a problem with that young man?”

  “No. Of course not. It’s taken care of.”

  “Have you destroyed the file?”

  “Yes. I told you before, you need to let me do my job. I’ve taken care of the letter. No one will know of its existence.”

  “Just remember that you have as much, if not more, to lose than we do. Our arrangement is simple. But only so long as you keep to your end of the bargain.”

  “I’ve given you no reason to doubt me, have I? I didn’t know he’d emailed himself the letter. How could I? It’s been removed from the files. The FBI will have no cause to confiscate the computer. Kendrick is no longer a problem for us.”

  “Unfortunately, Kendrick brought it on himself. You know as well as I do how anxious he’d become. How long do you think it would have been before he demanded money to keep quiet?”

  “Yes. And look at where it got him.”

  “Then we are in agreement. I’ll leave you to your dinner. It smells delicious, by the way. I will assure our colleagues, then, that the young staffer will not reveal what he knows. And if he does, you will be held accountable.”

  Turner closed the door and walked back inside, fixing an artificial smile upon his face.

  “Everything all right?” his wife asked.

  “Yes. Everything’s fine.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  With the lights turned low so as not to be noticed, Will continued to peer through the window. “I don’t know who he is, but he’s leaving now. What the hell letter was he talking about? And it seems clear he believed Kendrick posed a threat.” Will turned back. “Is he connected to his murder?”

  “There’s the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question. We have the visitor on surveillance footage,” Colburn began. “We’ll run him through facial recognition to see what it picks up.”

  “I don’t think it was Ahsan Sajwani.” Lacy returned to the monitors. “This guy was shorter, fuller. And if it was, I think Turner would be dead.”

  “The overcoat could’ve made him appear more stout than Sajwani. But in any case, I wouldn’t be so sure Turner would have been killed on his front porch.” Colburn said. “Taking out a sitting Deputy Secretary would create chaos for Jian, the MSS, and the entire intelligence community, after Kendrick had just been killed. Regardless of who it was, we know Turner’s hiding something. Whatever this letter he referred to was, we need to get our hands on it as soon as possible. For now, Will, run his image through FACE and NGI and I’ll get Hunter to run him through our systems. Something will turn up.”

  “What’s on the agenda for tomorrow, then?” Lacy asked.

  “Will, you’re going to need to get access into Kendrick’s home,” Colburn said.

  “What about the agent in charge of the investigation? He’s not going to let me waltz right in and start nosing around.”

  “Sure he will. And you’re going to make sure he does.” Colburn smiled. “While you’re busy with that, Lacy and I will wait until Turner’s place is empty and have a look around there for this mysterious letter.” He turned to her. “Assuming you’re up for that?”

  “Why wouldn’t I be?”

  “Good. Then we should get some rest.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Will considered how to approach the agent as he drove to the Kendrick home, which his widow had already vacated. While it was no longer considered an active crime scene, as the feds had already come through in a whirlwind gathering of evidence, it was still considered to be off-limits to anyone other than those involved in the investigation. Even the family had to garner permission to enter. This was a former diplomat and, as such, was a top priority for the FBI team. So it was no surprise when Will needed the agent’s permission to enter and had also insisted he stand side-by-side while Will searched the home.

  He pulled alongside the edge of the road where the front lawn abutted a curb-less, rural street. The home was set back a fair distance and was shrouded by tall live oaks, though he could see through them now that the branches were bare.

  With no other vehicles in sight, he stepped out in search of his contact, the agent heading up the investigation, SSA Adam Fraser. It wasn’t until he reached for his cell to make the call in an attempt to locate the man did he appear from the side of the home.

  “Agent Caison?”

  Will began walking to meet him. “Yes. You must be Agent Fraser? I didn’t see another car and thought I was alone.” He offered his hand on approach. “Thank you for meeting me. I’m sure you’re very busy with this investigation.”

  “Yes, we are. But it seems you have friends in high places, and so here I am.”

  This wasn’t going well at the onset. It was clear the man was irritated to be meeting someone of lesser authority on a site that was in his jurisdiction at the Washington Field Office, not Counterterrorism at Headquarters.

  “I apologize if I’m wasting your time, Agent Fraser. This won’t take long.”

  Fraser started back toward the entrance of the home. “What is it that you’re hoping to find, Agent Caison? My team has done a thorough job here.”

  “I’m sure they have, sir. My instructions were to photograph the location of where the body was found and to retrieve copies of any surveillance footage you were able to obtain.”

  “I could’ve sent you that without your having to drive all the way out here.” Fraser stopped at the door. “Tell me why someone from CTD is really here.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Lacy hovered over the monitors and finally turned to Colburn. “Everyone’s out.”

  “It’s about time. Let’s get started.” He retrieved the key.

  “How did you get that?”

  “Wasn’t hard. I entered the deputy’s office while he and his staff were in a meeting and scanned his house key. He’d left his keys in his coat pocket—an easy pick. From there, I used a 3D printer, and voila.” He held the key in his hand. “A fully functional key.”

  “I’m glad you’re working with us.” She slid on her coat. “I suppose you know the alarm code too?”

  “Why yes, yes I do. We needed that before we could install any of the cameras.”

  “Right.” She followed him out the door.

  As they left the home, Colburn walked across the street, surveying their surroundings in an effort to spot anyone who might be watching them. “You remember what we discussed?”

  “Yes. We’re looking for anything that ties him to Jian or China. And of course, this mysterious letter.”

  “Right. He told whoever visited him last night that he’d destroyed it. But m
y guess is that he didn’t and is probably keeping this letter on his own personal server for safekeeping. And if we don’t find it, I’ll bet a dollar to a dime we’ll find something to prove he’s working in his own best interests.”

  They made it to the other side of the street and Colburn began, “Most people keep their important docs in a filing cabinet in an office, but I suspect, because of the deputy’s position, he keeps his documents either in a safe in his house or a safety deposit box at a bank.”

  “Let’s hope we find something in there. Otherwise, we’re just committing another felony. But hey, who’s counting?” Lacy joined him at the steps of Turner’s home.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  As the words left Agent Fraser’s mouth, Will knew the question would come first and foremost. Fortunately, he’d already produced an answer he hoped would pass muster. “I understand your concern. You’re in charge of this investigation. If I were you, I’d question me as well. The best I can say is that there are concerns about appearances from the State Department. Those which the FBI director wants to clear up.”

  “Appearances?”

  “Because of Kendrick’s uncharacteristic and sudden resignation and the whirlwind of rumors surrounding it, so shortly after the mall attack, the director wants to be sure of complete transparency coming from the Bureau and, of course, to eliminate any question that this might have been terrorist-related as a result. I’m not here to double your or your team’s efforts. I’m simply here to offer a second set of eyes—from the Counterterrorism Division. And so we’re to act jointly, in part, on this investigation. But as far as I’m concerned, I’m only here to take a look at the crime scene, take a few shots, and have a look around his den, where he was last seen by his wife. And finally, discuss with you any theories on a suspect.”