"I"m going to do what someone should have done a long time ago."
"Can we at least think it through?"
Rapp laughed. "I don"t need to. The wheels are already spinning."
"Don"t touch Garret."
"Are you out of your mind?"
"No. We have a bigger fish to fry. Too many coincidences will cause way too much scrutiny. Just let him go and take care of the others. And do me a favor. Ask Marcus if he can get Ross"s medical files from Bethesda for me."
"Anything else?"
"No."
"I"ll see you tomorrow." Rapp hit end and held the phone in his lap for a second.
"Marcus," he said as he pressed the transmit b.u.t.ton for the secure radio, "find out where Green and Gordievsky live." He paused and then added, "And see what you can find out about this Le Pretexte place they were talking about."
52.
T he nightclub Speyer was going to was not far from the restaurant, but then again nothing was far in Geneva. Green and Gordievsky were taking Garret to a different club farther away. The place was filled with young Belarusian girls who worked for Gordievsky. The going rate was a thousand dollars for a romp in the sheets. Gordievsky bragged during dinner that he pocketed ninety percent of the fee. Garret had tried to get out of it, but Green had insisted. One stop at a club and then they would take him back to his hotel. Speyer agreed to meet them back at Green"s penthouse for the midnight show. he nightclub Speyer was going to was not far from the restaurant, but then again nothing was far in Geneva. Green and Gordievsky were taking Garret to a different club farther away. The place was filled with young Belarusian girls who worked for Gordievsky. The going rate was a thousand dollars for a romp in the sheets. Gordievsky bragged during dinner that he pocketed ninety percent of the fee. Garret had tried to get out of it, but Green had insisted. One stop at a club and then they would take him back to his hotel. Speyer agreed to meet them back at Green"s penthouse for the midnight show.
Rapp"s plan was falling into place. It was 10:41 in the evening when the four of them came out of the restaurant. At the moment, Rapp was only worried about Speyer. He was going to be the key. Rapp had detected something in his voice during dinner. A certain regret that he was a.s.sociated with the others. Speyer handed the valet his ticket, and the man took off at a trot. Speyer waved good-bye as the others piled into the Hummer.
"Kevin," Rapp said to the guy in the front seat. "You think those bodyguards are wearing vests?"
Hacket shook his head. "I don"t think they make "em that big."
Rapp nodded. He was sure somebody did, but these guys were probably already uncomfortable enough from their extra girth. He doubted they would put on a stiff, hot bulletproof vest. "Here comes the valet. When he pulls in to give Speyer the car, pull out and get in front of him. We"ll have him follow us to Le Pretexte."
The valet jumped out of Speyer"s BMW and held the door for the banker. Hacket put the car in drive and pulled out onto the Quai de la Poste and headed east. Speyer fell into line behind them. Their destination was just a half mile away. Speyer stayed a polite distance back the entire way. Rapp and Hacket had already checked the place out while Speyer and his guests were eating their main course. Rapp wanted to see the exact layout. He spotted the club from a block away. It was hard to miss with its huge neon sign looming above the street. Even with the temperature hovering in the mid-forties, patrons were lined up halfway down the block.
"Remember, slow down," Rapp said. "Let me out right here." Rapp was ready to go. Before the car came to a complete stop he had the door opened and he was out. He slammed the door closed behind him and darted between two parked cars and up onto the sidewalk. Rapp was wearing a black leather jacket with the collar turned up, a pair of dark jeans, and heavy-soled black lace-up shoes. Turning left, he started down the sidewalk toward the front door of the club. Rapp watched Hacket drive off with the BMW right behind him. The patrons were now lined up against the building on his right. He was going to have to adjust his pace to time it perfectly. Hacket approached the intersection and turned right, stopping immediately.
The BMW pulled up to the valet and Speyer got out. He took the ticket and walked around the trunk just as Rapp expected. Rapp sped up. There was no way a guy like Speyer was going to wait in line with the others. Again Rapp was right. Speyer stepped onto the curb and was heading straight for the door. His attention was on his valet ticket, which he was trying to slide into his wallet.
Rapp met him midway between the curb and door. He reached out with his left hand, grabbing the banker by the right elbow. "Joseph," Rapp said loud enough for the bouncers to hear. "It has been a long time." Rapp kept moving, taking a startled Speyer with him. In a much quieter voice Rapp said, "You"re lucky my boss wants you alive, because I"d just as soon kill you right here, right now."
Speyer looked at the strange man with shock in his eyes. He tried to pull away but the man"s grip was simply too tight. "What?" His words were cut short by a stabbing sensation in his side.
"Don"t put up a fight and don"t raise your voice. Look at my right hand." Rapp held his knife out in front of him so the banker could see it. The tip of it was crimson with blood. "If you don"t do exactly as I say I"ll slit your throat and leave you to die right here. I know what you and Cy Green have been up to." Rapp saw a flicker of worry in the man"s eyes. "That"s right, I"m an American. If you cooperate, you"ll make it through this fine, which is more than I can say for your friend Green. Let"s go." Rapp started toward the waiting Mercedes.
"Who are you?"
Rapp kept walking. "I"m the guy who"s going to solve all your problems."
They reached the Mercedes and Rapp opened the rear pa.s.senger door. Instead of getting in, Speyer"s eyes darted back in the direction of the club. Rapp smiled and said, "Tell me you don"t regret getting into business with Green, and I"ll let you go. I"ll go kill the f.u.c.king piece of s.h.i.t myself, and then I"ll tell President Alexander that you helped facilitate the murder of his wife and eighteen other Americans." Rapp looked past the gla.s.ses, into the banker"s eyes. He could see the man running the numbers. Asking himself which was the path that would save his hide. In a more reasonable voice Rapp added, "Either that or you can get in the car and you can help me."
"What do I get out of it?"
Rapp smiled and said, "You get to live."
53.
R app sat sideways with his left leg up on the seat. He"d already frisked the banker. All he found was a wallet and phone. He took both and dropped them onto the front pa.s.senger seat. He"d switched the knife from his right hand to his left and pointed the tip at Speyer"s face. app sat sideways with his left leg up on the seat. He"d already frisked the banker. All he found was a wallet and phone. He took both and dropped them onto the front pa.s.senger seat. He"d switched the knife from his right hand to his left and pointed the tip at Speyer"s face.
"Why should I believe a word that comes out of your mouth?"
The banker gave him an a.n.a.lytical look and said, "You shouldn"t."
"That"s right."
"But you were correct when you noted that my life would be much easier if Cy Green were out of it."
Rapp had picked up on Speyer"s tone during dinner. It was obvious that he did not enjoy the company of men like Green and Gordievsky. That didn"t make him any less guilty at this point, just slightly more likable. Rapp saw potential in Speyer. It wasn"t every day that the CIA had the opportunity to own the president of one of Geneva"s most influential banks. The information they could get from Speyer would be extremely valuable.
"So tell me again about the security." Rapp turned and looked down the block at Green"s building.
"I already told you three times."
"Tell me again." Rapp wanted to make sure Speyer wasn"t leaving anything out.
"The lobby has bulletproof gla.s.s. The doorman is not on at this hour, so we call the penthouse, they buzz us in and send the elevator down."
"And once we get to the fourth floor?"
"The door opens and one of the bodyguards is waiting for us. Sometimes two."
"And they run a metal detector over you?"
"Yes."
"What about the butler?"
"Sometimes he"s there. Sometimes he isn"t. It usually depends how late it is."
Rapp didn"t like the idea of killing the butler. "I thought you said he lives there."
"I mean there when you get off the elevator."
"Even at midnight?"
"Working for Cy Green is a twenty-four-hour job." Speyer pushed his gla.s.ses up on his nose.
Through Rapp"s earpiece he heard Coleman say, "They just dropped Garret off at his hotel and are en route."
Rapp pa.s.sed the information onto Speyer, who began wringing his hands nervously. "That"s not going to work."
"What?"
"You getting all nervous. You need to stay calm."
"How can you honestly expect me to stay calm?"
"Just relax and think about how nice your life is going to be without Green and this Belarusian pig in it."
"Yes, but how do I know you won"t shoot me in the back?"
Rapp smiled and checked his watch. It was 11:56. At least these guys were punctual. Speyer had given them the name of Green"s favorite escort service. Rapp called the service and told them Mr. Green wanted to let them know he was running an hour late. The person at the service said she would change the arrival time to 1:00 a.m.
"Joseph, I know a good opportunity when I see one."
"What do you mean?"
"If you go in there and do exactly as I say, I"m not going to shoot you. You"re going to get up in the morning and go to work. You"ll get to keep your house in the mountains and your flat in Paris. The only thing that"s going to change is that you"ll be rid of these two a.s.sholes."
"I don"t get it. What are you going to get out of this?"
Rapp smiled. "You are going to start spying for the CIA."
"I can"t!" The look on Speyer"s face was one of shocked indignation.
"Yes, you can, and you will, or I"ll have that little talk with President Alexander about your role in the death of his wife and then the bank, the mountain house, the flat in Paris...they all go away. And then he"ll send me back over here to kill you." Rapp shook his head. "Trust me. Take option A. The other way will be no fun at all."
Speyer tilted his head back and took in a nervous breath. "I can do this."
"You"re d.a.m.n right you can," Rapp said, happy that Speyer was finally seeing things his way. "All you have to do is stay calm and let me take care of the rest."
The Hummer came rolling down the narrow street, towering over the smaller European-made cars. It stopped in front of Green"s building, and one sumo-sized bodyguard got out. Rapp smiled to himself. The big ones were great for show and good for deterrence, but they moved too slowly to be effective against a well-trained attacker. Green and Gordievsky got out next and then another of the giants stepped down from the truck. All four men continued into the building and the truck drove away to find a parking s.p.a.ce, Rapp presumed. Coleman would follow the man and take him out when the time was right. Rapp looked down at his watch just as it struck midnight.
Looking at Speyer he said, "Let"s go."
Both men got out of the car. Rapp slid his knife into the right outside pocket of his leather jacket and transferred his silenced Glock to the left pocket. He walked around the front of the car and joined Speyer as they crossed the street. They continued down the sidewalk to the front door of the building. Speyer adjusted his gla.s.ses and reached out for the buzzer.
"Remember...smile," Rapp whispered. "We"re supposed to be having fun."
Speyer grinned awkwardly and pressed the buzzer. A few seconds later Green"s voice came out of the tiny box. "Joseph, you came, and you brought a friend. How good of you. Come straight up."
A clicking noise sounded the release of the lock. Rapp leaned into the door with his shoulder, not wanting to touch the gla.s.s with his hand. He pushed it open and gestured for Speyer to go in first. They walked across the relatively small lobby to the elevator. The white lights above it told them the lift was descending from the fourth floor. Rapp flexed his knees several times and cracked his neck from side to side.
Speyer looked at him sideways. "What are you doing?"
"Loosening up. Bend your knees...relax."
The banker tried it.
"Now take a few deep breaths, and just think about how happy you"re going to be when this is over."
The elevator doors opened and they entered. Speyer turned around and leaned against the back wall. Rapp did the same and slid close to him so their shoulders were touching. He wanted it to actually look like they liked each other. The doors closed and the elevator began to move.
Rapp smiled and asked, "So how long have you been in the banking business?"
"Please don"t shoot me."
Rapp got the feeling positive reinforcement didn"t work well with Speyer. He put his mouth up to Speyer"s ear and said, "If you f.u.c.king bring it up one more time...I might." He then moved away and smiled. "All you have to do is stand still and stick your arms out. I"ll take care of the rest."
A tense moment later the elevator doors opened slowly. As they did Rapp turned to face Speyer and gripped his pistol. There was just enough play in his jacket that he could fire from the hip if he needed to. The bodyguard was standing in the middle of the foyer with a handheld metal detector. The second bodyguard had already taken up a not-so-alert position in a chair against the wall to his left. No butler. Rapp casually checked out the entire room from right to left as Speyer stepped off the elevator. He did a quick inventory of both bodyguards; hands, feet, and eyes. The feet were flat and the hands so puffy Rapp bet he could count to five before they were able to wrestle their guns from their holsters. Their eyes were bloodshot and dull. There was a good chance they"d been drinking.
Speyer stuck his hands out like a scarecrow so the big guy could give him the once-over with the metal detector. Rapp stayed behind him, turning a touch to his left as he drew his pistol, concealing it against the black leather jacket. The guy did a sloppy job checking Speyer. Rapp began circling around to his left and acting like he was interested in the artwork. As soon as Speyer put his hands down, Rapp pulled his knife out of his pocket with his right hand and held it up above his head.
"I suppose you guys will want to take this from me." Rapp"s eyes darted back and forth between the two men. Both of them were frozen by the sight of the knife. Neither saw the pistol. Rapp fired from the hip. Two shots in under one second. The man in the chair was. .h.i.t in the exact middle of his forehead. The man standing was. .h.i.t just under his right eyebrow. He took one step forward and started to fall. Rapp moved quickly to try to break his fall. With the knife still in his right hand he reached out and tried to slow the man just enough to keep him from hitting the floor too hard. The guy thudded to his knees and then fell onto his left side. Rapp put one more in each guy"s head and stuffed the knife back in his pocket.
"Let"s go." Rapp grabbed the back of Speyer"s coat and propelled him down the hall.
They made it to the big living room and turned left. Everything was exactly as Speyer said it would be. The double doors to the library and billiard room were straight ahead. Rapp could see shadows and hear voices. He drove Speyer forward, keeping him where he could see him. They reached the doorway. The room ran to the right. Rapp turned Speyer that way and then continued straight so he could gain a full field of fire. He was more exposed than he would have liked, but he didn"t want Speyer making some unpredictable move that might screw up a shot.
Gordievsky was at the far end of the table getting ready to break, his bald head shining from the overhead light. His mouth started to form a word, but the sound never made it out. The bullet hit him in the top of his forehead, forming a red dot the size of a dime. Gordievsky"s knees gave way, and his chin slid down and bounced off the end of the table. Just like that he was gone. Green stood on the far side of the table, both hands gripping his cue, the tip in front of his chin. All his weight was back and his posture slouched. Here was a man who paid others to do his dirty work.
Green looked at Rapp and without blinking said, "Whatever they"re paying you, I"ll double it."
Rapp laughed and said, "I"m not for sale. This is courtesy of the U.S. government, you piece of s.h.i.t." Rapp squeezed off a round. It struck Green right between his eyes and the billionaire fell over with pool cue in hand. Rapp walked over to him and put three more rounds into the right center of his chest.
Rapp pressed the transmit b.u.t.ton and said, "Everything is secure up here. I"ll send the elevator down. Remember, we want all the garbage packed up and out of here within an hour."
The banker"s face was white and he was shaking uncontrollably. Rapp walked over to him and said, "Let this be a lesson, Joseph. As long as you"re honest with me, and you don"t do anything to harm me or my country, this will never happen to you. But so help me G.o.d, if you f.u.c.k me over just once, you"ll end up just like these greedy a.s.sholes."
54.
WHITE H HOUSE, WASHINGTON, DC.