Vortex by Catherine Coulter

Olivia

Her breath whooshed out, her heart pounded as loud as the jungle drums. “Mike, I’ve been so worried, so scared for you. I didn’t even know you were alive until today. You swear you’re all right? Can I come get you?”

He actually laughed. “Slow down, sweetheart, slow down. I’m okay. Let me be worried about you. They’ve come after you again, it was on the police band. Believe me, I didn’t expect them to. I thought I was protecting you by staying away. I was going to come to your house to get you after the first attack, but I found out you were okay, and they’d put you in a safe house. No way I could do better than that.” Mike paused, and his voice sounded tired. “And then today happened. I’m so sorry, Olivia; I was wrong to believe you were safe.”

“Come off it, Mike, if you blame yourself, you’re an idiot and I’ll have to hurt you when I see you again. I promise, I’m safe. Where are you?”

“I’m not going to tell you because you’ll want to join me, and believe me, that isn’t a good idea. I’m calling from a burner phone. Babe, these people aren’t fooling around. I’d no sooner gotten off the plane at Dulles and headed over to pick up my backpack when I realized I was being followed. I wasn’t armed, of course. I slipped out of the terminal through an employee exit and jumped behind a pile of luggage on one of those motorized carts. I saw them run out after me, but they didn’t find me.

“Here’s the deal. How did they know which flight I’d be on? Only the CIA knew I had the flash drive on me, so someone told them, just like someone knew about Hashem, and our mission, and that someone wanted me dead, the drive destroyed. I had to protect that flash drive, protect myself, and you were still in the hospital, sweetheart. No way was I going to involve you, even trying to set up a meet could be dangerous. I didn’t want to take any chances, not with you. What about Higgs and Andi? Are they all right?”

Olivia wanted to cry and scream at the same time, but her voice came out calm. “Andi finally got herself a minder after what happened to me today, and Higgs is in Halifax. Mike, you swear you’re all right?”

She could see him smiling his crooked smile that always charmed her and disarmed her at the same time. “Aren’t I always? You’ve told me several times I’m like a cat. I figure I’ve still got a half-dozen lives left. Olivia, you just got out of Walter Reed and now you rammed your RAV into a truck. Are you even over your concussion? Tell me you’re not injured, and don’t try to lie to me.”

“Mike, it was the only thing I could think to do, and it worked, only I lost him when I ran after him. And yes, I was lucky. I’ve got a couple of bruises, that’s all.”

He cursed. “I probably shouldn’t believe you. Wait, you’re saying you went after him?”

“Yes, of course. But he was lucky, too, this taxi was sitting right there, and he hopped in and was gone or I might have gotten him. All I know for sure is he’s French and he’s determined.”

She could hear him chewing that over. Finally, he said, “I’ve been scared out of my mind for you ever since that RPG went off. I see no reason not to continue being scared,” and he cursed again.

Olivia smiled, realized both of them kept saying they were scared for each other. “Okay, I am still reeling a bit, but I’m in bed right now. Helmut just moved up to see who I’m talking to. Helmut, say hello to Mike.” Helmut licked her cell. Olivia said, “Did you hear his tongue?”

“Hi, Helmut. You keep him with you, Olivia.” He paused. “We’re quite a pair, aren’t we? But this situation, it’s more insane than even we’re used to.”

“That’s what Andi said. But Mike—”

“No, let me finish. Since we’re still running blind, I’m not going to come in yet. Not until I know more.”

“Mike, I know something about what you’ve been looking for. I was hypnotized and remembered what Hashem told you. A French armament company selling parts for guidance systems to Iran, isn’t that right?”

“So you heard him. I wondered. And the man who tried to take you is French so that leaves no doubt. Before you ask, yes, I’ve spent a whole lot of time researching them all, public filings, shipment manifests, product inventories. Haven’t found anything yet to point in a specific direction, but I was able to contact an old friend of mine at the NSA, and she’s giving me time on their mainframe when she can, no questions asked. I’ve been working on trying to decrypt the flash drive. It could tell us everything we need to know, maybe even help us trace their communications with whoever they have in their pocket. But it’s a long shot, Olivia, even with the mainframe, because without the key, the possibilities are endless.”

“Listen, Mike, you don’t have to do this on your own. The FBI is involved now. I’m working with Special Agent Dillon Savich. Yes, yes, I know it’s only been a day, but he’s smart and I think, no, I know, we can trust him. He could make sure the drive gets to the right people. He could help us find out who’s behind this.”

Mike was silent a moment. “He’s FBI, Olivia.”

She laughed. “It’s not a hotbed of terrorists, Mike, only a different fiefdom.”

“I don’t know him and you said you only met him yesterday. You didn’t trust me for a good six months.”

“No, it was longer than six months. Remember that actress?” She chuckled. “Listen to me. Agent Savich isn’t putting the moves on me like you were. Do you know his wife is Agent Sherlock, the one who stopped that terrorist at JFK?”

“Okay, how about I trust her.”

Olivia talked over him. “Dillon’s the one who took me to an FBI doctor this morning, the hypnotist, and like I said, I remembered everything Hashem told you. Savich’s sources are good enough he found out who the Iranian was I shot at my house Monday night. He was the one who told Mr. Lodner.”

Mike said, “That must have burned Lodner’s butt.”

“I hope so. Have you heard of Razhan?”

Mike sucked in his breath. He said very slowly, “You’re telling me Razhan was one of the men at your house? And you killed him?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Didn’t this FBI guy tell you Razhan’s a known assassin? I don’t know how many kills he’s registered over the years. I don’t even know what he looked like. I’m wondering if he could have been one of the guys at the airport.” He paused. “And you were the one to finally bring him down. Remind me never to piss you off.”

“You’re always pissing me off. Yep, I did bring him down, just like I shot that jerk Frenchman in the shoulder today.”

He laughed, sobered immediately. “Tell me again no injuries, and don’t try to lie to me.”

“Well, the bruise on my rear end looks a bit like a continent, you know, green for land and blue for water, a dash of purple for the sky. Yes, when we’re together again, you can check it out.”

“You’re trying to make me crazy. Stop it. You’re in another safe house, right? Gay is still with you?”

“Yes, but Mike, listen to me. Agent Savich can help us. Tell me where you are, and we can both come to you.”

Mike grinned into the phone. She was always a bulldog. “Sorry, sweetheart, but I promise to think about calling this Dillon Savich. But for now I’ve got more to do and I want to be sure you stay protected until this is over. And when it is, you and I can go hang out together on a beach in Aruba and I’ll rub sunscreen all over your gorgeous back. I wonder if we can get married in Aruba?”

“What? What?”

But he’d ended the call.