AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Vanity, Kennedy thought to herself. That’s the key. “Mark,” she leaned in and spoke as if they’d known each other for years, “you know what’s going on here today?”
Ross looked confused.
“No one is thrilled with Vice President Baxter’s performance.” Kennedy paused and let the innuendo hang there for a few seconds. “He’s been a drag in the polls, and there’s been a lot of talk about replacing him on the ticket.” She moved in even closer and whispered, “I know there was a reason the president asked you to play golf today.”
Ross took in a deep breath and nodded.
Kennedy could tell by the expression on his face that he’d already thought of this. It didn’t matter that he didn’t know the president wasn’t running for reelection and it wouldn’t matter in a month when he announced that he wasn’t. Ross would take that news as an opportunity. He’d just have to wait and see who was going to be the front-runner and get them lined up in his sights.
“You’re on the short list, Mark. Today was your interview. I didn’t want to screw that up by dropping this on you right before you teed off, or worse, cut your round short.”
Ross was speechless for a moment and then just as he was about to comment on Kennedy’s revelation the president entered the room.
“Irene,” Hayes said as he came over to them. He was dressed in a golf shirt, sweater vest, and slacks. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting. What’s the problem?”
Kennedy shared a brief look with Ross and then said, “Mr. President, one of our safe houses got hit last night.” Kennedy explained to the president and Ross that she had picked up Steven Rapp and brought him to the safe house so he could see his brother. They had just finished dinner, it was around 9:30, she was in the kitchen with her son cleaning up, when suddenly they heard gunshots and several explosions. Rapp rushed herself, her son, and his brother into the basement. Kennedy took a moment to explain the physical setup of the safe house, and how they took a tunnel over to the subterranean interrogation facility and locked themselves in a cell. About an hour after the incident had started, a CIA quick response team arrived on site and secured the facility. Kennedy explained with some difficulty that two men on her security detail had been killed, as well as two other CIA guards who were tasked to the facility. She ended the summation by telling them that Rapp was gone.
“What do you mean, he’s gone?” Ross asked in a far more subdued tone than he would have five minutes ago.
“He literally wasn’t there,” Kennedy answered. “We assumed the worst at first…that he was captured and taken away, or killed and taken away, but then we ran the security tapes.” Kennedy stopped, and it was obvious by the expression on her face that there was more to the story.
“And?” Ross asked, his curiosity fully piqued.
“The house was hit with a total of seven RPG rounds and over a thousand bullets. In addition to the four CIA employees killed, there were thirteen other bodies discovered.”
“Thirteen?” Ross was shocked by the number.
“They were the men who we think were hired to attack the facility. They used three black Chevy Suburbans equipped with emergency lights.” Kennedy turned to the president. “Like the kind the Secret Service uses to get through traffic. They tore down the main gate, and then drove up to the house with their emergency lights flashing. They were wearing blue coveralls with FBI baseball caps. My bodyguards didn’t even draw their weapons. I think they thought it was the FBI showing up to place Mitch under protective custody.”
“Back up a minute,” said Ross, “or move forward. You said the four guards were killed. There were other guards, right?”
“No.”
“Then what happened to these thirteen guys?”
The president looked at Kennedy and said, “Mitch was what happened to them.”
Kennedy nodded. “Each man was killed with a single nine-millimeter shot to the head.” Kennedy frowned and added, “Here is where it gets interesting. There was a fourteenth individual. The tapes show Mitch putting him in the back of one of the Suburbans and leaving.”
“Why?” asked Ross.
“Why do you think?” Kennedy replied. “Somebody has now tried to kill him twice, and his wife is dead. He’s going to squeeze everything he can get out of this guy and find out who hired him.”
Ross didn’t like the sound of this. “So we have no idea where he is?”
Kennedy shook her head.
“Have you identified any of the thirteen??
? asked the president.
“We think they are members of a Latino gang based out of Alexandria.”
“A Latino gang,” Ross said. “Why in the hell would they want to kill Rapp?”
“Since we don’t have anyone to interrogate, I’m going with the assumption that they were offered cash. Mitch has never operated in Central America. A gang like this would have no reason to go after him.”
“What does the FBI have to say?” Ross asked.
