Black Flagged Redux

Chapter 56





8:25 AM

CIA Safe House

Viggbyholm, Sweden





Daniel opened the back door to the modest one-story home and stepped out into the backyard. He needed some fresh air after spending a tense hour hovering between Reznikov and Leo, both of whom required close medical supervision. According to the physician provided by the CIA, Reznikov had almost slipped away twice before they could finally stabilize him. The doctor didn't think he would last through the next night, unless he was taken to a major hospital, which wasn't an option until they were certain that Reznikov had told them everything. Given the Russian's delicate condition, he wasn't very optimistic about Reznikov surviving the kind of interrogation required to guarantee full disclosure. The physician anticipated that Reznikov would be ready for a light interrogation by the early evening. Daniel didn't bother to ask when he'd be ready for a hard interrogation.

Barring any unforeseen complications, Leo would survive, though without immediate reconstructive surgery, it appeared unlikely that he would fully recover the use of his right shoulder. His collarbone had been shattered, and the doctor couldn't repair it. He had managed to stop any major internal hemorrhaging and close both the entry and exit wound. Daniel had already spoken with Berg about moving him out of the country to a discreet hospital facility.

He took in a deep breath of crisp spring air and closed his eyes for a few seconds. He had a number of loose ends to tie up, the first of which was to contact Sanderson. Audra Bauer's abrupt phone conversation had weighed heavily on his mind as they raced toward the safe house. He understood the implications of her cryptic message and had tried no fewer than ten times to get through to Sanderson and Parker. If U.S. Special Forces units had raided the compound, Jessica could be on her way to Guantanamo Bay, or even worse, some unknown military prison in Central America or Africa. His chances of seeing her again, if she survived the attack, would be nearly nonexistent.

Sanderson's capture meant that they would have to leave the safe house immediately. He didn't believe for a second that Berg or this Audra Bauer could guarantee their safety. Once the White House figured out who the CIA had used to capture Reznikov, Berg and Bauer would be lucky to emerge from the scandal without serving a jail sentence. All of this had the potential to be an awful waste. He just hoped the information provided by Reznikov's journal entries would be enough to continue the investigation.

He was tempted to grab either Farrington or Hubner to investigate the Stockholm address found on one of the pieces of crumpled paper, but figured they were better off waiting for Reznikov to come around. He had a feeling that Reznikov already knew what they would find in Stockholm, if they chose to pursue the address. The scientist had nearly drank himself to death and put a gun to his head when they kicked down the door.

Daniel stared out into the backyard at the thick screen of uneven pine trees that formed a natural private barrier in the quaint neighborhood. He sat down at a small stone table and placed his satellite phone on the cold, rough granite surface. He weighed the options if Sanderson didn't answer. F*ck it. They had delivered Reznikov to the United States at the cost of three operatives, which was more than anyone could possibly expect from them, given their status as fugitive terrorists.

He dialed Sanderson's number, fully expecting to walk back into the safe house and gather his men for an immediate departure. Sanderson answered on the first ring.

"Daniel! I have good news."

"I don't. Where the f*ck have you been?"

"I had to entertain a few guests. About a hundred or so."

"You sound in good spirits, so I assume they didn't stay."

"They departed about fifty minutes ago. SEALs and marines from the USS BOXER Expeditionary Strike Force. A remarkable show of force I must say. Unfortunately for them, nobody was home."

"Thank God. I was worried about Jessica. I haven't been able to get in touch with her."

"Jessica wasn't here. She's in Buenos Aires. I need to tell you something that I purposely withheld from you earlier. I didn't want you to be distracted."

"Somehow, I have the distinct feeling I'm not going to like what I hear."

"By the end of this conversation, you'll be very pleased. Trust me. First, Jessica is fine, but Srecko's people found her."

"What?"

"She's fine, but she went through one hell of an ordeal and will need some time to recover. They grabbed her in your apartment. I had you and Jessica under twenty-four-hour surveillance in Buenos Aires. Call it a training exercise. Munoz and Melendez barely got her out of there."

"I need to talk to her immediately."

"She's in a safe place. Her left hand was damaged, but she'll be fine. We have the best people looking after her," Sanderson said.

Daniel stayed silent for a few seconds. When the expected tirade from Sanderson about how their trips to Buenos Aires had jeopardized the Black Flag program didn't materialize, he jumped back in the conversation.

"I'm glad they were there to help her. Two of the best we have. I owe them big time. Did she sound all right?"

"Still groggy from the pain medications. They had to do some work on her hand. You know how she is. I'd expect a full recovery."

"Yeah. She's surprisingly resilient," he said. "So, what was the good news you were so eager to share?"

"I thought you'd never ask. I'm holding a verified and legally binding immunity agreement from the president of the United States. We're no longer fugitives from the law."

"You've got to be shitting me. How the hell did you pull that off?"

"A combination of many factors, which included the fact that they had to leave one of their helicopters behind due to a mechanical failure…caused by a .50 caliber armor-piercing bullet. The administration wasn't very keen on having this raid exposed to the international media. Doesn't look good when you're caught trying to erase all evidence of the covert operatives you just sent on a shooting and kidnapping spree throughout Europe."

"You're a diabolical genius. Is this really binding? We can return to the U.S. without any repercussions?"

"It binds the federal government. The individual states typically respect the terms of these agreements, but I wouldn't plan any trips to Maryland or Maine any time soon. Beyond that, you're free to return under your original identity."

"That's simply amazing."

"How is Leo doing?" Sanderson said.

"He needs reconstructive surgery. Berg is working on a way to move him out of the country. Other than that, he's shaken pretty badly, but he'll be fine. Reznikov is the one I'm worried about," Daniel said.

"When will he be ready for an interrogation?"

"Probably not until late in the afternoon. He's a f*cking mess. Alcohol poisoning and atrial fibrillation. Not a good combination. I've passed everything in the notebook to the CIA. My plan is to interrogate Reznikov for further leads. I found a crumpled note with the words 'German distribution company' on it. I'm willing to bet he knows more about this company."

"Do whatever it takes to get this information," Sanderson said.

"Is that an order from you or the CIA?"

"From me, though I plan to formally hand over control of your team to Berg at some point in the day. If my instincts are correct, our services won't be dismissed in the middle of this crisis, and I intend to continue delivering results."

"You really think they'll officially bring you back into the fold?" Petrovich said.

"I don't want them to. That's the quickest path to destruction. I learned that the hard way. We all did. I'd prefer to keep running this in the shadows and give them the illusion of plausible deniability. They can use us when they need us. The last thing I need is an office in the Pentagon with a placard announcing our presence."

"I don't think you'll get a warm and fuzzy reception at the Pentagon after Farrington's stunt."

"Oh…I wouldn't be so sure about that. Daniel, you've exceeded my expectations again, which is now something I've come to expect. Pass on my congratulations to the rest of the team and my condolences for the loss of Sergei and Schafer. We paid a high price for Reznikov."

"I'll make sure Reznikov was worth that price. How do I get in touch with Jessica?"

"I'll give you the number. It's still early here, so give her some time to rest. Call me when the interrogation is finished."

"Understood."

Daniel looked back at the house and wondered if the doctors had something they could administer right now to bring Reznikov around. The quicker he finished this interrogation, the sooner he could be on a flight back to Argentina.