Interception, p.19
Interception, page 19
Javin glanced at Claudia. She had also put her hands up.
The guard inside the hotel said something indistinct. A moment later, the two guards by the SUV moved on Javin and Claudia. The first guard kicked Javin on the side. He moaned, louder than necessary, and fell onto the sidewalk. The hard kick was powerful, but not sufficient to cause him to collapse.
Slowly, Javin reached for his pistol.
“Don’t do it,” the first guard shouted.
Javin’s hand froze in mid-air. He shot a frown at the guard, then turned his head toward Claudia. She was lying on her back, and the second guard was standing over her, threatening her with his pistol.
Claudia said, “Don’t kill us. Don’t.”
Screams came from passers-by, who began to scatter in panic.
The first guard stepped closer to Javin. “Keep your hands away from the gun,” he said.
Javin nodded slowly and groaned, feigning pain.
The guard took Javin’s Sig Sauer pistol and put it inside his waistband. “Turn around. Put your hands behind your head.”
Javin did not move.
“Do it.” The guard pointed his pistol at Javin’s head.
More screams came from around them.
Javin nodded slowly and flipped onto his stomach. As he did, Liu and his three guards stepped outside the hotel. Liu waved with his hand to the guard, who put away his pistol, then Liu said, “Handcuff him.”
“Yes, sir.”
The guard bound Javin’s hands behind his back with plastic flexible cuffs. Then he pulled him up to his knees and turned him to face Liu.
The millionaire leaned over Javin. “You thought you could come in here and do what? Arrest me, like I’m a common criminal?”
Javin said nothing.
Liu shook his head. “You fool. At the airport in Beijing, that was your warning. Your way out. But you ignored it. And now you’ll go to jail, and your career as a spy, it’s over. It’s all over.”
Javin kept his eyes glued to Liu’s face and showed no emotion.
Liu spat on the ground next to Javin, then headed toward the SUV, accompanied by two of his three guards. Liu spoke briefly with the third guard—a man in his early thirties with a shaved head and a chin-strap beard—and gestured toward Javin. Then Liu waved at the guard who had tied up Javin.
After handing Javin to the chin-strapped man, the guard hurried to get behind the steering wheel of the SUV.
Liu continued on to a fiery red Lamborghini Aventador Coupe parked further away from the SUV and got in. He gunned the engine and zoomed away, followed by the SUV.
The chin-strapped man lifted Javin up to his feet. “If it were up to me, I’d load you up in the trunk and toss your dead body like trash. But my boss wants the police to handle this.” He shoved Javin toward the entrance to the hotel.
The other guard brought Claudia behind Javin. Her arms were also handcuffed.
Inside the lobby, the chin-strapped man tried to calm the patrons and the staff. He reassured them, telling them that the danger was over and the police would arrive in a matter of minutes.
And they did.
In less than five minutes, two Renault white-and-red police cars pulled in front of the hotel with their flashing lights and blaring sirens. Three officers dressed in black and blue uniforms rushed in with their weapons drawn.
The chin-strapped guard met them and gestured toward Javin. Two of the police officers came to Javin and Claudia sitting near the opposite corner of the lobby. The third one remained by the reception desk, chatting with the guard.
Javin glanced at the officers, who kept their weapons trained at him and Claudia. The officers listened carefully to the guard, who gave them a brief account of what had taken place. He handed them Claudia’s pistol and told them that Javin also had been armed, but one of the other guards had taken that pistol.
In a couple of minutes, the third police officer and the chin-strapped guard approached Javin and Claudia. The officer—a middle-aged man with silver hair and square-shaped glasses—gave Javin a stern gaze. “Mr. Pierce, you are under arrest for endangering public security and attempted murder,” he said in English with a heavy French accent and pulled up Javin by his arm.
The other officers yanked Claudia to her feet.
“Thank you, Captain Castellini,” the chin-strapped man said with a smirk. He locked eyes with Javin and added, “You’ll rot in jail.”
Javin ignored the jab as the captain shoved him forward and toward the door.
Claudia came behind them, followed by one of the officers. The other one remained in the lobby, talking to the two Chinese guards.
The captain put Javin in the back of the nearest police hatchback, then sat in the driver’s seat.
Claudia and the officer climbed in the second car.
Castellini put the car in gear and drove toward the east, in the direction of the Saint Nicholas Cathedral.
As soon as he rounded the corner, and they were away from the eyes of the Chinese guards, Javin smiled at the captain and said, “Can you cut these off, now that the stunt is over?”
Chapter Thirty
Outside Hotel de Paris
Monte Carlo, Monaco
Castellini pulled a knife from his waistband sheath, while Javin wiggled in his seat, turning his back toward the police officer.
Unknown to the Chinese guards, Castellini and the other two officers worked for the General Intelligence Division of the Monaco Police. A mutual friend had put Javin in touch with Castellini. Their supervisors had reviewed the operation and had given it the green light, albeit it not without much hesitation and concern.
Castellini sliced off the handcuffs, and Javin rubbed his reddened wrists. “Thank you. That went really well. Now, stop, so I can come to the front.”
The captain stopped, and Javin got out of the car. He glanced behind them and waved at the second police officer, who honked the horn in reply.
“Did they beat you up?” Castellini asked as Javin was strapping his seatbelt.
“I wouldn’t say ‘beat up.’ The guard kicks like a little girl.”
“And Claudia?”
“She got roughed up a bit. I’m sure she’ll make them pay.”
“We’ll all make them pay.”
“Your guy back at the hotel, is he going to keep the two guards there?”
Castellini nodded. “Yes, he’ll occupy them with paperwork. Gather their statements. They’ll be no obstacle.”
Javin nodded.
“But Liu still has plenty of men…” the captain said.
“They’ll be no obstacle.”
Castellini searched Javin’s face, but he said nothing else. He couldn’t share other details of the operation, apart from what Castellini needed to know.
The captain waited for an answer, and, when he realized one was not forthcoming, he said, “How are you getting through security?”
Javin offered a small smile. “Captain, you and your men have been extremely helpful.”
Castellini frowned. “But you aren’t going to tell me…”
“I’m afraid not. But I can tell you that I have a good handle on things.” I hope.
Castellini nodded. “Okay, let me know if you need anything.”
“Just get us to the cathedral and drop us off at the agreed-upon place.”
Castellini shifted gears and turned the wheel.
“Do you have everything we need?”
“It’s in the trunk.”
“Good.”
Javin pulled out his phone and typed on a few keys. A detailed map of the area appeared on the screen, along with two dots. The first one, green, indicated the position of Javin, as provided by the GPS-enabled phone, and they were moving southeast.
The second dot, red, indicated the position of Liu, or at least his driver. He was the guard who had retrieved Javin’s Sig Sauer pistol. Shortly before leaving Beijing, one of the hackers had hidden a small GPS device inside the pistol’s grip. As long as the guard kept the pistol on him, Javin would know the man’s location. Liu never ventured too far away from his guards.
That cut both ways: While Javin would have no problem locating Liu, extracting him from the wedding under the watchful eyes of his guards and without ruffling the Russian security feathers—that would be the major problem.
Javin had a plan, and he prayed it would work. It was old school, but sometimes old school was the best. A face cloth soaked with isoflurane to ensure Liu was incapacitated, then Claudia would assist Javin in carrying the body to one of the Russian security vehicles parked near the cathedral’s back door.
When the vehicle reached Place du Palais Street, a few supercars were parked to the right. There were Lamborghinis and Ferraris and Bugattis. The Russian oligarch had invited business partners from Saudi Arabia, India, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, all over the world. There would be more security around the cathedral than even around Monaco’s Prince Palace, just two blocks away.
Castellini slowed down as men and women dressed like superstars crossed the narrow street. The celebration had attracted curious onlookers and tourists, who had begun to fill the sidewalks.
Javin glanced up ahead and to the left. A couple of black Land Rovers had blocked most of the area that led into the narrow Rue Colonel Bellando de Castro, which snaked around the cathedral. “This is as far as I can go.” Castellini gestured with his hand. “From here on, you’re on your own.”
Javin nodded. “I appreciate it all.”
“Hope it goes your way.”
“It will.”
He shook hands with Castellini and stepped outside. The captain popped the trunk, and Javin picked up the large black duffel bag that had everything he needed. He glanced at his wristwatch. He had about twenty minutes before the ceremony started.
He looked behind until he found Claudia on the sidewalk. She gave him a small, almost imperceptible nod.
Javin turned around and hurried through the crowd, careful not to attract any attention. He didn’t look like any of the guests or the guards. Maybe one of the staff? He grinned. Soon.
He entered one of the cafés and headed straight for the washroom. He quickly changed into a black priest’s robe, complete with a red belt and white collar. He put on the waistband holster with a loaded Beretta 92FS and an extra fifteen-round magazine in the pouch. He kept the pants and the shirt along with the bulletproof vest underneath the robe. You never know when you might need it…
He walked slowly to the checkpoint carrying a thick leather-bound Bible. When he was a few feet away, one of the guards—a tall man towering about a foot over Javin—gave him a dismissive glare, as if Javin was at the wrong place. “What do you want?” the Russian boomed in a deep voice in a heavily accented English.
“I work here, and I’m on the list.” Javin tipped his head toward the other guard holding a tablet. “Father Abate.”
The Russian measured him up. “Really? You don’t look like a father to me…”
“Is your name Thomas?” Javin asked.
The Russian guard gave him a confused look. “No, it’s not.”
“So why are you doubting then?”
The guard took a moment to connect the dots. “Oh, I get it. You’re making a joke. Funny father.” His voice clearly expressed his displeasure, as he pointed with his head toward the other guard.
“Yes, but he is on the list.”
“Really?”
“Yes, he works here.”
Javin nodded. “I work here.” At least today.
He was telling the truth, something that rarely happened in his job.
“All right, Father. Go on, then.” The guard stepped to the side.
“God bless you, my child.” Javin said in an almost solemn tone, then walked through the checkpoint.
Several guests had been allowed to drive through, and their supercars were parked along Rue Colonel Bellando de Castro. Javin looked for Liu’s Lamborghini convertible and found it near the top of the street. None of Liu’s guards were around the supercar, and Javin saw no Asians in that area.
He hurried his pace as he came near the cathedral. The area in front of it was clear of cars, except for a couple of black Land Rovers and a white stretch limousine decorated with red and gold ribbons. A horde of security staff was spread around them. Javin counted at least twenty, mostly dressed in black or gray suits, and a few in white thobes, the traditional long robes worn in some Middle Eastern countries. Javin suspected most of them were Russians, and he knew they were all armed, although none were brandishing their weapons. A forced exit in this direction would send him straight into a barrage of bullets. Javin shook his head. Glad this isn’t part of the plan.
He had taken a few more steps and was ready to step inside the cathedral when his phone beeped with a strange signal. He pulled it out of the robe’s pocket, and his jaw almost dropped to the ground. The two dots were almost next to one another. Liu’s guard carrying Javin’s weapon was five, maybe six yards away from him. Is he inside the cathedral?
Javin heard loud Chinese shouting and recognized Liu’s angry voice. Then he heard rushed steps coming toward him from around the corner, four yards up ahead.
Javin had no time to hide.
So he leaned against the wall, opened the Bible, and glanced down, praying hard the guard and Liu wouldn’t recognize him.
First the guard, then Liu passed right behind Javin.
They paid no attention to him.
He had barely drawn a breath of relief when he recognized his name among the rapidly spoken Chinese. Why is Liu saying my name? Did they discover the police trick? If that was the case, Javin’s advantage was gone. Liu and his guards would be on high alert for him. They might even warn the Russians.
He felt the opportunity to grab Liu was slipping away.
Javin shook his head and glanced at the millionaire and his guard, who were now about ten yards away. No, I can’t let them go.
Change of plans.
He turned slightly and set the Bible on the ground, along the wall of the cathedral.
A few of the guards were looking in Liu’s direction, but no one was following Javin’s moves. A priest meandering around the cathedral didn’t draw their attention.
So he began to walk behind Liu and the guard, but kept his gaze down, in case they looked over their shoulders.
They didn’t.
Liu was marching uphill and seemed to be going toward his car. The guard was two or three steps behind.
Javin hastened his pace and put his hand inside the robe. His fingers clenched the Beretta’s grip, waiting for the right moment.
It came just as Liu slipped into the Lamborghini’s driver seat. He hadn’t even buckled the seatbelt when he noticed Javin.
Liu’s mouth dropped open, and he couldn’t speak for a second.
That was all Javin needed.
He crossed the short distance separating him from the guard and, with a quick flick of the wrist, pulled out the Beretta pistol. He jammed it in the guard’s back, then whispered, “Don’t move.”
The guard tried to turn around, but Javin hit him hard on the side of the neck, then twisted the guard’s head. He dropped the body next to the Lamborghini.
But his moves hadn’t gone unnoticed.
A couple of the guards had stepped into the street. One had pulled out his pistol and was holding it next to his side.
Liu had recovered from his initial shock. “Help, help, he’s going to kill me,” he screamed at the top of his lungs.
Before Javin could say anything, the guard pointed his gun at Javin.
Other guards also drew their weapons.
What a mess, Javin thought.
“Help, help,” Liu screamed again.
“Let him go,” someone shouted.
Javin dove into the front passenger seat and shoved the pistol into Liu’s temple. “Drive, if you want to live…”
Liu hesitated for a moment.
A gunshot rang out, zipping above Javin’s head.
He wondered if it was a warning shot, or if the gunman missed. “Drive, or they will kill us.”
Liu needed no further encouragement. He turned the steering wheel, and the Lamborghini barrelled downhill.
A couple of bullets skimmed the front of the supercar, lifting sparks.
“They’re shooting at us,” Liu shouted.
It had to be the Russian guards, who couldn’t care less if their bullets hit the Chinese or the priest.
“Just drive.”
He lowered himself in the seat as more bullets struck the sides and the back of the Lamborghini. Two of the black-suited guards who had stepped into the road aimed their pistols at the supercar coming at them.
Javin swung his pistol and fired at their legs, aiming to clear the road. He got the first guard, who fell to the side. But the agent missed the second guard. He squeezed off a quick burst that shattered the windshield.
One of the bullets whizzed in between Javin and Liu. The next one struck Liu in the head. A spray of blood spattered Javin’s face. He glanced at Liu, whose head had fallen to the side.
The Lamborghini picked up speed.
It hit the guard and tossed him up in the air like a rag doll.
Then the supercar began to veer to the right.
As bullets flew around him, Javin gripped the wheel with his left hand. He tried to turn the car, to avoid hitting a group of women and two children who were frozen in panic in front of the cathedral. He dropped the pistol and shoved Liu’s dead body out of the supercar. Then he jerked the wheel again.
Too late.
The Lamborghini climbed over a Porsche parked near the phone booths. It flew through the air like an arrow over the top of the trees. Javin glanced at the hillside below, then at the waters as the supercar continued to fly upwards.
Then it began to nosedive.
Javin sighed and held on to the steering wheel, fighting to stay with the supercar. He looked down at the fast-approaching waters. That’s maybe two hundred feet… He tried to determine the right moment to jump out, so he wouldn’t break bones on impact. He also didn’t want to end up underneath the supercar.
