Pursuit of the Patriarchs

Chapter 4

The common, black van with blacked out windows was in position as Simeon walked down a street filled with only Donna's people. He stammered as if drunk and no one gave the appearance of paying him any attention. Just as the people of London had grown accustomed to treating the homeless as if they didn't exist so too did the people of Brighton.

Simeon hadn't made it easy to plan an ambush. His training was solid, but his cover limited him to where he could go. It was his own fault. The faking of his death meant he couldn't risk being seen by recruiters, handlers, or spies. Any populated place was a danger to his being discovered.

Two men dressed as homeless stumbled behind him and slowly closed their distance. The van remained out of sight as two of Donna's people took aim from elevated windows of an abandoned factory with sniper rifles carrying darts aiming for Simeon's head ready to squeeze the triggers that would each deliver three bursts. With someone as highly trained as Simeon, they were taking no chances.

Donna gave the order to fire. Simeon's tried to run when he felt the darts enter his flesh, but the drugs were acting too quick for him to do anything other than fall forward. They used his own cover of being drunk to their advantage. Even if someone had stumbled upon them, no one noticed him falling and paid no attention to the two who rushed from behind.

The van pulled forward and door opened in the back just as the two who'd been behind Simeon picked him up by his arms and dragged him inside. Doors closed and the van drove off without drawing attention. Despite what the books and movies claim about taking someone like that, there was no speeding off, since speeding off drew unwanted attention.

The camera angle changed to the interior of the van where one of the greatest tools of the spy trade was used to bind and cover his mouth. Duct tape may not be pleasant when it was torn off, but it was effective at silencing and keeping someone from going anywhere. As he continued to sleep, a black bag was placed over his head and body hidden beneath a false floor designed for abducting dangerous people with air running through to keep him from suffocating.

The monitor gave an overhead view from a drone that followed them from a safe distance until they entered a garage that specialized in van repairs. Inside were six vans of varying colors that were waiting for them. The packages within was legitimate cargo and all drivers were ready in case they were pulled over with all the right paperwork.

At the press of a button, the van lowered beneath the garage floor and the waiting drivers left the building. If anyone was watching, they would never see the real van leave. Anyone searching would assume that Simeon was on one of the other vans.

Deep beneath the ground was a mile of concrete tunnel built between the two World Wars that had been forgotten by just about everyone, just as the elevator had. They used a reinforced shaft to bring the van into the depths. Metal doors opened at the bottom to reveal the entrance was more than big enough for the van.

Several people rushed out of the massive entrance to push the van into the tunnel and the door closed behind them. There was a slight incline that enabled them to push without having to start the engine. Drifting a mile was going to be an agonizing wait from their base beneath a local farm owned by people who had no idea they were there.

While they waited at the other end, Donna decided she needed to pass the time by focusing on something that had nothing to do with the unanswered questions. "Johnathon, if you suspected chemical weapons being built in St. Petersburg, Russia, how would you handle the infiltration of the factory."

Johnathon considered what he'd been asked. "Interesting question. Am I dealing with GRU or the Russian mob?"

She thought through the options for a few seconds. "The source isn't certain."

He watched the monitor as the van inched forward. "How reliable is the source?"

A brief moment's hesitation. "Very reliable."

His mind began running through scenarios. "Not knowing who we're dealing with isn't a problem. Both do extensive background checks and are very thorough. They tend to torture people before killing them if there's any doubt. There's no way to infiltrate the factory with the time needed."

She chuckled. "You're just giving up on the factory?"

Johnathon shrugged his shoulders. "No need to infiltrate the factory. If the informant is reliable, should be able to tell us who the plant manager is. Everyone has secrets. Find his secrets and blackmail him. Far more effective than working deep cover in hopes someone doesn't get suspicious."

Donna was a little shocked. "You think it would really be that easy?"

He nodded as he tried to will the van to move faster. "I do. This isn't a time of grainy images from spy planes and satellites. Doesn't matter if they're GRU or the mob behind it. Can't just build a chemical plant without anyone finding out about it today. They have to use an existing one with the people who already work there.

"Most of the plant would be running as normal, including keeping the plant manager. Sudden dismissal would raise too many flags, which they wouldn't want."

She groaned. "You're right. They wouldn't want the attention. But that doesn't mean the plant manager would have any idea what's going on. Wouldn't it be better to find out who's new to the plant?"

Johnathon smiled. "Just as dangerous as infiltrating the factory. Anyone new is going to be from whichever organization's behind the suspected weapons development.

"It has to be the plant manager. He probably has no idea what's going on and certainly isn't going to ask questions, but he would be aware of new goods coming in. A little blackmail goes a long way to find out what's being delivered that shouldn't be."

The groan was longer. "And this being Russia, there's going to be something that can be used for blackmail."

Soft thuds started to come from the audio in the van, which pulled their attention away from the thought exercise of Russia and chemical weapons. Simeon was awake and judging by just how hard he was kicking and pounding his fists, he was no longer secure.

This wasn't some unexpected development. They didn't have time to check him for weapons before putting him the hidden space. He wouldn't be a good spy if he didn't have something at the ready.

It didn't matter if he was free or taped. There was no getting out. Simeon was stuck there until Donna's people freed him.

Alerts came from the van drivers as the local police started pulling them over before any had a chance to get to their first destination. It didn't mean the local police had any idea what was going on as far as plots go, but simply following orders.

The stops were being orchestrated and the searches thorough. There was just one thing that surprised Johnathon. It had taken longer than it should've, which means whoever was watching didn't have the authority to act. It had to be passed to someone who did.