Wrong Place (The Wrong Series) (21 page)

Nathan was then dragged to the front of another cell. One of the guards opened the door and the other threw him inside. There
, on the bed lay Sam. She was still asleep from the tranquilizer. Nathan got to his feet and ran to her side.

“Wake
up,” Nathan said while stroking her hair gently.

She slowly opened her eyes.

“Where are we?” Sam asked.

“I don’
t know, but I’ve already been questioned. I didn’t give them anything, but I’m pretty sure that things are about to get really bad.”

“They didn’t
hurt you, did they?”

“No
, but I think they’re probably going to hurt all of us if one of us doesn’t tell them what they want to hear soon.”

Sam sat up in the bed. She looked defeated. Everything
she had done was a waste of time, or so she thought.

“I can’t believe we went through all that trouble to get and decrypt that device
, and now they have it,” Sam said sadly.

“Well
, about that, I don’t think that they do.”

“What do you mean?
How could they not have it?”

“When I was being questioned
, a man named Jeffery asked me where the device was. I don’t know how they don’t have it, but apparently they don’t.”

The d
oor creaked open, and Jeffery, along with four other men, entered. Two of them grabbed Nathan and pulled him into a corner away from Sam. The other two grabbed Sam.

“It’s
a shame that this is the one you’re the most attached to. It looks like she’s already been through quite an ordeal,” Jeffery said while examining the obvious injuries to Sam’s face.

“L
eave her alone, or I’ll kill you!” Nathan screamed.

“It’s okay
, Nathan. I’m going to be fine. Just stay strong,” Sam said.

“No
, Nathan, it’s not going to be okay. If you don’t start talking, Samantha’s going to die. Slowly! And I’m going to enjoy every single moment of it,” Jeffery said with a smile.

“
What do you want to know? I’ll tell you whatever you want to know,” Nathan said.

“Once again
, did anyone make a copy of our files?”

“No. I swear.”

“Okay
. You’re doing well. Where’s the flash drive?”

“I honestly don’t
know. It should have been in plain view site.”

“See
, I don’t believe that,” Jeffery said while taking out a knife from his pocket.

Jeffery then walked o
ver to Sam and took her hand. He placed the blade against her right index finger.

“What a
re you doing?” Nathan asked.

“If you don’t give me the information
I need, I’m going to chop this girl’s finger off.”

“I really don’t know the ans
wer to your question. There’s no way I would lie in this situation.”

Jeffery began to sink the blade into Sam’s finger. The blade had sunk through her skin and was now directly on the bone.
Sam winced in pain but was trying to appear strong.

“Wait! How many of us do you have?” Nathan asked.

“We have four of you and then one of our agents who you kidnapped. Why?” Jeffery asked.

“
There were five of us. The flash drive is probably with the fifth person.”

Upon hearing this new information, Jeffery removed the blade from Sam’s finger.

“Would this fifth person be
named Lee Higgins, by any chance?”

Nathan didn’t speak but the look on his face and his silence spoke volumes.

“I see. We thought that it was strange that he wasn’t there when we had been told he was involved,” Jeffery said while walking to the door.

“What a
re you going to do with us now?” Nathan asked.

“Nothing
, at the moment. Ms. Morris had been rather insistent that she be allowed to have some fun with all of you before you’re killed. Why did you kidnap her anyway?”

Nathan had no idea what to say at that moment.
He just froze.

“We figured
she could give us important insight about our enemy, considering that she was one of them,” Sam said to quickly pick up the slack that was created by Nathan.

Jeffery looked slightly suspicious for a moment but then shrugged.

“I suppose that’s smart. I’ll let you two stay together, as I’m not completely heartless. If you really care about her enough to sell out your entire operation over one finger, Nathan, then you two should be able to spend your last hours together,” Jeffery said while exiting the cell.

“Are you okay?” Nathan asked
as he ran to Sam.

“I’m fine
, but you really shouldn’t have said anything about Lee,” Sam said.

“He was going to cu
t your finger off! What was I supposed to do?”

“It doesn’t matter
. We’re pretty much screwed anyway. Maybe Lee can finish decrypting the flash drive and do some good with it.”

“Don’t talk lik
e that. We’re going to be okay.”

“I don’t think that we are. I’m
really sorry that I got you involved in this.”

“Hey
, I’m telling you that we’re going to be fine! Please just trust me. Trish, Lee, and your friend Jason are still out there. There’s still hope.”

He was
trying to be encouraging in an almost impossible situation. He didn’t know if things were going to be okay, but he knew that Sam needed to be able to hope right now. If he didn’t have a cool head, then she wouldn’t either.

“I sure hope
that you’re right,” Sam said.

* * * * *

Dan was just getting off the plane in Memphis when he was approached by a familiar face.

“Zane?” Dan asked
in surprise.

“It’s nice to see you again
, Mr. Driver. I got a call from Jason telling me that you may need some help,” Zane said.

“Thank
you. I don’t even know how I’m going to get to Fields, so I could use all the help that I can get.”

“Don’t worry because I have something in
mind that will get you in direct contact with Fields.”

“What d
id you have in mind?”

“Oh
, you’ll see. Let’s just say that I was quite the sharpshooter back in my day,” Zane said and winked.

Chapter 21

While riding back to his house
, Zane recounted everything in his life that had led him to this point. Zane was originally in the army, and thanks to his excellent aim and determination, it didn’t take him too long before he was promoted to Special Forces. Zane was a Green Beret. He had fought in two wars and worked in cooperation with the CIA during part of the Cold War. By the time he was thirty-five years old, he had done everything from fight in war, deliver mysterious packages, and even eliminate individual targets for the CIA. He had done it all, and he had a good enough aim mixed with incredible logical and planning skills to think that he could continue to do what he loved forever. Like all good things, his time, too, had to end. As age crept up on him, the number of assignments he got dwindled. Eventually, when he entered his mid-forties, the word he dreaded most started to be thrown around. That word was retirement. It’s not that he necessarily had to retire. There was the option to take some cushy desk job, but that kind of life just wasn’t suited to Zane’s skill set. He often felt as if he were born to do what he did and almost nothing else. Here he was, a forty-six year old man with no friends and no family. He had given his whole life to the service of his country, and how were they going to repay him? With a retirement that he didn’t want, a little cash, and some good luck wishes. It simply wasn’t right. Zane quit. He wanted to tell them where they could shove their retirement check, but the soldier in him kept him from speaking to his commanding officers in such a manner. Afterward, he took all his experience and applied for a position at the CIA. It was a difficult decision because he hadn’t exactly had the best time with the CIA in the past, but at this point, he felt it was his only option. The majority of CIA agents were pulled from former Special Forces and military personnel who were between twenty-five and thirty years old. They would be both in the prime of their lives physically and old enough to have seen plenty of combat.  It was a long shot that anyone would let him into the field and he knew it, but at least there was a small chance. Any chance was enough for Zane to try. He used the contacts he knew from when he was working in cooperation with the CIA and was able to submit a resume.

Back at the CIA base in
Washington, a twenty-six year old Jason was getting his first opportunity to work as a handler at the same time that Zane was trying to continue his career. In truth, he hadn’t wanted the job. Jason had hoped to work in the field, but his distinct ability to coordinate things, and his people skills had landed him here. It wasn’t all that bad, though. Since he was new, he got to pick his own team. He would pull from many new military and Special Forces hopefuls. He had been handed over a hundred profiles on potential agents, and he was supposed to pick only five to start his little branch of agents. It would have normally been a headache to most people, but it was an interesting challenge to Jason. He loved the idea of choosing the people he would be working with, but honestly, with very little experience around actual soldiers, it was quite challenging for him. As he looked through the files, one particular profile stood out to him. That profile was none other than Zane Green’s file. At first, the file didn’t stand out for any good reasons. Isn’t this guy a little old for this line of work, Jason wondered. As he researched Zane, he realized who this man truly was. Zane was the most useful tool in the shed, but unfortunately like most old tools, once he began to rust he was thrown to the side and replaced by another shiny tool. The things this guy must have seen, Jason thought as he read through all of the operations that Zane had been involved in through the years. Jason had decided. He wanted this relic of the past on his team in some form. He walked into John Campbell’s office and handed him the file.

“I want to interview this man,” Jason said.

“This isn’t really the smartest choice. When I told you that you could form your own team, I didn’t think you would use those picks to start a retirement community,” Campbell said while passing the file back to him.

“Look
, I’m not stupid. He won’t serve in the field. He’ll be more of a supplier who moves from place to place as we need him.”

“
You’re going to use your first pick on a supplier? We have plenty of suppliers already. Think about your choice a little more. I think you’re being a bit rash right now.”

“Sir
, do you watch basketball?” Jason asked.

“Yes
, but what does that have to do with anything?”

“If you were going to put together a
professional basketball team, what kind of player would you pick first?”

“Well, I suppose I would pick the youngest, biggest, and mo
st athletic center I could find.”

“See
, that’s where we differ from one another, sir. I would pick the best point guard I could find. A point guard’s job is to distribute the ball to everyone else at exactly the right time. A good point guard will make everyone else on the court play with an increased ten percent output than they normally would. A good point guard, when absolutely necessary, can also score. I believe that Zane Green can be my point guard. With all of his experience, he’ll make my other agents better, and it’s my belief that working with him may even make me better at my job. I also think that when push comes to shove and things get really bad, Zane can still score.”

“Fine, I see
that you’ve thought about this a lot and that I can’t change your mind. I’ll have him in here tomorrow.”

“Thank you
, sir,” Jason said.

The fo
llowing day Zane found his way to Jason Ellis’s office. I’m interviewing with a child? This is just demeaning, Zane thought to himself at the time.

“Mr. Green
, I see that you have had a lot of combat experience, and I would like to offer you a job as a sort of supply man,” Jason said.

“What do you mean?” Zane asked.

“You would go into certain areas posing as a normal man who had just moved in, and when we have agents in that area, you would give them any support they need.”

“Wha
t kind of support?”

“Sometimes it could be
weapons. At other times, it could simply be that they need a place to sleep.”

“Okay
, thank you for the offer, but I didn’t submit a resume to end up being a glorified babysitter to agents. I submitted one to be an actual agent,” Zane said as he started to get up and leave.

“Wait!” Jason said while jumping
up out of his seat.

“What is it?”

“Just hear me out. I know that you would rather be in the field, but I simply wouldn’t be allowed to put a man of your age in the field. The truth is that the main reason I picked you out of the large number of candidates that were available to me is your experience and knowledge. If you at least consider my proposal, I’ll try to throw you a bone as often as I can.”

“What do you mean
you’ll throw me a bone?”

“A lot of the time
we need more than one agent in an area at one time. When that’s the case, I’ll always send one too few, and you can take more of an active role in whatever operation we’re conducting.”

“How often will that happen?” Zane asked.

“Honestly, it will probably only happen five to ten percent of the time, but it’s the best I can do. It’s already more than I’m supposed to do.”

“No
, thanks,” Zane said as he walked out the door.

He stopped right outside the door and turned back toward the doorway
. Something was bothering him. Why does this kid care if I’m here or not, he wondered. He walked back inside the office and sat down.

“Why do you care so
much about me being here anyway?” Zane asked him plainly.

“Because
everyone in this place sees talent in only a few ways. They see the super athletic army guy who broke a ton of records in basic training. They see me, the smart planner. When they look at people like you, they see an old relic. I see experience, and I want that knowledge that I believe you have gained through all your experience on my side.”

“I’ll do it,” Zane said.

Zane really didn’t want this job, but it was the best offer he was going to get, and he knew it. It didn’t hurt that he had finally found someone who appreciated what he had to offer either.

“Really? T
hat’s great!”

“When
do I start?”

“You can start right now if you want to. I have to pick four
more agents. If you would like to help me out, I would really appreciate it.”

“Sure,” Zane
said.

Zane knew
a little something about judging a soldier’s worth. There was more to picking the perfect soldier than looking at their size, records, and educational background. Heart, loyalty, and eagerness would take a man further in this world than anything else.

“I like this guy,” Zane said after going through the files for a little while.

“I don’t know about him. He’s in our second tier of candidates.”

“Why is that?
”

“He has an excellent record
, but he’s a little small. He also has big problems with authority figures.”

“You see a man with a few problems
, but I see a man with a lot of things to prove. He’s small, but he’s also a smaller target for someone to shoot at. He would not be suspected of being a threat because of his size. That, within itself, gives him a certain element of surprise. As for the authority issues, I have no problem with that. From what I’ve read, he’s simply a man who gets the job done and hates when authority figures get in his way. I don’t think he’ll have that problem with you. I believe that you’ll let him do his job in the way that he knows how to.”

Jason took the file from Zane and took a closer look at it.

“Well then, I suppose we have our second agent. Welcome aboard, Dan Driver,” Jason said with a smile.

Over the years
, Zane had supported many agents and even been involved directly in a few operations just as Jason had promised, but his most important role had been in mentoring Jason. He had been Jason’s sounding board over the years, and even after eleven long years, Jason still called him for advice from time to time. Ironically, he had never even been in contact with the troubled agent he picked so many years ago until recently. Dan was an excellent pick, Zane thought to himself. It wasn’t every man who would just pick up and leave in the middle of the night to go on a mission that wasn’t even sanctioned. His disrespect for authority when the authority was wrong had certainly been useful of late.

“You haven’t
said very much since I got here. What are you thinking so intently about?” Dan asked.

“Oh, nothing,” Zane responded.

“So what’s this about you being a sharpshooter, and what does it have to do with us getting Fields?”

“I know where he lives. It’s
just a few minutes outside of Silver Springs in a heavily wooded area. He’ll probably have some security. You’ll sneak up to his house tonight and ask him whatever you need to ask him, and if you’re caught, I’ll even the odds for you.”

“I don’t mean to offend you
, but at your age, are you sure you can just mosey up and take out the bad guys?”

Zane laughed
at Dan’s comment. A few years ago a comment like this one would have angered him, but he had gotten used to people talking about his age. He had learned to laugh it off when someone made an inappropriate comment such as this one. 

“I told you that I was a sharp
shooter back in my day. I’ll wait in the woods and pick off people, if it’s necessary. If you keep referencing my age, though, I may just get too old to steady my aim,” Zane said and smiled.

“Oh
, I’m sorry.”

“No problem. So what do you t
hink of that plan?”

“It’s simple
, and it allows me to sleep off this jet lag before tonight, therefore, I love it.”

As the two of them pulled up to Zane’s house and went inside
, Dan went straight to the guest bedroom and lay down.

* * * * *

In Orlando, Jason’s plane had landed, and he was exiting the plane. As he entered the terminal, he saw a large African American man and asked, “Lee?”

“No,” the man responded.

Jason looked all around until he spotted a man sitting in the corner in a chair. The man was sleeping, but he fit Lee’s description. He cautiously walked over to him and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Excuse me
, but are you Lee Higgins?” Jason asked.

The tired man slowly opened his eyes
.

“I am. You’re
much older than I thought you would be.”

“Well
, thanks a lot,” Jason said and laughed.

At
the age of thirty-seven, he was just starting to have an idea of how Zane must have felt all those years before.

“Oh
, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude. So where are we going?”