Carlie Simmons (Book 2): In Too Deep Read Free Page B

psyche.
    “All these years and you still remember
my last name. That’s good. I haven’t forgotten yours and knew you’d still have
your hands in the bioweapons field somehow, even if it’s for humanitarian reasons,” the man said with sarcasm in his voice. “The agency thought it best
that I head up this new operation once they received some significant intel
that I know is going to interest you,” Viktor said with a Georgian dialect. “And
you will want to be in on this too, trust me. In fact, we need you, of all
people, on this venture.”
    A neighbor walked by Pavel’s house,
nodding at him, and he forced out a smile while waving a trembling hand back.
“I have tried to forget what we did all those years ago slaving away for the empire ,”
Pavel said. “It’s only my work as an inspector that has allowed me to partly atone
for my sins. I don’t want anything to do with you or any clandestine agencies anymore,
there are too many memories of the horrors we almost unleashed on the world.”
    “Well, this time, we can finally put to
rest the last great mystery that has plagued us both for so many years and be
done for good with those horrors.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “KAD97—that’s what I mean, Pavel. The final
site has been located after all these decades. Last night a military base
intercepted a transmission from a group of smugglers in the tropics. The call
indicated the discovery of a mass grave in a remote section of jungle. Some of
the corpses had Soviet-era clothing typical of the early Cold War years and
each body bore a complexion with unusual facial features. The most astounding
thing was that there was very little decay in the corpses that had been buried
for over fifty years.”
    Pavel raised a hand to his mouth while
he felt the blood rush to his temples. He forced himself to inhale and pushed
the phone closer to his ear as if wanting to climb through to the other side.
“How is that possible? The location of that site was rumored to have died with
the last scientist involved and even I thought it had been a legend.”
    “I can’t tell you anymore unless you are
in on this with me and the rest of my rapid-response team. We pull out the day
after tomorrow.”
    Pavel opened the door and looked back
inside for signs of his wife. Standing beside his tea cup, he slid his finger
along the rim of the porcelain while staring down into its amber-colored
contents.
    “Did you hear me, Pavel? I can use your
help on this. We can bury this one last mystery for good.”
    Pavel took a deep breath and pushed the
cup away. “Alright, where to? At least tell me that?”
    “Better pack a hammock; we’re going to
the Caribbean. That’s all I can say for now.”

 
    Chapter 3
     
    Four hours after arriving, Carlie was
escorted by a Secret Service agent down a maze of corridors to a lower level where
the president’s ad-hoc office was situated. She didn’t recognize the agent and
figured he was probably the last of the president’s Personal Protection Detail
out of Washington. The burly black figure had introduced himself as Agent
Willis after extending his large hand which resembled a baseball mitt compared
to hers. After passing through two security checkpoints with armed soldiers
standing before sliding vault doors, she emerged in a circular room once used
as a missile guidance control center. Lining the walls were crates of food, water
barrels, and trauma supplies.
    Willis spoke into the semi-concealed microphone
in his sleeve and then motioned Carlie to move towards a set of steel doors
ahead.
    “He’s ready to see you now,” said the agent
as he opened the thick double doors and led her inside. Willis took up a casual
standing position alongside the right wall which was standard observation
protocol for asset protection. Carlie knew the agent would stay just outside of
her peripheral vision so she couldn’t see his hands move in the event he needed
to withdraw his weapon quickly. It gave