Shattered Lies (Web of Lies #3)(70)
28
To say the director of the FBI, the administrator of the DEA, and the attorney general caused a commotion as they strode into Lancy’s was an understatement. Even Lizzy was shocked by the show of authority. She’d expected Kirby, but Janet Salinger, the head of the DEA, and William Knoll, Attorney General of the United States, were enough to have the recruits practically falling out of their chairs.
“It’s like the holy trinity of federal law enforcement,” Valeria whispered as she watched them in full buddy-buddy mode, shaking hands with recruits and smiling as if a war hadn’t just been declared.
Knoll chuckled to a group surrounding them. “No, we were just here for a meeting about the DEA and FBI training facilities. Nothing exciting, but making sure you all are getting everything you need during training before sending you out to fight for justice.”
“He’s good,” Valeria said as her lips turned up in an amused smile.
Janet Salinger was something of a hero to Valeria. She’d just been appointed the administrator of the DEA and had fought tooth and nail up the ranks. She wasn’t a politician. She was an experienced agent.
“Are you Valeria McGregor?” Janet asked, taking a seat at the bar, letting Knoll and Kirby handle the trainees.
“Yes, ma’am,” Valeria said, showing her the respect she’d earned. Janet’s dark brown skin glowed with the excitement of the upcoming fight. Her black hair was slicked back around her face into a bun. Instead of wearing a suit like Kirby and Knoll, she was in jeans, a black T-shirt, and a pair of combat boots. Valeria had feared Janet would never live up to her reputation, but so far she exceeded it.
“I have something for you.” Janet set a badge and gun onto the polished bar top along with a piece of paper and pushed it toward Val. “That’s an order signed by Mexico, granting the DEA and FBI joint task force on drugs access into the country with the objective of taking Manuel Hernandez and Roland Westwood into custody.”
“How did you get this?” Valeria asked, amazed. She’d tried to work with local Mexican officials many times with no success.
“There’s a rumor that Manuel wants to run for president.” Janet smiled in such a way Valeria knew how that rumor started. “The current president is happy to cooperate. Do you know where they are in Mexico?”
“No, but we have a plan to find out.”
“Welcome back, Valeria. You never should have been fired in the first place. Know your old office has been cleaned. The job to run it is open if you’re interested.” Janet set her elbows on the bar top and looked at Val as if she were measuring her up.
“I’ll think about it. Right now I have another job to do first.”
Janet smiled approvingly. “Good. Then let’s get this party started.”
“You’re coming along?”
“Sure am. So is Kirby and Knoll. There’s no way any of this will fall apart in the judicial system. Not with us as witnesses. I’m with your team. Kirby and Knoll will be with Delta team.”
“Okay, let’s do it.”
* * *
The bar must have thought they were crazy. There was no other explanation for the attorney general, the director of the FBI, the administrator of the DEA, Lizzy, Dalton, Valeria, Grant, Alex, and Roxie to be crammed into the small storage room.
Everyone was shoulder to shoulder around the edge of the room as Lizzy, Dalton, Valeria, and Grant stood in the center of the room.
“Okay, here’s the game plan,” Lizzy said, holding up a cell phone she’d retrieved from a vodka case. “This phone belonged to Dan March. I’m sure there’s a tracking app on it. There’s never been a body found. Mollia Domini will come if we turn this on. And that’s what I’m hoping.”
“You want them to come to us, so we have home field advantage?” Kirby asked.
“Yes and no,” Lizzy began. “I have a good idea where Roland Westwood and Manuel Hernandez are, based on previous tracking. There’s a compound via tunnels from the US into Mexico. I want the phone to be turned on and Alex and Roxie to track the GPS signal being sent from the phone. I want to know who’s retrieving it. I’m betting it’s someone in Mexico. Then I want that phone mined for all intelligence while we go into Mexico via the same tunnels I think Manuel’s men will come out.”
“It’s a diversion,” Janet said, smiling. She was in her late forties but hadn’t developed the politician softness that Kirby had. She still looked as if she could handle herself in a shootout, especially with the three guns Lizzy had been able to spot on her so far.
“Yes,” Lizzy answered. “I need the bees to leave the hive.”
“Where do you want us?” Kirby asked.
“San Diego.”
* * *
Tate rested her head on Birch’s shoulder. They sat on the couch in the Treaty Room in the middle of the night as Lizzy and her team flew to California. The White House was quiet at this time of early morning, especially in the residence. Crew was sleeping in a nearby chair. He’d been asked to keep an eye on her and Birch while the group of agents and Lizzy’s team took a military plane. They’d be arriving in an hour.
She and Birch had thought about going to bed, but they couldn’t. Not when their friends were walking into the lion’s den. Instead, they found themselves sitting in the Treaty Room with the televisions on silent, waiting to see if there was a leak in the handpicked team sent to collect Manuel Hernandez and Roland Westwood.