Chapter 24

Early Wednesday morning, Raiden went to the garage gym and did his martial arts workout. Then he practiced his Stealth Walk, Strikes, and three-finger punches. He returned to his apartment, cleaned up, and unpacked. Raiden gathered his dirty clothes, took them to the dry cleaners, and then went to Denny’s for breakfast. When he finished eating, Raiden drove to the airport and entered the private terminal. The Gulfstream jet arrived ten minutes later, and he went outside.

Dana welcomed him, and they sat at a small conference table. She asked about the op, and Raiden said he needed to adjust the plan. First, he arrived in Berlin after 11 p.m., so arriving at the embassy after midnight would raise red flags, and he’d be watched. So he checked into the hotel, rented a car, and slept until 4 a.m. Then Raiden lied and said he went to the embassy at 5 a.m. and gained access to the ambassador’s office. He told Dana he opened the safe, planted the trackers, and went to the employee lounge.

Raiden told Dana that he ate breakfast and then toured the embassy until 10 a.m. Then he went to his rental car and waited. At 11:30 a.m., a black SUV exited the embassy, and he followed at a distance. The SUV entered an industrial area and parked behind a vacant warehouse. He parked on the street, grabbed the silenced Glock 19, and entered the warehouse. The man in the embassy SUV was arguing with two men and then shot them.

He shot the embassy employee in the foot, causing him to turn around and shot him twice in the chest. Raiden said he put his gun in one of the dead man’s hands and fired it several times. Then, he checked the ID of the embassy employee. He was CIA Station Chief Curtis Brooks, and Dana said holy shit. Raiden agreed and said the ambassador’s daughter, Mindy, was drugged, blindfolded, and tied up in the office. So he used Curtis’s cell phone to call the embassy and gave them the address where to find Mindy.

Dana told Raiden Good job, and they never suspected a CIA officer was involved. They shook hands goodbye, and Raiden headed home. On the way, he called the president’s COS, Glen Lynch. Glen thanked Will Raiden’s alias for calling and said the task force should be ready to go next week. Everyone will be reporting to Senator Jimbo Samuels, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Will said that in that case, he’ll withdraw from the task force but appreciates the offer.

Glen asked why, and Will said it couldn’t be repeated or his job was on the line. Glen promised not to say anything, and Will lied about an informant seeing Jimbo entering a Chicago hotel with a female SVR agent. The informant swore they were acting intimate, going to the elevator. But it’s next to impossible to get surveillance approved on a senator. So, no investigation occurred, and the SVR agent hasn’t been seen since. That’s why he won’t work with or for Senator Jimbo Samuels.

Glen said Oh my god, that’s a serious accusation and Will said he knows, but it’s too credible to ignore. We confirmed he was with a young woman at the hotel that day, but the agents weren’t allowed to pursue it. So, on the side of caution, he wants nothing to do with the pervert, philanderer, and possible traitor. Will thanked him for the opportunity, reminded him to keep their conversation confidential, said goodbye, and then hung up.

Of course, Glen Lynch couldn’t let it go and went to the president. Glen told the president we lost a key part of the Cyber Attack Task Force because of Senator Jimbo Samuels’ involvement. The president asked why Senator Samuels was a problem. Glen said an informant saw Senator Samuels enter a Chicago hotel clutching the arm of a Russian female SVR agent. They got into the elevator to go to a room. There wasn’t enough for the higher-ups to approve an investigation of a senator.

Glen said we were between a rock and a hard place on this issue. He told the president he had promised the task force member not to repeat this story or he’d be fired. But he was adamant he wouldn’t work for or with a pervert, philanderer, and a possible traitor. The president told Glen to get the Secret Service to check Jimbo Samuels’ travel records from when he visited Chicago and what hotel he stayed at. Then, review the hotel video and see if the accusation holds water, and Glen agrees.

Raiden arrived home in time for lunch, and everyone welcomed him. After lunch, Martha and Raiden went to the lab and did an inventory. Then Martha called their order to the supply house, and they ran experiments for the rest of the afternoon. Martha told Raiden she received full payment for the skin lotion from Robin and Rachel Gibson. So, it must have been a one-time thing, but she would keep watching their orders. After cleaning the lab, they went to the house to clean up for dinner.

Thursday morning, Raiden went to his basement workshop and did the homework for his online college courses. Then he went to the dojo, practiced jumping in place, and almost hit the ceiling. He had to find an area to practice with higher ceilings, but there wasn’t an enclosed building like a gym or warehouse around the ranch. He returned to his room, cleaned up, and went to the kitchen. Martha, Carmen, and Sofia were there, and they sat and ate breakfast.

After breakfast, Martha and Raiden went to the lab and picked up eight plastic gallon bottles. Then they went to the stables, saddled the horses, and rode to the boulders through the woods along the hillside. Roxie maneuvered them up the hillside through the boulders to the secret pond. After the horses got a drink, Martha and Raiden walked around the pond and hiked down the hillside to the waterfall. Martha quickly stripped and got under the falls.

She stayed there for fifteen minutes moaning, then exited with erect nipples and clit saying that was saying it was exhilarating. Raiden chuckled, stripped, got under the falls, and exited when he began getting dizzy. He felt rejuvenated while Martha was giggling at his erection. When dry, they dressed, hiked back to the pond, filled the water bottle, and returned to the stables. After caring for the horses, they took the water to the lab and put it in the refrigerator. Then, they returned to the house for lunch.

After lunch, Martha went to the lab, and Raiden went to Owen’s lab under the hidden barn. He searched Owen’s computer, looking at the inventions he developed while working as a defense contractor. He had purchased Owen’s ranch at auction, and the government desperately wanted Owen’s inventions. One caught his attention, and it was like pepper spray, only it blinded the person and made them docile for up to thirty minutes. It also made the subject open to suggestions. Owen called it “Blackout.”

Raiden went to the store room and found four cases of it. The cases were marked for military use only. They were small aerosol containers that would fit in a pocket or purse and had a clip for a belt. The containers had a protective lid on the spray tip so it wouldn’t discharge accidentally. He grabbed a dozen containers and returned home. Raiden put six “Blackout” containers in his Tahoe and six in his workshop.

Then Dana called and said he had a new assignment, and a FedEx envelope would be at his apartment Saturday morning by 10 a.m. Raiden returned to his room, showered, put on his robe, and went to the kitchen for dinner. Once Ria and Tia arrived, everyone sat and ate. When they finished, Raiden said goodnight and went to bed.

Raiden went to his dojo in the basement early Friday morning and did his martial arts workout. Then he practiced his Stealth Walk, Strikes, and three-finger punches. Raiden returned to his room, showered, dressed, and went to the kitchen. Martha, Sofia, and Carmen were going over the grocery list, and he joined them and ate breakfast.