The Pact - Episode 7 E-Book

Christian Marshall

• Herausgeber: Bastei Lübbe
• Kategorie: Abenteuer, Thriller, Horror
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 108

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

EPISODE 7 OF 8: Determined to gather evidence confirming Brick's traitorous activities, NBS agent Arthur Hall with the help of new agents Felicity Wilson, and Dr. Leah Carlsson begins organizing a sting, one he hopes will also expose Brick's rogue contact deep within NBS, whom he believes is Agent Sullivan. Meanwhile, with Project Tessarap nearly finished, Mr. Andrew Lennox, head of The Syndicate's high-class prostitution ring, is planning a test-run of the organic thin-film transistors capable of stealing sensitive data from cell phones. Lennox invites Felicity to join his business dinner with TriMark's Dr. Adams to serve as a distraction. But she secretly has her own personal mission that evening: to seduce Brick, and place a transistor on his phone, trusting it will provide Agent Hall with the evidence he needs to incriminate him. Just as Agent Hall's plan begins to take shape, Felicity is made a startling offer. Will she question her own morality? More importantly, can she keep the pact? -- ABOUT THE SERIES: NBS agents are trained for one purpose: bringing down The Syndicate, an international crime organization aimed at profiteering by keeping countries at war with one another. When an NBS agent is murdered shortly before her first assignment, five new recruits quickly realize the agency they're working for may not be as trustworthy as it seems, forcing them to make a pact in order to survive. Can the new agents stay alive long enough to uncover the truth behind their fellow recruit's death? Or is finding answers hidden deep within both organizations tempting enough to make one of them break the pact? -- For fans of Robert Ludlum, THE BOURNE IDENTITY, John le Carré, THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD, Daniel Silva, THE UNLIKELY SPY and HOMELAND. -- Christian Liberty Marshall is an Austrian-based writer, and musician with degrees from Vanderbilt University, and University of Music and Performing Arts Graz. When not performing as a violist, he can be found teaching at the Popakademie Baden-Württemberg, writing educational material for children, or translating German literature. His first serial novel, The Pact, is available in summer 2015.

Leseprobe

Contents

Cover

The Pact — About the Series

About the Book

List of Main Characters

About the Author

Title

Copyright

Episode 7: Escape

Next Episode

The Pact — About the Series

NBS agents are trained for one purpose: bringing down The Syndicate, an international crime organization aimed at profiteering by keeping countries at war with one another.

When an NBS agent is murdered shortly before her first assignment, five new recruits quickly realize the agency they’re working for may not be as trustworthy as it seems, forcing them to make a pact in order to survive.

Can the new agents stay alive long enough to uncover the truth behind their fellow recruit’s death? Or is finding answers hidden deep within both organizations tempting enough to make one of them break the pact?

About the Book

Episode 7 of 8 — Escape

Determined to gather evidence confirming Brick’s traitorous activities, NBS agent Arthur Hall with the help of new agents Felicity Wilson, and Dr. Leah Carlsson begins organizing a sting, one he hopes will also expose Brick’s rogue contact deep within NBS, whom he believes is Agent Sullivan. Meanwhile, with Project Tessarap nearly finished, Mr. Andrew Lennox, head of The Syndicate’s high-class prostitution ring, is planning a test-run of the organic thin-film transistors capable of stealing sensitive data from cell phones. Lennox invites Felicity to join his business dinner with TriMark’s Dr. Adams to serve as a distraction. But she secretly has her own personal mission that evening: to seduce Brick, and place a transistor on his phone, trusting it will provide Agent Hall with the evidence he needs to incriminate him. Just as Agent Hall’s plan begins to take shape, Felicity is made a startling offer. Will she question her own morality? More importantly, can she keep the pact?

List of Main Characters

Paul Leclerc loves life aboard a ship. But he also loves Scotch. That’s why he chose to leave his life at sea and open up a bar in his hometown, Marseilles. Yet he’s rarely in one place for long, always travelling the globe looking for new spirits to bring back to the port city. But is there another reason this Frenchman pulls his disappearing acts?

Jian Zhang doesn’t remember much about life in China’s Guangzhou. That’s why he decided to stay in New York City, to run his family’s dumpling dynasty after his parents returned home. There’s also his wife, Agnieszka, and their hopes of starting a family. Will their love for the arts—and each other—be Jian’s moral compass? Or will shocking discoveries force him to act against his nature?

An introverted coder, Swedish-born Dr. Leah Carlsson hates getting close to anyone—be it as a member of a team or on the receiving end of a handshake. Her years of hard work have earned her a full professorship at the University of Stockholm. Upon learning her work has been compromised, she must decide if she’s willing to risk her reputation to step out from behind the walls she’s built—both around herself and in her field.

Originally from New York City, Nicholas Clark is a detective now in Cape Town, South Africa. After his fiancé’s tragic death, Nick loses himself in his police work. But ousting crooked cops and putting criminals behind bars can only numb the pain for so long. Will the opportunity to play a part in a secret agency give him the new purpose he’s been looking for?

Felicity Wilson may call Los Angeles home, but her roots are solidly in the Midwest. Fresh out of graduate school, she’s convinced all her friends and family into believing she’s ambitiously pursuing a career in politics. But what she’s secretly looking for is the answer to a question haunting her since childhood. The startling revelations she’s about to uncover will lead her to risk her life for the truth.

Eliska Novak worked as a high-class escort in Manhattan, affording her pleasures she’d only dreamt of as a child on the streets of Prague. On her first assignment as an NBS agent she met with an untimely death.

About the Author

Christian Liberty Marshall is an Austrian-based writer, and musician with degrees from Vanderbilt University, and University of Music and Performing Arts Graz. When not performing as a violist, he can be found teaching at the Popakademie Baden-Württemberg, writing educational material for children, or translating German literature. His first serial novel, The Pact, is available in summer 2015.

Christian Liberty Marshall

Episode 7: Escape

BASTEI ENTERTAINMENT

Digital original edition

Bastei Entertainment is an imprint of Bastei Lübbe AG

Copyright © 2015 by Bastei Lübbe AG, Schanzenstraße 6-20, 51063 Cologne, Germany

Written by Christian Liberty Marshall

Edited by Gail Werner

Project management: Lori Herber, Julia Hubschmid, Kathrin Kummer

Cover illustration and design: Travis Harvey

E-book production: Urban SatzKonzept, Düsseldorf

ISBN 978-3-7325-0841-9

www.bastei-entertainment.com

Episode 7: Escape

“It worked,” said Agent Hall, letting out a huge breath as he lowered his cell phone. He looked from Nick to Felicity. “Agent Sullivan’s coming to New York as soon he can.”

Felicity raised a brow. She trusted Agent Hall, but knowing she would see Agent Sullivan again still made her uneasy. “Do you think he suspects anything?”

“It didn’t sound like it, but we can’t be sure. We have to be as careful as possible once he’s here in New York.”

“What should I do now?” she asked, relaxing in her seat. “I’m not due at Mr. Lennox’s until this afternoon.”

“I suggest coming back to NBS, and making a few laps around the facility once you’ve picked up the information on your dinner with Dr. Adams. Agent Sullivan will want to know whatever Mr. Lennox shares with you. Let Brick run into you too. He’s bound to be around here somewhere. That way seeing you tonight at Mr. Lennox’s restaurant won’t come as a surprise to him.”

Nick rose from his seat. “What time should I be there if I’m coming too?”

“No,” Agent Hall said curtly. “I’ve decided your presence isn’t necessary. Not if we don’t want Brick having any competition.”

“I think he might be into that,” Felicity said, giving Agent Hall a half-smile.

“He is into that,” Agent Hall agreed, his face now red. “Trust me — we don’t want Brick getting suspicious.”

Felicity shot Nick a frustrated look. Planting the transistor on Brick’s phone was a necessary move — maybe the only way for the three of them to find out who was giving Brick his orders — but it was also going to be tricky. Having Nick at her side had been her one stipulation to going along with Agent Hall’s plan and she wasn’t happy with him for changing his mind.

She spied the deep crease of worry between Nick’s eyebrows and felt a tug of affection. Since she’d met him, he’d been the recruit who’d struck her as most protective of their group. Not to mention as skeptical of NBS as she was — even more so since his recent assignment in Algiers.

Thinking of Nick’s time in the African capital reminded Felicity she’d yet to call her stepfather. She needed to probe him for details about his mysterious connection to the bungled kidnapping of Prime Minister Alluola. Nick certainly wouldn’t let her forget about it.

“I’ll be nearby,” Nick promised, pulling Felicity out of her thoughts. “Out of sight, but nearby.”

Agent Hall rose from the edge of the desk he’d been sitting on. “We can’t just have you loitering on the street outside the building, and putting you in one of our unmarked cars is too risky.” He crossed his arms. “It’ll raise suspicion inside NBS. Besides, Brick can spot ’em all.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Nick said, crossing his arms, and mimicking Agent Hall’s movements. “I’ve got connections to a car I can use.”

“This isn’t a bank heist,” Agent Hall huffed. “She won’t need a getaway vehicle.”

Nick paused, remaining perfectly still except for a few conscious blinks. “Hopefully not,” he said before turning to Felicity. “But either way, I’ll be right around the corner.”

Felicity smiled, amused by the power struggle taking place before her. It wasn’t the typical frat boy exchange she’d witnessed as a college student, but it was equally entertaining. While Agent Hall’s concern over a blown cover was legitimate, she was glad Nick was winning their argument. It wasn’t in his nature to stand down, and she found his confidence infectious.

“Good to know,” she said, squaring her shoulders with determination.

Glancing in Felicity’s direction, Agent Hall let out a faint groan. “This isn’t only about placing the transistor on Brick’s phone. This is about getting him to believe you’re close to a list of potential buyers ready to bid on the samples once Mr. Lennox has them in his possession.”

“If Felicity doesn’t feel safe on this assign —”

Agent Hall whipped his head toward Nick. “This isn’t an assignment!” he snapped, startling Felicity. He turned back her way, wearing an apologetic look. “It’s off the record,” he explained, “so that makes it unofficial.”

“Until?” Nick asked coolly, ignoring Agent Hall’s terse interruption.

“Until we know who Brick’s guy is.”

“You mean until we can prove it’s Agent Sullivan?”

“Yes,” Agent Hall mumbled. He turned his back on the two recruits as he slipped his cell phone into his coat pocket.

Panged by pity, Felicity wanted to reach out, and comfort him. His drooping shoulders, now rounded forward, reminded her of a bullied schoolboy. She was still siding with Nick, but didn’t want to be crass about it with Agent Hall. Given that Leah’s camaraderie was diminishing daily, Felicity looked to him as the only NBS agent she could trust with new information about Agent Sullivan.

Standing from her chair, she glanced over at Nick. The stern expression he was wearing was an indication he knew she was about to apologize. It was also a warning for her to keep her mouth shut. Dammit, she thought to herself as she gave him an imperceptible nod. His nose is too good.

“So when do I get the transistor from Leah?” she asked, changing topics.

Agent Hall kept his back to her but turned his head so his face was in profile. “There’s no reason for you to see Agent Carlsson unless Mr. Lennox says otherwise, which is unlikely. She’s at his office now, waiting to get her hands on one. I’ll pick it up from her this afternoon, and pass it on to you before your dinner with Natorp and Dr. Adams.”

Agent Hall faced the door again, moving toward it as Felicity called out, “Where?” She liked Agent Hall, but his short temper, and clipped tone were wearing on her patience.

Agent Hall slammed his hand on the doorknob. “I’ll meet you at your hotel,” he said, not bothering to face her before exiting the profiling room.

“What a douche,” Nick scoffed once the door had closed.

Felicity rolled her eyes. She was not in the mood for name calling, even if she was inclined to agree with him. “He’s doing his job, Nick.”

“Right, like every other good NBS agent.”

“Are you telling me you’re not even a tiny bit relieved someone else in this agency — someone besides the two of us — is also suspicious of Agent Sullivan?”

“Why the hell do you care so much about defending Hall? For all we know, he could be pulling his phone out right now and dialing Agent Sullivan, letting him know we’re walking into his trap.”

“He’s not. Trust me.”

Nick exhaled loudly through his nose. “I don’t trust anyone in this whole damn place.”

Felicity bristled at his indifference. “Well, I’m taking my chances,” she said, grabbing her purse off the desk. “Even if that means doing it alone.”

Nick thrust out his hand and grabbed her forearm as she brushed past him. “You won’t be alone.” His eyes bore into hers. “I meant what I said: I’m coming with you.”

She looked down at his hand before meeting his gaze again, jerking her arm out of his hold. “You heard Agent Sullivan,” she said, heading for the door. “I’ve got things to do.”

And then she was gone.

***

Leah watched carefully as Dr. Herzog entered the conference room, handing a small rectangular cartridge to Mr. Lennox, who’d been waiting nervously for her arrival all morning. It was nearly noon, and his dinner with TriMark’s Dr. Adams was approaching quickly. Setting the cartridge on the table, he opened it to reveal several smaller cartridges inside, each containing one of the highly coveted thin-film transistors. Project Tessarap, Leah thought to herself as leaned forward to count. There were three.

“Take these,” Dr. Herzog said to Mr. Lennox, holding out a pair of latex gloves.

He snatched them from her, slipping them over his fingers before removing one of the delicate transistors from its cartridge. As he applied pressure to its edges, the clear film bent under his fingers.

Dr. Herzog stepped forward, raising her arm in objection. “Be careful! They’re fragile.”