Chapter Six

 

 

Outside the Sariyer District Security Directorate

Istanbul, Turkey

 

Nothing happened during the first fifteen minutes of their stakeout. Zeki was still watching the police station’s back entrance. He had reported twice on his phone that everything was quiet.

Claudia had strolled along the block and had bought coffee for herself, Javin, and Tolga at a small café next to the station. She had not noticed any unusual behavior among the guards or any movement around the station or the MIT vehicle.

Javin kept telling himself this was not a waste of time. However, even if it were, his hands were tied. This situation was beyond his control. One of those long boring periods in between operations. “At least the coffee is good,” he said to cheer up everyone’s mood.

“I love Turkish coffee,” Claudia said. “Small size, but packs such a punch.”

“Tolga, how are you doing back there?” Javin asked.

“All right. But I don’t like this.” He shook his head.

“What, the wait?”

“No, the agency’s involvement. How are we supposed to take the drive from the agents?”

Javin shrugged. He had thought about a few scenarios, but none of those fell under the stealth umbrella of this operation. Of course, his team could openly confront the Turkish intelligence operatives and force them to hand over the flash drive. Javin and Claudia had worked for three years as covert operatives specializing in assassinations, diversions, and retrieval operations, before moving into the CIS correctors’ branch a year ago. But the nature of their mission in Istanbul demanded the utmost discretion, not the ultimate show of force. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

“If we come to it,” Claudia said. “We’ll have a new plan in place once we know who has the drive.”

Javin nodded and sipped his coffee.

A moment later, his phone rang. Javin recognized the ringtone he had assigned to Zeki’s cellphone. “Go for Javin,” he said and tapped the speakerphone button.

“We’ve got some movement. MIT team heading out,” Zeki said in a hurried tone and in between gasps.

“Where are you?” Javin asked.

“Coming around. Will be by the coffee shop in twenty seconds.”

“All right.”

Javin glanced through the windshield. The police station main entrance door opened, and Ajaz stepped outside and hastened toward the Volkswagen. His two cronies followed him closely.

“They’re in a rush,” Tolga said.

“Where’s Zeki?” asked Claudia.

“He’s coming,” Javin said.

Zeki popped up to the right side of the café and glanced toward Javin.

He put the car in gear, but did not step on the gas. Ajaz or his associates would definitely remember the car they almost crashed into minutes ago. Javin thought about his surveillance tactics when his team would be tailing the Turkish operatives. One single car, especially when the target had already noticed it, made for an extremely difficult surveillance operation.

“Claudia, come take the wheel,” Javin said.

“Sure thing.”

Changing drivers might cause some confusion among the MIT team, especially if they had not noticed Claudia before.

“Tolga, move to the front seat,” Javin said as he switched places with Claudia.

Tolga nodded and dashed outside.

The Volkswagen slid toward the southeast.

Javin looked at a group of old men sitting on benches near the café.

As soon as the Volkswagen disappeared around the right corner, Claudia hit the gas. The car zipped forward and stopped for just a moment when it reached Zeki. He jumped into the back, and Claudia drove again before Zeki had even had a chance to close the door.

Zeki said, “They turned right.”

Claudia nodded. “Yes, we’ve got them.”

“What did you see?” Javin asked.

“Almost a fight. The police don’t take it well when intel operatives swoop in to steal their credit.”

Claudia slowed down and rounded the curve. She glanced down Emirgan Koru Avenue. No sign of the Volkswagen, so she turned and drove down the narrow avenue divided into two lanes by a series of pylons like those set outside the police station.

They came to another intersection. “Which way now?” Claudia asked.

Zeki shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. They both take you to a cemetery up ahead. Then we’ll come to Tuncay, so we can leave the area.”

Claudia nodded and took the right fork.

“Where’s the nearest MIT office?” Javin asked Zeki.

“You think they’ll go there?” Tolga said.

“They might,” Javin replied.

“It’s across the highway.” Zeki gestured with his hand toward the south.

Claudia tapped on the gas pedal as they came to Emirgan Mektebi Road. A few vehicles were up ahead, but none of them was the silver Volkswagen Jetta. “Anyone see them?”

“No.” Tolga shook his head.

Javin dropped down on his seat and leaned to his left, then right. “Nothing.”

Zeki said, “Up ahead, they have to have gone that way.”

“How do you know?” Claudia asked.

“I live here. I would go that way.”

“Toward the highway?”

“Yes. There’s a roundabout when we come to the end of Tuncay Ave. They most likely will go down Sezai Bey. It’s the largest road to get us out of the neighborhood.”

“We lost them.” Claudia’s voice rang with a hint of desperation.

“No, we didn’t. Right, there. There’s the car.” Javin pointed toward the right.

About fifty, sixty yards up ahead, the Volkswagen just rounded the corner.

“Yes, that’s them,” Zeki shouted.

Claudia nodded. “Good, we’re back in the game.”

“Stay back so they don’t notice us,” Tolga said.

Claudia gave him a sideways glance, but did not say anything. Of course, she was going to keep the distance, allowing at least three or four cars between their Renault and the target.

The Volkswagen went through the roundabout and continued along Sezai Bey Avenue as Zeki had predicted. The avenue was a two-way street, not much wider than the ones they had just gone through. Small shops, restaurants, and two- or three-story houses of all styles and colors lined the street. The traffic had died down, and two of the vehicles peeled off, one to the left and the other to the right. Only a dark blue BMW was following closely behind the Volkswagen.

“They’re tailgating.” Javin pointed at the BMW.

“I think he’s trying to pass,” Zeki said.

“The street’s too narrow. He’s gonna cause an accident,” Claudia said.

As if to confirm her words, the BMW’s driver crashed into the left side of the Volkswagen. The collision sent it against the metal door of the next house.

Claudia hit the brakes. “What just happened?”

Before anyone could answer, two men stepped out of the BMW’s rear doors. They were fully clad in black, wore black masks, and carried pistols equipped with sound suppressors. One of them hurried toward the Volkswagen, the second turned around. He glanced for a moment at the Canadian agents’ car, then pointed his pistol.

He aimed, then fired a quick barrage at the agent’s car.