Tempest - Kris Michaels Page 0,83

hey, when you got it, flaunt it, right?" Jewell worked her computer system and stopped, looking up at the screen. "Yeah, okay. I think Pilar’s cell phone is a red herring. Regina was in Florida until this morning. Here she is and next she's acquired here, less than five hours later. She flew into New York City."

"That's what our teams have told us. She's been in her office building in Manhattan ever since," Fury agreed.

"Yeah, ten bucks says she's not." She typed again. "I asked the office in D.C. to determine what her mode of transportation was, private or commercial, and to get flight plans. I'm assuming we'll need to be able to prove she moved north and when..."

Tempest watched the woman work. She was remarkable. "Here. We have Regina’s phone and the last ping from this cell tower. I’m overlaying Pilar's ring. Here. Yes. The same tower, twelve hours earlier. Pilar’s in New York."

"What buildings in the area are owned by Regina?" Tempest shot the question to the room.

"Oh, snap! Excellent idea!" Jewell started typing. "It is going to take a hot minute, and I'm going to need help from D.C. There are so many damn shell companies at play in this."

"Then we head to New York." Fury cuffed him on the shoulder. "Anubis, gather the clan. Bengal, get us air transportation and two vehicles on the ground in NYC."

"I'll brief Archangel," Jewell said as her hands flew across the keys.

Tempest sprinted from the comms room and into the room where he'd dropped his kit. That bitch had taken Pilar. Was she at risk? Was the woman running? Hiding? Did Regina know about the assassination of the Russian? There were too many questions and only one way to get answers. He needed to get to his woman. Now.

Chapter 25

The aircraft had landed fifteen minutes ago, and they had been whisked away by drivers sent for them from the New York Office. The small brick building they were in now was a remote comms station the detachment used when they were on this side of Manhattan. Tempest stared at the assembled assassins as Bengal came through on the phone’s speaker. "We haven't found any structures owned by Grantham or any of her known shell companies."

"What do you have?"

"A hunch," Jewel said. “The tower we triangulated is between SoHo and the Lower East Side."

Fury pinched his nose with his thumb and forefinger. "Jewell, what does it mean?"

"Well, follow me on this. There is nothing above ground in the area or any area adjacent to this location which belongs to Grantham, right?"

"Right," Tempest answered quickly and headed to a map of New York mounted on the wall of the small building.

"Well, what is in this area is the Basilica of St. Patrick's old cathedral which got me to thinking maybe what we are looking for isn't above ground."

"Wait."

"Why?"

"What?"

Tempest wasn't sure who said what because every one of the assassins in the room spoke at once, except for Moriah. She dropped a massive F-bomb after everyone else popped off.

"Let her finish," Bengal growled across the connection.

"Thanks... ah, well, the cathedral has extensive underground features. As a matter of fact, New York is riddled with these underground chambers built in the mid to late 1800's as the city was expanding with traffic and people. The tunnels, caves and structures were built so animals could get to slaughterhouses without causing traffic jams, people could store ice, you know, a multitude of reasons. Some were used during prohibition as breweries. There is all kinds of folklore and little to no real documentation on where these structures are located. So maybe, instead of looking above ground, maybe we look below."

"Nadia spoke of a bunker." Tempest stared at the map. "I was kept in a location that did not have windows. When I was moved, it was probably to ensure any remains which were found weren't located in the same city or state. Is there any way to see under New York City?"

"Yes, but it is in the trial stages. The intel might not be perfect," Bengal answered.

"What method?"

"We have a modified P-band X-ray cartography unit which is capable of examining, or scanning if you will, underground. It could tell us if there are tunnels existing where we don't have confirmed knowledge. It isn't perfect, but it is a start."

"I thought P-band only worked in desert locations due to the moisture in the soil." Lycos' question drew every eye to him. His brow furrowed, and he shrugged. "Ethan