Face of the Assassin Read online

  “Indeed I will,” said Avery as the two men shook hands.

  Turning to Diegert, Wayne said, “I really enjoyed talking with you. You gave me a lot to think about.”

  “Likewise,” said Diegert, giving the aging assassin one of Javier Perez’s million dollar smiles.

  Diegert and Avery watched as Wayne walked away with a slight lean to the left. It looked like he was fighting a gale force wind inside the airport terminal.

  “Your car is this way, Mr. Perez,” said Avery with that look of consternation he used whenever he was unpleasantly surprised.

  Walking with Avery, Diegert said, “I had to change my face, or they would have nabbed me as Jian.”

  “Yes, but that means you stole a proprietary app.”

  “So what, I would be dead, unless that was also part of the plan.”

  Avery’s eyebrows descended. “You are much too valuable to be wasted like that.”

  “Touching, but I want my old face back. This guy is an asshole and I don’t want to see how people treat him.”

  As they climbed into the back of the big black Mercedes SUV Avery said, “There’s been an incident.”

  Pulling out of the terminal Diegert said, “What happened?”

  “I’ll show you.”

  On the screen that descended from the ceiling Diegert watched a video of him standing on a London street in front of an unfamiliar building. The audio filled with sirens while flashing lights rotated off the walls behind him.

  Looking at Avery with a quizzical glare, he was directed back to the screen.

  Commands from police for David Diegert to surrender could be heard loud and clear over all the background noise. The commands were being ignored while Diegert clutched a big bag he had slung over his shoulder. Watching as his hand went to pull on the zipper, Diegert braced. The images of being shot were stunningly graphic. The clarity of the picture was chilling. Diegert saw himself fall to the ground, his body draped over the big bag.

  Diegert’s eyes were glued to the screen watching himself being shot. The video of the explosion was in slow motion. The bag under Diegert bulged like a mushroom emerging from the earth. Diegert’s lifeless body rose on the crest of the ballooning bag. When the seams of the bag gave way, bright orange flames shot out, consuming the material. Diegert’s body seemed to rise into the air as if it was being lifted to heaven, but that only lasted a fraction of a second before the expanding fire engulfed more and more of the image space. Diegert could see his body doing the same thing as the bag, expanding under pressure as his body fluids turned to steam, and his flesh went molten. His skin gave way, bursting into a spray of boiling fluid, which evaporated into the rapidly expanding fireball. The screen suddenly turned totally white.

  Without looking at Avery, Diegert asked, “Who was he?”

  “Keep watching,” said Avery.

  The screen now depicted an aerial view of urban carnage. The kind of thing typically seen in the aftermath of the most horrific wars. The street, filled with debris. The building, laid bare, it’s naked interior, soaked by fire hoses.

  The voice over began, “Currently the death toll from Tuesday’s bombing is 511 confirmed fatalities. Cost estimates for the damage range above one billion dollars while authorities say that Abu Jihad is claiming responsibility for the attack. The international assassin, David Diegert was positively identified as the bomber. His bomb ignited after he was shot by the police. Those who feel that shooting the suspect was the wrong thing to do have no one to directly answer for this act, since the entire Special Operation 19 unit was killed in the explosion.”

  The screen went to a close up of Diegert’s face taken from the CCTV minutes before his death.

  The announcer said, “Diegert is believed to have participated in the assassination of U.S. President Perter Carson. The fact that he was able to travel to London and operate in the UK is an embarrassment to MI 5 & 6 as well as Scotland Yard.”

  The screen image morphed into the picture of Diegert from the Security Guard ID tag recovered following the presidential assassination in Detroit. “This troubled and violent man readily killed for reasons unknown, though authorities have evidence that he was well paid. The price of a life bought and sold to the face of death.”

  The screen went blank as it rose back into the ceiling.

  “What the fuck is going on?”

  “The plan was to have you die in public so as to free you from your criminal past.”

  Diegert grew silent as the black Mercedes pulled up to the automatic retracting garage doors, allowing the vehicle to enter the LPU labyrinth.

  In the underground parking garage Diegert removed his seatbelt but remained seated, staring forward catatonically.

  Avery dismissed the driver and asked Diegert, “Are you okay?”

  The lack of response drew Avery closer. Diegert was lost, unable to respond. Avery startled when Diegert popped open the door and bolted from his seat. Avery spun, exiting his side of the vehicle to find Diegert standing there. The young man grabbed Avery by the shirt and flung him to the floor of the garage. On his back, Avery looked up as Diegert roared, “FIVE HUNDRED ELEVEN PEOPLE. You killed over five hundred people just so you could kill me?”

  Avery was back crawling, “The plan went awry. Only you were supposed to die.” Avery regained his feet. He kept backing up as Diegert deliberately pursued him.

  “What gives you the right to do anything in my name?”

  “We are helping you.”

  Avery slowed his pace and began to rotate. Diegert closed the distance beginning to circle his mentor.

  “How was this supposed to help me?”

  “The whole world will see that David Diegert is dead. You can be whoever you want now. You can start a whole new life.”

  The two never stopped moving having completed one full circle.

  “Just forget I ever existed. My whole life before, just over. I’m now the living dead! What about my mother?” shouted Diegert.

  The look on Avery’s face told Diegert he hadn’t thought of her, or perhaps worse.

  “Where the fuck is my mother?” exploded Diegert.

  He burst forward, forcing Avery out of his circle as he punched the mystic on the jaw. Avery took the strike, falling back against the wall of the garage.

  “She had better be okay,” said Diegert as he threw two body blows into Avery’s abdomen.

  “She’s fine,” coughed Avery as he blocked the next series of punches and gained a little distance.

  “You fuck’n suck,” said Diegert.

  Anger and frustration contorted Javier’s face as Diegert became unhinged.

  Taking a defensive stance Avery shuddered, knowing the ferocious capabilities of David Diegert.

  Anger was being channeled into a need for violent catharsis. Diegert jabbed at Avery who dodged the punch, but was not quick enough to avoid the follow up, which connected with the mentor’s left eye, snapping his neck and rattling his brain. Stumbling backward, Avery’s reflexes took over and he stepped away and around enough to put some space between him and Diegert. Continually moving, the two used no words. Javier’s expression revealed the blood lust raging in Diegert. Avery moved toward a corner of the garage. He grabbed a broom and spun off the threaded bristle head. With shaft in hand, he performed a short bo staff kata. Diegert knew the Master’s skills, but ignored the risk. He charged the stick wielding man who expertly swung the shaft as he shifted his position. The hardwood struck Diegert on the right cheek and ear. The blow re-opened the split on Javier’s face while Diegert winced from the ringing in his ear. Avery’s deft moves and rapid re-deployment of the staff began to shift the balance of the battle, yet Diegert would not yield.

  “You’re just going to have to kill me for real, aren’t you Avery?”

  “I don’t want to hurt you, David, but you’re making this difficult.”

  Diegert softened his facial expression and frowned with a tremble in his lip, before thrusting his
hand up and immediately diving forward. Avery hesitated at the change in Diegert’s facial expression as well as the high hand, the moment of vulnerability exploited by the younger man who tackled Avery to the cement floor. Proximity brought the advantage back to Diegert who punched Avery with crushing blows to the head and neck. Swinging his legs up over Diegert’s head, Avery caught the younger man’s neck with his boot and pulled him down to the side. With staff still in hand, Avery climbed on top of Diegert and quickly pressed the shaft across his throat using both hands to exert suffocating force. Diegert grabbed the stick as well and pressed up. Avery’s ability to put all his weight on the shaft was a clear advantage, but Diegert kept the stick from completely collapsing his airway.

  “Go ahead and kill me, you fucker.”

  “You’re too valuable for that.”

  “I’m not worth a billion dollars and over five hundred lives,” screamed Diegert.

  “Actually you’re worth way more than that.”

  Diegert locked Javier’s angry eyes on Avery. Gradually Avery slid his hands closer together on the staff until he was able to touch the side of Diegert’s neck. With only his first two fingers, Avery probed the side of Diegert’s neck behind his carotid artery to press on the vagus nerve. This cranial nerve sends signals that slow and calm the body’s physiology. Avery was creating a massive signal response to counter Diegert’s agitation, turning the young man unconscious within twenty seconds.

  Wasting no time, Avery scrambled to the back of the Mercedes, grabbing flexicuffs from a kit bag. He flipped Diegert on to his front and zip tied his wrists and ankles. With Diegert bound, Avery sat on the garage floor stunned.

  He could not, however, indulge his shock. Avery quickly called Medical to have Diegert moved to a secure room. The young man remained unconscious and still had the face of Javier Perez. On his phone Avery selected Klaus Panzer’s number. As the call rang, he contemplated how to convey the situation.

  “Hallo,” came Panzer’s greeting. “Avery, has David returned?”

  “Yes sir--”

  “Excellent,” interrupted Panzer. “I will be over shortly.”

  “But there is something you should know.”

  “I’m in a bit of a rush right now, Avery. Tell me when I get there.”

  “But…” Avery heard the call go dead.

  CHAPTER 11

  Regaining consciousness, Diegert found himself in the same medical room he occupied when he was first brought to LPU. He rubbed his wrists and swung his legs one at a time off the bed onto the floor. The curtain was drawn over the glass window wall and he was correct when he confirmed that the door was locked. The mirror over the small sink startled Diegert when he saw Javier Perez was in the room with him. Stepping closer to the mirror, Diegert looked closely at Javier’s face. He felt kind of weird, like snooping in someone else’s medicine cabinet. Yet the face was on his body. He looked at the stubble of beard, much thicker and more coarse than his own. He pulled the lips back to look at the teeth. Perfectly straight and sparkling white. The hair was thick and full with no recession at the brow line. The jet black color absorbed the light and his head quickly grew warm. The guy’s skin was without blemish, no zits, no mottled pigment and no rashes. As he was about to stop his intrusive inspection, Diegert noticed a mole on the left temple right next to the hairline. It looked pretty normal but it represented a break from perfection which pleased Diegert enough that he stopped his intimate exploration of the handsome face.

  Watching the camera feed, the medic alerted Avery that Mr. Perez was awake. “Shall I begin his physical assessment?” asked the medic.

  “No,” said Avery. “Leave it to me.”

  “But it’s a required medical record.”

  “I said, leave it to me,” replied Avery sharply. “In fact go on into the office area and wait for me there.” The medic sheepishly complied.

  Stepping to the wall phone on the opposite side of the hall, Avery pushed the intercom. “David, I hope you’re feeling better. We need to talk.”

  The curtain covering the floor to ceiling glass window flew back, revealing the agitated face of Javier Perez.

  “You’re full of shit, Avery.”

  “Now calm down. We’ve got some serious issues to resolve and we’ll get nowhere with that attitude.”

  “This attitude should have been here to stop you from killing over 500 people.”

  “I’ve already told you the plan went a bit awry.”

  “You can’t sweep all this away as a slight mistake. You, and whoever else was involved, royally fucked it up. You destroyed lives well beyond those that died. You pin it on me and expect me to see it as a benefit. That’s bullshit.”

  “David, I can see that you’re angry, and I’m trying to understand your emotions but if we don’t act quickly and carry out our plan, all that has happened will be for nothing.”

  “Wait a minute. Who the hell built that bomb? Did you do that, Avery?”

  “No. I don’t know how to build bombs.”

  “Who did then? Who had control of the detonation device?”

  “I’m pretty sure it was--”

  “Don’t give me that shit. You know for sure who it was. You’re not outside the loop on this one.”

  The eyes of Javier stared Avery down through the thick glass before Diegert said,

  “All right, I believe I already know who built the bomb and controlled the detonation. So it’s not a revelation if I already suspect someone and I’m right.”

  Avery, a master of manipulation said, “Do you have a name in mind?”

  “When did he leave Romania?” asked Diegert.

  “Who said he left?”

  “You mean he did all of this remotely?”

  “CCTV and Wi-Fi networks,” said Avery in a sullen tone.

  “I hated being under that guy. He was sanctimonious and cruel.”

  “Then it’s not too hard for you to believe that Aaron Blevinsky might overcharge a bomb creating a bigger impact than we agreed upon.”

  “That fucker,” said Diegert as a sneer crept across Javier’s face and a heavy sigh flowed from his lungs.

  An audible buzz sounded and Avery left the area.

  In the hallway leading to the medical facility, Avery met Klaus Panzer.

  “Sir before you go in, there’s something you ought to know.”

  Panzer’s brow furrowed as if he already knew everything there was to know. Avery made his point clear and concise.

  “David’s upset about all the people who died in the bombing.”

  Panzer’s consternation only deepened. “What do you mean he’s upset? Doesn’t he realize that he has been freed from all his crimes of the past? I hope he appreciates the effort that went into orchestrating all of this so his life could be given a do over?”

  Avery tried for a cautious tone. “I believe he was quite surprised by the magnitude of the event.”

  Nodding, Panzer replied, “It does seem as though the bomb was more powerful than was necessary.”

  “I’m glad you recognize that. David figured out that Blevinsky created and detonated the bomb.”

  “Aaron often takes things to excess, but that does not alter what we’ve achieved. The opportunity we sought is now before us. David Diegert is dead and my son can now live a new life. Come on, I want to see him.”

  Panzer stepped past Avery while pulling his access card from the inside pocket of his jacket.

  “Sir there is one more thing.”

  Panzer looked back at Avery as he slid his card through the reader and leaned into the unlocked door. “What is it?”

  Following the tall gray-haired man through the doorway Avery said, “You’ll see sir.”

  Panzer had already turned to see Javier Perez standing behind the glass wall of the medical room. “What’s he doing here?” asked the world’s richest man.

  CHAPTER 12

  Denise Diegert sat in her luxury prison apartment looking at the images on the TV of
her son being shot, falling to the ground and then being obliterated by the explosion of the bag he had been carrying on his shoulder. Her tears flowed over her cheeks as she mourned the loss of the little boy she had so much fun with back in Minnesota. She recalled how David loved to go with her on hikes and canoe trips. He had an affinity for the natural world and got so excited when they would find interesting pieces of driftwood, beautiful bird feathers or unusual stones. Once, they found the skeleton of a deer with the skull intact including an eight-point rack of antlers. That skull became a prize possession, which David cleaned up and kept for years in his bedroom. Denise also thought about how David became her protector and confidant while the relationship with Tom Diegert and Jake deteriorated into a domestic feud. Once it was out in the open that Tom was not David’s father, the détente, which had allowed David to grow up in the house, degraded into sullen hatred and constant conflict. Denise was stuck in the middle.

  She defended David but took a lot of crap for it. David grew tall and strong. Soon Tom and Jake were physically outmatched and their differences with David grew into armed confrontations. Were it not for David, Denise feared that Tom would have seriously hurt or killed her during one of his drunken rages. More than once, it was David who pulled Tom off her and stopped him from beating her to death. Now she had to look at the screen and see her savior as a pariah, committing an act of terrorism, which killed hundreds of people, ruined thousands of lives, and brought down an entire apartment building. How could the boy she loved become such a violent and destructive person? The grief she felt, mixed with the shame of being the mother of a monster, left her with a deep sense of guilt and despair. After watching the looping scenes of David’s death several more times, she shut off the TV, dropped her head into her hands and cried out her pain with deep tearful sobs.

  Richard Ramsey watched the video of David Diegert’s death with Carolyn Fuller. The TV in his office was affixed to the wall to the left of his desk. Carolyn sat facing Ramsey’s desk, turning her head to see the TV. Ramsey looked over his shoulder to see David Diegert gunned down before his body was eviscerated by a powerful thermobaric explosion.