Page 75 of Fire and Ice

"Scott Wilson developed our surveillance line at MDI," Jack said. "He's also wired all my properties."

"I would appreciate it if you let me know who all are involved from your side so I can keep a master list," Maia said as she wrote down the name. "This is a multi-agency dragnet and that can get complicated. We do not want to step on anyone's toes. DEA calls the shots—remember that."

CHAPTER ELEVEN

The Grand Harbor Hotel was located at the heart of the Inner Harbor in Baltimore. It was a Four Diamond hotel with 450 spacious rooms, most of them boasting a harbor or city view, and it was located near the Bradley Convention Center that hosted the International Medical Conference.

Maia Pierce walked into the beautifully appointed lobby rolling her signature LV luggage behind her. She looked every inch the high-powered business executive dressed in her light wool Chanel suit and killer black Manolo Blahnik stilettos. Almost every pair of male eyes followed her with admiration, while almost every woman observed her furtively with envy.

Maia fell in line at the front desk. Conference attendees were arriving in droves and she had already recognized two Guardians. They did not acknowledge each other, merely exchanged meaningful eye contact. Maia was checking her messages on her phone when she was jostled from behind. She looked back in annoyance and noticed a pleasant-looking, bespectacled dark-haired man smiling sheepishly after muttering an apology. She gave him a vague smile and turned her attention back to her smartphone. After a minute, she looked back and realized that the guy was gone. Suddenly suspicious, she wondered if she had been made.

"It's her," Peter Coltrane told Sergei Reznikov. The Russian's car was parked behind the Grand Harbor Hotel. Maia Pierce's name showed up as a late registrant on their list of conference attendees. It wasn't too hard to track down the hotel she had checked into.

"They're trying to draw us out," Reznikov sneered. "They're luring us into a trap."

"You don't want me to send someone after her?"

"That's exactly what they're expecting us to do, but we won't move against her just yet. I wanna see what their game is. Keep alternate watchers on her, but I don't want to deviate from our original plan of moving the Rave-IX. I want you to concentrate on your meeting with our buyers."

"Agreed," Peter replied. "I've booked a private room at the convention center where I'll be meeting our clients to check out their credentials and to accept the initial deposit. They'll receive further instructions on how to pick-up the product at our depot."

"Good. And our contact at Addison?"

"Distribution has been arranged. We've had great feedback from our test group. It's going to be an elitist drug of choice."

An evil smile took over Sergei Reznikov's face. "Excellent."

Maia wandered through the aisles of exhibitor's booths located on the ground level of the Bradley Convention Center. Most exhibitors were pharmaceutical companies giving free samples and makers of medical equipment. She was interested in both. The latest from Rick Grayson was that Reznikov was looking for a producer. How the DEA had come about this information was not clear because AGS could not confirm this independently. She had refused to meet with Grayson personally after the incident in the lobby. The surveillance team concurred with her suspicions.

"We can't run facial recognition," Scott Wilson said in frustration. "It's as if he knew where the cameras were. We couldn't even grab a partial. He definitely bumped into you on purpose and got the hell out of there afterwards. No doubt he's made you."

Damn.

"I don't like this," Jack muttered in a very unhappy tone.

"Look, we kinda expected this since Viktor had not changed my name on the registration form. Now whether they take the bait or not is the question."

"So you're just going to walk around with a big fucking X on your back?" Jack said tersely over the phone. He had been very belligerent since the beginning of the conference call—Maia was tempted to tell Derek to sedate him.

"Look, I doubt they'll have a sniper trailing me. Too many people."

Jack grunted his displeasure.

"Um, Maia, you're not helping," Derek drawled. "Our man here is prowling up and down our cramped little van ready to jump out and spirit you away."

"Fuck you, Derek," Jack growled.

"Okay, Okay. Let's stop overreacting," Maia said placatingly. "I'm heading out to the convention to put down some feelers. Text me if you all find out anything."

So far, Maia had not seen anything out of the ordinary with the participating exhibitors.All that she had encountered so far were legitimate businesses with impeccable reputations. She was standing at the back of a presentation for a medical wedge conveyor system when a woman in a taupe trench coat squeezed in beside her.

"Do not say anything, Agent Pierce. You are being watched," the woman whispered not looking at her.

Maia froze but did not react.

"Look in your conference bag, Alexsey needs you."

The woman sidled slowly sideways and disappeared into the crowd. Maia was tempted to follow her but knew better. Alexsey could only mean Alexsey Volynsky who had gone to ground after his release because of a perceived threat from his own cousin Gavlik. Damn Russian mob: not even family was safe from each other. And it looked like the only person he trusted right now was Maia. She was dying of curiosity about what Volynsky had sent her, but she forced herself to finish the presentation. Maia checked her watch; it was almost time for the gala and she had to get back to the hotel to get ready.

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