Free Deadly Echoes by Philip Donlay Page A

and why she’s attacking Eco-Watch. I hate to ask, but it might be really helpful if you could do a little digging. See what you can learn.”
    â€œI could do that.”
    â€œIf you don’t want to be involved, I understand.”
    â€œI’m already involved,” Lauren replied. Donovan was asking her to use her resources in the intelligence community. Something she’d already intended to do. “Where are you, anyway?’
    â€œWe’re headed to Orange County. William is a trustee for the Stratton estate and needs to be there.” Donovan said. “How’s Abigail? Is she asleep?”
    â€œYes, it’s late here. It’s always a full day when Stephanie is here to spoil her. She’s good, I’ll tell her you said hello.”
    â€œThanks for the call. I’ll be in touch,” Donovan said.
    â€œHow did he sound?” Stephanie asked as soon as Lauren disconnected the call.
    â€œHe sounds tired.”
    â€œWhat next?”
    â€œI need my laptop. I’ll meet you in the kitchen; I’m going to need some wine.” Lauren went into her bedroom and sat, turning the phone over in her hand several times while she contemplated her next move. When she’d left Washington, her boss within the Defense Intelligence Agency had refused her resignation. Instead, he put her on an indefinite leave of absence. As a DIA analyst living on foreign soil, she’d been given several contact numbers. A man named Fredrick had visited from the embassy. After she’d double-checked his credentials, he’d detailed various ways she could reach him if she needed. He’d given her the code name
Pegasus.
    Fredrick’s phone number began with a 703 area code, which was Northern Virginia and was most likely a secure router at Langley that would forward calls. She contemplated her request. Mossad had deemed it important enough to pay her a visit, and if nothing else, the CIA might be interested in that fact. She dialed, and before she could change her mind, a computerized voice asked her to leave a message.
    â€œIt’s Pegasus. I’m going to follow this up with an e-mail. Talk to you soon.”
    Laptop in hand, Lauren found Stephanie in the kitchen with a bottle of wine and a corkscrew. Lauren opened her computer and sat down. As the screen blinked to life, Stephanie poured red wine into their glasses.
    Lauren typed in a few key words and found what they were looking for, and moments later they were both reading about the arson and multiple murders at the Klasen-Drescher clinic in Dusseldorf, Germany, six months ago. There wasn’t much to the report, twelve bodies had been found inside by firefighters, and were so badly burned that the task of identifying the victims was nearly impossible. The police had no leads and had appealed to the public for information. Lauren clicked to pictures of the clinic the day after the fire; not a single wall remained standing.
    Lauren composed an e-mail to Fredrick, asking about the clinic and explaining Mossad’s interest. She hit send and several minutes later a return e-mail arrived. It was from Fredrick.
    That Mossad visit is curious. I’ll get back to you.
    â€œWhat now?” Stephanie said as she sipped her wine.
    â€œWe wait.”

CHAPTER NINE
    Donovan matched the speed of the Gulfstream with the Delta Airlines 757 he was following, knowing there was a Southwest 737 doing the same thing right behind them. The typical arrival sequence for John Wayne Airport. Donovan had lived in Los Angeles for years as a young man, but once he’d left, he’d never missed Southern California, and today was no exception. All that lay in the hills and beaches that stretched out below were the painful memories of Robert Huntington and Meredith Barnes.
    For the last hour, Buck had been on the phone between Eco-Watch Headquarters in Virginia and the Eco-Watch ship
Pacific Titan
located in Seward, Alaska.