Kitabı oxu: «Undercover Accomplice»

Chapter One

Sue slipped the burner phone from the inside pocket of her purse. She swiped a trickle of sweat from her temple as she reread the text and ducked into the last stall in the airport bathroom. Her heart fluttered in her chest just like it always did before she made a call to The Falcon.

He answered after one ring. “Seven, one, six, six, nine.”

The numbers clicked in her brain and she responded. “Ten, five, seven, two, eight.”

“Are you secure?”

The altered voice grated against her ear as she peeked through the gap between the stall door and its frame at several women washing their hands, scolding children, and wheeling their bags in and out of the bathroom, too concerned with their own lives to worry about someone reciting numbers on a cell phone.

Their nice, normal lives.

“Yeah.”

“You got the name of the barbershop wrong. There’s no Walid there.”

“That’s not possible.”

“You misheard the name…or they purposely fed you the wrong one because they made you.”

Sue swallowed and pressed her forehead against the cool metal door. “They didn’t.”

“Because they would’ve killed you when you were with them?”

“That’s right.” Sue yanked off a length of toilet paper from the roll and stepped in front of the toilet to make it flush automatically. “I’ve been doing this for a while. I’d know.”

“That’s what I like about you, Nightingale. You’re a pro. You’ve already proven you’ll do anything for the cause.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat and sniffed. “Next move?”

“We need the correct barbershop.”

“I can’t exactly call up my contact and ask him.”

“You’ll figure it out. Like I said, you’re a pro.”

The Falcon ended the call before she could respond.

Sighing, she pushed out of the stall and washed her hands. On her way out of the bathroom, she almost bumped into her stepmother.

“Where have you been? We need to get to our gate. I can’t wait to get out of this place. I hate D.C.”

Sue dropped to her knees in front of her son, regretting that she’d spent their last precious minutes together on the phone with The Falcon—regretting so much more. She grabbed Drake’s hands and kissed the tips of his sticky fingers, inhaling the scent of cinnamon that clung to his skin. “Be a good boy for Gran on the airplane.”

Drake batted his dark eyelashes. “You go airplane, too, Mama?”

“No, cupcake. Just you and Gran this time, but I’ll visit you soon.”

Linda fluttered a tissue between the two of them. “Wipe your hands, Drake.”

“That’s not going to help, Linda. He had a cinnamon roll for breakfast. He’s going to have to wash his hands in the restroom.” Sue waved her hand behind her at the ladies’ room.

Pursing her lips, Linda snatched back the tissue. “Cinnamon rolls for breakfast? You spoil him when he’s here. I’ll get him a proper lunch once we get through security, if he still has any appetite left.”

He will unless you ruin it.

Sue managed to eke out a smile, as Drake was watching her with wide eyes. “Nothing spoils Drake’s appetite. He could eat a horse and ask for dessert.”

“We don’t eat horses, Mama.” Drake giggled and Sue pinched the end of his nose. “Give me another hug.”

Drake curled his chubby arms around her neck, and Sue pressed her tingling nose against his hair. “Love you, cupcake.”

“Love you.” Drake smacked his lips against her cheek. “Can I live here?”

“Not yet, my lovey, but soon.” Blinking the tears from her eyes, Sue straightened up and placed Drake’s hand in her stepmother’s. “Give my love to Dad.”

Linda sniffed as she yanked up the handle of her suitcase. “I don’t know why some people have children if they can’t be bothered to take care of them.”

“Linda.” Sue ducked toward her stepmother and said through clenched teeth, “I told you. This…arrangement won’t be forever, and I don’t appreciate your talking like that in front of my son.”

Linda’s pale eyes widened a fraction and she backed up. “I hope you’re not going to be landing in trouble every other month, or you’ll never have Drake with you. You were right to leave him with your sister. Children need stability. You should give up this crazy job and find yourself a husband to take care of you, a father for Drake, and settle down like your sister.”

Sue opened her mouth and then snapped it shut. She’d promised herself not to argue with Linda—besides, her stepmother had a point. As it stood now, Sue couldn’t keep her son with her and raise him properly—even if The Falcon had allowed it.

And he hadn’t.

“It won’t always be like this. I plan to transfer to another position, and then I can have him with me all the time. I’ll contact you tonight for some face-to-face with Drake. Ask Dad. He knows how to do it.”

“I know, I know. Your father knows everything.”

“Thanks, Linda. Safe travels.” Sue blew a kiss to Drake as her stepmother hustled him toward the line for security.

She waved until they got to the front of the line. Knowing her father would be stationed at the airport in South Carolina to pick them up was the only thing that allowed her to turn away and leave the airport. Drake lived with her sister, Amelia, and her family, but they were in the Bahamas and Sue hadn’t wanted Drake to go along, so she sent him to Dad and Linda.

Linda could take care of Drake’s physical needs and keep him safe, but she trusted only Dad to meet Drake’s emotional needs. Her stepmother didn’t have the capacity for that job, as Sue suspected she trash-talked her to Drake whenever she got the chance.

If Sue had one more incident like the one she’d faced in Istanbul, she had no doubt her stepmother would move against her to take Drake away from her completely and declare her an unfit mother.

Sue clenched her teeth and exited the airport. She’d just have to make sure she didn’t have any more of those close calls.

After she fed her parking receipt into the machine and the arm lifted, Sue flexed her fingers on the steering wheel of the car and glanced in her rearview mirror. With Drake’s visit over, she could finally breathe…and find out who was following her. The possibilities were endless.

She navigated out of the airport and drove straight to her office. She had to confront her supervisor, Ned Tucker, about her suspicions. She’d already been debriefed after the kidnapping. Why was the CIA still dogging her? And if it wasn’t the CIA, maybe Ned could help her figure out who it was. She hadn’t wanted to tell The Falcon about this new development.

He thought she was a pro who could handle anything. She could, but handling everything on her own all the time had gotten old. Sometimes a girl just needed a shoulder to lean on. She’d had that shoulder…once.

She rolled up to the parking gate of the office and held her badge out the window.

The security guard waved her through, and she parked her car. Slipping her badge lanyard over her head, she marched toward her office building. She’d taken the day off to drop off Drake and Linda at the airport, but she couldn’t wait any longer to get to the bottom of this mystery tail.

She punched the elevator button and almost bumped into one of her coworkers coming out.

Peter held up his hands. “Whoa, what’s the hurry?”

“Sorry, Peter.” She stepped to the side.

“Thought you were out today.”

“Half day. I need to talk to Ned.”

“I think he needs to talk to you, too.”

“Why? Was he looking for me? He knows I’m out today.”

Peter shrugged. “You might wanna turn around and go home.”

“Why?”

Peter pivoted away from her and called over his shoulder, “Take someone’s advice for once, Sue.”

If Peter thought his cryptic warning would send her home, he didn’t know her very well. She dropped her hand from holding open the elevator doors and stepped inside.

Good. If Ned wanted to talk to her, maybe he wanted to explain what the hell was going on.

The elevator deposited her onto the fifth floor, and she badged the door to the cubicles. The hum of low voices and keyboard clicks created a comforting welcome.

As she turned the corner to her row, she stumbled to a stop. A man she didn’t know was hanging on to the corner of her cube and Ned’s head bobbed above the top.

She bit the inside of her cheek and continued walking forward.

At her approach the stranger turned, and his eyes widened. “Chandler.”

She stopped at the entrance to her cubicle, her gaze darting from Ned to a woman sitting at her desk, accessing her computer.

“Wh-what’s going on here, Ned?”

Her boss ran a hand over his bald head, his forehead glistening with sweat. “I thought you were out today, Sue.”

“So, what? You figured you and a couple of strangers could get into my computer in my absence?”

The guy to her right straightened up and pulled back his shoulders. “Ms. Chandler, we’ve noticed some irregularities on your workstation.”

“Irregularities?” She shot a look at Ned, who refused to meet her gaze. “I don’t understand.”

The woman sitting in front of her computer twisted her head around, a tight smile on her face. “I found another one.”

“Another one what?” Sue stepped into her cube, hovering over the woman seated at her desk.

The man placed a hand on Sue’s arm. “Perhaps it’s best we talk in Ned’s office.”

Sue had noticed a few heads popping up from other cubicles. She lifted her own chin. She knew damn well she didn’t have any irregularities on her computer. The Falcon would make sure of that—unless these were communiqués from him.

“Let’s go, then.” She shook off the man’s hand and charged out of her cubicle and down the aisle to Ned’s office in the corner.

She reached Ned’s office before the two strangers, with Ned right behind her. She swung around, nearly colliding with him. “What’s going on, Ned?”

“They received an anonymous tip about you forwarding classified emails and documents to your home computer.”

“What? You know I’d never do anything like that. I’ve been in the field myself. There’s no way I’d put anyone in danger.”

“I know that, Sue.” His gaze darted over his shoulder, and then he sealed his lips as the two investigators approached.

Sue shuffled into the room as Ned sat down behind his desk. “Take a seat, Sue.”

“That’s okay. I’ll stand.” Folding her arms, she squared her shoulders against the wall.

The two investigators remained standing, too.

The woman thrust out her hand, all business. “I’m Jackie Templeman.”

Sue gripped her hand and squeezed hard, her lips twisting as Jackie blinked.

The man cleared his throat and dipped his head. “Robert Beall.”

He didn’t offer his hand and she didn’t make a move to get it. She folded her arms across her chest and asked, “What did this anonymous email say?”

Templeman shot a glance at Ned. “To check your emails.”

“You have no idea who sent it?”

“No.” Templeman shook her head. “That’s why it’s anonymous.”

Sue smirked. “Got it. So, you believe every anonymous email you receive and rush in to do an investigation?”

Templeman hugged her notebook to her chest, as if guarding state secrets. “Not everyone.”

“Oh, I see.” Sue shoved off the wall and plopped into the chair across from Ned. “Just the ones about me.”

Beall finally found his voice. “Because of your…um…the incident.”

“Funny thing about that incident.” Sue drummed her fingers on Ned’s desk. “You’d think the Agency would be kissing my…rear end, considering a leak on their part led to my kidnapping in the first place.”

“And then you escaped.” Templeman tilted her head.

“Yeah, another reason the Agency should be nominating me for a medal or something instead of combing through my computer.”

“You escaped from a group of men holding you in Istanbul.” Templeman’s delicate eyebrows formed a V over her nose.

Sue snorted. “I guess that’s hard for some people to believe, but some female agents aren’t pencil-pushing computer geeks. Some of us know how to handle ourselves.”

A smile tugged at Beall’s lips, but he wiped it out with his hand.

“Besides, I was debriefed on that incident and the case was closed. You still seem to be using it to go after me.”

“The point—” Templeman straightened her jacket “—is that we did find anomalies on your computer. Enough for us to confiscate your machine and suspend you.”

“Suspend?” Sue jumped from the chair. “Is that true, Ned?”

“Just until they can figure out everything. I think there has to be a mistake, and I told them that. We already know those emails implicating Major Rex Denver and sent to a CIA translator were fakes. I’m confident that this investigation is going to find something similar with these emails and you’ll be in the clear, Sue.”

“Suspension starting now?”

“Yes, we’ll accompany you back to your cubicle if you want to take any personal items with you.” Templeman pushed past Beall and opened the door.

“I don’t have anything there I need.” Sue smacked her hand on Ned’s desk. “Let me know when this is over, Ned.”

“Of course, Sue. Don’t worry.”

As she stepped through the door, Templeman tapped her shoulder. “Badge.”

Sue whipped the lanyard over her head and tossed it at Templeman’s chest, but it slipped through the investigator’s fingers and landed on the floor. The woman couldn’t even make a good catch. No wonder she had a hard time believing Sue had escaped her captors.

Sue strode out of the office, not looking right or left. When she stepped out onto the sidewalk, she took a deep breath of fresh air.

Maybe she sent her son away early for nothing. Maybe her senses had been on high alert because the Agency had been tracking her. Now that they’d made their move and suspended her and confiscated her computer, they’d back off.

The thought didn’t make her feel much better. The CIA didn’t trust her, and being falsely accused made her blood boil. Of course, if the Agency knew about her work with The Falcon, the accusations might not be false. She didn’t have to worry about that, though. The Falcon would have her covered.

As she waited for the elevator in the parking garage, her phone buzzed and she squinted at the text message from her friend, Dani Howard.

Dani knew she’d sent Drake back home and figured Sue needed some cheering up. Dani had no idea how much cheering up she needed.

Sue texted her friend back. I’m up for cocktails tonight.

What the hell did she have to lose at this point?

SUE SPOTTED DANI already sitting at the bar, and she squeezed between the people and the tall tables to reach her. “This the best you could do?”

Dani gave her a one-armed hug. “I just got here five minutes ago. Haven’t even ordered a drink yet.”

Hunching over the bar, Sue snapped her fingers and shouted, “Hey.”

The bartender raised his hand. “Be right with you.”

A minute later he took their order for two glasses of white wine.

Dani sighed as she flicked back her hair. “It must be your commanding presence that gets their attention. Did you see Drake off okay today?”

“I did.” Sue rolled her eyes. “Of course, I had to put up with Linda’s jabs.”

“Our mothers should have a contest to see who can outshame the single moms.” Dani picked out some pretzels from the bowl of snack mix on the bar and popped one into her mouth.

“Stepmother. At least Fiona’s dad is in the picture.”

“You say that like it’s a good thing.”

“Okay then, at least Fiona lives with you and you’re not in constant fear of losing custody of her.”

Dani folded back the corners of the napkin the bartender had tossed down when he took their order. “You know I’m planning to drive down to Savannah, and I’d be happy to drop in on Drake for you. Text me your parents’ address, and I’ll see if I can make the detour—just a familiar face from where Mom lives might make a big difference.”

“That would be great, but I don’t want to put you out.”

“Happy to do it.” Dani snatched their glasses from the bartender’s hand and handed one to Sue. “Drink.”

Sue took a big gulp of wine, but there wasn’t enough alcohol in the world right now to drown her sorrows.

“Stop beating yourself up. You’re saving the freakin’ world.” Dani tilted her head. “I suppose you can’t tell me about this hush-hush assignment of yours.”

Not only did she not have a hush-hush assignment, she didn’t have any assignment—unless she counted the one to get the name of the right barbershop.

Sue put a finger to her lips and swirled her wine in the glass. “No questions about my job.”

“Don’t even ask about my job…except for the new resident who started his rotation.” Dani winked.

“Not another doctor. You need to date outside the medical field.”

“I need to date and I may have just found the answer to our prayers.” Dani tilted her head to the side and twirled a strand of her red hair around one finger.

Sue put her glass to her lips and shifted her gaze above the rim toward a table to Dani’s right, where two men had their heads together. “Are you sure they aren’t gay?”

“Not the way they’ve been eyeing us for the past few minutes.” Dani drew back her shoulders and puffed out her ample chest. “Besides, they have a table, and we’re stuck here at the bar getting squeezed out.”

One of the men had noticed Dani’s move and he sat up, nudging his buddy.

An evening with Dani always ended in the company of men, and for once, Sue welcomed the distraction. She smiled at the eager suitors.

One of the guys raised his glass and pointed to the two empty chairs at their table.

“And score.” Dani wiggled her fingers in the air. “I get the blond unless you have a preference. I’m just thinking about cute little strawberry-blond siblings for Fiona.”

Sue’s gaze shifted to the dark-haired man as she pushed away from the bar. At least he was her type. “Go for it, Dani.”

The two men jumped from their seats and pulled out the chairs for her and Dani. She and Dani did a little dance to get Dani seated next to the blond.

He spoke first. “You two looked so uncomfortable packed in at the bar. It seemed a shame to let these two chairs go to waste.”

“Thank you. I’m Dani and this is Sue.” Dani’s southern accent always got more pronounced in front of men, and they seemed to eat it up.

Dani’s future husband pointed to himself. “I’m Mason—” and then he pointed to his companion “—and this is Jeffrey.”

They all said their hellos and launched into the inane small talk that characterized meet-ups in bars. Sue had no intention of winding up with Jeffrey or anyone else at the end of the evening and tried to keep her alcohol consumption to a minimum.

She failed.

Mason, or maybe it was Jeffrey, ordered a bottle of wine for the table, and then another. Although Sue continuously sipped from her glass, the liquid never dropped below the halfway point, and by the time she staggered to the ladies’ room on her second trip, she realized the men had been topping off her wine.

She’d have to put a lid on that glass when she got back to the table.

As she wended her way through the crowded bar, she stumbled to a stop when she saw Jeffrey alone at the table. She clutched her small purse to her chest and took the last few steps on unsteady legs. “Where are Mason and Dani?”

“They left—together.” Jeffrey lifted one shoulder.

Sue sank into the chair, snatching her phone from the side pocket on her purse. “Whose idea was that?”

“I think it was mutual.” Jeffrey held up his hands. “Don’t worry. I know we didn’t hit it off like they did, and I have no expectations.”