“Ms. Miller, do you know who your boss was meeting the night he disappeared?”
“No, I don’t.” Scribble.
“Do you know what the meeting was about?”
“No, I’m sorry, I don’t.” Scribble.
“Yet, you are his personal assistant.”
“Yes, I am, but what you must understand is that Chris is a—”
“Yes, a very private man,” he interrupted, his voice sharper than it had been. “I’ve heard. But as his PA, I had hoped you might be able to provide something more useful than that.”
She blinked, considering him for several moments before she spoke again. His green eyes had gone from intense to accusing now, too. She uncrossed her legs and leaned forward slightly.
“Why don’t you ask the real question, Commander?”
“And what is that, Ms. Miller?”
“Am I sleeping with my boss?”
His expression didn’t change. “Are you?”
A wave of disappointment crashed over her. “Not that it’s any of your business, but the answer is no, and I don’t know why you would think otherwise.”
He closed his notebook and put it back into his pocket. “Let’s be honest, Ms. Miller. You don’t exactly fit the standard Kristikos qualifications for employment. Not judging here, but—”
“Aren’t you?” she said quietly. “You come into my office, ask me a few questions, and think you have enough information to form a conclusion like that? You don’t. Not even close. Chris isn’t my lover, Commander. He’s family.”
She could tell by his face that she’d shocked him, but it did little to stem her disappointment. Apparently, she’d misjudged him as much as he’d misjudged her.
“Excuse me, did you say you and Kristikos are related?”
She thought about telling him exactly what he could do with his questions, including where he could shove them, but this was not about her. This was about finding Chris. Preconceived, misogynistic notions or not, Gabriel Michaels was still her best hope of doing so. More importantly, she wanted him to understand. She didn’t want him to view her through the same filter everyone else did.
She took a deep, calming breath and called upon years of practice, shoving her personal feelings into the background. “Chris and I were—are—close, but not in the way you think.”
She set her coffee down and rose to her feet, pacing to release some of the restless energy that came with her irritation. Part of her resented the fact that she felt compelled to explain when she should have just shown him the door.
“Many years ago, my husband and I took his mother out to dinner to celebrate her birthday. On the way home, we were involved in an accident. The roads were icy, and we lost control. Robert was killed instantly.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It was a long time ago.” She paused at the French doors, wrapping her arms around herself. “His mother survived the crash, but lived only a few days. I woke up a week later in a private hospital, with no memory of the accident and months of rehabilitation ahead of me. Eventually, a man came to see me. He told me his name was Christos Kristikos, and that he would be assuming all financial responsibility for my recovery.”
“Why would he do that?” the commander asked suspiciously.
“That’s exactly what I wondered, too. That’s when he told me that my husband, Robert, was his brother.”
“His brother?”
“Yes, Commander, his illegitimate brother. Before she died, Robert’s mother confessed the truth to a priest about his real father—a wealthy, powerful man by the name of Darius Kristikos. She’d had an affair with Darius years earlier, but never told him about the resulting pregnancy. Apparently, she harbored enough guilt to ask the priest to reach out to the family.” She turned, seeing the doubt in his eyes. “Sounds outlandish, doesn’t it? But Chris had DNA tests done, and they confirmed her story.”
“I was not aware of that.”
She nodded, politely accepting his apology, but disheartened by his quickness to judge. “Don’t feel too bad, Commander. It’s not common knowledge, and as you no doubt understand by now, Chris likes to keep his private life just that—private. He felt, and I agreed, that the fewer who knew the truth about the nature of our relationship, the better.”
Her desktop calendar dinged softly, a timely reminder and the perfect excuse to end what had become an awkward meeting.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an appointment.”
“Of course.” He rose. “Thank you for your time, and your hospitality. I may have more questions later.”
“Yes, I expect you will,” she replied, but she was no longer looking forward to answering them. She stepped around him and opened the door. “The main entrance is down the hallway and to the right. I trust you can find your way. Good day, Commander Michaels.”
Chapter Fifteen
Gabriel
Virginia Miller looked at him expectantly, her features not as welcoming as they had been earlier. His first thought? That fire in her eyes only enhanced her attractiveness. His second? He didn’t want to leave.
But it was probably for the best. Clearly, his social skills were even rustier than he’d thought. All morning, his presence had been met with reluctant cooperation bordering on rudeness, and he’d remained polite and professional. Yet five minutes in Virginia Miller’s office and he’d crossed a line he shouldn’t have crossed. Made assumptions he shouldn’t have made. Offended the one person in the household who had been pleasant and cooperative.
Why was that, he had to ask himself. Why had the thought of her personally assisting her boss gotten under his skin and bothered him so much?
The obvious answer: it shouldn’t have. Identifying the players and determining potential motivations were critical to understanding the game. Caring one way or the other was not.
He glanced back over his shoulder, but her office door was already closed. Unlike Daskalakis, she trusted him to find his way out on his own. Surprisingly, the estate manager was nowhere to be seen along the way. Gabe half expected him to be skulking around in the shadows.
He did manage to find the exit without issue. His SUV was right in front, where he’d left it. Fred jumped up into the passenger seat, hitting him with a baleful stare when he slid behind the wheel.
“I know,” Gabe muttered as he pulled away from the circular drive. “You like her. And I fucked up.”
Fred turned away and put his nose to the window in either a snub or a demand to lower the tinted glass, perhaps both.
Gabe was still irritated with himself later that evening when he called everyone together.
“Status,” he barked once they were assembled in the team room.
“We’ve uploaded the footage Argyros gave us. It shows someone arriving the night of the disappearance, but we’ve been unable to identify him as of yet. He wore a hat and was smart enough to keep his face in shadow. Pixie’s hooked us up with some slick facial recognition software, so we might get lucky there.”
“What about the security system itself?”
“Top shelf,” Dawson said approvingly. “Real-time feeds from cameras along the entrances and exits, as well as the grounds surrounding the house. Motion sensors along the perimeters.”
“Can we hack it?”
“If we can get into the security office and tap into the feed. It’s a closed system, completely encapsulated onsite.”
“Do it.”
“I was hoping you’d say that,” Dawson grinned, “because I already did. That only gets us eyes and ears on the outside, though. No cameras on the inside. Yet.”
Gabe nodded his approval. “Mancini?”
“Nothing obvious, but that’s not surprising. They knew you were coming and prepared accordingly.”
“But?” Gabe prompted, sensing there was more.
“I took a closer look at some of the satellite photos. There’s a small access road that runs along the back of the property, but as far as I can tel
l, it doesn’t lead anywhere.”
“Hidden entrance, perhaps?”
“That’s what I’m thinking. Nothing obvious, though. I plan on taking another look tonight with some night scopes and NVGs.”
“Good idea,” Gabe agreed. “Dominguez?”
“Started at the top and am working my way down through the ranks. So far, they’ve dotted every i and crossed every t, at least in terms of the official paperwork and visa renewals. The next step is taking a deeper look into their backgrounds. Specifically, I’m looking for any and all associations with known international interests, as well as anything they might be able to use as leverage.”
“Excellent. Levine?”
“His accountants are good, damn good. No red flags yet, at least not in any US accounts. It’s going to take longer to delve into the off-shore accounts.”
“Livingston?”
At the sound of her name, Pixie’s eyes snapped away from Kyle Mancini, a telltale rose flush rising in her pale cheeks. “I’ve tapped into the phone records of every device registered to the estate or resident of the estate and I’m compiling a list of all calls made and received in the last few weeks, tracking down the numbers.”
Gabe was pleased with their efforts thus far. Perhaps working with a bunch of civilians wasn’t going to be as bad as he’d thought. “Good job, everyone. From here on out, I don’t think these daily status meetings are necessary. Your time is better spent elsewhere. When you’ve got something to share, do it. Otherwise, carry on.”
They murmured their appreciation. Apparently, there weren’t any fonder of meetings than he was.
“Livingston, Pixie, hang back a minute.”
Pixie remained behind while the others filed out. “Sir?”
“Is it possible to look up DNA test results?”
She blinked up at him from behind those thick lenses. “Patient information is typically kept pretty secure, but if it’s stored anywhere digitally, I can get to it. Do you know which lab did the testing?”
“No.” He provided her with the information he did have.
“I’ll start with the death certificate and go from there. Give me a few days.”
He thanked her and went back to his apartment. All things considered, it was a good start. Gabe was feeling more confident about his team and their willingness to take the initiative and do what needed to be done. Knowing he wouldn’t have to hold their hands every step of the way was a bonus.
Gabe typed notes into his laptop, adding information and then layering it with his personal observations. It helped center his thoughts and kept his mind focused on the investigation instead of the disappointment in Virginia Miller’s eyes.
Daskalakis was clearly the guy in charge and probably knew the most, but it was unlikely he was going to share anything, especially if Kristikos Sr. was the one signing his checks. Those who reported directly to Daskalakis weren’t likely to upset the apple cart, either, but one never knew. The micromanaging estate manager might have rubbed someone the wrong way at one time or another. All it took was one disgruntled employee, one underling who felt unjustly underappreciated to be in the right place at the right time to tip the scales in his favor.
And just like that, his mind went back to Virginia Miller. To the way she’d stood up to Daskalakis. That was something he needed to explore, and possibly, exploit.
A sense of anticipation rose in his chest at the thought of seeing her again. He told himself it had nothing to do with her sweet curves or pleasant smile and everything to do with sensing a weakness in the Kristikos wall. She and Daskalakis clearly had issues with each other, and more importantly, she was close to Kristikos, both on a business level and a personal level.
Unfortunately, he’d scribbled his name on her shit list by insulting her and he didn’t know how keen she was going to be on helping him now. Why the hell hadn’t that information been in her bio?
Fred nudged his leg, a reminder that he was overdue for a walk. Virginia had seemed pretty fond of Fred, Gabe thought as he grabbed his leash. Maybe that and an apology would get them back into her cooperative graces.
Chapter Sixteen
Gabriel
Gabe had no sooner exited the building than Kyle Mancini stepped out of the shadows and joined him.
“Hey, Commander. Got a minute?”
Mancini looked like a man who had something on his mind and wasn’t sure about sharing. Gabe couldn’t help but wonder what that was, particularly since Mancini hadn’t brought anything up in the meeting. “Yeah, sure. What’s up?”
"Does the name Tenebris mean anything to you?”
The name didn’t ring a bell. It was unusual enough to believe it would have, had he heard it before. “Should it?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Well, maybe you should fill me in and let me decide.”
Mancini nodded. They walked away from the building, and Fred trotted off toward the bushes to do his thing. It was after nine p.m., and the last hints of daylight were fading into deep hues of blue. Gabe kept an eye on Fred, waiting for Mancini to get to it. He sensed the guy wasn’t the type to impart information unless it was important.
“Kristikos has been a person of interest for a long time. His family’s been on the radar of every government agency since before Darius took the reins. Publicly, there’s not a lot of information, but privately, we’ve been compiling intel on him for years.”
Gabe nodded. Mancini wasn’t telling him anything he didn’t already know. Government agencies kept files on everyone who was, would, or could potentially be a threat. It was how they used that information and what they chose to do about it that was more of an issue, in his opinion.
“Yeah, so?”
“So, I’ve been looking into some of those private files, and I’ve found references to a sleeper agent named Tenebris, one who is said to have been sent in to infiltrate Darius Kristikos’s inner circle years ago.”
Gabe’s interest piqued at the phrase “sleeper agent.” He hadn’t heard the name, but considering who Mancini worked for, he didn’t immediately discount the idea. The concept of sending someone in deep and dark was neither new nor surprising, especially with someone like Kristikos. Perhaps Gabe’s earlier efforts had been thwarted not because of “priorities,” but because they already had someone on the inside.
It wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility. Sleeper agents did exist. They operated below the usual radar and wormed themselves into the cracks and crevices of organizations to bring things down from the inside. The Soviets had them. Al-Qaeda had them. Every world power worth a good goddamn had them, including the US.
No one knew exactly how many, though. The job required a hell of a commitment, and in some cases, a life-long one, though realistically speaking, those lives didn’t last very long.
“CIA? NSA?”
Mancini shook his head. “No, and that’s what’s unusual. No agency has ever claimed Tenebris.”
Well, that wasn’t surprising. Acknowledgement meant exposure, and in the espionage game, exposure meant certain death. “Got any proof?
Another shake. “Nothing concrete, no.”
“Yet you believe it’s a possibility?” It was Gabe’s turn to shake his head. Secrecy aside, there was another reason to be skeptical. “Kristikos has been a threat for a long time, and he’s only continued to grow his unholy empire. Don’t you think if we—or anyone else—had an agent on the inside, we would have taken him down by now?”
A familiar rage burned within him at all the lives Darius Kristikos had ruined over the years. Fred returned and nuzzled his hand, a sign that he needed to dial it back a notch.
"Not necessarily," Mancini said carefully. "It depends on who Tenebris is and what his motivation is. He might be a rogue, or even the son of a rival. Men like Kristikos ruin a lot of lives, and that creates some bad karma. It wouldn’t be the first time someone went to extremes to avenge that kind of shit.”
Didn’t Gabe know it. Howeve
r, there had to be a reason Mancini was telling him all this now. “Are you suggesting this mythical Tenebris is behind Kristikos's disappearance?"
"I'm not suggesting anything,” Mancini answered. “And before you ask, I don't have any solid evidence one way or the other, which is why I didn’t want to bring it up in front of the team. But you know as well as I do that at the heart of every legend is a kernel of truth, and something is going on at that estate. I can feel it. Something’s got Kristikos’s people spooked.”
Yeah, Gabe had picked up on that, too, but he’d chalked it up to fear of Darius. He knew from his own research that Kristikos made a point of cleaning house regularly. If there was even a shred of doubt about someone’s loyalty, Kristikos dealt with it swiftly and decisively, usually going after the betrayer’s family before the betrayer himself. Knowing Kristikos would make you watch as he destroyed your wife, kids, and parents was a powerful incentive for ensuring those who worked for him never gave him a reason to question their loyalty. He told Mancini as much.
“All the more reason to stay deep then, isn’t it?” Mancini asked quietly. “Anyway, I just wanted you to be aware.”
“Thanks. What’s your gut telling you?”
“That this goes a hell of a lot deeper than we think it does.” Mancini turned and went back into the building, leaving Gabe with even more to think about.
Chapter Seventeen
Gabriel
Later that night, Gabe cursed and punched his pillow in frustration, but it wasn’t the shape of the pillow that was keeping him awake.
Mancini’s comments had gotten into his head and were now looping around in a series of what-ifs. What if Tenebris was real? What if someone had managed to slip inside Kristikos’s inner circle, someone who’d been playing the game all these years, waiting and watching for the perfect opportunity to strike? Was it even possible?
SEAL Out of Water (Silver SEALs, #7) Page 7