“I’m not living in the shelter anymore. I met the most wonderful woman while I was there. Her name is Savannah and, when you meet her, you’ll love her as much as I do. You’ll see.” Mira’s smile lights up her face and reminds me again how much I’ve missed her. She has always been the bright sunshine that chases away the gloomy gray clouds in my mind.
“As much as I’d love to meet her, I’m not sure I’ll get that chance, sis. Silas caught me stealing top-secret information from a senator’s office, so I’m to be returned to Moscow in two weeks. We have until then to get the proof we need, or they’ll shut down the investigation as a false accusation. There’s a lot to do and not a lot of time left for socializing.”
Mira’s smile fades as her face drops, and it breaks my heart to see the amount of pain in her eyes. Realization of what will happen soon sets in, and she starts shaking her head. “No. Silas, no, you can’t send her back now. You know what’ll happen to her if you do. They’ll execute her and dump her body in a landfill without a second thought. You have to do something to stop this.”
As he’s a man who has lived his life in the shadows and under the cloak of anonymity, the uneasiness of being thrust into the spotlight is painfully obvious in his expression. On the one hand, he doesn’t want to let Mira down by telling her the hard truth. On the other hand, I don’t think he agrees with what his superior ordered him to do, so his heart isn’t in it, but he knows he can’t shirk his duties.
“This decision wasn’t up to him, Mira. It wasn’t his call to make. He tried to argue against it, but he has to follow orders or face the consequences. It’s not fair of us to ask him to do anything other than what’s right. I took those documents for a good reason, and I wasn’t going to give the information over to the GRU, but what I did was illegal, regardless.”
“What’s right? How is giving you a one-way ticket to your own execution anywhere near right? If they send you back, they’ll have to send me back too. There’s no way I can live with myself knowing what’s happening to you in Moscow while I’m here, living the comfortable life in Virginia.”
“And I can’t let you do that. You’re not paying for my mistakes.” I kiss her cheek, knowing the only thing we have in common besides our appearance is our stubborn streak. Neither of us is good at backing down once we’ve made up our mind.
But there’s no sense in arguing the point any further now. There’s too much to do and not enough time to do it the way I’d prefer—and definitely not enough time to handle it the way Silas insists. I can only hope to change their minds once the solid proof is in my hands, and I fill in the blanks with the knowledge in my head. Maybe throw in an extra measure of information that I have hidden up my sleeve—in case of a rainy day…or a life-or-death emergency.
“She’s telling the truth, Silas.” A man I didn’t notice before now speaks up, his head popping up from behind a thick metal case. He’s tall with a lean build, but he’s not scrawny. His muscles simply aren’t as bulky as the other men in the room. He’s unassuming yet attractive with his short brown hair and green eyes. He’s definitely one of them, blending in, gathering intel, not drawing attention to himself. “And there’s no way in hell I’ll let you go back to Russia, Mira. You know that.”
“Kira, this is Brad.” Mira moves to stand beside him. She has an obvious affection for him if the shy smile and stolen glances are any indication. From the way he looks at her, I’d say the feeling is more than mutual. “Brad, this is my sister, Kira.”
Brad takes her hand in his before walking over to me. He extends his other hand, and I accept it as we exchange greetings. “Have you known my sister long?”
“Savannah introduced us soon after they met, so about a year a half ago now.”
“You’re a friend of the mysterious Savannah, too? Seems everyone knows her except me.”
“She’s my wife,” Nick says. He’s visibly still leery of me—unwilling to share more than the most basic information. The very least of what he’s absolutely required to share with me.
“Oh, okay. Well, hopefully I’ll get to meet her one day. My sister seems very taken with her. So, Brad, who was telling the truth and about what?”
Silas nods, giving Brad permission to explain. “You, Kira. You were telling the truth about not planning to give the classified documents to the GRU. The results were a little fuzzy when you said the decision wasn’t up to Silas, but emotions can alter the results of the scan. Or, it also could be that part of you blames him for the situation. Either way, you have a strong reaction to him. More focused questioning would tell me what the truth is.”
“Or you could just ask me directly.”
“The answer to that question isn’t really germane to the investigation.” So, Brad is obviously the tech guru of the group. Direct, unemotional responses when he’s focused on the problem at hand.
“But it could give us insight into her state of mind overall. Maybe we should ask her.” Silas smiles, making me question if he has an actual playful side after all.
“I don’t blame you, Silas. What I did is not your responsibility. Do I wish you hadn’t caught me? Of course. But it is what it is.” I turn my attention back to Brad. “How did you know I was telling the truth?”
Before Brad can reply, Nick interjects. “We have access to advanced technology. That’s all you need to know about it.”
“Fair enough. So, what’s the plan, then? What’s the next move?” I look at Silas and find him staring at me intently.
“The next move…is to go back to your house, get whatever you need to get ready for a black-tie affair, and show up for the wedding being held in the senator’s home tomorrow.”
“How will we get in at this late date? RSVPs have to be sent weeks in advance for events like that.”
“We’ve already got that covered. Don’t worry.”
“Won’t his aide be there? He could still recognize me, even without the blond wig.”
“No, he’s too low on the totem pole to be invited to an important event like that. The senator’s only daughter is getting married then leaving the country for six months. They only want the cream of the crop at the reception. There will be so many people moving in and out of the house and the huge event tent set up in his backyard, they won’t notice a couple of guests lost in their enormous mansion.”
“Are you asking me to be your date for a wedding, Silas?” I try to lighten the somber mood of the room with a little humor, but the heated look in his eyes makes my heart race instead.
“Absolutely. And you know what the standing rule for wedding dates is, right?”
Years of training taught me to suppress my feelings, not to get emotionally involved in any mission, and view sex on the job as a necessary means to an end. No man has ever affected me while I was working in character, using him to get what I needed. Come to think of it, even the few men I dated as myself never really knew me. They never actually affected me enough to elicit real feelings.
So how, after being captured in the act and subsequently questioned by this man, do I have butterflies fluttering in my chest from a single flirtatious question?
“What rule is that?” I finally find my voice.
“You can’t wear white and upstage the bride. We’ll have to find you another dress because you’d definitely steal the show in that white dress you were wearing earlier.”
I’ve never felt so stupid before in all my life. I completely misread the meaning behind his question.
Chapter 7
Silas
Brad, Nick, and Roman have escorted the ladies back to Kira’s place to pack her belongings since she won’t be living there again anytime soon. Or ever. Looks like she’ll live here with me for the next couple of weeks while we sort through the accusations to determine if she’s stalling, lying, or telling the truth.
Even though Roman has already checked the documents and I trust him with my life, I decide to take a look at them myself while they’re gone. He’s a good ma
n and a great soldier, but after years in this game, there may be hidden keys I’d notice that he wouldn’t. I’m leaving no stone unturned in this operation. The first few are run-of-the-mill internal sharing of information, nothing exciting or eye-opening about the content.
Then one catches my eye, making my spy senses tingle all over. Even as part of the Intelligence Committee, the senator would have no need for this information. It was classified “eyes only” when the case was opened years ago, meaning only a specific set of people have clearance to see it. And I know for a fact that he wasn’t one of them, because I was.
“Now why would you be interested in this?” I steeple my hands in front of my face and let all possible, even improbable, situations run through my mind. One thing I’ve learned from working with all types of people all over the world—never underestimate your opponent. Or your coworker.
When the front door opens, I hear Brad, Nick, Mira, and Kira all laughing—at Roman’s expense, from the sounds of it. That makes me smile. He’s excellent at his job…but not so much with personal relationships. Forcing him into close quarters with others who acknowledge their feelings is good exposure for him…and good entertainment for me.
Before anyone walks into my office, I shut down the application and close my laptop. The words on that page are ingrained in my memory, though, and none of the possibilities of why Senator Hunt pilfered that specific investigation are good.
I step into the living room and see why everyone is laughing at Roman. He has multiple duffle bags draped over his arms while trying to maneuver large suitcases through the front door. But Brad’s, Nick’s, Kira’s, and Mira’s arms are empty. Multiple straps slide off his shoulders, falling to his forearm and making him release the suitcases. He looks like a one-man vaudeville show, juggling multiple items that were never meant to be juggled.
“Did you lose a bet, Roman?” I can’t help but laugh after I ask.
“He’s actually in the process of losing said bet. He was bragging, as usual, saying he could carry everything she owned and then some without any help from us. So, we’re letting him prove his worth. We’re not convinced yet.” Nick folds his arms across his chest, his smug expression intact, and continues watching Roman struggle alone.
“For fuck’s sake, give us a bag, Roman, and let us help you.” I grab one of the large suitcases from his grip and pull it inside the house before also taking the one in his other hand. Then I turn my attention to Kira. “Did you find anything to wear to the wedding tomorrow evening?”
“No, sorry. The only thing I have that’s formal enough is the white dress I wore earlier, and we both know that won’t work.”
“That’s not a problem. There are plenty of places nearby that’ll have something appropriate for you to wear. We’ll have time to go tomorrow since it’s an evening wedding.”
“Who gets married in January in the DC area anyway? It’s too fucking cold. Why not wait until the cherry trees are in bloom and everything’s beautiful again?” Kira shakes her head and takes a couple duffle bags from Roman.
“Senator Hunt’s daughter is marrying a doctor who’s volunteering with Doctors Without Borders. They wanted to get married before they leave the country for the next six months so their families can witness it.” I had the same question and did a little research while they were away. The weather is too cold and snowy for a traditional wedding, but it seems Hunt’s daughter is marrying a genuinely good man.
“Sounds like you need your invitations now.” Brad boots up his unique laptop—the one specifically designed for him by the best of the best in the CIA technology center for all his high-tech needs.
With a few simple keystrokes, Brad updates the attendee list with the pictures for the aliases Kira and I will use to get into the exclusive event. I’m counting heavily on the mother and father of the bride to be too busy and overcome with emotion to notice us roaming around their home unsupervised. Good thing I can think of a distraction or two should we get caught coming out of one of the bedrooms. Being caught in the act of rifling through their drawers would be a little harder to explain, though.
“We’ve accomplished as much tonight as we possibly can, so everyone should head home, get some rest, and be ready to go again first thing tomorrow. Kira needs a dress, we need comms, and I need an up-to-date blueprint of the house so I can get a feel for the layout and where he’d possibly hide valuables. We still have a lot to do and no extra time to do it in.”
“I’ll have the blueprint for you first thing in the morning, Silas. Check your email when you wake up.” Brad places his hand on Mira’s lower back, giving her a silent cue that she has to say goodbye now.
Mira wraps her arms around Kira’s neck and holds on for half a minute or more. Tears stream down both of their faces, neither wanting to be the first to let go after being apart for so long and not knowing the other’s fate.
“Mira, why don’t you plan on going shopping with Kira tomorrow? It’ll be a good outing for you two to spend more time together without actually making you a party to this operation.”
“Thank you, Silas. I appreciate that.”
As Nick, Brad, and Mira are leaving, I tell Roman to head home, too. We have a long day tomorrow, and Kira isn’t going anywhere else tonight without me. With the house locked up and protected by the best alarm system available, we’ll both be able to rest for the remainder of the night without any extra security shifts. Plus, now that she’s assured her sister is close by, safe, and still accessible to her, she doesn’t seem too keen on leaving anymore.
“It has been a long day and an equally long evening. I’ll take your stuff to your room for you.” I pick up her suitcases and gesture toward the hall. “Do you need anything else for now?”
“No, I brought everything I need from my place. Thank you, though. Are you going to bed too?”
We reach the guest bedroom, and I open the door for her then place her bags beside the bed. “No, I’ve lived on much less sleep than I’ll get tonight for many years. I’ll be fine. The bathroom is right through that door over there. Plenty of closet space for your clothes over here. You’re not confined to this room. If you want anything from the kitchen, it’s yours. No need to ask. If you want to hang out in the den and watch TV for a while, you’re welcome to it. Make yourself at home.”
“Thank you for this, Silas. Sincerely. I’m drained, so I think I’ll just go to bed now. Like you said, we have a lot to do tomorrow, and we need to get an early start.”
“Until tomorrow, then.”
* * *
Roman and Nick agreed to take both Kira and Mira shopping while Brad and I finish working on the logistics of getting lost in the senator’s mansion while scores of workers are milling about. To clarify, Roman didn’t exactly agree—but he complied with direct orders, regardless. He had a few choice words to call me before he left on his mandated shopping mission, but spending time with the ladies will do him good. He thinks he’s such a player, but I know where his head and heart are. Even if he’s still clueless.
“Brad, I’ve been given permission to read you in on this case so I can share the details of this document with you. This was listed as ‘eyes only,’ and I was one of the few people allowed to know the details of the investigation. I remember the case vividly, because I was going back and forth to Moscow at the time, chasing ghosts that made me look like an incompetent fool. By the time I figured out one clue to their hideout location, they’d already moved somewhere else, and I had to start all over again. My failure on that case is something I’ve never forgotten, and what I saw still haunts me to this day.
“The thing is, not one single US official was ever identified as a potential target—no one even with any distant ties to the suspects. But we knew there had to be someone with connections helping them because they were always one step ahead of us, and that shit just doesn’t happen. Senator Hunt was not part of the special committee appointed to review the details, and our director made a decision to int
entionally keep it out of the Senate’s reach.”
“So how did Senator Hunt get it, then? It’s not like Langley’s server is on a cloud.” Brad’s question is rhetorical, knowing I don’t have that answer yet.
While he reads the entire document, his question echoes in my mind. There’s only one way that document got out of Langley…and none of the possible scenarios gives me any peace. When he looks up from the screen, he wears a perplexed expression.
“This information is very high level. What am I missing? What’s in the fine print?”
For the next thirty minutes, I walk Brad through every detail of the case. How it began, where it took us, and why we were never able to bring it to full closure. Every officer has one case that haunts him, gives him nightmares, and makes him second-guess his place in the agency. This one has been the thorn in my side for years, knowing there had to be a piece of the puzzle missing but driving myself crazy trying to find it. Now that I’ve caught a glimpse of it, I have a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach and an acute desire to ignore the truth. Because there’s no going back once I’ve crossed the line drawn in front of me.
“What are you going to do, Silas?” The concern in his eyes is evidence of the danger we’re walking into. This doesn’t affect only me—the lives of our entire team are now in jeopardy.
“I’m going to do my job, even though I know exactly what that means if I’m caught before I have irrefutable proof. Even that may not be enough to get me off the hook.”
“What does that mean, Silas?”
“It means I think the senator is in some very shady shit, and in order to prove it, I’ll have to read Kira in on the case, too. She may not know what this document means, but she may have some insight into Moscow’s involvement from the past. If I can get information out of her, it may help us figure out why he has this document at all.”
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