by Nikki Rose
“There,” she pointed at Donovan’s arm just below his rolled-up sleeve.
"What is that?" She moved closer to the screen.
"A tattoo."
"Wow. They teach you those detective skills at secret spy school?" she teased and nudged me with her elbow.
I laughed and grabbed her by the waist, tickling her sides as I pulled her onto my lap. She laughed and squirmed until I released her.
She leaned forward, working on her computer. I watched the tv screen as the image zoomed in and cleared up around the tattoo peeking out of his sleeve.
“Is that a—?” I leaned in closer to the screen, trying to get a better view.
“It’s a clover.”
“A Celtic clover by the look of it. A tattoo belonging to an Irish mob family I had a couple of run-ins with years ago.”
“So that’s the connection?”
“But the Irish and the Russian mobs hate each other.”
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” she quoted.
I thought about it a moment. She was right. “That’s thinking outside the box for sure. But let's think this through. Let’s say they teamed up to take out a common enemy. I’m far from their biggest threat, surely there’s someone in the agency more important than me that they should be targeting if they were looking for someone to take down.”
The agency.
“That’s it,” I stood up, needing to move around, to pace, as my brain worked.
“For those of us who can’t read minds, what’s it?”
“The agency. They are looking to take down the whole agency.”
“The whole agency? But how?”
“Think about it. We’ve all been scattered because of so much going on. I get framed for murder. The Director mysteriously gets turned in for knowing where I was when no one else knew that we were there. Unless someone was following us. So now he’s suspended and could possibly be fired. James hasn’t been in his right mind since Natalie was taken which distracts Hunter and Chris because they understand more than anyone else how it feels to have your job put someone you love in jeopardy.”
“That doesn’t take James totally out of the agency though. He’s just distracted for now.”
“But if something horrible were to happen to her, he’d never be able to go back to how things were before.”
“You think they are going to kill Natalie?”
“I think they are planning to do more than that. I think they are planning on James witnessing it.”
“That would destroy him.”
“He’d never be the same.” I agreed.
“So, what do we do? We can’t tell him that or he’ll get reckless.”
“We need to put a stop to this.”
“But how?”
“By finding the people who took Natalie.”
“And the people who framed you. If you’re right then that means they’re all connected.”
“We need to warn Hunter and Chris just to be safe,” I was already pulling out my phone as I said the words and hit the speed dial to call Hunter.
“Mason, hey man. How are you enjoying your freedom?”
“It’s been great but I’m not calling about that.”
“What’s up?” his whole tone changed when he heard the seriousness of my voice.
“Hana and I have been talking. We think there is a connection with all these things that have been going wrong with our team lately.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m going to conference in Chris so we can explain it once.”
“No need. He’s here with me now. I’ll put you on speaker.”
“Perfect. And Hana is with me,” I switched the phone to speaker and began explaining our theory about my set up, the Director getting turned in, and even Natalie’s abduction.
“So, you think all those things are connected?” Chris confirmed just before Hunter spoke up.
“It makes sense to hit us all at once if this is the end game.”
“End game? But, who’s?”
“There’s only been one group I know of that has been focusing specifically on the personal agents in the agency instead of the normal issues we have.”
“You think this has to do with Petrov and his people?”
“I think there were a lot of unanswered questions from back when he was finally captured.”
“Who’s Petrov?” Hana asked and I’d almost forgotten she hadn’t been around that long. It felt as though she’d been around all along.
“A dangerous Russian who had some personal vendetta against the Director. He kidnapped Caroline, Director Applegate’s daughter a while back but we managed to get her back.”
“Oh, that’s horrible. But she was rescued safely?”
“Yeah, but it was a close one and not before they knocked the shit out of her. If Petrov is involved, I’m getting Caroline out of here for a while,” Chris said definitively.
“We understand you wanting to keep your girl safe—” I started.
“Wait, Chris is together with the Director’s daughter?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re a brave man,” Hana chuckled.
“Chris, I understand where you’re coming from but you can’t just up and leave because she might be in danger. You’ve been made acting Director until Applegate is reinstated. Have one of the other guys watch out for her.” I tried to get him to see the logic.
Hunter’s voice came through in a raspy whisper that wasn’t intended for us to hear, “tell him.”
Chris let out a sigh and I knew that whatever Hunter was urging him to tell me was about to come. “Caroline’s pregnant.”
“Wow. Congratulations, man.” I let out an accepting sigh. “Do what you have to do to protect your family. Who is your second?”
“You are,” Hunter added.
“Me? Hunter’s been in the agency longer. Shouldn’t it be him?”
“You know Hunter has his special talents. Leading the unit isn’t it,” Chris explained.
“I prefer to stay back in the shadows when I can and you have a better rapport with the guys.”
“Are you sure about this?” I was trying to remain calm but being second to the Director was huge even if it was just the acting Director.
“Absolutely. I’m going to take Caroline somewhere tonight. I don’t want to risk anything. We’ll meet you at headquarters tonight before we head out to hand over all the codes and files you’ll need while I’m gone.”
“Okay, text me a time.” I took a breath and reminded myself that I could do this. I had to—for my team.
CHAPTER 24
Mason
After hanging up with Chris and Hunter, I was more convinced than ever that the team was under attack. I wasn’t sure how Petrov was pulling strings from prison but I already knew he had some pull inside if the beating I’d gotten from his friends on the inside was any indication. Hana and I went through every piece of evidence and every theory we had while waiting to hear from Chris. It turned out that not only was she an amazing artist, but her eye for detail transferred to detective work as well.
It was already dark out before I got the text from Chris, giving us a one-hour notice to meet him at headquarters. I double checked my go bag, making sure it was fully restocked and threw it in the trunk of my car.
“Ready to go?”
“Ready when you are.”
I opened her door and waited until she got inside to shut it and round to the driver’s seat. Tonight, I was finally driving.
I pulled out of the drive. We didn’t speak until I was on the main road heading for headquarters.
“Why do you always take that bag with you?”
“A go-bag is something that every agent keeps with him. It’s a bag that’s kept ready all the time in case you have to go quickly either for a mission or to disappear for a while if needed.”
“So, all the guys carry around a bag of money, weapons, and whatever else you have in there?”
“That makes sense, I guess. What’s going on up ahead?” She motioned forward as traffic slowed to a stand-still and flashing red and blue lights reflected off of some of the cars farther up.
“A wreck or a road block maybe?”
“Maybe.”
We waited in traffic for almost twenty minutes before officials were able to move the non-fatal crash to the side of the road to let us pass. Hana and I talked the whole time. I’d never been much of a talker but when I was around her, I could open up like never before and I adored listening to her talk about all the things that interested her.
Once we got going, the trip was smooth. Before we knew it, we came to our turn which led straight to the old warehouse which disguised our headquarters. It was dark in the gravel parking lot with only two dim street lights glowing in the far corners. They kept it that way on purpose so the building wouldn’t seem out of place from the rest of the rundown part of town.
I parked the car in one of the most poorly lit areas to not be noticed. Beside it was Chris’s and Hunter’s cars. I rounded my car to open Hana’s door but she was already half way out by the time I got there. I helped her the rest of the way out and took her hand instinctively as we started for the door.
“Keep near the brick wall of the building that makes an L shape around the parking lot here. Staying in the shadows helps to avoid unwanted attention,” I whispered to her. It wasn’t well lit but we were able to see in front of us well enough.
We were less than halfway to the door when three white cigarette butts caught my attention and I stopped.
“What’s wrong?” Hana whispered to me.
“There are cigarette butts here on the ground.” I pointed them out to her but she clearly didn’t understand the significance.
“So, one of the guys was out here for a smoke.”
“An agent would never leave cigarette butts lying around. They carry DNA and open you up to discovery.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“It’s in our training.”
A sudden memory popped in my head from some of the evidence we reviewed earlier. Cigarette butts found at the scene of the boat bombing. I’d just assumed my CI had once again failed his goal to quit the nasty habit but now, I wasn’t so sure.
“Something isn’t right. I’m going to call the guys.”
I pulled out my phone and dialed back Hunter’s number since he’d been the last one, I’d talked to.
“Hey. Where are you? We’ve been waiting for nearly half an hour.”
“We ran into some traffic but listen, Hunter, you, Chris, and Caroline need to get out of there. Something isn’t right.”
“Caroline didn’t come with us. What’s going on?”
“I don’t know but I found cigarette butts out in the parking lot. They seem fresh too.”
“Shit, okay. Chris isn’t with me. He had some files to get from the Director’s office upstairs.”
“I’ll try to call him but yall need to get out as soon as possible.”
“I’m heading that way now.”
“Okay.” I hung up the phone without bothering to say bye.
“What’s going on?” Hana looked nervous. It could be nothing and I hated to worry her for what could be the result of the adrenaline in my veins but I wasn’t willing to take that chance.
“I’m not sure. Something just isn’t right. Hunter is going to head out but Chris isn’t with him so I need to call and let him know to get out of here.”
I hit the button to call Chris’s number but instead of ringing, I heard a familiar high-pitched sound that sent panic coursing through my body. It was the same sound from the night at the boat yard. Before I had time to react, a loud explosion sounded, shaking the ground under our feet.
We instinctively ducked and covered our heads and I helped to shield Hana. Another explosion triggered and another like explosive dominoes set off in rapid succession.
“Stay here. Call the number in my phone labeled dispatch and have them send everyone they can.” I handed Hana my phone and ran for the entrance.
I was able to open the door without exposing myself to flames but the heat was already starting to build. I lifted my shirt up over my mouth and nose to help me breathe through the smoke removing it only to call out over the crackling sound of flames devouring wood.
“Hunter? Chris? Where are you guys? Can any of you hear me?” I coughed on the smoke and put my shirt back up over my face as I ran deeper into headquarters.
Passing the IT room, I heard faint coughing and ran toward the sound.
“Chris? Hunter?”
“Over here,” a male voice I couldn’t distinguish over the crackling flames struggled to speak. I followed the sound of coughing until I found our top IT guy, Mikey, pinned down by a large metal bookshelf that had fallen during one of the explosions.
I ran to his side, crouched, and scanned him for major injury. “Mikey, what are you doing here?”
“I was doing some work late. Usually I do it from my home computer this late but I needed the larger network and—what the hell happened?”
“Bombs. Somehow someone knew we were meeting here tonight. Have you seen Chris or Hunter?”
“I saw Chris when he first came in. He was heading to the Director’s office.”
“Let’s get you out of here.”
It took some struggling to lift the large bookshelf off of Mikey’s leg but I finally managed to give enough slack that he was able to scoot out from under to free himself.
“Can you walk on it?”
“Not well, but I’ll manage. You need to find the others.”
I nodded, hating to not see him out to safety but knowing he could make it on his own. I grabbed a bottle of water from Mikey’s desk, removed my shirt, and wet it down to cover my mouth and nose. It helped me breathe better in the smoke which was getting thicker by the minute.
I ran out of the room. The heat in the building was becoming unbearable but I had to go on.
“Hunter? Chris?” I called out between coughs, running toward the stairs that led up to the Director’s office.
I’d just made it to the stairs when I heard Hunter call out, “over here.”
He held his right arm immobile, bent at the elbow and I could tell he was in pain as he tried to drag an unconscious Chris down the corridor.
“What happened?”
“I got to him just after the first explosion. It looked like some debris fell on him and knocked him out. I think I dislocated my shoulder so I couldn’t lift him well on my own.”
I ran to his side and slung Chris’s arm over my shoulder while Hunter took the other side. His head hung down, still unconscious, as we ran for the nearest exit. A support beam above us crackled and we barely dodged as it slammed into the floor. I burst through the exit on a side step with Chris and Hunter right behind.
“Mason. What happened?” Hana cried out and ran to us the moment she saw us stumble out of the door with Mikey close behind her.
The cool night air struggled to fill our lungs as we hacked up smoke but finally managed to breathe deep. We laid Chris down on the concrete walkway at a distance from the dangers of the burning building.
“Where’s Caroline?” Hana looked at us each with worry etched on her face, “didn’t she come with you guys?”
Hunter shook his head. “Chris changed his mind last minute. Said he couldn’t leave his team. Since the Director was on leave anyway, he sent Caroline out of town with her dad so she would be safe.”
“Thank God for that.”
Fire truck sirens blared in the distance as Hana wrapped her arms around me, half hugging me and half holding me up.
Hana
As much as Mason wanted to go to the hospital w
ith Chris, he was acting Director and needed to meet with the rest of the team to find out what had happened and who was responsible. The attack was as personal as it could be going after their brothers in arms in their own headquarters.
I worried about him after breathing in the smoke but after a few minutes of oxygen at one of the ambulances, he assured me he was fine. Hunter rode with Chris, promising to let us know the moment he heard anything.
Once Mason delegated the investigation tasks and handed over the main building investigation to his buddies at the ATF, I convinced him to go home and rest until we heard more. Neither of us slept much the night before and after everything, I just wanted to be in the safety of my own home with Mason by my side.
We walked into my house and Mason all but collapsed on the couch trying to pull me along with him but we both needed something to eat.
“I’m going to heat up some leftovers.”
“I’m not hungry. I’m too exhausted to eat.”
“You need just a little something and so do I. Don't make me eat alone.”
“Okay,” he finally gave in.
I went into the kitchen and dug through the fridge, finding some leftover pasta and salad I was able to throw on a plate for us to share. I poured us each a glass of water, needing to keep things simple in my exhausted state then plopped down on the couch beside Mason.
We sat there, staring at the TV as news coverage of the bombing already filled the screen. Neither of us were really listening. It was more just to fill the quiet after we ate.
Having dozed off on the couch, Mason and I were awakened by the loud ringing of his phone. He glanced down at the caller id before answering.
“It’s Hunter.” Mason answered the phone and put it on speaker. “Hello?”
“Hey man, how are you holding up?”
“I’m okay. Hana is here too. How’s Chris?”
“That’s what I’m calling about. He’s stable, and awake but they are keeping him for a few days.”
“Good. How’s the shoulder?”
“Doc popped it back into place and it feels just about as good as new. He says I can’t do anything major for six weeks but I say he’s crazy.”
Mason chuckled sleepily. “I’m glad you’re okay.”