Vigilantes and Lovers

by Charles Dougherty

  "You told me about the files, that they were chasing you because of them."

  She clenched her jaw for a second or two and locked eyes with me. "Just one more lie on my part. I couldn't tell you the truth at that point, that I was hired by Phorcys to protect you and make sure you could carry out your mission. It was sort of true, the story about the files. By then, I wanted to tell you everything, but I thought I was in too deep."

  She stopped talking and just looked at me. I stared back at her. The silence hung between us like a thick, black fog. And then it hit me. She might be telling the truth. Or what she thought was the truth.

  "What was the escort's name?" I asked.

  "What? I don't — "

  "The name you were using when you were with the Daileys, when Frankie's men captured you and took you to Atlanta. What was it?"

  "I don't remember what I told the Daileys, but the only identity I had when they caught me was Mary Elizabeth O'Brien. The one I was using when I met you. It was safe, as far as I knew. Why?"

  "Any way they could have known about it? Picked up on it somehow?"

  "The two guys who were holding me went through my purse before I escaped. I see where you're going with this, but I killed them, Finn."

  "You told me at one point that they drugged you."

  "That's true. When we were driving to Atlanta. They… you think maybe they told Frankie? Before I killed them?"

  "Could they have?"

  "Maybe. You think…" She was frowning, shaking her head.

  "Frankie told me they had a source in customs and immigration in St. Vincent," I said. "That's how his people found us there. If you're right, they were looking for me. But they might have picked up Mary Elizabeth O'Brien's trail by accident."

  "I never thought of that. The three people in Bequia might not have known, but there was time for Frankie to put all that together before we got to Ste. Anne. He would have known I was on the boat with you. Even though we changed our identities before we got to Ste. Anne, they put that tracker on the boat in Bequia."

  "Yes, and then there's that identity I got for you before we went to Ste. Anne."

  "Right. Mary Helen Maloney. What about it?"

  "Nora knew about it. And she would have known about the O'Brien one, too. All at once, because they used the O'Brien passport reference to get into the State Department's passport files. That's how they generated the Maloney passport for you."

  "You're right, Finn. So they did know who I was by the time we got to Ste. Anne. What else can I tell you? Now I've lost track of all the things I thought I should fill you in about."

  "They'll come back to you, if they're important. Meanwhile, tell me about Phorcys," I said.

  "I told you about Phorcys hiring me. What else do you want to know about them?"

  "Looking after me isn't the first job you've done for them."

  "No, it isn't. They're a… well, for lack of a better term, a regular customer."

  "A regular customer?"

  "Yes." She frowned. "What are you asking?"

  "Not your employer?"

  "No. I'm in business for myself. You're asking that because of what my contact said about favors?"

  "Partly. Who is he?"

  "I don't know. He's been my regular contact there, but we've never met. Kind of like you and Nora, I guess."

  "How did you come to take jobs with them?"

  "I work through an agent, a broker. She's part of a network, of sorts. She takes a commission on the jobs she sets me up with. And she provides a cutout for both parties, usually. Phorcys became an exception, because they use me often. They book me through the broker, but they brief me directly."

  "What else do you know about them? Phorcys, I mean?"

  "Nothing I can think of. Why?"

  "You said they hired you to copy the Dailey's files."

  "That's right."

  "And did you deliver them?"

  "Eventually, yes."

  "Eventually?"

  "I told you about O'Hanlon's people ambushing me when I was on my way to the drop?"

  "Yes. Is that true? It really happened?"

  "Yes. That messed up the original handoff. Phorcys was alarmed, worried that there was a leak somewhere that allowed O'Hanlon to set that up. They were busy sorting that out, so I didn't get them a copy of the files until right before I left Florida to fly to San Juan."

  "Do they know they don't have the only copy?"

  "Yes. They're okay with that."

  "Do they know I'm working with someone to get the files decrypted?"

  "Yes. That's not a problem to them. Is it a problem to your contact?"

  "I don't know yet. Maybe, but that's a topic for later."

  "Later?" she said. "I'm afraid to ask, but I can't stand it, Finn. Do we have a later?"

  "I think so. I'm not sure what it's going to be like, but nothing you've told me changes how I feel."

  "Even after all my deception?"

  "We both live in that kind of world, Mary."

  "But how can you possibly trust me?"

  "I don't trust you. Not yet. Maybe not for a long time. But I still love you. That's not the same as believing everything you tell me. I trust your feelings, not your words. Can you cope with that?"

  She nodded, blinking back tears. "Thank you, Finn. That's more than I hoped for. I love you."

  "And I love you," I said. "I'm no better at this romance business than you are."

  "You have more questions?" she asked, sniffling.

  "I will, I'm sure. And so will you. Plus, I have stuff to tell you, to talk over with you. I need your opinion on several things. And your help. But none of that's important right now."

  "It's not?"

  "No."

  "What's important?"

  "Come here. I'll show you while we watch the sunset."

  She did, and I did.

  30

  Mary and I enjoyed a nice dinner in the cockpit after sundown. We were lingering over the last of the wine when she said, "We needed this; I needed this. Thanks, Finn. I haven't felt so at peace since I met you."

  "I'm glad. Glad we met, whatever set it in motion. And glad you feel at peace."

  "I do. This is a magical spot, you know?"

  "What makes it magical to you?" I asked.

  "We could be the only people in the world. It feels like we're anchored out in the middle of the ocean. We're all alone, in this tiny spot where the seas are calm, with a strong trade wind blowing and the waves breaking on the reefs. And it's a beautiful evening."

  I couldn't think of anything to add to that. She was snuggled against me with my arm over her shoulders, so I just gave her a squeeze.

  "I don't want to spoil it," she said, "but you said earlier you had things you wanted to talk about. Should we do that?"

  "I suppose. Even in a magical place, life intrudes."

  "What's on your mind?" she asked, sitting up and taking a sip of her wine.

  I told her about my conversation with Nora's boss. She listened without interrupting, and when I finished, she didn't say anything for a long time — maybe 30 seconds, but to me, it seemed like an eternity. I raised my wineglass and took a full swallow.

  "I can't make sense of that," she said. "I get that he wants you to get rid of Nora and take her place. But unless you left out something, he doesn't have the straight story on what happened with Abby and the senator."

  "I didn't leave out anything."

  "Then how can you explain his misunderstanding?"

  "I can't. Not very well. What bothers you most about that?"

  "For him to think you'd buy his story, he would have to believe you didn't know about Abby's kidnapping. That's just nuts."

  "Yes. Or?"

  She looked up at me, her brow furrowed. After a few seconds, she said, "Or he thinks it didn't happen. Do you think he believes the senator killed himself rather than carrying out Nora's plan?"

  Interesting that she thought of that. I was careful not
to suggest the idea to her. I stuck to reciting what he said.

  "He would have to, unless he's part of it."

  "Part of it?"

  "Part of Nora's scheme."

  "Which do you believe?" Mary asked.

  "I don't want to bias you with my conclusions; I don't trust my objectivity, here. Ask me anything else you want to and I'll answer, but not about my opinions. Not yet. I need your fresh ideas."

  "Okay, fair enough. You're sure about that recording?"

  "I'm not clear on what you're asking. What about the recording?"

  "Are you sure it was Nora and Senator Lee?"

  "Yes."

  "You said Lee told her his phones were checked for bugs daily. Is that right?"

  "Yes. Why?"

  "I'm trying to understand how her boss got that recording. Do you believe Lee about his phones?"

  "No reason not to. He had plenty of reason to worry. We know that."

  She nodded. "So that means the tap was most likely on Nora's end. But she was the one warning him. Besides, that seems unlikely given her background. From everything you've told me about her, she's extra cautious about that kind of thing. Right?"

  "Yes."

  "After 20 years of experience," Mary said, "she somehow let her phone call get recorded? I don't believe that."

  Good! Neither do I. Now, where are you going with that?

  "Then how did her boss get that recording?" I asked.

  "Nora knew about it, Finn. She had to know her boss was recording that call. Or she recorded it herself. She would have been way more circumspect, anyway. About what she said, I mean, naming me, naming the Daileys. Don't you think? Unless she wanted all that information in the recording."

  "Yes. So what do you think happened, there?" I asked.

  "They were setting up the senator, maybe?"

  "Maybe," I said.

  She took a drink of her wine and said nothing for a few seconds. "Or," she said, "they made the recording for some other reason — some reason we don't know about — but they decided they wanted you to hear it at this point."

  "But why? Phorcys freed Abby, and we killed the senator. They may not know the details about Phorcys, and we were careful not to leave any evidence that contradicted the notion of suicide. But they're guaranteed to suspect I had a hand in all that. Probably suspect you, too. I mean, Nora even warned the senator about us on the recording."

  Should I tell her about Aaron's comments on the investigation into the senator's death? Maybe, but not yet. That might lead into the whole Phorcys thing. I'm going to come clean with her on that soon. It's only fair. But I don't want to distract her right now. She's on a roll.

  Mary shook her head. "You're supposed to call her in the morning?"

  "Yes. The boss asked me to wait a day, so he could set her up."

  "Did he give any sign he might know about the tracker we have on board?"

  "No. What makes you ask about that now?"

  "A day's delay. Maybe he was buying time for something besides setting her up."

  "Like what?" I asked.

  "I don't know. Ambushing us, maybe. I'm thinking out loud. You said he knew you didn't respond to her message?"

  "That's right. He said he was monitoring her calls."

  "If she were hiding stuff from him, she would expect that, wouldn't she? Expect that he might monitor her calls, I mean."

  "Yes, probably so."

  "Are there other ways she could communicate with you? I mean, if she assumed her normal channels were compromised. You must have had more than one fallback method in case the special satellite phones didn't work."

  "Yes. But that one with the hidden four-digit code embedded in a logo in a spam email is preferred."

  "Why?"

  "It's secure and it's fast. The other ways don't offer such a quick turnaround."

  "Have you checked them? The other ways?"

  "Well, yes. They don't require me to do anything in particular. I'd get an email, to that same account."

  "Then you'd have to check your email, even if they used one of the other fallbacks? Do they all depend on email? The same email account for you?"

  "There are several, but the fallbacks aren't dependent on email. I don't have to check my email; it's just one way I would know they were trying to reach me. I'll give you an example. I have a checking account set up for online banking. They can send me a signal by making a deposit followed by a withdrawal. The amounts and the interval between them are predetermined, but the source and destination of the funds could be anything. That all happens electronically. The account is set up to send me an email notification when there's an authorized third-party withdrawal. But if I think my email account is compromised and I don't want to check it, I can check the bank account online, or even by phone. You follow?"

  "Yes. But that assumes you have a reason to check. You say the others are similar?"

  "That's right. But normally, if the sat phones weren't working, I would be on the lookout for a contact. That would be a reason for me to check without depending on email. I wouldn't wait for an email. The others involve credit card accounts, online subscriptions, that sort of thing. They work about the same way the bank account does."

  "Okay. So how do you respond, once you know they're trying to reach you?"

  "There are a variety of blind drop arrangements. Eventually it comes down to a roundabout telephone call with someone whose voice I would recognize, or who has the right challenge and response phrases."

  "I see. But you didn't get any of those email notifications?"

  "No. Why?"

  "It seems strange that both Nora and her boss used the same means to get in touch with you, especially if one of them doesn't trust the other."

  "You're right. I didn't put that together."

  "What do you suppose would have happened if you called Nora first?"

  I thought about that for a few seconds. I wrestled with which number to use before I made the call that ended up being to the boss. But it didn't occur to me to consider what Mary just asked. "She would have told me her boss was crooked, probably, and given me a kill order for him," I said, after pondering the question. "Like a mirror image of what he told me."

  "Uh-huh. That's my bet, too. And that can only mean one thing, Finn. You agree?"

  "I need to hear you say it, please. To be sure I'm not drinking my own bath water."

  "Yuck! That's a vile image."

  "Sorry. Back to the point you were making?"

  "They're working together. It's a setup; they're after you, Finn. How's that sound?"

  "No different coming from you. It's what I think, too."

  "You wanted to take Nora out, anyway; they just made it a little easier to justify, right?"

  "Maybe. But now we can't stop with Nora. We know her boss is part of this."

  "So we go after him, too," Mary said.

  "That's the idea, but he's a tougher target, since I don't know who he is. And Nora's going to come to us. He'll be too careful to do that."

  "I'll bet we can make Nora tell us," Mary said.

  "I'm pretty sure she doesn't know. But it might be satisfying to try."

  "Do you have any other ideas to discover his identity?"

  "Yes. Some. Do you?"

  "Phorcys owes me, big time. And you're thinking you can put your friend Aaron on it, I'll bet."

  I nodded. "Between the two, one of them might find out. Or at least come up with some leads. Speaking of Aaron and Phorcys, that's something else I need to discuss with you."

  "I wondered when that was coming. I know people are asking about Phorcys. You're behind that, aren't you?"

  "Have we been sloppy? Or is Phorcys that good?"

  She laughed. That rich, mesmerizing laugh I loved to hear — and I had not heard it for too long. "Neither. It's what I would have done, if I were in your position. That's all. I would have been disappointed in you otherwise. So, can you share what you learned?"

  "Yes, but it'
s probably nothing you don't know."

  "Oh, don't be too sure. I've told you what I know about Phorcys, which isn't much. I may be more curious about them than you are. But there's something we should do before we start that."

  "What's that?"

  "I'm salty and sandy from sitting on that windward beach all day. I need a shower. Join me? Then we can crawl into the V-berth and you can tell me all about Phorcys. I've missed you, Finn. I've felt distant from you even when I was with you, because I've been — "

  "I understand," I said, standing up and taking her hand to lead her below.

  31

  After we were both showered, we cleaned up the galley from our dinner preparations and I filled Mary in on what I learned from Aaron while she was ashore. I gave it to her in order, beginning with the files.

  "I'm having trouble with this, Finn," she said, after hearing of the cyberattack. "That's way over my head. A cyberattack? I've heard the phrase, but what is that, even?"

  "Where are you losing track?"

  She shook her head. "When they hacked into the bank system. I can at least follow along with the concepts until then. But this tripwire idea is new to me. How does that work?"

  "I'm not up on the details, but it's probably akin to being locked out of your online banking if you enter the wrong password too many times. I'm sure it's more complicated, but — "

  "Okay, but they weren't locked out. How could the attackers wipe out their whole system?"

  "You're in denial, Mary. Quit trying to convince yourself it didn't happen. It did. Aaron has no reason to make that up."

  She was frowning, unable to let go of her skepticism.

  "Let's say that instead of locking them out, the bank's system pretended to let them in and sent them a virus or something; some file that got through their firewall and then morphed into an executable that locked up their system. That stuff's way over my head, too, except Aaron said it happened. And maybe the malware didn't come from the bank. Maybe trying to hack into the bank triggered it to come from somewhere else. I don't know how that stuff works."