by K. T. Lee
Stefanie rubbed her nose. “What if Dmitri just fades away into the background?”
“It seems pretty unlikely he’d do that. He sent a hitman to my house.”
“You know, the funny thing about that story is that it doesn’t get easier to hear the second time.”
Ree considered. “I mean, to be fair, they weren’t there to shoot at me. I was at Matt’s house waiting it out. Cam and Parker were there.”
Stefanie sighed. “What if they come to your new place?”
Ree went quiet for a moment. “Listen, don’t worry about me. If things heat up, we have a place we can go that is a little harder to find.”
“That’s not as reassuring as you think it is.”
16
Dmitri was at home, staring at a phone that wasn’t monitored. Just in case, he applied some voice manipulation technology and dialed the number to another burner phone. He had one chance to get this right.
The man answered on the first ring. “Hello?”
“Hello. It’s your old friend.”
The man cleared his throat. “I thought we were laying low. I ran your test. It was successful. We agreed I would stay out of this.”
Dmitri bit back a growl. Last time he checked, he was the one giving orders. “What news do you have?”
“Nothing. You called in your favor and I took care of it. I don’t owe you anything else. Your men keep disappearing and I don’t intend to be one of them.”
“Andrei left on his own terms. Let us talk as old friends.”
“I’ve covered your tracks, as an old friend would. I have helped you with your plan, as I agreed to do. If I feel my safety is at risk, you will not hear from me again.”
“That’s a dangerous choice, my friend.” Dmitri’s face twisted into a sardonic smile. That had always been his problem, hadn’t it? A lack of vision.
“It’s one I have to live with. I will keep your secrets if you keep mine. If not, I make no promises.” The line went dead.
Dmitri clenched his jaw. He was now truly on his own. His ally on the ground was not strong enough to complete the mission. When the time came, he would be eliminated. Depending on others had been his last mistake. This time, Dmitri would personally ensure the success of this mission. He snapped the SIM card from the phone he’d used to make the call in half and began to pack a bag.
* * *
Stefanie had about five hours to recover from her class and the subsequent sparring match with Joey before she had to go meet Alexis and Matt. She wiped down the already-clean counters in her kitchen and pushed her hair out of her face. She had stress-cleaned most of the afternoon to keep herself from starting another art project, but had begun to look longingly at her craft stash as the afternoon wore on. She didn’t have any intentions to quit her day job, but her hobby made her happy and occasionally she would sell a piece that would pay for the next round of supplies for the gifts she put together. It had started as a way to learn fabrication, hands-on, that would also result in something beautiful. The unexpected bonus of the hobby was that the meticulous work required so much concentration, it helped her relax. Yoga, something that had been recommended to her by countless well-meaning friends, merely gave her too much time to stew about problems. She usually left class more wound up than when she arrived. A task that required her total focus was as close to relaxed as she was capable of getting.
Stefanie checked the time. If she took a quick shower, it would kill some time before her team meeting at Joey’s place. Just in case someone was watching her little house. She shivered at the realization. She pulled her weapon from the safe and brought it into the bathroom with her. After her shower, she pulled her wet hair up into a ponytail and put on soft athletic pants and a light half-zip shirt. It was her first week working for the CIA and apparently, she was also going to learn how to manage an explosives detection dog tonight. She might as well be comfortable.
Stefanie followed the directions to a house that was only a few blocks from hers. Joey answered the door and she stepped inside, not bothering to hide her curiosity. The little house was furnished but sparse. It was neat without being oppressively clean and the walls were devoid of decoration. She peeked into the living room. “Where are Alexis and Matt? Also, I was promised an adorable dog.”
“Running late.” Joey showed her the texts on his phone. “They got stuck in traffic on the way over. They’ll be here any minute.”
Stefanie rubbed her arms. “What do you want to do until then?” An awkward silence filled the air. The feelings that had made an appearance at the karate studio had their own ideas of how to pass the time. Yeah, that was not helpful. Her stomach flipped a little. She decided to just call out the elephant in the room, as much for herself as for him. “Look, about today. I think just the proximity and the weirdness of the last week caught up with me and I froze. I mean to say, if I made you uncomfortable, I’m sorry.”
Joey eyed her and a smile played at the edge of his mouth. “If you made me uncomfortable?”
Stefanie closed her eyes. “Look. You’re a professional. You’re very good at what you do, and I misinterpreted your friendliness for interest for like two seconds. If Master K hadn’t walked in, the moment would have passed, right? And it wouldn’t have been a big deal. But I feel like we left it hanging, and it’s weird and it doesn’t need to be weird. It was just a…thing.”
“So, to be clear, you are apologizing because you have concluded I’m not interested in you?” Joey took a step closer, his eyes twinkling.
“Did you have to just come out and say it? Isn’t that my thing?” Stefanie winced. “Oof. Yeah, that can be hard to hear. Good to know.” She felt a gentle pressure under her chin and opened her eyes, shifting her embarrassment into confusion.
Joey looked at her earnestly. “I did. I mean, I am. Interested.” She looked back, eyes wide. Joey bit his lip. “Listen, I’ll put my cards down too. There is a spark. A big one. But it’s been less than a week. It’s way too soon to be making decisions, especially in the midst of a high-pressure operation. But I haven’t felt like this with anyone, at all, for a long time, much less in a matter of days. And I love that you’re honest with me. I’m not sure what to do with the spark yet. I’m going to start by being careful with both of us. But you aren’t imagining it.” He swallowed. “And it isn’t one-sided. At all.”
Stefanie’s heart nearly skipped a beat. “And I’m also not the only one who thinks this could end poorly?”
“Correct.” Joey gave her a rueful smile. “And if it ends poorly, we shouldn’t be starting it. So, let’s just deal with the next week. And regardless of how things turn out, I’m glad we got over our rough initial meeting.”
“I’ll say.” She backed up a step and put her hands on her hips. “So, fearless leader, what do we do until the FBI shows up?”
Joey shot her a mischievous look. “Wow. I didn’t realize you had it bad enough for me to put me in charge. I’m not sure I’m ready for that.”
Stefanie snorted. “I was trying to be nice.”
Joey smiled and they both went quiet. Joey bit his lip and Stefanie’s heart started to pound. Mercifully, the doorbell rang. “Well, we now officially have backup.” He checked through the peephole and moments later, a big, red Labrador bounded through the doorway, minus his working dog vest. Waffle spotted Stefanie and made a beeline to her. She leaned down to give him a good pet and tell him what a good boy he was. Waffle basked in her attention for a moment, then he trotted over to make sure Joey told him that he was a good boy too.
“Hey.” Stefanie looked up at Alexis and Matt. “Sorry, I had to say hello to the dog first.”
“Happens all the time.” Alexis shrugged. “It’s good for him. Waffle is cooped up after all of his time on the plane.”
“Just Waffle?” Stefanie lifted an eyebrow.
Alexis grinned. “Fair.” She glanced at Joey. “Where’s a good place for us to work with Waffle?” Waffle’s tail began to swish against th
e floor.
Joey gestured with his head. “There’s an empty room at the back of the house. Want us all to come?”
Alexis shook her head. “Nope. I need you one at a time.”
Stefanie was soon following Alexis and Waffle to a room, empty except for some duffle bags.
Alexis clipped a leash on Waffle’s collar and whispered, “Okay, Waffle. Time to work!” Waffle’s tail wagged furiously and he sniffed the inside of the entire room, taking an extra second on the duffle bags. He remained standing, tail wagging. Alexis praised him and he trotted back to where they started. Alexis slipped Stefanie a small, metal disk-shaped container. “Hide this for me, okay?”
Alexis and Waffle left the room and she tucked it under one of the bags. The pair returned and Waffle found it easily. Alexis gave him a red rubber toy and a lot of praise. Waffle basked in the attention, then settled on the floor to gnaw on the toy. Alexis put her hands on her hips and turned to face Stefanie. “So, you get the idea. We use positive reinforcement only, and Waffle and I have a bond. I trust him, he trusts me. You won’t have that right away, but Waffle is an exceptionally flexible dog. I’ve never seen any pup quite like him.”
“Where do we start?” Stefanie studied Waffle. Behind his adorable face and wagging tail was a consummate professional, not unlike his owner.
Alexis pulled a tennis ball from her bag. “Believe it or not, with a tennis ball.”
Stefanie eyed the ball. “So, you’re saying that to continue helping the CIA and FBI, I have to play fetch with an adorable dog?”
“Yep.” Alexis smiled and held up the tennis ball. “You up for it?”
Stefanie felt her shoulders relax. Finally, an easy decision. “Oh yeah. I am so in.”
An hour later, Waffle was her new best pal. Given his happy tail and friendly disposition, he probably had a lot of best pals. Then, Alexis gave Stefanie a fanny pack filled with dog food. Waffle’s liquid brown eyes looked at the bag, then her, not unlike a small child who was trying not to make it obvious they wanted the candy in Grandma’s purse. For the first time in a week, Stefanie felt totally at peace. They started small and Waffle quickly did his job. Alexis corrected her gently and Waffle gave her a lot of encouraging tail wags. Waffle’s ability to sniff out danger, no matter how cleverly she hid the small canisters of scent, gave her a measure of relief that no camera or reassurances from the CIA could. They took frequent breaks, careful not to overwork Waffle, despite his obvious enthusiasm.
Once Alexis declared them done for the day, they joined Matt and Joey in the living room. The guys, leaning over a laptop, looked up in tandem when they entered. Waffle trotted over and lay his head on Matt’s knee. Matt gave him a quick pat. “I take it Waffle’s training went well?”
Stefanie shrugged. “I think so. Although I’m fairly certain I was the one being trained. Alexis could teach a master class in training dogs and their people. You guys figure anything out?”
“I’m not sure.” Joey crossed his arms. “Matt and I have been looking through the CIA database for the consultants Cole wants you to meet. Nothing interesting has popped. Could be why Dmitri chose them – he stays anonymous by using a totally new team. Quinn didn’t hear their names when she was working undercover for Dmitri.”
Stefanie scratched her head. “Wait. Quinn worked directly for the superspy we’re trying to catch?”
“Yeah, but keep that one under your hat. She’s still more than a little upset that she wasn’t able to prevent future attacks. She helped us stop him from unleashing a bioweapons attack, but, well…”
Stefanie nodded with understanding. “Yeah, I get it. Fellow recovering perfectionist here too. So, what does that tell us? Are these guys collaborating with him or not?”
Alexis ran a hand through her hair. “There’s only one way to find out.”
“I’m really hoping it’s by arresting them in their hotel room and having them confess everything.” Stefanie looked at Alexis hopefully.
Alexis clapped her on the back. “Cute. We have to figure out why they need you, and it starts with your suspicious meeting. Matt and I will be in a surveillance van nearby. You can bring Waffle in as part of a new company called Bay Area Barks. We are an employee benefit. Our website is already up and running.” Alexis pulled up a website on her phone that featured a logo and a selection of different dogs, including Waffle with a Bay Area Barks badge around his neck and tongue hanging out one side of his mouth. “You can work Waffle around the building and keep him close while our friends visit. If they bring in explosives, we’ll know it. And if any of these guys have been in contact with Dmitri recently, Waffle will tell us.”
Stefanie swallowed hard. “And if we find out there’s nothing to this meeting other than our customers wanting to do some legitimate research? I mean, then you would have flown out here for nothing.”
Matt shook his head. “We’re your insurance policy. The best kind of insurance is the kind you don’t have to use.”
“Okay.” Stefanie put on a brave face. “Then, let’s go find out if we need insurance.”
* * *
Alexis left Joey’s little house with Matt and they retreated to a hotel room close by. While it had been a long day, actually getting to do something had energized her more than any cup of coffee could. When the door to their room closed, Alexis turned to face Matt. “So. How cute were Joey and Stefanie?”
“Do you mean prepared? Because they seemed prepared. We should focus on that.” Matt unclipped Waffle’s leash and Waffle curled up on top of a towel they had laid out earlier, watching them with one eye open.
Alexis waved a hand. “We got Stefanie trained with Waffle. But Ree told me to watch them, and she’s right. There are definitely sparks.”
“You know I’m crazy about you, right?” Matt looped a hand around her waist.
Alexis huffed out a breath. “Yes. Which means you should indulge me in some gossip.”
“Nope. Totally committed and dedicated in every way.” Matt leaned around her to pull his toothbrush out of his bag. “But it is still way too weird to gossip about my coworker’s sister when we’re supposed to be working.”
Alexis huffed out a breath. “Fine. But mark my words, there is something there.”
Matt started brushing his teeth. “Well,” he said, rinsing his brush, “let’s help them get through it. I know for a fact that focused federal agents get uncomfortable if you point out their attraction to someone they are working with. If we all get through this unscathed, I promise we can speculate about your friends all you want.”
* * *
When Sunday came, the FBI and CIA teams determined Stefanie needed a break. She argued that she needed the opposite, but they cited their lengthy experience in the field and she had buckled under their influence. She was perfectly fine yielding to someone else’s expertise when the situation called for it. Really, she was. She sighed and cleaned up her kitchen for the second time that day. Or was it the third? She paced around the kitchen, checking for text messages and watching videos of her favorite comedians online while trying not to think of all of the information flooding her system. It didn’t help. When her phone rang with a video call, she nearly dropped it.
Ree’s face soon filled her phone screen. “Hey, Sis.”
Stefanie forced a smile. “Good morning! How are you?”
Ree smiled back, and this time, it didn’t look like she was hiding pain. “I don’t want to brag, but I haven’t puked for three whole days now. I. Am. Fabulous. But what about you? Ready for tomorrow? Fair warning, the government does not move quickly. I got very impatient when there was an assassin on campus. The first time, I mean. The one who was posing as a student. And he wasn’t trying to kill me. Well, he wasn’t at first anyway. When he did want to kill me, it was more of a surprise. I mean, I don’t think it was premeditated, but you understand. Oh no. I’m sorry.”
“You know I love you, but if they told you to call me to reassure me, you aren’t doing a grea
t job.” Stefanie pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes.
“That hurts.” Ree put a hand to her chest. “Would you like me to tease you about something? I’m happy to do it, but I need to know it would help.”
Stefanie rolled her eyes. “You are so accommodating.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing. So, did Alexis train you with Waffle?”
Stefanie made a cup of tea while they talked. “Yes. Joey is getting trained today. I’m not sure what Matt’s role is in all of this is. He didn’t say much, honestly.”
“Yeah, he usually doesn’t until he has the lay of the land. That means he’s working in the background and he thinks Joey and Alexis have it under control. Get worried if he starts intervening.”
“Ugh, I need a massage. But I also need to be sure I don’t accidentally get a massage from some kind of assassin.” Stefanie rolled her neck in the futile attempt to get the stress out. “They’re apparently much more numerous than I realized.”
“It’s probably a good idea to make sure you aren’t asking someone who might kill you to give you a massage. Although the odds are fairly slim.”
Stefanie had just put her mug of tea to her lips and she froze in that position. “I was joking.”
“Oh. Sorry. That was a very funny joke, Stef.”
Stefanie stared at her sister incredulously. “How do you live like this?”
Ree shrugged. “It’s not like this all the time. Oh, I almost forgot to ask! How are things going with Joey?” Stefanie took a sip of tea, hoping to disguise her embarrassment. Ree leaned in. “Ooh, your face turned red. I need details.”
Stefanie looked at the ceiling in a futile attempt to regain her composure. “First of all, you super didn’t forget to ask, you were waiting to pounce. Second of all, there are no details to share. And I don’t like where your mind is headed, considering you have babies on the brain. Joey and I learned we don’t hate each other’s company, and that’s progress.”