“Sometimes I do.” Alexandra was relieved to be speaking about her work. “Quite often Jake and I have clients that work during the daytime. In order to accommodate them, we schedule evening appointments at their homes.”
“Would Jake find it suspicious if you told him you were busy and couldn’t make a specific appointment?”
“I guess that depends on how frequently our schedules conflicted.” Alexandra laughed softly before adding, “Since my love life has been nonexistent, I’m usually always available.”
Kevin smiled. “What about a class? Would Jake understand if you were enrolled in a photography class, for example?”
Alexandra tilted her head in thought and then said, “Yes. That’s a really good idea. Jake knows I love photography, and it would make sense for me to take a class.”
“Great.” Kevin blew out a breath. “If you agree to help us, we can have you enrolled in one that meets on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and all day Saturday. Of course, the class is real, but you won’t attend. You would only be enrolled. Then we could use the class time for training.”
“Darn,” she teased. “I really did want to learn photography.”
“So what do you think? Are you ready to work for the government?”
Alexandra hesitated briefly. With her face void of expression, she asked, “Do I get paid?”
“Of course you do,” Kevin answered quickly.
Alexandra’s lips curved upwardly in a smile. “I was joking!” she laughed.
He returned her smile but remained serious. “I know now, but I wasn’t. You are going to be working very hard, and, as an official employee of the DEA, you deserve to get paid.”
Alexandra flashed him another smile. “Who would have thought?” Her perfectly straight teeth looked exceptionally white against the natural brown of her skin.
“Tell me, then,” he probed. “What do you think?”
“I’m not sure.” She also grew serious. “Part of me is excited because it seems so cloak-and-dagger. But then, I feel guilty about my excitement. I mean, it comes from someone else’s pain.”
“You already sound like a true agent. What you’re feeling is an adrenaline rush, and it’s natural. It comes with the job.”
“I still have tons of questions.”
“I’m sure you do, but how about if we answer them a wee bit at a time,” he said, mimicking an Irish accent. “Do you think you can escape from Jake tomorrow night? The class doesn’t begin until next week.”
“Sure. We don’t have anything scheduled.”
“That’s great. Tomorrow will be a big night. We’ll get you processed and hopefully get most of your questions answered.”
“Most of them?” she teased.
“We’ll do our best. Now, listen,” Kevin’s tone grew even more serious. “Tomorrow we are going to review all of the security measures, but until then—”
“Don’t tell anyone”
“Alexandra,” he spoke firmly, “please don’t interrupt me or make light of this. What I need to tell you is extremely important.”
“I understand,” she responded quickly.
“No, I don’t think you do.”
“You have my attention,” she said in a clipped tone.
“I’m not upset,” Kevin said. “I’m just cautious. Okay?”
“Okay.” Alexandra folded her hands to listen.
“Now, no one must know my name. You met with a client today. Just come up with any name you can remember.”
Alexandra nodded.
“Do not, under any circumstances, tell anyone about meeting me, about speaking with me, about anything having to do with the DEA. Understand?”
“I understand.”
“Do not even tell your parents you have something you can’t tell them. Got it?”
“Yes. I will not say a word about anything.”
“Good. Know this,” he continued firmly, “I will not be calling you to confirm or change our meeting. Nor will anybody else be calling. I will meet you tomorrow evening in this exact parking lot at five sharp.”
“But what if you need to change the time?”
“I won’t.”
“What if something happens to you?” Alexandra asked, feeling agitated.
“Then I won’t be here, and you go immediately home.”
“Will someone else contact me?”
“No, absolutely not. If anyone contacts you, even if they claim to be me, do not speak to them. Simply hang up.”
“Kevin, you’re scaring me.”
“I don’t mean to, but this is important. Tomorrow we’ll explain all the necessary security procedures and equip you with the proper codes. But until then, you must do as I say.”
“So bottom line, if you’re here tomorrow night at five sharp, then we get started. If you’re not here, I go home and forget this ever happened?”
“Exactly. Got it?”
Alexandra took a deep breath. “I’ve got it.”
“Well then, Agent Callet. Are we ready to call it a night?”
“I guess as ready as can be expected.”
Kevin placed a twenty dollar bill on the table instead of asking for the bill. “Come on,” he said. “I’ll walk you to your car.”
“About tomorrow,” Alexandra said hesitantly. “This may be a dumb question, but what should I wear?”
“Wear comfortable clothes. I’d suggest jeans and a sweatshirt.”
“What a way to dress for my first day on the job.”
“See. You’re going to like it more than you thought.”
CHAPTER SIX
MIRROR IMAGE
Daniela
Daniela leaned over the set of blueprints spread open on the dining room table. A handmade clay water jug prevented the curled paper from rolling closed while the part of the oversized drawings that was too big for the table spilled across one of the chairs.
She half stood, half sat, with her right leg tucked on the seat and her left foot firmly planted on the floor. Daniela held her thick hair back in a futile attempt at keeping it out of her eyes, yet the shorter layers kept managing to escape. One by one, whispers of ebony fell and gradually blocked her view until Daniela finally decided to raise her head and readjust her hold.
As an added distraction, the doorbell rang. Not expecting anyone, she looked up perplexed. “Now what?” At the second chime, she reluctantly placed both feet on the floor and headed to the door. Right before turning the knob, she shook her head vigorously in an attempt at reviving her already tousled mane.
“Haven’t I always told you to ask who it is before opening the door?” The man standing in the doorway looked as cold and austere as his voice sounded. Even though he had near-perfect features, Daniela had noticed that his smile was reserved for her alone. When she watched him around others, he seemed to have an inner darkness that repelled all attraction.
She screamed with delight and wrapped both arms around the man’s neck. “Mago,” Daniela exclaimed. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
Santiago slowly removed her arms from his neck, obviously not comfortable with Daniela’s animated display of emotion. For one lingering moment, Miguel held on to her hands. Then, just as rapidly, he let them go.
Santiago’s reaction failed to bother Daniela. Instead, she grabbed his hand and dragged him into her condo. As she directed him to the diagrams covering the table, she was elated to finally share her project.
***
Alexandra
For the past two weeks Alexandra had worked exceptionally hard, familiarizing herself with every file the Administration had on Miguel and Daniela Santiago. Much to her delight, she had practically memorized their contents. But her mood now reflected more than mere exhaustion. Alexandra pushed the pause button on the DVR remote when she heard someone enter the room. Kevin flicked on the light and sat next to her on the sofa.
“So, kid. What do you think?” he asked.
“You didn’t tell me she spoke o
nly Spanish,” Alexandra said, agitated.
“She doesn’t,” Kevin replied in a matter-of-fact tone. “This is only one video, and she happens to be speaking Spanish in it. It’s no big deal.”
“No big deal? Maybe not to you, but I’m the one it affects.”
“Lighten up, Alexandra.” Kevin’s voice was soft and comforting.
Alexandra’s tone slightly softened. “Well, you should have told me.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think about it.”
“But how could you not? It’s important.”
“Yes, but we are just getting started too.” Kevin continued in the same tone. “Again, I’m sorry. Maybe I didn’t make it a top priority because I knew you’re bilingual.”
“How did you know that?” she accused.
“Oh, come on, Alex. How do you think? With all the other stuff we have, do you really think it’s that hard to find out what languages you speak? Anyway, this is only your first recording. You’ll see. She goes back and forth, from one language to the next, just like you do with your mom.”
Alexandra turned to look at him suspiciously. “Like I do with my mom?” Her anger started to burn as she slowly asked, “Don’t tell me you’ve tapped my phones too?”
“Yes, we have.” Then dropping his voice, he continued hesitantly, “Your home, office, and mobile phones have been monitored since day one.”
“But how?” she combated before quickly adding, “Oh, don’t bother! You wouldn’t tell me anyway, would you?” She stood and began pacing in front of the sofa. “At least answer me this. Why?”
“For both your safety and ours, that’s why.” His answer sounded final.
“I don’t get it.”
“You don’t have to get it. That’s the way it has to be.” He took Alexandra’s hand to pull her closer. “Come here,” he whispered. “Tell me. What is really the matter?”
Alexandra stopped pacing and stared blankly at Daniela’s frozen image on the screen. With remote in hand, she walked over and turned the set off at the source. When she spun to face him, Alexandra felt completely overwhelmed. “She looks just like me! My goodness, Kevin, she even moves like me.”
He immediately rushed to her side and placed his hands on her shoulders as if to steady her. While looking straight into her eyes, he said, “Honey, you saw her pictures. You knew what she looked like. Why does this come as such a shock?”
Alexandra’s shoulders slumped. “I don’t know.” She sighed. “I guess I should have been more prepared, but it’s so hard watching her. I feel like I’m watching myself in a movie I didn’t make.” She paused and then asked, “Can you understand, even a little?”
“I’m trying to understand, Alexandra, but to be honest, it’s hard. Since it’s not me on the screen, or anyone who looks like me, it’s difficult for me to relate. I keep asking myself what you must be feeling. If some guy walked in here looking exactly like me, I’d probably blow a gasket.” Kevin’s voice softened. “What I’m trying to say is that I’m here for you, okay? It doesn’t matter whether I completely understand. What does matter is that I am here for you, and I always will be. Do you understand?”
Kevin’s words of encouragement filled Alexandra with a renewed strength. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply before responding. “Yes, I understand, and I’m sorry I get so weird. You’ve got to realize this is all really new to me.”
“I do realize, Alexandra. Also, I’m sorry if I sometimes come across so harshly. Just remember,” he said, grinning, “I’m a guy. We’re not always good at responding the way we should.”
Her slight smile blossomed at his words. “Don’t try and con me,” she said, laughing. “I’ve seen your sensitive side more than once already.”
Kevin snapped his fingers. “Darn! I thought I was hiding it pretty well.”
“Don’t worry,” she said, patting his shoulder. “Your secret is safe with me.”
Alexandra walked back to the sofa, ready to resume watching the recordings. She sat down before looking up at Kevin. He stood at the door with his hand poised on the light switch.
“I’ll let you get back to work,” he said.
“You can stay and keep me company if you want.”
“That would be a lot better than the piles of paperwork on my desk. But thanks anyway. I better go.”
“Kevin?” Alexandra asked, stopping him. “Do I have any privacy?”
“It’s only the phones, Alex. Not the house.”
“You know, I still don’t completely comprehend your reasoning.”
“I know you don’t, but thanks for not pushing.”
“You’re welcome.” When she pushed the play button, he flipped the light switch.
When Alexandra didn’t hear his footsteps walking away, she whispered, “Kevin?”
“I’m still here,” he said from the dark.
“I’ll be okay. I know I can do this. I can really do this.”
“You know, kid.” Alexandra could hear the smile in his tone. “I never doubted you could.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
GET A LIFE
On the first Saturday in November, Alexandra met with her coach, Natalie Burke, and they spent the morning concentrating on Alexandra’s pitch. She pressed hard, ignoring all suggestions of taking a break until Natalie left for additional materials. Only then did Alexandra stop to catch her breath.
She leaned back in her chair, looked around at the drab walls, and wondered if all government facilities were this dismal. A window would be nice, she thought, missing the inviting warmth of the autumn sun. Alexandra also reflected on the photography class and how well the charade was working. After more than six weeks, they had experienced only one minor blip.
One night, when Jake was planning to work late, he told Alexandra he would drop her off at school. “That way,” he had suggested, “we can go out for coffee afterward and catch up.”
Alexandra was caught completely off guard and struggled to think of any plausible excuse to turn him down. When none came, she frantically called Kevin. Remaining calm as usual, he instructed Alexandra to have Jake drop her off at the front of the campus and then walk confidently toward the rear. Once out of Jake’s sight, she should hunt for classroom 710. Either he or Scott Riggins would be waiting there to take her to work.
In a panic, Alexandra had fired rebuttal questions at Kevin. “But what if Jake decides to pick me up early? What if he happens to talk to the instructor? The teacher doesn’t even know me, or my name for that matter!”
“Alex, Alex, Alex, trust me. First, I can’t believe Jake would interrupt your class. Second, if he did talk with the instructor for whatever reason, it wouldn’t be a problem. It’s handled. Okay?” Kevin’s tone had suggested he wanted to move on.
Alexandra hadn’t given up though. “Handled? How can it be handled? Does the instructor work for the DEA too?” she asked facetiously.
“Not anymore.”
“Oh good grief,” Alexandra exclaimed at yet another unexpected surprise. “I’ll see you later.” She hung up without waiting for a response.
In the end, everything worked out perfectly. Scott had been waiting for Alexandra right outside classroom 710. She wondered if he had gone in to talk with the photography teacher before she arrived, but Alexandra dared not ask. Scott seemed friendly enough but was always professional and distant.
However, on the way to the Administration, he did volunteer a “wee bit of information,” as Kevin would have said. It turned out that the mystery instructor was the one providing the pictures Alexandra took to the office as samples of her classwork.
Alexandra returned to the present when Natalie returned to the training room carrying a digital tablet and high-quality noise-cancelling headphones. She placed both on the table in front of Alexandra while wearing an animated grin.
“Guess what I’ve got?” Natalie asked.
“Is it the latest video?” Alexandra joked. “Are we going to watch a movie together?”
“That would be fun, but since there’s no popcorn, I guess we just have to keep working.”
Even from her sitting position, Alexandra barely had to look up to meet her friend’s gaze. Natalie stood a fraction under five feet and wore a petite size two. Her hazel eyes were perfectly rounded spheres, and a scattering of matching freckles lightly touched her cheeks. Both features made her look much younger than her actual age of forty-two.
Alexandra had taken a liking to Natalie the moment they met, and after spending so much of her time with her, Alexandra knew they would remain friends forever. The other DEA agents had given Natalie the nickname Sparky. At first, Alexandra thought it came from Natalie’s short-cropped hair, which was the reddish-brown color of a cinnamon stick. But after getting to know her, Alexandra perceived a fire in her much greater than that of hair color. Natalie was a little powerhouse, filled with talent and lots of ambition.
When it came to Natalie Burke, Alexandra also quickly learned to always expect the unexpected. Natalie sat down next to Alexandra and swiped the vivid, bright screen of the tablet. Instantly, it revealed a series of blue, black, and red lines, which resembled those of a cardiograph. Anxious to show Alexandra their new “toy,” as she put it, Natalie immediately began her explanation. “What we have here is a voice-print analysis. Do you remember when we recorded those sentences of Daniela’s?”
“You mean the ones I had to do over, and over, and over again? Are those the sentences?”
“I know. How could you possible forget?” Natalie asked, laughing. “Well, now you can see how well your diligence paid off. The blue line is a computer-generated print of your voice, and the black line is the print of Daniela’s voice.” Natalie pointed to each line as she continued, “Do you see how closely the blue lines follow the black lines, specifically in this section?”
Alexandra nodded. “Yes, I see. They are neck and neck.”
“Exactly, and that is perfect. We’re safe as long as the lines are within an inch apart. Although the computer recognizes and records the existence of two separate voice patterns, the difference is not audibly detectable to the human ear as long as it falls within this range.”
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