by Lynn Ames
“Was there anything at all that the first six files had in common with the Tuwaitha file?”
“Not that I can think of right now. Those files all were properly identified.”
“Did you happen to copy those files?”
Sedona shook her head. “I had less than two minutes from the time I accessed the questionable document to the time those goons showed up on the floor—long enough to copy it to the flash drive, get to the filing cabinet to search for a physical copy of the file, get back to my desk to throw some things together, and get the heck out of there.”
“You said the text surrounding the images was innocuous,” Kate said.
“That’s right.”
“Does that mean it was like all the other documents in terms of content or are you saying it was gibberish?”
“I haven’t had a lot of time to study it yet, but on the surface it looked like everyday conversation.” Sedona yawned and rubbed her eyes.
As Peter started to ask another question, Kate interrupted him. “You must be exhausted. I know it’s been a long few days and we’ve got a haul in front of us. Why don’t you get some sleep. I’m sure we’ll be going through all of this again with Vaughn.”
Although she wanted to object, Sedona knew Kate was right. She was too tired to be of much use. “Probably a good idea.” She retrieved a blanket and pillow from the overhead compartment and retired to an empty row to lie down. Nothing about anything that happened in the past few days made much sense. Perhaps some rest would bring clarity to her jumbled thoughts.
Can I get you something to drink?” Vaughn Elliott led the way into her living room. “Coffee? Iced tea? Something stronger?” She went to the wet bar in the corner and poured herself some iced tea. She knew she was stalling. It wasn’t like her friend Kate and her wife Jay to drop in on such short notice and without an invitation.
The last time they’d seen each other was at Kate and Jay’s wedding. Even Vaughn had to admit it was a beautiful affair, although not something she’d ever consider for herself. Sage was right—Vaughn had no time or space in her heart for a loving, committed relationship.
Vaughn shook her head to clear her thoughts and the small stab of pain at having failed, yet again, at sustaining a relationship. Stay where your feet are. She looked expectantly at Kate and Jay, who were settling themselves on the leather sofa.
“No thanks, we’re fine.” Jay answered for the couple.
“So, you were just in the neighborhood?” Vaughn arched an eyebrow to express her skepticism. She noted that Jay seemed suddenly to find something very interesting in the pattern of the Oriental rug.
“You know, I think I’m more tired than I thought.” Jay yawned as if to punctuate the point. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to turn in.” She smiled that megawatt smile that Vaughn had seen on the back of book jackets in bookstores in many countries. It was dazzling, Vaughn had to admit.
“Of course. If there’s anything you need that’s not in the guest cottage, let me know.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you at breakfast.” Jay leaned over and sweetly kissed Kate before disappearing through the open sliding glass doors and onto the path that led from the rear of Vaughn’s home.
“That was subtle.” Vaughn shook her head.
“That’s why I never let her play poker,” Kate said.
“Good idea.” Vaughn turned her glass in the light, watching the liquid shift and swirl around the ice cubes. “So, want to tell me what this is really all about? Please tell me this isn’t some sort of intervention meant to lure me back into proper society.”
“Not exactly.”
When Kate stood and faced her, they were eye to eye. There weren’t all that many women about whom Vaughn could say that. Also unlike most women, Kate wasn’t intimidated by what Vaughn thought of as her “penetrating stare.” She sighed and ran her free hand through her hair. “What, then?”
“I was asked to come see you.”
“By?”
“The president of the United States.”
Vaughn groaned and swiveled her head to release the sudden tension in her neck. “Didn’t he get the memo? I’m retired.”
“He did. That’s why he wants you.”
“Is that so? Whatever it is, he can find some other out-to-pasture civil servant.” Just to create some distance, Vaughn walked back to the bar and refreshed her nearly full glass.
“He specifically asked for you.”
“Am I supposed to be flattered by that?” Vaughn’s nostrils flared.
“I don’t believe the president is in the business of flattery. He is, however, in the business of keeping the country safe, and he’s asked for your help.”
“That’s low, Kyle. Appeal to my sense of duty, my patriotic nature? Beneath you, my friend.” Vaughn wiped her hands on a towel and came out from behind the bar.
“Think what you want, but when you hear what’s at stake, I’m confident you’ll drop the surly attitude. Besides, it never works on me. You know that.”
Vaughn offered a grudging smirk. What her friend said was true—Vaughn had tried many times over the years to get the psychological upper hand with Kate when they competed at tennis or racquetball at the court club in D.C. where they’d met. In Kate, Vaughn found her competitive match. It irked her no end, but earned Kate her respect.
Vaughn sat on the edge of a chair arm. “Better spit it out.”
When Kate finished, Vaughn blew out an explosive breath. She debated whether or not to tell Kate about her conversation with Sabastien. After all, it was clear they were talking about the same woman. She decided against it, since technically Sabastien had no business telling her anything. Instead, she said, “This is no small thing.”
“Exactly. As I told you up front, that’s why the president asked me to approach you.”
“I’m not sure I’m what he needs,” Vaughn said, almost to herself.
“He’s obviously sure,” Kate countered.
“What you need is an expert in raw uranium and nuclear production.”
Kate moved back to the sofa and sat down. “You can add one of those to the team you put together.”
“I’ve never been in Iraq.”
“Not a problem.”
Vaughn narrowed her eyes. “Why did the president send you? You and I have never mixed business with pleasure. It’s one of the reasons I’ve kept you in my life.” Vaughn saw Kate’s minute flinch and realized she’d wounded her. She wished she could take the words back. Kate was someone whose company she genuinely enjoyed and whose friendship she treasured.
Kate schooled her expression. “No doubt that’s why I’m here. The president anticipated that you’d be less than enthusiastic. He calculated that, based on our friendship, you’d hear me out. I knew it was a risk, but I felt that the situation warranted my taking that chance.” She jutted out her chin.
“I’m sorry, Kate. I don’t mean to take this out on you. It’s just… It’s been a couple of years, and I’ve gotten comfortable in my own little world, you know?”
Kate nodded, but Vaughn noted that she didn’t make eye contact. It occurred to her that Kate probably didn’t want to be here asking this of her any more than Vaughn wanted to be asked. She traced the condensation on the outside of her glass as she decided how much she wanted to share with her friend.
“My last assignment didn’t exactly go smoothly.” Vaughn and Kate never had discussed business, despite the fact that Vaughn knew quite a bit about Kate’s career. Most of it was a matter of public record and readily available via a web search—the rest Vaughn had read in the case file about the simulated death and kidnapping of President Charles Hyland in 1989.
On the other hand, Kate could’ve searched everywhere and not found a reference to Vaughn. Even the record of the Edgar Fairhaven and Brian Pordras trial for the attempted assassination of the Senate majority leader and Sage’s abduction had been redacted to protect her involvement and identity. Vaughn looked over at Kat
e to gauge her reaction. What she saw was polite attention.
“I lost a good friend. That seems to happen a lot around me.” Vaughn thought of Sara and closed her eyes to prevent a tear from leaking out. After all this time, she still mourned the loss of her first love.
“It’s a rough business, Vaughn, although I’m sure that’s little consolation to you.” Kate’s voice was gentle. “The president is fully aware of your record of service. He has enormous respect for you. He never even considered anyone else for this assignment.” Kate got up, went to where Vaughn sat, and put a hand on her arm. “I know what it’s like to have those you care about ripped away from you.”
Vaughn could see in her eyes that Kate understood something about loss. Then she remembered the story of the attempted murder of Jay and the two months it took her to recover her memory and return home to Kate.
Kate squeezed Vaughn’s arm once, then broke contact. “Sometimes, you have to soldier on just because it’s the right thing to do, even when all you want to do is hide away from the world forever.”
Vaughn cleared her throat. “I assume you have briefing papers for me to look at?”
For the first time since Jay left the room, Kate smiled. “I thought you’d never ask. Oh, and I also brought along a couple of friends I’d like you to meet…”
“The way I see it,” Vaughn was saying, “we’ve got multiple issues to sort through.”
Sedona took the measure of the woman sitting across the table from her. She was handsome with strong features. She also was haunted. Not in the physical sense, of course. But Sedona could see the damage around her heart chakra. Vaughn had suffered great loss in this lifetime and she carried the burden in her aura. While she wondered what had caused that kind of pain, Sedona didn’t get the sense that Vaughn was the type of woman to encourage exploration of personal issues and Sedona never would violate anyone’s privacy by “looking” to determine what had happened.
Sedona mentally shook herself to refocus on the conversation.
“…What exactly is the activity at Tuwaitha?” Kate asked.
“Who’s behind it?” Peter chimed in.
“What threat does it pose?” Vaughn threw in, as she wrote the issues on a large pad of paper.
“Why don’t the president’s top advisors know about it? Or, if they do, why aren’t they reporting about it?” Peter asked.
“What’s the connection to the NSA? How did they have access to the computers and the ability to override standard protocols?” Vaughn scribbled.
“And who wants me dead?” All heads turned in her direction and Sedona held each of their gazes in turn. “Although, presumably those would be the same individuals who are behind all of this.”
“Right,” Vaughn said, the marker she was using stuttering over the page. Sedona thought she noted a fleeting look of compassion.
“I think those are the major questions,” Kate said, breaking the awkward silence.
“Mmm.” Vaughn capped the marker. “We’re going to need some help.” She looked at the faces in the room. “Are we all agreed that, given Sedona’s status, this is the safest place for our initial command central?”
When everyone nodded, Vaughn took out her cell phone and dialed a number. “Sabastien? How quickly can you get here?” Apparently pleased with the answer, Vaughn hung up and dialed again. “Justine?”
Sedona watched as a series of emotions crossed Vaughn’s face. Clearly, this was someone with whom she shared more than a passing work acquaintanceship. The more she saw of Vaughn, the more intrigued Sedona became.
CHAPTER FIVE
“You aren’t any closer to finding her than you were the night she slipped through your grasp. This is completely unacceptable.” The man’s voice was eerily calm. This stood in stark contrast to the bulging vein in the middle of his forehead. He dusted some imaginary lint off the cuff of his impeccable steel-gray suit.
“Sir, we’re doing everything we can. I’ve got a dozen men combing through her life and another dozen retracing every step she’s taken for the past year. We’re looking for any patterns, any clues, anything at all. If it’s there, we’ll find it—and her. It’s just a matter of time.”
“Time,” the lone woman at the table chimed in, “is a luxury we cannot afford. She’s eluded us for almost a week. We have no idea what she saw, what she knows, and whom she might have told. I say we pull the plug.”
“Are you nuts? We can’t fold now. This has been in the works for years. We go forward as planned.” The little man with the odd accent practically foamed at the mouth.
“Enough!” The conference room’s final occupant rose from his chair at the end of the rectangular table, his voice rich and deep. “Use whatever resources you need to hunt down this woman. Find out where she’s been, what she knows, whom she’s been in contact with, and kill her. No loose ends. The objective and the plan remain the same. Have I made myself clear?”
Vaughn surveyed the faces around the table on the sun-lit patio as the conversation flowed around her. Kate was talking with the latest arrival, Lorraine King, a former deep-cover CIA agent Peter asked to bring in. Although Vaughn had never met her before, some of her exploits were legendary, including her late 1980s infiltration of a shadowy multinational organization called the Commission. It was only after Peter made the introductions that Vaughn made the connection between Peter, Kate and Jay, Lorraine and the Hyland case file. When Vaughn read the file during her training with the Company, all non-civilian names were redacted. That explained why she was unaware of Peter or Lorraine’s involvement.
Vaughn scanned the rest of the table. Jay and Peter were trading good-natured jabs. Sabastien had managed to procure a seat next to Sedona, who appeared to be listening politely as he prattled on about some sub-routine he wrote. Vaughn still was trying to get the measure of this woman. Sedona was beautiful in an unselfconscious way. It wasn’t just her looks. There was something almost ethereal about her. Vaughn caught herself staring and looked away.
“Right, Vaughn Elliott?”
Vaughn shifted her gaze to Sabastien, who obviously thought she was listening to his story. “Whatever you say, genius.” She resisted the urge to laugh as he puffed out his chest. Vaughn couldn’t be sure, but she suspected that his efforts to impress Sedona would be wasted.
“As much fun as it’s been to break bread with all of you, my wife and I have plans.” Kate stood and took Jay’s hand.
“I’ve been promised an afternoon on a private beach and some scuba diving. How can I resist?” Jay asked.
After everyone said their goodbyes to the couple, Vaughn escorted Kate and Jay into the house and to the front door. Jay hugged Vaughn and stepped outside. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay here?” Vaughn asked Kate as she lingered behind.
“Thanks, but you’re going to have a full house now. The hotel will be fine for us. Besides, I promised Jay a romantic getaway.”
“I still say we could use your perspective.”
“It seems to me you’ve got plenty of folks more suited to this assignment than I am. Still, if there’s anything I can do to lend a hand, I’m only a phone call away.”
“Okay. Have fun.”
“Always,” Kate said. “Be careful out there.”
“Always.” Vaughn closed the door behind Kate and was surprised to find Sabastien waiting in the foyer. “Yeah?”
“Why did you not tell me on the phone that Sedona was here?” he said in a harsh whisper. “You knew I was worried sick about her safety and yet you played stupid.”
“That’s dumb, not stupid,” Vaughn said. She started to push past Sabastien, but he stood in her path. “If you’re going to become Americanized, though I don’t know why you’d want to, then at least learn the proper idioms.” She shoved him aside. “And for the record,” she tossed over her shoulder, “she wasn’t here when you called me.”
He caught up to her and put a hand on her arm. “But she was here when you called me back and as
ked me to come.”
“Yes.”
“What does she know of me?”
Vaughn rolled her eyes. “Is that what this is about? Your ego? You can share all the tales of your glorious triumphs. I haven’t told her anything about you.”
“That is not what I meant, Elliott.” Sabastien glanced in the direction of the sliding glass doors that led to the patio and lowered his voice even further. “Does she know I am the one who researched her for the president? Is she aware I know all about her and that night?”
Vaughn softened her stance and patted Sabastien on the shoulder. She should have given him more credit. “No. I haven’t told anyone about that.”
“Do you think we should? Tell, I mean.”
“Good question.” Vaughn considered their options. If she and Sabastien said nothing, surely the information eventually would come out. When it did, there might be a lot of hard feelings. As much as she didn’t want any part of all this, she had agreed to take on the assignment and be team leader. That meant instilling trust among the troops. “We have to tell her.”
“How?”
Vaughn pursed her lips in thought. “I don’t know yet, but it needs to be soon.” She noted the trepidation in Sabastien’s eyes. “Leave it to me.”
“Thank you, Elliott.” Sabastien kissed her on both cheeks and moved away before Vaughn could smack him. “You are the best.”
“If you do that again, you’re a dead man. Where’s your gear? Why don’t you do something useful and get yourself set up in my office.”
“Right.” Sabastien ran off toward the living room.
While he more often than not grated on her last nerve, Sabastien simply was the best at what he did and Vaughn knew she was lucky to have him on her team. As she anticipated, he showed up at her door with massive amounts of technology in tow. There were eight hard-sided cases of stuff in all and one tiny suitcase for his clothes—quintessentially Sabastien.
“It’s 1300 hours now,” Vaughn said, when she returned to the patio. “Why don’t I show you all to your rooms so you can get settled in? Let’s meet in my office in half an hour. Sabastien is getting his equipment set up. Once he’s ready to go, we’ll plan a course of action and see what he can tell us.”