by Nana Malone
Maggie sighed. “You're going after her regardless?”
I gave her a sharp nod. “Yes.”
Michael crossed his arms over his chest and said, “Fine, but you're going with a team, and we're formalizing a plan. And given that the person who took her is a director of The Firm, we're going to pull up some of our notes that we have on their agency since the split.”
It was my turn to clamp my jaw and do that muscle-ticking thing. They were wasting time.
Michael could read the disdain in my expression and said, “That's the only way we're letting you out of here. So take it or leave it.”
I scowled at him. I already had a plan. Break into The Firm and make someone tell me where they were hiding her.
Oh yeah, real solid plan.
He laughed. “Take as long as you need.”
“The hell—”
“Might I remind you, you're already on very thin ice. There are only two reasons I’m letting this shit go. One is because you're one of the best, and two, you may have actually found a terrorist cell. So give us some time to prep for this. In the meantime, you said you have a Firm agent involved in this. Call her in. We'll see what we can get from her.”
“With every minute that ticks by, Lyra is in more danger.”
Michael leaned in and lowered his voice. “This isn't like the Simone situation.”
I expected more of a sting, but hearing her name was more like a dull ache. It still hurt, but it was more like the phantom pain of an old injury. Nothing compared to the fear I felt because of the possibility of losing Lyra and repeating the Simone situation all over again. “I’m not saying it is.”
“I know that no matter what, the loss of her is still fresh. I understand that. I don't want to see that happen to you again. We will do this together. Teamwork. Remember how that goes?”
“Make it happen, or I will bust out of here and go get her my goddamn self.”
“I hear you. Now, give us a little time.”
He turned his attention to Rhodes. “Get that girl from The Firm in here.”
Rhodes just nodded. “Yeah, on it.”
As I followed Rhodes out of the briefing room, I muttered to him. “Sod you, mate. Thanks for nothing.”
He frowned. “You're a dick. I love you, too.”
“I just need her back.”
“Just as long as you don't do something stupid again. I'll follow you anywhere.”
“Apparently, not anywhere.”
He rolled his eyes. “You were going to do something stupid.”
“I'm not stupid.”
“Uh-huh, and it’s my job to step in and say, mate, you're being a knob.”
I gave him a brisk nod. “Yeah, let's get Addie in here. I don't want to lose any more time.”
“Roger that.”
There was a feeling settling in my chest. One that I couldn't quite identify. But it felt an awful lot like relief. Michael was right. I didn't have any idea how I was going to get Lyra back. I just wanted to run in headfirst. But that would likely get her killed. And to get her back, I knew I was going to need every single one of my resources.
* * *
Marcus
An hour later, we had Addie with us, and she filled us in on what she knew.
“All right. With Roz out, I wasn't sure who knew what, so I stayed away from the office. William Browning is in charge when she is not there. I suppose I could have gone to him, but I didn't know who to trust.”
I gave her a nod. “Okay, what did you find out about Roz and her whereabouts?”
She shook her head. “I haven't. She’s ghosted, and I need to be careful about who I ask. I did go back to Roz’s house and sort through what was left in her safe room. There are records of some accounts. A folder full of them. I've got my computer processing them now. They looked like Swiss bank accounts as far as I can tell, all in her parents' names. There are some letters, some photographs, nothing of much use. And I don't have clearance to poke around properly.”
Rhodes grinned at her. “Well, you won't be needing any clearance for what we’re about to do.”
“What he means is, we're going to break into the Firm,” I said.
She laughed. “Are you insane? The place is crawling with agents. Anybody who doesn't belong there is going to get shot.”
“Well, that's why we're going to have you on the inside.”
“You’ve got to be kidding. My entire career will be at stake.”
“This isn't for you, for me, or anyone else. This is to get Lyra back. Or don't you want that?”
She stared at me. “You know I want that. But there has to be a way to do it safely. And I don't think me walking in there is going to cut it.”
“Let me break it down for you, princess, if we don't break in there, your boss, or former boss, or whatever she is, will kill Lyra. Right now, we have no way of tracking her, no way of identifying where she is, nothing. I can't let it go. I need some answers. Answers that are going to come from inside the building you work in. You saw what happened when Roz let loose. She's going to know you helped Lyra. How long do you think they’ll let you live?”
I knew I was being a little too harsh. But one, I was not even sure if Lyra was still alive, so I didn’t give a shit about anything else right now. Two, if I had to manipulate Addie into helping, then I would. Whatever I needed to do to get the job done and bring Lyra home.
“Well, you're a piece of work,” she said.
“Yes, I know. But all I care about right now is bringing her back. So you can think I'm a wanker later.”
“What was that word Rhodes called you before? A knob? I like that.”
“Fine. Call me whatever you like. Let's just get this show on the road, shall we?” I pulled out a map of the streets surrounding P.O.P. PR & Marketing. “How the hell do we get into this fortress?”
She smiled. “You walk in the front door.”
Chapter 17
Lyra
When I woke again, Roz was kneeling in front of me. “Ah, there you are. Ready to talk now?”
I swallowed hard. “Are you ready to let me go?”
“I'm not holding you prisoner, Lyra. I'm trying to protect you.”
I bit the inside of my cheek. I knew about the surveillance. I still couldn't believe it though. The ways people lied in an attempt to manipulate me was astounding. Did everyone think I was stupid?
“Clearly, I have a problem with trust. I keep putting it in the wrong people.”
“It's not your fault. Honestly, it's mine, love. I brought you in too young. You probably needed another year, a little seasoning before I started training you. I was just trying to honor your parents' wishes.”
I scowled at all the monitors with Marcus's pictures on them. “None of it was real, was it?”
Roz shook her head. “No, it wasn't. And I owe you an apology, I know. I should never have interfered with your relationship with Tyler. I thought I was moving your training further along. I didn't know you were going to get hurt that badly.”
“How were you supposed to know?” I could play along. Let her think all of her bullshit was working.
“Exactly. Probably like every mother before me, at some point I thought that I was doing the right thing. And I was mistaken.”
“Can we just do away with these?” I lifted my arms and jangled my cuffs.
She tsked at me. “We both know full well you can get out of those on your own.”
I glanced up at her and then at the corners of the room for the surveillance that I couldn't see but knew was there. “What, no one is going to run in and shoot me?”
She pressed her lips together in firm disappointment. “Like I said, you're not a prisoner.”
“You could have fooled me.”
“I just wanted you restrained long enough to show you what you needed to see. What I'm doing here is to protect people like you.”
“What exactly are you doing here, Roz?”
“First free yours
elf, then come and see.”
When I saw that she was serious and no one was going to put a hole in my forehead, I made a couple of quick flicks of my wrist and I was free. Just like she'd shown me years ago.
While I rubbed my wrists, she leaned down and encompassed me in a hug. “I'm so glad you can see things properly now, Lyra.”
“You want to tell me where we are?” I didn’t hug her back.
“Come on. On your feet. You probably need to stretch your legs. You've been stuck sitting here for so long.”
“Yeah, you could say that.”
“Come on.”
We stepped out of the white room and into a well-lit hallway that felt light and airy, yet somehow still subterranean. “Where are we?”
“This is a facility I've had for some years. It's off-grid. Why do you think I married Adam in the first place? His family has properties all over Los Angeles. It wasn't very difficult to get access to one and have it deeded to myself. He didn't even realize it. The power of love, I suppose.”
“And where is Adam?”
“Europe or somewhere? I don't know. I really don't keep tabs on him. It's for the best.”
“Right. So he's not involved with whatever you have going on?”
“What? Are you kidding? He's not bright enough, and he lacks the vision and the stomach needed to make a difference.”
“Of course.” All I could do was nod and smile.
“I know that sounds unkind, and I don't mean it to be. It's just we each have very specific things that we take care of, and this isn't on his need-to-know list.”
I followed along behind her, and all along the way, people in uniform greeted her with a nod and a salute.
She was most definitely in charge. “And what is this place?”
“This is a project I've been working on a very long time.”
“What is the purpose and objective?”
“Lyra, I know this can be hard to hear, but The Firm has been ineffectual for too long. Their methods need revamping. They've grown old and stale. It's time for new blood. A new organization. We're at the point where we can make real change and actually help people. People who need our help that the system says we shouldn't help. I think it's wrong.”
“Okay, but I'm still not exactly sure what the goal is.”
“The goal is money. I want to be able to help the most vulnerable. You don't know it, but The Firm makes choices about who deserves their help and who doesn't.”
“Okay.”
The glint in her eye warned me to tread carefully.
What? More than the bat shit crazy she’s spewing?
“The wrong kind of people prosper.”
“It's an imperfect system, Roz. You always said that.”
“Yes, it is imperfect. But I can do it better. And not all terrorist organizations are created the same. There are some that want to make changes. There are some that are actually trying to help people. They are more freedom fighters, really.”
My stomach roiled. “Roz, their methods...”
She reached out and touched my arm. “Ah, methods. Sometimes we need a little violence to get a point across.”
“That’s never been what you believed.”
“Well, maybe that's what I believe now. I'm tired of watching the wrong people slither out from under retribution.”
I shook my head. “You always said that violence was not the answer.”
“I know. And it's not. But ugh, sometimes it can be so sweet.”
“That’s vengeance, Roz.”
“And sometimes vengeance and retribution are what's needed.”
“You have never thought that. In fact, you’ve always tried to teach me just the opposite.”
“Well, maybe I think it now.” She paused. “Maybe if I had been thinking about that before, people like your father would still be alive.”
Ah, she was finally getting to the piece of information that I wanted. “Can you tell me more about my father?”
“Of course, dear. But first, let me show you something.”
And then I watched in horror as I was led into a long, expansive room. Again, all white. I sensed a theme.
On one end was a strikingly familiar weapon. On the other end was some kind of chamber. It was manned by someone, and then… Oh my God, was someone in there?
“Roz, what's happening here?”
“Ah, yes, that's Logan Brodick. Your little human trafficker friend. The one who had the girl at the compound.” She waved her hand.
“Yes, I know who that is. But The Firm didn't apprehend him.”
“No. They didn't apprehend him, but my people did. Again, The Firm was ineffectual. Now that I have him, we're going to serve up a little retribution.”
I stared at her. “Roz, he belongs in jail. His victims deserve justice.”
“Oh no, jails are ineffective. People like him still prosper. Still run their little games from prison. I'm making sure that the likes of him never get out on the street.”
“What?”
And then, in my wide-eyed terror, the lab tech in all-white turned on the weapon.
I turned my head away as Brodick’s scream filled the air. Oh, God. The bile came rushing up so quickly, I worried about not making it to a wastebasket. But then one of her men placed a tin basket under me as I vomited into it.
“Oh my God.”
“Oh, Lyra. I never did understand you. On the one hand, you happily kill bad guys. On the other hand, you act as if this is beneath you. Either you are born for the revolution, or you’re not.”
“You're murdering people, Roz.”
“Oh, relax. That's because we've been paid to. I no longer have to try and use him to try and get to someone larger. It was my job to get rid of him. And since we are now in possession of the weapon, I had to demonstrate that it works. Not to worry. We're not going to let the weapon get back out on the streets. But it is ours to use as we see fit.”
I frowned as everything came into a glaring clarity. “Prochenko, he works for you?”
Roz sighed. Then smiled sheepishly. “Okay, fine, he does.”
“That night I was almost mugged, you sent him to kill me?”
“Naughty me. Yes. But you’d seen the schematics of this facility. I couldn’t risk you piecing everything together.”
My stomach churned. “I didn’t know what I’d seen.”
“I did eventually realize that. You weren’t acting boastful but rather afraid. If it helps, I am sorry.” A tear fell down her cheek.
“Are you?”
I knew then that all those years ago I’d made a terrible mistake. I should never have trusted her. But now it was too late.
* * *
Marcus
Addie hadn't been kidding when she said we'd walk in the front door. Rhodes and I went in the front door, literally, as a cleaning crew.
He scowled down at the outfit. “I'm British SAS, at Her Majesty's bloody service. And now I'm part of a cleaning crew?”
I frowned at him. “Hey, it's the job.”
“But I'm an assassin for the love of Christ.”
“Yes, I know. You're an assassin, but buckle up. Where do you think you'd be now if we didn't have cleaners come and clean up your little messes?”
He blinked at me. “Jail. You know I'm too good looking for jail, right?”
I snorted. “Right.”
Addie, who’d gone in ahead of us, met us at the door. “If you two are done with the witty banter, I have temporarily disabled the cameras. You've got thirty seconds to get in here.”
We didn't waste time. We were in full cleaning gear, just like the regular cleaning crew. The same cleaning crew that Rhodes and I called off an hour ago. That had been an easy hack. Break into the system, tell them P.O.P. was canceling for the night due to an event. Easy. Then we showed up.
Since we didn't have actual credentials, Addie was letting us in. “It's this way. There are cameras in the hallways, but you have a viable reason to be
in the records room. It's just a quick clean, so you'll have less than five minutes. If you can't find whatever you need in that time, you'll have to get out because lingering will be suspicious.”
Rhodes slid his gaze over her. “What will you be doing?”
“I will be in Roz’s office. I'm going to try and find something, anything, that might tell us where they are. Lyra needs us.”
Once we had the directions to where we were going, walking through P.O.P. Marketing was fairly easy. It looked like every other marketing company. The kind you see on TV. Cubicles, brightly colored posters that contained actual marketing campaigns. I wondered if the people who marked up that nonsense knew where they actually worked, the shadow of it all. But at the end of the day, they weren't that different than we were.
Except you don't have a homicidal maniac running your team.
Well, one never knew about Maggie, but Michael was solid. He genuinely cared about the team. He wanted to see us do well.
When we reached the records room Addie had pointed us to, we abandoned the cart and I kneeled in front of the lock, placing my decryption device over it.
He was keeping an eye on his watch and the cameras. We had another ten, nine, eight, seven, six...
Before we hit five, the decryption device flashed green, the door unlocked and swung in, and Rhodes followed me inside. We left the cart out in the hallway in case anyone was curious about the movement inside the room. Once we got access, we got to work. Rhodes might not have been as good with computers as I was, but he wasn't helpless. He could deal with elementary things, look ups, research.
“Any idea what we're looking for?”
“I'll look for Lyra's parents. You look for Tyler Warden.”
“Got it.”
We both checked our watches, knowing exactly how much time we had left. It was not that long. And I hoped to God Lyra was okay. When I sat down, I managed to bypass several initial firewalls with Addie's login credentials. And once I was in, I was able to spoof the system into thinking it was Roz logging in, which was good because she had access to a lot of things that Addie didn’t.
Then I hunted down any information I could find on Lyra Adamson. She'd grown up just outside of Western Massachusetts, in a little town called Shrewsbury. Her father was some kind of engineer. Her mother a fashion designer. At least that’s what it said on paper.