Undercover Twin

by Heather Woodhaven

  Lee’s admiration rose higher than he thought possible. “I’m determined to make sure you get that.”

  A waiter approached with another course. They finished their meal and stood wordlessly. Another employee appeared, ready to escort them to the next event on the agenda. The sky had darkened to a purple hue as the oranges and reds of the sunset dipped below the horizon. The landscaping lights along the walking path glowed.

  The trail wound around the back of the resort and down a sloping hill until they reached a deep ledge in the cliffs. Several fire pits, in intervals of every twenty feet, flickered, surrounded by bits of glass reflecting the flames. The employee stopped at a station where two wicker love seats awaited them, but a middle-aged man with a thick mustache, wearing a beige button-down shirt and matching pants, already occupied the left couch. While the clothing indicated a man on vacation, the telltale outline of a gun holster caught Lee’s attention.

  Whether this was someone with the Masked Network, the resort or the other shooter bent on killing them, Lee couldn’t guess. He glanced over his shoulder to find their bodyguard nowhere in sight.

  “I gave him the rest of the evening off,” the man said as if he knew exactly what Lee was thinking. “I have certain privileges. Octavia and I have an understanding.”

  “So you’re representing the resort.”

  He motioned with his chin. “Let’s just say the club couldn’t operate without our assistance.”

  Lee had suspected the resort used the Network. It explained how they operated without drawing attention. The only reason the FBI had even heard of the resort was based more on flight and travel plans of certain persons of interest. Lee placed a hand on Audrey’s back and they sat down. Maybe they were finally meeting the CEO to the network. “We’re all ears.”

  “Right now you’re bringing this location a lot of unwanted attention.”

  “That could be remedied if we speed this along. We get out of your hair and back to work and it’s a win-win,” Audrey said.

  Lee jolted, surprised she’d spoken. He placed a hand over Audrey’s as the man leaned forward. “You want me to speed things along, Mrs. Kimmet?” He slipped the gun from its hiding place and rested it on his right leg. “We get antsy when we’re told to rush.”

  Audrey’s fingers shook ever so slightly underneath his, but her spine remained straight. “I’m not used to telling my clients to wait for results. I like to deliver.”

  The man stared for a second then threw his head back, laughed and pointed at Audrey before turning to Lee. “Her reputation lives up to reality.” He smiled at Audrey, with wandering eyes, as if her boldness answered a silent question. His eyes met hers, and Lee fought the instinct to pull Audrey closer. “If you are officially offered the hand of membership, you’ll thank us. But it’ll be on our schedule, sweetheart.” He held up the gun and waved it like an index finger wagging a warning before he slipped it back in his holster. “If you bring any more unwanted attention, we sever ties.” He stood and sauntered away.

  Audrey shivered. Lee wrapped one arm around her shoulders and used the other arm to pull her closer, holding her in his arms. “You did great,” he murmured. While he would’ve preferred she’d stayed silent, the cover of Mrs. Kimmet did have a reputation. “You played the part well.”

  “I was trying to do what Kendra told me to. I thought it’s what he expected.”

  “And I think you were right.”

  Her shivers dissipated slightly but Lee kept his arms around her to be sure. The breeze brushed the hair from her face. “How do you stay so calm under pressure?” she asked.

  He pursed his lips, considering. “I don’t know. Training, I suppose.”

  “Staying calm doesn’t seem like something you could train for. Do they really teach you that? I read a study by a guy at Yale who found that some people are cool under pressure because they’ve always been. They theorize that as babies they were born with built-in protective measures to keep them from panicking.”

  “Interesting.” He almost laughed. Her mind worked at high speeds constantly.

  “I’m saying that you were probably born to be a hero. Maybe Kendra was, too, but I wasn’t.”

  “I don’t know if I was born that way or just had enough thrown at me that I became numb enough to deal with it. What I do know is that when Kendra was shot, you rushed toward danger to keep her safe.”

  “I didn’t have a choice.”

  He smirked. “Only a hero would think that.”

  Her mouth dropped open, drawing his attention to her lips. He bent his head closer, lowering his voice. “You may have frozen initially when we were locked in the sauna, but you were the one who saved our lives. You were the one who figured out the electrified fence. You’ve been a sounding board and kept me from a rash decision that could’ve cost us the mission. So no, I don’t think of you as a liability. You’ve been a true partner.” While he hadn’t meant to say so much, he realized the words were true.

  She tilted her chin ever so slightly. “Really?”

  It was all the encouragement Lee needed. He closed the space between them and pressed his lips ever so softly against hers.

  * * *

  Audrey closed her eyes and leaned into Lee, reveling in the warmth his arms around her brought as the ocean breeze brushed her hair off her face. The beard Lee had grown didn’t prick her skin like she imagined it would. His lips were soft yet strong against hers. She slipped her hands up and around his neck and allowed herself the briefest of moments to imagine they could kiss like this all the time, after the mission. Maybe she could live the life of an agent’s wife. She was an asset to the agency, after all.

  Lee pulled back as if he could hear her thoughts. “I’m...I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” she whispered as if on autopilot.

  “I’ve never—I mean this isn’t part of the—”

  “I know.” The confirmation that this wasn’t part of his normal cover procedures brought a small measure of comfort, though.

  “It was a mistake.” His arms released her and moved to her side. “It won’t happen again.”

  She fought to smile, but her eyes refused to meet his. What did he mean it was a mistake? “Because kissing me is like kissing my sister?” It was the first thing that came to mind, although she immediately realized it was a mistake.

  “What? No. I’ve never kissed your sister. I’m pretty sure she told you she considers me more like a brother—”

  “So then wh—” Her words faltered, her eyes narrowed as she connected the dots. “How do you know she told me that?” Time had sped up ever since the phone call with Kendra, and Audrey knew for a fact that Lee wouldn’t have had a spare moment to make another call to her. There was only one way he could’ve known. Her neck suddenly felt on fire. “You were listening.”

  His eyebrows twitched and he started to shake his head before his shoulders sagged. “Only for a minute. It was an accident.”

  Humiliation coursed through her.

  He held his hands out as if in surrender. “I’m sorry.”

  She shook her head. “I’m just incredibly embarrassed.”

  “If it helps, all I heard was a woman of integrity making sure she wasn’t allowing her feelings to take precedence. I admire that.” Lee reached for her hands. “Audrey, you may have a twin, but I don’t think you realize how unique you are. If I’m kissing you, though, I’m not focused—” He tensed as a shadowed figure approached and entered the fire circle, holding something rectangular.

  The swinging ponytail, however, served as an identification card. Felicity bent over and placed a tray laden with thick slabs of chocolate, a variety of colored square marshmallows and graham crackers on the stone surrounding the fire. “Gourmet s’mores are part of the fire experience. Do you have any questions?”

  Felicity leaned forward, close to the
ir seats as if they had asked one. “You no longer are assigned a bodyguard,” she whispered. “Octavia was given an order she was no longer to protect you. If you’re going to be part of the Network you need to prove you can take care of threats yourself. Unless, of course, you’re willing to provide them with a name of who is trying to kill you.”

  “If we knew that, we wouldn’t have been in this mess.” Lee raked a hand through his hair.

  “Then I have something that might help.” Felicity picked up a skewer for marshmallow roasting and handed it to Lee, but Audrey recognized the handoff as Lee pocketed something immediately after. “I got an encrypted email an hour ago and was told to pass it to you.”

  “Please tell me this is good news.”

  Felicity’s eyes darted to the side then she picked up the tray and gestured to each item as if she were explaining how to make a s’more. “They found one of the employees bound and gagged in his own trunk. His pass and uniform had been stolen. Said he’d been there for a couple days. The rest of the employees are on pins and needles. During dinner your cottage was bugged. It’s no longer safe to talk there so you’d do best to stay silent.”

  “I don’t understand how a fake employee wouldn’t be spotted,” Audrey said.

  “I figure that might be our fault.” Felicity picked up a roasting fork and acted as if she were demonstrating how close to put it to the flame. “We arranged a little accident involving four of the employees, to give me a better chance of getting on staff.”

  Audrey gasped.

  Felicity rolled her eyes. “A fake accident, complete with pretend casts. They’re all willing to be witnesses. When the raid is over, they’ll help shut this place down and go into witness protection.” She straightened. “Enjoy your evening,” she said louder.

  This time Audrey bolted after her, determined to talk one on one. “Hold up.” Her emotions were swirling faster than she could process. Felicity turned around, surprised to see her following, and pulled her into the shadows of a crevice before the ledge curved back to the path.

  “If you need to talk, make it fast,” Felicity said.

  “Were you trying to recruit me at Duke? Is that really what you were doing there?”

  Felicity looked over Audrey’s shoulder as if unsure they should speak. “I was—am a recruiter during the school year, but that doesn’t mean—”

  “Is that why you visited my classes so often?” Audrey was losing control of her voice as she heard the tremor.

  “Honestly? At first. Recruiting at a school is ideal because anyone can slip into lectures, study rooms, cafeterias, hangouts... It’s well documented that agencies use campuses for recruiting, both in the open and secret. I have no doubt you can find scores of research—” Felicity eyed her. “You’ve already checked.”

  “I didn’t have to. Lee basically said as much.”

  Felicity smiled but her eyes were downcast, sad. “Well, it quickly became apparent that...” She exhaled and placed a hand on Audrey’s arm. “We were looking for fast-thinking people who can talk their way out of tight situations, who can look at life like a game of chess, ready to sacrifice any pawns they’ve collected. You’re a certified genius, Audrey, no one questioned that, but you also cared a ridiculous amount about the students when you were only a teacher’s assistant.”

  “So if I wasn’t recruiting material was I one of your pawns?”

  Felicity reared back as if slapped. “Trust me when I say you wouldn’t like this life, Audrey. It’s lonely with low pay and incredibly high pressure, even when stationed at a school. I’m tasked with finding the right people who will, in the future, be hired at places with access to sensitive information. I need to get close to exchange students to discover what other countries might find useful and turn any assets sent here. So to answer your question, no, I had zero interest in getting you involved in this life.”

  Felicity took a step closer, her voice filled with a ferocity Audrey had never heard before. “You’re my friend, a real friend. In my world that’s rare, and I don’t want to lose that.” Felicity’s voice wobbled ever so slightly, and Audrey’s eyes stung. “I’m sorry, but you aren’t cut out for this life. Lee should’ve known that. Get out while you can and never let them draw you back in.”

  Exhaustion seeped into Audrey’s bones. She wanted to leave; she wanted to run away and hide and pretend she was still at Duke and life was normal for just a few hours until she could deal again. Mostly, she wanted to stop feeling like she was on the edge of tears. She sucked in a sharp breath. “Do you have any chef agents?”

  “What?” Felicity blinked rapidly. “No. Why?”

  “Just wondering if they send anyone to recruit at the Culinary Institute of America.” She shrugged. “A CIA agent going undercover at the CIA...” She laughed at Felicity’s stunned expression. “Well...I thought it was funny.”

  Felicity pulled Audrey into a lightning-fast hug. “I take it that horrible attempt at a joke means we’re okay.” She looked over her shoulder then reached a hand out and gave Audrey’s fingers a squeeze. “Please stay safe.” At the sight of another employee leading a group in their direction, Felicity stepped out of the darkness and darted around the corner.

  Felicity was still her friend, despite the hollow feeling that remained in Audrey’s chest, but the conversation forced her to face reality. Lee claimed the kiss was a mistake because he needed to focus on the mission. Felicity had known her for years. She would know if Audrey had what it took to be a part of Lee’s life, and the answer was a resounding no. She didn’t have what it would take for them to be together.

  Audrey didn’t need to turn around to know Lee had approached.

  He placed a hand on her shoulder. “Everything okay?”

  She stiffened and wasn’t sure what to say. “I’m in this beautiful place where gourmet s’mores are placed in front of me, but it’s not the time or place to enjoy them. In fact, I don’t even have an appetite for s’mores, so that’s probably an indicator that I’m not fine.” She stepped farther away, out of his reach. “But it’s okay, s’mores wouldn’t have been good for me anyway.”

  Lee furrowed his forehead. “Are we actually talking about s’mores or...” He pointed between the two of them.

  Truth was she didn’t know. Her intention was to make light of her emotional state, not sound like she was devastated that a relationship with Lee wasn’t possible. She certainly didn’t want him to read into it. “Let’s just forget the kiss happened and focus on the mission. The faster we can get back to our normal lives, the better.”

  TWELVE

  Lee had the sensation he was on a rickety bridge, unsure of his footing. Whatever Felicity told her had shut Audrey down. He admitted the kiss was a mistake but forgetting it? That wasn’t going to happen. The mission took priority, so it seemed best not to engage in further discussion over the matter and instead focus on the facts in front of them.

  He gestured to the walkway. She pursed her lips as they strode in silence back toward the cottages. It was no longer safe to talk there, though, not even on the balcony, if Felicity knew what she was talking about. He stopped at a bench underneath a redwood. After a quick search underneath the seat and around the tree and lights for any security cameras, he took a seat, patting the bench beside him. They needed to be quick.

  “I don’t like being in the open, but since we can’t talk in our room, let’s take a moment here.” He took a deep breath and fingered the Micro SD card. “Please let this be good news.”

  “Was that a prayer?”

  Was it? He shrugged. “Maybe.” He knew Audrey prayed. He’d been asked before if he believed and while he’d said yes, he wasn’t a praying man. Truth was he didn’t ever feel he needed prayer. He prided himself on not needing anyone. He cared greatly for the people in his life, but need was a strong word. As if on autopilot, his head swiveled to Audrey.

&
nbsp; “I’m praying, too,” she whispered.

  He nodded, somehow comforted despite his logic. “Keep a watch out.” Since their backs were against a tree, he slipped his phone out and made a quick change of the Micro SD cards behind Audrey’s back as if he was reaching out to hug her. The file pulled up. He brought the phone back in front. “It’s a revised report of the night we met.”

  “Revised?” Audrey leaned to look over his shoulder, her breath hot on his neck. Lee struggled to keep his mind on the screen. Mission reports read like history books, bland with all detail, emotion and action removed from the equation.

  Ballistics confirmed that Kendra’s gun had killed the shooter who had taken out Adam. The bullet that shot Kendra came from a different gun that wasn’t registered.

  Lee scrolled down until he reached the suspect list. There was only name: Joseph Harrington.

  “Does that ring any bells?” Audrey asked.

  Lee shook his head and continued to read until he reached a photograph of Joseph. Dark hair, smiling for the camera with a slightly wide forehead, heart-shaped face and the beginnings of a mustache, the twenty-something guy would never attract any attention in a group.

  Audrey leaned back. “He’s not what I expected.”

  “What did you expect?”

  “Well, I don’t know. He looks like a regular Joe.” Audrey flashed a sheepish grin. “Oh. No pun intended.”

  “You’re not wrong.”

  “Look.” Audrey pointed below the photo. “It’s his campus ID. He’s a doctoral candidate of electrical engineering at Stanford.”

  “What?” That was the last type of person he’d suspect. He scrolled down farther. “With a squeaky-clean record.”

  “Why is this man even in the file?” Audrey asked. “This says they don’t have his fingerprints on file. Why is he even a suspect? He doesn’t have any ties to the organization Adam and the FBI took down, right?”