Tangled Mark

by Becky Harmon

  Nikki hoped her mouth wasn’t hanging open in surprise as she felt herself hesitate before pushing past with a quick nod. The seconds it took her to regain her composure annoyed her. She wasn’t easily caught off guard but this unexpected encounter had jolted her.

  Nikki hit the first open checkout line and tossed her items onto the belt. Her earlier curiosity was now tainted with this invasion into her personal life. She wanted out of this store and away from that woman so badly she had been tempted to leave without her groceries. Realizing how irrational that would be, she forced herself to wait calmly while her groceries were bagged. Her mind, on the other hand, was not calm. It was racing through possible scenarios. Maybe this woman lived nearby. Or was staying at a hotel nearby. Nikki remembered passing several on this street alone. As she walked across the parking lot, Nikki’s eyes searched around her, trying to locate the woman—who now seemed to have vanished. She loaded her car quickly and slid behind the wheel. Watching her mirrors closely all the way home, she pulled into her garage and hit the remote to close it behind her.

  As she turned her engine off and sat in the dark garage, it crossed her mind that she should advise someone of the situation. She could imagine Brad’s laughter as she described the meeting, which might be entirely coincidental. Neither Josh nor Lewis had seemed interested in talking about the CIA agents, and the next level was Vincent Flagler, owner of the company. Nikki had never spoken to him, but he had attended several predeployment briefings over the years. He was well-respected, and though it sometimes sounded weird in her head, he was always addressed and even thought of as Mr. Flagler, never called by his first or last name. Tyler had told her once that Mr. Flagler knew exactly what each team was doing at all times. He was a hands-on owner and every mission went through his office before being accepted, but it certainly wouldn’t be appropriate to jump the chain of command to contact him.

  Besides, if she called any of them what would she say? “I saw a CIA agent at the grocery store.” Hearing the words spoken aloud, she laughed at herself. These things happened when large agencies worked in the same town. There was bound to be some accidental interaction outside the office. Clearly there was a CIA office somewhere in town, and the agents probably had come by Flagler simply to get their hands on the written after-action reports concerning their surveillance. This wasn’t really a situation anyway. Was it? Still, she decided if she saw the agent again outside of work, she would call Brad and discuss it with him.

  She sighed as she climbed out of her car and carried her groceries inside. When everything was stored, she turned out all the lights and headed upstairs. After a long shower, she fell into bed exhausted, sparing only a fleeting thought for the cocky CIA agent who might or might not be following her.

  Chapter Six

  Mel turned off her GPS as she coasted to a stop outside the two-story house. There was only one light on inside, but she was confident Nicole had come straight home with her trunkful of groceries. Nicole was good at her job, but she was better. She’d watched her load her groceries from the darkness inside her own SUV, Nicole’s curvy silhouette and facial features barely visible in the shadows from the parking lot lights. Mel was surprised at the twinge of desire she felt as she remembered the way Nicole’s hair had fallen around her face as she leaned into the cart for each bag. Her face had been set and determined as she glanced around her at the parked cars, each time returning to her task with a false sense of security. When they left the parking lot, Mel had kept her distance. She wasn’t ready for Nicole to catch her following her. Tonight she wanted to keep her curious. Tomorrow she would gradually increase her appearances until Nicole felt she had nowhere to turn. Mel had no doubt she would be able to manipulate Nicole into trusting her and when she did, the answers would flow—exactly the way they had with every other mark Mel had worked.

  Sitting now in the dark in front of Nicole’s house, Mel replayed the information in the file she had read on the plane. Nicole had been approached by a representative from Flagler during her sophomore year at the University of Florida. At that time she was hired for basic security work only and initially they had used her on protective details assigned to dignitaries only in the United States. Though she qualified expert with a pistol her first time on the range, her black belt in tae kwon do is what initially attracted Flagler. Nicole had ranked number one internationally for two years in a row. Mel had also held that rank, but she wasn’t surprised their paths had never crossed at competitions. She was already in her second year with the army when Nicole earned her first title.

  When Nicole graduated with her degree in criminal justice, she had expanded into the international area of operation. Mel was surprised when she reviewed Nicole’s training records. Flagler had not only sent her to their basic operative training but had thrown in sniper school and two jump schools within a two-year period. She was qualified to parachute from a plane or rappel down a rope from a helicopter, cliff or building. Her sniper training was extended twice to familiarize her with environments around the world. There were no qualification badges with a sniper rifle, but Mel had reviewed all the details that were provided for each mission Nicole operated as the main sniper on and she was impressed with her dedication. She was clearly on the path to becoming a top agent.

  Nicole’s records didn’t list any confirmed kills, but that was standard for Flagler. They had their own set of rules. Details were kept purposefully vague and targets were listed as extinguished, meaning they were moved, injured, fled or possibly killed. Mel knew from her time in the military that there were plenty of rules to be followed when operating in a foreign country. She had also come to appreciate the fact that Flagler didn’t allow politics to stand in the way of mission completion. She had viewed some of Flagler’s top agents in action over the years and her trust in their integrity never wavered. Not until recently, that is.

  Since Brad was connected to Nicole, Mel had reviewed his file as well. He had all of the qualifications she did. His ability to move through the woods quietly and cover long distances perfectly complemented Nicole’s sniper ability. Both had been employed by Flagler Security for more than ten years and they had been trained well. Neither had any black marks in their files other than an occasional disregard for protocol, but that had always been in response to the safety of their team, never a matter of showboating or seeking individual advancement.

  Mel couldn’t see how someone with Nicole’s dedication or even Brad’s, for that matter, could be the rat they were looking for. If she was honest, she didn’t want it to be Nicole. She was intrigued by her background, though, and was going to enjoy getting a rise out of her. Her training would keep her from reacting like a normal mark, and Mel was excited to see the outcome. This woman had definitely stimulated Mel’s interest.

  Mel watched the light go out inside the two-story house before calling Joey.

  “I got lights out here.”

  “Yeah, me too. Liam called about ten minutes ago with the same.” Joey sighed. “I’d like to be in bed too.”

  “You can say that again. What’s the plan now?”

  “Let’s meet at the office on Parker Street in twenty minutes. Mrs. Bowden is doing a briefing for the others assigned with us so we can catch them before they all disperse.”

  “See you there.” Mel hung up without hearing Joey’s reply. She had just enough time to grab a good cup of coffee before heading to the office. She glanced at the dark second-story window one more time before pulling out. She couldn’t help but think about Nicole resting peacefully in her own bed. It wasn’t the first time Mel had been attracted to a mark: it would not affect her ability to do her job. She was always in complete control of her emotions. She found it hard to believe that Nicole was the bad seed, but until she knew for sure, she would treat her as one. Clearly someone in the Pensacola office was on the take, and to make her life easier, Mel had to assume everyone was guilty until she found evidence that proved otherwise.

  * * * />
  Mel stopped in front of the roll-up door at the Parker Street office and punched in her code on the mounted keypad. She pulled slowly forward as the door rumbled up. Securing the first open space inside, she grabbed her coffee cup and climbed the stairs to the second-floor office. Liam and Joey were already sitting in the back of the briefing room when Mel slid into the chair beside Liam. Mel counted nine bodies listening attentively to Bowden ramble about protocols. Liam rolled his eyes and then closed them to mimic sleep. She nodded, taking a sip of her coffee. Liam looked longingly at her cup and she gave him a glare.

  “I see that our first agents on the ground have arrived, so I will let them take the floor to give us an update.” Bowden moved to the side of the room and Mel led Liam and Joey to the front. Mel covered the highlights of the mission they had observed, and then each of them gave a brief overview of what their marks had done after leaving Flagler.

  Bowden addressed the group. “Okay, let’s get the rest of the team under surveillance. From now on we will operate on a twenty-four-hour rotation. Get with your counterparts and firm up the schedule. Twelve hours on. Twelve hours off. We will meet back here at ten hundred hours on Tuesday. Check in regularly and call if you see anything that needs a follow-up.”

  Chapter Seven

  Nikki awoke with the first rays of light the next morning. Confident Barbara wouldn’t be up for at least another hour, she enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at her favorite diner before driving to Barbara’s two-story brick home. Located on a five-acre lot at the end of a cul-de-sac, the majority of the property was behind the house and enclosed in a privacy fence. Barbara had two golden retrievers of her own, and Nikki’s dogs spent enough time there it was like a second home to them. Nikki pulled her Edge into the driveway and Barbara met her at the front door.

  “Kids are in the backyard. Would you like to join them? I have coffee.”

  Nikki smiled. She and Barbara were not really friends, but they had the dogs in common. The few times they had sat and chatted, the conversation had always been about the dogs. “Thanks for the offer, but I want to get to the beach before it gets crowded.”

  Barbara nodded. Nikki always took the girls for a beach run on the first day she returned. “I’ll call them.” She left Nikki standing in the foyer and disappeared toward the rear of the house. Seconds later, Nikki heard the jingle of dog tags as the dogs excitedly flew around the corner and into her sight, their golden-furred ears flapping as they ran. She waved to Barbara and pushed open the door, stepping onto the porch. After a lot of whimpered greetings and a few licks, the golden retrievers crossed the yard and jumped into the open back door of Nikki’s SUV. Riley stood on the console between the front seats, demanding to be petted. As she drove, Nikki ran her hand through the curly fur at her neck. Though they were littermates, Bailey’s fur was straighter and she had more of a lion’s mane around her neck. Their previous owners had dumped them at the shelter because they only wanted purebreds to sell. Nikki had adopted them immediately, pleased there was some poodle in their mix. Since neither of the girls shed, they had to be trimmed every couple of months. She had met Barbara at the groomers and they had begun chatting. Barbara volunteered to keep them whenever Nikki was out of town, and it became their regular schedule.

  She drove to a secluded beach on the west side of Pensacola. Happy to see no other vehicles when they pulled into the parking lot, she turned the dogs loose and followed them down the beach at a moderate jog. An hour later, she slowed to a walk and turned back toward the car. The dogs continued to chase birds up and down the beach, but returned to check on her often. She liked them to stay close in case they ran into anyone else and she needed to put their leashes on, but, luckily, today they were alone.

  Her mind relaxed as she enjoyed the heat from the Florida sun beating down on her back. The morning had been cool, but she had removed her long-sleeved T-shirt early in her run. She used it now to mop up the sweat dripping down her face from her hair. Normally, after a run, her mind was clear and she felt focused, but today her thoughts were muddled, jumping from one thing to another. She tried not to think about the possibility that the CIA might be following her. She was used to keeping secrets on the job. She knew that any leak regarding where she was going or who she was traveling with would be a breach of security and put the dignitary she was protecting at risk. She hadn’t known about the dark ops missions when she signed her confidentiality agreement, but learning about them hadn’t changed her mind. She liked her job and the people she worked with, and she liked doing the right thing for a company with integrity. Her pulse still quickened each time she received a mission text, and she always reported for duty well within the allotted three hours.

  She had to admit that the CIA agent had quickened her pulse too. Under very different circumstances, she might have pursued her, but she didn’t play with anyone she worked with. She had made that rule with herself after her first mission with Flagler. She liked the job too much to risk it for a little bit of fun.

  On the other hand, the job had never crossed into her personal life like this before. She found herself wondering at every turn if she was being watched. Did she need to be more guarded away from the office? There had been a dark SUV on her street when she had left the house this morning. She had watched closely, though, and she didn’t believe it had followed her.

  She shook her head, trying to clear it. Over the years, she had become a master at maintaining a calm manner that kept anyone around her from asking for details. That was probably the best tack to take now. She decided to continue to monitor the situation and keep quiet about her suspicions until she knew something for certain.

  When they returned home, she headed to the couch for some much-needed rest, the dogs returning happily to their favorite spots beside it. After a long nap and a late lunch, she turned on some jazz music, taped her hands and began punching on the body bag hanging in her spare bedroom. Her mind was still spinning and she longed for the peace that normally followed her workouts.

  Giving in to the ramblings of her mind, she replayed her run-in with the CIA agent at the grocery store and the dark SUV she’d found parked outside her house again when she returned from the beach. The angle had prevented her from telling if there was anyone inside, but she had been tempted to walk over and check. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t convince herself that the CIA agent lived nearby or that the SUV belonged on her street. She wasn’t normally paranoid, but this was starting to weigh on her. Maybe she should run it by Brad. He didn’t overreact to anything and could help put it all in some kind of order.

  After an hour of punching and kicking, she collapsed onto the floor, her body aching. Sweat dripped down her face as she again talked herself out of contacting Brad. She wasn’t being threatened, so it could wait until they returned to the office in two days.

  She pulled herself from the floor and took a long, cold shower before turning on her computer. She checked her email, deleting the spam, and then sent her foster parents an email to let them know she was back home. She didn’t provide travel details; over the years they had learned not to ask questions. She opened an Internet browser and paid a few bills before surfing around a bit. She had too much nervous energy to sit still, and neither the run nor the workout had helped. Maybe she would go out tonight. It had been a month or more since she had looked for female companionship, let alone explored the soft skin of a woman. She wasn’t interested in the complicated situations a relationship involved, and she didn’t think she ever would be. She never brought anyone back to her place. It made life simpler to follow them home; she was always back in her bed before dawn. She preferred it that way. She wasn’t lonely or in need of someone to share her life.

  While her chicken cooked on the grill, Nikki played with the dogs in the backyard and then gave them a bath. Both were certified for patient assistance and tomorrow they would visit the local hospital. While they recovered from the trauma of being bathed, she stir-fried some veget
ables to go with the chicken. She stood at the counter to eat. There was no need to set the table when she was by herself. Deciding that a bath would be more relaxing than a trip to the bar, she placed her dish in the sink and, after filling the large tub in her master bathroom, she took her glass of merlot and settled into the bubbles. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the back of the tub, moving only to take an occasional sip of wine. She hoped the wine and bath would settle her mind enough to allow her to sleep. She should have brought a book in with her or turned on some music. Her mind drifted again. She did have a few friends—well, acquaintances—at the bar. Maybe the release her body was craving would be best satisfied by a female companion. When she climbed out of the tub and saw the time on her watch, she laughed. Her long, relaxing soak had lasted for barely ten minutes.

  Toweling off, she headed to the bedroom and put on her favorite black jeans. Normally she would have chosen her faded 501 button-fly Levi’s for a trip to the bar, but she felt like dressing up. She wasn’t completely sure what she was looking for tonight, but it was always easier to say no if she attracted the wrong woman rather than to attract no one at all. The black jeans were Levi’s too but a different style, and molded to the curve of her butt. The tightness showed off her muscles when she walked. She took a couple of steps in front of the mirror to confirm that.

  She chose a black bra and pulled a black tank top over it. She knew the white button-down shirt would be a little see-through, but she liked the way it looked under the lights in the bar. She selected her black low-cut boots with the buckles on the side rather than the plain ones she normally wore with her suits for work. Hesitating at the dresser, she considered changing the earrings she wore but quickly changed her mind. She liked the small white gold hoops that she wore when she wasn’t working. They had been a gift from a previous girlfriend, the best gift Nikki had received from her. She grabbed her Fitbit and buckled it on her wrist as she went down the stairs. Knowing she was headed out, the girls waited patiently on their beds for goodbye treats. She gave them each a special stomach rub before handing out the treats.