What to Read After FSOG: The Gemstone Collection (WTRAFSOG Book 7)

by Lexi Buchanan

  The president patted Jason’s shoulder. “We already had her in mind. Zoe’s the perfect type. Blond, attractive, physically fit, top-level clearance and trained for undercover work. We used you as a reference since you worked with her at Langley. Tell her that.”

  Jason nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  “Your past relationship won’t interfere with this project.” It was a statement, not a question.

  “No, sir, Mr. President. We’ve worked on missions together before. She was trained for intelligence gathering, not this.”

  “I’m aware of your other missions. It’s a role like any other undercover work,” President Bryson added, locking eyes with Jason. “Get her briefed. Celia was one fuck-up too many. This operation needs Zoe.”

  If Bryson knew everything about their last mission, would he have selected her? Or was the organization that desperate?

  The president checked his watch. “One o’clock and I have an early meeting. Our games may have to be postponed until after the peace talks. You have a busy day, too.”

  “I’ll get on it.” He couldn’t afford another screw-up.

  Zoe Summers retied her scarf for the third time, then checked in the hand mirror she kept in her desk to make sure it covered the scar. She had another hour of work to do and desperately needed coffee. As late as it was, there might be a few White House staff left. She hated when people stared at her neck, hated it even more when she had to make up some lie instead of explaining that a mission went horribly wrong. Pity she didn’t need. What she needed was to forget and end the nightmares.

  She dug an armful of manila folders out of the old, metal file cabinet and tossed them onto her desk. The last batch before she’d head home. This was an honor, not Langley’s way to avoid outright firing her. Secret documents, archiving, filing. This was not the drudgery that would crush the living soul out of her body and damn her to file-clerk hell.

  She leaned back in the desk chair, gazing around at the dusty, basement office surrounded by a dozen filing cabinets. There were always rumors and conspiracy theories by people who had too much time on their hands. She’d escaped one lead-lined dungeon for another, but White House or not, suspicious activity or not, this felt like a demotion. She should have been out in the field, interacting with terrorists, transporting sensitive documents, carrying a gun, not moving papers.

  Rubbing her temples, Zoe glanced at the clock on her desk. Ten p.m. Coffee. The door to the hall was open a crack to ensure the guard would check in on her during his rounds. It was best he get to know her since she planned on working a lot of late nights. Maybe if she exceeded expectations and did a really good filing job, they’d move her on to bigger projects.

  Even for a basement, she was surprised by the amount of after-hours activity. A group of people came downstairs, entered one of the rooms, then left after an hour or two. It had happened the night before, too. She was never able to see who they were, but couldn’t help feeling paranoid after what the Big D had told her. He’d heard rumors and suspected something was terribly wrong at the White House but gave no specifics. The lack of security cameras on her level seemed odd when there were plenty on the upper levels.

  Taking her cell phone out, she listened to Jason’s message again. The message was three days old. After several playbacks, she still hadn’t decided whether to call him back.

  She yanked open the drawer of her desk to lock the files away while she went upstairs. The drawer slipped off its track and jammed.

  Crap. Banging it with the heel of her hand, she pulled the drawer free and placed it on the floor. She checked inside for papers that had fallen behind. Lying on the floor inside the desk was an employee ID badge with two keys attached and another key ring with a set of five keys.

  Turning the badge over in her hand, she examined a red piece of tape dangling off one of the keys like a one-inch flag. Nothing was written on it. The photo on the badge was of a young blond woman in her late twenties with a pretty smile. The woman could’ve been Zoe’s sister if she had one. Celia Aldridge, Researcher.

  Had the previous worker lost the badge and keys or had they been left behind? She turned the badge over and studied it closely. A six-digit number was scribbled in faded marker. Zoe pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. People who couldn’t remember PINs or key codes sometimes wrote them in inappropriate places. Even intelligence agents, men mostly, were known to use 36-24-36 as a pass code.

  Did this woman get promoted? Transferred? Did she quit or get fired? Normally when an employee left, security destroyed the ID badge. Who was she, and why had she left? Maybe she worked in another department and Zoe could return the badge. Sitting at her computer, she typed in Celia Aldridge’s name to do a search, her finger hovering over the ENTER key. She wasn’t at Langley. Anything she typed in on the White House computer could be traced by the IT guys. Frank Phillips in security had warned her about unofficial use of the computers. She could be violating a confidentiality rule. She deleted her entry.

  “Zoe, you still here?”

  Zoe cried out, palming the woman’s badge and slipping it into her blouse. As she rose, she tugged on her scarf. “God, Melissa, I didn’t hear you come down.”

  Melissa Tadeshi, assistant to the press secretary, stood in her doorway. “I was going to leave this under your door. It’s tomorrow’s schedule.” Melissa held up an interoffice envelope. “You’re leaving now, aren’t you?”

  “I had a little more work to do. I was going for coffee.” Zoe took the envelope, dropped it on her desk and gestured Melissa inside. “I thought you left hours ago. Is Julia still here?”

  Melissa rolled her eyes. “Long gone. What work? We finished our training today. Want to go for a drink?”

  “No, thanks. I’m trying to make a dent and make this office livable. I guess housekeeping doesn’t clean this room. It doesn’t look like it’s been dusted since the Kennedy administration.” Considering the late hour, Melissa still looked gorgeous and professional, like an Asian Victoria’s Secret model in her early thirties. Although Zoe thought Melissa pushed her professional attire to the limit for the White House. She’d wear heels a bit too high, skirts a little too short and blouses cut way too low, but no one seemed to mind. Her long, black hair was fastened neatly with a simple clip, and even her makeup looked fresh. Other than making sure her scarf covered her scar, Zoe hadn’t checked her appearance in six hours. She hated to think what she looked like. “Besides delivering tomorrow’s schedule, why are you here late?”

  “We finished up a few meetings over an hour ago. I was doing some prep work. The president’s meeting with a number of foreign reps, so expect another crazy early morning.”

  Zoe inched toward the door, expecting Melissa to follow.

  Melissa looked inside the office and noticed the drawer on the floor. “Do you need help with that?”

  Zoe hesitated for a second. “No, just cleaning out the desk.”

  “How’s everything going?”

  “Good. It’s not hard work. I’m surprised they just didn’t hire a college intern for this. My old boss said someone at the White House recommended me for the position. Did you know about that?”

  Melissa glanced at the stack of files on Zoe’s desk. “Probably because you had top-secret clearance working in the CIA.”

  “Any clerk can get a security clearance.” Zoe didn’t mean to sound so cynical.

  “Security threats are always a concern. You of all people should know that,” Melissa said, very serious now.

  The hairs went up on the back of Zoe’s neck. “You’re right.”

  “Don’t ever let your guard down.”

  “Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful to be here. But when I was hired, I expected it was for something more exciting than filing.”

  Melissa smiled, back to her pleasant mood. “Give it time. Trust me, working here is never dull. The White House wouldn’t have hired you unless they had a reason and needed your expertise. They need people they can trust
above all.”

  “I can be trusted,” Zoe said, more to herself than Melissa. She stuffed the folders back into the file cabinet, got the drawer back on its track, and then closed and locked it.

  Melissa gave a small laugh. “Go home, girl. It’s late.”

  Home. Where silence and four walls only reminded her how long it’d been since she was on a mission? If she hung around, she could do an unsupervised tour. She held up her dust-smudged hands. “I need to wash up first.”

  Melissa groaned. “Hurry it up. The guards get twitchy when we stay too late.”

  “I won’t be long.” Zoe locked her office, but Melissa hadn’t moved to leave. “By the way, do you know who worked in here before me?” Zoe watched Melissa’s expression.

  Melissa’s mouth quirked slightly, a nervous gesture the average person wouldn’t notice. “I don’t know. She must’ve left before I got here.”

  “She?”

  Melissa huffed. “She…he…whatever. I don’t know. This office has been empty for a while.”

  “Does anyone else work down here? Meeting rooms?”

  Melissa frowned and narrowed her eyes. “It’s a basement. Nothing more than storage rooms, space for electrical, boiler, and mechanical equipment. Why?”

  “Just asking.” Zoe wasn’t going to mention the late-night visitors until she gathered more information. She didn’t want to sound like a paranoid idiot.

  The atmosphere chilled between them. “Look, I’m sorry,” Zoe said. “It’s too quiet down here. See you at lunch tomorrow?”

  Melissa smiled. “Sure.” She checked her phone, punched a few keys with her thumbs, then headed for the stairs. “See you tomorrow.”

  Zoe used the restroom and scrubbed her hands. When she strode out of the ladies’ room, she stopped in the hallway and contemplated the door at the end of the hall, holding Celia’s badge in her hand. The door had a key-swipe lock and keypad. Could it be this easy?

  “Anything you need me to do before the presentation?” Jason asked Julia. He wanted out of there, wanted to get to Zoe and tell her to resign before she learned anything about the program. At Langley, they may have parted on a sour note, but she would trust him this time. By not trusting her partner, she’d compromised their last mission and much worse. If he told her to leave, she would. Once she was briefed about Red Tape, it’d be too late.

  “No, we’re ready.” Julia’s nails clicked on the computer keyboard with enough force he expected to hear them snap. He shifted in the stiff Victorian chair in front of her desk. Waiting was torture. His cell buzzed at the exact moment Julia’s buzzed. The target had just left the hotel. Fuck. Julia glanced at him with an anxious look. He hated when a mission was starting off on the wrong foot. Already, this one was behind schedule, and everyone was on edge. Not good.

  Julia swore. “Where the hell is Melissa?” The petite woman got up and paced the carpeted room. The razor-cut ends of her red hair brushed the collar of her crisp business suit.

  “I’m sure she’ll be here shortly.” That wasn’t happening. The text he got said Zoe hadn’t left yet but would soon. Come on, Zoe. Just this once, leave something half-finished. Melissa couldn’t drag her out of there unless she hogtied her.

  His schedule as one of the first lady’s Secret Service agents was hectic, and he suspected it was about to get insane. Julia gave an impatient huff and checked her watch again for the hundredth time. “If she doesn’t come up soon…”

  “She will.” Jason stood and walked to the window, watching for the black cars that would arrive at the back entrance. If he had been in charge, it would never be going down like this.

  “After this presentation, we’ll schedule Zoe’s training.” Julia sighed. “We’re pressed for time.”

  “Zoe’s a professional. I won’t have a problem training her.”

  Julia’s smile wasn’t a friendly one. Her green eyes flashed rage and worry. “What makes you think you’ll be training her?” Her tone had a slight edge of condescension.

  He stuck his hands in his pockets to keep from clenching them. “For this program to work, wouldn’t she feel most comfortable with someone she knows well?” He took a breath, attempting to keep the conversation from breaking down into a shouting match.

  She smiled again, and this time, Julia placed a gentle hand on his arm. “You mean someone she knew intimately, Jason. Training doesn’t work that way.”

  “How then?” Before he finished the sentence, reality slammed into him. “Who’ll be training her?” Heat rose in his face, and he took a step closer to her. The idea of Zoe thrown into the most dangerous part of the mission, unprepared, grabbed him by the throat.

  “Now is not the time.” She checked her watch, standing a little straighter, which didn’t help her height but made a point. “You know what’s involved.” She walked over to her desk and leaned on it.

  He didn’t answer.

  Three sharp raps on the door and Melissa barged into the office, giving both Jason and Julia a grim look. “Sorry I’m late. She’s still here but should be on her way out.” Melissa crossed her arms over her chest. The tight business suit she wore and low-cut blouse pressed the curves of her breasts higher. No wonder the first lady chose her for this particular position.

  Julia groaned, hands clasped together and held under her chin. “We need to make this count, people. There’s no room for errors.”

  “Zoe’s been working during the setup and practices this week. She wasn’t a problem then,” Melissa offered.

  “No, I don’t want the chance of her running into our guest.” Julia’s voice rose to a level bordering on hysteria.

  Jason checked his watch, then looked at Julia, who tapped her tiny, pointy shoe while glaring at Melissa. Four men in business suits walked into the office, the first lady’s private security guards.

  “The first lady is on her way down,” one of the men announced. “And the target will be here in ten.”

  “We’re out of time,” Julia said to Jason. “Get her out of there.”

  Chapter Two

  Did she dare? Zoe hadn’t even tried her own badge and code on the door at the end of the hall yet. She padded to the men’s room door to make sure no one was around, then knocked. “Hello? Housekeeping.” No answer. She entered, and it was much larger than the ladies’ room with two more showers and a condom dispenser. Zoe frowned at that. Are you kidding me? In the basement of the White House?

  She left the men’s room, and tiptoed down the hall, trying each door she passed. All locked. Not surprising, but her curiosity was focused on the door at the end. Why would a room for storage or mechanical equipment need a keypad access?

  She swiped Celia’s badge and punched in the PIN, but the light remained red. She tried again, slower, and still got red. Then she tried the PIN in reverse.

  The light turned green. She turned the doorknob, walked inside a small vestibule and was blocked by another door, locked, of course. Like Alice in Wonderland, the mystery begins with doors and keys. She flipped on the light in this small antechamber. The key on Celia’s badge with the piece of tape opened the next door.

  Illuminated only by the light from the vestibule, this room appeared spacious. A few objects or furniture stood in shadows. The scent of leather and disinfectant mingled in the warm air. She felt along the wall for a light switch then decided against it. Using the backlight from her cell phone, she crept around the room, examining each object. One large chair stood in the center. It was elaborately carved with straps attached to the arms and legs.

  Zoe stiffened and took a step back. An interrogation room. Not a meeting room. Her mind flashed to Turkey. They’d tied her down when the deal went bad. Her hand reached for her neck, and her body shook, remembering the pain when the knife blade broke her skin. Sweat soaked through her underwear.

  She shoved the memories out of her head. The White House was the last place she expected to find an interrogation room. In one corner was a bed with pulleys and more stra
ps. On the other side of the room was a table with several small objects she suspected were torture devices, instruments for pain and truth serum drugs. Her stomach rolled, and the taste of bile rose onto the back of her tongue. At the far wall in the shadows was a tall, wooden cross. That looked familiar, but she couldn’t place it. What kind of torture did they do in the White House?

  As she moved around the room, she thought she heard voices in the walls. She shook her head. It wasn’t real, only memories. The voices continued.

  She dropped her phone and covered her ears with her hands. Go away, you’re not real.

  “Zoe. What the hell are you doing in here?” Jason’s voice. She was hearing things.

  Zoe spun around and saw a figure silhouetted in the doorway. “Jason?”

  “Yes, you have to get out of here. They’re coming.” He picked up her phone and handed it to her. It started buzzing, and her thoughts sharpened.

  Jaw clenched, she marched up to him and clamped her hand around his throat. The weight of her body continued the momentum until she slammed him against the wall. Her knee pressed into his groin, and her nails dug into his neck. “What the hell happened to you? You dump me after Turkey, then left Langley without a word. Or were you looking for an excuse?”

  He winced from the pain in his throat or groin, she wasn’t sure. “I didn’t dump you at all. I was reassigned and sent out of the country while you were visiting your dad. I couldn’t contact you.”

  “Six months ago,” she argued, not releasing her grip. “You could’ve left a message that you were heading out. When did you get back?” Why didn’t he just say the fuck-up in Turkey was her fault? Maybe then they could move on.

  “Couple weeks.” He groaned. “I work here. Secret Service.”

  She fought the urge to rush into his arms. Every muscle in her body ached for him. God, she missed him. As reality quickly registered, her body chilled on the inside. Their last job hadn’t accommodated relationships and emotions. Why would it be different now? She grabbed her phone and turned her back on him. “If you didn’t trust me as your partner, you should’ve told me. Instead, you disappear.”