Covert Operations

by Sara Schoen

  I had to take care of a few of the survivors, as well as some of the ones who’d run away. The deserters were handled first, taken care of swiftly. Person after person entered the warehouse, but none of them ever left. I felt a shiver race up my spine at the thought. I had to follow all the orders given to me to keep my cover, but did I have to kill innocent people? Yes, unless I wanted to be killed instead.

  Here, every day was a fight for survival. Sometimes I barely made it, and it grew increasingly harder. The last few days had been hell for me. Danielle was constantly calling Camden to plan more dates, which meant soon he would need information on my old life. He’d have Danielle wrapped around his finger in no time. I needed to look for things in the cartel, then maybe I could get her out of this before she became too involved.

  At least, I hoped I could. I took a deep breath, letting it take the stress with it as I exhaled. I couldn’t think about that now. I already had too much on my plate. I needed to clear my mind, so I decided to go for a run. The only way I had alone time was by running. Even while alone in the loft, there were other guards around. We didn’t mingle, but knowing they were there didn’t allow me to feel completely alone and only pressured me to keep my cover in case they noticed something out of character.

  I retreated to the room I had been sleeping in since I’d been put on around the clock protection for Camden. Miguel thought it necessary after Camden had almost been killed in a weapons trade, and after the other agent had gotten close enough to them to blow them up. Camden hadn’t gotten along with the second in command of the Son Reyes Cartel, and soon the trade erupted into gunshots. I’m not sure how it had been resolved, but I knew a few people died and there was an uneasy agreement between the two cartels now that Camden swore to never go on another trade. It seemed as if it had all worked out.

  Too bad nothing was as it seemed in the cartel world.

  The deception would crumble, and they would realize they had been taken advantage of. That was standard living and working for the Cardozas. You had to watch your step and your own back, because you never knew just when the scene would shatter around you.

  That’s why I needed to find an escape, to forget the horrible truth, and my own actions within the cartel, even just for a little while. Running helped clear my mind so I could refocus on the mission. But as soon as I began my run, my thoughts immediately returned to Danielle. She had no idea what these people were like, and if she recognized me she could blow my cover. I couldn’t be sure she wouldn’t recognize me, no matter what I did to my appearance, and that was out of my control. My facial structure, a strong jaw and lean face, hadn’t changed. I could only change the color of my eyes and hair, fake an accent, and regurgitate information from Marco’s file. If she blurted out my true identity, we would both die, unless she’d managed to wrap Camden around her finger like she typically did with people. Then she’d just have to watch me die.

  There was nothing I could do about it now. Camden had a habit of blindsiding some members when their time came, including the survivors from the raid. Most of them had done nothing wrong, but they were a liability if they stuck around. I sprinted through my typical route, trying not to think about it. The wind seemed to blow away all other thoughts except for when to change my route. I always waited to veer off until I got far enough that the person Miguel had following me would be easier to lose. Since my recruitment to the cartel, he’d had someone tailing me. While with Camden, I was in the clear, but any other time, I was watched closely. I had gotten fairly good at vanishing, though, especially while on a run.

  Having been a spy, and having been in militarized zones, paranoia made me more cautious, but it also kept me alive longer. Life expectancy for either job wasn’t the greatest, so I might as well expand on it as much as I could. Even if it meant looking over my shoulder as I ran through the park. There were a few people out. I had failed to take notice of the time before leaving the loft, but I had a feeling it was just past one since there were normally more people in the park in the morning. It was hotter this time of day, but everyone was busy elsewhere, providing a little more privacy. It also made it easier to keep an eye out for anyone who could be following me.

  However, because there were so few people, it meant I couldn’t get lost in a crowd. Instead, I veered off my running path earlier than usual after taking in just how far back I’d left Miguel’s man. He was about half a mile back, a safe following distance, and not close enough that he would see where I was going. Once out of his sight, thanks to the thick trees and blind corner, I took the fork in the road and sprinted down the path. It would take him a while to realize I hadn’t taken the same path. I guess Miguel would have to order them to follow closer next time.

  As I followed the path, which circled around a lake, I noticed someone else watching me. I had seen the silhouette earlier when I first left the building and chose to ignore it. That mistake could cost me. The figure was hidden behind the trees, and as I got closer it vanished. I didn’t slow down as I passed, but I didn’t see anyone.

  Where did you go?

  I glanced behind me when I heard someone call for their dog. The dog pulled its ears back and slowly returned to its owner. I looked around to see if I was still being tailed. I didn’t see anyone, but I knew they were out there. I scanned the park, focusing on the wooded areas as I reentered the thick foliage. The trees that lined the area provided the perfect cover for anyone who might be hiding.

  I saw a shadow dart between the trees, but it didn’t stick around long enough for me to get a good look. All I had noticed was a tall, slender person with their head down. I guessed it was a woman, but I couldn’t be sure without getting a closer look. I didn’t see much hair, though, so it was either cut short or in a ponytail. For all I knew, it could be a young guy Miguel had sent. Had he realized I could get away from his older men?

  I caught up to the figure, but when I got close, they seemed to have vanished again. I stopped running, glancing around. Whoever this person was, they had led me to a distant part of the running path, far from prying eyes.

  “Listen very carefully,” a female voice said from behind me. I felt something, a lot like the barrel of a gun, pressed against my side. “Don’t turn around. Don’t try to look at me. Just walk straight, and don’t stop until you see me again. Demon wants to pass some information to you.” At the mention of Demon, I relaxed slightly. I nodded to tell her I had heard her before I started walking into the trees. The pressure on my side disappeared, and she crept off into the woods out of my line of sight. At least she was a friend. If Demon had sent her, she must be a part of CIRA. I was curious why she wouldn’t let me see her face, but I knew I’d learn eventually.

  I made my way through the leaf clutter until I saw the figure leaning on a tree for support. She seemed to be waiting impatiently with her arms crossed, but it was hard to tell with the distance between us and the dark shadows covering her face. I could feel her eyes burning into me as I continued at my pace, and occasionally she glanced around to make sure no one else was there. When I had nearly reached her, she pushed off the tree and took a few steps back, staying hidden in the shadows and keeping her face shielded. I noticed the dark tint of her skin tone as she beckoned me closer. I glanced over my shoulder again. I didn’t see anyone else following me, and I hoped it stayed like that.

  I had seen this move before. Demon always sent someone to make contact with me before a meeting and they followed a similar pattern. This was the first time one of them had held me at gunpoint, though. Usually they just waited for me to notice them and then found a way to call me over. I took one final look over my shoulder as I approached her, but when I turned back I didn’t see her anymore. Like usual, Demon had told her to find and stop me, then disappear with enough time to figure out what they had dropped off for me. It was usually a note with instructions, or sometimes a box of supplies, with black hair dye and color contacts, to keep up my appearance. I guess she didn’t want to talk. I wou
ld love to talk to someone I didn’t have to lie to all the time.

  “It’s behind you,” the voice said from above me.

  I looked up, but all I could see were leaves and thick branches. “You’re pretty good at hiding,” I said as I turned around to see a folded note under the tree she’d been standing next to. I picked up the scrap of paper and glanced up into the trees to try to catch a glimpse of her, but she was expertly camouflaged. If she didn’t want me to see her, then I wouldn’t.

  I sighed before I quickly read the note. It didn’t bring good news like I’d hoped. All it said was that Demon wanted to meet tomorrow morning as soon as possible, in the wooded area around the lake. I was instructed to locate a natural dip in the landscape that would keep us concealed from anyone passing by. I was to ensure I wasn’t followed, and if I was, that I lost them before arriving. I didn’t like that a new person was coming into this.

  Meet tomorrow, deep woods, new agent coming in, come alone.

  Demon was never one for conversation. He liked to get to the point, and then move on to the next matter at hand. Notes were never in full sentences, and never addressed to anyone in case someone else found it. It was the safest way at this point, and the only way we could be sure to keep my cover.

  I dropped the note before continuing on my run. I changed my path slightly, hoping to lead whoever was following me away from the note, if they ever caught up to me. I didn’t need to worry about it, though. She would have retrieved the note. I just didn’t want to make her job harder on her by having a cartel member stumbling onto her. Although I couldn’t help but think that CIRA had made my job harder by bringing in another agent. My teeth clenched together in annoyance, and my hands balled into tight fists. I didn’t need another person. I could do this on my own, and they knew that. Something must have happened, they must have found something out that I wasn’t aware of. They needed another person to make their plan work, and that meant I would be done soon. Maybe it wasn’t all bad, but then again, I knew it wouldn’t be easy.

  Chapter 7

  I followed the letter’s instructions perfectly, losing my tail early on. It almost seemed too easy, and that had me on edge. Usually it took a while to lose the person on my trail, but this one disappeared before the end of the first mile. I guess Miguel hadn’t brought his best man to work today; it had to be a new recruit. There was no other way I could have lost them that easily, unless it had been purposeful.

  I stopped in my tracks as I started to entertain the thought that they’d let me lose them on purpose. “Shit,” I muttered under my breath. I fought between going back to ensure I’d truly lost them, or staying here for Demon. I didn’t want anyone to locate me, but I couldn’t risk blowing the whole thing if they were somehow able to track me down. How would they find me? They couldn’t monitor me by ankle bracelet, but I wouldn’t put it past Miguel to somehow microchip me. I’d seen stranger things happen.

  “Renegade,” a familiar voice called, breaking me from my thoughts.

  I turned and followed Demon’s voice. He made my choice for me. I would stay, praying I had actually lost whoever was assigned to follow me. If not, I knew Demon would be quick to handle any danger. He had already saved my skin twice, after someone had managed to figure out I wasn’t Marco when I first accepted the mission. Two men who knew Marco realized I wasn’t him and attempted to take me out. If it hadn’t been for Demon, I wouldn’t have made it this far. A third time wouldn’t mean anything. It would just be another dead cartel member added to my body count.

  “Demon,” I replied as he emerged from behind one of the trees. His weapon of choice, a sword, hung in a sheath on his back. He also kept a gun on him at all times, but he said the noise would attract attention so the first attempt was always made with a sword. I think he just liked carrying a sword around. His gun had a silencer, and with his aim he wouldn’t need to get close to the target. He liked to be face to face with an opponent, not picking them off in the distance unless he needed to. I preferred a gun, quick and efficient, but then again, a sword never ran out of bullets. “Nice to see you again. It’s been a while. Looks like you’ve changed some.”

  “A lot happens in about four months,” he said, glancing around cautiously.

  His long black hair caught some of the wind, allowing me to see the intense focus his eyes held as he scanned the area. When I last saw him, his hair had been shorter. There were dark circles under his eyes now, and he was noticeably less anxious. Something kept him up at night; I could tell.

  “Not followed?” he asked.

  “No, sir.”

  “I may have changed some, but you haven’t changed at all, Renegade.” Demon sighed. He hated when I called him sir, even though he was the leader of the team, but he had asked me on multiple different occasions to call him by his code name only. I never listened. “On to the matter at hand,” Demon said. “As you know, we are sending in another person to assist you in this mission—”

  “I don’t need another person.”

  He raised his eyebrow at me, seeming surprised I had interrupted him and that I didn’t agree with his plan. Despite the fact another person could help move the plan along, they could also cause more problems.

  “Whoever you send in isn’t ready for what they have to deal with. They don’t know what it’s like in the cartel. They don’t know how the members operate, what’s going on in the area, how to handle trades, or what I’ve learned in the last year. It will only lead to us getting caught because they won’t know what to expect.”

  “Are you done?” Demon asked, appearing bored. When I nodded, he took over the conversation, making sure to hit all my points to explain why I couldn’t fly solo anymore. “We already sent one person in. You saw her when you picked up the note to meet me here. She’s someone from the cartel previously, from Sandtown to be specific.” I wondered who could have been undercover in Sandtown, but couldn’t think of anyone. I did remember a few members going missing. It could be one of them, but at least she would know what to expect. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all. “She knows the ins and outs of how they run and she’s doing just fine at gathering what Sharp Shooter wants. She knew where everything would be hidden, and while she is new to the agency, she’s proving herself just fine.”

  Relief she knew how to work within the cartel washed over me. I wouldn’t have a dead agent added to my body count. Though, as I thought about it more, I let out a low growl of annoyance. Someone had come in to the cartel, joined the ranks, been around me, maybe even talked to me, and I didn’t notice they were new. There were a lot of new people here because of the Sandtown raid, too many to keep track of, but I should have known. How could I have let her slip through without notice? Was I too distracted with Camden dating my sister, or was she just that good at blending in? I doubted the latter. I needed to get Danielle out of Camden’s sights, because it had already begun to affect my work.

  “You also ran into her in the office. She was trying to gather intelligence. I do apologize for her interrupting you, but Camo is new, so there will be some mistakes.” Demon spoke as if he didn’t see the danger one mistake could lead to.

  “Is Camo who you’re sending in to help me?” I spat the name like an insult, because to me it was. They were telling me that I couldn’t finish this alone anymore, but they were giving me a rookie. I didn’t care if she’d been in the cartel previously, because if she didn’t have the training of an agent, how could I expect her to handle herself? I had no doubt she could handle herself within the cartel, but what if she got caught? Had she been trained to get out on her own, or would I need to step in and blow my cover?

  “No, I’m not sending Camo to help you directly. She has a different directive, but you’ve seen her work. She’s the one who dropped off the note for our meeting today. She’s skilled, a little naïve, but she’ll shape up with training. The one who’s coming to help you won’t be joining the cartel. She has a unique way of entering,” Demon explained. He
must have noticed my irritation. “I know you think you can do this alone, but we’ve collected enough information to end the cartel. There are just a few more things we need, including the names of their major partners overseas and what they trade. Then, we will be done. With Camo gathering the correct papers, it should be finished shortly.”

  “Then why are you sending in the other agent? You’ve already given one rookie a chance. If she gets the information Sharp Shooter wants, then we’re done. You don’t need to risk another agent’s life for this mission.”

  “Her mission is one of her specialties…wreaking havoc.” He let a smile spread across his features. The proud gleam in his eyes faded when he realized I wasn’t enjoying this as much as he was. “Trust me, you’ll want her help. She’s good at getting out of sticky situations. Just be careful. She has a rogue agent mentality sometimes.”

  “Rouge agent?” I repeated. “So, not only are you sending in another undercover agent, you’re sending in a girl to get close to Camden—which he’ll see right through, by the way—and to top it off she doesn’t even follow orders. I don’t care if you figured out his type and plan to have her date him. He will see through the charade. If he does, I have no idea how she’ll react. Do you really need to risk her life for this?” I didn’t want to deal with rookies, but I mostly couldn’t afford to have more agents die to bring down this cartel. I had seen what it did to Demon previously to lose agents, and from how he spoke about this girl, I knew she meant something to him.

  Demon shrugged. “Yeah, she’s new, but she had flying colors on her first mission, which was similar to what I’m having her do this time. While she was on house arrest afterward, because as I said, she has a solo agent mentality when it comes to certain things, she’s spent her time training and is prepared. We will be keeping a close eye on her to make sure she follows orders, and hopefully no one will die this time.” He paused for a moment, as if to collect himself, before he continued. When he did, I noticed a mischievous smile as he spoke. “And, don’t worry, she won’t be dating Camden. She wouldn’t have the patience for it, and then she would kill him before we could do anything about the cartel. She has a different idea, but it’s better if I tell you as little as possible.”