Behind the Mask

by Dana Ridenour

  Haley took control of the meeting. Without mentioning that it was Nick’s car, she explained that a tracker was found on a vehicle. The floodgate was opened for questions. Haley did her best to answer all the questions, but a couple of the people seemed to be in a panic.

  “Does this have anything to do with the UCLA fire?” Ryan asked.

  “Police randomly place tracking devices on activist vehicles, so it has nothing to do with that fire,” Haley said. “The cops follow us around all the time for no reason at all. Always be aware of your surroundings and check your car for trackers periodically.”

  “How do we know what to look for?” one of the girls in the back of the room asked.

  “I’m sure there has to be a photo on an animal rights website somewhere. I’ll find a photo for our next meeting.”

  The conversation kept shifting back to the UCLA fire. Haley avoided the topic, but everyone was curious.

  Lexie finally asked the question that they were all wondering. “Does anyone know how many animals died in the fire?”

  “It’s funny how the news footage never mentions the loss of nonhuman lives,” Ryan added.

  “That’s because the average person doesn’t know the atrocities that go on behind those walls,” Jeannette stated. “The general public doesn’t understand the hideous experiments that take place in the name of science.”

  Haley was finally able to steer the meeting away from the UCLA debacle. After the meeting, most of the people left the house. Phillip, Jeannette, Haley, Savannah, and Lexie had cake and coffee.

  “Let us know if Nick needs anything from us,” Phillip said. “We’ll be happy to help any way we can.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Alexis

  Lexie sat down and scribbled notes prior to calling Kate. She was seething when she speed dialed Kate.

  “Hello, Lexie. How are you?”

  “Who the fuck put a tracker on Nick’s car and why didn’t I fucking know about it?”

  “Whoa, calm down.”

  “I’m not going to calm down. Nick found a tracking device on his car today, and I’m asking you if you knew about it.”

  “No, Lexie. Of course not. Are you sure it was a tracker? Tell me what happened.”

  Lexie took a swig of wine to try to calm down. “Savannah and Haley showed up for dinner without Nick. They said he found a tracker on his car. He removed it, but was lying low in case the cops were watching him.”

  “Lexie, I promise I will get to the bottom of this. I don’t know if it was us or another agency, but I will absolutely find out who’s keeping track of him.”

  “Surely to God our people didn’t do this, Kate. That would be really jacked up if our own people did this without telling us.”

  “I agree. And I’ll find out first thing in the morning. Are you okay?”

  “No, I’m not okay, I’m pissed off to high heaven. I don’t like the idea of law enforcement doing shit like that and not telling us. I just got in tight with Nick and the rest of the group, and now a tracker shows up on Nick’s car. Kind of a big coincidence, don’t you think?”

  “I completely agree. Do you want me to come over tonight?”

  Lexie took another drink of wine. “No, I’m fine. I know that these activists are normally nonviolent, but given the lab incident, we should be careful.”

  “We’ll get this figured out. Did anyone at the meeting ask about Nick?”

  “Yes. Haley told Jeannette that it was Nick who found the tracker on his car, but at the meeting she told the group that a member of the activist community found a tracker on a vehicle. She didn’t disclose that it was Nick. In fact, I heard her tell a couple people that Nick had an out-of-town gig with his band.”

  “Lexie, that’s a good sign.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Haley told you and Jeannette information she withheld from the others. She’s starting to trust you.”

  “I guess I hadn’t thought of that. Haley does seem more comfortable with me these days.”

  “You get some sleep. I’ll find out about the tracker and call you as soon as I have some answers.”

  “Hey, Kate, I’m sorry I flew off the handle at you. I know it wasn’t your fault, and I’m sorry I took it out on you.”

  “No worries, girl. I intend to get to the bottom of this first thing in the morning. I hope it was the police department that did it and not the FBI.”

  “Knowing my agency, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a bureau fuck up,” Lexie said.

  “We’ll know for sure tomorrow.”

  * * * * *

  The next morning, Lexie went for a relaxing jog on the beach. She stopped at the Venice Beach Skateboard Park to watch the kids skate. She loved watching the youngest riders. She watched one little guy who looked about seven years old fly through the air and land with ease near where she was standing. He must have started skating shortly after he learned to walk, she thought.

  When Lexie got back to her apartment, she discovered she had missed a call from Kate. Oh boy, she thought, this can’t be good. She grabbed a sports drink and returned the call.

  “Hi, Lexie. How’s your morning so far?”

  “Good. I just got back from my run. What have you found out?”

  “Are you sitting down?”

  Lexie flopped down on the couch, propping her feet on the coffee table.

  “I am now. Go ahead.”

  “It was a bureau tracking device. The Intel group working Nick Harris decided it would be a grand idea to install a tracker on his vehicle but didn’t feel the need to share that information with the criminal side. These people are the biggest fuckups I’ve ever met.”

  Lexie took a deep breath. She was so angry that all she could do was laugh.

  “Lexie, are you okay?”

  “I absolutely can’t believe it. I convinced myself it had to be another police department watching Nick. The bureau couldn’t be that fucking idiotic. What did they say when you confronted them about it?”

  “That’s the really messed up part. They couldn’t understand why I was so upset. I tried to explain that their stupidity endangered the life of an undercover agent. I felt like I was talking to a wall.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I had a sit-down with Adam and Mike. They were both livid. Mike called up the supervisor on the Intel squad and had some serious words with him. Mike told him that from this point on, they were not to do anything relating to any of the extremist targets without notifying him first.”

  “Then what happened?”

  “As you can imagine, it didn’t go over well. It resulted in a shouting match, and both threatened to go to the SAC with the problem. I’ve never seen Mike that riled up about anything. Believe me, this issue is not over.”

  “So in other words, the right hand had no idea what the left hand was doing,” Lexie said.

  “Oh, the right hand knew, but it was too stupid to care.”

  “Speaking of riled up, you seem pretty irate.”

  “I am! Lexie, I’m responsible for your safety. The fact that those idiots were out running willy-nilly without any consideration for the safety of an undercover agent in the field makes me furious. I’m not sure how things will shake out, but I know Mike has an appointment with the SAC about the matter.”

  “I can’t believe our own people were running operations on our targets without informing us.”

  “I’m still reeling from it myself,” Kate said. “What are you up to today?”

  “I’m going to write up my FD-302 from last night.”

  “Is it okay if I swing by and pick up the body recorder and the hard drive from the apartment system? I also need to grab some of the dishes from last night to send to the lab. I’ll be quick.”

  “Of course.”

&n
bsp; CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Savannah

  Savannah hit the speed dial number for Lexie. She heard Lexie’s voice on the other end.

  “Hi, Lexie. You ready?”

  “Sure am. Are you close?”

  “Right around the corner. Should be out front in about two minutes.”

  “Cool. I’ll be right out.”

  Savannah pulled up in front of the apartment building. She and Lexie were spending the day hiking. Lexie tossed her CamelBak in the back seat and jumped in the front.

  “Thanks for driving,” Lexie said.

  “No problem. We might as well take advantage of the hybrid.”

  “How come Haley didn’t come?”

  “She’s behind in her school work, so she’s spending the day studying.”

  It was a Saturday morning, and traffic was light for LA. They took the 405 freeway to the I-101 and drove toward Calabasas.

  “Would you ever consider living this far out of the city?” Lexie asked.

  “I haven’t spent much time out here, but it sure is pretty. What’re you doing after you graduate? Do you plan to stay in LA?”

  “That depends on whether or not I get a job and can afford to stay,” Lexie said. “I love California, and I don’t have anyone waiting for me in Alabama. What about you?”

  “I pretty much have to stay in this area if I want to work in the entertainment industry. I’m not sure what will happen with Nick and me, but either way, I plan to stay in LA after I graduate.”

  “Have you and Nick talked about it?”

  “Nick doesn’t make plans past lunch, much less for our future together. Besides, he hasn’t been around since he found the tracker.”

  “Jesus, Savannah. I didn’t realize he was still gone. Are you okay?”

  “Not really, but I don’t have a say in anything Nick does.”

  “Where’s Nick staying?” Lexie asked.

  “I have no idea. I’ve only heard from him one time in almost a month. I don’t know when or if he plans to return to LA. He just took off and left me behind.”

  “That really sucks. I know how much you care about him. I’m really sorry.”

  “I’m sure he loves me, but he has a funny way of showing it. Or should I say, not showing it.”

  “Why did he think he had to leave town in the first place?” Lexie asked.

  Savannah glanced over at Lexie before answering. “I don’t know. I guess he thought he was protecting us, since the police were looking at him.”

  “I’m not judging, but that seems a bit extreme, unless there was some other reason he needed to leave town. I know the police watch all of us from time to time, so why take off?”

  Savannah shrugged. “I wish I knew.”

  “Do you think he may have been involved in something serious and didn’t want to tell you? Maybe he’s trying to protect you from something bad.”

  “Like what?” Savannah asked.

  “What if he did something before he started dating you and it’s just now catching up with him?”

  “Nick would’ve told me if that was the case.”

  “Would he? You said he hasn’t told you much about his past.”

  “That’s true. But he knows I’d never tell.”

  “I’m sure you’re right.”

  Savannah took the exit, which led to the hiking area. She drove a few miles to the trailhead and parked the Prius. “We’re here. Let’s see if we can do this without getting lost.”

  Lexie laughed as she rolled out of the car and grabbed her CamelBak from the backseat.

  A light breeze kept the girls cool as they hiked. Admiring the view from the top of a majestic ridge, Savannah asked Lexie, “Have you ever been to an Animal Rights Conference?”

  “I’ve been to one. What about you?”

  “I haven’t been to one yet, but I would like to go. How was the one that you attended?”

  “It was okay. Mostly stuff I already knew, but it was fun to socialize and meet people. I would definitely recommend going if you’ve never been to one.”

  Savannah was nervous about asking the next question, but she did. “Would you consider going overseas to train?”

  Lexie turned and looked at her. “What do you mean, to train? Like a conference, or more like a training camp?”

  Savannah swallowed hard before answering. “Haley told me about the International Animal Rights Conference that’s held every year in Europe. It’s called The Gathering, and people from all over the world attend to learn tactics to battle animal abusers. Would you consider going?”

  Lexie sat down on a rock and Savannah sat down beside her.

  “I’d go if I had someone to go with. I wouldn’t want to go by myself. Why? Are you planning to go?”

  “I’m thinking about going. Haley and Nick are going. They go whenever they have the money. Nick won’t go to the Animal Rights conferences in the United States, because he says they’re only a bunch of welfarists who sit on their asses and wish away animal abuse. He says most of the US activists like to get together to argue with one another over who’s the more righteous, but none of them have ever done the first thing to actually save an animal.”

  Lexie shifted around so she could see Savannah better. “If you guys go, I’d like to go with you.”

  “Oh, thank God. I was afraid you were going to think I was too radical.”

  “Savannah, I would never think you’re too radical. I want to save animals as much as you do. I’m just not sure how to do the most damage to the animal abusers, and everyone is afraid to talk about direct action. It’s hard to find people who feel the same way about direct action.”

  Savannah relaxed a little. “I’m glad that you feel that way. I definitely think you should come with us to The Gathering.”

  “Where is it and when?” Lexie asked.

  “The next one will be held in the Netherlands in July. I’ll let you know when I get more details. It’s not like in the United States where everyone stays in a nice hotel. Haley said we’d sleep in tents in an anarchist camp. Does that bother you?”

  “Naw, I love camping. We used to camp when I was a kid. Sleeping in a tent doesn’t bother me one bit.”

  “I wish I could say the same,” Savannah said. “We never camped when I was a kid. My mom’s idea of roughing it was not having a spa on-site.”

  Lexie laughed. “Count me in. I’d love to go. It sounds like an adventure.”

  “We will; that is, if I ever hear from Nick again. All this planning might be moot if he’s gone for good.”

  “Oh Savannah, don’t worry. He’ll be back.”

  “I don’t know. The longer he’s gone, the more I wonder if he’ll ever come back. Haley tells me not to worry. She said he does this all the time.”

  “And you don’t have any communication with him at all?”

  “Nope. Just one encrypted e-mail.”

  “That sucks.”

  “It sure does.”

  “If Nick doesn’t come back, will you and Haley still go to the Netherlands?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  “Well, if you do, I’ll go with you.”

  “Cool! Let’s plan on it.”

  They got up and resumed their hike.

  At one point in the hike, they stopped to admire another particularly beautiful vista.

  “Do you miss South Carolina?” Lexie asked.

  “Sure. Don’t you miss Alabama?”

  “I guess. Sometimes. What do you miss most?”

  Savannah thought for a moment. “My family and the beach,” she responded. “There’s a stretch of beach on Pawley’s Island where a person can walk out and stand with the ocean on one side of you and the salt marsh on the other. It’s where I went when I needed to clear my head. I think it’s the most
beautiful place in the world.”

  “Sounds nice. I’d like to see it someday.”

  “You can come home with me sometime, and I’ll take you to see it.”

  “That would be nice. I’d like that.”

  “Do you ever think about moving back home?”

  Lexie tilted her head for a moment before saying, “Can you ever really go home?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Once you leave home, can you ever go back again . . . and truly belong? I’m a much different person now than I was when I lived in Alabama. I’ve seen so much and changed so much. I’m not sure I would fit in anymore. Do you know what I mean?”

  “I think I do,” Savannah answered.

  They stared at the California horizon in silence, both deep in thought.

  “Let’s finish this hike. I’m hungry,” Lexie said.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Alexis

  Lexie’s phone rang early the next morning. She fumbled around and grabbed it from her nightstand. “Hello,” she grumbled into the phone.

  “Morning, sunshine,” she heard Adam say.

  “Ugh, why are you so chipper?”

  “Well, I’ve been at work for over an hour. Some of us have to work for a living,” Adam joked.

  “Some of us need our beauty sleep to keep up with much younger targets,” Lexie quipped.

  “Are you available to meet with Kate and me today?”

  “Yeah, sure. Where and when?”

  “Let’s meet for lunch. I want to get you away from that area so we can talk. Drive up the coast, and we’ll meet you at Gladstone’s in Malibu.”

  “That works for me. You buying?”

  “Don’t I always?”

  Lexie laughed. “No.”

  “Well, I probably won’t this time either.”

  Jimmy Buffet blasted from Lexie’s car stereo as she drove up the Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu. Her windows were down; she breathed in the fresh ocean air. Arriving before Adam and Kate, Lexie requested an outside table. Eyes closed with the sun warming her face, she heard the sound of a familiar voice.