Next Exit, Use Caution

by CW Browning

  Angela shook her head and stood up, carrying her empty soda can into the kitchen to throw it away.

  “All she said was she wouldn’t be long. I hope she’s not because I’m starving.”

  Michael opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water.

  “I won’t lie. I’ve been so busy I didn’t even realize I’m hungry.”

  Angela looked at him.

  “You’ve been working non-stop with your headphones on all day. I’m not surprised.”

  “You’re one to talk. You’ve been on the phone all day.”

  Angela grinned.

  “True,” she admitted. “I’ve had back-to-back conference calls, and people keep calling to check on me. They all heard about the shooting.”

  “Have you heard from Joanne?” he asked, opening the bottle and taking a long sip. “How is she?”

  “She called me last night.” Angela leaned on the counter and shook her head. “She was beside herself. By the time they were all allowed to leave, she and Bill simply couldn’t handle the burial. The funeral home held John overnight and they buried him today, just family. She wanted me to go.”

  “What was your excuse?”

  “That I was all stitched up and in a lot of pain,” Angela said with a shrug. “I didn’t lie, but I didn’t know what to tell her. I mean, I wasn’t about to tell her someone broke into my house and is still after me.”

  “Fair enough.” Michael turned to move out of the kitchen. “Does Stephanie know about the burial?”

  “I assume so.” Angela followed him. “Joanne said she and Bill stopped by the hospital last night to see her. I’m sure she told her then.”

  “What a nightmare,” Michael said, shaking his head. “It’s bad enough they had to bury their son, but then to have his funeral turn into a complete circus. I can’t begin to imagine how they feel.”

  Before Angela could reply, Michael’s phone began ringing and he pulled it out from his jeans pocket. He glanced at the screen and looked at her.

  “It’s my boss. Sorry.”

  Angela waved her hand and went back to her laptop.

  “No worries.”

  Michael hit accept and turned to go toward the sliding door outside.

  “Hi Chris.” He opened the door and stepped onto the deck. “What’s up?”

  “Just checking in,” said Chris Harbour. “I got your email about the shooting at the funeral. When I approved you going up there for a few days, I didn’t think I’d have to worry about your safety.”

  Michael chuckled.

  “You and me both. It’s been a crazy couple of days. Thank you for understanding and letting me come. I’m glad I’m here.”

  Chris cleared his throat.

  “About that,” he began, and Michael repressed a sigh.

  “What happened?” he asked, resigned.

  “Nothing,” Chris hastened to assure him. “At least, nothing as dramatic as what you’ve been dealing with up there. I have to ask you to come back tomorrow for a few hours. You can go right back, but some there’s something I need to review with you in person.”

  Michael frowned. Chris was aware Michael’s phone wasn’t secure, and that someone was listening to all his calls. The fact that he was being intentionally vague was warning enough that he’d come across something important.

  “I can catch the train from 30th Street Station in Philly,” he said slowly. “I’ll have to check times, but I can probably get there by eight. What time do you need me?”

  “Eight is fine. I’ll meet you at the station.”

  Michael glanced at his watch.

  “I’ll book the ticket now and email you the confirmation.”

  “I’m sorry to ask you to come back last minute. I know it’s a lot.”

  “Don’t worry about it. It will give me a chance to grab some fresh clothes from the house.”

  “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Michael disconnected and stared at the lengthening shadows in the yard. Chris knew he was investigating Trasker. He’d given him full reign to concentrate on finding out how they got involved in the attempted biological attack. If he was calling him back to DC, it could only mean Chris found something involving Trasker. Michael frowned and turned back to the house.

  He just hoped all hell didn’t break loose while he was gone.

  Viper looked up as the door to the deck slid open and Hawk stepped outside, a bottle of beer in his hand. Raven stirred on the banister beside her, watching through black eyes as Damon walked over to the chair next to her. Once he was seated, Raven turned his attention back to the deep shadows in the trees. Alina smiled faintly. Her two hawks were getting used to each other.

  “Why are you out here alone?” Damon asked, glancing at her. “There’s still plenty of food left in there.”

  “I’ve had enough.”

  “You barely ate anything,” he said, sipping his beer. “That was an absurd amount of food.”

  Alina smiled.

  “Tarantella’s is good for that. They’re a family-style mom and pop place. Best Italian around here.”

  “It was really good,” he admitted, “and Angela is talking again, so you were right.”

  “Chicken Parm is the quickest way to Angie’s heart,” she said with a laugh. “And the wine didn’t hurt.”

  “You still haven’t said why you’re sitting out here all alone.”

  Alina glanced at him and reached down to pick up her wine glass from beside her chair.

  “It was getting too loud in there. I needed some quiet.”

  Damon looked out over the dark lawn in silence for a moment.

  “What do you know about Senator Carmichael?” he asked finally. “You were surprised he was the money behind Dominic.”

  “I don’t know any more than what I looked up this afternoon. Democrat from California. He’s been in office for eight years, and is one of the bigger opponents of immigration reform. If he has his way, the border will never be secured. He wants higher taxes on oil, and he’s pushing for absurdly strict gun reform. All in all, just about what I’d expect from a Californian.”

  “But not the name you expected to hear in connection with Dominic DiBarcoli and Trasker.”

  She looked at him.

  “No.”

  Damon nodded.

  “Another red herring?”

  “Or another pawn.”

  They fell silent again for a moment.

  “This is getting more and more tangled with every thread we pull,” he muttered. “Now we have a link between Dominic, Carmichael, and Trasker, but to what end? What does any of this have to do with our leak?”

  “I don’t know, but they’re connected. I’m sure of it.”

  “Has Michael made any progress on that other project?”

  “Not that he’s said. In his defense, he’s been a little distracted the past few days.”

  Damon ran a hand through his hair and leaned his head back.

  “I still don’t like him working on it. It’s too risky.”

  Alina glanced at him.

  “Risky for him or me?”

  “Both, but mainly you. Don’t take this the wrong way, but the gunny’s safety is not my primary concern right now.”

  Alina smiled faintly and sipped her wine.

  They fell silent again, each sipping their drink, lost in their own thoughts.

  “Have you made any progress on Charlie’s firewall yet?” Damon asked.

  She shook her head.

  “I’m working on it. It’s tricky.”

  “You knew it would be. I hope it’s worth the effort.”

  Alina shrugged.

  “We’ll find out.”

  “Why bring in another professional?” Hawk wondered, staring into the night. “Especially one of our own?”

  “John was investigating what happened twelve years ago. It’s possible Kyle was involved in that situation.”

  He looked at her sharply.

  “
He was active then?”

  Alina nodded.

  “Just barely,” she replied. “He was deployed the same year Dave was killed, but according to his file, he arrived a couple months later.”

  Hawk pressed his lips together and fell silent. Viper glanced at him. He didn’t need to voice what he was thinking. She had already thought the same thing. Records and dates could be altered.

  “Tell me about Asad,” he said suddenly.

  Alina raised an eyebrow.

  “What about him? You already know everything you need to know.”

  “Not everything,” he said softly, looking at her.

  Alina felt her cheeks flush and was grateful for the shadows. She didn’t pretend not to know what he meant. There was no point. He knew she hadn’t told him the full story.

  “Asad is dead,” she said, her face emotionless. “That’s all you need to know.”

  “Something made you furious,” Hawk said calmly. “He said something. Got under your skin.”

  She studied him in the darkness for a long moment, debating what to tell him. Hawk was notorious for having ice water in his veins, but Viper wasn’t convinced he would be quite so impartial if he knew just how much Asad had known about her.

  “He was surprisingly chatty in the end,” she said finally, sipping her wine. “I had to encourage him, but once he got started, he took pleasure in showing off what he knew.”

  Hawk looked at her sharply.

  “What did he know?”

  “Quite a bit. He knew where I lived in France, for one thing.”

  He scowled.

  “How the hell did he know that? I didn’t even know until you told me!”

  Alina looked at him and sighed.

  “It gets worse. He knew things no one else knows.”

  Hawk stared at her apprehensively.

  “Like what?”

  “He knew about an incident that happened with my brother when we were kids, something no one outside the family knows,” she said.

  Damon was silent for a long moment.

  “Obviously, someone knows,” he said at last.

  “Oh, he was being coached,” Viper said matter-of-factly. “I suspected it as he talked, but when he let that one out, I was positive. I pulled the ear bud out of his ear after I slit his throat.”

  “Well, that’s just fantastic. He was being coached in real time by the same person who wants your head on a platter and you never saw fit to tell me?!”

  She shrugged.

  “What difference would it make?” she asked practically. “There’s nothing you can do. I sent them a message. They know I’m coming for them.”

  Hawk shook his head and finished his beer.

  “Head games,” he muttered. “That’s all that was.”

  “Yes.”

  “How did they know you would find Asad?”

  “Honestly? I think when their whole plan went pear-shaped, they wanted me to get to Asad. They used me to tie off their loose end.”

  Hawk nodded slowly.

  “Of course,” he breathed. “They didn’t have to worry about him because you’d take care of it. But what about Kasim?”

  Viper grimaced.

  “Well, that’s where I’m stumped,” she admitted. “Why let him go? And why come after me before I’ve hunted him down? Why not let me eliminate him as well before trying to blow my head off?”

  “I asked you in Singapore if you thought Kasim could be planning another attack and you said no,” he said, looking at her. “Are you sure about that?”

  Their eyes met in the shadows.

  “No.”

  He nodded.

  “That’s what I thought,” he murmured. “That could be why they let Kasim go.”

  “And that’s why I need to find him.”

  “You’ve got nothing yet?”

  “No. I’m monitoring everything but so far, nothing.”

  Hawk was silent for a moment.

  “What about that racer Tito?” he asked. “What’s the story with him?”

  Alina finished her wine and set the glass down.

  “He was on his way to meet Asad,” she said slowly. “I forced him off the road. I heard the explosion a few minutes later. That wasn’t me.”

  Hawk looked at her.

  “What do you mean it wasn’t you?” he asked, startled.

  Alina shrugged.

  “I shot his front tire and he hit a tree head-on,” she told him. “The worst I did was force him into a potentially fatal collision. When I searched Asad’s farmhouse later, I found the detonator. He also had a computer with tracking software installed on it.”

  “So, Asad blew Tito’s car when it was within range,” Hawk murmured. “He was tying up loose ends.”

  “Exactly.”

  “I’ll tell you this much, I can’t wait to find the son-of-a-bitch who organized all of this. Not that I’m opposed to Tito’s untimely demise, or Dominic’s, or Asad’s, but I want to know who allowed all this to happen on our side of the line.”

  “You and me both,” Viper muttered. “Have you had any luck with Jordan Murphy?”

  “I have, but it doesn’t help us much,” he said, dropping the subject of Asad and Tito. “He’s definitely dead, and he was dead long before those utility bills were paid in Madrid.”

  “I already knew that.”

  He shot her an amused look.

  “Do you want to hear this or not?” he asked.

  Alina grinned.

  “Are you going to tell me something I don’t already know?”

  “Keep it up and I won’t tell you anything.”

  Alina chuckled.

  “Go on. Amaze me.”

  “He was back for almost a year when he was killed in a car accident. The police on the scene decided it was a straight-forward drunk driving crash. Jordan’s blood alcohol level was .117.”

  “That’s pretty drunk. So what’s the catch? I can feel one coming.”

  Damon nodded.

  “According to his sister, Jordan never drank,” he told her. “In fact, he was so anti-drinking that he drank Sprite for the champagne toast at her wedding.”

  Viper raised her eyebrows.

  “Well, isn’t that interesting. How did a teetotaler end up drunk as a skunk?”

  “If we believe his sister, he didn’t. She insisted her brother was killed but no one listened.”

  Alina glanced at him.

  “Where is she now?” she asked softly.

  Damon met her look steadily.

  “She died unexpectedly two months ago. She went in for surgery on her thyroid. While she was in the hospital, she had a sudden heart attack.”

  Viper stared at him, a chill streaking down her spine.

  “What?”

  He nodded grimly.

  “And guess who she had a long phone conversation with a few days before her surgery?”

  She looked at him silently, waiting to hear what she had already guessed.

  “Special Agent John Smithe.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  “Damn.”

  Alina exhaled silently, staring through the darkness. Even though she had known it was coming, hearing her suspicion confirmed was still jarring.

  “Whatever got your brother killed, also made Jordan a target,” said Damon.

  “And his sister, and John,” Alina added.

  “Someone’s going through a lot of trouble to make sure the past stays there. It doesn’t really help us much, except to confirm everything is linked together.”

  “I’ve got a contact of mine seeing what she can find out about Madrid,” said Viper after a long moment. “That might shed some light on something. Now we know it definitely wasn’t Jordan in Spain, but she can confirm who was using his name. It’s a start.”

  Hawk glanced at her.

  “I hope she’s more discreet than John. Everyone who asks questions about Jordan Murphy ends up dead.”

  “She hasn’t failed me yet.”
>
  “Viper, please be careful. This bastard knows a lot about you. It’s not safe to use known contacts.”

  Alina was silent for a long moment, staring out over the lawn.

  “She’s not a known contact,” she said at last. “I’ve worked hard to ensure no link exists between the two of us. It would be fatal for both of us.”

  He glanced at her.

  “How so?”

  Viper turned to look at him.

  “Let’s just say her reputation is such that everyone in the Middle East has a price on her head, for one reason or another. I have nothing but utter respect for the network she’s managed to build.”

  Hawk studied her for a moment.

  “Another agency?” he finally asked.

  Viper smiled faintly and didn’t answer. He sighed.

  “At least that’s one person we don’t have to worry about. You understand my concern?”

  “I do,” she said quietly.

  “Viper, how does someone know so much about you?” he asked, his voice low. “You said Asad knew about something that happened with your brother when you were kids. How the hell did someone find out about it?”

  “If I knew, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. It would all be over.”

  Damon shook his head.

  “I’ve said this a few times and I’ll keep saying it. You can’t trust anyone, especially those closest to you.”

  Alina glanced at him and he held his hand up to forestall any comment she might make.

  “Listen to me. Asad knew about the house in France. Fine. The leak in our Organization could be responsible for that. But something involving your life when you were a kid? No one knows those things. No one except the people who were there. Whether you want to admit it or not, there are only a couple of people who know personal things about you and your brother. The only way someone could pass that information on to Asad is if they heard it from someone who was there.”

  Alina knew he was right. She’d known ever since that afternoon when Asad uttered the words that convinced her he was being coached. She could count on one hand the number of people who knew about that incident with Dave.

  “I’m keeping an eye on all of them. There’s only so much I can do while we unravel all this.”

  Damon sighed.

  “I know. We just need to be vigilant.”