Operation: Fallen Angel (Shepherd Security Book 4)

by Margaret Kay

  “As you all know, Rick Walters and his wife Janey, the owners, will be the only people who will know who we are, besides our liaison at the Department of Defense,” Cooper said. “Rick is the president and Janey is the head of HR. It’s a privately-owned company, structured as a partnership with the two of them, so there is no board of directors or anyone else to have to deal with.”

  “On the flight out, make sure you familiarize yourself with the newest information we just received from the client and from what Ops has dug up on the original audit team and on the organization’s competitors. It’s been pushed through to your tablets. You’ve all had enough time to read the packet on the facility, the inhouse suspects, and your covers, so we won’t go over that,” Shepherd added. Then his eyes fixed on Doc. “Your role will be key, Doc. None of their employee screening records are online. They are all in paper files only, so Ops couldn’t look at any of them. You need to audit one hundred percent of the files and meet as many employees as you can to verify.”

  Doc nodded. “I’ll work closely with Jackson and cross-reference them against the HR records as well.”

  Shepherd nodded. It was good to have Doc back focused.

  “Shepherd, what has the original DoD Audit Team been told?” Jackson asked.

  “Just that they were pulled off this audit for several higher priority DoD Audits and this one was outsourced as it was classified as low priority due to their clean audit history. Their schedules have been booked out for the next six months.”

  “The Department of Defense takes audit interference very seriously. Blackmailing a DoD supplier with threats of making them fail a crucial audit could put inferior equipment in the hands of our soldiers. And if the Tango actually has the ability to tamper with the audit results, not only is that serious, but it will disqualify Walters Tactical Equipment from retaining its current DoD contracts, which will put them out of business,” Cooper added.

  “Our clients, the Walters’, took an enormous risk by contacting us and refusing to pay the blackmail per our instructions. Let’s figure this one out folks. Miller passed her DoD audit paperwork, so this audit will be official. Good work, Miller. In addition to that, she and Garcia did a lot over the last month to get this one ready. Smith and Trio will stay on it from here while you’re on site,” Shepherd said.

  Garcia nodded. Good. Caleb Smith had good digital recon skills. He was most valuable in that capacity. He’d been pulled into the role of an Ops analyst, but behind the scenes was more his forte. He’d helped with a good deal of the info on competitors that they had dug up as well as helped test the Walters Tactical Equipment firewall for a way in. They hadn’t found one. Their security appeared adequate, but Garcia and his team would continue to test that.

  “So, Delta will remain at HQ the entire time we are out?” Madison asked.

  Shepherd nodded. “With three of you who man Ops out, I need Mother and Lambchop to pull shifts. Plus, Delta’s been in the field nearly nonstop since last July, except over the holidays. They’re due to receive training updates and they need to hit the range and requalify with weapons.”

  “Their next mission is pending, so the quicker we can wrap this up, the better,” Cooper added. “We booked two weeks for this, because that is the on-site timeframe of a normal audit.”

  “When you finish it, provided they pass and you haven’t identified a suspect, it will get submitted up through the normal channels and we’ll see if it changes before it reaches audit oversight.”

  Doc saw the frown on Shepherd’s lips as he spoke. The man would be very disappointed if the blackmailer was part of the DoD audit chain. But at least they’d know.

  “Okay, that’s it. Go get them,” Shepherd said. “Requisition Ryan has packed you the ammo for sidearms and ARs only.”

  Alpha Team stood and filed out of the room. After gathering their gear from the Team Room, they went out to the garage and the awaiting SUVs. They loaded the back ends with their gear and fifteen minutes later the two vehicles were driving towards the rising sun and their hangar at the Chicago Executive Airport.

  Cooper glanced sideways at Doc. “You aren’t really going to let Elizabeth take a city bus, are you?”

  Doc smirked. His eyes flickered over his shoulder to Madison, who sat in the backseat behind Cooper. “Madison, I know you don’t know her well, but what do you think Elizabeth’s reaction would be if I tell her what she can and cannot do?”

  Madison laughed out loud. “Yeah, Coop, that would not go over well.”

  “Our relationship is complicated,” Doc said after a few quiet seconds. “Not only is she using these two weeks we are gone to train at the office, she’s applying to a nursing school for the fall semester, registering at the local community college for a couple of classes she needs before she can start her bachelor’s program, and she’s studying the rules of the road. When I get back, I hope she can pass the test for her temporary driver’s license. I’ll then teach her to drive.”

  “That’s ambitious, but it doesn’t explain the city bus thing,” Cooper remarked.

  “She’s been resistant to some of my suggestions. I’ve gone through Angel and Sienna to nudge her. She’s got this enormous chip on her shoulder about spending my money and fending for herself. She’s always taken public transportation, doesn’t see anything wrong with it. I can’t very well diss it or issue orders that she can’t use it, so I’ve figured out a way to operate around her very stubborn personality.”

  Now, the corner of Cooper’s lips twisted into a smirk. “So, Sienna’s invitation to stay with her?”

  “Yes, it was something I spoke with Garcia about prior to pizza night. What, do you think I’m crazy? That I’d leave her at my place for two weeks alone? And have her take public transportation everywhere she needed to go.” Doc shook his head. “No way in hell was that going to happen.”

  Cooper laughed. It was good to have the old Doc back. More than that, with Doc in a relationship, the same as the rest of them, it brought a greater level of connection back to the team. He’d noticed that Friday night. He knew Doc had felt like the third wheel whenever they were all together, the only one without a woman. He hoped this would solve all the issues that had Doc out of sorts since the mission to Africa.

  The team arrived on site at the large structure that housed the Walters Tactical Equipment Company later that afternoon, identifying themselves as the DoD Audit Team that was expected. The receptionist brought them to the main conference room, where they waited for Rick and Janey Walters.

  They came through the door together, an unlikely couple. Rick, a tough ex-Marine, still rough around the edges. He was clothed in worn blue jeans and a waffle-weave Henley beneath a flannel shirt, both rolled up to reveal thick forearms covered in tattoos. Janey, an aging former beauty queen was decked out to the nines in a deep purple suit with a black silk blouse beneath. Her blond hair was worn long and loose, her makeup applied professionally.

  After introductions all around, they got down to business. “You have access to anything you want,” Rick said. “Just get this bastard who’s threatened to put us out of business.”

  Janey laid her perfectly manicured hand to her husband’s forearm. “Rick, we don’t know it is any of our employees. I still believe a competitor is a more likely suspect.” Her voice was laced with a southern accent.

  “Well, whoever it is, we’ll do our best to find them. Those in the DoD audit stream are even suspect at this point,” Cooper said.

  “This conference room has been blocked out for your team’s use for the next two weeks, which is what we would normally do for the regular auditors. We’ve had the same team here the last four years, have even had them out to the house for dinner. I have a really hard time believing it could be any of them,” Janey said. “One of them, even reached out to us when they were reassigned and offered his help if we needed it with the new audit team.”

  Cooper and Madison exchanged glances. He took the information on which memb
er had contacted them. He’d have HQ run that person to ground. “We’ll see what we turn up and will keep you informed.”

  The team got to work. Each person was strategically deployed to different areas of the company to gather records to audit. Doc was sent to audit the medical division and its ongoing drug screening program. Madison, in her short, tight, skirt was sent to the QC area of the manufacturing floor on purpose to interface with the completely male team. Garcia of course would conduct the IT Audit. Cooper went to the accounts payable/accounts receivable area to conduct a thorough financial audit. And Jackson went with Janey to HR to pull all HR and hiring records.

  Later that evening, after the team returned to the hotel where they were staying, Doc called Elizabeth. It was late in Chicago and he hoped he wouldn’t wake her.

  “Hi, I was hoping you’d call,” her cheerful voice answered.

  “Hi, yourself. I’m glad I didn’t wake you.”

  “No, I just came up to my room. Sienna wasn’t kidding when she said how much homework she has every night. After we had dinner with Angel and visited with her for a while, we graded papers for over two hours!”

  Doc chuckled. And he had been worried about Elizabeth? She sounded happy and was kept busy. “So, you had a good day then?”

  Elizabeth went on to tell Doc about her day in detail. He laid on the bed listening to her with a smile on his face the entire time. He was impressed how much of her to-do list she had gotten done while Sienna was at school all day. She recounted how she had conversations with both Angel and Sienna through text-messages all day. She loved Sienna’s dog and felt very comfortable at Sienna and Garcia’s house.

  Doc recounted his day without giving any details or using any names. “I hope this can be wrapped up sooner than two weeks, but it doesn’t look promising.”

  “It’s okay. I understand. This is your job, Alexander. I know you will be away a lot. I can be okay with this.”

  Doc chuckled. “I know you can. And this one isn’t dangerous. I don’t want you to worry about me.” He knew the potential for danger was always there and the team would be on guard, but he wasn’t in a war zone, there were no enemy hostiles identified, and no one was shooting at them.

  “That’s what Angel said. She promised me that you guys all look out for each other and that you all have had the best training. She really has faith in the team.”

  “She’s not wrong,” Doc said. “Before I go, I wanted to wish you luck tomorrow. You’ll be working at the office tomorrow, won’t you?”

  “Yes. I’m very excited. And then after work, Angel is going to bring me to the community college. I have to be there in person to sign some things and buy my books. I did decide to take both classes online. I don’t like the idea of committing to be there during set times. Angel helped convince me that when you are home, I’ll want to be with you rather than sitting in class.”

  Doc’s lips pulled into a smile. “I like that. I’ll be gone for work a lot Elizabeth but when I’m home, I will want to spend the time with you.”

  “I was really disappointed when you told me you would be going out of town for work right away when I first got here, but I’m okay with this. The fact that you can call me while you’re gone, makes it okay.”

  “I will try to every day. Hey, before I go, let’s play a card,” Doc said. “One from my deck.” He had the off-limits questions. She had the get-to-know-you deck.

  “Okay,” she agreed excitedly. She sat up and crossed her legs beneath herself on the bed.

  Doc had read through them all and strategically selected this one. He didn’t need to read it from the card. He had it memorized. “Fast forward one year from today. We’re having this conversation under these same circumstances. Tell me what you envision our lives to look like different from today.”

  Elizabeth giggled. “Well, our baby would be six months old. You’re away on a mission, and he or she is sleeping in their crib in their own room. We live on the same block as Angel and Sienna. I’m home at our place, but we had dinner over at Angel’s because the team is away.”

  Doc waited. When she said no more, he took his turn. “I’ve been looking at pictures on my phone of you and our baby all day, missing you. You are the perfect wife for my job, and you are an amazing mother to our child. I never worry about you when I’m gone because I know you can handle anything that comes your way.”

  Elizabeth smiled wide into her phone. “I like the confidence you have in me. I like what our future looks like, Alexander.” She felt her emotions trying to take over. She’d never been an emotional mess like she had become since getting pregnant, stupid hormones!

  “Me too,” he said.

  She swallowed her emotions. The phone line had been quiet for long enough that it felt awkward. “I should go. I have to get up early for work tomorrow.”

  “Sleep well,” he said. “And have a good day.”

  “Good night,” she replied.

  She stared at her phone long after she’d disconnected. It was senseless, but she already missed him. She’d only slept beside him the last five nights, but the thought of laying in this bed alone felt wrong. A small smile came to her lips as she remembered it wasn’t just lying in bed with him. It was making love, as they had every night and every morning since she’d been there. It was snuggling with him and the incredible sensation of safety that surrounded her as surely as his arms did.

  Alpha Team’s first four days on site were routine. They were settling in, pulling records, meeting the employees. Late in the afternoon that fourth day, they settled around the conference room table. Cooper sighed in disgust and threw the file he was reviewing over to Madison. “I need you to double check my calculations. Unless my math is way off, I have no idea how Rick and Janey are making payroll. Their bids on these contracts were so low, I don’t see how they are turning a profit.”

  The others all gazed at him in surprise.

  “They pay their people above average wages. Janey says it’s to retain good help and reduce turnover, and it must be working, they haven’t lost a single employee to anything but retirement in two years,” Jackson said.

  “They’ve increased staff, doubling it every two years since getting the government contracts,” Doc added. “First, they added a second manufacturing and QA shift, and last year they added a third shift.”

  “Janey’s talking about a swing shift to be added next year in the shipping and receiving department,” Jackson informed them.

  “The numbers aren’t adding up,” Cooper said with a headshake. “Something is very wrong, and I would think it would have been obvious last year when the auditors were here too.”

  Madison dug into the financial records Cooper had reviewed for the next hour and had Garcia do some digging into their bank records too. “Coop’s right. The numbers don’t shake out. Garcia went back before they bid on the first government contract, and there was a huge infusion of cash into the business accounts six months before the first contract was awarded to them. They’ve been drawing that balance down, but the way they have tried to cover it with the internal transfers is suspicious.”

  “Very suspicious,” Garcia agreed.

  “Would that be enough to cause them to fail the audit?” Jackson asked.

  “It’s a question and a conversation in the very least,” Cooper replied. “But if there is anything sketchy about the financing, yeah, that would be enough.”

  “So, the auditors on site prior years should have noticed it?” Jackson asked.

  “Given that a CPA was on site as part of the audit team, I would think so. I’m okay with numbers, but the guy with the DoD has a master’s in forensic accounting. I would think he would have figured it out a lot faster than I did,” Cooper said. He ran his hand through his short-clipped hair re-spiking the front. “Doc, Jackson, are you sure the staffing has been as consistent as it looks?”

  Doc and Jackson exchanged glances. “Well, we haven’t met the crews on second or third shift yet, bu
t on paper, it all looks right,” Doc said. “The one thing that doesn’t seem plausible is the one-hundred percent clean piss tests. No company attains that. There’s always one or two fuck ups who don’t think they’re going to get popped.”

  “Is their screening completely at random?”

  “It appears to be. I found no discernable pattern,” Doc answered.

  “And not to judge books by their covers, but more than a few of their employees look like stoners,” Jackson said. “One guy even has cannabis leaves tattooed on his neck.” He selected the proper HR file and tossed it to Cooper. “Third shift guy.”

  Cooper opened the file and laughed out loud. He held the picture up for the others to see.

  “No arrest record on him,” Jackson added.

  Cooper chuckled. “That’s hard to believe.” His eyes settled on Garcia. “Have you verified fingerprints to names and database records?”