by Rylee Swann
Shawn and Connor kept eye contact for a brief moment before turning their gazes to the waiter.
“I’ll have a Bud, bottled. No glass necessary,” Connor said, raising his voice to be heard above the din of the packed restaurant.
“And you?” the waiter asked Shawn.
“You import Munster Alt, don’t you?” Shawn knew they did. There weren’t many organic beers available yet, but he enjoyed the taste of this one and knew the few places where he could get a bottle or two. A secondary reason why he had chosen this restaurant.
“Pinkus? We sure do.” The waiter scribbled on his order pad. “Glass?”
Shawn shook his head and returned his attention to the agent sitting across from him, remaining silent until the waiter walked off to fill the order.
Connor raised a brow. “Organic beer? I wouldn’t have guessed that would be your preference. But to each his own, eh?” He had a friendly, relaxed personality, and Shawn saw how well this agent could blend in with any crowd. How his unassuming manner fit the job of a covert agent. A spy. His dimpled smile—practiced but charming—would make him instantly likable to the unsuspecting.
“You don’t know anything about me,” Shawn said, keeping his expression neutral.
“I suppose that’s true. Except for the highlights, of course.” Connor offered a chuckle, although his eyes remained hardened, gray like concrete.
“Of which you don’t need to list. I acknowledge you know what I am.”
“But not who. Okay, yeah, I get it. You’re the big bad.” He smiled and spread his hands. “Look, we can dance all night but you’re the one who asked for this meet. How about you cut to the chase?”
The waiter returned with their beers and set the open bottles in front of them. “Enjoy, gents. Lemme know when you’re ready for another round.”
Connor lifted his bottle and tilted it toward Shawn in a salute before taking a sip. Shawn took a drink of his beer as well, enjoying the herbal aroma and dry finish as it flowed down his throat. He leaned forward to speak but again Connor beat him to the punch.
“I’m curious. Are you planning to shoot me?” He kept the casual smile on his face as he motioned underneath the table. “Unless you’ve recently lost a hand, then my mistake, of course.”
“Only if you give me a reason to. I’m not used to meeting with your kind, Agent Connor. Operations Officer Connor is an unnecessary mouthful.”
“Sure, sure, I get that. But you won’t get anywhere by shooting me. You want something and I’m dying to know what it is, but not literally, of course. By the way, call me Alec. Less formal for the surroundings.”
Shawn wanted to smile, wanted to relax. Connor was so disarming, Shawn wanted to like him. Forcibly pushing such nonsensical thoughts aside, he offered a curt nod. “So, I’ll cut to the chase, as you said.”
Alec took another swig of beer and motioned with the bottle that he was listening.
Shawn took a breath and gathered his thoughts. His gaze slid to Rayna, a few tables away. In profile, she was seemingly enraptured with her food. She picked up a thick-cut French fry with two dainty fingers and brought it to her mouth.
Alec cleared his throat and Shawn returned his attention to him. Rayna was a liability. His lack of concentration due to her would get him killed. He had to stop thinking about her. Nothing good could come of their...whatever this was.
“Alright...Alec. I have skills that are useful to your agency. Would you agree?”
Alec raised a brow, half nodding and shrugging, making his noncommittal answer apparent. Shawn quirked up a lip.
“Alright, I’ve come to a crossroads. Take another job or…” Shawn paused for effect, and Alec waited him out. “Go straight. I’d prefer the latter. But I’d rather my talents didn’t go to waste, so I’ve made contact with your agency.”
“For a job?” Alec obviously couldn’t keep the incredulous tone from his voice. “I mean, you want to work for us?”
“It’s better than retiring and going stark raving mad of boredom.”
“Why?” Alec set his beer down and pinned Shawn with his cool steady gaze. “Why us?”
Shawn didn’t blink, unfazed. “That is irrelevant.”
“Maybe, but being as forthcoming as possible would go a long way to letting me even entertain this idea of yours.”
Shawn narrowed his eyes, and Alec held up a hand.
“Now, don’t get your back up. I should be dragging your ass to jail and letting a judge and jury decide your fate, but I’m not. I’m listening to you.” He softened his tone a modicum. “Give me something.”
“Alright. It’s in my best interests to find different employment.” He picked up his beer and took a sip, keeping his eyes on Alec.
Alec sat back and laughed. “C’mon, man, that’s not giving me a damn thing. That’s playing word games, nothing more. I’m not the boss. I need a lot more to bring back to my superior to make him willing to negotiate this deal rather than lull you into a false sense of security until we come round to that judge and jury again.”
“That’s impossible.” Shawn spat out the words. Alec was starting to piss him off. He had an urge to show him how difficult it would be to bring him before a judge. How painful. How deadly. He pictured Alec under his heel, helpless. Defenseless. And it was all he could do not to act on his inner thoughts.
“Yeah, yeah, you’re too good at what you do to ever be caught blah blah blah.” Alec picked up his beer and pointed it at Shawn. “But now you’re dealing directly with a mostly unknown little sub-branch of the CIA, and I’m not being condescending or conceited when I say that we’re better than anything you’ve yet come up against. So, I’ll say again. Give me something I can believe.”
Shawn bristled, his blood boiling, the hand in his lap becoming a tight fist. “I’ve offered my extensive skills to your little sub-branch. Take it or leave it. Otherwise, we’re done here.”
He pushed back his chair, ready to stand.
Alec smiled with cruelty as much as with humor. “There’s a woman involved.”
Shawn froze, taken by surprise. He didn’t care for this feeling. Didn’t like that this stupid idea had just spun out of control.
“A woman?” He put as much derision into the word as possible. “Has this sub-branch sent me a fool?”
“Let’s keep this civil, Paros,” Alec said in a curt, low voice. A vein pulsed at his temple.
He’d gotten to the agent. Good.
“Call me Shawn. We’re in such informal surroundings,” he said to echo Alec’s earlier request.
Alec relaxed and wagged a finger at Shawn. “You’re quite an interesting man, Shawn, I must say.” He reached into his back pocket and tossed a white business card onto the table. “Here’s the deal, the only one I can offer. You come in, we talk some more. We establish a bit of trust on both sides and we see where it goes from there.”
Shawn allowed more than a hint of disbelief to color his voice. “You want me to turn myself over to you?”
Alec smiled but the warmth didn’t reflect in his eyes. They remained cold, calculating, gray like steel. “That’s where the trust on your side comes in, Shawn.” He nodded to the card. “That’s the address. My direct phone number too.” He pushed back his chair and stood. “One other thing. Bring the woman or the deal is off.”
“There is no woman,” Shawn insisted.
Alec shook his head. “This is a nonnegotiable point. Bring her.”
Shawn leveled his gaze on Alec, tilting his head a bit. He knows something. I need to play along, find out more. Shawn let out a practiced cocky laugh. “You’re letting me go just like that? Betting on whether I turn up again?”
“No, not at all.” Alec grinned but it once again didn’t reach his eyes. “You see, I’ve done my homework.” He nodded toward Rayna’s table and lowered his voice. “I know how to catch you.”
Alec turned and strolled out of the restaurant, not a hint of stress in his shoulders as he showed his back t
o Shawn. Leaving Shawn to pick up the tab.
Shawn grunted in annoyance, not worried about Rayna’s safety. He’d already decided he would follow through. In fact, he realized he’d enjoyed the encounter. He’d found it stimulating, a challenge. Something that had beat the endless boredom away.
He picked up the card and shoved it into the back pocket of his jeans. The agent had done a hell of a job connecting Rayna to him and would become a great ally or a deadly adversary.
Shawn wanted to know which it would be.
9
Rayna’s eyes grew to the size of saucers and stayed that way as she and Shawn entered the Midtown Manhattan government building whose address had been printed on the business card Alec had provided last night.
She was a little nervous but mostly excited. They were taking a huge step in executing her idea for Shawn to become a government agent like Alec and thereby stop his life of crime. This was a good thing and she’d be able to rest easier knowing that Shawn was living on the right side of the law.
They stopped at the reception desk and she jumped ahead before he could say anything. “We’re here to see Alec Connor. We’re expected.”
The man dressed in a navy suit and tie behind the desk looked them over and flipped through a few pages of a calendar in front of him. “I see, and you are…?”
“Rayna Newman and Shawn Paros.” Her voice lowered to a whisper as she said Shawn’s name.
The man nodded and motioned to a couple of security guards who stood nearby. When they reached the reception desk, he said, “Please escort Miss Newman and Mr. Paros to the third floor where Mr. Connor is expecting them.”
“Thank you,” Rayna said, feeling Shawn tense up beside her. Grabbing his hand, she gave it a reassuring squeeze then followed the guard who led them to the elevator bank. The other guard trailed behind them.
The elevator ride up to the third floor was conducted in silence and when the doors whooshed open, she was relieved to find Alec standing there. He wore denim jeans and a bright yellow polo shirt with the collar turned up.
“Glad you could make it,” Alec said in an upbeat, friendly tone. “Follow me, won’t you?”
He led them down a long corridor with closed office doors on either side. The two guards fell back, picking up the rear. When they reached the only office with the door open, Alec stopped and nodded to the guards. “That’ll be all, gents, thanks.”
Raising a hand, he motioned for Rayna and Shawn to enter. Alec went in behind them, shutting the door.
“Gotta admit, I’m surprised to see you two. Last night, I wasn’t sure if I was being punked or not,” he said, taking a seat behind a metal desk. The surface of the desk was empty, as were the walls of the office. The desk, Alec’s chair, and two guest chairs on the opposite side of the desk were the only things in the room. “Please, sit.”
Rayna did as bid, watching with a nervous wringing of her hands as Shawn stood in place for a cautious beat before easing into the other chair. She let out a breath and slid back into her seat once Shawn was settled.
“They’re waiting outside the door?” Shawn asked.
Alec nodded and smiled pleasantly. “The guards are still on escort duty.”
Shawn’s eyes narrowed but he didn’t respond.
“So, what happens now, Mr. Connor?” Rayna asked into the ensuing silence.
Alec kept his eyes on Shawn for a moment before turning to Rayna. “First, please call me Alec. If this meeting goes well, it’s my hope that we’ll all become good friends.” He stood and extended his right hand to Rayna. “We didn’t get a chance to meet last night. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Newman.”
Her cheeks heated as she leaned forward to shake Alec’s offered hand. “Please call me, Rayna, Alec.”
“I’ll do that,” he said as he retook his seat.
“Are you an agent or a diplomat, Alec?” Shawn asked, a clear underpinning of sarcasm in his voice.
Rayna’s head swiveled to him, and she pleaded with her eyes. “Please, Shawn…”
Before they left their hotel that morning, Rayna had begged Shawn to be on his best behavior and not try to intimidate or threaten anyone. He’d agreed but now she wondered if he’d just been offering lip service to shut her up.
“It’s alright, Rayna,” Alec said and laughed. To Shawn, he said, “Sometimes, I’m not sure. However, I am the right person for you to meet with. Convince me you’re serious about the proposal you outlined last night and we can move on to phase two.”
“Which is…?” Shawn asked.
Alec raised his hands, motioning in a placating gesture. “One step at a time, Shawn, alright?” He turned to Rayna. “I’m going to ask you to only observe for the next few minutes, if you don’t mind.”
“Um, okay, sure.”
“Good, good.” Alec returned his attention to Shawn. “We need to get a few pesky details out of the way, I’m sure you understand. Now, then. Please state for the record exactly why you’re here.”
Shawn didn’t respond immediately and Rayna cleared her throat to get him going. He cut his eyes to her and she pleaded with him again silently.
“I’m here to work for your organization.”
“Why?” Alec asked.
“I’ve decided I want to put my talents to use on your side of the law.”
Alec smiled graciously. “Again, why?”
Shawn shifted in his seat.
“Are you expecting me to make a confession?” he said in a growl.
“Easy, there, cowboy. I don’t make the rules. This little convo is all about getting inside your brain a wee bit.” He raised a hand and tapped his temple. “I need to completely understand your reasons. If you think that requires a confession then, by all means, provide one.”
Rayna’s eyes darted back and forth as each man spoke, desperately wanting to chime in and explain but, with effort, she kept her mouth glued shut. She understood that Shawn had to handle this part himself and she offered up a prayer that the next thing he said would be in a more cooperative vein.
Silence continued for a couple of beats and then Shawn, at last, said, “It has recently become a more reasonable and safer option.”
He inclined his head toward Rayna but kept his eyes on Alec.
Slowly, Alec nodded. “I see. And you’re agreeable to staying here and working out the details of said potential employment?”
“Incarceration?”
“No, that only comes if I decide we shouldn’t hire you.”
Rayna held her breath, her eyes so intent on Shawn she thought, surely, his skin might start to burn.
“So, you mean this phase two you mentioned,” Shawn said. Alec nodded and Shawn nodded in return. “Alright.”
“Great!” Alec sat forward and clapped his hands. “I’m looking forward to working with you on this evaluation. Now, then.” He shifted his gaze to Rayna. “You’ll be involved in the process too, of course. Are we in agreement?”
Rayna nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, definitely. I’m more than happy to cooperate as needed.”
“Thank you, Rayna,” Alec said. He stood and walked to the door of the office. Opening it, he motioned to the two waiting guards. To Rayna, he said, “If you’ll follow them, they’ll get you situated with your accommodations here.”
“Wait, what?” She rose to her feet but didn’t move toward the door. “I’m staying here too? Why? For how long? I don’t understand.”
“It’s a necessary part of the process, I’m afraid, but nothing to worry about.” He opened the door a little wider as an invitation to her.
“Um, no. I don’t feel like this meeting is over yet. So, I’ll stay here with Shawn.” She’d learned that when someone said there was no reason to worry, it was exactly the time to start worrying.
“I’m sorry, Rayna, but that’s not an option.” He nodded to the guards and they stepped into the room. “Please go with them while I finish up here with Shawn.”
Rayna�
�s mouth went dry as she looked to Shawn for help.
“Shawn?” she croaked.
“It’s alright, Ray,” Shawn said in a calm tone. “Play along, it’ll be alright.”
The two guards approached her and Rayna reluctantly went to the door with them. As she left, she cast a frantic glance back at Shawn before Alec shut the door. She had never thought she’d be separated from Shawn and terror gripped her.
In the hallway, the guards flanking her on either side, they marched her far down the hall to another room. One of the guards opened the door to this new room and escorted her inside.
She entered, standing in the middle of the room. “Okay, so now…”
But the guards were gone, shutting the door behind them. She raced to the door and tried to open it but found it locked. She jiggled the doorknob in a vain effort then raised a hand and knocked, calling out, “Hey! What’s going on?”
But no one answered.
Alec Connor stepped up to the door of the room where Shawn Paros’ girlfriend, Rayna, was being held. He’d done his homework and knew almost everything about her, except maybe her favorite color. All in a day’s work, he mused.
He’d told them the truth earlier; no one had been more surprised than Alec when Shawn and Rayna turned up that morning, especially when the team assigned to keep surveillance on the pair had lost them last night near the deli in a matter of minutes.
Now the time had come to interview Rayna after leaving her to stew for more than an hour. He’d handled countless interviews like this before, but this one seemed different. He had a gut feeling about her. That she was nothing more than a lovestruck innocent and not a deadly accomplice. Regardless, he had to do his duty and provide the evidence to back up his hunch.
Leaving nothing to chance, he had instructed the guards who’d escorted her to the room not to show her around or tell her how the door to the bathroom worked. He wanted them to be rude to her, not speak or answer any of her questions.
Mean, maybe. Necessary, absolutely.
Alec shut his eyes and did his best to clear his mind, bringing himself as close to a peaceful Zen state as possible. What he needed to do now was the least tasteful part of the job, albeit one he excelled at. In a matter of minutes, he would make Rayna hate him, rely on him, and confide in him. He would knock her mentally off-balance, make her question everything she thought she knew, and set himself up as her savior.
