Intersection

by Healy, Nancy Ann

  “He won’t like that.”

  “Well, his actions impact this administration. Just let me know…and Alex?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Have you thought about Taylor’s offer?”

  “To go back to the NSA?” She asked.

  “Yes.”

  Alex pursed her lips. “Yes.”

  “And…”

  “I don’t know. Right now I just need to…”

  “I understand. Keep me in the loop, okay?”

  “Of course, Mr. President,” she said jokingly.

  “All right, Captain….Give Cassidy my best…and wish that boy a happy birthday for me. Is O’Brien coming…”

  “No. O’Brien told me he will be in D.C.,” Alex answered.

  “Might be just as well, Alex.”

  Alex looked again to the family she had grown to love. “For me, yes…for Dylan…”

  “Ummm,” John Merrow understood. He had two children himself. He smiled. His affection for the agent now evident in his words. “Dylan’s a lucky kid, Alex. He has you and he has Cassidy. I’m sure he knows that.”

  “No…I’m the lucky one, John.”

  President John Merrow nodded and looked at his phone. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for his family. Alex, she was the most loyal person he’d ever met. She would do no less. She was his friend and yet she could become his enemy. He would need to keep her closer now than ever. “Understood. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  “John?”

  “Yes?” He asked.

  “I need some time with them…but just watch your back.” Her concern for him was apparent.

  “What do you mean, Alex?”

  “I don’t like this whole thing. The accident, Fisher… Brackett…there’s something…”

  It was exactly what John Merrow expected. “Always looking out for me. Listen, I’ll work with Taylor a bit…take the time you need, Alex. Trust me.”

  Alex smiled. “I do trust you. Thanks, Colonel.”

  “Anytime, Captain. Talk soon.” Alex hung up the phone and let out a sigh of relief. She would have to talk to Cassidy about the press. They would need to talk to Dylan. And, now more than ever, the agent wanted to convince the woman she loved that a step away might be a good idea. She needed to step away too, just for a while. Knowing John Merrow was on her side made that much easier for Alex Toles. She had eyes and ears everywhere. She could afford to stay where she was. She was grateful for that trust.

  “Mr. Krause.”

  “Gentlemen,” Jonathan Krause greeted.

  “Il est bon de vous voir, mon ami (It is good to see you my friend),” a deep voice called from the back of the hotel room.

  “Edmond,” Krause took the man’s hand in a spirited grip. “You look well.”

  “Ahh… ever the charmer, Jonathan. Are you certain you are not French, my friend?” Jonathan Krause smiled. Edmond Callier was more than a business associate. He was a longtime friend and mentor. Callier was what every great agent, what every man hoped to be. He personified confidence. Standing an imposing 6’5, he had dark hair that served to accentuate his hazel eyes. He was extremely intelligent and personable and when he walked into a room everyone took notice, immediately. “Sit,” Callier offered.

  “Not to break up your reunion,” a smaller man seated in a chair across the room interrupted. “But, we do have business to discuss with Mr. Krause.”

  “Oh, Viktor, relax. I am certain Jonathan is prepared for our meeting.” Edmond made his way to a bar at the far side of the room. “Let’s have a drink. We are among friends, here.” As the tall man continued his rounds with the bottle of fine scotch he continued to speak. “So, we have some situations that need addressing. Our friends,” he gestured to Viktor, “are concerned, Jonathan. Concerned about your president’s resolve.”

  Krause accepted his drink and smiled confidently. “President Merrow has things well in hand. You do realize that the congress is largely out of his control.”

  “Yes…well…we have those issues here as well. However, we navigate them,” Callier said as he took his seat.

  “Even if the resolution were to pass,” Krause began, “it would only slow our operations. It would not seriously compromise them.”

  “Chtoby zamedlit’ eto kompromiss(to slow is to compromise)!” Viktor interjected loudly.

  “Uspokoit’sya, Viktor (calm down, Viktor),” Callier warned before turning back to his friend. “Yes. That is true. But, Jonathan…now, right now, to have to regroup would be dangerous. Viktor is right. It would not compromise the operations, but it does, and you must agree with this assessment; put the clandestine nature of our efforts in jeopardy.”

  Jonathan Krause felt his muscles twitch slightly and the veins in his neck begin to pulse. “I assure you that suppression remains at the center of our efforts.”

  Callier chuckled, “I am certain.” He stood and began to pace the room deliberately. “Syria, Pakistan…China…We have to be careful now. These….Well, the parties that we ally with can be….unpredictable. This is a tenuous time. We cannot afford to fail on a promise and risk exposure. Things… things have changed, my friend. Secrecy is not so simple anymore.”

  It was an indisputable fact. It was a fact that kept men like President Merrow awake many nights. Maintaining secrecy in a world that had become connected twenty four hours a day was no longer simple. It took finesse and careful strategy. Politicians and overzealous young journalists were the least of concern now. One wrong move, one alliance that was broken and everything could be lost simply from a video on the internet. “I understand, Edmond. I assure you, President Merrow is well aware. It’s being dealt with as we speak.”

  “A chto takogo kongressmena? On dazhe ne mozhet kontrolirovat’ svoyu zhenu!(And what of this congressman? He can’t even control his wife),” Viktor slammed his glass down. “You expect us to believe he can motivate your congress?”

  Krause’s eyes narrowed and Edmond took note of his friend’s response. The agent steadied his emotions as he was trained to do and calmly took a sip of his drink. “The congressman understands his role. He will deliver or he will be dealt with.” Jonathan Krause took another sip and set his drink down. He calmly leaned forward to face his Russian counterpart. “Chto kasayetsya vashego kommentariya. Kessidi ne tema dlya nashego obsuzhdeniya (As for your comment. Cassidy is not a topic for discussion).” The severity in Krause’s eyes was not lost on the smaller man in front of him and Viktor remained silent as the agent held his attention. It was understood that Jonathan Krause was not to be toyed with; not by anyone.

  “All right,” Callier said. “Viktor, if our friend believes things are under control, we must accept his analysis. He gains nothing by false pretense.”

  Krause straighten his posture. “I have another meeting. I am due at Technologie Appliquée in an hour. You’ll forgive my need to excuse myself.”

  “Of course,” Callier said standing to walk his friend out.

  “It was good to see you, Viktor,” Krause offered somewhat coolly before following his friend to the door.

  “Don’t worry about Ivanov,” Callier assured. “He is impatient.” Krause offered his friend a nod of understanding. “I am glad that Cassidy is safe, Jonathan.” Krause smiled slightly. “Jevois qu’elle a encore votre coeur (I see she still has your heart).”

  The younger man looked at his friend and took his hand in a firm grip ignoring the assertion but offering no denial. “Thank you, Edmond. I assure you, we will proceed as planned.” Krause walked through the door.

  “Jonathan?” Callier called after him.

  “Yes?”

  “Be careful.” Krause smiled and walked away.

  “What are we going to tell him?” Cassidy asked Alex.

  “Well, why don’t we try the truth, just a slimmed down version of it?” Cassidy closed her eyes. “Cass, he knows something happened. No details, just that it was scary for a minute and now we are all safe. That’s all he needs.”

/>   Dylan walked in and looked at the two women on the couch. He stopped just shy of them and looked on hesitantly. “Come here, sweetie,” Cassidy beckoned. Alex had already told her that the press was pouncing on the story of their relationship as well as Cassidy’s ordeal. The agent had taken a few moments to go and look at some of the coverage. The press, it seemed, was painting quite a romantic tale. The agent feared the congressman might attempt to spin that a bit in the days ahead. Alex wanted to shield Cassidy and Dylan from the fall out as much as she could. There were realities to consider and she knew that. Dylan needed to be in school. He needed a routine and so did her lover. Cassidy needed to feel safe and part of that would have to be getting back to some kind of normal routine. Alex just couldn’t see how that could happen in New York. Dylan sat between his mother and the agent and looked at his mother as she spoke. “I know you were worried yesterday, Dylan. The truth is that I was worried too for a while.”

  The boy looked at his mother’s wrists which were still red from the ropes that had restrained them the day before. Cassidy caught his stare and Alex immediately saw her begin to crumble. “Dylan,” the agent pulled the boy’s attention to her. “Remember when I told you about that bad man that I had to stop a long time ago?” Dylan nodded; the fear evident in his eyes. “Well, Speed, sometimes there are people who don’t know how to be good people.” Dylan looked to her questioning her with his eyes. “I know,” Alex said, “that’s hard to understand. Some people don’t know how to love. And sometimes they think that they can make someone love them, and they do things that you or me…well…we would never do.”

  “Like hit someone?” He asked.

  “Yes, Dylan. Like hit someone or make them stay somewhere they don’t want to…and that’s sort of what happened to Mom yesterday.” The boy looked again at his mother who offered him a comforting smile.

  “But you stopped him,” he said.

  “Well, not exactly…but my friends did… yes.”

  “What if he comes back?” He asked fearfully.

  Cassidy looked at Alex and let out a shaky sigh. “He’s not coming back, Dylan,” Alex said assuredly.

  “But what if he does?” Dylan looked at his mother with tears in his eyes and Cassidy pulled him onto her lap.

  “He can’t, sweetie,” she explained. “He can’t hurt anyone anymore.”

  “Promise?” He looked at his mother. She nodded. He turned to Alex. “Did he die?”

  “Yes, Dylan. He died,” Alex said plainly.

  The boy’s small eyes narrowed as he looked at the floor. Then he raised his glance back to the agent. “I’m not sad he died.”

  Alex took a deep breath. “You don’t have to be, Dylan. But…you shouldn’t be happy either.”

  He looked at his mother who picked up the agent’s train of thought. “Alex is right, Dylan. He was not a nice man. But, we are all safe and we have so much to be happy about. That’s what you should remember. People like this man, they have nothing to love. We have everything to love.”

  “He hurt you,” the boy said with anger in his small voice.

  Cassidy looked again at the agent who smiled and then she took her son’s face in her hands. “Dylan, listen to me. I am all right.” She looked at Alex and a genuine smile began to take shape on her face. “Alex, Alex made sure I was all right.”

  “That’s because she’s our protector,” he interrupted with pride.

  “Yes, she is Dylan,” Cassidy agreed. She looked at Alex and attempted to convey with her eyes where her thoughts were headed. The agent understood and offered a wink of encouragement. “Dylan, how would you feel if Alex lived with us?” The boy’s eyes flew open and he stared at his mother. “Would you like that?” He nodded and Cassidy looked into his small eyes lovingly as she continued. “I know you love Alex…”

  “Alex is my Alfred,” he said.

  The teacher chuckled. “I know she is…..I love Alex too.”

  “I know,” he said.

  Cassidy laughed. “So, I don’t want you to think about yesterday, okay? We’re going to spend a few days here with Uncle Nick until we decide what we want to do. Okay? The house is kind of a mess right now.”

  “Okay,” he responded, happy to accept his mother’s explanation. He turned and looked at Alex. “Are you gonna’ get married?” He asked innocently.

  Cassidy nearly fell over and covered her eyes with her hand, shaking her head, unsure whether to laugh or apologize. Alex was unflinching. “Why do you ask that, Speed?”

  “‘Cause when people love each other they get married,” Dylan said as if she should already know that.

  Alex chuckled. “I guess they do,” she said. Cassidy looked at the agent in surprise. “Well, I think your mom and I have a birthday party to plan right now, don’t we?” He nodded. “So, maybe we can talk about weddings another day,” she winked.

  He was more than satisfied with the agent’s response. “Okay. Can I go help Uncle Nick now?”

  “Yes,” Alex said as he hopped down and trotted off.

  “Alex…I’m…” Cassidy began.

  The agent shook her head and giggled. “It was a perfectly valid question, Cassidy.”

  “Maybe…but I…”

  Alex leaned in and kissed the woman. “Stop. It’s fine. You’re starting to worry me.”

  “What do you mean?” Cassidy asked.

  “Do you have something against English butlers or just vanilla cake?” Alex joked.

  “Funny, Agent.”

  “Cass…I’m glad he thinks that way.”

  “Really?”

  “Of course. We’ve got lots of time. You need to stop worrying about scaring me away. Okay?” Alex kissed the woman’s forehead. “How about we take a ride?”

  Cassidy smiled. “Now?”

  “Yeah… I think now is perfect.”

  “What the hell?” Fallon looked at Ferro.

  “Definitely two….What did Toles say when you told her?”

  Brian Fallon shook his head. “She wasn’t really surprised.”

  “I think,” Ferro pointed out into the yard as they traversed the short distance to the tree fort, “that one came from here. Probably the one that hit the counter.” Ferro moved to his right and pointed off a short way. “The one that hit him…. from over there.”

  “Did you find anything? Fallon asked.

  “No. Clean as a whistle.” Ferro said as Fallon inspected the area. “Only thing I got was some Energy Plus truck was in the neighborhood.”

  “So?” Fallon asked.

  “So… Energy Plus has no record of being in the area,” Ferro smirked.

  “Huh…really? Spooks?” Fallon asked.

  “Maybe…..This O’Brien…what’s his deal?” The detective asked.

  “Don’t know,” the agent answered. “Toles is pretty sure he’s into something.”

  “Well, yeah… that’s pretty obvious,” Ferro remarked.

  Agent Fallon took stock in his friend. Pete Ferro was a good cop and he was both smart and perceptive. “You don’t like the congressman much, do you?”

  Ferro shrugged. “I don’t know him….but no…not really. Pompous ass. Seen his kind. Only one thing matters to a guy like that.”

  “What’s that?” Fallon asked.

  “Himself.”

  “So, can we trace that truck?”

  “Already in the works, Agent. Don’t count on much. I have a feeling we might find more off of what Fisher left.” Ferro winked with a sly smile.

  “What did Fisher leave?”

  “Just some breadcrumbs….but you know breadcrumbs, Agent, as small as they are, if you follow them they always lead you somewhere.” Fallon was curious. “Ahh… Fallon, there were some handwritten directions in that bag. I suspect not his writing based on some of the notes and letters there.”

  “Traceable?”

  “Everything is traceable, Agent…If you’re willing to take the time,” Ferro led his friend back to the house.

 
; “You sound like Toles,” Fallon laughed.

  “Smart woman,” Ferro complimented with a twinkle in his eye.

  “Detective, do you have a crush on my partner?”

  “Eh, I’m too old for crushes,” he laughed. “I know a good investigator when I see one. She’s sharp. I had a partner like that once, long time ago; and she’s got good taste in women,” Ferro smiled.

  “Well, I can’t argue with any of that.” As they stepped back into the kitchen the agent’s expression turned pensive. “We need to figure out who put this son of a bitch in play,” Fallon said with an uncharacteristic harshness in his voice.

  Ferro handed the agent a piece of paper and Fallon’s eyes fixed onto it. He scanned it for several moments. “What the?”

  “Ummm… follow the breadcrumbs, Agent.”

  “So,” Alex started, “what do you think?”

  Cassidy walked through the door and stared. The house was beautiful. It was smaller than the house in New York, but it was almost perfect. It was older and it was charming. It was so perfect that Cassidy wasn’t certain what to say. It was set back slightly from the road and surrounded by large oak trees. The yard was beautiful and there was a narrow stream in back that Alex pointed out. The kitchen was large, just as Alex had said. It was completely modernized but the appliances were set amidst subtle brick and white washed cabinetry that gave it the feel of being somewhat antique. The teacher was breathless.

  “Cass?” Alex called again gently.

  “Alex…it’s gorgeous.”

  “But?’

  “No….no but….it’s just….”

  “You’re not certain about a move?’ Cassidy looked at the agent and then closed her eyes. “It’s all right, Cass,” Alex continued. “You don’t have to decide now.”